First Legendary Dragon: Starting With The Limitless System - Chapter 129

Chapter 129: Reason for Explosion
The entire parchment went up in flames again, leaving both Lumi and Orion staring at it in stunned silence.

“…”

[…]

“Why did you have to set up a red flag?” Orion muttered, letting out a long sigh as he slumped back in the chair.

[…There’s something wrong. We did everything right. This shouldn’t be happening.]

Knock Knock

“M-Master, a-are you alright?” came Fiora’s soft voice from outside the door.

“Come in,” Orion called out. Honestly, he could use a break after another string of failures.

Fiora opened the door and stepped inside—but the moment her eyes landed on him, she froze.

“M-Master! Wh-What happened to y-you??” she stammered, quickly rushing over to check on him.

“Huh? What do you mean what happ—” He trailed off as he followed her gaze downward.

His entire body was smeared with black ink and ash, making him look like a coal miner fresh from the depths.

“…”

[Hahahahahahahaha M-Master! Hahaha y-you look—pffft—so funny! Hahaha I can’t—!!]

Orion clenched his fists, resisting the overwhelming urge to bonk her into silence, then turned to Fiora and gestured for her to calm down.

“A few parchments just exploded. Nothing serious happened,” he said with a sigh.

Fiora paused, gently brushing away some of the ash from his shoulder as she checked him over. “Still… you’re completely covered. Are you sure you’re not hurt anywhere?”

“Yes, yes, I’m fine,” Orion replied calmly.

She finally relaxed and took a step back, her gaze drifting toward the scorched desk. “Why did they explode?”

Orion shrugged. “Beats me.”

Then, as if a thought struck him, he turned toward the charred remains. ‘Let me try the Eye of Revelation.’

He closed his eyes for a moment, then reopened them—his pupils faintly glowing—as he focused on the burnt parchment.

[Ashes: Remains of an overloaded Common Grade Parchment.]

‘…’

[…]

“Uh? Master?” Fiora tilted her head, gently nudging him.

‘Aren’t you the smartest system in the world? How did you not think of this?’

[…Aren’t you the Perfect True Dragon Emperor and Human Emperor? How did you forget this minor detail?]

‘…’

[…]

The two fell silent, staring blankly at the pile of ash—finally understanding where they had gone wrong. But neither of them wanted to admit fault.

Fiora, still clueless, looked between Orion and the wrecked desk with visible concern.

He let out a long breath. “Haa… I should go and talk to Grandma.”

Just as he turned to leave, Fiora quickly stepped in front of him. “B-But, look at y-yourself!” she said, pointing at the ink-and-soot-covered mess he had become.

“…Well, a bath is in order then,” he said with a small smile.

Fiora blushed faintly and gave a quick nod. “I-I’ll call Rina—”

“No need,” Orion waved her off. “I won’t take long.”

With that, he turned and casually walked toward the bathroom.

Fiora lingered for a moment, fidgeting with her fingers, clearly debating something… before quickly hurrying after him.

***

“Mmm… that was a good bath,” Orion said with a sigh while coming outside. Fiora followed after him with a lowered head.

Orion turned around and looked at her with a smile, “I will be heading to visit Grandma now.”

Saying that, he turned around and picked up a few parchments, an ink bottle, and his brush. Fiora nodded her head and waited for him to exit the room.

Orion packed his stuff and exited the bedroom. The hallway outside his room was quiet, the warm evening light streaming in from the windows casting shadows across the polished marble floor.

He headed for the part of the mansion where Selene’s personal study was located. It was a place rarely disturbed by anyone except Eldric or Helena, and only when truly necessary.

Orion had only been there a few times—usually to see the beautifully arrayed forge designs or mana-forged prototypes she’d sketched with glowing runes.

As he approached the intricately carved double doors, a faint sound of rustling paper reached his ears. Orion paused outside, listening.

Inside, Selene’s voice muttered something under her breath. He heard the unmistakable sound of something being hastily folded and tucked away—blueprints, most likely.

He knocked twice, his knuckles lightly tapping the darkwood surface.

After a slight delay, her familiar, calm voice called out, “Come in.”

Orion pushed the door open and stepped inside. The scent of ink, parchment, and aged metal greeted him—along with the low hum of embedded runes softly pulsing along the walls.

The study itself was grand but warm. Rich wooden shelves lined with enchanted blueprints, polished mana crystals embedded in wall sockets casting a steady azure glow, and a huge desk that held a dozen tools and half-completed inscriptions.

Selene looked up from behind her desk, where she had clearly just hidden a large scroll under a silk cover. Her deep gray eyes locked onto his, instantly assessing his mood.

Orion gave her a small, sheepish smile. “Hey, Grandma.”

Selene leaned back slightly in her chair, raising an eyebrow. “It’s rare for you to visit me here. Tell me, what happened? You exploded something?”

Orion let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. “…More like three somethings exploded. I was trying to practice constructing my Affinity Rune. But every time I complete the Formation Layer, the entire parchment combusts.”

Selene’s expression turned thoughtful. “Exploding parchment, hmm?” She gestured to the chair in front of her desk. “Show me.”

Orion quickly nodded and sat down, pulling out a fresh piece of parchment and unsealing one of the mana ink bottles with ease. He dipped his brush with steady fingers and began to draw.

He started with the Structural Layer, drawing a precise circular boundary, then scribing the nine Primary Runes around it—Fire, Flow, Stabilize, Amplify, Ignite, Focus, Contain, Reinforce, Channel—each inked in with glowing efficiency.

His mana flowed steadily through his brush and into the page with unwavering focus.

Selene leaned forward, elbows on the desk, resting her chin atop laced fingers. She watched intently, eyes scanning the precision of his work with the eyes of a master craftswoman.

Then came the Mana Circuits. He traced the intricate threads linking each rune to its companions, the web of mana paths blooming like a magical nervous system.

Again, nothing flickered—his mana flowed cleanly. Selene’s eyes flashed with recognition and approval.

Finally, he inscribed the Runic Language, writing the operational logic in tight, clean script around the internal edge of the rune circle. Each rune hummed lightly, indicating correct mana infusion.

Orion took a deep breath and began the final step—the Formation Layer.

He slowly painted a translucent globe around the rune, letting the ink rise in a dome. This time, he very carefully adjusted the mana flow—less pressure than before, based on both Lumi’s suggestions and his own instincts.

As the final stroke was completed, the rune began to glow softly. The parchment trembled—BOOM! Before exploding into ashes again.

Selene waved her hand, and a barrier of mana formed in front of her and Orion, shielding them from the aftermath of dust and ashes.

As the dust settled, Orion and Selene looked at each other, his face held a wry smile as he looked at her.

Selene softly shook her head. “Edgar probably didn’t expect you to use nine runes on this low-level parchment.”

“So it was due to the quality of this parchment?” he asked.