Supreme Mage System: I grow Infinitely Stronger

"Dammit. I don't want to die."

As Ingrit writhed in excruciating pain, a strange yet mesmerizing sound echoed inside his head. Before his bloodied face, a glowing purple screen materialized, floating effortlessly in the air.

[Supreme Mage System]

[O You incarnation of one of the greatest mages of mendis time, you are not allowed to die yet.]

[You were chosen to fight the inevitable destiny of yours.]

[Now rise up]

The pale and lifeless Ingrit stared at the screen, his expression one of utter bewilderment. His mind struggled to process what this apparition was. Yet, he had little time to ponder; his life was slipping away with each passing second. His body grew colder, his vision dimming as his eyes dulled, inching closer to death.

Desperation gripped him. He tried to summon flashes of his past—a final montage of his life. But the memories that came were dull and unremarkable, filled with loneliness and monotony. He had always been a lone wolf, drifting through an uneventful existence. Yet, two vivid images flickered in his mind like a beacon in the dark: his mother and Givan.

'Mom still needs my support. I can't left her and....Givan behind.'

The thought echoed in his fading consciousness, tinged with sorrow.

Just as despair tightened its grip, a sudden warmth surged through his chest. It was as though someone had wrapped him in a comforting embrace. Slowly, the searing pain in his pierced heart began to subside. Unbeknownst to him, the floating screen was healing his fatal wound.

Ingrit's eyes fluttered open. He felt... alive.

'What is this? Why do I feel warm? What's happening to me?'

[Your heart is being healed.]

[Remember: This is a one-time intervention. Should your heart be pierced again, it cannot be restored.]

Minutes passed. The pain faded entirely, replaced by an eerie clicking sound reverberating inside his head. A new notification blinked before him.

[Healing complete. Now, your latent magic energy will awaken.]

As this miraculous transformation unfolded, elsewhere in the abyssal depths of the ocean, another grim scene played out. Inia was sinking, her body descending into the pitch-black void. From the darkness emerged a monstrous maw, lined with rows of jagged, bloody teeth. Slowly, Inia drifted closer, helpless against the pull of the abyss.

The creature's gaping mouth loomed ever closer. In an instant, it snapped shut, swallowing her whole. The beast's grotesque form came into view as it came toward Ingrit—a massive, eyeless sea creature resembling a 20-meter-long earthworm with slick black skin and rows of razor-sharp teeth.

It slithered toward the hill where Ingrit lay, still recovering. Without warning, the beast opened its colossal maw and lunged, engulfing him in one swift motion. Its teeth began to close around him, ready to crush his body.

But then something happened.

A dazzling explosion of radiant purple light erupted from Ingrit's body, shattering the creature from within. The force obliterated the beast, scattering fragments of its flesh into the churning waters. The purple energy spread like a tidal wave, enveloping the ocean in a luminous glow. Even the ocean itself seemed to tremble in awe.

The shockwave didn't stop there—it surged to the surface and beyond, reaching the skies above. On the floating Cloud State, high-ranking officials watched from their skyscrapers as the phenomenon unfolded.

In one of these buildings, a man seated in an ornate chair observed with a mix of surprise and anticipation.

"This energy... there's no mistaking it. A new Chosen has just been born," he murmured, rubbing his chin with a barely concealed excitement.

Back in the ocean's depths, Ingrit stood amidst the floating remains of the beast. His body was whole again, his vitality restored. The poisonous water around him seemed to lose its effect, as if the very toxins feared to touch him.

The radiant energy that had erupted from him began to retreat, flowing back into his body. It condensed around him like an aura, illuminating his form in soft, pulsating purple light.

'What is this? My... magical energy... it feels like it's overflowing!'

Ingrit was overwhelmed by the surge coursing through him. He could feel it, this dormant power within him, now fully unleashed. His heart beat with newfound strength, spreading the magic to every fiber of his being.

His hair began to change, its color fading to a stark white. His once-black eyes glowed with an ethereal purple hue.

A grin spread across his face as he spoke, his voice tinged with awe and excitement.

"It's incredible! I don't know how this happened, but I finally have power—power like Lightning-Clown and the other Chosens!"

He closed his eyes, exhaling slowly, as the energy settled within him. He opened them again, glowing brighter than ever, as another a purple screen appeared before him.

===

[Status]

Name of the holder: Ingrit Cloudines;

Status: Amateur;

Power obtained: 5%;

Name of the power: Dracid;

Abilities: Devouring Sphere of Dracid, {more to be Acquired};

===

"A info screen ?"

Ingrit, barely able to contain his excitement, clenched his right fist as his eyes locked onto the glowing purple screen before him.

Suddenly, his elation was interrupted by the distinct sense of a sea beast hurtling toward him with alarming speed.

The thrill of discovery gave way to steely determination. Under ordinary circumstances, without allies to support him, Ingrit would have instinctively hidden, knowing the danger a sea beast presented. But today was different. Today, he wasn't in the mood to retreat. His gaze pierced into the depths of the ocean, resolute. With his newfound power, he believed without a shred of doubt that he could vanquish a low-ranking sea beast—an opponent that would have been insurmountable in the past.

As the beast entered his line of sight, Ingrit shifted slightly, leaning back and clenching both fists in preparation.

This sea beast, unlike the one before, had a disturbingly humanoid appearance. Its upper body was unmistakably human-like, though its skin was a deep, unnatural green, with jagged, black, pointy fingernails. Its face was equally grotesque: narrow red eyes glowed with malice, and its double mouth—each lined with rows of razor-sharp teeth—twisted into a monstrous grin.

Though its upper body mimicked that of a human, the lower half resembled the tail of a fish, matching the sickly green hue of its torso. Towering at a height of ten meters, the creature bore an unnerving resemblance to a merman from a nightmare.

The beast sneered, its harsh voice grating on Ingrit's ears.

"Looks like I've got at least one prey left. All the trouble I went through to stockpile those blue crystals in the hill's cave was worth it."

Ingrit met the creature's malevolent grin with a calm, knowing smirk of his own.

"So, I was right. All those crystals in the cave were nothing but a trap you set..."