Re:Birth: A Slow Burn LitRPG Mage Regressor

The sun had already begun its descent behind the city's western towers by the time Adom reached the meeting point.

The Imperial Bank loomed ahead, all cold marble and rigid columns. Late afternoon light bounced off its pale facade while pigeons squabbled over crumbs on the steps. A bell tower somewhere struck five, its deep tones mixing with the constant background hum of the city. A few well-dressed merchants were concluding their business for the day, chatting idly as they descended the wide stone steps.

Cass was waiting on a bench near the entrance, one leg crossed over the other, a leather portfolio balanced on her knee. She'd made an effort with her appearance—her usual practical attire replaced by a tailored jacket in deep burgundy over a simple white blouse. Her hair was pulled back neatly, and she'd somehow managed to look exactly like what she was pretending to be: a representative of a noble house conducting important business.

When she spotted Adom, she pointedly glanced at the bank's ornate clock tower, then back at him.

"Took you long enough," she said as he approached, closing her portfolio with a snap. "I was beginning to think you'd changed your mind about the whole venture."

"Sorry about that," Adom replied, slightly out of breath. "Had a little unexpected event earlier. Also had to drop Zuni at my dorm before coming." He adjusted his collar, still feeling sand in places sand had no business being after his training session with Biggins.

Cass studied his face for a moment, then shrugged. "Don't worry about it. At least you're here now." She stood, tucking the portfolio under her arm. "While you were otherwise occupied, I've been rather productive."

She gestured for him to walk with her, away from the bank and toward the less crowded side street where they could speak more privately.

"The initial deposit has been made," she said once they were clear of potential eavesdroppers. "Five million gold, as planned. I presented the necessary documents with House Sylla's seal—which, by the way, you'll need to explain how you acquired."

"Later," Adom promised.

"Right." Cass pulled a slip of paper from her pocket and handed it to him. "This is your official receipt. Don't lose it. I've also drafted the articles of incorporation for our trading company."

Adom examined the receipt, noting the impressive letterhead of the Imperial Bank. "You've been busy."

"That's why you're paying me." Cass's lips quirked in a small smile. "I've also made inquiries about the warehouse property. It's still available, but there's another interested buyer. We'll need to move quickly."

She paused, looking oddly hesitant for a moment. "I went ahead and registered our official name. You said I could choose, remember?"

"Of course," Adom said. "What did you decide on?"

"The Wangara Guild." Cass's voice became softer. "Trading and Expeditions."

Adom considered the name. It had a good ring to it—suggesting both commerce and adventure. "Wangara Guild. I like it. Does it mean something to you?"

Cass looked away briefly, watching a group of children chasing each other around the square.

"The Wangara were some of the first human merchants," she explained, her eyes brightening with enthusiasm. "They braved the Thousand Oceans and the Ten Continents to establish trade routes. They were the first to open commerce with seven different races, including the early sea elves. It was the name my father wanted for his guild, if he ever managed to start one." Her fingers tightened slightly on her portfolio. "He used to tell me stories about it when I was little. How one day, we'd have our own banner hanging in the Merchant Quarter."

"Used to?" Adom asked carefully.

"He died five years ago. Courier route ambush." She said it matter-of-factly, but Adom caught the tension in her jaw. "Anyway, I've had the name in my head ever since."

"I'm sorry about your father."

She shrugged. "It was a long time ago."

Adom nodded, studying her profile. This explained a lot about Cass—her practical nature, her knowledge of commerce, her independence. And now she was emotionally investing herself in their venture, tying it to something deeply personal. It meant she would care for the guild with genuine passion, not just professional interest.

Which is exactly what I need from her, Adom thought, then immediately felt a pang of guilt. Here she was opening up about her father's dreams, and he was calculating how her emotional attachment would benefit his business interests.

I'm a terrible person sometimes.

"If you're happy with the name, then I am too," he said sincerely. "It suits what we're building."

Her expression brightened. "I've even drafted our guild motto." She cleared her throat with a touch of self-consciousness. "'Integrity in trade, innovation in approach, adventure in spirit.'"

"That's... actually perfect."

"I know," she said, a hint of her usual confidence returning. "I'm good at this, Adom. Trust me."

"I do."

She nodded, then got back to business. "What about you? Did you manage to contact the potential sponsors?"

"Yes," Adom said, carefully folding the receipt and tucking it into his inner pocket. "I sent a letter to Damus' father this morning. He should respond favorably—Sam also spoke to his father about us. The others should get back to me soon."

"Soon isn't good enough," Cass replied, her brow furrowing slightly. "We need at least one confirmed sponsor by tomorrow if we want to maintain our timeline."

A cart rumbled past them, the driver shouting at pedestrians to clear the way. Adom and Cass stepped closer to a shop front displaying expensive glassware, their reflections distorted in the window.

"I'm working on it," Adom said. "Duke Lightbringer isn't exactly someone you can rush."

Cass glanced at him sideways. "And the third option? Your mysterious Mr. Biggins?"

"That's... progressing."

"Progressing how, exactly?"

Adom thought about his afternoon on the beach—flying through the air, crashing into sand, the old dragon's cryptic promises.

"It's complicated," he admitted.

"I'll trust you to manage the sponsor situation," Cass said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Just don't leave it too long. Timing is critical here."

"Thanks," Adom replied, relieved she wasn't pressing for details about Biggins. "I appreciate the confidence."

They walked along the edge of the square, past vendors packing up their stalls for the evening.

"Well," Cass said after a moment, her portfolio tapping rhythmically against her leg, "with today's tasks completed, our little reunion is almost done."

Adom nodded, already mentally planning his next steps.

"Before we part ways though," she continued, "I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Oh?"

Cass stopped walking, turning to face him fully. "I've been looking into our competition. The existing guilds in the House of Merchants."

"Find anything interesting?"

"Do you know how long it's been since a new guild successfully claimed a seat?" Cass asked.

"Uh... six years, I think?"

"Eight. Eight years." She leaned against the stone wall of a nearby building. "And that was the Kardin Shipping Guild, who only succeeded because they revolutionized hull design and cut trade route times by twenty percent."

A merchant passed by, pulling a cart loaded with unsold fabric. Cass waited until he was out of earshot before continuing.

"We're not just applying for membership here," she said, voice low. "We're asking the House to eject an existing guild—even if it's the fiftieth-ranked—and give us their place instead. We need to demonstrate significantly more value than what they're currently providing."

"The economics need to make sense," Adom agreed.

"More than make sense. They need to be compelling." Her fingers drummed against her portfolio. "These guilds have been entrenched for generations. They have connections, established trade routes, political backing. We can't just be good. We need something they don't have."

She fixed him with that direct stare of hers. "So, do you have any ideas? Something we could introduce soon that would make us stand out enough to break an eight-year streak of rejections?"

Adom was quiet for a moment. He'd seen eighty years of innovations in his past life—techniques and products that hadn't been invented yet in this timeline.

"Actually," he said finally, "I do."

Cass's eyebrow lifted slightly, interest piqued despite her attempt at professional detachment.

Adom looked at her, weighing how much to reveal. "But I'd need you to run a few errands for me first."

Her expression shifted to one of deadpan skepticism. "Errands."

*****

An hour and half later...

Adom stood at the shoreline, watching the waves slide in and out. The tide was low, exposing dark strips of wet sand that gleamed under the moonlight. A chill breeze swept in from the water, carrying the sharp tang of salt and seaweed.

He hadn't planned on being here this late. The moon was already up and Mercer's Cove was quiet at this hour, just the occasional distant shout from the docks and the constant rhythm of water against shore.

"I'm doing everything but attending school lately," he muttered to himself, then shook his head. "Focus."

He was here for a reason.

He stripped down to his underwear, folding his clothes into a neat pile on a nearby rock. The night air raised goosebumps across his skin.

Cautiously, he dipped a toe into the water.

"Damn it." It was freezing.

Adom glanced back at the hulking figure standing motionless several paces back from the water's edge.

"You sure you can't swim, John?"

The golem didn't respond. Of course it didn't. It wasn't sentient, just following basic commands.

He'd tried several times to make the golem enter the water. He'd removed its armor, adjusted its balance, even attempted to modify its command runes. Every attempt ended the same way: the golem sank like a stone, completely useless once submerged.

All that advanced magic, and water was the weak point. It was ridiculous, really.

He'd need to find a way to fix that eventually. Maybe some kind of flotation enchantment or waterproofing for the command runes. Something to work on later.

Adom took his glasses out of his pocket and held them up, examining his handiwork. The simple night-vision rune he'd spent an hour carving into the inner rim of the lenses glowed faintly blue in the darkness. Not his best work, but it would do the job. He slipped them on, and the shoreline immediately brightened to a grainy but visible scene.

"Nice."

He'd already expanded his mana pool enough that maintaining two spells simultaneously was no longer the strain it used to be. Good thing, too, considering what he was about to do.

"Alright, let's not freeze to death," he muttered.

Closing his eyes briefly, Adom constructed the fire spell in his mind, visualizing the energy forming a protective sphere around his body. The spell settled around him like an invisible bubble, radiating gentle warmth. Not exactly toasty, but it would keep hypothermia at bay. The downside: he'd have to consciously maintain the spell the entire time, which meant dividing his attention.

Could be worse.

Adom glanced back at the golem one more time. He'd left it standing guard, not because he expected trouble, but because he'd previously adjusted the displacement crystals in his pocket, lowering their mana signature in them. If something went wrong in the water, he could swap places with the golem instantly.

Did you know this story is from NovelFire? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"Alright Adom, the shores of Arkhos don't have predators," he reminded himself, which was exactly the kind of thing people said right before something ate them.

With his luck, he'd probably discover the one shark that decided to vacation in these waters.

Water lapped at his ankles, then his knees as he waded deeper. The fire spell created a weird sensation—his torso relatively comfortable while his legs grew increasingly numb.

"Here goes nothing," he said, taking a deep breath before plunging forward.

The cold hit him like a slap, his fire spell flickering dangerously as his concentration wavered. He stabilized it with a mental push. The night vision rune worked better underwater than he'd expected, turning the murky darkness into a grainy, ghostly landscape of swaying plants and scattered rocks.

Now he just needed to find what he was looking for before his willpower—or body temperature—gave out.

Adom pushed deeper into the water. The [Silverback's Might] skill that had seemed excessive on land was a blessing here, propelling him through the water with each powerful stroke. His arms cut through the darkness, pulling him down where light struggled to reach.

The [Iron Lungs] skill was proving surprisingly effective underwater. Three minutes had passed since his last breath, and the pressure in his chest was only a mild discomfort, not the burning need for air most people would feel. Still, he didn't want to push it too far.

Adom's enhanced night vision revealed a world most never saw – the seafloor was a landscape unto itself, with hills and valleys carved by currents over centuries. Schools of silver fish darted away as he approached, moving as one like liquid metal. Seagrass swayed in the underwater currents, reaching up from the sand like grasping fingers.

Something large and dark moved at the edge of his vision, then vanished. Probably just a grouper, he told himself, but quickened his pace anyway.

The farther he descended, the more apparent it became how vast the ocean truly was. The shoreline of Arkhos was behind him now, the familiar replaced by the unknown. There was something unsettling about being surrounded by so much water – it pressed against him from all sides, a constant reminder that he didn't belong here.

When his lungs finally began to burn, Adom paused, treading water. He weaved a spell and a bubble of air formed around his head, drawn from the water itself – not large, just enough for a few deep breaths.

He inhaled gratefully, the spell taxing his concentration as he maintained both it and the warming spell around his body.

"Crystals," he reminded himself, voice sounding strange in the bubble. "Focus."

He was looking for Deepglow Crystals – bluish-green formations with an inner luminescence that grew stronger the deeper they were found. They were rare but not impossibly so, forming in places where strong magical currents met underwater pressure. They could be found in some dungeons, deep caves, and occasionally – if you knew where to look – in underwater trenches near magical settlements like Arkhos.