Chương 23: Water Dragon

This flower contained a spell that would significantly boost Arin's magical capabilities, a spell tied to the Water Element.

As an avid reader of Humanity's Strongest Mage, there was no way Arin could forget this flower.

In the early stages of the novel, Alex had ventured into this very part of the forest and stumbled upon this exact flower—the Water Dragon Flower.

This flower wasn't unheard of in Ainsley Kingdom, the kingdom Arin currently resided in, but it was certainly rare. Its origins were a mystery; even the novel had yet to explain how it came to be.

In fact, throughout the entire kingdom, only four individuals had ever come into contact with this flower—five now, including Arin. And those four had seen their magical strength greatly enhanced after encountering it.

Apparently, this flower simply grew in this forest, and Alex just happened to discover it by chance. So, although Arin had arrived here first, he knew Alex would eventually make his way here. That's why Arin needed to delay him for a while.

And who better to handle this task than Tessa, who was close to Alex? She was the one person who could stall him for at least an hour.

Now, with the path clear, Arin could focus on what needed to be done without any interruptions.

Another thing about the flower: merely touching it wasn't enough to absorb its power.

Arin carefully plucked the flower, holding it delicately in his right hand. His irises reflected the ethereal glow of the blossom, its blue light undiminished.

Without wasting a moment, Arin did the unexpected. He tossed the flower into his mouth and began to chew.

As he chewed, the glow of the flower slowly faded, and the flower itself began to disappear.

Arin's expression remained blank, but one thought crossed his mind: 'It's sweet...'

It was exactly as the novel described it—sweet, almost like a strawberry. But as he continued to chew, the taste abruptly changed until there was no taste at all, just the sensation of... water.

Finally, he swallowed the flower. As expected, nothing happened immediately, but Arin knew what to do next.

He sat down on the ground in a lotus position and closed his eyes.

For several moments, he did nothing, slowly drowning out the sounds of rustling leaves.

Once he had achieved complete focus, he began to feel his Mana. It was a simple task for him, something he had practiced many times before.

He could sense the Mana flowing smoothly throughout his body, but there was something different this time.

Near his stomach, he could feel a glowing presence—an identical flower to the one he had just consumed, only this one was glowing far brighter, almost too bright to discern its shape.

Arin started to guide his Mana toward the flower. The moment his Mana touched it, the glow intensified.

He continued to channel his Mana toward the flower until—

*WHOOSH*

A powerful surge of Mana exploded outward from Arin's body, creating a gust of wind that sent the leaves swirling around him.

But that wasn't all.

Arin's brown hair began to flutter wildly as the wind's intensity increased.

The sound of rushing water filled the air as water suddenly materialized around him, forming a protective bubble that enveloped him.

*WHOOSH*

The trees surrounding Arin bent and swayed under the force of the wind, but with his eyes closed, he was oblivious to the chaos around him.

After a few seconds, the wind subsided, and the water barrier disappeared, revealing Arin standing in the same spot, his eyes now open.

He stood up, brushing the dirt from his uniform. "Guess it's time to try it out..." he muttered to himself. "It shouldn't take all my Mana."

Arin took a deep breath, centering himself as he began to channel his Mana. The energy within him stirred, responding to his will.

His eyes narrowed in concentration as he focused on the image of the Water Dragon, its sleek form gliding through the depths of a vast, endless ocean.

The Mana within him surged, spiraling through his body like a powerful current. He raised his hands, and the air around him began to shift, the temperature dropping as the moisture in the atmosphere condensed.

"Guess it's working...." He muttered, a smile on his face.

Water droplets formed in the air, swirling together as they coalesced into a sphere of shimmering liquid.

Arin's eyes glowed with a fierce intensity as he called upon the spell. "Water Dragon," he whispered, his voice laced with power.

The sphere of water began to elongate, twisting and writhing as it took on a serpentine shape. Scales of pure, liquid energy formed along its body, glinting in the sunlight as the Water Dragon came to life.

Arin's eyes were focused, adamant on seeing the result. "It's definitely not going to deplet my Mana...."

The Water Dragon was massive, at least twenty feet long, with eyes that shimmered like the surface of a calm lake.

The serpent coiled in the air above Arin, its body undulating with a grace that belied its immense power.

It was a manifestation of the Water Dragon's might, a creature born of pure Elemental force.

With a thought, Arin directed the serpent forward. It obeyed instantly, surging through the air like a torrent unleashed. The trees around the clearing bent and swayed as the serpent passed, the force of its movement creating gusts of wind that whipped through the forest.

Arin watched as the serpent collided with a large boulder at the distance.....

*BOOM*

The boulder instantly shattered, causing a smirk to appear on Arin's face.

Instantly, he deactivated the spell, and the Water Dragon instantly disappeared.

Satisfied, Arin removed the mask, put it in his inventory, and left the forest, his hands casually tucked into his pockets, and began walking toward the dormitory building.

'With this, my magical capabilities have been boosted,' he thought.

The Water Dragon Spell was a Grade 4 Master Rank Spell, but what made it extraordinary was its unique ability to Rank Up automatically with the user, unlike other spells that required constant training and usage to advance."

"Apart from the Water Mages who discovered the flower, no other Water Mage has been able to replicate the Water Dragon Spell... It's that complex," Arin muttered to himself.

Now that he had absorbed the flower's power, Alex would no longer be able to obtain the Water Dragon Spell. Although Alex remained a formidable opponent, Arin still had aces up his sleeve. He wasn't done yet.

A smirk formed on Arin's lips as he considered what was to come.

On his way, while close to the main Academy building, Arin noticed someone running toward him. As soon as he saw her white hair and the cheerful expression on her face, he recognized Lina.

'She really cares about her brother,' Arin thought with a touch of guilt.

On Earth, he had never had siblings, so he didn't know what it felt like, but he could tell that Lina genuinely cared about "him."

With that in mind, he decided to cut her some slack. He couldn't blame her for worrying.

Lina finally reached Arin, breathing heavily. "A-Arin," she stammered, trying to catch her breath. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

Her eyes searched his face, concern evident in her gaze.

Arin offered her a gentle smile and reached out to caress her hair, causing her to gasp in surprise.

She hadn't expected this, not after the way he had been acting lately.

"Lina," Arin began softly, "I'm fine now, okay? You don't have to worry about me anymore."

Lina remained silent for a moment, her eyes locked onto his, searching for any sign of deceit.

Then, suddenly, she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "You were hurting me," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Arin's expression softened as he hugged her back, gently stroking her hair. "I'm sorry, Lina. I didn't mean to make you worry. I promise, I'm fine now."

Lina nodded against his chest, a small smile breaking through her worry. She was genuinely relieved that Arin seemed to be okay and that he was back to treating her like his sister.

As they stood there, embracing in the fading light of the evening, Arin's thoughts drifted to the events of the night ahead. A battle was coming, and his eyes grew cold with determination.

'A night of battle, huh?' he mused silently, a dark resolve settling within him. 'Not bad...'