First Legendary Dragon: Starting With The Limitless System - Chapter 130

Chapter 130: Calm Before the Storm
“Yes, you can only practice making a few runes on this parchment at max. But you—you on the other hand, were making nine. Of course, it will explode.” She softly chuckled.

Orion spread out his hand, “Then what am I supposed to do? I feel like I’m doing it the right way, but I can’t be sure.”

She gave a wry smile. “You weren’t wrong in your formation—it’s just that the medium wasn’t made to handle your scale of output. This is why real Affinity Runes are formed directly inside the Sea of Consciousness. There, your mana capacity sets the limits, not the material.”

“…Then what should I do?” he blinked.

She reached into her desk and handed him a stack of high-grade training parchment, laced with mana-stabilizing veins. “Try again with these. They won’t explode… unless you do something really wrong.”

Orion grinned, feeling like a weight had lifted off his chest. “Thanks, Grandma.”

“Of course,” she said gently, her smile softening. “Now go. I expect you to burn that beard of your grandpa when you form your affinity rune.”

Orion speechlessly looked at her and shook his head, “Then I will head back and practice with these.”

Saying that, he quickly exited the room before she asked him to burn off Eldric’s hair as well.

***

As he reached his door, Orion exhaled and stepped inside. Feeling at ease, he gently placed the fresh stack of high-grade parchment on his desk, the surface now cleaned and fresh by Fiora after the last few attempts.

[Master got an upgrade~! Look at those thick, beautiful pages! They won’t betray you like those weaklings from earlier. (๑>◡<๑)]

‘Or maybe I won’t overload them this time,’ Orion replied with a chuckle.

He rolled his shoulders, cracking his knuckles before settling into his chair once again. The parchment had a faint shimmer under the mana lamp’s glow, its texture much denser and smoother than the brittle Common Grade pages.

Orion ran a thumb along the edge—sturdy, resilient, and pulsing faintly with stabilizing veins of blue ink.

“Alright,” he murmured to himself. “No explosions this time.”

He began the process anew, every movement steady and confident. The Structural Layer formed with ease, the nine Primary Runes settling around the circular frame like celestial bodies in a perfect orbit. Mana circuits flowed like blood vessels, linking each rune with seamless symmetry.

Then came the Runic Language, scribed gently with precision, followed by the Formation Layer, the shimmering dome painted softly over the entire structure.

He poured mana into the formation with delicate control—enough to activate the formation. The parchment glowed.

And then… it stabilized.

The Affinity Rune pulsed gently on the page, resonating softly but without releasing power. No combustion. No mana backlash. Just soft, warm glow—perfectly stable.

Orion leaned back, eyes flashing brightly.

[Wooooo!! It’s alive~! It didn’t explode!! You did it, Master!! (つ✧ω✧)つ]

He laughed quietly, a real, heartfelt sound. ‘Not bad at all.’

He practiced again. Then again. With every repetition, the movements became cleaner, smoother, more instinctual—his mana refining with each attempt, until the act of creation became second nature.

By the fourth complete rune, he was breathing rhythmically, his heartbeat steady with a calm mind.

Knock knock.

A gentle voice floated in from the other side of the door. “Master, it’s time for dinner,” Rina called out.

Orion blinked and looked out the window. The sun had nearly set.

“Alright,” he said, standing and brushing his hands off. “It’s time for dinner already, huh?”

Taking one last glance at the softly glowing runes on his desk, he smiled and turned around to leave.

***

Orion pushed open the doors and smiled seeing Selene sitting at her usual spot. Noticing him, she gestured for him to come forward and sit down.

“How did your practice go?” Eldric asked with a smile.

Orion nodded his head, “It went well, I think I’m ready to forge my first Affinity Rune. Should I try it after dinner?”

Selene shook her head, “No, you should stop practicing for the day and have a good rest. We will do this in the morning.”

Orion nodded his head—that’s what he had planned as well, since he didn’t want to rush his Affinity Rune forging process.

After eating silently for a while, Selene broke the silence.

“So,” Selene asked, her voice light but curious, “how many times did you blow up your desk before you decided to ask for help?”

Orion gave her a look. “…Only three.”

Eldric raised an eyebrow and coughed with a grin. “Only?”

“I didn’t have the good parchment then!” Orion defended, reaching for the basket of sliced bread. “The problem wasn’t me—it was the material.”

Selene gave him a knowing smirk. “Mmm. That’s what they all say before their spell backfires and they lose eyebrows.”

Orion chuckled, shaking his head as he spooned stew into his bowl. “Well, at least my eyebrows survived.”

Eldric gave him a mock-serious nod. “Then we shall count today as a victory.”

They continued eating, the sound of silverware gently clinking against plates and bowls accompanying the low noises of conversation.

Selene occasionally commented on the rune structure he described. She didn’t just ask about progress—she understood it, visualized it. She offered small tips between bites, casually correcting the angle of mana flow in his Channel rune or the layering order in his Formation Layer.

“How long were you awaiting this day, Brat? You seem quite excited.” Eldric said with a laugh.

“Since the day I was awakened,” Orion replied with a chuckle. “Now, this feels like the start of something real.”

Selene gave him a soft smile and nodded. “It is.”

After dinner, Orion quietly excused himself and returned to his room. The hallways were still and peaceful now, the soft thrum of mana lights overhead like a gentle lullaby.

Once inside, he stripped off his outer layers and collapsed onto the bed, arms behind his head, eyes fixed on the ceiling.

The stars outside twinkled through his window. His body was tired, but his mind refused to slow just yet.

[Master, you really did amazing today. You’ve grown so much. (✿◠‿◠)]

‘I know,’ Orion replied softly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. ‘It’s only been a couple of days, but it already feels like everything’s changed.’

[Tomorrow’s a big step.]

‘Mhm. My first Affinity Rune…’

[Are you nervous?]

Orion was silent for a moment.

Then, ‘No, I can’t wait for tomorrow to arrive. It feels like when GTA 6 was released, and I bought a new PS5 just to play it. It’s that kind of excitement.’

[Hehe, then you should sleep early, Master. So, morning can arrive faster. (≧◡≦)]

‘…You think I can sleep with my heart beating in excitement?’

The two of them continued to bicker back and forth for a while before Orion felt his eyelids turning heavy, and he fell asleep early.

The gentle moonlight filled the room with a soft glow as, for the first time in the last few days, he managed to sleep on a bed.

***

Sunlight came filtering through the windows as Orion slowly woke up. Remembering what he needed to do today, his sleepiness vanished at once.

[Good morning, Master! You are quite energetic today! (ﾉ≧∀≦)ﾉ]

“Of course, today… will be a big day.”