Albrecht's breath came out ragged as he shifted slightly on the bed. Even with Heinz's magic dulling the worst of the pain, the wound still burned like fire.

  He clenched his jaw and forced himself to focus.

  "Alright," he said, keeping his voice steady. "First question. What exactly is magic? Explain it to me like I am a child."

  "There are four types of magic. The one I am currently using on you is called Mana Sculpting. It is arguably the most difficult kind of magic but, in most situations, the most useful." Heinz said.

  "I assume I don't need to explain what mana is?"

  He didn't wait for an answer.

  "Mana Sculpting is the direct manipulation of mana, whether in the environment, people, or objects. The reason your wound isn't worsening, and your organs are still functioning, is because I'm constantly feeding you mana, then manipulating it to sustain and even replace some of your body's functions."

  Albrecht swallowed, the weight of what he was hearing settling in. Heinz was essentially keeping him alive manually with nothing but magic, like what life support machines on Earth do.

  "It requires extensive biological knowledge and a great deal of skill. Not just anyone can do this, especially for a wound of this size."

  Heinz's voice carried the distinct tone of someone who knew exactly how impressive he was.

  "So you should be grateful."

  Albrecht resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

  'Arrogant bastard.'

  "The next type of magic is Word Magic. It's the first kind most people learn and, in my opinion, more suited for beginners and not real magic users."

  Heinz exhaled as if preparing himself to explain something so simple it physically pained him.

  "The caster channels their mana through spells formed as metaphors. The words serve as both guidance and reinforcement to control the mana flow. Take, for example, a basic ignition spell."

  His voice lowered slightly, becoming almost rhythmic.

  "A whisper of embers, a breath of dawn, ignite."

  Albrecht felt something shift in the air, faint but present. He imagined if Heinz had actually cast the spell instead of just saying it, a small flame would have sparked to life.

  "You can think of it as mana flowing into concepts," Heinz explained.

  "Certain parts of the spell need more emphasis. Embers and ignite are the key points. If you don't direct your mana properly, the spell can weaken, misfire, or just fail entirely."

  'I wonder if you could just skip a breath of dawn and get the same result... but I doubt it. If it were that easy, someone would've figured it out already.'

  Albrecht kept the thought to himself, not wanting to waste a question. He had wanted to ask the first few questions for a reason, even if it were only three instead of the five he initially wanted.

  And now, just two remained.

  But the Divine Vow was already proving its worth.

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  He had only known Heinz for maybe half an hour, yet he was already certain there was no way this guy would've willingly explained things so thoroughly on his own.

  But now, he had no choice. He was actually putting effort into explaining magic properly.

  Heinz continued after a brief pause.

  "Written Magic works similarly to Word Magic, except you inscribe spells onto a mana-conductive surface instead of speaking them. The material affects the spell's potency. A thin piece of parchment won't hold as much power as a spell carved into stone or engraved onto enchanted metal. But the core principles remain the same: mana control and proper word emphasis."

  Albrecht nodded slightly, absorbing the information.

  "The last type of magic is Story Magic, and it's the most recently developed. Mages across Renvaris are still arguing over whether it's a branch of Written Magic or something entirely separate."

  'Renvaris…?'

  That name. It wasn't anywhere on the map from the travel guide. Not a kingdom, not a continent, not a city.

  'The way he said it… it's not an organization or a faction. It sounds like… a place. It has to be the name of this god-forsaken planet.'

  Albrecht barely had time to think about it, nor did Heinz have a chance to explain further.

  Footsteps approached.

  Selene entered the room, her clothes spattered with blood that was clearly not her own. In her hand, she held a breathtaking artifact, a rose-gold watch. Its face was a deep, gleaming blue, and the hands glowing with an ethereal white light.

  Albrecht had been prepared to ask Heinz about it, but now there was no time. They had to postpone their conversation. Not that any of them could reveal that anyway.

  Heinz's eyes flickered toward the artifact, suspicion lacing his voice.

  "How do you intend to use the Chronos Watch to heal an injury like this? It's impossible."

  Selene didn't even spare him a glance. Instead, she looked at Albrecht, her golden eyes piercing as she asked,

  "Do you know what the Chronos Watch is?"

  Albrecht shook his head. "No, I don't."

  She didn't seem annoyed at his lack of knowledge like Heinz had been, something Albrecht had expected. Instead, she explained the artifact's functionality with patience.

  "Chronos Watch manipulates time, but in a very specific way," she said, idly turning the rose-golden watch between her fingers.

  "It doesn't reverse time. It only pushes it forward."

  Albrecht's brows furrowed as he thought about that.

  "You mean it speeds things up?"

  Selene nodded.

  "Heinz, it's time for you to leave. This is something I can't show you."

  "What?" Heinz scoffed, clearly insulted.

  "I stabilized his wound, I even talked to him, and now I can't even witness how you intend to use a high-tier artifact like Chronos Watch? Especially if you plan to use it in a way no one ever has?"

  His irritation was barely concealed.

  Selene gave him a slow, amused smile.

  "I can show you what it feels like to age into a shriveled old man within seconds. If that doesn't sound appealing, then get out. I'll call for you when it's time to return."

  There was something in her tone, a blend of humor and threat.

  Albrecht could understand Heinz's frustration. The man was arrogant, sure, but he also seemed genuinely fascinated by magic, especially how Albrecht had managed to survive with half his body torn open.

  For someone like Heinz, who clearly prided himself on his knowledge, being shut out of a chance to witness Chronos Watch in action must have been unbearable.

  Still, Selene wasn't giving him a choice.

  Heinz scoffed but clearly knew better than to push his luck. He turned to Albrecht, exhaling sharply.

  "When I leave, I can obviously no longer stabilize you. So good luck."

  "Don't worry," Albrecht muttered, already bracing himself to activate Mirrorbound again.

  Heinz shot Selene one last glance before stepping out of the room.

  As soon as the door clicked shut, Selene let out a small sigh and began wiping the blood from her clothes.

  "By your facial expression, I can tell that you're using Mirrorbound. Keep it active until I say otherwise."

  Albrecht gritted his teeth, forcing Mirrorbound to remain active. The sharp, clawing sensation of his mind being stretched returned in full force, but at least it kept him alive.

  Selene, meanwhile, acted as if none of this concerned her. She sat down on the stool Heinz had left behind, her posture relaxed, and she casually wiped the last streaks of blood from her sleeves.

  "Let's begin."