Rein drifted down—his body lagging half a beat behind gravity—and came to a slow stop.
His face was slick with sweat.
His hair was a wreck—tossed into near ruin by sheer wind pressure and shockwaves.
And yet, hanging there on his lips was a smile of quiet satisfaction—
the kind that came not from victory, but from confirmation.
[LIZ: Congratulations. Vortex Drive’s first field test was a spectacular success! At first I was honestly worried you’d black out from the G-force.]
Rein answered with an inaudible sound in his throat.
The night air was chilly enough that his breath came out in pale mist…
but inside his chest, adrenaline still burned like a furnace.
It wasn’t the first time he’d beaten a Stratosphere-tier mage.
But it was the first time he could fight one head-on—
without tricks, without ambushes, without relying on dirty angles.
Just speed and physical force—accepted risk meeting accepted risk head-on.
This success… belonged to the brainstorming he and LIZ had done earlier, while trudging through the snow.
Rein had taken the Mage Hand spell he’d seen the Guardian commander use—and decided to rebuild it into something far more efficient.
So LIZ proposed layering Enhancement spell casting on top of it.
She redrafted the mana circuit—rewiring the circuit nodes to fix the original model’s wasteful energy flow.
It didn’t require the CUBE directly…
but the technique demanded Dual-Hand Casting—two spells, simultaneously, in the same beat.
Fortunately, Rein had already survived that hellish training.
And what made Dual-Hand Casting easier for him was this:
LIZ had turned long, complicated incantations—
into two sets of mathematical equations he could calculate and process instantly inside his own mind.
[LIZ: I only tweaked the logarithmic constants—just the numbers—and Mage Hand scaled up from ten feet to fifteen, with no need any extra mana compensation.]
On the walk here, she’d bragged about that masterpiece again and again…
until Rein—half-amused, half-exhausted by the blinking window—had finally waved it off and promised he’d test it for real.
He stood at the rim, staring down into the crater for a moment longer—
making sure there would be no movement from the one he’d buried.
The world settled back into silence.
Only white snowflakes continued to drift into the pit.
[LIZ: The Mage Hand I modified is incredible, isn’t it?]
But the original idea was mine, wasn’t it…? Rein argued in his head.
In the end, he still had to nod—slowly, reluctantly—
and swipe shut yet another self-congratulatory window from the girl AI that kept flooding his vision.
“Okay. Okay. I surrender.”
Rein let out a small sigh.
“From now on, I’ll call it LIZ Hand—just like you want.”
[LIZ: Yay!!! I finally have a “hand” of my own in your world!!]
Once he was sure everything was under control, Rein began to walk down into the crater—unhurried, careful.
But the moment he stepped past the rim—
the pain he’d been suppressing—consciously or not—detonated all at once.
Every muscle in his body revolted, screaming from the brutal centrifugal stress the Vortex Drive had forced through him.
Rein ground his teeth.
Thick beads of sweat slid from his temple and dropped into the snow—
snow that had already begun to melt from the lingering heat of impact.
If he hadn’t used reinforcement magic to brace his body’s structure…
and if LIZ hadn’t been calculating vectors to minimize the shock—
he’d probably be vomiting blood right here by now.
He realized it immediately.
The “hardware”—his body—was still the bottleneck. with the speed the CUBE could grant.
Maybe the next research project…
needed to focus on deep, systemic body-enhancement magic.
Rein reached into his pocket and pulled out a small glass bottle filled with clear yellow liquid.
An Elixir—a special formula that restored physical fatigue while refilling mana at the same time.
He popped the stopper and downed it in one go.
“Ah… this one’s actually decent,” he muttered, surprised. “Like bitter tea.”
Ingrid must have tweaked it again.
The flavor was far gentler than the standard mana potion—
the one that tasted like dishwater mixed with chemicals.
The air around him was thick with an eerie quiet.
Only faint blue-gray mana motes drifted upward through the earth—slowly—
like fireflies that were about to go out.
Fragments of a defensive spell, trying to hold itself together one last time…
before dissolving forever.
Rein called LIZ Hand again.
But this time—not to destroy.
To control.
Under LIZ’s fine guidance, the massive translucent mana hand slipped into the soil, digging carefully… and dragging a barely-living body up from the rubble.
The assassin looked beyond terrible.
Limbs twisted and broken from high-speed impact.
The black light armor LIZ had called “strong”—now crumpled like cheap scrap metal.
Thick red blood seeped from beneath the silver iron mask, staining the dark suit all over.
The moment the body cleared the ground, the remaining glow of its protective barrier shattered like glass—
and sank into the darkness completely.
“If Troposphere-tier armor is like bulletproof glass…” Rein murmured, mostly to himself.
“then Stratosphere-tier must be more like bomb armor.”
He stared at the warped silver mask, so mangled it barely resembled its original shape.
“But no matter how thick the armor is…”
“If you take a ‘cannonball’ to the body at point-blank range like that—
it’s going to end up like this either way.”
Physics had never lied to him.
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
When the force was too large for the structure to bear,
the so-called “perfection” people worshipped was nothing more than a lie.
“All right…”
“Let’s see who you really are.”
Rein walked up to the body now dangling midair.
LIZ Hand pinched the assassin by the collar between its index finger and thumb—
with the sheer disgust of someone picking up a mud-soaked rag.
Rein stood there for a beat, staring at the iron mask.
His brow tightened.
Then he reached out—
and tore the twisted mask off in one hard yank.
And the face beneath it made him freeze.
“Master Bloom!?”
It was Master Bloom’s blood-soaked face—there was no mistaking it.
And yet, Rein’s instincts screamed at him.
Something was wrong.
The face might match…
but the physical structure didn’t.
The limb ratios were off. Center of mass—wrong.
Different proportions than the Master Bloom he knew—who was normally more solid, more balanced.
“Wait—what the hell…? That’s Master Bloom’s face, no question, but why are the proportions—”
Rein pressed his lips together, thinking fast.
[LIZ: Probability analysis suggests—with 84% confidence—the target is a Shapeshifter.]
A message popped up—
and LIZ Hand’s pinky finger twitched up and down as if it were “processing.”
“Shapeshifter…?” Rein murmured, voice low.
[LIZ: Yes. According to my database, Shapeshifters are humans altered through forbidden magic or certain rituals. They can mimic appearance. And worse—mana signatures.]
“You’re telling me there are Shapeshifters infiltrating the Academy to commit crimes…?” Rein’s eyes narrowed.
Then what’s their real objective?
He lifted his left hand to his chin by habit—
and then his eyes widened, a key piece of the puzzle snapping into place.
“Wait, LIZ…”
“If that’s true, then the fake librarian Belle I ran into back then…
she could’ve been a Shapeshifter too.”
He began pacing on the snow, fast.
His mind started stitching events together at speed.
“They planned a break-in to steal something from The Vault… then vanished for almost two months…”
“And now they’ve resurfaced—right in the middle of Lance’s murder case.”
[LIZ: Maybe they never wanted to reveal themselves this soon. But you—]
[LIZ: You stepped into the center of their board—without realizing a game was already in progress.]
Rein absentmindedly lifted a hand to scratch at his already-messy hair, his thoughts drifting all the way back to the very first day he’d ever crossed paths with Marcus Crown—
and how that single encounter had snowballed into the chaos of today.
“So you’re telling me…” he muttered, resignation heavy in his voice,
“So all of this started…”
“…because I stepped on a pile of crap by accident?”
He stared at the face that was, in every detail, Master Bloom’s—
and yet the body proportions beneath it were unmistakably wrong.
The comparison surfaced on its own.
“Then why doesn’t this one look like Belle?” Rein frowned. “That one was flawless. Even Master Rachel—Forensic Magic herself—couldn’t tell she was fake.”
[LIZ: Physical imitation has constraints related to ‘time’ and ‘process.’ This individual may have only recently begun the replication procedure. Structural adaptation is therefore incomplete.]
Rein’s brows knitted tighter.
“So there are other conditions too? It’s not like they can just glance at someone’s face and copy raw data cleanly like a T-1000, right?”
[LIZ: Under normal circumstances, a Shapeshifter requires a ‘component’ from the target’s body as a template.]
“A component…” Rein’s tone sharpened. “You’re saying they use actual organs from their victims?”
[LIZ: Correct. In most cases, the target’s heart. Which is why their targets almost never survive.]
Rein’s eyes narrowed.
“Do these idiots not know what DNA is? Tissue cloning alone should’ve been enough. Why go through something as messy as stealing hearts?”
[LIZ: They likely lack any understanding of genetic structures as you define them. However, for short-term surface imitation, sweat or bodily fluids can be sufficient.]
“Then what’s their bottleneck?” Rein pressed.
[LIZ: Insufficient template data leads to rapid synchronization failure. At best, the form can be maintained for only a few hours. Without a heart, they can’t reach the Core Mana Circles.—allowing replication of both spell structure and magic-tier output.]
A long stream of text scrolled by as Rein turned his attention back to the fake Master Bloom’s face, studying it closely.
[LIZ: Even then, Shapeshifters cannot replicate abilities perfectly. Data indicates that while physical appearance can reach near 100%, spell performance rarely exceeds even 70% of the original.]
“Why?” Rein asked, already circling the body with visible interest.
[LIZ: Searching… One moment. The data originates from records several centuries old… Ah. Found it.]
[LIZ: The core issue is tier limitation. Even with a Stratosphere-tier heart, they can’t fully use that power. Their own base capacity does not exceed Troposphere.]
“What—are they cursed like me or something?” Rein snorted, a short laugh escaping his throat.
[LIZ: Hardly. No one’s that lucky. Shapeshifters are the result of magical modification experiments. Their mana is impure. It can’t undergo true refinement.]
“Mana refinement…” Rein replied, half-distracted. “Yeah, LIZ. That’s another thing I should probably add to my research schedule.”
[LIZ: You, on the other hand, are sealed by Dragon’s Speech—preventing you from increasing the number of Core Mana Circles. Different cause, similar result.]
A brief image flashed through Rein’s mind—
Himself, shackled to a massive binding pillar.
Everyone he knew walking through a gate, one by one…
until only he remained, chained alone.
His mind felt oddly calm.
But his hand clenched into a fist without him realizing it.
Rein turned back to the man in black, now hanging limply in midair—
suspended by LIZ Hand, utterly helpless.
He stepped closer and slapped the blood-smeared face.
“Hey. Wake up.”
“So how long have you been pretending to be Master Bloom?”
“Ghk… y-you little bastard…”
The fake Bloom slowly opened his eyes, red with hatred.
Then—he laughed.
Blood bubbled at his lips as the sound spilled out.
“Who knows… an hour ago. Yesterday. Last month. Maybe even a year.”
“Who bothers remembering things like that?”
Rein froze for half a second.
If that were true…
then who had he really been studying under all this time?
But the lapse was fleeting. Logic reclaimed its hold in an instant.
“Lying won’t help you,” Rein said flatly, as if reading lab results.
“Your body gives you away. The transformation’s incomplete.”
He tilted his head slightly.
“Your proportions are still off. The structure doesn’t match. Which means you only started the process with him recently.”
“…How?”
The fake Bloom’s sneer cracked—replaced by genuine confusion.
“Oh, I know a lot of things,” Rein replied.
“For example—‘Belle,’ that librarian? She was a Shapeshifter too.”
He dropped the statement like a bomb.
Rein didn’t blink, observing the reaction—
the clenched jaw, the trembling eyes.
Confirmation.
“Now tell me,” Rein continued. “What’s your objective? Why kill members of the student council?”
The Shapeshifter paused.
Then it raised its head and met Rein’s gaze with something unreadable.
“Kill them?”
It burst into manic laughter.
“You seriously think… in the Academy like this—
that I’m the only Shapeshifter here?”
Something spiked sharply in Rein’s gut.
He didn’t hesitate.
“What do you mean?”
“Where is the real Master Bloom right now?”
The creature’s eyes rolled back, showing only white.
Its blood-soaked mouth whispered hoarsely,
“Bloom…?”
“You’ll be seeing him very soon…”
The body began to warp.
Horrifically.
The face that had been Master Bloom flickered—
cycling through dozens of unfamiliar faces Rein had never seen.
The body swelled, then collapsed, then twisted again—
like corrupted data tearing itself apart.
“…This is—” Rein breathed.
[LIZ: Danger!]
A red alert flashed violently.
The Shapeshifter’s body ballooned to the brink of rupture.
Brilliant blue light—Stratosphere-tier mana—erupted from its chest, burning through flesh.
Rein snapped backward with a sharp kick—
while LIZ Hand moved on instinct, hurling the unstable body straight up into the sky.
A streak of light tore across the night above the forest.
The explosion followed.
Mana detonated with a deafening roar.
Shockwaves and heat blasted outward in all directions.
A storm of flame rolled down from above, vaporizing the surrounding snow in an instant.
Rein raised a magic shield again just in time, blocking the raining debris.
[LIZ: Whew—almost had a bad one there! Oh, Rein… your hair’s on fire.]
The message popped up as LIZ Hand pointed teasingly at his head.
Rein quickly smacked down the smoldering strands and let out a long sigh.
“Okay. Explain.”
“What just happened, LIZ?”
[LIZ: That individual could access Stratosphere-tier power because it was borrowed from Master Bloom’s heart. Once the body sustained critical damage, the replica could no longer regulate that energy. When the internal spell rings destabilized, the borrowed mana overloaded—short-circuited—and then… detonated.]
LIZ explained, complete with enthusiastic hand gestures from the giant mana construct beside him.
[LIZ: Shapeshifters have extremely short lifespans. They were disposable reconnaissance units during the Thousand-Year War. Historical records indicate the technique was lost—and they were believed extinct.]
Rein shrugged mildly, unimpressed.
“Extinct,” “forbidden,” “lost to legend”—
those things were currently living inside his eyes and hands.
Mana Vision.
Delay Casting.
LIZ and Nighty.
It really seemed like no one had updated this world’s database in a thousand years.
He scanned the area.
The explosion had flattened what was once dense pine forest into a massive clearing—
charred tree remains scattered everywhere.
And after that much elemental disturbance, the Department of Elemental Magic would’ve felt it long ago.
Their masters were probably mobilizing already.
“This much damage…” Rein muttered, straightening his cloak.
“They’re definitely not going to be happy.”
He turned away.
“Alright, we’re out of here—before we end up paying for an entire forest’s worth of repairs.”
These entries expand the lore and mechanics introduced in this chapter.
Completely optional—read only if you enjoy diving deeper into the system.
LIZ Hand (Modified Mage Hand)
A customized version of the standard Mage Hand spell, created by Rein and LIZ.
– Uses dual-hand casting to layer a reinforcement spell over the base telekinetic construct.
– Refined mana circuits and LIZ's optimization extended the size from 10 to 15 feet.
– Requires no extra mana compensation.
– Operates with high physical precision and strength, able to lift and manipulate bodies or crush enemies.
– Rein later humorously renames it LIZ Hand after LIZ demands naming rights.
Dual-Hand Casting (Update)
The ability to cast two spells simultaneously, requiring immense concentration and calculation.
In this context, it allows Rein to run reinforcement spells alongside LIZ Hand during combat.
LIZ helps Rein perform this by reducing long incantations into mathematical expressions, allowing fast mental execution.
Potions and Items
Elixir
A rare potion that simultaneously restores physical stamina and mana reserves.
– Rein note Ingrid’s custom version for its gentler taste, similar to “bitter tea,” unlike the standard chemical flavor of mana potions.
Magical Biology / Abnormal Entities
Shapeshifters
Humanoid entities altered through forbidden magic or rituals, capable of copying both the physical appearance and mana signature of others.
– Require a body part, usually the heart, from the target to enable full transformation.
– Surface-level mimicry (such as Belle’s case) can be achieved with skin contact or bodily fluids but is temporary.
– Full spellcasting replication needs access to the target’s Core Mana Circles—which only the heart provides.
– Cannot fully replicate tiered spell output; limited to 70% efficiency even with perfect appearance.
– Base capacity rarely exceeds Troposphere-tier, and their mana is considered impure, preventing refinement.
– Short lifespans. Originally designed as disposable espionage units during the Thousand-Year War.
– People believed they were extinct until recent resurfacing.
Mana Overload Detonation
Occurs when a body (like that of a Shapeshifter) can no longer regulate the Stratosphere-tier mana it has absorbed or stolen.
– Once internal spell rings destabilize, the power surges uncontrollably, resulting in self-destruction via mana explosion.
– Described as the equivalent of internal circuits short-circuiting catastrophically.
Pop Culture Reference Codex
T-1000 (Terminator 2: Judgment Day, 1991)
– Character: T-1000
– Portrayed by: Robert Patrick
– Franchise: Terminator
– Created by: James Cameron
– Genre: Sci-Fi / Action
Summary:
The T-1000 is a prototype liquid metal assassin android developed by Skynet in Terminator 2. Unlike the original Terminator (T-800), the T-1000 is made of mimetic polyalloy—a liquid metal that allows it to morph into any human form, imitate voices, heal instantly, and form blades with its body. It is faster, smarter, and more adaptable than its predecessors.
Trivia:
– The T-1000’s visual effects were groundbreaking for its time and are still cited as one of the greatest practical/digital blends in cinematic history.
– Its ability to pass through bars, reform after explosions, and maintain a blank, emotionless stare made it iconic.
