Blade of the Void

In the bustling kitchen, Luna and the others watched in awe as Lyra and Grey worked with remarkable speed and skill. Their dishes looked mouthwateringly delicious, leaving everyone eager for the feast ahead.

Despite their astonishment, Grey's culinary prowess didn't entirely surprise them, given the countless surprises he had already brought to their lives.

Inspired by Lyra and Grey's example, everyone else threw themselves into the preparations with renewed enthusiasm, creating a vibrant atmosphere of teamwork and excitement in the kitchen.

After two hours, everything was ready. All seventeen of them sat around a large dining table, which was laden with dishes fit for a royal feast.

Suddenly, the utensils started to float, and various dishes were served to everyone. Lyra had used her magic to make the utensils float and serve the food.

Everyone tasted the food, and their mouths were flooded with flavors. They ate happily, anticipating Grey's dish, the Enchanted Forest Salad. Its beauty and presentation hinted at its deliciousness.

When they tasted Grey's dish, their eyes widened in delight.

"How delicious!" exclaimed Frost, savoring the Enchanted Forest Salad.

"Yeah, it's very tasty," agreed Draven.

Everyone shared their enthusiastic reviews of Grey's dish. Next, they tried Lyra's Celestial Dream Parfaits. Presented beautifully, they tasted just as amazing as Grey's salad. The group enjoyed both dishes thoroughly.

With full stomachs, they looked at each other and nodded.

"The best dish will be decided by voting," said Luna, smiling and creating suspense.

"Lyra!"

"Grey!"

Votes were cast, and the results came in: Grey received 8 votes, while Lyra received 9, making her the winner.

"Hell yeah!" shouted Lyra. "Is there anyone who can beat me in this world? Hahaha!" she said haughtily.

Grey smiled at her and said, "You won only because I also gave you my vote."

"Well, it's your fault for voting for me, or maybe you've acknowledged that I'm better at cooking than you," said Lyra, still arrogant about her victory.

Grey just shook his head at her antics.

After the feast, everyone went to their places to sleep, including Grey.

---

The artificial morning rays bathed the land in a gentle glow, as if the sun itself had blessed this mystical place. Birds chirped, and weak but intriguing magical beasts roamed the forest. Though no one knew where these creatures came from, their existence added a touch of wonder to the land.

As time flew by, the countdown to the trial began in earnest. Ten days remained, and everyone was deep in preparation, determined to succeed. Yet, amidst all the hustle, Grey slept soundly, seemingly indifferent to the looming challenge.

Grey's growth during these months was nothing short of miraculous. He often secluded himself, training with a focus that no one could understand. His abilities had advanced to an extraordinary level. His quest for knowledge had led him to learn more about magic and its rich history.

A month earlier, Grey had asked Luna for guidance in magic. Instead of direct lessons, Luna had taken him to the ancient library of Thalassar. This library, filled with tens of thousands of books, became Grey's new training ground. Astonishingly, he managed to read every single book within a short span.

Harnessing his time magic, Grey created a zone where time flowed differently. One second inside his zone equaled twenty seconds outside. This allowed him to read and understand the vast library in just one month. His mastery over time magic had grown to such an extent that he could look a few seconds into the future or manipulate the flow of time around him.

Despite their previous experiences with Grey's abilities, everyone was stunned when he demonstrated magical beast magic during a training session with Aurelia. This feat, deemed impossible without external aid, added another layer to Grey's growing legend.

In these months, Grey also trained with nearly every member of the group, absorbing knowledge and skills from each one. His relentless pursuit of mastery left everyone in awe, and even though they thought they had seen it all, Grey continued to surprise them.

The door of Grey's room creaked open as Luna and Lyra quietly entered. Aurelia, following closely behind, joined them as they approached the king-sized bed where Grey lay sleeping, his mouth slightly open as he breathed in and out.

The three women exchanged knowing smiles before they settled themselves on the bed beside him. Lyra gently stroked Grey's head, eliciting a contented smile from the sleeping boy.

"Look how much he's grown in just two and a half months," Luna said softly, admiring the little boy with black hair.

"Yeah, his talent is frightening," Aurelia agreed. "Not only has he improved drastically, but because of him, I've also been able to improve my magic significantly."

"His thoughts about magic and the world are different from ours," Lyra added.

"What he said that time is still clear in my mind," Luna said, reminiscing. "I asked him, 'What do you think about the world, Grey? About magic and people?'"

Grey had answered thoughtfully, "Magic exists in this universe to make us stronger, or you could say, perfect. Everything in this universe strives for perfection, even the universe itself. That's why magic is here, to improve us. And the world is a place, a training ground, where we can use magic to become perfect."

---

"Despite being so young, sometimes it seems like he's older than us," Aurelia remarked.

"It's all because of his grandmother, who made him who he is today," Lyra said. "And I think this time we can easily pass the trial with him and save our world in this last chance we have."

They continued their conversation quietly, sharing their hopes and concerns. After a while, they left Grey alone to sleep, not realizing that he was already awake and had been listening to every word.

"I will not disappoint you guys," Grey muttered to himself as he closed his eyes again, determined to live up to their expectations.

Exhausted from continuously reading books and using magic to stay awake, Grey had finally succumbed to sleep. The fatigue had caught up with him, and as soon as he finished reading the last book, he had collapsed into a deep, well-deserved sleep.

Grey slept for twenty more hours and finally woke up. "What a nice sleep," he said, stretching his arms and legs. He used his magic to brush his teeth and clean himself before closing his eyes and focusing.

When he opened his eyes, Grey found himself in a vast space filled with countless shining twinkles spiraling toward what seemed like a galaxy. This was his inner world. Since discovering it, Grey could enter this space at will and often came here to observe changes or improvements in his mana.

Today, he was here to complete the sword technique he had been developing. While Grey loved magic, he also had a deep passion for swords and martial arts. Early in his training, he had crafted a katana using materials from the storehouse. Drawing on what he had learned from the library, he inscribed mana inscriptions on it, enhancing its sharpness, magic amplification, and anti-magic properties.

The katana was a masterpiece, with blue and silver fiery designs on the blade and a dark black hilt. The sheath was also black with grey and silver linings, giving it an elegant appearance.

Grey raised his hand, and the katana materialized in his grasp, thanks to his space magic. He had stored the katana in his pocket dimension.

Grey drew the katana from its sheath. The weapon was almost as long as he was tall, maybe even longer. Using magic, he had adjusted its size to suit himself perfectly.

Holding the katana, Grey felt a surge of energy. He took a deep breath and began to practice, moving with fluid grace and precision. Each swing of the katana cut through the air with a sharpness that resonated in the silence of his inner world. The galaxy of twinkles seemed to spiral faster, mirroring the intensity of his movements.

"That was a good warm-up," said Grey as he closed his eyes. Using magic, he created about a hundred dummies in front of him.

His breathing stabilized as he employed the advanced breathing technique he had learned from Luna. He took a stance, his hand slowly moving toward the hilt of his katana, and whispered in a low voice.

"Void Blade - First form- Blade of the Void."

Click!

Once again, a sharp clicking sound pierced the silence that had enveloped the area.

The hundred dummies that had stood before Grey were now reduced to countless pieces, scattered across the ground. Yet, Grey's hand remained firmly gripped around the hilt of his katana.

Without expending any mana, Grey had achieved this feat solely through the mastery of his technique and the precision of his blade.

"Fantastic! I've finally perfected it," exclaimed Grey, breaking the lingering silence. "I've been attempting this variation of the void blade technique without relying on mana, and at last I've done it."

"Practice makes perfect," Grey remarked to himself, continuing to repeat the move until it became ingrained in his muscle memory, all while reflecting on his accomplishment within the confines of his meditative mana galaxy.