The Regressed SSS-Rank Water Mage Wants To Live a Calm Life-Chapter 25: Vin is no longer Coreless!

As Vin blinked, the bright light surrounding Frilo reduced drastically, leaving a...

"Alright, alright. Enough of the theatrics, Frilo," Maxwell spoke freely.

Vin rubbed his eyes, just to make sure he wasn’t blind.

"Max? What the hell–" he pointed at the glowing blue, miniature human. "Is that?"

The floating creature was all blue, possessing long, tiny ears, wide blue eyes, limbs and tiny wings.

"What is that thing?? A– the mana I feel from it... A demi-human? An apex monster? What the hell–"

Maxwell giggled, barely containing his amusement.

"Relax, Vin." Max uttered. Then, his gaze landed on Frilo. "You know what to do, right?"

Frilo nodded its tiny blue head.

Maxwell smirked.

Once again, he’d concocted another plan. Except, this plan wasn’t shaky. It was a firm plan.

Having surveyed his soul and explored the depths of what little powers he’d regressed with, Maxwell discovered that his pocket dimension — the unique spaces of gods, much like Kronos’s null realm — was still active in his soul, containing all his divine treasures. And all Maxwell’s divine authorities were still imprinted on his soul. Although they were severely weakened due to the lack of divinity. But they could still at least have a manageable effect with enough mana.

Knowing this, he remembered the potion in his soul. One that he’d gotten from a lone, detached entity back when he was tasked by the council of High Celestial Elders to eliminate all demonic gods in the 48th universe. At that time, a demonic god named Ezra had used some kind of ancient divinity to block Maxwell’s divine pathways, making him incapable of absorbing or using divinity. It hindered Maxwell’s mission. And so, that lone entity gave him the potion to deal with it, which he drank and gained control of his divine pathways.

The name of that miraculous, godly-crafted potion was ’tear of the celestial grove.’ Maxwell had an idea of how the potion was crafted, but he didn’t think much of it. Not until the time when he noticed that Vin had a pathway blockage, just like him. But Vin was a mortal, and his pathways were weak, only meant to circulate mana.

It meant that the tear of the celestial grove, even in its weakened state, would surely be effective on the middle-aged man. Because, according to Maxwell’s earlier scans, Vin’s pathways were blocked by tanglings and twistings. A deformity from birth. Not an artificial craft.

"What do you mean, Max?" Vin asked, still shaken by confusion.

The very moment it nodded, Frilo disappeared in Vin’s eyes.

"I’m going to faint, Max."

"What?" Maxwell almost laughed out loud. "No, don’t faint... yet. You haven’t even seen anything."

Maxwell calmed the rising laughter and closed his eyes as Frilo entered his soul, and, through their soul-link, traveled to his pocket dimension. In search of tears of the celestial grove.

Vin exhaled.

"I’m not going to ask–"

Maxwell raised a hand, cutting him off. Eyes still closed.

"Wait a second."

Maxwell opened his eyes, and they glowed a ferocious blue light.

He smiled.

"Now."

Bzzzzzz!!

Frilo seemingly appeared out of thin air, wings flapping as it flew around.

Gently, it made its way toward Maxwell’s open palm. And as it reached Maxwell’s palm. It dropped something on it, then scurried through the air, toward Vin, who shrieked like a little girl and flinched backwards.

Maxwell watched this happen with a mischievous smile.

Hurriedly, he took his attention away from the duo and focused on the small crystal vial in his palm. And he clenched it.

"You’re a lucky man, Vin," Max said. "I didn’t finish this back then. I wanted to."

Vin was still trying to shoo Frilo away, but the grandmaster rank spirit seemed to enjoy teasing Vin, a smile on its lips as it stubbornly chased after the man.

"Hey, Vin!"

Vin suddenly paused, looking at Maxwell with a horrified expression.

"What the hell is this thing, Maxwell? Tell it to get off me."

Maxwell clicked his tongue.

"Don’t say that, you’ll hurt Frilo’s feelings."

"Frilo?" Vin finally stood up straight. "Its name is Frilo?"

Maxwell shrugged, throwing the crystal vial to Vin.

"As I said. It’s a water spirit."

Vin caught the crystal vial, and he frowned, bringing it up to eye level and inspecting the crystal thing.

"Water spirit? I thought only those beast tamers and spirit wielders in the Ananca Empire could handle spirits?"

Maxwell shrugged. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"Turns out I can too."

Vin sighed, clenching the vial and looking up to Maxwell.

"You expect me to just believe that?"

Maxwell nodded, putting a hand on his waist.

"Yes."

"..."

"..."

"What is this Vial anyway? What’s in it?"

"Take one gulp of it," Maxwell smiled widely. "You’ll like it."

Vin cast a suspicious gaze at the young man, taking a step backward.

"You know, normally I won’t trust young, noble mages who summon spirits out of nowhere and try to convince me to drink," Vin gazed at the vial once more, rolling it in his fingers. "Suspicious potions. But," he cocked open the vial, "you’re literally my savior. And I owe you a lot. I’ve said that a lot, haven’t I?"

Maxwell nodded.

"Yes, you have."

Vin raised the vial to his mouth.

"And I believe you have no reason to kill me."

Maxwell nodded.

"No, I don’t."

"I hope this doesn’t kill me, Max."

Maxwell chuckled, but still nodded.

"No, it won’t."

Vin poured the liquid content inside his mouth. The liquid was as clear as a pristine lake, and it slid down his throat effortlessly, draining every faint feeling of thirst.

"Just one gulp," Maxwell reminded.

Vin stopped drinking.

"Ahhh," he exhaled, wiping off the liquid trailing from his lips. "This... you’re right. I like it," he smiled. "It’s like juice mixed with alcohol."

Vin gazed at Maxwell.

"But what is, though? What effect is it supposed to have? I don’t feel anything."

Maxwell began to smile. Even Frilo laughed, although its laugh sounded like a flute being played.

"Huh?" Vin muttered. "Why are you both laugh–"

Maxwell raised three fingers.

"Wait–" Vin looked at the vial once more. Then at Maxwell.

The young mage was holding two fingers now.

Maxwell’s figure began to blur in his vision.

"Ma... max?"

One finger.

Vin collapsed immediately, as his pathways untwisted and unknotted with speed too great for his mortal brain to track.

Maxwell breathed out, staring down at the collapsed mercenary with a calm smile.

"Congratulations."