"Irene, I want to learn magic..."
Kageyama Ren gave it some thought before speaking up, his voice serious.
Truth be told, even if he pushed his Haki, Devil Fruit abilities, and physical combat skills all the way to Level 10, he still didn't have the confidence to face Acnologia, not with that monster's power to devour everything.
Which was exactly why he wanted to learn magic from this world.
Because Irene herself was within Acnologia's hunting range.
Sure, in the original story, Irene never revealed her true identity. Even when standing before Acnologia, she managed to stay hidden.
But Ren knew, his very presence had already changed the course of this world.
If Irene were ever exposed and Acnologia came after her…
The consequences would be catastrophic.
He didn't want any regrets. No tragedies he couldn't prevent. So he had to become stronger, strong enough not to be a burden.
"Magic?" Irene blinked in surprise, then smiled. "And what would you want magic for?"
"I want power. Enough to protect the people I care about, and to never regret my choices."
Ren's young face was filled with sincerity.
"You don't need to chase power like that, Ren. Because I'll always protect you. No matter who or what we face."
Irene could see the determination and unease in his eyes. She didn't know what exactly he was worried about, but no matter how terrifying the threat might be, she would defend Ren and Erza with everything she had. Anyone who dared hurt her children would pay in blood.
Ren said nothing. He understood Irene's love for him, but this was his own decision, and he would not back down.
"I see. Then if you really want to learn magic, let me teach you."
Irene smiled fondly and gently waved her hand. Three glowing orbs of light appeared in the air and floated toward Ren, merging with his body.
"These contain Enchantment Magic, Separation Magic, my experience with both, and a touch of my magic power. Try sensing them."
She had just shared her own magical expertise, layering it with a bit of her own energy.
Irene had long since noticed Ren's body lacked natural magic. His strength came from those strange fruits, abilities not born from this world.
But she'd experienced the power of those fruits firsthand.
The Hito Hito no Mi (Model: Human) had done more for her than Ren ever realized. It didn't just return her human form, it had awakened dormant potential, granted her the stamina and durability typical of Zoan-type users, and made her even stronger than before.
As for the secrets behind the fruits, Irene never asked. She respected Ren's privacy and trusted him completely.
After all, ever since he had mysteriously appeared in front of her, offering a fruit that restored her humanity—allowing her to sleep, eat, and live as a human once again—Irene had come to see their meeting as nothing short of fate.
"So this is magic…"
Meanwhile, Ren had closed his eyes, deeply immersed in sensing the power flowing into him.
It was overwhelming. Enchantment and Separation Magic felt like divine techniques. He even got the feeling that, once mastered, they could be used to control virtually every magic in this world.
But there was one problem…
He didn't have any mana.
Still, Ren wasn't afraid. He had a cheat.
"System."
With a thought, his system interface appeared in his mind.
Character: Kageyama Ren
Physique: Special Constitution (Can consume multiple Devil Fruits)
Haki:
Observation Haki: LV6 (+)
Armament Haki: LV6 (+)
Conqueror's Haki: LV6 (+)
Devil Fruits:
Zoan-Type: Uo Uo no Mi, Mythical Zoan (Model: Azure Dragon): LV6 (+)
Paramecia-Type: Kilo Kilo no Mi: LV6 (+)
Logia-Type: Pika Pika no Mi: LV6 (+)
Combat Skills:
Swordsmanship: LV6 (+)
Rokushiki: LV6 (+)
Magic:
Mana: LV0 (+)
Enchantment Magic: LV0 (+)
Separation Magic: LV0 (+)
Funds: 208,908
Sure enough, after receiving Irene's teachings, the three magic-related entries had been unlocked and were now upgradeable.
According to the system's prompt, these magic skills didn't cap at Level 10. Their limits would need to be discovered through practice.
"This system is so greedy..."
Ren grimaced. Enchantment and Separation were counted as two separate magic types, which meant upgrading both would require double the money.
With just 3,000 in daily earnings from system quests, how long would it take to max them out?
Still, complaining wouldn't help. If he wanted to grow stronger, he had to invest.
He started by pressing the + button next to Mana.
With a small flash, it went from LV0 to LV1, costing him 1 point. His funds dropped from 208,908 to 208,907.
Seeing that magic cost the same to level up as Haki and physical skills, Ren didn't hesitate. He tapped the button five more times in a row.
In a blink, Mana reached LV6, and 111,110 funds vanished.
He was left with just 97,798.
It wasn't enough to raise either Enchantment or Separation Magic to Level 6, so he settled for boosting both to Level 5 instead. That cost him another 22,222.
Now he was down to 75,576.
"These funds burn too fast… why isn't there a cracked version of this system?"
Ren watched his savings plummet from over 200,000 to just over 70,000 in an instant. But even so, he didn't regret it.
Because now, he was stronger.
His status panel updated again:
Magic:
Mana: LV6 (+)
Enchantment Magic: LV5 (+)
Separation Magic: LV5 (+)
Ren could feel the surge of power flowing through him, his newly formed mana roaring like a current. He was finally like a real mage now, able to grow his power through training.
"Ren…"
Irene felt the change too. Her expression turned to one of mild shock. She had just watched him, a boy with no magic, transform into a powerful mage in mere moments.
To her, his mana was still negligible, but to the outside world, he was already a force to be reckoned with.
"Irene…"
Ren had wanted to explain everything, about the system, about his abilities, but he had already come up with a cover story.
He'd just blame it all on the Devil Fruits.
Irene already knew how strange those fruits were.
"You're a genius, Ren! This is incredible. My child is a magical genius!"
Before he could say anything, Irene picked him up in a tight embrace, laughing in delight.
Ren could feel her joy radiating from her heart. It warmed him more than he expected.
"Hehehe..."
And not far away, baby Erza, who was resting in the cradle Ren used to sleep in, let out a happy giggle, almost as if she could sense what had happened.
Even Erza seemed happy that he had grown stronger.
And in that moment, Ren's resolve only deepened.
*********
Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!