《The Unrecorded Extra》 Chapter 1 Prologue: The Hero Beyond The Light ?The sound of metal shing echoed loudly in the air as if it was a warning for every living soul on earth. That would have been the case if only there were people left in the world. The world was destroyed by the invader from another world, the demon. 12 years ago this world was still in peace, and the only threat came from the viin and their organizations. The viin would be a better enemy than the demon, it''s because their goal was only to kill, and oppose the heroes, and never had they thought about destroying the world. Although most of the viins'' power came from demons, their way of thinking was different. Demons are demons, but viins are human, or at least they used to be human. The earth was their home, so if it was destroyed, where would they live? Hell? ng¨C! ng¡ª! BOOM¨C!!! A series of explosions followed after a while the battle sound stopped echoing. The city was already burned and destroyed even before the explosions happened, and now more damage was done to the city. Many buildings which once stood firmly have been turned into ash, the cityndscape has be a tnd. A huge red-skinned, horrifying head with horns as big as a ne fell from the sky andnded near a lone building oddly shaped like an igloo. A demon''s head belonged to the general was separated from its body, and the cause was thest human being. He was the only human that survived until now, and his journey would end soon after he dropped his sword and stick it into the helpless demon king''s body. "What are you doing?" said the demon king. "Isn''t this what you wanted? Killing me to get revenge for your world?" he added. The hero flinched at the demon king''s words, it was a sore spot. How could he say that to the hero who had nothing left? Just look at the earth, the world, the ce where humans and other creatures were living before the demon''s invasion. The once blue and green has been painted gray and red by them. The hero stared down at the helpless demon king whose legs were separated from the body. After a long quiet moment in which the air sound was filled by the burning ze, the hero''s tired and lifeless voice was mixed in them. "Revenge?" He keeps his expression straight, as hollow as a doll. Lifeless. Staring through the demon''s eyes. Although not sure if he really was staring at the demon, it felt like his eyes were looking at something far. Something that couldn''t be brought back. Unreachable. "What''s the use of revenge¡­ if I have nothing left?" His voice was a bit shaken. Stabbing the earth with his sword. Now crouching, enough to grab for the demon king''s face. "Tell me¡­" his hollow eyes pierced the demon king like a spear that he''d flinched from them. "If I kill you. Will theye back? My family? My friend? My lover? Everyone?" The demon forced a chuckle. "Are you dumb? Of course, they will not being back! They are all forever staying in hell, and they will not have a choice but to suffer more there. Your so-called God will not even help them get out of there, it''s because our arrival is¨C" Before he could finish his provoking word, the hero threw them on the ground. Showing the demon his back, not caring whether he might get ambushed by the demon. Well, he''d thought that there was nothing the demon could do even if he was to lower his guard. "W-where are you going?! Come back here! You human!" Despite the demon screaming sound that even made the ground shake, the hero kept walking. Deaf. Lonely. Tired. Wanting to die. He was searching for peace. The long war has ended. The hero has won. But, what was the price for that victory? Everything. There was nothing left on the earth except for the hero and the demon king, and it seemed like both of them shared the same wish. To die. Eventually, the hero stopped. He looked to the sky for a long time as if there wasmunication between them. Then, suddenly, the spark of light was returning to his eyes. They were not hollow doll-like anymore. p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® It was a life sign. The end. === "And thus, the story ended like that," I mumbled. "What story?" A familiar voice came from behind. A hand was ced on my shoulder. I smiled as I turned around to see someone important. Yes. That someone was the hero of the story. The protagonist, the main character of the novel called ''The Hero Beyond The Light''. Lux Virtus. And then, there was someone who interfered in the story. He was your average man who worked as a part-timer in some minimart. That someone would be me. The author of the novel ''The Hero Beyond The Light''. Now possessing some extra character''s body named Zio Varrez. It was obvious by now that I''d been trapped inside the novel world, my own novel at that. Unlucky. The body I possessed was just an extra. "It''s a tragic story about the only human left on the earth. Fighting by himself against the invader." "A sci-fi story?" he asked, curiosity painting his face. "Fantasy as well." "Hoh¡­" He rubbed his chin. A momentter, he pped his hand. "Ah. That reminds me!" His hand was ced on my back. "Let''s go do some hunting on the weekend." More footsteps wereing closer and suddenly more people were surrounding me, or rather surrounding Lux as I just happened to talk with him at the moment. They were all the main characters of the novel. The protagonist''s sidekicks, romantic interest, and rival. I sighed, mentally. I didn''t know how it became like this but, at this point, I might have already ruined the plotline, wasn''t I? All of this started a year ago, it was the time when I first arrived in this world as Zio Varrez. As clueless as a dense harem protagonist. Chapter 2 A Fresh Start ?The first thing I saw after the seemed endless darkness was aputer screen disying a game interface. The moment I saw the shape and design of theputer in front of me, I knew that it was not the world I used to live in. Still not sure though, until the date on theputer and the calendar hanging above theputer proved it. June 8, 2030. "2030¡­ Am I traveling 7 years to the future?" The year before I strangely sat in front of aputer desk was 2023. At that time, I was¡­ I was¡­ "What was I doing before I came here?" My mind was foggy. I couldn''t remember what I did exactly beforeing here. I shook my head. "Well, that doesn''t matter isn''t it?" Yeah, it didn''t matter. Better looking for clues of where I was right now. The first clue was that it was the year 2030. And the second clue was¡­ "A messy room?" Wow, so messy. Looking at this ce made me think that mine wasn''t that bad. Clothes and many other things were scattered in the room. What was going on? I put my hands on my hips; I feel like my hips have be smaller, and I realized that something was wrong with my body. I quickly ran toward the mirror. "Huh?!" I was shocked when I saw my reflection in the mirror. "Is that me?!" When I looked at the mirror, it wasn''t my face reflected in the mirror, but someone else. The jet ck hair was the same as mine, and also the eyes; his eyes were darker and cker than mine, it was as if I was staring through the endless deep void. If I was to mention what was the difference, it was that this guy a better looking than I was. He still looked like an attractive person even with his messy, ubed hair. p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® Should I feel d or jealous about this? I was d that now he was me. But, I was jealous that he looked better than me¨Cmy previous self. It looked like I was seeing my younger self. I fell backward when I was taking a step back without knowing that there was a ss bottle; I slipped as a result of stepping on it. "Ow!" I groaned, my ass was hurting so bad. I gently rubbed the sore spot while kicking the bottle. Surprisingly, it didn''t break even though it was made from ss. "Fvck you!" A blue window panel, the one that looked like in a game, especially RPG, appeared above the lotion bottle I kicked earlier. A status screen. [Bottle] That was what was written on the window screen. I started to ponder about where was I. Was this ce¡ªwas this world a game''s world? An RPG world? If it was, which games was it that was set in 2030? I couldn''t think of one among the game I''d yed. "Oh well, let''s just think about itter. This messy room kind of bugging me after all." People often called me a clean freak because how I couldn''t suppress my urge to tidy up things when I saw something was in a mess. Just like this room. But, trust me, I was not that kind of a freak, I just hate it when things were disorganized. Before anything, I looked for a mask and gloves. And when I was done, it was time to roll! "This is just the beginning," I smirked behind the mask. Later¡­ "Huft¡­ Huft¡­ Huft¡­" That was weird. "Huft¡­" I gasped for air. It was really weird. "Fvck¡­!" How did it take me so long just to clean up this house?! Sitting on the sofa in the living room, the softest I''d ever sat on. Gasping heavily, opened my mouth like a fish, trying to recruit as much air as I could to fight this suffocation I felt. My own body was the culprit of my situation right now. It was untrained. A body that had never touched grass and just sat in front of hisputer, then eat, then sleep, and repeat. If I was to give it a rank. This body''s overall abilities were F! Except for his brain. I felt like I could think and remember things easier. "Oh right¡­ If this is a world inside a game, then¡­" "[Status]" As I spoke the word, a window screen popped up in my vision. Just as I thought! "Now then, let''s take a look at my stats, shall we?" ===== >>[Status]<< Name: Zio Varrez ¡ª> Stats: Strength: F Agility: F Intelligence: C Stamina: G Magic: F Charisma: D Luck: E ¡ª> Talents: [Dual Wielding Lv.1] Users will be able to wield two weapons at once even if their proficiency in said weapons was low. Learning dual-wielding techniques will be easier. Avable dual-wielding weapons; Sword ¡ª> Skills: [irvoyance Lv.1] Type: Active / Passive Allow users to acquire information about their targets and detects the undetectable. ===== "It''s not bad¡­ for a starter." ''yer'' was the first term for humans that wielded magic power inside their bodies in my novel. The reason for that was because of the status system that was simr to the RPGs which made people who had those simr to a yer or character in a game. But then, it was changed to the Enhanced. "My stats are suck¡­" That much was not any different than a normal human, even worse. "G-rank stamina¡­ What the fvck is that?! This guy''s stamina is in the same rank as a toddler''s!" I was a bit disappointed knowing that. Usually, people who got reincarnated to another world would have overpowered stats or godly or maybe heavenly artifacts and items in their possession the first time they arrived in that world. But, look at me. Look at me! I had nothing! Well, not really¡­ I still had some useful skills. My eyes fixed on the other description in my status screen; Talent and Skills. For some reason, the format seemed familiar. "Dual wielding¡­" My talent was dual wielding. It sounded cool the first time you hear it, imagine fighting with swords in each hand, just like in a movie. But, in reality, wielding two swords was much harder. Fortunately, ording to its description, it seemed like this talent was some sort of a support tool to learn dual wielding. If this was a game¡­ Maybe just having this skill in my character was enough to master dual wielding. I narrowed my eyes, and this time I looked at the skill I had in my status window. "... and irvoyance." To my knowledge, irvoyance, the one I remembered was a high-ranked superpower based on the user''s vision or eyes. ording to its description, this skill seemed more like an appraisal and detection skill. "Ah. Did the status screen appear on top of the bottle earlier because of irvoyance?" I looked at the bottle I kicked again. The same status screen as earlier also appeared again. Then, to satisfy my curiosity, I focused on another object. Theputer. [OctaX 2.0], [Garuda Keyboard], [Garuda Mouse], [Desk]. Several pieces of information popped up above each object I observed. It was a bit weird, unfamiliar, and ticklish to my eyes when I used this irvoyance. And I didn''t know why it felt like I knew how to use a skill. Was it because I yed a game? "The information is too little and vague to call the skill irvoyance¡­ This is just an appraisal skill." I stretched and stood up. "Well. I''ve rested enough. Let''s continue where I left¡­" Click¨C! Just as I was about to start mopping the floor, the door was opened. "I''m home¡­" A mellow and soft voice made me freeze in ce. I''d never thought I''d hear a voice as tranquil as that. "Eh?" Long silver hair and eyes the color of ice looking at me in disbelief. I was nervous. Captivated by her beautiful face and hearty lips that opened up, giving way for air to move in freely. Who was she? We both tilted our heads at the same time. But, the one that spoke first was her. "What are you doing?" "Mmm¡­ Mopping the floor?" I scratched the back of my neck. Was I the intruder? Or was she a rtive? I wouldn''t know unless she talked about it. They both had attractive faces though, one was handsome, and the other was beautiful. It''d be more make sense if she and I were rtives. "I can see that. But why?" "Why¡­? What do you mean?" She rubbed her nose bridge as she shook her head slowly. "Nevermind. It''s just that, it''s been a long time since I saw you doing house chores. Usually, you''d lock up yourself in your room all the time since¡­" She paused midway, biting her hearty lip, and sandwiching it between her canines before continuing. It seemed like she was wondering whether to tell me something or not. "Anyway, I''m d, really." She smiled. And not just a smile, that one was sincere. For some reason, I felt like I want to return her smile, so I did it. She rolled her uniform sleeve. A uniform that was somehow familiar to me. "If you''re doing it. Then, let me help you. It''s been a long time since this house took a bath." Chapter 3 Adapting ?"Haaa¡­" Feeling tired after cleaning the house with the ''imed-to-be-my-cousin'' who called herself Shannon, I leaned back on the sofa. I could feel almost being dragged into the dream world if only her voice didn''t reach my mind. "I''ve never thought that cleaning would take this much time." "Sorry," I felt sorry because the reason why it took this long was because of me. No strength, no stamina, no muscle. The worst body ever. The only good thing about me was my look. "What are you sorry for?" she said. Her hands slowly touched my shoulders. "Want a massage?" "... sure." That felt good, but¡­ "T-that¡­" "Hmm?" "Can y-you¨C ack!" Fvck. "If you keep it like that, I think my bone will break¡­" And then she stopped and smiled at me. "You need to train your body and hone your skills, cousin. You''re too weak. At this rate, you won''t pass the Octagram Academy''s entrance exam next month." "Octagram Academy?" It sounded familiar. Where had I heard of that word before? "Yep. The most prestigious academy with state-of-the-art facilities and technology. You said you wanted to attend that academy from the first time you went through awakening 3 years ago¡­" she paused for a moment. "... but since that ''day'', you''d never use your power anymore." It was a grief expression at first, but then she smiled as she was looking at me with somewhat a little mischievous eyes. "Earlier, when we were cleaning the house. You used your observation on me, right?" "Eek!" I tried to stay calm, but it was out of the blue that she suddenly brought that up right now. "Looking at your face, I think that''s true. So, what is the reason for you to suddenly use your power again?" "Is there a need for a reason to use some cool power? It''d be a waste to just leave it unused." "I mean¡­" she was about to argue, but she leave it with a heavy sigh. "... right, there''s no need a reason to use such power¡­" She patted my head gently. "d you''re back." She said that but, did she know that her real cousin was actually someone else? I gave her an awkward smile for two reasons. First, was because I wasn''t this Zio Varrez she''d known. And second, I''d never get my head patted like this¡ª It wasforting just as the books I read said. "Well. Let''s leave it here. It''s gettingte¡­ do you want to have dinner first before you get to bed?" "Yeah, sure!" "Alright then¡­ It''s been a while since I cook. I hope my skill is still there." She disappeared behind the kitchen. As I was about to rx on the sofa, her head popped up as if she was peeking. "Don''t forget. Tomorrow. You will exercise and train. You want to get into the academy, right?" "Yes. Yes. I know," I said, waving my handzily. Although I said that, honestly I didn''t know if that very academy was the academy I knew. "I guess I need to do some data-gathering about this world." Looking back at theputer in my room, it''d be easy to do that. A world with more advanced technology than the one I knew must have plenty of information spread around the inte. After dinner, without anything to talk about with Shannon, I immediately entered my room. The light was out so the first thing first was to turn the light on, of course. Theputer to my right was tempting me to use it before I went to bed, and so I did, just like before I came upon this world. I sat and turned on theputer. "Wow, this guy''s got a lot of games on his PC. But, I don''t recognize all of these games at all except Yourcraft." These games were waking up my urge to y them, but I weirdly could hold it off unlike the usual. "It''s not the time to y games!" I said. "First, data-gathering. Yes. Data-gathering about this world is more important than ying games. And after that is done, then that''s the time to y gam¨C! No, after I have done with data-gathering, it''d be wise to go to sleep. I need to wake up early tomorrow." After flexing my finger, I started to type on the keyboard as if I was a hacker. Tap.tap.tap.tap. Like tap¨CI meant that. I started with the most basic keyword, ''Earth''. "Hmm. So, humanity hasn''t moved to another and started a colony?" Apparently, the world where I was living right now was still a blue and green called Earth¨Cyeah our homeworld and not Mars or whichever I could mention. A bit disappointed but well, it was the Earth 7 years to the future from my time. A familiar world, easy to adapt¨Cwell not really, I hope society at least changed a bit. The second and third keywords I searched for were ''Awakening'' and ''Octagram Academy''. Shannon mentioned earlier about awakening power or something and Octagram academy. I''d thought I need to start from that first because those were familiar words yet I was not so sure about it. Multiple sites link were opened at once. But, as I read through it, I felt like it was too shallow of information. Then, one tab¨Ca forum called ''Ascension'' I''d opened, it was the one I needed to look for information. Scrolling and reading dozens, and hundreds of topics posted by other users was sure a tiring one but it didn''t fail me. It took me some hours to digest all of the information shared by the others. And once I''d done with it, I could say that this was the world familiar to me. I meant, it was not because it was the ''normal'' Earth but because this Earth was the world of the novel ''The Hero Beyond The Light'' that was written by me. "I can''t believe it." My voice was trembling. I felt thrilled, or maybe excited was the right word to describe my feeling right now. "Haha. I can''t believe that those stories are true. Reincarnation¡­" "Hmm¡­ Transmigration to a novel world is the real deal!" I couldugh and jump like a bunny all I want thiste at night if only someone didn''t barge into my room and hit me with a pillow. "It''ste at night, why haven''t you slept yet?!" Shannon sighed, trying to smile. "Sorry. I got excited¡­" Her eyebrows were raised, and her facial expression had changed from an annoyed face to a curious face. "Excited? For what?" she said as her eyes were peeking at theputer screen. "Uhh¡­ Because I got to attend Octagram Academy¡­?" She eyed me for a moment and let out a cute yawn¡­ Was ''cute yawn'' even a legit word? "You would attend to. If you don''t practice hard, I doubt you will pass the test. Don''t worry thou¡­ *yawn*... you have me as a teacher. Two weeks is more than enough to make you able to pass the exam." "Heh¡­ So confident. What rank are you in the academy anyway?" p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® She tilted her head. "Unbelievable¡­" "What?" "Did you loss your memory or are you don''t care about everything I told you every time I got back home?" "I¡­ I just forget about that, okay? You didn''t even tell me about that today¡­" "Oh, right. I forgot. It''s because of your sudden change¡­" she smiled. I felt a little nervous every time she mentioned that. Although her smile was a pure concern, her eyes said otherwise. "By the way, I ranked 33rd in the entrance exam. At the end of the first year, my ranking rose to 19th ce. Throughout my second year, I moved up the rankings again and now maintain 7th ce in my year''s batch." "7th ce?!" Seventh ce; meant that she was in the top 10 students of her year. If I was right, the Octagram Academy gave them¨Cthe top 10 students of each batch¨Ca ck card, something like a VIP card where they would get treated as a priority, and every item they bought was free¡­ because the academy paid for it. A 7th-ce ck card would get you around 15 million creds. For the record, one dor was equal to 100 creds. So, 15 million creds would be around 150k dors. Feeling a soft touch on my skin, I was brought back to the harsh reality. "You got 7th ce at the end of your second year, right?" She nodded. "Then, it means that you still don''t have the ck card with you until the semester starts?" "Why? Do you need money? Has the money I transferred to youst week run out?" "Huh?" Upon hearing that, I immediately grabbed the phone from theputer desk. But, I just remembered that it was not my bank ount, I couldn''t check the bnce on this ount because I didn''t know the code pin. "What was my PIN again?" She took the phone from my hand, her fingers moved as she input the PIN. After that, she returned the phone to me. When I saw the numbers on my phone screen, I hold my jaw so it didn''t get dragged down by the shock. "5 million creds!" A whole 50k dors. If it was the world where I came from, I could buy anything I want at my current age. But, in this world, 5 million creds wasn''t that much money. With this much money, I could only get a gear of D-ranked and below. Well, still, for normal people without these awakenings things, that amount of amounts of money was able to cover their life needs for two to four months, which could be more if they had an extremely frugal life. "Oh? Did you save the money I gave you?" Shannon said as she peeked at my phone. Did I? Or did this guy save the money? But, I wonder, how much money did he get for every transfer? Feeling curious, I checked the transfer history and found out that she sent me 50k creds weekly. "Hmm¡­ Have you never used this money since the first time I gave you pocket money?" What the hell? REALLY?! HE DIDN''T?! If it was me I''d already spent all those creds from the moment I got it in my ount! Phew¡­ This man I possessed was a crazy guy! "I guess so¡­ I didn''t use it because you''d still buy me things, Shannon." Shoot! What the hell was I saying out of the blue? I just assumed that she bought me everything although she already gave me an allowance. But, somehow, I felt like that was the case. "That''s true," she scratched her cheek. "Well. Let''s stop the talk here. It''s already midnight, just go to sleep. You have a lot of things to catch up on." I sighed. Both in relief and disbelief. Chapter 4 Training ?Waking up early in the morning, 4 PM to be precise was sure a new experience I''d be d to have. Usually, I always woke upte past breakfast time. But, right now, with afy bed and fresh breeze air entering through the window I opened all night, I felt alive. "Oh right. I need to work out today." When I was about to open the door led to the living room, I saw a ck cat on the windowsill. The cat''s meow was echoing clearly in my ear. "Hey there. How did you get here?" This was the second floor, so how did this cat get here? There wasn''t even anything that could be a foothold to jump up here. *Meows* She purred as her skin brushed against my skin. Her fur was soft like cotton candy, and her purring sounds made me rx somehow. Knock¨C! Knock¨C! As I enjoyed my time with the cat, a knocking sound was heard along with a mellow, familiar voice that had been rendered by the door and walls. "Zio. Are you awake?" I turned my attention toward the door and answered back. "Yes. Wait for me." When I looked back at the cat, my hand was patting the air where the cat was supposed to be there. "A summon? Or illusion magic?" I pondered a moment about the cat''s identity. Well, either two of them were enough to exin why there would be a cat standing on my window rail suddenly. Appearing without a trace, and so disappearing without a trace too. But there were questions stuck in my mind. Who was the cat''s owner or the magic caster? And why would they send the cat to me? Shaking my head, I left my room and headed to the park with Shannon after washing my face and brushing my teeth. ¡­ In front of me stood a young girl with dirty silver hair, her eyes the same color as her hair. I dare say that she was an angel because her smooth and clean white skin makes it hard for my eyes to look away. Noticing my gaze, her beautiful, unmoving face formed a smile as we made eye contact. She tied her long hair into a ponytail. As she did that, her hooded training jacket tightened in some obvious parts which hooked my gaze on her even more. "It''s rude to stare at a girl''s body like that, you know?" I shifted my gaze to her face when I heard her saying those words. "It''s called observation. I was just observing your perfectly sculpted body and thinking that God is so generous to bless me with a cousin as perfect as you!" "Okay, okay. Rather than ttering me with enchanting words, why don''t you start running and exercising?" "Right now?" "No. Next year¡­" she paused for a moment and then continued "... of course now, my dear cousin." I nodded while holding back augh. Eventually, I chuckled and went straight to jogging in the park. There was a problem when I was jogging¡­ And that problem was my poor stamina. Not even 5 minutes had passed since I started jogging, but my stamina was already depleted. I forced myself to run a little more before I copsed. "Haaa¡­ Haaaaaa¡­!" I breathed heavily. My legs were trembling while I sat and leaned on a nearby bench. Shannon looked at me with raised eyebrows and then shook her head lightly. "This is why I told you to do daily exercise even if you are locking yourself in your room¡­" I lifted up my face a bit to peek at her. "I¡­" Opening my mouth, I tried to argue with her but immediately shut myself. "Nevermind." I couldn''t believe it, how could there be someone with a body like this? After a little rest, I started running again. Like earlier, I need to stop every 5 minutes to rest and then continue running again. I kept repeating the routine for two weeks. The result was quite satisfying. From the first day to the third day, I just jogged and stretched in the park for an hour. On the fourth day, Shannon increased my training portion; Jog for an hour, push-ups and sit-ups 50 times, and stretch. On the fifth day, I started my sword training. After jogging and doing push-ups and sit-ups 75 times, Shannon gave me a wooden sword and told me to do a vertical swing 100 times. Jogging and running in the park had increased my stamina and slightly tempered my body''s condition, the same could be said for push-ups and sit-ups. The sword training was the most exciting activity for me. In my previous world, swords were used as decorations instead of a weapon. Well, that''s what I knew about swords in the modern era, as people were using a gun instead of a sword. Unlike my previous world, this world''s most effective weapons were sharp weapons like the sword, the spear, the dagger, and so on. Gun was still used as a weapon, but it was not as effective as a de or blunt weapon unless you were rich and bought a specially-made gun with a ton of magic bullets. Anyway, as someone who never held a sword in his entire life. Of course, I was excited when I got the chance to learn how to use a sword. With Shannon''s help and her clear and easy-to-understand instructions, I was able to understand the basics of swordsmanship in just a few days. When I was learning swordsmanship under her teaching, there was a popup window that notified me that I got a new talent. ¡ª Talent: [Swordsmanship] has been received. Right, with that, now I have two talents; [Dual Wielding] and [Swordsmanship]. But, I felt like the swordsmanship talent was kinda useless that I already had dual wielding which allowed me to use a sword at least on a basic level. It was not like I need to be a master at swordsmanship to be able to perfectly use the dual wielding, or in another case, dual sword talent. Now that reminded me, were dual-wielding and dual swords the same? I''d heard and written about dual swords in the novel but never a dual wielding¡­ Starting from the tenth day to the next four days, my training changed from learning swordsmanship to sparring. That''s right, sparring¡­ I had to spar with Shannon to test my swordsmanship as well as to gain some experience in using a sword to fight rather than just show off by the disy. The result of my first-day sparring: loss Second day¡­ loss Third day¡­ loss And now it was the fourth day of my sparring against Shannon¡­ Currently, I was standing in a square-shaped room while gripping a wooden sword in my hand. This ce is a training room inside an awakener training center in the city, the closest to my house. I exhaled a long breath. I need to clear my head, I need to focus. ''I just need to hit her once and I will win!'' Because of my losing streak three times in a row, Shannon changed the rule of the spar. "If you can hit me just once, it''s your win," she said. Gripping the handle of my wooden sword, I observed her briefly. Her stance was wless, I couldn''t find any opening in her stance''s form. I gritted my teeth when even after a long observation, I still couldn''t find the opening. Softly smiling, she extended and spread her arms wide as if purposely exposing her weakness to me. "So confident, eh?" After saying that, Shannon leisurely swung her wooden sword, probably a warm-up session. I, too, did a warm-up. Unlike her, I didn''t just swing my sword here and there but also did some quick movements like dodging, dashing, and so on. "You ready?" Leisurely stretching her hands, Shannon asked me while smiling. "Yeah¡­" I gripped the wooden sword tightly and prepared my stance. While doing so, I caught her smirking at me. "Preparing for the stance? This isn''t a fistbat or martial art duel." Ignoring her words, I finished my stance. Looking at my posture, I felt slightly proud of my two weeks of training with her. Even though it''s only two weeks, I felt like my constitution had gone up quite a number. Maybe, I could run for 90 minutes instead of just 10 minutes with my current constitution. "Unless you have a technique. A stance before the fighting was useless for swordsmanship." She raised her wooden sword at me and said. "Now,e!" Firmly standing in my ce, I observed and studied her. On the outside, she looked calm and even her defense was wide open and exposed. She was full of openings and yet I felt nervous. Swallowing my dry saliva, I sighed a long breath. ''I just need to hit her once¡­'' I took steps forward slowly and steadily, and after that, I immediately dashed all the way to her in a quick motion. Appearing in front of her like a mist, I swung my sword horizontally. But, just as I expected. She dodged my sh attack with ease and minimal movement. "Try harder!" Swinging more of my sword, I tried to break her rhythm of defenses. Horizontal swing, and then another one. She stepped one block behind every time I swung my sword. I squatted, gathering my energy to my feet as I prepared for a vertical swing from under. Swoosh¨C! Dak¨C! Quickly releasing the energy and making a jump, I swung my sword from under to the top of her head. She intercepted my attack and was blocking my sword so that it couldn''t finish its swing into the air. "What will you do now that your weapon is stuck?" She said with a smile. Nonchntly smirking, I released the grip on the handle and then spun my body while still in the air then¡­ Dak¨C! After spinning my body 360 degrees, Iunched a sh kick aimed at her face. "Nice move!" She said, Casually pushing my leg after she sessfully blocked my kick, she then patted her hand. "Tch." I clicked my tongue, feeling disappointed that I couldn''t even hit her once after all that. When I was going to attack her again, a sudden rming from the device on her wrist stopped me. "Time''s up!" ''Shit¡­" That was hurting my feelings. Truth be told, I''m actually the kind of guy who can''t tolerate a consecutive loss streak to the same person. The more I lost to the same person, the more desperate I wanted to win. That was why I felt more sensitive about the result of this spar. Just why I couldn''t win? Why couldn''t I hit her even once? She''s not even one of the main characters, she''s just an extra like me¡­ but well, she was a 7th rank holder of her batch year. I clenched my fist until its turned white. "Don''t be angry, cousin¡­" Hearing her soft and mellow voice entering my ears, I felt like if there was an anger measurement point, I could proudly say that my anger point would be decreased a lot until it reached zero. I sighed and looked her in the face. When I did so, my throat unusually produced dry saliva that I needed to swallow immediately out of nervousness. "ording to the rules where you just need tond a solid hit on me once to win¡­" She paused as she ced the wooden sword back on the weapon shelf. "Well, you win this time. Congrats!" "Huh?" I was about to ask why I won when I didn''t evennd a single hit on her because she always blocked my attack easily. But, I stopped when I saw her gesturing at her forearm which she used to block my kick. "That count?" She nodded and said. "I used my body part to block your kick so its counts as a hit." nkly staring at her, I scratched my neck. Now that I think about it¡­ We''re sparring swordsmanship, howe I think to fly a kick on her? Well, there was no rule about not using a punch or kick, so I guess I won, then? I checked my status. Unfortunately, I didn''t see many changes except that my had gone up a rank from to . "Hmm¡­" Should I start to use a shortcut? "Nah¡­" I shook my head. Even if I knew the existence of the artifact that could help me improve my abilities, I didn''t think I could get my hands on it. Especially if I was this weak. I could even die in the hand of a low-rank monster, bruh. "What are you thinking about?" Shannon stood in front of me while wiping the sweat with a towel. She ced the towel around her shoulders after she finished. Looking at her, I shrugged and said. "I was wondering how I can be stronger in a month¡­" "Haha. You''re so funny and delusional, cousin!" Shannonughed. "There is no way someone can be strong in just one month. Even the current first rank in the heroes ranking, Thunder Emperor, couldn''t do that." Thunder Emperor¡­ One of the characters I created. He was humanity''s strongest hero in this era, but he would die because of an incurable disease, Magic Core Dysfunction. Magic Core Dysfunction urred when the body and magic core¨Cthe ce where mana circted in your body¨Cdidn''t synchronize with each other. Those two aspects are like yin and yang, they need to be bnced. If one had a high-quality magic core but an average body, his body would be burdened by the magic power stored in his magic core causing damage to the organs and cracks in the magic core. In addition, because the quality of the magic was notpatible with his body which has a limit, it would cause the connection between magic and the body to be severed. Each person has potential and limitations. If one forces their way to break through their body''s limit, M.C.D will ur. Well, let''s take the Thunder Emperor as a direct example. His potential and limit were S, but he forced himself to try to break through to the next level¨CSS rank. Even though there was no record that someone had achieved SS-rank potential limits, the Thunder Emperor wanted to be the first to achieve that. Unfortunately, he failed to do so and his core was shattered causing his core to have dysfunction. He could still use his original power, but every time he used it, it would damage his body, and that''s how he will die in the future. Oh, for the record, thest time I checked, it seemed my potential rank was B except for Intelligence stats. Feeling a soft tap on my shoulder, I came back to my senses and looked at Shannon close beside me. I shook my head. p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® Smiling at me, she ruffled my ck hair. "You look a lot like your sister¡­ with ck hair and ck obsidian eyes too¡­" Hearing her words, my ears instinctively twitched. I snapped my gaze at her with a frown face. I opened my mouth but then I realized if I was to ask this question, she would think that I lied about my amnesia. I really wanted to ask her about this body sister''s whereabouts, especially when she said that my sister had the same ck hair and eyes as me. With a gulp, I said. "I have a sister?" Once I said that. Her eyes widened open as if she just saw a ghost. After a moment, she gained herposure and smiled at me. "Y-you had one¡­" I raised an eyebrow. "Is she¡­ like my parents?" Shannon shook her head slightly. "No. She is still alive, I-I hope. But, she went missing ten years ago, and even after a thorough search, I couldn''t find her¡­" "I see¡­" I said in a low voice. My eyes were peeking from the corner of my eyes, and Shannon''s face looked troubled as she said those words. It seemed like she was guilty when saying it, but it was more like she just regretted breaking a promise or maybe telling a lie. I wouldn''t know. "Well. Let''s go!" Shannon went back to her old self, the confident and kind girl. She grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me. "Wa-wait. I need to put this wooden sword back." Happily looking over her shoulder, she smiled widely. Her clean white teeth looked like it was glowing. "Just drop it by the floor. The building staff will clean itter for us." What the hell? Shaking my head in confusion, I did what she told me. I released my hand from the sword and then it fell on the floor. Looking at the front, I could still see Shannon''s smile even from behind. Well. I didn''t know why she was acting like that but, as long as she was happy and that it didn''t bother me. Chapter 5 Flash Dungeon I ?The spar where I finally won against Shannon marked the beginning of another hellish training. The day after that, I had to endure the high intensity of gravity in one of the training rooms in the public training center. Did you know what was funny? I copsed in under three seconds. Shannon made a mistake by inputting the gravity level to level 5 when she was supposed to pick level 2. Good thing the medical team was quick in rescuing me, or else I had to live as a cripple normal human even though I just started getting used to this life. "There is no problem with his core." "Fuh. Good." One of the medics looked at me and Shannon then put on a reassuring smile. "You hear that, kids? You''re good and healthy. Just make sure not to let this happen again, okay?" Shannon bowed a few times gratefully. Even when the medical team was out of our sight, she kept on bowing a few more times before she turned and looked at me with an apologetic expression. I sighed and shrugged casually. "Don''t mind it. It was just an ident, right? It''s not like you purposely chose level 5¡­" I said to reassure her. Although I said that, I still have a lot ofints inside my heart. ''Don''t mind my ass, I thought I was gonna die!'' that was what I said inwardly. Still, even after I reassured her with my words, she kept saying sorry, but now her expression turned grim as if the world was about to end. It was just a small ident but why did she act like that? "I said don''t mind it, Shannon. Look here, I''m perfectly fine!" Finally, she showed me her genuine smile, and I smiled back. We returned to our home after the training. The sun was still up there at the highest point, the day was still long before the queen of night reced the ruler of the day. And so, in the meantime, what should I do? Of course, I decided to walk around the city! There was nothing better than sightseeing in this city. Apparently, thanks to Shannon who I was not sure where her money came from, she could buy a medium cozy house on Octagram Ind¨Cthe very ce where the Octagram Academy was built as the center of this artificial ind. The artificial Octagram Ind and Singapore were often called father and son inds because the size of the Ind was only half size of Singapore and how close the two inds were to each other. Also, a very obvious fact that it was named Octagram Ind was because the shape of the ind was an octagon and some story of the first generation heroes. The 8 heroes that led humanity to victory in the war against the monster came from a portal gate¨Cthe abyss rift, some dozen years ago. This artificial ind was the powerhouse of the world just because it was built by those 8 heroes which now was remembered by the Octagram heroes. Because of its small size, managing this ind wasn''t as hard as a country with a big assnd. Thus, developing was much easier here, it has be thend with state-of-the-art technology as well as the other thing such as education, The hero association was built and operated on this ind, and it was the second biggest building after the academy where plenty of heroes nurtured the young generation of heroes. And that one particr academy was the main stage where the protagonist and the other main characters would grow up together and be the best of the best¡­ Well, in the end, they were all dead, leaving only the protagonist alone. I, too, hoped that I could get into the academy as I lived in this world now. Not only for my own sake but this world''s sake that was ruined by its own creator, me. This redemption arc sounded so novel to me, bruh. I need to keep in mind that I was not the protagonist of this world¡­ *sigh*. Standing at the highest point of the towering building, the wind blew out and messed up mybed hair. It looked like even the world didn''t want to see meb up my hair, how sad. For the record, this ce wasn''t just some ce that could be visited by anyone. But, because of this card in my hand that was lent to me by Shannon. I could go anywhere I wanted on this ind, and that was for free. The ck card was delivered in the middle of my 14-day training even though the new semester started in August. I thought that it was given on the first day of the new semester, was I wrong? The sound of a beeping from behind me, when I turned around, the sign hanging above the elevator door where I came from caught my interest. It was written ''Garuda Soar Tower''. The elevator door slid, anding out of the elevator was a young girl about my age with fiery red hair as if the hair itself was a burning fire. I tilted my head as I observed her. In contrast with her fiery red hair that looked like a burning fire full of passion and energy, her fire-red eyes were cold as fuck and expressionless. "Wow. As expected, every female character I see in this world has exceptional beauty that exceeds even the top actors that I remembers. Hmm. I quite like her cold eyes though¡­" When I casually observed her, it seemed like my skill was activated without my knowledge as there was a window screen popped up above her. ''Ember Crimson'' was written there. Was that her name? Soon after the sudden activation of my skill, she turned her attention to my direction, eyes looked like those of an eagle, we made eye contact for a moment which made me shudder. As she walked out of the elevator, her attention was still on me before then she shook her head and went straight to the left section that led to a room, the sign above the door was written ''Library''. ''Red hair like mes¡­ I feel like I know her, but I forgot¡­'' I shook my head and shifted my attention back to the cityndscape scenery after wasting my time captivated by her beauty. "Hahaha. I don''t believe that a city like this exists¡­ Humans are really scary, their imaginations are boundless and that includes me!" p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® I chuckled as my mind wandered through every imaginary fantasy possibility that could happen anytime in this enhanced world. Sighing, I turned around and walked toward the elevator. Waiting for the door to open, I spent the waiting time with my phone. Information was essential to me, even though I was busy with training for the past two weeks. I never once neglected my search for every piece of information I could get about this world. I had been a reader before an author so I knew relying on a single source of information was both arrogant and foolish. So foolish that I got sick of seeing the "Oh no, because of me, the story I knew is changing. How should I progress from now that I couldn''t rely on the original story anymore?????" Ding! The elevator door opened, but no one was inside. I entered and pressed the button to go to the first floor. Just as earlier, I spent my time ying with my phone. "Haa¡­" It was useless. "I think I need a more reliable source to get information from, other from the Ascension forum¡­ The information they shared is either a tant lie or has been fabricated by their novelty exaggerated writing." Too quiet. Somehow, I felt nervous when it was too quiet not like before in my old world¡­ Actually, I didn''t know what I looked like or what was my personality like. I only got a hunch that I was more of a people-person type than a loner, maybe¡­ "Come to think of it. The room that the red-haired girl entered earlier is a library, right? I might learn some useful truth information from the book¡­" I whistled. "Yeah. Let''s go back to the highest floor." Ding! The door opened followed by a little shock that I felt only a little to be noticed. Still in the elevator, I pressed the button back to the highest floor again. Thank God the technology on this ind was more advanced, so it would only take 30 seconds to travel from the first floor to the 108th floor. So, it was one minute for me to go back and forth from the highest to the first floor and then back to the highest floor. The door to the highest floor¡ªthe special observation deck was opened. And for the record, the 107th floor was the limit for a normal guest or visitor of this building. The 108th was an exclusive floor for the Octagram Academy student. And as I stated, it was because of this ck card in my pocket that I could get into this floor. Either a ck card or a student card, whichever should get the student eligible to step in on this floor. When I stepped outside of the elevator, the shock that was too little to be noticed by me earlier was now a greater one. I blinked¡­ I blinked and it was not even a second, but after that blink, the scenery in front of me had changed into that of forest outskirts filled with trees. "Huh?" I was confused at first, and after that, I panicked. I was so panicked that I didn''t notice that there were also other people in that ce suddenly. "What happened?!" Chapter 6 Flash Dungeon II ?A while ago I was inside the elevator, ying with my tablet phone and surfing the inte for information about this world. It was a small shock at first but then a greater shock happened when I was about to step out of the elevator to the highest floor which turned out to be the signal of the disaster I got myself into a huge problem, a dungeon. A dungeon was something like another dimension or another world. The concept of the dungeon came from some RPGs where its outer form was that of a portal that led to another ce. Inside the dungeon, usually many monsters inhabit there and protect their territory from invaders such as we, Enhanceds. Many Enhanceds would go to the dungeon to hone their skills and gain experience or do so for money. But, that was the case for the normal dungeon. Unlike the normal dungeon where Enhanceds were the invaders, the dungeon that suddenly brought me and other people forcefully was different. This type of dungeon was called ''sh Dungeon''. sh Dungeon was a dungeon that appeared suddenly due to a certain factor that made the magic in the air gather at one point and exploded. The explosion will create a dimensional gap that appears in just a few seconds. And that slight shock at first then the greater shock when I was about to get out of the elevator was probably the explosion of the mana in the empty space, it was invisible and couldn''t be detected but the after-effect of the st could be felt through that shock or something else. That was that. The most important thing right now was that I need to get myposure back. I breathed in and out slowly and steadily, making sure that I wouldn''t get choked by my own breathing. Now that I more or less felt calm, I studied my surroundings. There were at least a hundred people who were forcefully brought here. They all were in the same state, confusion, and fear of the unknown and sudden things. They were enjoying their time leisurely but the next second, they suddenly found themself in the forest outskirts. To make it worse, there was also something invisible that blocked our exit out of the forest. Invisible barrier. Even though this ce looked vast and full of exit ways, because of the invisible barrier, people couldn''t leave this ce. Unlike the normal dungeon or people called the rift dungeon where someone could use the return stone or kill the boss of that dungeon to exit the dungeon. The sh dungeon was different, there were no bosses there. The only way to get out of this dungeon was to survive until the countdown ended. I looked above, at the sky. There was something like a countdown there that looked rather transparent because the color almost blended in with the sky. But, people could still see it clearly for some reason. [167:58:58] ''I need to survive for a week, huh?'' "Hey, everyone! Please calm down!" p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® That one loud and clear voice took over all the attention of the people trapped here including me. Standing close to the trees were a group of six people, four men, and two women. The voice from earlier wasing from the guy who has a trained muscle body, he looked like a reliable guy. "Ah!" "You''re Jin!" "Jin? Oh, thank god!" ''Jin?'' I raised an eyebrow, trying to recall his name. There was a character named Jin amongst the characters I wrote in the novel but I was not sure if he was the same as that character or not. If he was not, then it was either an extra character that I didn''t even include in the story, just like this boy I possessed¡ªZio Varrez and his cousin, Shannon Oliver. I looked over the group again. Many people had gathered around them by now. They were either fascinated by that man named Jin or just felt safe because there were people who looked reliable in this situation. "I know that you guys are confused right now, but don''t worry. I''ll make sure that you all can leave this ce safely, so hear me out¡­" said him. "This is what we call the sh dungeon. It''s a phenomenon where¡­" He exined about the sh dungeon to the others with reassuring words of choices. He was so good with speeches that he could run a campaign as a politician, not gonna lie. After hearing his exnation, people started to calm down. Though, there were still some who were trembling and wearing hopeless expressions. "So. I offer myself as the one who will lead you to safety from here," he said with a broad smile. "First, look at the sky¡­" His finger was pointing above, at the sky. People were following his gesture and they were shocked when they saw the numbers in the sky. Jin smiled when he saw them gasp and turned their attention to him again. "It''s a countdown timer. When that time is up, we''ll be able to get out of here without having to fight monsters¡­ Well, not really, we might have to fight it at least once or twice." His words slightly made people flinch. "But, don''t worry. Let us the Enhanced¨C" He cleared his throat. "The heroes, take care of it!" Oh yeah, of course. It was weird that I forgot that it was a hero-against-viin story all over again. Long short story, this world was invaded by the monster. People suddenly gained power through a system like in a game, they awakened their power, fought against monsters, and seed in saving their world. Thus, the new society and the era of Enhanced was begun. Some yearster, those Enhanceds which at first were the pirs of humanity split into two sides; the good and the bad. Of course, the good side was the Enhanceds calling themselves heroes, and the bad side was the viins. Cheers and ps erupted amongst the crowds. What a speech. He could really run for a politician, I thought. "Wait!" The sound made the cheering and pping stop. All attention was shifted to the owner of that husky voice. It was a man in his thirties, covered in scars that gave him an aura of a veteran fighter. "I don''t agree with you being the leader," said the man. "I also want to nominate myself to be the leader of this group." People were gasping when they finally recognized the man. "It-it''s Herman!" "The infamous goblin butcher?!" He smirked proudly when hearing people recognize him and his nickname. Pfft. Goblin butcher? What a name! I never heard of him though. Just another extra. I walked toward the nearby tree, not too far from the crowd, and leaned on it. There were some people here too, they seemed uninterested in the current situation just like me. Along with these people, I observed the crowd and the two guys whopeted for the leadership role. If I was right, those crowds were mostly civilians, none of them was an Enhanced except Jin''s group and Herman who was apanied by two arrogant-looking people. "Hey, kid." Along with that voice, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning my attention to the voice''s owner, I found a smiling guy and the other gazed at me. "Are you an Enhanced, too?" I nod. "I''m preparing for the entrance exam." His smile widened as he lowered himself and sat beside me. "I see, in that case, I hope we all can get out of here," he said. There was a pause before he continued. "The first time we were dragged here you looked dazed and panicked, but a secondter, you suddenly calmed down as if this was normal. I can''t even do that in an instant¡­" I raised an eyebrow as he lifted his hand. "Look¡­ Even now, I''m still trembling." ''What is this guy on about all of a sudden?'' So, after a long time of arguing about who would be the group leader. It had finally decided that Jin was the one who took that role after we did a group vote. Of course, I voted for Jin because he looked more reliable than that goblin butcher guy. Jin won by 76 votes out of 100; most of the Enhanceds were siding with him. Displeased with the result, the goblin butcher guy left the party and wandered together with 20 other guys who were also displeased with the result. Just as he promised, Jin was taking care of and protecting the people who followed him. We set up a base right in the ce where we first got in here, the outskirts. Because there were more civilians than Enhanceds in this group; like 59 civilians and 20 Enhanceds including me, the Enhanced''s group needed to work even harder to survive. We made it through the first day without any difficulty. All we did was set up a base and gather materials such as wood, fruit or food, and other necessities. On the second day, the Enhanceds started to sweep the forest, looking for any monster in the periphery. On the third day, there was a monster wave at nightfall¡­ "Wake up! There is a monster wave! Hurry and set up defenses!" Jin shouted. Half-heartedly weeping my sleepiness, I immediately get in position. But, position for what? Honestly, all I did these days was just rx¨C-even during the expedition¨Cwhile everyone was busy building this and that. "Kyaa!!" That scream. That damn scream¡­ It was at that moment when everything went south. My hair stood on end, and a chill pierced my spine like needles. I who had always ignored everything that happened in this world from the first time as if everything was normal, started to feel anxious. "WATCH OUT!" Splurt¨C! Chapter 7 Trouble ?Splurt¨C! Blood sttered and painted my face red, it was fresh blood, and for some reason, it was so hot that I felt my skin was burning. ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom "Heh?" I spoke impromptu when a monstrous creature stood before me. The red-crimson color covered its hand like gloves. The woman''s body hung lifelessly in the hands of the creature with her head crushed. It was one of Jin''spanions. With a gulp of dry saliva stuck in my throat, a chill rushed through the back of my bone like a rocket. Electrified; I felt like I just got electrified by a hundred thousand lightning volts. Petrified; I couldn''t move an inch of my body because of how nervous and scared I was. "Wake up!" Someone shouted and brought me back to reality. The one slight touch to my shoulder became heavier and pushed me away from my position. I flung toward the faraway trees out of the central open area where we settled up a camp to survive through this dungeon. Bam¨C! It was weird. Even though I hit the tree so hard that I heard the bone of my back make a crunchy sound, I didn''t feel any pain. Instead, when I opened my eyes, I was standing in the center of the camp. Looking around, most of the civilians were lying on the ground as if they were possessed. Some of them were screaming hysterically. ''An illusion? There is no other exnation for this situation than an illusion. But, it''s weird. As far as I know, only the demon can use an illusion spell as strong as this¡­'' "Hey! Are you okay?!" Calling to me was a young handsome man with blonde hair, it was Jin. Now that I saw him this close. His feature matched Jin''s description that I remember. A dependable guy with an extraordinary appearance and charisma. His blonde hair looked like golden threads and those blue eyes were clear as the sky. But for me, he was a dangerous person. I didn''t exactly remember or it was just because I didn''t write how and why but, in the future, he was going to betray humanity for the greater power. Big hands gently rested on my shoulders. He shook me as if I was some object that needed to be activated in some way. I raised my hand, gesturing for him to stop and he did so. "Oh. Sorry." "It''s okay¡­" He examined me with curious eyes. I knew what he was thinking, he probably wondered how I could break free from the illusion while some of hispanions couldn''t. After a while, he shook his head. "How can you¡­" he hesitated. "No, never mind. I''m d you''re okay. But¡­" He looked around the camp. Eighty percent of us had copsed and were under the illusion spell. Only 15 people including me and the other stronger Enhanceds were free from the spell. Jin gathered them all in one ce. And as a person who resisted the spell, I was to be brought along with them. "We need to do something about this¡­" Jin said after we were gathered. "But. How do we do it? This illusion spell is so strong to be just an ordinary spell. There must be a high-ranking monster in this dungeon," someone replied. "No, wait. In the first ce, which monster could use an illusion spell?! Isn''t this only the wizard can do?" "We don''t have a wizard among us though¡­?" Everyone was eyeing each other, looking for the culprit hidden among us. But, no matter how much they looked, we all were Enhanceds, not wizards. Jin sighed and looked at me. The moment his eyes locked onto me, I got a goosebump. Not because I was terrified or anything, but because I just felt like he would ask me something troublesome. "What do you think, kid?" When he said that, everyone was raising their eyebrows at him. "Come on, Jin. What does he know? He is not even a full-fledged hero like us," said a bald guy with a mocking tone directed at me. This baldie¡­ I felt like I wanted to hit him in the face and grind that bald head of his like cheese. But, instead of getting provoked by those words, I just exhaled a short breath. "I know that. But, look at him. The fact that he is standing right now means that he is as strong as us. Or probably, his blessing has to do with anomaly resistance?" My ears twitched as soon as I heard the word ''blessing''. In this world, when someone awakened their power as a superhuman or Enhanced. They would be blessed with numerous gifts. Blessing, talent, and trait; these three were the power gifted by the higher beings in this world or so they called a God. Blessing has something to do with one soul; internal power. Even if one never uses much of their blessing, it would still exist in their soul and never disappear until they died or their soul was destroyed. Meanwhile, talent and traits were the sources of external power. It could disappear if a certain condition had been met. Talent was someone''s innate skill, it was mostly rted tobat skills or anything that uses one body to perform things such as swordsmanship. Then, the trait was someone''s mind and physical capabilities, something like passive skill, for example was Steel Body; a trait that made someone''s body harder than usual. Just like in the real world, if one never used or honed their skill. At one time, there would be lost touch with it and forget how to use them. But, when they tried to get it back, it would be easy because that power had once been there. Though there were three types of gifts. Not everyone was born with all of them. The mostmon power people would have of all three was talents and the rarest were those with blessings. Even though someone has a talent and a trait in their possession, the one with only the blessing was still the rarest one. Of course, our most precious protagonist needed to be special, right? So, I gave him all three types of gifts. Blessing, talent, and trait, he possessed all of them. To be more detailed, he had three blessings, one exclusive talent, and two traits. One of his blessings was that of the exclusive system that helped him to be the strongest throughout the story. Fuh. How unfair¡­ Even though I was the author. Not only I had only one talent¨Cit was two now, but even my stats were also a piece of shit. But, anyway, I didn''t have any blessings as Jin said. But, he was right, how could I stand firmly when some higher-rank heroes were trapped by the illusion spell? It could be the cause of my hidden power or something but meh, I doubted it. Because there should be at least an indication in my status screen that served as a little proof if I have a hidden power. Something like a ''???'' description. "I do have a simr blessing like that¡­" I lied. But, it''s not like I could do anything about it, didn''t I? They would find it weirder if I had said I didn''t have that resistance blessing. Although I liked to be recognized, I hate if I got interrogated. Also, looking at their shocked expression meant that none of them had the ''Lie Detection'' skill which put me at ease for lying in front of this strong human. "Oh! T-that is obvious! Of course, you have it. Or else, there is no way you could break free from the illusion, right? Haha!" said the baldie. "Haha¡­" I reluctantlyughed. Jin nodded in acknowledgment of my bullshit. But, he didn''t know it anyway, so he also thought that I really have the resistance blessing. "Anyway, kid. Do you know something about this situation? Anything is fine, just tell me what''s on your mind." Should I tell them that this was the work of a demon-kind? But, I doubted that they would believe me if I told them that. There was no record of a demon appearing in this world, even if there was one, the higher-ups would definitely keep it a secret to avoid unnecessary trouble. But, that was where they were wrong! That was thest thing they wanted to do! "Hmm¡­ I don''t think any monsters are capable of doing this. The monsters we fought and found in this dungeon seem to be low-rank monsters. So, the possibility of it being caused by them is almost zero¡­" "We also know that. But, we can''t ignore the possibility that there might be abnormalities happening in this dungeon." "That''s true. But, it rarely happens that abnormalities would ur in a mere week time sh dungeon," I said. Although I said that, I couldn''t help but be nervous. As far as I knew, I stated that an abnormality wouldn''t ur in a sh dungeon that had less than 10 days'' time. Such abnormality was like a unique trait of the dungeon; a meaningful event whether it was a good thing or a bad thing such as this illusion. But, what I know was that this was not caused by the dungeon itself. But, by an external force such as the demon or anything that wanted to harm us. I gasped. I remembered that we were once a hundred people. But, some of them went on their way, leaving the group. There was a chance that the demon was among them, or maybe they were the ones who did it. "Where did that goblin butcher man and his group go? Did any of you see them?" "Goblin butcher?" Everyone seemed confused for a moment, but then instantly recognized what my words meant. "Ah. Herman''s group? No, I didn''t see them again after we parted." "I didn''t see them either¡­" "Me too!" "Me neither..!" All of them never saw that goblin butcher''s group. Wasn''t this sound suspicious? There must be something going on right now. I peeked at Jin. He seemed to be deep in thought. Then, after that, his eyes widened as if he found the answer to all of this. As expected of him, the greatmander of humanity yet the betrayer when the demon invaded the world in the future. There was no doubt anymore. This Jin guy before me was the same Jin that would be an important character in the future''s catastrophe. Not only he was strong in the physical aspect, but he was also smart. He pped his hand to get everyone''s attention. He observed each of us before he started talking. "I think you all already know who our target is." They all nodded in unison. "Good. Let''s split the group. I need 7 people to search for Herman''s group, and the rest will protect this camp." Seven people were volunteering to be the search group, while the rest including me stayed in the camp. "Okay. You all can do basic re magic, right?" The seven of the search group nodded. But one of them was showing off instead. "Like this, Jin?" "Yeah, that is it. I want you guys to shoot the re to the sky once you found Herman''s group¡­ Or worse, at least, the corpse of a human¡­" "Okay. That''s easy," said the baldie. Jin nodded. "Now, scatter!" Looking at the eight of them disappear into the darkness of the woods. I walked toward the campfire, there was nothing I could do to help the victim anyway. The fact was that it was they who told me to just sit and don''t do anything. They were so kind to give me that much privilege so I couldn''t refuse the offer, hehe. "Hah¡­ This will be a long night for them." Yeah, this would be a long night for them but not for me, why? Because I will just sleep and hope that everything will be solved when I wake up! Just when I thought of that. A small piece of memory was being yed in my head. The city was burning, the sky was dark, and screams filled the entire city. Someone was standing in front of masses consisting of a hundred heroes more or less, that was a big charismatic guy with entric full-te armor. Before them, was a three meters giant creature with red skin and a pair of wings, and horns. The demon. The big guy suddenly kneeled in front of the demon which made people behind him gasp in surprise as well as confusion about why did their leader kneel to the demon. The demon''s smirk widened as he extended his hand to bless the big guy acting as a leader to the heroes. For some reason, no heroes dare to interrupt the demon''s rite as he turned their leader into their kind. When the rite finished. The leader grabbed his face and tore it apart, it was not flesh that was being torn apart but suddenly there was a white nk mask without an eye socket on his face and his feature slowly changed. From the big charismatic, veteran-looking guy to a tall handsome guy with an athletic body, his ck hair changed to blonde. It was Jin. I instantly opened my eyes as soon as the memory ended there, where Jin betrayed hisrades over power. And all of that was because of one particr artifact he got. Still dazy, I shook my head and then ran into the woods. "Hey, kid! Where are you going?!" "I need to take care of the worldly matters, I can''t hold it anymore!" With that, I disappeared into the darkness of the woods. What I remembered when I closed my eyes was the backstory of Jin the greatmander (betrayer). He got a really amazing artifact in the sh dungeon in his early year as a Hero. And that sh dungeon was probably this current sh dungeon because this was the only sh dungeon he got himself trapped into ording to my memory. That artifact was one of the great artifacts in his possession that helped him soar through the sky like an eagle and became the top 300 heroes in 3 years. "Now, shall we start the treasure hunting? Chapter 8 My First Artifact I ?I recalled the backstory of Jin. At that time, in his early year as a hero, he got trapped in a sh dungeon for a week. Unfortunately, because all of the civilians were killed in the dungeon, the heroes who were also trapped there were criticized. The heroes concerned were given enormous sanctions. Not only payingpensation money but their status as heroes was also revoked. Those ex-heroes then joined the viin''s side except for Jin. Unlike the rest of the revoked heroes, Jin was the only one who stayed on the hero''s side even after all of that. The reason for it was, he registered as a new hero with a new identity using the artifact he got from the dungeon. Avatar Mask. That artifact was an ego artifact; once it chose its owner, no one else would be able to use the artifact except the rightful owner. It could create an avatar or character just like the character creation in games or simply duplicate one current appearance and save it to the avatar slot that was limited only to 3 slots. So, with that artifact. Jin has four identities including his original appearance; The big and charismaticmander, An agent in the ck market, A popr singer, and the original Jin the ex-heroes. Now, I was on my way looking for that artifact in this dungeon. In the middle of the night, surrounded by trees and a chill wind that brushed against my skin. It was a little weird for me to behave like this even though I never had ambitions or was determined to do something in my previous world, but just like magic, when I lived in this world and became quite adapted, my behavior slowly changed. It was just me assuming myself though. From my perspective, I have changed. I chuckled when I thought about it. Looking at my surroundings, the trees have berger than before. "I think I almost reached the center area of this forest¡­" The atmosphere was so gloomy because of therger and taller trees that covered the forest from the moonlight, and not even the sun''s rays could reach this ce if it was daytime. But, thanks to the glowing mushroom that grew in this area, I could see well in this darkness. The scenery of this dark forestbined with glowing mushrooms made me recall how beautiful a fantasy world was. It felt like I was really inside a fairy tale world, a fantasy world. Everything before me was almost simr to every fantasy or fairy tale book I''d read, the precise description of the magical dark forest fantasy was always the most fascinating ce for me. "If only I could live in this ce¡­" It has always been my dream to live in a fantasy world full of magical things like this. It''s just too bad that I was still living in the modern era of the earth despite it having a magicponent. "Why didn''t I make it so that people could upy a dungeon and live there in my novel?" I sighed. My sigh was full of regret. Truly, it was a regret that I couldn''t live here¡­ "But¡­ Where exactly am I though?" I looked around again and again, but everything my eyes captured was trees and vines. "I guess I got lost?" Fuck it. I just remembered that I never really described or wrote anything about this dungeon. All I did was ''Jin found an artifact when he got trapped in a sh dungeon''. Hell, even if I was to write it, I doubt that I could remember it. That was why I kept on looking for information, to refresh my memory as well as to see if there was any difference in information from what I knew. Fuck, fuck, fuck, damn it. What should I DO?! "Let''s rx first, Zio. Don''t let emotion get in your head¡­ huuu¡­" Suddenly, the bushes made a sound. As soon as it reached my ears, my body flinched instinctively. p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® Looking at the bushes with narrowed eyes, I carefully took steps back. Mind you, it''s not because I was afraid or something, I was just being careful. But, when the bushes suddenly quieted, my curiosity took over. I looked for anything that I could use as a weapon, and I grabbed a tree branch on the ground. With the legendary tree branch in my hand, I felt like I could face anything, even a dragon. Now, let''s see what was behind those bushes! I walked forward very slowly and carefully, minding my steps to not make unnecessary sounds like stepping on the tree branches or something. I could see something behind them now that I''d closed my distance with the bushes. It truly shocked my heart when I saw what was behind the bushes. It was corpses. Those couldn''t be identified corpses were lying in their own pool of blood. "Huek!" I almost threw up because the scenery was so horrible. Their organs and features were in no way able to be identified, they had been broken. Sliced here and there just like animal meat. Apparently, I vomited. I couldn''t hold on seeing those horrible scenes even though I''d already turned around. After calming down, I dared myself to go back to that ce again. I promised that I won''t vomit anymore now. "So disgusti¨C huek!" I almost vomited again but thank God it won''t happen anymore. "Fvck. I almost emptied my stomach¡­" Covering my nose¨Cmy nostrils with my hand. I examined the corpses while keeping my distance from them so I won''t risk myself to vomit again. Amongst those corpses, there was a dead body that even though it was ruined from top to bottom, I still could guess who that corpse was thanks to my skill. Window screens popped up above those corpses. "Goblin butcher¡­ Hormone or something is his name, right?" Although his name was clearly written on the window screen, I couldn''t help but tease him even though the person was already dead. I was sorry but not so sorry. It was the guy who left the group along with the other twenty or so on the first day, just because he didn''t get the role of the group leader. "Oh, right. They said I should cast re magic if I found his group¡­" I looked around, it was dark but thanks to the glowing mushroom I somehow felt safe in this darkness. The trees surrounding me were also like a fortress wall, I doubted I could find my way out of there. "Hmm, how do I cast a magic spell?" I dived into my memory, looking for the data about the ''how to cast a magic spell for a beginner'' thing and the ''how to release or circte the mana in the body for a beginner''. ¡ª I sat with my legs crossed, just like how people were in a meditating position. The way of circting mana inside my body was just like how people usually did a meditation. Manually controlling my mana consciously would have an immediate effect on how to feel mana flowing in my body. Once I felt the mana stranded randomly in my body, I just needed to focus on circting it at one point, my magic core. After I finished gathering mana to my magic core, thest step was to open a small pathway to my palm so I could release the mana outside. "That is what I remembered ¡­" I said. "I''m not sure about this but let''s give it a try." I looked for afortable ce, there was no way I would start a mana meditation in this ce full of corpses. After looking for it, I sat under the big tree surrounded by the brightest glowing mushroom. I didn''t prolong it anymore when it came to experiencing something out of the world like magic and mana, hehe. "Huuu¡­" Sitting in a meditation position, I circted my mana following the guideline of the memory I knew. ''Control my breath consciously and feel the mana inside my body¡­'' As soon as I did that, I could really feel the mana flowing in my body. It was warm yet at the same time cold. I felt my whole body temperature go up and down alternately, it was because of the mana that scattered everywhere in my body. ''I need to gather it in my magic core, but where is my magic core?'' Every Enhanceds has a magic core to store their mana, and where the magic core ced in each of them waspletely different from the other. It was up to one''s type. The type who used their head more has their magic core nested in their head and those who prefer a more physical action usually have their magic core ced in their body, and precisely around their heart. Now then, what about me? While in a trance of circting my mana to my magic core, I also focused my mind to look for where my magic core was located. After some time, I detected the location of my magic core was close to the heart, but there was something odd about it, though I didn''t care about that as I was focused on circting my mana into the magic core. "Huuu¡­" It was cold when the mana was filling the magic core but after it was filled, my body felt warmer afterward. "Is it done?" I asked myself. Looking above, tall trees and their leaves covered the sky, I raised my hand up with an open palm. ''Open a small pathway and guide my mana to my hand¡­'' Feeling the mana rushing toward my hand, I start to chant the magic spell under my breath. The spell released from my right hand and wasunching into the sky, prating the leaves that covered this ce from the light. I was not sure if anyone could see my signal but I''d already done my job. "Now that it''s done, I should go with my original goal." Without waiting for the rest of the search team toe here, I immediately went on my way to search for the Avatar Mask, my original target for me toe this far. *** In the camp, full of unconscious civilians. "Hey, look. That light, isn''t that the re?" "You''re right, but. Is it just me or that magic re is bigger than normal?" "Hmm, now that you mention it, it does look bigger!" "Is it Jin''s?" "Probably." Somewhere in the east part of the forest where Jin just encountered the hero who was part of a search team, they both noticed the re and were looking at it together as if they were watching a fallen star. "Woah. Whose magic re is that?!" Jin said enthusiastically. "I''m not sure who it is but they must be a high-ranked Enhanced or maybe a wizard. But¡­" They looked at each other. "Was there such a thing like that in our group?" They both left dumbfounded by the person who cast that . Meanwhile, the caster himself, who didn''t have a clue about what he just did, was leisurely taking a stroll in a dark and dense forest by himself in search of an artifact he wanted. Chapter 9 My First Artifact II ?"Huff¡­" I stopped running. My legs trembled and I was short of breath from running nonstop. "Just where the hell is that artifact?!" Taking my time resting on the tree''srge root that spreads to the surface, I checked my status screen. There was no change happening to my status. It was all still the same as before I got into this mess. Except for one thing¡­ My skill [irvoyance] has leveled up. I didn''t know when it leveled up but I guess it was thanks to my frequent use of it. But, starting from now on, it''d be a hard grind. === [irvoyance Lv.2] Type: Active / Passive Rank: EX (New!) Allow users to acquire information about their targets and detects the undetectable, the range of this skill limit is unlimited. > Hereditary skills: [Pathfinding] === "EX rank?!" There was a rank in skills. Starting from the lowest was the F rank and the highest was the SS rank. But, in some cases, there were exceptional skills that were bound to one soul. That was the EX rank. The great thing about this skill rank was that there was only one piece of this skill in the whole world, which meant that I was the sole owner of the , and there would be no other living soul out there that could have it other than me. Also, there were no EX skills that were useless because those skills were growable. Every time I hit the max proficiency on each level, it would level up to the next level. Each level up would get the skill much more use and benefits. Just like what recently got, a hereditary skill; Pathfinding. === [Pathfinding] Type: Active Rank: Hereditary The user can trace where targeted objects or subjects that they know (whether it was the visual or a special mark of target) are located. ¨C Consume mana upon using the skill. === "Isn''t this sweet?" I drooled. "Just what I need in a time like this!" "Let''s try it!" Unlike magic spells which needed someone to chant the spell correctly to use it, the skill was much simpler. One just needed to activate it with amand by a mana-imbued voice and say the skill''s name. Of course, in my case, there was a limitation just as the skill''s description stated. I needed to imagine the visual mark of my target to be able to track it. Coincidentally, I knew everything about the artifact. After saying the skill''s name inwardly, I felt weak probably because of the sudden decrease in my mana. In a split second, I received information; an image in my head showed a location somewhere in the forest. There was arge tree in the center, and surrounding it was pir statues with a marked symbol etched on them. "Where is that ce¡­?" Honestly, I still didn''t know where should I go to get to that ce. But at least, I have a clue. So, let''s just walk around and hope I stumbled upon the damn treasure. There were so many glowing mushrooms in this section of the forest. It was much darker and deeper from where I found Herman''s group corpses so the glowing mushrooms were also increased topensate for the darkness. The scenery truly looked like I was in some fantasy, magical forest. As I walked along, following the blue light that sometimes appeared amongst the green and yellow light of the glowing mushroom. Although it was dark and shut from the outside world, the breeze I felt against my skin made it look like this ce had a natural air conditioner. Not too cold, and not too hot, it was just a rxing temperature. Before I knew it, the Goddess of Fortune seemed to give her blessing upon me as I finally stumbled upon the damn ce that I saw when using Pathfinding. It didn''t take me that long, or maybe it was a long adventure but I just didn''t feel it, anyway, here I was, standing before the great magical-looking tree. There were 8 statues made of stone, and there was a carving on each statue. The statues were ced at 8 different points surrounding the great magical-looking tree as the center. I dared to guess that if I was to see it from above, it would make it look like an octagon shape. At one nce, I more or less could guess what this ce was. ording to my experience of reading horror and fantasy or dark fantasy stories, this ce was¡­ "A magic formation!" I walked closer to the tree and entered the invincible pir formation. Once my feet stepped inside the formation. The carvings on the statues lit up in different colors, it made me amazed. A wide smile was stered on my face when I witnessed those scenes. "It really is a magic formation¡­" I said, fascinated. I extended my hand behind¨Coutside of the magic formation, instead of an empty wind there was an invincible wall that blocked my hand. "Cool!" I whistled. I looked around and observed each statue''s carving. A dagger, an hourss, a crown, a praying hand, a two-faced demon''s face or mask, a lip, a g, and a sword? "Huh?" What the hell did this suppose to mean? "Wait, let me think¡­ " There was a sword-carving statue, when I approached it, it would glow a faint red color. "A red sword? A murderer?" Shuuu¨C! The sword carving was glowing lit red. "Oh. The light is no longer dim. Does that mean that I''m guessing it right? A murder, or perhaps an assassination?" My smile widened as I realized what this riddle was trying to tell me. Some sort of story. Like hell I knew what the story was about, the most important thing was I have to solve the puzzle first. "Next is¡­ The hourss." The carving had a dim blue light when I approached it. "Okay, let''s solve this!" The hourss, ording to me, probably meant time. But, what did the color blue have to do with time? "A peaceful time?" The dim light then grew brighter. I guess I got it right again. Next was a crown with a pink dim light carving. "What the hell is this supposed to mean?" It took me dozens of attempts until I guess it correctly. "A princess?" Just like before, the dim light grew brighter. Time had passed for damned who knew how much time had passed! But, finally, I finished the puzzle. A praying hand carving with white dim light symbolized an innocent scapegoat. A two-faced demon''s face with purple light symbolized a trickster. A dark green dim light of a lip carving symbolized an instigator. A g carving with ck dim light was a war. And thest was a sword carving statue with golden light that made me frustrated, it hold no special meaning, and the answer was well¡­ a sword, it was just a sword. I just wasted my time on that¡­ The ground shook greatly as if the earth was angry, but it was just for a moment, at least that was what I felt. But, my surroundings were different, the trees or likely everything outside the formation was shaking madly. Then¡­ Something happened to the magical-looking tree at the center of the formation. The trunk which was so big and wide moved writhing like a worm, slowly a hole began to form and got bigger and bigger until it finally formed like a door entrance on the trunk. There was now an entrance to the tree. But, I was not sure how to proceed from now on. My gut told me to just walk inside the entrance and that something interesting would happen. I sighed. My heart was beating fast as I closed the distance between me and the tree''s entrance. Then, I passed through the entrance that brought me into an unknown ce. It looked like a corridor in the castle dungeon, torches were installed on the wall. There was only one path in this ce, a straight and forward path that only needed me to walk forward toward the door far in front of me. Behind me, there was nothing except a solid void ck that I couldn''t pass through. I noticed that I couldn''t speak here. I opened my mouth as if I was screaming, which was true that I was screaming right now, but my voice won''te out. Then the next strange thing was my feet moved by themselves, they brought me along forward, closer and closer to the door. Only when I was just one step away from the door that I regained control over my body. The door had eight stars decoration on its wooden surface. ''Huuu¡­ I guess I just need to open this door¡­'' I thought. I grabbed the doorknob nervously. Taking a small breath to release the tension, I twisted the doorknob and pushed it. p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® What greeted me on the other side was arge vines nest room, in the middle of the room was a stone with a t surface. On top of it was lying a in white mask-looking object. Surrounding it was 8 statues of different features. But then, as I was about to take my step forward, a shadow emerged behind the t stone surrounded by the statues. The shadow''s features somehow resembled me even though I couldn''t see its face. Two long sticks made of shadow formed from the shadow''s hand, he threw one at me, and I consciously grabbed it. It turned out that the shadow stick was a shadow sword. I stared at the shadow curiously and nervously. What did it want by giving me a sword? My question was answered immediately in the next second. The shadow at first was walking slowly, but after three or four paces, it rushed toward me. "A fight it is," I gulped my saliva as I readied my stance. The shadow jumped at me while swinging its shadow sword vertically from the top. I nearly got hit by that attack if I didn''t move my hands to block it with the other shadow sword in my hand. "What is the meaning of this? A test?" I gritted my teeth when the weight of his sword increased. It was not wise to hold it, so I pushed him with my sword. He jumped back andnded gracefully after several backflips. A smirk formed on my face without my knowledge. "Bring it on, then!" Chapter 10 The Shadow Test ?My body shuddered. A pair of red circles which I assumed were the shadow creature''s eyes were ring at me. It didn''t stay still as eyes should be, it was moving around the shadow''s t-empty face. "The hell is that?!" I cursed. The shadow yed with their shadow sword. Twirling the hilt before they attacked me again. This time it was a basic horizontal sh to my left side. I didn''t want to risk things by blocking its attack, so I stepped back two paces enough to avoid the pointy edge of the sword andunched a counterattack immediately. Its swift and instant movement to the back nullified my attackpletely as I only shed their afterimage. "Damn! You''re fast!" Growl¨C! I didn''t know if it was an illusion or not, but I heard they were growling. A short deep growl like a beast. Did they perhaps respond to my word earlier? A flurry of attack, a mix between shes, thrusts, and punches rained down on me. I couldn''t block and avoid itpletely, so I took some damage from its attack. My left shoulder, left hip, and left wrist was bleeding. That damned shadow only attacked my vulnerable side! It was not that I me the shadow, it was actually a smart move. But, as the victim of the attack, I couldn''t help but be annoyed and hated it. ''It won''t do if I keep on defense. That shadow would slowly overwhelm me when my stamina depleted¡­ huff.'' It was a matter of stamina. A fight against a creature such as a shadow, who couldn''t feel tired or hungry, if the battle went on like this, I would lose. ng¨C! I parried their attack and then dashed forward as my shadow sword was ready to thrust the shadow creature. Just as I expected, the shadow would instantly back off four to five paces after a failed attack. Lucky me that I was ready in a position where my sword could reach the shadow once itnded. The pair of red circles grew wide as I thrust my sword forward. Just a bit more¡­ ng¨C! "Wha¨C?!" I didn''t understand. I was sure that my sword stabbed them right in the chest, they should die right then. But, did that thing even have a heart? Did stabbing their chest would make them die? I wouldn''t know, and I regretted that I couldn''t find it out. All I saw at the moment was the darkness of this ce''s ceiling, then the next second I saw a mossy floor, it was cold, and also my headless body lying down there. What happened? My vision slowly grew darker until it waspletely cold darkness. ¡­ Gasp¨C! When I opened my eyes, I was standing in the same corridor where I first arrived here. I looked around in confusion. No matter how hard I examined this ce, it was really the same corridor before I walked through that door far in front of me. If I was to mention what was different, was that now my body didn''t move by itself to go to the door. It was of my own will, or at least that was what I felt. Somehow, I felt like my mind was a bit noisier than before, and that it was telling me to walk to the door. Standing in front of the wooden door, I noticed that a star was gone from it. Before, it was 8 stars. But, now it was only 7 stars. It was then that I realized the situation I got myself into when I opened the door. Behind the door was the same room with giant statues circling a t stone, just like the star on the door, one statue was gone from the formation. In front of the t stone stood the same shadow creature who was fighting me a while ago when suddenly I got myself back to the corridor. They threw a shadow sword at me again. Now, it was clear that I have just died when fighting against the shadow. It was the moment when my sword almost stabbed its heart. I didn''t know what did they do but my head was cut off even before it swung its sword. I just died and I was respawning in the corridor. Looking at the stars and the statues, I thought that those were something like a ''life'' or a chance. I had 8 lives when I first came here, but because of my first death, I only have 7 lives now. I stretched my body and smirked. "This is going to be ''fun'', isn''t that right, shadow?" The shadow growled, which I assumed they were agreeing with me. We''d have a very much fun time together. This time, I took the initiative. I ran as fast as I could, but the shadow''s speed was overwhelming me as I expected. But, I could reach them, my sword could reach them. I knew where they were going. ng¨C! They parried my first attack, but not the second one! Swoosh¡ª! "Tch!" The shadow turned into a mist form and back to its solid form after my sword failed to cut it. How the hell I was supposed to do?! The speed, the form, everything was bullshit. A physical attack won''t work on them. Should I use magic? But, what magic should I use? I meant, I didn''t know how to cast a magic spell. The re magic was the most basic of all spells, and the only spell that I knew how to cast because it was the only one that I wrote how it work. Hah. "Let''s try it first¡­" The re won''t do any damage but at least, it would give me a light to weaken that shadow¡­ I put on a defensive stance and taunted the shadow. But, likest time, even before the sword was swung, I was already dead. I found myself standing in the corridor again. Fvck! Another dead. At least, I could still try the strategy I was going to try. ''Let''s see what will happen to your body when I light your body up!'' Only 6 stars and 6 statues left, 6 chances to pass this test. A devil number! The shadow growled. Swinging their sword madly; horizontal sh, vertical sh, stab, thrust, everything happened so quickly. Some were deflected, parried, blocked, and dodged but some cut and sliced my skin. Even under pressure by their rapid attack, I could see some afterimages of where would their attack be. It was a battle of stamina and speed once again, and of course, I lost in those two aspects. p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® In that short, and quick battle, I ended up the one who received the most damage. But, this much wound was still manageable. Another flurry of attack wasing to my left side. I grinned upon noticing that. "Finally!" Finally, the attack that I was waiting for. It was the attack on my vulnerable side that I usually dodged, but it was not the case this time. Instead of dodging, I faced it head-on. In a quick motion, I released the sword momentarily and grabbed it with my left hand then parried their attack. In that short time, I seeded in parrying their sword with my non-dominant arm. That was such a close call though. If only I was a little bitte, I would be dead for the third time. Parrying their sword with my left hand, I cast the re magic spell on my right hand. Just as thest time. Every time I parried their attack, they would be moving in an instant to the back four to five paces. So, I didn''t release the spell immediately but instead stepped forward three paces, closing our distance. My eyes were moving, observing their entire body movement, especially their hands in case they pulled something that suddenly killed me. There was a faint glow that came from their shadow sword. ''So that is what caused my death?'' I thought. A battle of speed again. Which one would win this battle? My casting speed or their sword draw speed? Of course! "I''ll win this!" "" My right palm was shining brightly with a yellow hue. But, I lost again. The shadow was faster. Their shadow sword, the faint glow that I saw in that split second earlier¡­ There must be something going on with that sword. I sighed. Standing in the room again, I caught the shadow sword that was flying toward me in the air. I tested the sword in my hand, a few shes and cuts here and there but there seemed to be nothing special in this sword. I didn''t see the faint glow like those on their sword. Could it be caused by the skill and not the sword? "Hey! Can we exchange weapons?" They didn''t growl like before. Their red circle eyes stayed still in their ce. I felt like they were observing me. A momentter, I suddenly stood in the corridor. Huh? What the hell just happened?! I looked around my surrounding, it was the same corridor where I respawned every time I died. ''Did I die? H-how??'' There were only four lives left. Fvck. What would happen if I spent all of my chances here? Would I die? Or would I simply get kicked out of this ce? It''d be good if it was thetter, but if it was not¡­ "DAMN IT!" I shouted as I punched the wall beside me. Although, there was no voiceing out of my mouth. Hell, I didn''t even hear the sound of the walls cracking and my footsteps. Huh? I looked at my hand which was now broken because I just hit the wall using it, but I didn''t feel any pain. Now that I think about it, I got sliced, cut, stabbed, and even died several times. But, I felt fine. There was no pain apanying me even when I got hurt and battered. p¨C! The pping sound should be echoing loudly in that corridor if something didn''t block any sounding out. Anyway, even that hard p from myself didn''t leave any sting or pain feeling on me. My grin widened as I walked toward the door. ''Fvck defending, I''ll just rush them the moment I got my sword!'' Too bad though, the moment the door opened, what greeted me wasn''t the usual sword throwing by the shadow, but was a thrust attack by the sword itself. I was dead. Again. It was three lives now¡­ This time, I dodged the sword that flew at me. It stuck on the door behind. Trying to pull it out, but the shadow was already in front of me, ready to swing its sword. "Shit!" I rolled to the side and then prone as they swung their sword at a low angle horizontally. "Doesn''t even give me time to rest, huh?" The shadow growled somewhat angrily, the sound was deeper and shakier. Attacking me by stabbing their sword to the ground, I kept on rolling and eventually cast a magic re. Exposed to my re, the shadow creature shuddered for a moment. I kicked the shadow sword off their hand. Now it was fair. "Are you good in martial art?" I asked, purely out of curiosity. The shadow growled as it lunged at me. Their ck hand turned big like a balloon that had just been inted. I blocked it, but their strength overwhelmed me. "Guh!" My body felt light as I flew across the room. Before I evennded on the ground, the shadow teleported above me and dealt me ??a crushing blow. It didn''t hurt, nor I felt any pain. But, I couldn''t move my body because it was broken. I died. Two lives left¡­ Hah¡­ Fvck it¡­ I brought torches each in my hand. As soon as the door opened, the shadow lunged at me, I ducked and then extended my hand upward enough for the fire to burn the shadow. To my surprise, it worked. The fire could burn its shadow. "Haha. Why didn''t I use this method earlier¡­" The shadow moved back instantly, it has now hesitated. "You''re scared?" I said as I y with the torches. It growled while backing up a few paces back. "Heh¡­ Then¡­" One torch was sent flying toward the shadow. The other one was still in my hand. I dashed forward as soon as I threw the torch. "This is a payback." Arriving in front of him, I catch the torch I threw earlier while it was still in the air with one hand. Meanwhile, my other hand had swung the torch at the shadow. The shadow was shaking, and its form slowly faded away. They dodged the torch I swung by teleporting behind me. That move was already predicted by me. Another torch in my right hand flew toward the shadow position. Before teleporting again, I caught a glimpse of faint light on their sword. "" I cast a re toward them, interrupting their attack. It slide forward and bounced when it hit the wall. The shadow teleported again, close to me. Their ck hand was ready on the sword''s hilt to slice me at any time. "Eat this, motherfcker!" I threw the torch in my left hand toward the door''s direction and my right hand was already lightened up a yellow hue. "" The yellow re shone brighter. "It''s checkmate!" Vuuuushh¨C! The re shot out from my hand. The shadow teleported again. I didn''t have any idea where they teleport, but, it was my win this time. The re bounced upward when it hit the floor. "" I shot out another toward the t stone direction, slightly upward. Coincidentally, the shadow was teleporting on the re''s trajectory but it could teleport again, and almost got hit by the re. Although it didn''t get hit, it was already exposed to the light at such a close range, it must be already weakened as its form didn''t resemble its original solid shadow humanoid form which looked like me. The third re bounced when it hit the wall and¡­ It collided. The first and second res which had already bounced from earlier, and the third re that had just bounced off; those three res collided with each other and created an explosion that illuminated the room. A perfect calction I would say. Now, with fewer shadows in this room, there was only one ce that shadow creatures could teleport to. A small area near the door. As expected, the shadow teleported into that area. Its form was fading. Trapped. Nowhere to run. And¡­ "Vanish." The torch I threw earlier burned the shadow. Growl¡ª! It growled like a mad beast. But, it was over, nothing it could do to be free from that. "No matter how strong the darkness you have. In the end, it will be devoured by the eternal fire." A deep voice suddenly yed in my head. "Huh? What? Where did that voicee from?" ''Was that the shadow''s voice?'' Along with the defeat of the shadow creature, the light of the exploding re also disappeared. The room was dim again. The reflection of light struck my eyes. In the ce where the shadow creature had disappeared, there was a sword lying there. "Hoh?" Chapter 11 Bad Encounter I ?"..." I stared at the sword while feeling anxious. A well-tempered silver sword with beautiful calligraphy of the ''R'' letter was carved on its lower de, which could make a swordmaster think that it was just for a disy. A window screen popped up above the sword. [Retro] [Bounded to Zio Varrez] Type: Artifact - Sword Rank: S "A sword artifact, and an S-rank artifact at that?! Lucky!" With a happy heart, I picked up the sword from the ground and swung it. At first, it felt heavy and ufortable but then, like magic, the sword shrunk to fit my hand. "Oh? This is good, but¡­" "What is the effect of this sword?" My irvoyance skill, even though it provided me with a bit more information after it leveled up, still didn''t tell me any useful data. "Hmm¡­" The only way to check its full information, I need someone who had high-level appraisal skills. An appraiser was definitely a ce I need to go, but, there were a lot of scammers. Most of them always tricked their client by telling them that their item was junk and they should just sell them to the appraiser with a "high" price, but in reality, the imed-to-be junk item was actually a high-grade item. Of course, the victim won''t know that. "If it''s an appraiser, I think I know one trustworthy fellow." Yes, in fact, with the knowledge I have as the author, looking for an exceptional individual in this world was a piece of cake. I cut some thin vines in the room and turned them into a strap so I could hang the sword around my back. It''s time for the main dish! Walking toward the center of the room, I found myself standing near the t stone. Before, it was surrounded by great 8 statues. Now, it was only two statues left. Judging by the face, one statue was a girl but the other was unknown¨Ctheir face and features hidden behind the hood. I was not some sort of detective or a fan of sculpturing, so I just took a look at it for a while and decided to focus my attention on the white nk mask, without an eye socket, on the t stone before me. [Avatar Mask] Type: Artifact - essories Rank: B "So, this is the avatar mask¡­ Not so eye-catching, eh? Unlike the sword¡­" It was stated that the artifact was a B-rank. Not so high for an artifact that was referred to as an overpowered artifact. But, you know, not all overpowered skills or items were needed to have a high rank. The avatar mask was an artifact that could transform its user into a different shape¨Ca different appearance without any restriction. The disguise couldn''t be detected by all means, even if someone had a high-rank detection skill or whatever, they couldn''t ever find out the true identity of someone behind the disguise of Avatar Mask. But, it has a limitation in that it functioned the same as a character slot in games. The user couldn''t disguise or transform into whatever appearance they wanted infinitely. instead, they could only transform into four appearances that they had saved in the slots. Instead of copying appearances like some other transformation skills or items. The Avatar Mask, which has the same feature as game character slots, could only create an avatar or appearance. Anyway, it was OP because it couldn''t be detected by any means. Imagine tricking the thunder emperor by posing as histe grandson¡­ "Not that I will do it unless he''s on his deathbed and starts hallucinating," I said with a shrug. I grabbed the mask. I felt a magic shock in the air as my skin touched the mask''s surface. When I lifted it, the scenery of the dim room glitched and eventually I was back in the forest with the great magical-looking tree and magic formation. "Amazing¡­" I said, too exhausted to scream my amazement. Excitement built up the longer I look at the mask in my hand. I wanted to try it immediately but it would take a long time to create an avatar, also I''d rather do it under a safe roof than in this dark forest. But, if I didn''t use it, how was I supposed to hide this from the others? Especially Jin, who originally would be the owner of the artifact. "I should have looted the corpses for a dimensional bag¡­" The choice was given, there were two. Use the artifact, or wait here until the countdown is over. If I decided to stay here then I won''t need to use the artifact and wait until the countdown was over. But, I would like to know what happened to the rest of the group. I didn''t know what would happen to them and Jin since I got the mask first, would they survive or would it follow the story in which only Jin and a few heroes survived? Or the worst part was, they would all be dead without me knowing the reason, and since I was the holder of the artifact this time, I might be a recer for Jin and the others as the only survivor of the dungeon. Tracing back to what happened in the camp that night, I was sure it was an attack of the demon or at least their minion¨Cthe human that sold their soul to them in exchange for power. Then, the brutal massacre of Herman''s group in the depth of the forest¡­ "Ah, shit¡­" I wore the mask and my vision went dark for a moment until there was a light that slowly engulfed me. My vision returned, and in front of me was a floating mirror with some UIs on them, just like a character creation panel in games. "I don''t want to waste my time on perfecting my avatar appearance. But, I don''t want to have a bad-looking avatar either¡­" "So, I will have a look at the presets then slightly change it." There were dozens even hundreds of presets of different genders. Male and female. A sudden, useless thought came into my mind as I was looking for the nicest preset. What was I in my previous life? The only thing I remembered was that I yed games and wrote a novel. Other than that, everything was forgotten. My name, my family, was I handsome or pretty¡­ Well, judging by the fact that I didn''t feel ufortable in this body, it seemed like I was male in my previous life too. After contemting for like 5 minutes which preset I was going to choose, I ended up choosing a portrait of a young adult with an attractive face. A bit of rework on here and there and vo¡­ A window appeared after I pressed the confirm button. === >>[Avatar Profile]<< Name: Ian Crow Age: 25 Gender: Male ¡ª> About He was born and grew up in a fairly rich family in a broken vige, he lived free of trouble until he was about 10 years old, but at that point, life changed drastically. He lost his siblings in the dragon incident 15 years ago and was forgotten by everybody. With no friends and rtives, he had to survive by himself. But with his wisdom and determination, he managed to train to perfection and remain out of reach of danger. Still gued by the past, he now works a small job with low pay. By doing so, he hopes to find a ce to call home and finally find the tranquility he has never had. === [Do you want to continue with this setting? Yes/No.] "Seems good. Although his backstory looks interesting and believable, it''s just a made-up story that didn''t actually happen." Feeling satisfied, I pressed the [Yes] option on the window screen. Instantly, my appearance had changed in less than a second. Looking at the floating mirror, I saw a handsome gentleman in a ck noble-like suit and a magician-like hat. His ck hair was as messy as mine, his sharp blue eyes staring unblinkingly as we looked at each other, the ck line under his eyes indeed described someone who has experienced a lot of bitterness in his life, he was tired but remained firm in his goals. But his smile and constant positive expression were a facade he used to hide that darkness of his past. "I feel like looking at the adult version of myself but without the blue eyes." I loosened the tie around my neck and tightened the gloves on my hand. "Let''s go back." As I was about to leave the area, the sound of the bushes led me to a girl around my age¨CZio''s age¨Csitting under the tree just across from me, separated by the magical-looking tree. How could I not notice her? She was just sitting there, staring nkly at me with her ruby-like eyes. Her long straight ck hair framed her face. Did she see me transform?! I cleared my throat. "Hello there¡­ How long have you been there?" "I just arrived here." She still locked her eyes with me as she answered me. Her voice sounded calm and cold, like someone who had lost their motivation or was even soulless. "Oh yeah?" She nodded slowly. Her eyes looked ahead, deep into therge trees behind me. "Are you a part of the group?" She nodded again, her attention still unmoved. "Which group? Herman''s or Jin''s?" ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom She turned her head at me slowly. "Yours." "Mine? So, it''s Jin''s group?" I paused for a moment and realized something. "Wait. Do you even know me?" She shook her head. "No." ''Hah? What is wrong with that girl?'' I thought. "The monster attacked the camp. I ran here alone. It''s safe here," she said as she stared at me expectantly. The camp got attacked? Could it be that it was the truth behind the hero''s banishment? The incident of the ipetent heroes, letting all of the civilians be killed in the dungeon. "Can you tell me the details?" "You will see it for yourself. Just run forward," she said, her finger pointing at the forest behind me. I turned and looked at the forest, it was dark because the sun didn''t reach this ce, but flickering light from the glowing mushroom could be seen along the path. "Then, I''ll go¡­" As I turned back and wanted to ask the weird girl before I go, she was not there anymore. "Huh? Where is she going?" Even with my irvoyance skill I still couldn''t find her trace. Shaking my head, I head into the forest immediately after praying for the girl''s safety. Chapter 12 Bad Encounter II ?The death aura slowly shrouded the forest. Especially, as I kept running straight, passed the corpses of Herman''s group, the aura was getting thicker the closer I got to the camp. My body shuddered as the intensity of the death aura pressured me. "I have a bad feeling about this¡­" My heart was beating even faster than usual. As I ran through the forest, cold sweat was produced and flooded my face. Each time my feet stomped on the ground, it cost me a lot of breath, which meant that my breathing got heavier as I kept running toward the camp. "Ugh¨C!" Something hit me so suddenly and I rolled over on the ground while holding my stomach. I was hoping that this all was just an illusion just like before but it wasn''t. It wasn''t an illusion, but a reality that threatened my life. Which I have to face for the first time since I arrived in this world. The pain won''t wash away so easily, I kept holding onto my stomach as I growled like a wild beast. Tak¨C! Tak¨C! The sound of footstepsing from behind me, I didn''t know who it was but I was certain they were not friends. "A human," the voice sounded heavy and deep as if they talked under the earth. "I see that you areing from the direction of the shrine." The shrine? I didn''t know what they meant by the shrine, but I guess that ce with a magical-looking tree and magic formation was the one they referred to. I mustered up my energy and everything I''ve got just to spout one meaningless word, "W-who?" I didn''t see it, but I knew that they were smirking right now. "Do you certainly want to know who I am?" This motherfvker! "If you truly want to know, why don''t you turn around and face me?" There was no need for me to turn around as they asked because, after those ''word exchanges'' with them, I could guess who they were. The demon¡­ But, that was impossible for them to appear here right now. So, it was probably a human who made a pact with a demon, the minion. My curiosity still took over me and I did turn around in agony as he wanted me to do. I gritted my teeth when I saw the demonic human¨Cthe minion''s appearance. He was on the verge of bing a full-fledged demon; those crimson blood eyes were drilling a hole in me, the small horn grew on his forehead''s right side, and his skin color had turned a bit darker close to the red. "So? What do you think?" "What the fvck do you mean by that?" He just stood there, staring at me. No. It looked more like he was looking down at me as if he looked at an ant. He gestured with his head to make me stand up. Even though I hate him, I couldn''t disobey him if I want to at least buy some time for now. First, let''s make his guard down¡­ "You almost looked like a demon¡­" I said. He raised his eyebrows and thenughed loudly. "Hahahaha! You! You tter me!" he said with a high and aggressive tone. "And you seem not that surprised when you saw me, is this not your first time seeing us?" I stayed silent. "I mean, I know that there are many minions out there but something that looks like me isn''tmon, you know? So, I thought that you must have seen the others who also went through this evolution." He licked his own lips like a wild beast when they were about to feast on its prey. "Tell me, who are they? Or simply tell me their characteristics, like their face or something." "..." What''s wrong with this guy? Who was he? When did hee here, there was no way someone from the other side of the dungeon could stay here even if they were a demon¡­ Then, has he been with us since the beginning? But, I didn''t recognize him because of his current form¡­ Many questions came into my mind like pouring rain, but the answers to them did not. I didn''t know how much time has passed since I entered the test room. Knowing how much time left I had was a first priority. Since the part of this forest was not too closed like in the inner forest, I could catch a glimpse of the countdown being obscured by the leaves. To make sure, I also used my irvoyance - pathfinding. There were 20 minutes left before the countdown was over. I need to stale for time somehow¡­ "Why did you keep peeking up? Is there something in the leaves?" he said while following my subtle gaze. "There is nothing there, though?" His gaze shifted back to me, no, to my sword. He let out a low whistle, "Where did you get that sword? Did you steal it somewhere? Also, your clothes, I want them. I''d look cool wearing them, don''t you think?" "Surely you can just ask your contractor if you want cool clothes?" I smirked. His expression got serious, and his eyes narrowed. "Don''t you dare talk shit about my contractor, human." "Hehe, of course, of course. I''m sorry if it offends you¡­" I said while scratching the back of my neck. My hand slowly reached the sword''s hilt on my back. As I tried to pull out my sword, I kept talking to distract him. "But, I''m curious. What''s good about selling your soul to the demon? At the end of my words, the air suddenly felt heavy again, filled with the aura of deathing from him. "Keuk!" My breath was heavy. It felt like I was suppressed by the high gravity. It was just so hard to breathe because of the pressure. My heart raced as a pair of crimson blood eyes red at me. "You insect! People like you who had good powers don''t know how we, the lowly trash Enhanced with a trash talent feel! Selling our soul to the demon is the only way for us, the trashes to be stronger!" "Trash talent? There is no such thing as trash talent. It all depends on who could hone it to maximum proficiency." "What?!" The minion shouted. "You''re just looking for excuses. Brought up trash talent when you yourself don''t do any effort to get stronger. Looking for a shortcut for power? What bullshit, there''s no way such a thing couldst forever." "So what? What use is an effort if, in the end, I am still weak? Selling our soul is cheaper than a bothersome thing such as effort." I smirked. "I agree with that. But¡­" I pulled out my sword and rushed toward the demonic human. "A pay-to-win y like that cost me all of my money! And it will cost you all of your soul till you''re no longer human, dumbass!" "SHUT UP!!: Being agitated, ws came out from his fist and blocked my sword. "You dare attack me, insect?" "Why not?" Although my sword was blocked, I still have an advantage in my position. It was unrestricted, I could move freely while he couldn''t, so I lifted my leg andnded it on his belly. His demonic form made his body sturdier than a normal human so my kick didn''t do much damage unless being a tickle for him. His face was full of grins now that he got the upper hand. He grabbed my leg and threw me away. I was just nothing more than a stick when he threw me easily. Hitting the trees three times was painful for sure, I broke my bones in the process. It hurt as hell, it was then that I realize this was not the same as my fight with the shadow where I couldn''t feel pain. I had truly forgotten about it. The effect of fighting with the shadow without taking any pain made me reckless in this fight. Ah, but it was useless toin about that now, right? I gritted my teeth and forced myself to stand up. My left hand was gone¡ªI meant broken, my ribs too. I stood unsteadily while looking forfortable support on a tree. "It looks like only your mouth is sharp but your skills suck!" Holding the pain in my ribs and left hand, my grip tightened as I let out a chuckle. "Thanks for thepliment." I stepped forward with the sword still in my hand. Pointing it toward the demonic human whose expression changed from smug to irritated. p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® "Again," I said. The demonic human smiled, and so I was, but nervously. Then, the aura of death wasing again. It was much heavier and darker than before, I was suffocated because of that. I felt hurt in my broken bone. ''If this is going on¡­ I could die!'' Without much choice, I gave up on the idea of using the mask, which avatar was already in a pitiful state. But, let''s wait for the right moment. With only one hand left, I fought the demonic human desperately. Attacking when I''d got a chance and all the time I was on the defense. "If you don''t want to die. Give me the artifact you got from the shrine," said the demonic human while attacking me relentlessly. "Which artifact?" In fact, there were two artifacts I got from the ce he called a ''shrine''. Although I knew which artifact he meant to, I need to stale for time. Let him be desperate as I was. "Are there any other artifacts besides the in white mask there?!" His attack flow was in a mess since I brought up the unexpected second artifact. Since it was written that Jin only got the Avatar Mask and nothing more, it made me surprised the first time I found it too. "Maybe, I don''t know," I smirked. "You¡­!!" The demonic human rushed onto me at a speed my eyes couldn''t follow. He choked me and threw me as far as his strength allowed. I flew like a bullet, hitting the trees relentlessly, blood gushing all over me, but all I could do was grind my teeth. When I''d flown far enough, I forced my freshly broken right hand to move. Tearing off my face which then turned into a mask that gently lie in my palm. Once the effect of the mask was removed and my body returned to my original appearance. All the pain and broken body left me. ''This is why I called the B-rank mask artifact OPl!'' Another effect of the mask was that the original body and each avatar didn''t share each of their body condition. Usually, when people used a disguise skill or item, the damage done to neither was shared because they were using the same body and only changed their body structure or appearance through a transformation skill. Rather than transformation, the Avatar Mask was more like switching. The use of the Avatar Mask was switching bodies, from the original to the avatar, or from an avatar to an avatar. Each avatar was a different body, so if one body was destroyed, when the user switched to the other bodies, their former body''s condition will not be carried away to the switched body. In my case, my original body wasn''t injured before I use the artifact to transform or switch to my avatar [Ian Crow], so when I canceled the artifact effect, my body would transform back to my healthy original body. I spun to slow down and then dropped to the ground after calcting that I''d at least be slightly injured when I fell. "Guh¡­" It hurt a bit, but this much couldn''t even bepared to the pain and damage done to Ian''s body. I looked at the mask in my hand, a screen was floating above it saying that it was in a cooldown phase for a day. Looking around me, it seemed I was thrown towards the entrance of the forest seeing how few trees there werepared to before. "The countdown!" It was just 10 minutes left. "10 minutes¡­ It''s enough to get to the camp and see what happened to them¡­" I reached for my sword but it was not there. Panic was about to hit me but I remembered I had dropped my sword before I was thrown. "Summon: Retro." Good thing I knew a very convenient secret about a bounded item or artifact. When an item or artifact was already bound, the owner could summon their artifact to their hand simply by saying summon plus the artifact''s name. Of course, it was not free to summon a bound artifact, it required mana to summon them. The amount of mana used to summon artifacts was depend on the distance between the owner and their artifact. Mine was close so the mana being used for summon was not much, but for my F-rank magic stats, it could be considered arge spent of mana. Feeling the sword in my palm, I gripped it hard and started walking to the camp. My stomach looks bloated because of the Avatar Mask that I hide under my jacket. But¡­ The death aura was back. It wasing from behind me, from the forest. I had no time to think about the demonic human, my priority was to see the camp''s situation. I wanted to know what happened to them, especially Jin whose this time had no chance of getting the artifact in his hands. The camp was already ransacked when I arrived. Dozens of people were lying dead on the ground, both civilians and Enhanceds. Only nine Enhanceds were still fighting the monsters including Jin, but I didn''t see the rest of the civilians. Looking at the total corpses, I doubted that they all were dead, so they must be hiding somewhere. I was relieved when I know that. "Hey, Kid!" Someone shouted. It was Jin. "I see you''re not dead yet, that''s a relief¡­" He shed his sword and killed a monster in one hit and looked back at me. "Surely that sword in your hand isn''t just for disy, right? Would you mind lending us a hand here?" I had so many questions I wanted to ask him right away, but I guess it could wait until we killed all of these monsters. And so I gave him a fake smile and said "Sure." Chapter 13 Bad Encounter III ?They almost wiped out the monsters invading the camp, there were only a few left before they could take a rest, and for Zio to start questioning Jin. That was if he excluded the matter with the death aura that came from the demonic human. Thest monster was down and they celebrated it shortly, pping or hugging or something like that. The countdown was almost over. Just 3 more minutes. "We did it!" "Fvck yeah!" They were so happy that Zio''d felt bad if he was to tell them that it was not over yet. But, it was a matter of life, surely they won''t hate him for it, right? "Thanks for your help, I didn''t know you were good with swords," Jin said as he approached Zio while extending his hand for a handshake. Zio''s mind was already upied by the matter of the demonic human and the countdown. Noticing his eyebrow was knitted, Jin asked "What''s wrong, kid?" Zio slipped from his thoughts and shook his head. "If you''re looking for the rest¡­ Don''t worry, they''re safe." That was one thing to be excluded from Zio''s worry list. But, it was not like he worry only about one thing. There were matters of Jin''s credibility, whether he was actually a good person which turned evil by the demon, or a secretly evil person from the beginning. Zio hate it when he was clueless. There was also the demonic human that needed immediate attention. "Listen. I know it''s only three minutes left before we get out of this ce but¨C" The death aura shrouded the air around the camp. Everyone here was feeling it. They were shivering as the aura lingered on their body, suffocating them. Zio realized that he was toote. The demonic human was already sighted a hundred meters from the camp. An invisible death aura slowly materialized death incarnation. Everyone knew that it was just an illusion but they couldn''t help but be terrified. "Ahhh¡­" The moment he let out a voice, his head was cut off from the body. The head dropped to the ground, making a loud thud sound. Everyone''s heart was beating fast the moment they heard the thud sound. Slowly, one by one, their eyes looked at the head on the ground with a pool of blood already. "D-dem¡ª" sh! sh! sh! Another three head was severed from their body. "ytime is over." A loud, hoarse deep domineering sound echoed in the air. The demonic human was walking arrogantly, spreading his arms wide. With the wide grin which couldn''t be torn off stered over his face, he believed he had already won the battle. Zio was shaking, he looked like he was about to crumble at any moment. As the adrenaline raced, the irvoyance was activated unexpectedly. A piece of information that he should have obtained from the moment he met the demonic human was just received by his brain. [Name: Nado (Male sign) Age: 24 Race: Half-demon] ''Ah¡­'' ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom A scene of memory was being yed inside Zio''s head. It was the scene in this very same dungeon, but the situation waspletely different. The camp was already obliterated. Corpses scattered all over the camp, leaving only 5 Enhanceds¨CJin was there, but not Zio.¨Ckneeling before the demonic human, Nado. They begged the demonic human to spare their life. Nadoughed and spared them. In the next scene, there were only Nado and Jin. Nado was giving Jin the in white familiar mask, the Avatar Mask before the dungeon''s countdown was over. The memory ended. Zio was back to reality with blurry vision. ''What was that?'' he thought. "Hey, you! ck-haired brat!" the demonic human shouted. Although Zio couldn''t see anything because everything was blurry for him, he knew that the one Nado referred to was him. The reason was that there was no one among the Enhanceds who was a brat except him. "W-what¡­?" He said while gripping his sword nervously. Jin gritted his teeth full of frustration, he knew that the boy would be the next one to die so he wanted to save him. But, he couldn''t move his body, it seemed like his body didn''t listen to him, either of the pressure or because he didn''t want to risk his life to save a stranger he just meet a week ago. Instead, he tried to look at the countdown up in the sky. ''One minute left! Hold on there, Zio!'' he said in his mind, hoping that his inner voice would reach Zio but it won''t. After all, he didn''t have telepathy skills. "Give me the artifacts you little sh*t!" The demonic human walked closer and closer to the frozen group. Every step he took made the Enhanceds'' fighting spirit leave their body. One pace. Two paces. Three. Four. Five¡­ Eight paces and then Zio pulled out the mask hidden beneath his jacket. "S-stop!" Zio lifted the mask. "T-this. I-is this w-what you want?" 45 seconds left before the countdown was over¡­ The demonic human''s eyes and smile widened as he saw the mask, but the next second, his expression turned sour. "It won''t do¡­ That artifact is bounded to you." "So?" Zio gripped the sword even harder, ready to swing it if the demon approached. In fact, a bounded artifact meant that only the user was capable of using it. If the other wanted to use it, they would need to have the user''s approval and the artifact itself¨Cif it was an artifact with ego. The only way to steal a bounded artifact was to kill the artifact''s owner. Having known that fact, both Zio and Nado exchanged a hostile stare at each other. 30 seconds before the countdown was over¡­ The demon had paid no attention to the countdown, but he knew that he didn''t have the luxury of time. Meanwhile, Zio kept peeking at the countdown using his irvoyance - Pathfinding, but he couldn''t keep on doing that as his mana was almost depleted. Nado''s hand getting bigger and now was resembling a demon''s hand and ws. Zio, Jin, and the other Enhanceds flinched. Their fighting spirit continued to decline. Their only wish was for the countdown to speed up. Nado looked at his hand amazedly. 20 seconds left¡­ Zio''s vision has been restored to normal condition. Swoosh¨C! Nado''s figure became blurry and then he disappeared. Not even before the Enhanceds could react, Nado appeared again in front of Zio. His sharp w was already stretched out forward like a spear. Zio had seen iting, so he was the only one who could react to Nado''s surprise attack. It was all thanks to his irvoyance skill which could predict his target''s movement. Not that Zio was aware of that though. He always had a gut that it was because of irvoyance that made him could track the shadow''s movement in that dungeon, but since there was no such description telling him that it could predict or track his target''s movement, he was left with doubt. But, after this, maybe he would realize that irvoyance wasn''t just a skill used for obtaining information. The only way to counter a thrust attack was to avoid and quick attack or block it in perfect timing. But, since it was not that easy to do a perfect timing block, most preferred to avoid the attack than to counter with a block. Zio also preferred to avoid it since it was only two weeks since he learned the way of the sword. But, his prediction said otherwise. If he was to dodge, he would absolutely die to Nado''s force trajecting attack¡ªHis hand would suddenly make a sharp turn because he already used his [Lock-in] skill. [Lock-in] was a type of skill to urately hit the target. It was usually used for a projectile attack, but it didn''t mean that it won''t work for a close-range attack like what Nado just did. He made it possible to change his attack trajectory with [Lock-in] because his hand was no longer a human. Even if he broke his bone, it would immediately be healed due to the demon''s blood regeneration. Zio desperately lifted his sword, attempting to block Nado''s w attack. ng¨C! A lucky shot! Zio managed to perfectly time his block. But, due to the difference in strength, Zio was knocked back flying several meters back. Nado caught the mask Zio had released. But, it wasn''t enough, he needed to kill Zio if he wanted to use the artifact. Not only that, but his greed to have the sword held by Zio was also his target. "Kuh!" It all happened in a split second that not everyone could react. But, the next second when Zio wasnding on the ground did then that Jin reacted immediately. "Stop him!!!" The Enhanceds broke free from their petrified state and immediately gripped their sword tight and positioned themselves in front of Nado. "Don''t get in my way, insect!!" Nado shouted as he kept rushing forward, breaking through the Enhanceds'' formation without shedding any sweat. The Enhanceds blocking him either lost their limb or heavy bleeding. 10 seconds left¡­ "Die!! You little fly!!!" With all his might, Nado threw a punch at Zio who was busy trying to get up. At that moment, time seemed slow for Zio as he was hearing sounds inside his head. "Swing your sword, master!" Zio was confused as to where the sound came from, but it was not the time to think about it. So, he just followed what the sound told him to. There was a glint of light that traced the de before he swung it. Splurt¨C! A sh wound suddenly carved from the top of his head down to his waist. Blood was gushing out like a fountain from Nado''s wound. It all happened even before Zio drew his sword. The same technique as the shadow in the dim room used against him. "Wha¡ª?!!" Even Nado was surprised that he suddenly getting cut off into two suddenly. His soul won''t rest in peace if he did not know what just killed him, not that he could rest in peace in the first ce after selling his soul to the demon. The demonic human''s body split into two. And when Zio swung his sword upward, vertically, he was just shing an empty air as Nado''s body was already dropped on the ground beside him. The faces of the Enhanced who were originally preupied with their situation couldn''t even hide their shock at what Zio had done to Nado. Zio was covered in Nado''s blood while the demonic human split body was lying beside him. "You¡­" said Jin. But before he could speak more, the countdown has ended. Portals appeared behind everyone''s backs and sucked them in like a vacuum cleaner. Fortunately, Zio had taken the Avatar Mask back before he got sucked in. Traveling by the portal was like those scenes when people got sucked into a wormhole in sci-fi stories. It felt serene, if only it''dst a bit longer, all the memory that Zio, Jin, and the others experienced inside the dungeon might be forgotten. No one wanted to remember that demonic human power or how Zio killed him in one sh. ¡­ Thrown out of the portal, I found myself on the highest floor of the Garuda Soar Tower, thest ce I visited before I got transported to the sh dungeon. The blood covering me and the sword was gone when I checked my body. With a sigh, Iy down on the cold floor. Resting my eyes and my body. Now that the adrenaline went down, my body suddenly felt numb. The sound of footsteps wasing closer and then it stopped. "Hey, are you dead?" Came a voice that sounded calm and cold. Opening my eyes slowly, I saw a shoe blocking my view. Tracing my eyes up, I found a face I thought I''d seen before. Her hair was long and red colored resembled a me. She gave me a cold-eyed stare that somehow almost didn''t suit her red eyes. Her oval face was framed by theyered curtain bang. Her entire cool and calm demeanor was theplete opposite of her red color scheme, which represented courage or energy. I didn''t know what she wanted from me but¡­ unfortunately for her. She needed to wait for another time. "Hmm. Looks like you''re alive," she said then walked toward the elevator. Eh¡­ I thought she was going to question me¡­ Oh well, I was going to sleep anyway. So¡­ Good night. Chapter 14 The Protagonist ?Coming from a portal gate designed like a giant mirror was a youngster in his 16s. His straight and silky hair was as white as snow,bined with his golden eyes and pale skin that were like the sun shining on the snowfields could attract the opposite sex''s attention. Lots of whispers came from the girls who were mesmerized by the boy''s face making him slightly ufortable. "Oh my, look at him¡­" "He''s handsome¡­" "Definitely my type." The boy was not just a normal human, he was an Enhanced, and his senses were also sharper than any young Enhanced his age; he could hear voices being spoken in a whisper or see so far outside the range of a normal human''s vision could see. Ignoring the voices, the boy named Lux ??Virtus looked at the statues of eight heroes. Among them, he especially saw a statue of a sword-wielding woman whose finger traced gently over the de. "So, this is Octagram Ind?" he said. Unexpectedly, a voice was heard that responded to his supposed inner monologue. "No, that''s not. That''s the statue of the eight heroes, duh." Lux turned around and found a girl around his age standing a few meters behind him smiling. "Grace." The girl named Grace smirked, she puffed her almost non-existent chest (for a girl) as she walked forward and hug Lux around the shoulder. "Nice! It''s not that hard to call me that now, right?" Lux scratched his cheek. "Well. It''s still a bit hard to call you by name, master¡­" "Then you should get used to it. It''d be awkward if you call me "master" at the academy." "I''ll try, mas¨C I mean Grace." They walked out of the building. From the outside, the building was a in square. The outside area around it was very wide and was always crowded because the area around the building was the city square. There were also eight statues of the heroes, which were ced in a row along the road straight to the entrance of the building. The building was called the Octagram Transport Center; which was shortened to OTC was a ce for dozens of warp gates that connected Octagram Ind with various ces around the world. Fascinated by the city square which was crowded with people doing different activities and some food stalls, Lux was running around like a countryside kid seeing the city for the first time, which was true. Lux was from the countryside, but it was not mean that he never visited a big city. But, Octagram Ind was a different case, as an ind and the most developed city in the world, of course, the experience of living there was not something that was easily forgotten even by rich kids who lived in big cities. "Don''t run around, Lux. You might get into trouble¡­" Right after she said that, the trouble really came upon Lux. He bumped into someone in the crowd, if it was an ordinary person he bumped into, there wouldn''t be any trouble. But, unlucky for him, the one he bumped into was a famous figure. "Oh. I''m sorry, miss¡­" Lux said in the utmost politeness as he extended his hand. The girl with the same hair color as Lux nodded and reached for Lux''s hand, but then there was the problem came. The boy who was walking with the girl smacked Lux''s hand and helped the girl up. He stared at the girl passionately before then he looked at Lux in disdain. The girl could only shake her head at the boy''s impoliteness. "Hey! Don''t you have eyes?!" The boy shouted. Lux was stunned for a moment before smiling at the snow-white-haired girl like his, the only difference being in the color of their eyes. If Lux''s was like the sun, then hers was like the bright blue moon that lit up the winter night sky. Ignoring the boy''s babbling, Lux asked "I''m sorry miss, are you okay?" "I''m oka¨C" The girl''s eyes narrowed when she found the rude boy standing between her and Lux. "Hah¡­" She shook her head in disbelief. "How dare you talk to her when I''m right here?" said the boy annoyed, his veins visible because of how hard he tried to suppress his anger. "Sorry?" Lux said cluelessly. As the dispute continued, someone in the crowd surrounded the three youths seeming to be enjoying the argument with knowing faces. That was Zio Varrez. *** It''s been a week since the sh dungeon incident. As many as 56 people died in that incident. Of the 44 survivors, 6 of them were Enhanceds including me. Unlike the scenes in the novel, Jin and the other five heroes were not sanctioned and remain heroes. Nado, the demonic human, died at my hands at thest moment. With his death and the Avatar Mask in my hands, it was certain that Jin would not betray humanity. However, what would Jin be in the future? I''d leave that for the person himself to decide. When I got home, Shannon was very worried about me that she cried. But, after that, I got a very long lecture from her. I was using the free time of a week before the entrance exam by honing my talent and skill, thanks to that my dual-wielding and swordsmanship talent had leveled up to level 2. With the dual-wielding reached level 2, I got more options of weapon choices other than the sword. === [Dual Wielding Lv.2] Users will be able to wield two weapons at once even if their proficiency in said weapons was low. Learning dual-wielding techniques will be easier. Avable dual-wielding weapons; Sword, Dagger. === Dual-dagger sounded more like a type of assassin or rogue talentbat style. With so many techniques that could be learned for assassins and rogues as a dual-dagger user, I decided to hone my dagger skills and learned techniques that I could learn for free. The reason I preferred daggers over swords was that the assassin''s and rogue''s weapon techniques were dual weapons, namely daggers. With this, I could also improve my dual-wielding skill easier than using dual swords. The sword talent was divided into two types; swordsmanship and dual-sword. Swordsmanship techniques were not suitable for dual swords, and vice versa, that was why. For example; My talent was both swordsmanship and dual-wielding/sword, and because dual-sword techniques were rare and expensive, I had to learn swordsmanship techniques instead. I mastered the swordsmanship techniques, but when I changed to dual-wielding, those techniques would be rendered useless as they won''t work for dual-sword. Instead, if I was to learn assassin and rogue techniques which both used dual weapons, I could also apply those techniques to my dual-wielding talent that used daggers. But, unlike when I first learned swordsmanship from Shannon and got the talent because of that. It didn''t happen when I learned the assassin and rogue dual-daggerbat style. The reason for that might have been because Shannon has a [Bestowal] skill; it was a skill that gave her the power to bestow her knowledge of what she''d learned upon her disciple, an apprenticeship-type kind of skill. Well, thanks to the dual-wielding talent, I didn''t need to have an assassin or rogue talent to be able to wield dual-dagger. The city square was crowded; many people outside the Ind hase to this ce. It was to be expected because Today was the day of the Octagram entrance exam and I felt confident I would pass the exam with my current skill. On my way to the Octagram Academy, I stopped briefly at the town square to see the faces of my would-be ssmates, especially the arrival of the protagonist and one of the main female characters in this very ce. "Hmm, it seems like I just need to wait for the scene to happen," I said while looking at my watch. "I don''t even know when they wille out." p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® While waiting, I wasted my time (and money) at food stalls. There were lots of street foods that I could try. Apart from being cheap, the taste was no less delicious than restaurant food. A half hour had passed since I tasted the food, any more than this and my wallet would be crying. Just as I was done contemting, a ruckus happened on the other side of the city square. Using my irvoyance - Pathfinding, I could see the images of three youths arguing while being surrounded by the crowd. Without wasting any more time, I went to the scene. When I got closer to the crowd, I heard an angry voiceing from the center of the crowd. Sneaking through the crowd, I stood where enough for me to see the drama that was unfolding. It was a boy I didn''t recognize that shouting at the other boy, his nd appearance didn''t match any character description I remember, he was probably the extra in this scene so the protagonist could stand out. The other boy though, with striking hair and eye color, must be Lux Virtus. Standing behind the extra boy, was a pretty and dignified-looking girl that looked like she wasing from a rich and noble family that uphold tradition. Her face looked anxious, probably because of how big themotion the boy had caused. Her long snow-white hair was tied back in a bun, held up by hairpins decorated with cherry blossoms. Her blue eyes restlessly observed the crowd''s reaction. "Ayano Fuyuki¡­" Ayano Fuyuki. That was the girl''s name. She was born into a rich family of Japanese family that upholds tradition. Being born into such a family made her an ojou-sama or youngdy or young mistress type character; strictly educated to be polite and well-informed, but herck of experience in dealing with the outside world made her a curious person at times. Because of that, her friends were few almost non-exist, and in the end, it was Lux who became her first friend and lover. "You! I''ll teach you how to behave in front of us!" said the boy with a full fist ready to hit Lux. ''That''s what a third-rate viin character would say¡­'' I thought. Looking at Lux and Ayano''s expressions, it seemed like they also thought the same. "Stop!" Ayano shouted but the boy didn''t stop. Having a full fistunched toward his face, Lux dodged it with minimal movement and grabbed the extra boy''s wrist, and twisted it. "ACK!!!" The boy screamed. The boy looked at Ayano with pleading eyes, his bravery from earlier was gone now that he experienced pain came from a broken arm. Ayano was speechless, she could only shake her head and then bow to Lux. "I apologize on behalf of my attendant." "Oh? Ah, no. It''s should''ve been me who sorry for bumping into you, miss." My reaction to that was a full round of yawning. "Lux!" A girl''s voice came somewhere amongst the crowd. "Mas¡­ Grace." It was a girl with long dark green hair and a pretty face. I recognized her immediately the moment she appeared. She was Lux''s sword teacher. One of the eight heroes who excelled in swords, all of her techniques were shy and should be suitable only for performance. But, with herplete understanding of swordsmanship, she was capable of doing the impossible possible. Due to a curse, her growth has been going backward. She received the curse in 2010 at the age of 36, and since then her growth has been reversed; who should be 56 years old this year, she became a 16-year-old girl again. Well, at least the title of the youngest of the eight heroes still applied to her. "Time Reversal curse, huh¡­" Chapter 15 Entrance Exam I ?"Is this really an academy?" Standing firmly in front of me was the entrance gate which was nked by two statues of the most famous hero of the first generation, Garuda. The gates and statues were gigantic in scale, as were the walls that were built around the academy grounds. I once said that the academy grounds were built right in the middle of the ind. However, I never thought that there was an ind within an ind. So, it turned out that there was ake and arge circr ind in the center of the city, and it was on the ind in theke where Octagram Academy was located. There were a total of 4 entrances to the academy area; the east gate, the west gate, the south gate, and the north gate. While the main ind was half the size of Singapore, the campus itself covered an area of eight kilometers square which was divided into eight main areas or so they called realms; Eagle, Tiger, Cat, Horse, Dove, Crow, Wolf, and Owl. The Eagle realm was where the lecture halls were located. The Tiger realm was where the professor''s offices were located, the area was off-limit for students and unless the professors demanded the students visit them at their office, the students were forbidden to go near the area. Just like the Tiger, the Cat realm was also an off-limit for students as it''s where the researchb facilities were located. The Horse, Dove, and Crow realms were located close to each other. These three realms were a student''s area, where the training facilities, Dormitories, and Public Spaces such as cafeterias, grocery stores, and parks were located. Thest two realms were Wolf and Owl, these two realms were located side-by-side, a few kilometers away from the dormitories. The Wolf realm was the student space, where the buildings of student clubs were located. Lastly the Owl realm, as the Owl was an animal symbolized wisdom and knowledge, the grandiose building resembled a castle was built there, the Grand Library of Octagram. People were crossing the bridge to get inside the campus. Once inside, they were walking to the Horse realm where the training facilities and the great arena were located. Thousands of candidates gathered in arge octagonal-shaped area with 4rge octagonal architectural buildings on each side of the octagon. The north, east, west, and south was the entrance to the Horse realm, meanwhile the northeast, northwest, southwest, and southeast was where therge octagon buildings stood firmly. And at the center of the Horse realm was the great arena, which was designed like a colosseum but with a touch of futuristic architectural. Those four training facilities were where the Entrance exam was held. I got a separate exam venue from Lux and Ayano. The building where my exam was located was in the northeast while theirs was in the southwest. It''s a shame even though I wanted to see their performance. But well, it was not the time to think about that. "Next!" "Hello." "Please fill this form first." The receptionist looked too young for this job, he was probably a professor''s assistant. By the professor''s assistant, it meant that he was a top student among his peer or has the potential to be a good hero, or maybe the worst case was that he was an undergraduate with a poor economy, a pushover, trying to earn good grades and money as an assistant professor but ended up being a professor''s ve instead. ''Not that I care.'' I filled out the form and continued on my way into the building after I received the tag number, it said ''403''. Inside the building was another waiting area that was already crowded with prospective students. 10 doors led to the exam room, and above each door was a numbering screen telling the current candidate''s tag number who was taking the test inside. p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® The highest number of the ten rooms was 304. "Wow. That was 99 people before my turn." I looked around, trying to find something to waste my time. People were either talking to each other, introducing themselves, or happily ''talking'' about their powers. It was less fun, of course, if there was no such thing as a group circle. Within this crowd of candidates, a circle of various kinds had formed. There was a rich kid''s group, the geek''s group, the bossckey''s group, and even a harem group¨Cthere was one group where a bunch of girls gathered around one guy over there. I was not exaggerating when I say I''d be surrounded by the girls if I take off my geeky-looking round sses, because that was a fact. In order to take the exam peacefully without anyone bothering me, I had to do this. Hiding my face from the female predator who was thirsty for a handsome guy. "Hmm, what should I do to waste time?" Well, there was nothing fun here except socializing with other people. But, there was none particr I''d like to socialize with here. "Hmm, that kid is¡­" Never mind what I just said earlier. There was one person I''d like to talk with among the geek group. I walked over to the geek group, acting friendly and humble. "Hey, can I join here?" "Yeah, sure!" Surprisingly, they weed me with pleasure. Was it the effect of my nerd fashion? My eyes were locked on one particr green-haired boy with a bowl cut. Behind the lenses were his azure eyes staring nkly at the floor. His body may be small and looked fragile, but his mind was as sharp as Zhuge Liang''s. Bell Walker. The Immoral Alchemist In the future, he''d be a great obstacle for the demon army in taking over the earth. His meticulous and extreme mind gave humanity a chance to fight the demon as an equal. He experimented with a human using a demon''s blood and thus created a mutant that could release one of the demon''s best traits, regeneration; creating an immortal army. Although it didn''tst long as the demon countered it immediately six monthster. Even though his method was somewhat heinous, in a future where rules and society have copsed, what he was doing for the survival of mankind was arguably the most effective method to fight against the demon. But, right now, he was nothing more than an innocent brat. All he thought about at this age was how to cure his sister. Since it was only him and his sister, also was economically poor to afford medical services for his one and only sister. All he could do was make his own medicine. His goal today was not only to pass the exam but also to get a full schrship. Too bad for him, there was no professor who was interested in alchemy in this year''s exam. My goal today was to get to know this group that Bell was in, and slowly befriend him while waiting for me to get called. "My name is Zio Varrez, nice to meet you¡­" A few hourster¡­ "Candidate number 403, please enter Room C." "Oh, it''s my number¡­" I looked over the group for thest time. "It has been fun, see you all on the first day of the new semester!" I bid my farewell to them. Honestly, I didn''t expect I''d get much knowledge and information from those talking. But, that was just a bonus. In the first ce, my goal was to get to know Bell and befriend him, slowly but surely. Even if he failed to enroll in the Octagram Academy, at least I already got his contact. The Immoral Alchemist as my best friend, think about the benefit I got if I was to help him make the medicine to cure his sister. Because in the end, I had the knowledge of the future. His masterpiece¨CTearfall, the elixir he made for his sister but sadly when the elixir waspleted, his sister was already dead. I''d juste to him at his desperate moment so he would swear his loyalty to me. "Candidate number 403, Zio Varrez?" I nodded silently. Opening the door to room C, he nodded back at me. "This way," he said. Behind the door was arge squared room, at the different side of the room, sat two examiners of a different gender. The man looked like he was in his forty, muscr and bulky body with a hairstylemonly seen of a carpenter. Messy curls with a beard like a cloud, you know what Mario looks like? Yes, that guy looked simr to that game character. The other was a woman with a violin body shape, her appearance was like a goth girl, all ck clothes, as well as her make-up and hairstyle. I recognized the woman examiner was Jillian Willford. She was an A-rank hero and ranked 432nd in the hero association¨COmega ranking. She was actually a spy for the infamous viin league at this time, Dystopia. In the middle of the room was a machine I had never seen but knew the name of. Monolith Crystal. "Candidate Zio, please stand by the machine and ce your hand on the monolith." It was a machine that looked like a crystalized mana shaped like a diamond. The color was transparent at first, but when I ced my hand on the monolith, it was half filled with blue color. The examiners murmured as they saw the colors in the monolith. These colors mean I suck¡­ Chapter 16 Entrance Exam II ?Knowing what the future was like was not pleasant. Especially if that very future you knew was the destruction of the world. You''d be thinking about it every time and then, what you should do so that future would not happen. Would you be able to bear such a big burden? For I couldn''t. p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® But, I would still try my best to prevent it. If I failed to do so then so be it. But if I seed, then it''d be a new whole story. The end of the world was not this world''s destiny, it was just a mere writing of a person''s. There were no predictions about the future that was urate, even if it was a fate decided by myself as the author. As I could decide the fate of the world being destructed as an author. I, too, could change it so that such a future won''t be happening. Only time would tell how the future would unfold. As the one who held the knowledge of the future event, I could only try my best. Let''s leave this afterthought forter. Before I could think more about that, what I need to do was to get stronger. Not that it could prevent the end of the world unless I was as strong as a cheat character like the protagonist. But by doing so I could at least fulfill my desire. The monolith crystal was half-filled with blue color. The examiners whispered to each other as they saw the result and then nodded. The half-filled monolith crystal meant that my potentials were only 50%. It was a good number, but for those two examiners, which I noticed by their expressions that they had no slight interest in me. The highest possibility was probably I was categorized as an ordinary student here. Because what professors were looking for was people with a potential above 75%. And the blue color indicated the Magic stats; which meant my potential was inclined toward the Magic stats more than the other stats. Not that I mind it, but it was weird. If my potential was on Magic stats, why did it only be an F-rank? But, in their eyes, those numbers and colors were just ordinary if no lower than trash. I could understand their views since the professors were mostly A-rank or above. "Zio Varrez. The report told me that your overall stats were around E-rank, with Intelligence as the highest value, C-rank. And, it seems there is an error regarding your stats potential¡­ Anyway, we''ll send the report to the higher-up and see if they can solve the problem¡­" I nodded. "Then, we''ve adjusted the test level to the minimum. You''ll start off fighting low-level puppet monsters we created and gradually increase in difficulty until you reach your limit." pping their hands, a chisel-looking object floated and motioned around a point. From that motion, small blue particles were created which then assimted and formed a small transparent blue humanoid figure. From that figure emerged a small green monster with bulging yellow eyes, arge sharp nose nked by two fangs protruding from its mouth, and ears sharp shaped like daggers. A goblin. Amon monster appeared in the dungeon. "You can''t use a personal weapon. So, just choose any weapon from the weapon box." Jillian pped her hand again and another flying object flew toward me. It was a box this time, not just an ordinary box of course. Storage Cube. It was a man-made artifact manufactured by the Omega and distributed across the world. The storage cube had different storage capacities even though the size was the same, as big as a human''s adult palm. The cheapest had fewer capacities than the expensive one. This box definitely has arger capacity. Because, why would the most prestigious academy with top-end facilities use a Storage Cube with smaller capacities? It functioned like an inventory in RPGs, there was a screen disyed when I put a voicedmand [Cube: List]. "Two training daggers." Without wasting time I immediately picked two daggers out from the Storage Cube. "A dual-dagger? Is that your weapon of choice?" "Yes, it is." "Very well, then¡­" she said. The Storage Cube flew toward Jillian''s palm and gently rested there. "Start!" As soon as the exam started, I rushed forward quickly and shed the goblin. The first monster was down in 5 seconds. The bearded professor was shocked and in awe upon seeing my performance. I bet he didn''t expect that. Meanwhile, Jillian was still with her uninterested expression. Not that I care about their reaction, I just wanted to get ced in the higher ranking. The second puppet monster was a furry, four-legged animal. A wild wolf. Anothermon monster dungeon. All this time, my practice partner was Shannon so I''ve never had a chance to fight a non-humanoid monster. But, thanks to my experience in the sh dungeon, I had that chance, to fight against wild beast monsters such as wolves. With that experience, fighting this wolf would be easy. And so I rushed again and killed it easily. As the examiners said, the difficulty did increase as I passed each level. I fought against a lizardman at stage 3, an orc at stage 4, and this time a minotaur. Lizardmen and orcs were humanoid monsters so killing them was possible for me, though it required more effort to take them down, especially the orc. The lizardman was easier to fight because they were only strong in their territory, the swamp. The orc though, was a formidable foe. Besides being twice the size of an adult human, orcs possessed great toughness and strength Killing them was a bit tricky, especially when using E-rank quality daggers. Piercing through its skin was extremely difficult so I repeatedly used the momentum from the orc''s movements and managed to stick a dagger in its eye. Next was to bury the dagger so deep that it prated into his brain. It was a victory with a sense of aplishment, but it wasn''t over yet. My enemy this time was a minotaur. The creature stood very sturdy, its body was even bigger than an orc. His bull head snorted. From his nose came white smoke like a steam engine. "We''ll stop the test immediately if things go south. Don''t push yourself," said the examiners. "Thank you! But, I''ll be fine," I said while giving them a reassuring nod. "Perhaps¡­" This line was spoken in a whisper. I rushed at the minotaur at once and gave it a fresh slice in the leg and immediately backed up. Although, it didn''t do much damage because its skin was tough just like the orc. A hit-and-run strategy was effective against the minotaur as its movement was slow, but its strength, endurance, and sizepensated for its slower speed. As long as I kept moving I won''t get hit, but I also couldn''t damage it. The only way was to aim for its eyes just like the orc, but it would be hard as I need to climb onto its shoulder or head first because of how tall the creature was. The axe was swinging horizontally at a low angle. That had given me a chance to climb onto the creature''s shoulder. When the de touched the floor and ransacked it, I jumped and stood on it. Didn''t want to lose my chance, I ran on top of the axe toward its shoulder. Thinking I''d reached the spot to jump, I seed in sticking one of my daggers in its eye, but it was too shallow that it immediately dropped to the ground at the same time Inded. "Tch!" *** "What do you think?" said Jillian breaking up the silence of her fellow professor, Gilbert Drian. "He''s good." Jillian nodded and was still silent. Giving Gilbert a look for him to continue. "Stats potential-wise, he''s trash. But his fighting ability cannot be underestimated, he is the second best after the headmaster''s favorite girl in terms of fighting ability. I could see that he was keeping a close eye on his foe even as he was running around waiting for an opportunity to attack just like before when he was climbing up and running the minotaur''s ax into its shoulder. He didn''t hesitate either¡­" Jillian sighed as she leaned on her chair. "Why is it that always the trash who work hard." "Don''t say that. You also know that the me Fist was someone with trash potential, but look at him now. He could even fight the Thunder Emperor on equal terms." "Pfft. Equal? How could you tell that when they never fought each other?" Gilbert shrugged at her question and changed the topic back to the student''s test. "Anyway, what about you?" Jillian tilted her head. "What do you think about him?" Gilbert continued. The room was shaking as the big axe smashed the ground. Thanks to an artifact, the area around the examiner''s desk wasn''t affected by the shock. Just like earlier, Zio climbed onto the minotaur''s shoulder by running on the axe. This time he didn''t do the jump attack to the eyes but instead slide behind the minotaur''s neck and then plunged his daggers as deep as possible into the soft part of the creature''s neck. It was impossible to prate the minotaur''s skin, even the softest part using only an E-rank dagger. But¡­ "Hmm?" Jillian eyes narrowed. "Isn''t that mana coating technique?" Upon hearing that, Gilbert also noticed the blue aura that enveloped the tip of the daggers. "You''re right, that is definitely the mana-coating technique. Where did he learn that?" "That''s what I want to know¡­" Seeing Jillian''s expression showing interest in the candidate, Gilbert brought up the previous topic again. "So, any word for him?" Jillian let out a short sigh and dispersed her expression. "Well, he''s just fine." Enveloping his daggers with mana, Zio stabbed the minotaur in the neck and the daggers dug deep enough thanks to being covered in mana making the de sharper. "GRAAAAAAA" The minotaur growled loudly as its neck was being prated. The creature moved wildly to pull Zio off his back. In that chaotic situation, Zio was hanging there. Releasing momentum as his body lifted and then pulled himself down. He coated his feet with mana so that the weight was concentrated there and made him heavier so that the fall would be faster and also helped cut through the minotaur''s hard skin more easily. "Is that even possible?!" Gilbert was so shocked that he even got up from his chair. "It''s just a double mana coating, even D-rank heroes can do that." "I know. But, he''s not yet a hero and he''s still young. Tell me, at what age did you able to use and master double mana coating at the same time?!" "W-what?! Why are you asking me that out of the blue?!" said Jillian as she pouted her mouth. "B-but, well¡­ I admit that he''s better than when I was still a student¡­" She observed the battle a bit more. The intensity of the mana around Zio''s feet was increased and his fall fastened. "Could it be because his highest potential is magic? I don''t know why his Magic stat is only an F-rank when it''s the highest potential, but if that value isn''t an error, then what could he do if it reached the limit?" "B-rank limit, huh? Then, if he goes through an awakening, he could also match the Thunder Emperor in terms of magic. I also wonder who has been teaching him¡­" Jillian looked at Gilbert with raised eyebrows. "Did you have a grudge against the Thunder Emperor or something?" "Do you want to know?" Gilbert looked at Jillian with a full smirk expression. Meanwhile, Jillian rolled her eyes as she noticed Gilbert''s smirk. The room''s floor shattered instantly the moment Zio hit the ground and managed to rip the minotaur''s back from top to bottom. The creature groaned in agony as it was swinging its axe like a madman. The axe de sliced through the examiners but they were magically unharmed by the attack, it was as if they were invincible and that was just a mere illusion trick standing there. "This artifact is very useful and convenient, I wish I have one in my pocket." "Me too, Jill. Me too." By doing a chaotic and wild move, the minotaur had identally disrupted Zio''s focus as he stayed away from the axe''s range of attack with an exhausted face. As the axe de was flying toward him, a pping sound was echoing in the air and stopped the axe as well as the minotaur''s movement. Seeing the sharp de stop before his eyes¨Conly a few inches away, Zio dropped his body down to the ground. "Haaaaaaa¡­" He exhaled a long heavy breath. "That was close!" "I think it''d be best to stop the test here." Looking at the two examiners, Zio nodded gratefully. In fact, he was already exhausted, and even if the test was continued, it was still impossible for him to defeat a monster of that caliber. It was a good thing that those monsters were only puppet monsters created by the Academy, if it was a real one, he might be already dead. Walking out of the room, Zio checked the time on the disy board hanging on the top center of the room. "Huh? I''m sure I was inside for almost an half hour, but it was actually only a minute has passed?" Zio looked back over his shoulder and waited for whoever had just entered the room a minute to confirm his assumption. Just as he assumed, no matter how long someone was taking the test inside the room, it''d be a minute¨Cexactly 60 seconds when they came out of the room. ''It''s interesting but I don''t remember such detail as this¡­'' Chapter 17 Relapse ?The entrance examsts for 2 days. On the first day, the candidates would be measured for their potential and demonstration of their skills. The second day was a more rxed exam than the previous day. Candidates would be tested for their knowledge by holding arge-scale written exam simultaneously in the Eagle realm, the lecture halls. For me, this exam was a rxed test because I certainly know the ins and outs of this world. Anyway, day 1 of the exam wasing to an end as the sun was about to set. The day was getting old as the magnificent shades of orange illuminated the sky, the sun was about to go to sleep while the moon princess prepared to apany the night. The sound of birds chirping collided with the chatter of the candidates who still looked enthusiastic after taking the exams. As for me, I was enjoying my free time just leaning on a park bench in the Crow realm. There were several candidates here beside me, their faces looked happy and were enjoying theughter. Somehow I feel calm among the noise around me. When I was about to close my eyes, I felt something touch my leg. It was a ck cat, its loud purr was clearly heard over the noises. "Hey, my furry friend. Are you hungry?" I said as I pet her soft fur. She meowed. Her eyes were red, it somehow looked familiar. "Wait. You''re the cat on that day, right? One who appeared on my windowsill early in the morning?" The cat stared at me for a long before she meowed then scratched her furs. "Wait¡­ Why do I even talk to her? It''s not like she understands what I am saying." Staring at the cat for some time, I couldn''t suppress the feeling of wanting to pet her head. And so I did it. "But, if she''s a summoned creature¡­ It''s possible for her to understand me, or maybe the summoner does." p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® Using my irvoyance skill, unlike the usual, a screen didn''t pop up on the cat. I raised my eyebrow and tried again. The result was the same, this cat couldn''t be observed, either she was immune or there was a skill blocking my irvoyance. It was the first time this had happened, so I wasn''t so sure what caused this. Hearing someone''s footstepsing closer and then stopping right to my left side, I looked up just to see two familiar faces. I stared at them with genuine confusion and excitation. Confused to as why they would stop and not continue their way to wherever their destination was. And excited because I met the main characters, Lux and Ayano, which both were gorgeous. "Are you okay?" said Lux. Upon hearing him saying that, I was so confused. ''Why did he ask me that?'' I peeked to my right just to see if there was another person than me who might be the one Lux referred to, but there was no anyone sitting on this bench beside me. Looking back at Lux, I said "Thanks for asking, I guess I''m okay? But, why did you ask that?" Lux scratched his cheek while Ayano seemingly looked around as if she tried to find something. "Oh, it''s¡­ How do I say this¡­" Is he afraid that he might offend me? Hmph. As if I''d get offended by someone''s words. "Just say it, it won''t hurt to hear a concerned person''s reason," I said with a shrug. Well, not really. I might get really offended if he was to say I was ill just because he heard me talking with a cat. Not that he will be asking me that, right? "Actually, I identally heard you talking¡­" Oh. So it''s really because of me talking to a cat?! Noticing my zing re, Lux immediately calmed me down. "No, no. It''s just that, I identally heard you talking to yourself, something about a summon?" "Talking to myself?" Did he not see that I was talking to a cat? Literally a cat, with ck fur and red eyes, he didn''t see that?! "Yes¡­" he said in a low voice. "Huu¡­ You see, I was talking to a cat. A summoner''s cat, I''d guess." "A cat?" "Yes. It right over here¡­" I said while pointing at my feet. "Huh? Where is it gone?" The supposed ck cat was not there. Lux and Ayano looked at each other with slightly raised brows. "Well anyway, I''m not talking to myself, but to a cat." "I-I see¡­ Then, a summon you spoken was that cat you talking to?" "Yes. I know it''s weird to talk to a cat. But, since it''s a summoned cat, I thought that maybe the summoner could hear me." "Ah. It may also exin why the cat suddenly vanished, then?" "I guess so." We talked for a moment, it was just Lux and me, Ayano was silent all the time but asionally let out a little smile every time Luxughed. It was a short talk with the protagonist, but it was really fun. "Ah. Pardon me, I ought to introduce myself before talking to anyone. I''m Lux Virtus, from Ennd, nice to meet you!" He looked at Ayano and introduced her also, "And this is Ayano Fuyuki, she''s from Japan." She slightly bent her body, making a polite bow. "Nice to meet you." "My name is Zio Varrez. Well, I was from Indonesia, and now I live on this ind with my cousin. Nice to meet you." Influenced by her, I unconsciously copied her movement while I introduced myself. The talk ended after the introduction. What a great way to end a conversation, eh? While I sat back and chatted with the main characters in the park, I never thought time would go by so fast. When I saw the sky that was now getting dark, a cold wind blew against my skin. It was already evening, and that was the sign that I had to go to the dormitory provided for the candidates to stay for one night. The dormitories were located in the Dove realm. Arriving there, the multi-story dormitory buildings lined up along the straight road filled this district. Even if the streetlights weren''t bright now, this street would still be lit by lightsing from the dorm room windows, well at least until they all fell into a deep sleep after the test earlier. I''d have been lost searching for which building was containing my room if they didn''t put a sign in front of the building door. Flipping the tag I got when I registered, apart from the participant number, there was a letter indicating the dormitory building I would be staying in. There was a letter D engraved on it, logically speaking, that meant it was the fourth building. Sure enough, the fourth building had a sign with the letter D emzoned on its door. "Wait a minute... If I''m not mistaken. This dormitory building is where Lux and the main characters live during the entrance exam. Then¡­" They definitely stayed here during the night of the exam. As for the room number, I''d forgotten about that. But, if my memory served me right, the five of them would be next to each other. Lux Virtus with Leonardo Miguel, Ayano Fuyuki with Lumi Alicia, and Seo Yeong-ha with Grace. That was all of the main characters'' names except Grace, she was not a main character. I''d said she''s a supporting character, with as much screen time as the main characters. "Mine is number 403¡­ It''s on the sixth floor¡­ Fvck!" There were 8 dormitories, with each having 500 rooms. The buildings were all six stories high. The entire first floor was a lobby and student zone. From the second floor to the sixth floor was where the rooms were located. The second floor consisted of rooms from number 001 to 100, the third floor consisted of rooms from number 101 to 200, the fourth was 201 to 300, the fifth was 301 to 400, and the sixth floor was number 401 to 500. Riding an elevator to the sixth floor was such a short trip that even though I didn''t do anything, the elevator doors to the sixth floor opened suddenly. Finding my room right after walking out from the elevator was also a quick trip, it was only a few steps away from the elevator door. The sign screen hanging above the door was showing the number 403, so I immediately opened the door without hesitation after confirming it. "Excuse me¡­" There was no one in this room. "Oh? will I sleep alone tonight?" Not something I wouldin about. So¡­ "Bed, here Ie." I jumped on the bed andy down. It was so soft andfy that my energy suddenly drained. "Oof¡­" I stood up to look at the other bed. "It''s an unused bed. I bet it''d feel the same!" So I jumped on another bed and my body immediately got sucked in by the bed''s soft foam. Ah, it was such a good time¡­ I just want to lie down here forever. Before long, my consciousness left my body as I drifted off to sleep. Everything became dark¡­ Yes, of course, it''d be dark because I closed my eyes and fell asleep. But, that''s not the case... Chapter 18 Friend ?The night was long for me. For some reason, I couldn''t sleep in peace. I''d asionally woke up every hour in the middle of the night. This was the fifth time I had woken up because of the same dream that keep repeating. Looking at the clock screen, the time showed 1:30 AM. "Huu¡­ I can''t sleep." The bed was indeed soft but why couldn''t I sleep peacefully? Looking ahead, the bed across me was empty. It looked like I was right, I was the only one upying this room. I stood up, wondering what I could do to relieve my mind so I could sleep. Then I caught a shadow passing by the window. My room was on the other side, facing away from the street. So the scenery outside wasn''t the street filled withmplight but trees. The trees were firmly nted in the ground, but their leaves danced in the night breeze. Opening the window, the night breeze hit my skin, my face. I felt refreshed, but that didn''t wash away the lumpy feeling in my mind. "Haa¡­" I sat by the window, letting my leg hang while the other was against the window, supporting my hand that was lying softly there. The moonlight shone as if I were the main character in a stage y. My mind was traveling somewhere while my body was drying under the moonlight. It felt good¡­ Too bad I only just enjoying this now¡­ I leaned back as I thought about what to do now that I opened the window. "Should I practice?" Looking down, I just realized that I was on the 6th floor. The distance between the ground and my feet was more or less 30 meters. At first, I wanted to jump to practice in the shady trees down there, but I immediately discouraged myself. "Maybe next time. I don''t want to risk injuring my legs just to practice¡­" As I was about to return to my bed, I remembered something. "Wait! This is the sixth floor, right¡­?" I looked outside again and searched its surrounding, the trees, the night sky, and the grass on the ground. But, nothing in particr caught my attention. "Then¡­ What was that shadow?" Strange thoughts filled my head. Soon I immediately closed the window and curtains and then forced myself to sleep. Eventually, I fell into a deep slumber but the repeated dream still haunted me. ¡­ "Huaaamm¡­" The next morning, I found myself awoken on the floor. No wonder I managed to wake up early in the morning, I was not in afy bed but on the cold floor. It was still early but I couldn''t be more patient, so I head out for a tour. They said that the written exam would start at nine in the morning, so I''d got time for like three or four hours. "Now¡­ What should I do first?" Of course, first thing first was to wash my face and brush my teeth. It would be embarrassing if people see me with an untidy appearance like this. After that, I walked out of my room. As soon as the door opened, Lux was passing by in front of me and eventually stopped as he saw my face with recognition. "Ah. Zio Varrez, right?" Grace was by her side this time. Her long dark hair was tied into a ponytail, and her violet and cat-like eyes were observing me cautiously, a momentter he dropped her gaze and looked at Lux with a face full of questions. "Someone you know, Lux?" Grace asked as her finger pressed Lux''s shoulder. "Yes. We had just met yesterday evening when he was talking to¨C" "Lux Virtus! I didn''t think you would remember my name! I thought our rtionship was just acquaintances, but it seems like we could be friends." Hearing me mention ''friend'', his face was slightly shocked a bit. In fact, in the early chapter, before he enrolls in the academy, he was a lone wolf. Not because no one wanted to befriend him but instead because he was in seclusion. He was being exclusively and intensively trained by the girl beside him, Grace. Truthfully, I honestly had no idea how he managed to make friends with the others quickly despite being out of touch with other humans except Grace. Usually, when someone undergoes seclusion from a very young age until youth age, they''d be an introvert or anti-social person, no? Well, as the author who wrote his character, I could just say that it was because of his naivety and the main protagonist''s aura, you know what I meant, right? "Friend¡­" Lux''s mouth moved as he muttered the word ''friend'', it was obvious from his slowly widening smile that he wanted it, a friend, that is. He looked at Grace with puppy eyes. "Ugh! Don''t look at me like that¡­ It''s up to you who you want to be friends with, as long as you remember one thing I said." Lux nodded enthusiastically. "Of course!" I looked at them with a knowing look. Did they think I didn''t know their rtionship as master and disciple? Moreover, did she think I didn''t know that she was actually one of the eight heroes? Well, it''d be best to keep my mouth shut. She won''t like it if some strangers found out her real identity. Looking at me, Lux grabbed my hand and shook it excitedly. "Deal! From now on, we''re friends! And not just an ordinary friend, but you''re my first friend!" Deal? What the hell? I thought we were making friends, not a trade. "First? How about her? You two seem close, I thought that she is your friend¡­" My smirk widened as I continue. "Oh. Perhaps she''s your¡ª" "No!" To my surprise, Grace snapped in a high voice. I looked dumbfounded when she shouted like that, but she immediately go to her calm mode again. ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom Lux was also surprised as he kept looking in Grace''s direction. "What?" Grace said in an irritated tone. "N-nothing¡­" Lux looked back at me, clearing his throat before start talking again. "Anyway, she''s uhh¡­ My rtive, yes¡­" "Oh, okay. By the way, where are you going?" "Uhh. We are just going to look around the academy." "A tour?" Grace nodded slightly when Lux looked at her. "Yes." Oh, what a coincidence! But, I thought it''d be best for me to go alone than with them. Just look at Grace, she looked like she was trying to bore a hole in my body with that sharp stare. I knew why she was like that because actually, their reason wasn''t to just look around the academy but to meet with the headmaster. "Then, don''t let me disturb your time, have fun. I hope we pass the entrance exam and be ced in the same ss." Lux nodded with a smile. "See youter, Zio Varrez!" "Yeah¡­" Watching them as they go and disappeared into an elevator, I then walked down the stair to the first floor so there would be a time gap between us so I won''t cross paths with themter. The first floor was a lobby, a student''s zone. The public space for everyone stayed in the dorm. When I arrived there, the lobby was filled with diligent people, the tables were almost full of ambitious candidates. This lively atmosphere was apanied by the sound of jazz music. In their hands was either a book, a tablet phone, or even the most advanced device categorized as a man-made artifact that was selling very well in the market, a smartwatch called ''Nova Watch'' that was connected to the system directly. Actually, Nova Watch was one of the dozens of smartwatch brands or models. It was just that Nova Watch was the most popr model of smartwatch so I was assuming it was that model they used. Although they were a diligent bunch of kids, it didn''t mean that their studies went well. There were those who were really serious about studying, there were those who were confused but determined, and there were also those who were excited at first and then immediately gave up after a few seconds. There was a reason behind it all. They didn''t know what the written exam would be like. Would it be about history? about heroes? about Enhanced? about monsters? Or even general knowledge. Suck to be them for being clueless. Hah¡­ In this time like this that I felt superior to the main characters, even Lux. Because I knew what they did not. Enough sightseeing in the lobby which air was now full of invisible steam. Leaving the building, I head out to wherever my feet led me. "I''ll be the tour guide for myself¡­" ¡­ Time flies when you are having fun. That line applied to my current situation. I didn''t think walking around the academy would be this fun. One of the reasons was because of the architecture of the academy building itself was very diverse. When I entered another realm (area), the scenery immediately changed as if I had indeed changed realms. My final destination was the Eagle realm, where the written exam would be held shortly. It was eight and a half in the morning when I arrived at the Eagle realm. It had four main buildings, the lecture halls. Each building was for each school year; first-year students, second-year students, third-year students, and fourth-year students. The building had arge capacity so that it could amodate more than 2000 students in one building with dozens of spacious ssrooms which could also amodate approximately 100 students per ss. There were still 30 minutes before the exam starts but I was already sitting in the ssroom assigned to me. I used these precious 30 minutes as best as I could to remember what would appear in this written exam. There were already several people sitting in the ssroom apart from me, they were reading physical and digital books. I was the only one who sat with nothing and looked like someone who was daydreaming. 30 minutes passed and the time hase to fill out the answer sheet. To my surprise, the answer sheet wasn''t the one I expected it to be. I thought it was going to be a normal paper sheet, turned out it was a fvcking digital tablet! I sometimes forgot that it was the year 2030, and plus, this world had advanced further than Earth expected in 2030 due to the use of otherworldly materials from dungeons and field monsters. Oh well, I needed to make a mental note not to be surprised again if I saw anything out of ordinary in the future. Smiling, I started filling out the answer¡­ Chapter 19 Grace Callaghan ?Two hours before the exam¡­ Standing by the window, watching how crowded the academy was with prospective students was a woman with red me hair smiling. The distance between where she watched and where the crowd was so far but she could still see it as me emerged right in front of her fire color eyes, enhancing her vision. "It''s always fun watching my would-be-students flocking to the academy." The me enhancing her vision dispersed as she closed her eyes and turned around. "That said, why would you two be here instead of studying for the exam?" Sitting across from her were two figures each having a striking appearance. One was a boy with snow-like hair and golden eyes. And the other was a girl with dark green hair tied in a ponytail and sharp violet eyes. Lux Virtus and Grace Caghan. Answering the red-haired woman was Grace. She stood up from her chair and walked closer to the woman who stood still as she watched the little girl being known and friendly with her. "Nuria. Stop this bullshit¡­" "Oh my, looks like I have a very rude student here." The red-haired woman, Nuria said. There was a teasing tone in her voice. "I know you''d recognized me." "Hmm? What do you mean?" Her expression was getting uncontroble, there was a yful smile on her face as time passed. Seeing that, Grace shook her head in disbelief at Nuria''s childish behavior. ''She is always like that¡­'' Grace said inwardly. That was not a hatement, but something akin to apliment for her old friend. A smirk also stered on Grace''s face as she decided to y along with this nostalgic foolish conversation. "Well¡­ I wonder what did I mean?" Grace said while pouting. She acted cute and all as if she was really a brat. But, what she did wasn''t just for nothing, it was actually to try to get Nuria irritated by her act. Lux who saw his master acting cute like that had raised his eyebrows in confusion. All this time being together with her for almost 10 years, it was the first time he had seen her master like that. Normally, she would always be strict and her guard would always be up wherever and whenever. But now, for the first time, Lux had seen her master lowered her guardpletely around that woman who was supposed to be the Octagram''s academy headmaster as well as the most popr of one of the eight heroes. Nuria Crimson. "Oh. Looks like someone needs to be disciplined. Hmm?" Looking around the room, several tables and walls had portraits and paintings as well as figures of Garuda. Garuda was another one of the 8 heroes. If Nuria was the most popr hero, Garuda was the most respected hero until now. He was reported as MIA (Missing In Action) at the war in thend of Africa a few decades ago. p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® Everyone still hoped that Garuda was still alive wherever he was. However, the two girls who were his teammates back then, who had even fallen in love knew that the person would nevere back. "It seems someone needs to know how to forget a person after they married," she said, but there was bitterness left on her face as she said that. As she heard that, Nuria''s stare became cold. Her cold and sharp stares were directed at the girl in front of her, there was a significant difference between their height so it looked like Nuria was doing a dominating stare. But, Grace stood firmly and stared Nuria back. "What do you even mean by that, little girl?" There was no more teasing tone in her voice but cold and demanding. "You know full well what I meant, big girl." Challenging Nuria, her whispering voice sounded like a snake''s hiss. The atmosphere of the room suddenly became heavy and intense. Sparks flickered around Nuria''s hand like a match, while a swirl of wind slowly formed under Grace''s feet. "Umm¡­" Noticing there was another person beside them, that was Lux, both of them immediately ceased. "Huu¡­ Sorry for getting annoyed over such a small thing, grass¡­" "No, it''s me who is sorry for bringing up a sensitive topic¡­ wait, did you just call me grass?" "Hmm? Maybe you heard it wrong, I literally called you Grace." Said Nuria, her head tilted as she y innocent. Grace''s sharp stare was interrupted by the very person to who she directed her stare. Gesturing her hand to a chair, Nuria invited her guest to sit down first. "Take a seat first, would you?" When the two of them sat in their respective chairs, separated only by the desk where Nuria was working on her paper. The pile of papers on the table was burnt without leaving ashes by Nuria''s fire. The papers were actually not charred but just moved to another ce. You could say what Nuria did was a teleportation ability using her versatile fire. A different reaction wasing from the two youths. Lux was surprised and confused as to why would she burnt those papers, this was the reactioning from someone who didn''t know Nuria''s abilities. In contrast to him was Grace who kept her unchanged expression when the papers were burned because she knew what did Nuria just do. "So, what''s your business toe here?" "Nothing. I just came to see if you recognized me in this form. And you did." Nuria raised her eyebrows and slightly gasped. "Oh yeah¡­ What happened to your body? You look even younger and smaller than when we fought at the first catastrophe." "Something happened when I was exploring the ancient ruin in Greece¡­" "Did you got cursed?" "Something like that. I failed to solve the puzzle and this is what happened to me after 20 years." "20 years? So it was in 2010? Do you happen to know what is the name of the curse?" As Nuria''s curiousness built up and started writing on a paper. On the other side, Grace was shaking her head with a little grief was expressed. "No. But this curse made my age growth reversed." "Reversed?" Scribbles began to fill the paper that was originally nk. "Huu¡­ Try using a status appraisal artifact to me¡­" The confusion was shown on Nuria''s face but then she only nodded and used the ring with a tiny Storage Cube instead of jewelry. Immediately, a magnifying ss materialized as a blue light at first and then became a solid object. While using the artifact, if one looked carefully, they could see a glow emanating from the magnifying ss indicating it was being used. There were some artifacts that required mana¡ªmostly artifacts that had an active skill option, and that artifact was one of them. When the artifact emitted light, it meant that the artifact was being used and using mana. This type of artifact was rare even almost non-existed among man-made artifacts, such as storage cubes and smartwatches, which didn''t require mana to use. So, mana consuming artifact was often found in dungeons or ruins. For example, the Avatar Mask was in that category. Although there were also artifacts found in dungeons and ruins which was not in the category of mana-consuming artifact or even a hybrid of the two category¨Ccould be used using mana or without mana. Zio''s sword, Retro, was in this category. Once used, Nuria could see Grace''s information screen. === [Profile] Name: Grace Caghan Age: 17 Gender: Female [Stats] Strength: D+ Agility: D Intelligence: D Stamina: E+ Magic: C Charisma: D Luck: D- [Blessings] > [Swordmaster] [Talents] > [Swordmanship lv.5] [Traits] > [Flow lv.3] > [Enhanced Mind lv.2] [Curses] > [Time Reversal] === "What?!!!" How shocked Nuria was when she saw her old friend''s status information. She couldn''t imagine how much Grace must have suffered, who had lost almost all of the skills that she had trained for years. Even her age which was supposed to be 56 this year was changed to 17, how was it possible that there existed such an extreme curse as this? "Is this¡­ for real?" Grace could only lower her head, as well as Lux who looked away when Nuria looked at Grace with a really worried face. "It is real. By the way¡­" To her surprise, Grace looked unfazed and didn''t care about her situation, and it turned out that when she looked down, she was looking at paperwork that dropped there. "Who is this?" Grace said as she picked up the paper. "Huh?" A portrait pasted on it was of a silver-haired girl, with eyes that resembled the color of ice. Looking at it, Nuria''s eyes shone with recognition. "Ah. It''s one of the best students of thest year''s second-year student. She grew at a rapid pace! I intended to teach her personally but there was something off about her." "Heh¡­ It''s rare to find someone with S rank potential such as hers." "Right!" Realizing that the topic had been strayed, Nuria shook her head and stared at Grace seriously. "Don''t try to change the subject, Grace! Tell me why the skills you have trained for so many years disappeared like this, even your age too. Don''t you feel sad?" "What can I do? It''s my fate." "But¡­" Nuria paused just to exhale a breath stuck in her throat. "Your stats were supposed to be already at S-rank. Your swordsmanship too should be at level 10. Even you lost all of your skills." "I can still fight off a B-rank monster and A-rank viins with what I have now." "Still, if we don''t take care of this matter soon, in a few years you will lose everything." Grace snorted and ced her feet on the table. "Lose everything? As if I will let that happen." Nuria got a bit excited as she heard Grace say that. "Then¡­!" With her hand, Grace gestured to her right side where Lux was sitting quietly from the start. He flinched a bit when everyone''s attention was suddenly directed toward him. Looking back and forth between Lux and Grace, Nuria narrowed her eyes as childish thoughts surged up in her head. "Your boyfriend?" "Yes¡ª I meant NO, NO! He''s my disciple!! How can you even think that?!" "Heh¡­" Nuria used the artifact to Lux. "Oh?" *** Having a conversation with an old friend who I didn''t see for decades was indeed a pleasant feeling except that when you met them, they were bringing a piece of bad news along with them. Just like how my old friend, Grace was. It had been almost 20 years since we didn''t see each other. Today, we were reunited in the very academy we''d built together. But, it felt sad when I saw her unfortunate state. She lost almost all the skills she had been trained for years just because of a nonsense curse that reversed her personal ''time''. As she and her disciple bid me goodbye. I could just stare nkly at the door where they had left, it needed me a solid ten minutes to reim my mind. "Poor Grace¡­" She was the youngest member of the eight heroes and was the most unfortunate member among us. But, this time, her bad luck was beyond everyone''s expectations. "I can''t lose you too, Grace¡­ I''ve lost all of my oldrades... now only the two of us are left¡­" I could not. I swear it. I won''t let you leave me alone in this world, Grace. "I will try everything to save her¡­" A shadow emerged behind her, the figure resembled a human. The shadow wasplete and in dark. No face, featureless, the only thing that could be recognized from the shadow was that it just resembled a human stature. "Find out about the curse and the ruins¡­" She paused for a moment. A me sparked in her palm. "... as soon as possible!" Chapter 20 Attached ?The ssroom was quiet, no single sound couldn''t escape everyone''s mouth as they were focusing on the exam. The examiner this time was only one person. It should be a good chance to cheat, but why won''t anyone do that? It was because the examiner wasn''t an ordinary person. He was a skilled wizard from the Circle. Any suspicious move would be immediately detected by him because this ss was under his AoE spell, surveince spell. I looked at one of the questions in the exam. [Who are the wizards and what is the difference between Enhanced and Wizard?] These types of general knowledge questions were what made my life easier. Wizard was a term for a superhuman who was gifted with magic. While there were some Enhanceds that excel in magic, they were not as good as wizards. The way they use and maintain mana was also different. Enhanced just know that they have mana inside their body to use a skill, their control of mana wascking. It was different with the wizard who asionally circted the mana inside their body so their control over mana was superior to the Enhanced. [Magician Enhanced is the term for an Enhanced who excels in magic, they can use the wizard''s spell too as their skill. What makes them different from a wizard?] The Magician Enhanced was just a normal Enhanced with magic-rted skills. They used an intermediary, the skill system as the basis for releasing magic spells. Meanwhile, the wizard was purely magic based. They had blood and body suited for magic, they didn''t rely on the system and their potentials were boundless, unlike Enhanced. The wizard learned spells by studying them. While Enhanced just needed to use a scroll containing a magic spell and boom, they had it as a skill. Although, those scrolls itself was created by the Wizard Circle. I filled out the other question about the Enhanced and Wizard and continued to the next exam topic. It was about history now. This topic made me a bit nervous because I didn''t do background details in my novel so I had to learn world history from books and the inte. [When did the first catastrophe ur?] This one was easy. The first catastrophe urred at the year 1988. The first catastrophe was an event when cracks appeared in the sky. Following that, a gigantic dimensional rift, or what they called at that time Abyss Gate, emerged from the cracks. Coming out from the gate were monsters, ranging from small monsters like goblins to gigantic monsters like dragons. In the first 5 years since the appearance of monsters on earth, humanity suffered defeat and lost 40% of its poption. In 1993, the first superman appeared among humans, his name was Garuda. Following that, tens or even hundreds of other superhumans were born. [How did humanity win the war against the monster in the first catastrophe?] ording to the actual history book I read. It was because of the eight heroes'' influence. Garuda as their leader was standing at the pinnacle of humanity. He was the strongest among the heroes at that time so they made him leader. Under his leadership and the other eight strongest heroes which nowadays was called The Octagram, they seeded defeated the monsters on Earth. There was some remarkable monster that fled and was unseen until today. I yawned due to how boring the exam was. It was actually about all the things I remembered. Flexing my finger, I filled out the other question at a quick pace. I was a bit disappointed there was no question about dungeons and viin organizations, even though I was ready to give them a spoiler, or should I call it divination? In the end, I was the first person who finished the exam. Taking notice, the examiner looked in my direction and said "Candidate 403, have you finished your work?" When he said that, everyone''s attention was on me. It was to be expected because I was the fastest, not even 30 minutes had passed while the exam time limit was 90 minutes. So, there were more or less 70 minutes left before the written exam was supposed to end. There was a problem with the questions too. Other than historical and Enhanced-wizard questions were a topic that they probably never heard of or things that were hard to understand such as the system theory and other theory-rted questions, magic molecules, and questions asking for opinions¡ªthis particr question actually a just-tell-them-what-we-think but people were not sure about their opinions. They were afraid that their opinions were the wrong answer and one that didn''t satisfy the academy. What a BS, just do it! That was what I''d say but, let them be. "Yes, sir." "We still have plenty of time left. In the meantime, you can double-check your answers. Or do you want to submit it now?" I didn''t see any reason to double-check my answers, I was quite sure I''d at leaste out with B or even a perfect score. "I''d like to finish it now, sir." "Very well." Moving his finger, there was a blue light emitting from his forefinger and my tablet device. The device floated as it flew slowly until itnded gently on his palm. After checking it for a while, he looked back at me. "I already checked it. All the questions have been answered. You can leave the ssroom if you''d like." Standing up from my seat, I nodded slightly as I bid my thanks and then leave the room while everyone was looking at me left the ss. Therge corridor was empty, there was no one except me. And the most important thing was where the hell was the exit door? Standing still for a moment, I tried to remember the earlier morning when I came here. "From the entrance to the building, walk straight until I find the great staircase and take the right stairs, after that¡­ where?" Eventually, I started walking around the building, trying to find the exit door. I just need to find a stair lead to the lower floor, it won''t be that hard, right? Yes. It was not that hard. It only took me like 15 minutes to finally find the stair. I was proud of myself for not getting lost like a fool! Walking down the stair, I found myself in the great hall. The exit door was just at the end of this hall, across from where I stood. Honestly, I wanted to tour this building before I left. But, as much as I wanted it, it would take a lot of time. There was a thing about getting lost too, not that I''d get lost. Anyway, it was just that this wasn''t the time to tour, I''d just do itter when I get enrolled here. Stopping me at the entrance was one of those academy''s professors or securities, probably? "Candidate 403. Why are you outside? Aren''t you taking the exam?" He said, his eyes scrutinizing me. "Actually, sir. I''ve finished mine." "Really? It has been only 30 minutes since the exam started, though. Which ss did you partake in the exam from?" "I''m not sure¡­ But, the examiner is a blonde wizard, has a small build, and is using round sses¡­" "Alex?" He said, more like talking to himself rather than asking me. "Wait a second." I nodded as he walked away from me. The security guy was talking with someone on themunication device, a Nova Smartwatch that was. His face constantly changed. Confused, shocked, and disbelieving. His expression alternately changed between that. Turning off the smartwatch, he looked at me from far away for a moment before he walked toward me. "Kuhum. Sorry for doubting you." "It''s fine, sir." Straightening his body straight, he ced his arms crossed behind his back. With a serious expression and a slight smile, he said "I''ve confirmed it with your examiner. It seems you''re not lying." He took a few steps back and stepped aside, his hand holding therge open door. "This way, if you''d like." "Oh? Thank you, sir." As I stepped outside the building and passed by him. He told me that the result of the exam would be distributed after one week to the candidate''s address. There would be a letter received by the candidates informing them whether they were epted or not. I thanked him as I keep walking and found myself a few meters away in front of the building. It was really an amazing campus building. "Haa¡­ If only I have a cake to celebrate." Once I reach the south entrance gate, which was the entrance where I came from on the first day, I saw a familiar figure running across the bridge toward me. My cousin, Shannon Oliver. Her long silver hair moved like waves as she ran. The casual outfit she was wearing today looked a bit different than usual, what should I say, it was a bit more shy, I guess. "What is that?" I murmured. Standing in front of me was now a smiling girl fixing her silver hair. After that running, she didn''t even look tired and she wasn''t even out of breath. As expected of a 7h-ranked third-year student. Looking behind me with narrowed eyes, she probably wondered where was the other candidate. "You didn''t cause trouble, did you?" "Why did you even ask that?" "Then, where are the others?" Looking over my shoulder for a while, I smiled smugly when I faced her again. "I don''t know. They are still taking the exam. Fortunately, your dearest cousin is a smart-ass genius, so he is surely the first to finish his exam." Shannon rolled her eyes at me. "Anyway, why are you here? And what is with that clothes? Are you going somewhere?" Her smile widened as if she was expecting me to ask her that. "Are you hungry?" "Sorry?" ¡­ We ended up at a cafe, an ice cream cafe. A spoonful of vani ice cream entered her mouth. Remnants of white cream sttered around her lips. "Umm. Yummy," she said, licking the remaining ice cream around her lips. In my hand, there was a cup of untouched chocte ice cream. I only ate it after seeing Shannon''s reaction, as my fuel. As I filled my mouth with a spoonful of chocte ice cream, I thought about Shannon. I tried to ignore her identity until now. But, it seemed like she had caught my interest, in a curious way. She was apletely unknown character, an alien entity to me. I had no memories of her. In other words, I never wrote about her in the novel. p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® She was just an extra character just like me, Zio Varrez. But, I couldn''t help but to feel there was something more behind her character. Maybe, she was actually a named character whose backstory I''d never created yet. In the past week when I trained with her too, I used my free time to research her. But the information I got on the inte was limited to her being an Octagram student who had started being active as part of the Enhanced world two years ago when she was first epted into the academy. More than that, there was no information about her before she became an Octagram student. The site ''Ascension'' that I frequently visited for data-gathering had no further information about her. "What are you thinking?" Taking notice of my mind''s absence, she tapped the table a few times. Shaking my head, I put another spoonful of ice cream into my mouth. "Nothing. Just thinking about life." She chuckled as I said that. "Pfft¡­ What is that? It''s not something young people like us should be saying. Our future is still long." I didn''t know what happened to her while I was not around. But, I genuinely felt happy seeing her like this. "You''re right, the future is still long¡­" She was right. Six years was a long enough time to fulfill life with happy memories. Because after that, I doubted there would be happiness left in this world when the third catastrophe befell the Earth. The heroes and the researchers said not to worry about future catastrophes but then decided to take it easy as it had been decades since thest catastrophe happened and there was no sign of another catastrophe. But, as the one who held the knowledge of the future. The third catastrophe was on another level, Earth wouldn''t be the same as before if it was to happen and left untended. But, just as Shannon said. Our future is still long. Because of that, I''d try my best to prevent the worst from happening. One cannot stop what is set to happen, but one can still change things rted to it so the result would be altered. If I couldn''t stop the catastrophe, then I''d just make people aware of it. At least by doing that, some factions would be ready at the time the catastrophee. That was when Ian Crow''s existence be essential. But, as he was in an unfortunate state, I needed to fix him first. Finishing my ice cream quickly I asked Shannon "By the way. Do you know anyone who has good healing skills and can keep secrets?" Chapter 21 Doctor Specter ?Today was Sunday. My life in the countryside had been peaceful. No Enhanced, no heroes, no viin, no crime. It was always my dream to live a peaceful life like this after I retired as a doctor from a big city. Sunday was the perfect day for fishing! Fishing was the activity I always do on Sunday. But, when I just woke up this morning. Bad news has been delivered to me via a call. Calling me was my boss who said they''d let me take a vacation for three years. But, it had only been a year since I lived like this. They said that needed me for a mission. They said that the mission would be as easy as taking a walk in the park. So I epted the mission for free money! As soon as I arrived at the meeting ce, what I found was a guy whose body was broken to pieces. That was insane! How did he even still alive with this body?! "So? Can you fix it?" That was what my client said even when his body was in a broken state like that. I would like to say no. Not because I wasn''t capable but rather because I didn''t want to. The reason I wanted to take a vacation was that I didn''t want to mingle in this field area again. It was always painful when I used my healing power. But, it was the Boss'' request, which I couldn''t refuse. My debt to them was unpayable, and my loyalty to them was beyond heaven. They were my savior, even though I never saw their face. So, just this once, I would return to the Enhanced work of field just to heal this poor fellow. Both as a doctor as well as to return a favor. "Yes. Of course." *** I was sitting on the chair in the hotel room I reserved for today''s meeting with someone, a healer Shannon introduced me to. She said that he came from a rural area in a country in Asia. Shannon covered the travel and service expenses of the healer, but she asked me to reimburse themter if I have some money. At first, I was wondering who the doctor was, I thought it would be someone known or something. But, it turned out just a healer from a rural area. Oh, not that I care, as long as they could keep a secret to themselves. Nowadays, well-known healers in the cities really have a loose mouth, a priority target to tape their mouths shut. Knock¨C! Knock¨C! Speak of the devil¡­ Before I answered the knocking sound on the door, I used the Avatar Mask to transform into Ian Crow. Transforming, the pain that was like being crushed by the Buddha''s palm rushed through my body as I turned into Ian Crow. Almost losing consciousness, I bit my tongue until it bled. When the pain stopped and now was nothing but a sting feeling, my body wobbled and became paralyzed on the chair. The sound of knocking on the door came again¡­ "Ce i¨Ckugk!!" Forcing myself to speak was honestly a bad idea, but there was nothing I could do to call the person outside as I was paralyzed. Opening the door was a man in his mid-twenties with an overall small build. Nothing special could be noticed in his appearance except for that bigass round sses and his eye color. ck hair with yellow eyes resembled a snake. Honestly, was he really the man Shannon told me about? He looked much alike an assassin or a shadow guy rather than a healer with those predatory eyes. [Name: Goose (Male Sign) Age: 23 Race: Human] What the Goose?! ''Goose?! Is that really his name?! A Goose?!'' If only my body was fine, I''d haveughed out loud like a maniac. ¡­I guess I should thank my current situation though¡­ I didn''t want his first impression of me as a rude guy. The guy whose name was Goose looked at me with observing eyes. His eyebrow was raised after a few seconds examined me. "Uhh. Ian Crow?" "Yes¡­" He nodded and closed the door behind me. cing his luggage beside the door, he walked toward me and start checking on me. "Let''s start right away," he said as he examined me. His yellow eyes were bright, but it was now brighter that he was using his skill, probably. There was a little groan sounding out from his mouth, and his expression darkened. Stepping back, he massaged his forehead with a pained expression. ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom "Holy. How did you even still alive in this state?" he asked. I smiled nervously. That was what I would like to know too. "So. Can you fix it?" He seemed to be in deep thought after that. Fortunately, he didn''t lose in his thought for too long, or else I''d rather kill myself or transform back to my original form. This pain was killing me. "Yes. Of course!" Opening the case, there was one big ck square box inside. Inside the box were medical tools arranged as neatly as possible. There were 3 levels of shelves that disyed a variety of equipment and medical needs. The bottom shelf had medicines and pills. On the middle shelf, there was light and small equipment such as syringes, and so on. On the top shelf, 5 Storage Cubes were lined up. I thought there was various heavy medical equipment stored in those Storage Cubes. Taking the medicines and pills on the bottom shelf, Goose returned to me. "It''d be better to heal you in a traditional way rather than immediately using a healing skill." "Why?" Expecting me to say that, he smiled and then exined the reason. "For maximum efficiency." I raised my eyebrow, my face looked like a fool trying to understand calculus equations. "It''s a wonder you''re still alive even with your bones broken to pieces like this and injured your organs. But, here you are, still breathing and talking while your lungs was damaged. Also, it seems it has been a while since you broke yourself, a week, maybe? You are supposed to die after one to three days. Are you sure you''re human?" Shaking his head with a sigh, he continued. "Using a healing skill, even those in higher rank, wouldn''t solve your body condition. It required more than magic molecules topletely fix your organs and bone fractures to their original condition. Lower or higher-rank healing skills can heal you, temporarily, not including the trauma afflicted. It required more than instant healing skill to fix it¡­" He continued on bbering things I didn''t understand. As time goes by, I felt tortured because it was hard to even breathe and maintain my consciousness. If this continued, I might as well be a corpse soon. Please, just heal me¡­goddamn! "Oh. It looks like you''re about to die. Sorry for the long exnation, I got too excited even though I should not have." My vision was already dark, I couldn''t see anything, and I felt like I was being strangled to death. Eventually, something entered my mouth, a pill maybe. "Sleep well." My consciousness immediately disappeared as soon as the pill entered and was swallowed, it fell down the throat and into the stomach. The thing was, when my consciousness was back, the pain and stinging feeling afterward were no longer there. I woke up on the bed. By looking at my surroundings, it was still the same room as when I''d lost consciousness. "You''re awake." Sitting on the chair where I was sitting before I lost consciousness was Goose, he sipped a cup of tea that he probably brew himself. Rather than anything, this situation actually looked like a kidnapping scene. I who had just regained consciousness suddenly found myself in an unfamiliar room, then there was someone sitting sipping his tea. But, of course, it was not that kind of story. "Yeah¡­" I tried moving my body, expecting there would be some pain left if I moved it but there was not. "How is it? Is it better?" Goose said, sipping his tea. I couldn''t say that it was better, because it had only been a short time since I used this body which was immediately destroyed by that fvker Minion. But, yeah, it was better than having a broken body. "This is perfect." Finished his tea in one gulp, then he pped his hands together. "Great!" Standing up from the chair, he packed his stuff back into the ck box and luggage. Looking at me with a transparent smile, he ced his hat on his chest. Bidding me goodbye in an old-fashioned way. "Then, see youte¨C" Before he could finish his line, I cut him off. "Wait!" He flinched as his face lifted up, a bitter expression stered on his face. Smirking, I stood up and ced a pack of money on the table. Where did I get this money you said? Don''t worry, it was not Shannon''s money this time. This is the money I got for my contribution in thest dungeon, Jin sent it to me, Zio Varrez''s ount. Following my hand motion, his eyes stuck on the money on the table. ''Like hell I will let you go that easily.'' Shaking his head after being hypnotized by the money, he stared at me anxiously. "Sir, I have already received my money¡­" "I know." "Then¡­" His head drenched in his own sweat, he slowly shifted his gaze from me to the pack of money on the table. "Work for me!" "Sorry?" I''d remembered. Goose¡­he was not an extra character. A guy with a in-looking ce, yellow eyes that resembled a snake, bigass round sses, and someone who had extraordinary EX-rank healing skills but would prefer to use a traditional way because his skills were too much to handle for him. If he was to use it, he would have a headache and other negative effects on him. Not only he was excelled in healing, but he was also the best when ite to information gathering and assassination. A viin character who overwhelmed our protagonist during an information war against the infamous viin organization, Utopia. The next generation of the would-be destroyed viin organization, Dystopia, in a year''s time from now on. Goose, or should I call ''Specter'' was the vice leader of Utopia in the future. If I could make him work for me¡­ ¡­it would be much easier to reach my goal. Chapter 22 Trespassing ?The next day after my meeting with the future vice leader of Utopia¡­ "Shannon. I''ll be back at night!" I said as I rushed out of my room, walked down the stair to the first floor, and was running in the living room to the front door. "What?! Where are you going?!" Shannon''s voice was hindered between the wall and floor, she was in her room on the second floor. Although it was hindered, I could still her voice a bit clearer when I reached the front door, wearing my shoes. I shouted back. "Hanging out with a friend!" Footsteps rumbled right above me and slowly faded away. Opening the door, Shannon''s voice came more clearly from behind. "Hey!" Stepping outside, I looked over my shoulder. Shannon''s head was sticking out behind the inward wall, onto the stairs. She threw something toward me and I caught it. It was the same ck card she lend me when the sh dungeon incident urred. "Don''t forget to pay me backter!" Looking at the card, I noticed that it was wet. Curious, when I looked at her carefully, her hair was covered by a towel. Narrowing my eyes, my gaze immediately locked on the area between her delicate white bare neck and chest...umm yes, what a beautiful view¡­ I quickly turned over and walked away while waving the card up in the air. "Thanks!" I had a n for today. It was to enter an illegal dungeon. Illegal dungeon was a dungeon that was not registered in Omega database. Meaning that it was either a newly formed dungeon or a hidden dungeon that had never been found by Omega. There was actually a reward given to anyone who found a newly formed dungeon or hidden dungeon, but who in their right mind wanted to report such a thing to Omega when they could monopolize the dungeon? Well, except for high-ranked Enhanced, either the heroes or viins. Most Enhanceds, heroes, or civilians would likely report the dungeon for the reward than raid it right away. There were a few reasons for that. First, they didn''t know the rank of the dungeon. If the dungeon they found turned out a high-ranked dungeon, then they might as well as dead. Second, they didn''t know what was inside the dungeon. And three, they were a coward. The dungeon I was going to enter was a dungeon near the vige in the countryside where Specter or Goose lived. In that vige, there was ake he used to visit for fishing. Yesterday, he put on hold my proposal to work together. Suddenly in the evening, he messaged me that he agreed to work as my informant. As my first request, I told him that I needed an unregistered dungeon to raid. He told me that there was a dungeon near theke in the vige he used to live in, no one had ever gone to thatke other than him so he was the only one who knew the existence of that dungeon. Today, my n was to raid that dungeon. He also said that it was a low-ranked fishmen dungeon that even E-rank heroes could solo clear it. Arriving in front of the Octagram Transport Center, I waited for Goose in the city square. As of now, I was Ian Crow, a handsome man with weird fashion taste. My white shirt with a high stiff cor was hidden under my ck waistcoat which was hidden under the victorian''s style ck cape coat, and a ck hat. This was indeed excessive, but somehow I liked this type of fashion except for the hat. I took off the hat and put it on my Storage Cube. "Now this is better." Approaching one of the food stalls that sell fast food, the fast food vendor blushed when she saw me. Curious, I asked her why she blushed and she said that she was fascinated by me. "Sorry?" "Ah. No sir. I apologize for my rudeness, it''s just that your face is so charming it overwhelms me¡­" she said, her face blushing even more and she was fanning her face with her hands. "Why thank you. You''re also so beautiful, miss." Oh hell, I might as well made Ian Crow''s persona a womanizer. I would get a lot of benefits by doing that¡­ Apart from power and money, charisma is another way to get to the top. The food vendor looked like she was lost in her imagination. I shook my head slowly. Maybe this body''s charm was too much for civilians to handle. Coughing, the food vendor was back to reality. She apologized again and I said it was fine. "I would like a burger." Now that she came back to her senses, she immediately worked on my order. When I was about to eat it, I forgot that I was wearing ck gloves, the material was nice andfortable, it was a shame if it got oil on it. So, I took off my gloves and then ate the burger. "Hey, there!" Not long after I finished my burger, Goose finally arrived. He was in his casual clothes, a white hoodie and ck trouser. He had that confused look when he first saw me, maybe he was also judging my fashion sense but he didn''t say it. "Let''s go right away, we don''t have much time." I raised my eyebrow as I watched his back. What did he mean by ''we'' don''t have much time? "What do you mean?" I asked as I started walking behind him. "You will know when we arrive there." His face looked nervous. What actually happened to the dungeon? He said it was just a low-level fishmen dungeon, why would that worry him? I wanted to question him right here right now, but I felt like that''d just annoyed him. We walked inside the OTC and go straight to one of the farthest warp gates in the corner. "Good morning." The guy who seemed to operate this warp gate greeted us with a smile. "Where would you like to go, gentlemen?" "Philippine." ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom The operator nodded and worked on the monitor beside the warp gates. After that, he looked at us again. "Right this way, sir." "Let''s go." Goose walked toward the huge portal looking like a wormhole in sci-fi movies. Following after him, once I stepped inside the warp gate, my body felt like it was dissipated. It was the same experience when I came out of the sh dungeon, the same feeling where my body felt light and shapeless, and the sudden change of scenery made me nauseous. It felt instant, the moment I stepped inside the warp gate, the view of the portal wormhole-looking changed to that of an outdoor area in the park. Not giving me any chance to look around the area, Goose dragged me toward a hooded person. A wizard. There was only one thing people would need from a wizard around the Transportation Center. That was a teleportation service. "Hello. Would you like to use my teleportation service?" "Yes. To this location, please," said Goose, pointing his finger at the marked location on the map in his hand. This wizard fellow looked in, nothing special on him. Was he really able to do a teleportation spell? The teleportation spell wasn''t an ordinary spell. It was one of the high-ranked spells. Although teleportation didn''t have offensive power because it was more like a utility spell rather than an attack spell, it still could be useful inbat especially if someone mastered a rapid casting to simultaneously used teleportation to attack the enemy blindspot. Compared to most B-ranked and above Enhanceds, that spell was rather useless as the average B-ranked Enhanceds had already improved their senses to break through a normal human limit. Because this wizard''s appearance was less convincing, I doubted he could use a teleportation spell. But I was proved wrong. Judging by his magic output, he was at least a 4th star wizard. Although the rmended rank to use a teleportation spell was a minimum of 5th star, there was an exception to a 4th star wizard with huge mana capacity and good mana control. I''d make a mental note not to judge the book by its cover¡­ The feeling of getting teleported by a teleportation spell had less impact on my body than the warp gate or dungeon gate. The surrounding area was open green fields and vast rice fields as far as my eye could see. Honestly, this view was extraordinary and refreshing for my eyes, I''d never thought and like this would still exist in 2030 when technology had advanced. Also, I''d never mentioned a countryside region in the novel, the background the novel took was mostly in the city or dungeon. "If you''re done enjoying the view, then let''s go." I rolled my eyes at him. Couldn''t even let me enjoy the view and thend I''d never seen for so long¡­ "Yes. Yes. I''ming." After some time exploring the light forest, we finally arrived at our destination. "We''re here¡­" Looking around, theke was small but magnificent. The color of the water was clear and filled with blue particles¡ªmagic molecules floating around theke. This view reminded me of a magicalke in fantasy stories. As much as I want to enjoy the view, I had been reminded myself of my purpose here. The area surrounding theke was a normal forest, filled with trees, some were about to break. A fishing hut across from us, and a path to the deepest part of the forest to our left. But, I didn''t see any dungeon portal around theke¡­ "Where is the dungeon?" Smirking, he pointed at the smallke under us with his eyes. Taking notice of what he meant by his eyes gesture, I carefully observed the smallke. "Don''t tell me¡­" Using my irvoyance, an unusuallyrge screen appeared above theke. === [Fishmen Lake Dungeon] Rank: E+ Status: Pre-outburst!! === Chapter 23 Fishman Dungeon I ?[Fishmen Lake Dungeon] Rank: E+ Status: Pre-outburst!! === "It''s in Pre-Outburst state¡­" "You can tell?" "Yeah¡­" Thanks to my irvoyance skill, I could tell that it was in that state. After seeing it with my skill too, it turned out that the dungeon was underwater. p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® I thought that the wholeke was a dungeon, but that should be impossible for a mere (E+)-rank dungeon to have that amount of scale. "How can I even enter it? It''s underwater¡­" Goose looked at me with raised eyebrows. I could tell in a single nce that his expression was about to tell me the obvious answer. Swim and dive. "What do you mean? Do you want to enter it? It''s in the pre-outburst state!" See? Just li¨C huh? Wait a minute. What? I see¡­ I forgot that people here didn''t know about a pre-outburst dungeon raid yet. Staring wonderingly at theke, I waited for a few minutes. I was thinking about whether should I raid it when it was still in the pre-outburst state, there would be so many benefits if I did so. The dungeon in the state of pre-outburst would be much easier to kill. There wouldn''t be so many mobs monster inside but instead, the boss would be enhanced. Topensate for the enhanced boss, the reward would be much better. At least one level higher than the reward should be. So, if I was to clear this dungeon right now. The reward would have a chance of dropping C-rank items when it was supposed to only drop D-rank items as the highest. If you ask me which was better, fighting a thousand mob monsters with normal rewards or one enhanced boss with enhanced rewards too. I''d likely go for the enhanced boss with a better reward. Considering my stamina stats, that seemed to be the best option for the current me. But yeah, I couldn''t underestimate the power of the enhanced boss. Looking at Goose, he seemed to be deep in thought as he nervously bit his nails. ''I will need him if I want to clear the dungeon in the pre-outburst state. It''s also better than fighting against them after the dungeon outburst and the monster started to flock out from the gate.'' After contemting my decision for a while. Eventually, I decided to bring him along to raid the dungeon. "Goose." He looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "Let''s go in." "Are you insane?! I said it''s in the pre-outburst state, we will die if we go there!" "Just trust me!" I said as I jumped into theke while dragging Goose together with me to the dungeon. "You''re insane!!" Once in the water, I immediately dived. The water was clear. Even with opened eyes, it didn''t feel aching and I could even see the dungeon rift clearly down there. The water''s pressure was heavier the closer we were to the dungeon. It didn''t push me away or pull me in, it just that it was harder to swim under this pressure. "Bluklukkukkblukmug!!" said Goose as he struggled in the water. Ignoring his struggle, I pulled him forward and kicked him inside the dungeon rift first and I followed afterward. When entering the dungeon it felt like being sucked in by a vacuum and thenunched out quickly. Crack-! I hear the sound of bones breaking when Inded on the damp ground... "Oh¡­ Fuck¡­ I think I broke my bone again¡­" This weird shita$$ dungeon entrance was ced at an odd angle, fck! I should have expected it when the portal was facing diagonally upward. Usually, the dungeon entrance portal was facing horizontally, with the portal standing perpendicr to 0 degrees of the prime meridian. In simple terms, stand like a human standing position, head on top and feet on the bottom. Standing already was Goose, he didn''t have any particr injuries on him even though I kicked him inside and might be falling faster than me. "Goose¡­ Can you heal me?" He stared at me with a cynical face. I thought he was going to ignore me but his heart was in the right ce. Thank God he was not the vice leader of the biggest viin organizations yet. "I will charge you for this." He started healing me after saying that. Rather than pain, it was more like a tickle to me in the scap area. Felt like there was an electric current running around the scap and vicle. The process was done in the blink of an eye. "Thank You. I''ll pay you backter in cash¡­ or I can give you an immediate payout using a few secrets," I said while moving my shoulder, it felt fresher than it was before. "Secret?" "Yes. A secret rted to the dungeon and its state. For example, this pre-outburst." His eyes sparkled as he heard it. He seemed to think hard about it. "What do you think?" I asked again to build his curiosity. "Umm. I''m not interested," he said, shaking his head. Dumbfounded, it was hard to believe that he''d passed a chance of obtaining unheard information. Looking at him while wondering why he rejected that, he instead gave me a sh of a smirk. That smirk, I recognized it. He often did that smug expression as if he had won a battle. I knew what that smirk of his meant. He might already know about the pre-outburst raid. Recalling back to the time outside the dungeon. I thought that maybe his attitude at that time might as well be that he was anxious, not because the dungeon would outburst and raid the vige but because he was rather anxious about passing a chance to raid the pre-outburst dungeon while there was me around. He probably didn''t want me to know about the pre-outburst raid, and I thought that he wouldn''t know that too. We both kept our secret very well¡­ But, it was not like that was the only thing I had to persuade him to work with me again in the future. Being vice leader didn''t mean that he was a strong individual, but he was a valuable asset to the organization. Even though it was a ce where hierarchy was decided by power, as the weakest individual, he could still get a Vice Leader seat thanks to Utopia''s leader who acknowledge hisworking abilities that could provide a strong foundation and supporter for Utopia. Making him my ally would bring me a lot of benefits, whether it was in present or in the future. Although he was the vice leader of Utopia, he was the only one who opposed the idea of epting a demonic human to their organization. But what could he do when the only good thing he could do was to be aworker for Utopia? "Then, how about a way to remove the drawback of your skill?" His body flinched. No matter how hard he tried to hide his emotion, I could still feel it. He was desperate. "What do yo¨C" "Your EX-rank skill, is not a healing skill but is actually a restoration. wless Restoration. Topensate for its cheat-like restoration skill, there would be a side effect to limit its usage. Themon side effect was a headache. But, that will be stacked, the more frequently you used your skill, the more severe the side effect is." "You¡­ How did you?..." He stepped back as he eyed me carefully. His body tensed and his hand reached for the knife in his belt bag. Looking at him, I raised my hand, signaling that I wasn''t up for fighting. Although his guard was lowered, his stance was solid, ready to attack or flee whenever. "Now, now. Listen to me first, would you?" His body was a bit rxed again. He knew that he might lose if he was to fight against me, but he still bore his fang at me bravely. That was a character that a vice leader of viin organization needed to possess. Even if you are weak, never show them your weak side to them. The only way for people like him who fought using their brains to survive in the ce of the strong prey the weak was an act and bluff. Never act weak, act arrogantly, and bluff every time you had a chance. "How did you know about my skill?" His voice was low, almost sounding like a snake hisses. "Let''s say that I also have a skill equal to yours that gives me information about my target." "An observation skill? Don''t fvck with me. I''d have noticed it the moment you used it at me!" "As I said, it was a skill with the same rank as yours. My observation is a bit special." "So you obtained my information because of your skill? And was it that skill that told you about the cure to remove the drawback of my skill?" Actually, no. It was not because of my irvoyance as it only give me the target''s name, age, gender, and race. But, the knowledge of the future could also be considered a skill, right? Well, if he guessed it was like that, then so be it. "It''s just like as you said." "Tell me first. What''s the cure?" Did you think I''d let you get it that easily? "Don''t wanna," I said while shrugging. "Only if you sign a soul contract with me then I will tell you." He smirked nervously. "Didn''t you say you want to pay me back with information earlier?" "I did. I did say that, but it was before when you suddenly pointed your weapon at me. I won''t take it lightly, you know." Staring at him with a sharp stare, he flinched. Shaking his head, he lowered his weapon and put it back in his belt bag. Raising his hand just like I did when I gesture for peace, he looked at me with a bitter expression. "You''re satisfied now?" "Nope. I won''t tell you until you sign a contract." Taking out a scroll from my Storage Cube, I grabbed it tightly in my palm as I stretched my hand closer to his face. The scroll was opened, and what he saw was the content of the scroll. It was a good thing I bought this scroll before I arrived at the city square. The scroll was hanging open. The contents were not much, it just to ensure that he won''t betray and backstab me. Originally, I was going to use this scroll to make a business contract with him, but the situation had gotten into this. I would say that this situation benefited me even more than I originally intended. Sighing a long breath, Goose was eventually signing the contract. "Good choice. Don''t worry. It''s not a ve contract." Chapter 24 Fishman Dungeon II ?Surveying my surroundings, I found myself standing in a small, clear area surrounded by trees. To the north, an endless path led to a bridge and river, while to the east and westy a dense forest. Approximately a hundred meters behind me, to the south, the river stretched from east to west. One could tell just by hearing the sound of the river flowing from a distance, that the river was flowing fast. "Surely the path ahead is where the dungeon boss is waiting for us, right?" I squinted, surveying the path ahead, to the north, for any signs of danger with my irvoyance. "Perhaps," Goose replied. To the northy a once-grand bridge, spanning the rush of the fast river below. Its crumbled remains nowy scattered across the water, a testament to its tragic copse. As I gazed upon the wreckage, a sense of unease crept over me, for I knew not what could have caused such destruction. "Hmm. This is bad¡­" I had believed that the bridge to the north was the only way to cross the river, but it had copsed, leaving us stranded. To my left and right, the forest stretched on endlessly, the same scenery I had been staring at for hours in thest dungeon. To the south was even more dangerous than the bridge to the north, with a wide, fast river that could bring disaster if we attempted to walk near it. It was also the only ce where the Fishman boss was likely to be hiding, waiting to ambush us. ording to the information I had gathered and what I remembered from a description I''d written, a Fishman monster was something akin to Lizardman, not by the shape, but by their abilities and advantages. They were monsters that relied heavily on their environment. The water was obvious to tell us that the boss monster was there. But, there was also another possibility. They could also be hiding inside the forest, which environment was humid. I stood frozenly, my mind racing with uncertainty. I turned to mypanion, Goose, and asked for his opinion. "Any suggestions on where we should go? The bridge to the north has copsed, and to our south is a wide river which is likely where the boss monster is hiding." I exined to him, even as to what the bridge and rivers looked like in detail, ording to what I had seen through my irvoyance as well as Pathfinding. Goose rolled his eyes and replied irritably. "Isn''t our goal to kill the boss monster? Why hesitate? Let''s just go and kill it already." I understood where his attitude came from, but I couldn''t help but to feel a pang of annoyance at him. Sighing, I straightened up and tried to subtly apologize to him. I knew that I needed his abilities and perceptive mind toplete this dungeon, but if he kept behaving like this, it wouldn''t be possible. "I''m sorry, okay? I promise I will never do that in the future. It''s just that it would be a waste to let this chance slip from our hands, don''t you think?" Goose kicked a rock in frustration, but eventually returned to his usual self, exuding a positive vibe and optimism reminiscent of when I first met him. "Haa¡­ Okay. But, I want to know about the cure right now." "I understand you want to know about the cure, but please help me first," I said with a bitter smile, trying to persuade him. "Once we''vepleted our task, I promise I''ll give you all the information you need." Goose let out a resigned sigh, seemingly giving up on arguing with me. "Fine," he said, "you''ll be dead anyway if you break the contract." I beamed a smile and shook his hand excitedly. "Great!" "So, where do you think we should go?" He surveyed the area, as I had done before. After a while, he pped his hands and began walking. "We''ll head north." "Why north? The bridge has already copsed, and there is nothing there," I protested. "Just trust me," A smirk stered on his face as he said those lines I had said to him earlier before we entered the dungeon. I followed him closely, keeping a watchful eye on our surroundings. Even though pre-outburst dungeons were supposed to be free of monsters except for the boss monster, I couldn''t let my guard down. There could always be unexpected variables, like the demonic human I encountered in the sh dungeon, or maybe hidden treasures like Retro and Avatar Mask might be lurking behind those trees, or somewhere in this dungeon. As we walked, the trees thinned out until we could see thest line of trees a few meters ahead of us. Approaching the broken bridge and the fast-flowing river, the rain suddenly poured down, making me shiver with cold. It was only a hundred meters away until we reached the riverside, but damn this rain¡­ The threeyers of clothes I wore, including a shirt, waistcoat, and a Victorian-style ck cape coat, weighed me down and restricted my movements as the rain dampened them. Flicking my cape, I freed my hands, hoping for mobility under the rain. ''Now that I realize¡­ Didn''t I dive down underwater to enter the dungeon?'' I sure did dive into the water. But, I never realize that my clothes were dry once I get inside. It felt so natural and sudden that I have forgotten I had just dove into the water to reach the portal. I shook my head and threw the useless thought, focusing on what was currently in front of me. "This rain..." Goose muttered, pausing in his tracks. He looked up at the sky and stretched his hand to feel the raindrops against his skin. "I feel like something bad is going to happen." Ahead of us, the river was wide and fast, and I noticed the water was moving oddly. Goose was right, something was about to happen. I pulled out my sword from my Storage Cube and stood beside him. "Get ready." As we got closer to the bridge, the sound of rumbling water grew louder with each step. I gripped my weapon tightly, ready for whatevery ahead. Goose, on the other hand, appeared unfazed. "Stay alert," I warned. "We don''t know what''s waiting for us." Step by step, we advanced toward the bridge, but nothing seemed to happen. Was it a false rm? Despite theck of activity in the river, I refused to let my guard down. The rain had picked up, and the ground was slick with mud. The area near the river was particrly damp, making it an ident waiting to happen. As I took another step forward, disaster struck, just as Goose had predicted. But it was not the one I expected to be¡­ My foot slipped out from under me, and I crashed to the ground. "Guh!" I groaned in pain. The smell of wet earth filled my nostrils, and mud covered my face. The pain was nothingpared to the embarrassment of falling in front of Goose. When I looked at him, he was trying so hard to hold back hisughter that his face was as round as a balloon. "Shut up, Goose!" I yelled in frustration. "If you want tough, thenugh or that face of yours will have an imprint of my fist!" "BAHAHAHAHA!!!" he cackled. Hisughter echoed through the air, and I couldn''t help but join in because how hisugh sounded like a duck''sughing sound. We both had burst outughing, and Goose had to wipe a tear from his eye. When he finally caught his breath, he asked, "What''s wrong with you? Suddenly acting like something''s going on." I, too, had tears streaming down my cheeks. I wiped them with the sleeve of my coat since I had no tissue or handkerchief as he asked me a question. Standing up, I gave him a puzzled look. "Didn''t you hear it? The rumbling sound of the water as we got closer to the river? It sounded like a thunderous roar echoing through the canyon." Instead of answering me, he just tilted his head with a raised eyebrow. Did he really not hear the rumbling sound? I couldn''t tell, but I couldn''t shake off the feeling that something was off. As I stared at the fast river, the rumbling sound faded away, and the eerie movement of the water returned to its calm flow as if nothing had happened. ¡­ We continued on our way towards the bridge, and as I had seen it through my Pathfinding, it had indeed copsed. "See?" I gestured toward the broken structure. Goose remained still, his brow furrowed as he appeared lost in thought. The sound of the rain pattering against the ground and the rushing river nearby was deafening, almost as if we were caught amid a raging warzone. Suddenly, he squatted down and reached for the end of the bridge''s debris. However, his hand couldn''t seem to reach it as if an invisible force was blocking him. It dawned on me that it must be the dungeon''s barrier, which was to be expected for an (E+) rank dungeon. "I thought at least there would be something here." I nodded in agreement, feeling a sense of relief that we were in this together, looking for treasure first before fighting off the boss monster. I thought he was going directly to the boss''s location¡­ "Wouldn''t it make more sense if we search for the forest instead here if we''re looking for bonus looting?" Goose nodded then stood up. "Yeah. I''m just curious about this side." We pushed on through the rain, determined to reach our next destination, the forest where we first came here. The way back was uneventful and the only sound wasing from me getting to know Goose. I never had any chance to develop his character in the novel, but just know that he was the vice leader of Utopia and the most cunning and smart-brain character that hindered the protagonist''s way. However, even here, he was very secretive about his origin. What I gained from him from the conversation on our way to the forest was only the surface level of what he hide. p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® If he didn''t want to tell me his origin, surely he would tell me about other things, right? For example, what was his rtionship with Shannon, or how did he know Shannon? "Shannon¡­" I began. Goose flinched a bit when I mentioned her name, his expression guarded. "How did you know her and what is your rtionship with her?" For a moment, he seemed lost in thought, his eyes fixed on the ground as we walked. "...we are just acquaintances, she''s my employer. She had hired me in the past for healing service for her friend just like she did for you." Shannon''s friend? In the past? Who could it be? Shannon herself never told me about her life before she enrolled in the academy. And it sucks that I didn''t retain the memory of this body''s previous owner. "Who is this friend you''re talking about?" "Not gonna tell you. I respect my client''s privacy. So, this information you are going to tell me about the cure will be forever a secret between me and the client, this is what I call business," he said, his hand gesturing to a coin symbol. Despite my efforts to extract more information from Goose, it became clear that he was a highly secretive individual, just as Shannon had told me. Although I admired hismitment to client confidentiality, a niggling doubt crept into my mind. Could his allegiance to his profession be used to manipte and exploit his clients? He was that kind of character after all, at least in the future. As my mind was still upied with thoughts of Goose''s character, a sudden sh of a scene yed out vividly inside my head. The scenery and the ce were still the same as the dungeon we were currently in, walking and talking just like we had right now. With the cold rain on my skin and the distant sound of the fast river. I could smell the rain and wet earth, and in the distance, I saw a glint of movement flying toward us. Before I could react, a powerful jet of water shot toward us from a few hundred meters away to the north of us and killed us in a sh. The vision ended abruptly, leaving me feeling disoriented and rmed. I was still alive and so do Goose, but it won''t be for long before that incident I saw happening. I immediately yelled "Get down!" But it was toote. Goose had been hit by the water jet and his heart pierced, while I narrowly dodged the attack by rolling to safety. With my eyes and irvoyance focused on where the water jet came from. I saw a window screed pop up in my vision. [Finrax] [Race: Monster / Fishman] Chapter 25 Fishman Dungeon III ?Goose''s bodyy motionless on the ground as I frantically dodged the water jet shot by Finrax, the dungeon boss monster. I didn''t have the luxury of time to mourn him right now, my very life was on the line here. With one wrong move, I could end up like him. And surely I would definitely be dead unlike him. ''Finrax¡­'' ¡­was the name of the dungeon boss monster. It was impossible to have a named monster in a low-ranked dungeon. But, this was not a normal dungeon. Every boss monster inside a pre-outburst dungeon was all a named monster even if said dungeon was a lower rank. To bepletely honest, I had never heard the name of Fishman boss monster. Finrax was aplete alien, the one creature I was forced to fight with an empty head¨Cnot that I needed to act like an idiot, but more like a fight without knowing your enemy. But, it''s okay. I can do it! Swoooshh¨C! Another water jet flew like a bullet. Even so, I was able to dodge it barely. The water jet''s speed was almost too fast that my usual predicting ability could only predict at thest moment. This won''t do. If I kept staying here and didn''t take the initiative, it would keep shooting the water bullet at me. Moreover, if the water bullet''s speed increased the more it shot, it would be hard to dodge it anymore. While the water bullet was still slow, it would be best if I advanced forward and closed our distance to force it into close-fightbat. Swoosh¡ª! Dodging another water bullet, I rushed forward. Deflecting and dodging every ranged attack of the Fishman boss. It was not easy, but it was a thing I could manage after learning from the best, Shannon¨Cone who imed as the best sword fighter both in strength and mobility in her ss year. ''Almost there!'' The distance between me and the monster was getting closer. As close as the monster''s shape was visible now. The creature stood upright like a human, but its appearance was far from human-like. Its scaly skin had a bluish tint, and its head was clearly that of a fish,plete with bony features. Its arms and legs seemed too small to support its bulky torso, and I couldn''t help but wonder how it managed to stand and move with such a disproportionate build. One hand was holding a metal spear with three des that converge at a central point. The center de was longer and straight than the other two, which were curved outward. A trident. The creature inhaled empty air, if one looked carefully, the raindrop that was also got sucked was turning into a small circr bubble of water before it entered its mouth. Exhaling it, or more like, shooting it out, the water bullet gushed loudly and flew like a bullet. Because the distance between me and the creature was closer than earlier, the bullet reached me in a split second but I still managed to cut it with my sword which I already held and positioned in front of me in case I should block another water jet as dodging was extremely hard. It proved to me right to do so. I survived another one-shot attack from Finrax, the Fishman boss monster. Although the result of it was that my hands were shaking from blocking the high-speed solid water bullet. Noticing its opponent, me, approaching, the aquatic monster lifted its trident, and suddenly a rush of water gushed forth from the ground with a gurgling whoosh. I leaped into the air, reflexively dodging the water pirs that continued to burst forth from the ground and hurtle toward me. But, as expected from fighting with an unknown enemy. I got ambushed by the water pirs that gushed forth even higher than before. Swinging my sword, I tried to block the gushed waters, hoping I could cut them or at least lessen the impact I would receive if I got hit by them. "Guh!" I dropped to the ground with a hard thud, breaking some of my bones, again. Just how much more bones I would break?! The pain had me close my eyes for a moment, then when I opened them again, three water spears sped up to stab me on the ground. Struggling as hard as I could, like a worm, I rolled and writhed as I dodged the spears. Ssh¨C! Ssh¨C! Ssh¨C! Standing up after thest roll, I quickly grabbed the hilt of my sword and raised it upward. Blocking the trident the boss monster had thrust toward me. "Going to brute force after all that, huh?" "Hu¡­man¡­! Be¡­gone!!!" the fishman monster shrieked. The monster''s shriek assaulted my ears. My head hurt as if it was about to split in two as my eardrums vibrated because of the shrieking sounds. "Keuk!" Despite the pressure of its weapon weight and the intense shrieking sound that might as well as breaking my ears, I stood still with gritted teeth. As my sword was stuck between the trident''s trio des, I had no choice but kicked the aquatic monster in the guts. Focusing all of my strength on my feet, the monster backed up when my kicknded in his guts. "Huu¡­" Now, what should I do next? Should I go for offensive or keep on defensive? The incessant rain poured down even harder. The threeyers of clothing I wore made it difficult to move freely in the rain, as the wet fabric clung to my skin. The biting cold was slowly draining my energy, causing my teeth to chatter uncontrobly. ''I''ll be at a disadvantage if I didn''t end this soon¡­'' It was all because of the rain and my clothing. If only it didn''t rain and I wore simpler clothes, this fight wouldn''t be that hard. ''Anyway, when will he be back?'' I looked over my shoulder just to see Goose''s body stillying motionless on the ground. But, the hole in his body was already gone. ''That sonuvabitch!'' While I was distracted, a predicting vision shed before my eyes where the boss monster shot a water bullet. Thanks to that, I could dodge the ambush of another water bullet that could leave a hole in my head. A clean headshot, I''d like to say. Ignoring him, I put my attention back to my opponent, Finrax the fishman dungeon boss monster. Looking at its posture and stance, it looked like he would like to have close-rangebat. Well, why not? Taking the first move, I charged toward the monster. My movement was fluid like water as the monster cheated for using a ranged attack on me in closebat, not that I would not do the same if I had one. Dodging the water bullets left and right, or cutting and splitting them into two, I arrived in front of him. As my sword raised in the air, the creature moved to block my sword. Unfortunately for the monster, that was just a feint. "The real attack is from this side, bastard!" "KIEEK!!" The monster shrieked. My kick sessfullynded on its side, making it groan in pain for a moment before it regained its bnce and retaliated with a swift thrust on its own. Wooosh¡ª! The trident''s des were missing me just by an inch from my ear. As it passed through the air beside my ear, the sound of the wind was rung inside my head coolly. ''A chance!'' As I kick the monster to get my momentum to jump backward, the aquatic monster found itself getting pushed while Inded on my feet a few paces behind. The tip of my sword glimmered a light that traced back to the lower de. At that moment, my vision and my surroundings seemed to warp and twist. Suddenly, I found Finrax lunging toward me, its own trident at the ready. But, his movement seemed to be slowed while my speed was still the same or maybe lighter than usual. I swung my sword in a graceful arc, my sword moving in a blur as I delivered precise strikes. Then the scene warped again, the aquatic monster was standing after my kick earlier and was about to lunge toward me. As the monster lunged, cut wounds slowly formed in its body and when he reached closer to me, I swung my sword with ease but precise strike into an empty air because the monster''s body was already split into two even before the tip of my sword reached it. When the monster died, so did the rain. "Haaa¡­ Haaa¡­ Haaa¡­" My breaths came out in ragged gasps, my body wracked with shivers as I copsed to the ground. It felt as if I had just been struck by a thousand volts of electricity, each twitch and tremor sending waves of agony through my limbs. The cause? Mana depletion. When your mana waspletely drained, it was like having the very essence of your being ripped away from you. It was like suffocating on drynd, with every breath a struggle, every movement an ordeal. You were left gasping for air that simply wasn''t there, your body betrayed you as it tried to w back the magic you''d lost. It was an experience that few survive, and even fewer would willingly endure Not that it would cause you death, at worst you would end up losing consciousness. If you could endure it for a few minutes, you would be free from the torture of losing air. That was what I did right now. But, it had been harder as time went on. My face started to turn red in color as myck of breath went on for a long time. "...yourself too much." I was about to pass out when a familiar sound rang in my ears, though it was a bit unclear what it was saying. "...help you¡­" As thatst voice yed in my head. The feel of the air entering my throat made my tears fall down. Thank God I was alive. "Fuhah¡­!!" Gasping, I greedily inhaled and exhaled as if oxygen was the tastiest dish the world had ever tasted. "You okay?" Before me was a pair of sneaker shoes maized to the ground. When I looked up, it was the in face and snake-like eyes of Goose. Standing up, I pped his shoulder. For some reason, the smirk widened as I felt proud rather than relieve when seeing hime back to life. Goose tilted his head, expressing both curiosity and confusion at the same time. As to answer his expression, I said "I knew you''ll be fine even if your head got exploded by a TNT." p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® Realizing what I had meant, Goose rolled his eyes. "Is it because of your skill again?" I shrugged, "Who knows? This is very confidential to me. If you want to know, you need to go through a proper procedure." He snorted, "As if I will do that." "So, that the dungeon is cleared. Now, tell me about the cure." This ''Specter'' guy was really amazing. Despite doing nothing here except watching, the audacity to say something like that was amazing, really. I wanted to smack him once, or maybe cut off his head, he could restore it back anyway. Within his wless Restoration, just like my irvoyance''s Pathfinding, he also had a sub-skill called [Dy Restoration]. The effect was just a normal healing or restoring ability, it just that the effect would be dyed by the intended time. It was also a good job of his to even had the time to cast the skill immediately after I shouted. He could just dodge it as I did, but he was using his skill instead. The wless Restoration could heal or restore¨Cundo anything that had been done, living or object, be it mental, conceptual, emotional, spiritual, mystical, or physical damage, perfectly without mistakes in the process as long the target had not beenpletely erased. What a cheat skill, really. I wish I have one like that. Walking with a sigh, I responded to him, "Yes, yes. I will tell youter, let''s get our reward first." Picking up my sword, I looked at the shining de that had the reflection of my smiling face. Well, at least I got this guy. Retro, this S-rank artifact was an amazing artifact I had ever seen, one that I couldn''t ever think of creating one like this. The skill this sword had was something like [Causality Reversal], I found out about it when I was imitating the shadow of the unknown dungeon. The only drawback of this was that it required someone with a huge mana pool to be able to use the skill freely. ''My luck rank should be at A-rank at this point¡­'' We walked toward where we first came here. Waiting for us there were the rewards for clearing the dungeon. I didn''t have the luxury to check all of the items, so I just stored all of them in my Storage Cube first. "What will you use the boss'' core for?" The core of a dungeon boss monster was highly demanded by people of high power. It was the material usually used for technological advancement or creating a high-ranked item with the core''s attribute. But, I thought that it would be a waste to use a core for something like that. I had a n for a question like what would I use it for. Looking at the sphere of magical energy in my hand, I smirked. "I will tell you for some money." Chapter 26 Welcoming Ceremony I ?Waking up in my room, I felt the surge of morning air hit me. I had a habit of leaving the window open when I sleep so that I''d feel refreshed by the natural air when I woke up. The warm sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a golden glow over my bed. I stretched my arms and legs, feeling the soft cotton sheets against my skin. Buzz¨C! Buzz¨C! As I sat up, I noticed my phone vibrating on the bedside table. I reached for it and saw that I had 99+ unread messages. They were alling from Goose, whose contact number I named ''Duck''. [Hey!] [Hey!] [Hey!] [I''ve already got the materials!] [What should I do with them?!] [Hey!] [Come on, bud!] [Give!] [Me!] [The!] [Recipe!!] What a weird morning message to start off the day¡­ cing the phone back on the bedside table, I stood up and started to prepare for my first day at the Octagram Academy. It had been a few days since my expedition to the Fishman Lake Dungeon. There, I got a lot of rewards for clearing the pre-outburst, though I didn''t get C-rank items¡­ It sucks to have E-rank luck! Oh well, at least I got a few useful D-rank materials and Finrax''s core. Besides, I got some good news yesterday. It was when I returned from the training center that Shannon brought me good news. She told me that a letter from the Octagram Academy had been distributed. While I was the recipient of that said letter, the one who was excited was Shannon. I couldn''t help but smile while thanking her inwardly. It was because of Shannon that I could adapt to this world, not that she needed to know that I wasn''t her real cousin. That attitude of hers was making me anxious. Did she never consider that I was not the one she used to know? Judging by how she reacted when the first time I was conscious in this body and mopping the floor, it was clear that she was confused by my sudden change. But, why would she never question me that? Anyway, in the letter was said that I was epted for enrolling in the Octagram Academy. Along with the letter, there was a package too which contained a basic uniform, a P.E. uniform, a Nova Watch, and other school equipment. Back to the present¡­ After showering and doing other necessities so I could look ready for my first day, I looked at myself in the mirror. Unusuallybed ck hair and ck obsidian eyes stared at each other. The uniform I wore was looking stylish and practical. The ck dress shirt underneath the fitted ck zer had a matching color, and feature red piping along thepels, pockets, and cuffs. The buttons on the zer were also red, providing a striking contrast against the high-quality, durable ck fabric. The academy emblem¨CGaruda''s head in an octagonal geometry¨Cembroidered in red on the breast pocket. For some reason, I preferred an untucked shirt over my ck dress pants, there was a subtle red stripe along the sides. Satisfied, I untucked the top button of my shirt and loosened the high-knotted ck tie with the red striped pattern. "Oh. Wow. The privilege of having a good-looking face is that I look good no matter what I wear, but¡­ This uniform is such a drip." Leaving my room, Shannon was already waiting for me just right beside the door. Her uniform also looked stylish and practical and followed a simr style to mine. Her zer was tailored to fit her body, with green piping along thepels, pockets, and cuffs. The other details were the same as mine but hers was decorated with green instead of red color. It was abel color for the ss year in Octagram Academy; red for 1st year, cyan for 2nd year, green for 3rd year, and gold for 4th year. The white dress shirt underneath the zer was tucked into a pleated ck skirt that fell just above the knee, with a green trim along the hemline. She also wore a ck stocking to cover the rest of her bare legs. Looking at her ck and red striped bow tie, I said "That''s the perfect bow tie I''ve ever seen. You look good, cousin," I gave her a thumbs up. "Stop with the ttery, Zio¡­" As she spoke, she reached up to fix a strand of her silver hair that had fallen in front of her face, tucking it neatly behind her ear. With a smile, she slightly turned her head at me and said "Let''s go. You don''t want to arrivete on your first day, right?" She said as she walked down the stairs. Smiling, I followed after her. "Yes. Yes. Lead the way, please." Ah finally, my dream to attend a fictional school in the novel was happening. To add to that, it was the school in my novel, Octagram Academy. The most prestigious academy in the world¡­ ¡­it was said that most of the heroes in the top ranks graduated from here. "Don''t forget to bring your luggage. We are going to leave this house for a year." Shannon''s mellow voice brought me back from my daydream. It was a matter of fact that I''d left my luggage in my room. Rushing into my room, I stored the huge luggage in my Storage Cube and head back, catching up to Shannon who was already outside. "Don''t you want to say goodbye to this house before you leave?" I looked over my shoulder as Shannon said that. It had only been for a month since I stayed here so I didn''t have a chance to get sentimental about this house yet. Smirking, I hastened my steps to walk side by side with Shannon. "No need to. It''s not like we''re going on a suicide mission or something and won''t be able to return here." Shannon chuckled. "Pfft. What is that? You''re always saying nonsense, cousin. Which is funny because I had zero ideas of what you''re talking about." "Is that sarcasm?" "No? Hahaha." Her voice itself sounded mellow and soft, it made me feel at peace every time I heard it, but herugh was even more than that, it sounded like an angel''sugh, though I never heard what an angelughing would sound like. It''s just a metaphor, okay. We were walking to a nearby Skyliner station so we could get to academy ind faster. As we headed towards a nearby Skyliner station to reach Octagram Academy, I couldn''t help but marvel at the sleek and futuristic flying vehicles. Designed like a train, the Skyliner''s multiplepartments providedfortable seating for passengers, all connected by a long, thin body that cut through the air with ease. However, unlike traditional trains that could transport hundreds or thousands of people in a single vehicle, the Skyliner had a more limited capacity. Eachpartment could amodate up to 20 people, and most Skyliners had threepartments, allowing for a maximum capacity of around 60 passengers per trip. p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® Thankfully, there were Skyliners exclusively reserved for Octagram Academy students. Each station had at least two of these exclusive vehicles, limited only to academy students. With hundreds of Skyliners cruising the skies above Octagram Ind, the speed of these vehicles was impressive. There was little risk of missing one and beingte for work or school. Riding a Skyliner was an unforgettable experience. ''How did I evene up with this idea? I must be a genius!'' Inside the Skyliner was noisy, all of those noises wereing from other Octagram students. Most of them were first-year students like me seeing that they were wearing ck and red uniforms. Looking at their expressions I was assuming that they were eager to attend the academy, just like me. By the way, we sat by the window. Looking outside, I enjoyed the view of the blue sky and the magnificent cityndscape as well as the windows buildings of skyscrapers and others towering buildings. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Shannon who beautifully rested her eyes. She sat in a polite manner, like a noble. Of course, upon seeing her I couldn''t help but wonder why she was so quiet today. ''Does she hate going to school?'' I leaned forward as I was trying to wake her up. But, suddenly, I realized that thepartment went silent, and only whispers filled the room. "Hey, look at them, aren''t they a gorgeous couple?" "Hmm? That boy, he is wearing the same uniform as us¡­" "That ck and green uniform is for third-year students, that pretty girl is our senior!" "Wow. She''s so pretty!" "Who is she? Why have I never heard of her?" "The boy is handsome too¡­" My ears and eyebrows twitched as their low whispers slowly turned to a normal speaking volume. These guys. Did they not realize that their whispers weren''t a whisper anymore? "Ah! That is Shannon Oliver!" Suddenly, someone among them shouted loudly that it had made Shannon open her eyes. She blinked a few times before she turned her head sideways to the spectators. The guy who shouted earlier immediately covered his mouth with his hands as Shannon looked in his direction. Instead of scolding him for disturbing her, she actually smiled at him or rather at them¨Cthe first-year students. The boys in the group were all blushing when Shannon''s smile illuminated them. Looking at them, I couldn''t help but shake my head while letting out a chuckle. If I didn''t know Shannon and if we weren''t rtives, I would also react like them when Shannon smiled at me like that. "Huu¡­" [We''ve arrived at our destination. Octagram Academy! Everyone, please leave one by one. Don''t forget to bring your luggage!] Chapter 27 Welcoming Ceremony II ?Getting off the Skyliner, I found myself standing in front of the familiar entrance gate that was being pitched by two magnificent Garuda statues. Despite being titled the strongest and first hero of humanity, Garuda''s appearance was on the odd side. His head resembled those of an eagle,plete with a sharp beak and piercing eyes that seemed to watch over the academy''s grounds. But what caught my attention, even more, was the intricately designed mask and armor he wore. The mask, made from abination of gold and silver, was crafted to perfection, depicting every feather and curve of an eagle''s head. It was almost as if Garuda''s spirit had been fused with that of the great bird. His armor, too, was designed to resemble a bird''s, with wings that extended out from his shoulders and curved talons at the end of his boots. It was both awe-inspiring and intimidating. The statues were perfectly sculpted as how he was described in the novel, that was if I recalled correctly. In the novel, no one had ever seen Garuda''s face, not even hisrades such as Grace and Nuria, the War Goddess, who now acted as headmaster of Octagram Academy. Garuda always wore his eagle mask and helmet, which only added to his mysterious and legendary persona. Truth be told, his character was written referencing the folklore as well as the symbol of Zio''s, which might as well be my home country I guess, Indonesia. In Indonesian mythology, Garuda is a bird-like creature that was known as the king of birds. The legend of Garuda actually originated from the ancient Hindu epic, the Mahabharata, which was brought to Indonesia by Indian traders and travelers in the 1st century AD. In the Mahabharata, Garuda was depicted as a divine bird. He was known for his immense strength, speed, and courage, which I adapted to my novel''s Garuda power and abilities. ''But yeah, that is that, because in the story he existed only for depth to the story, I didn''t really develop anything about him. Just know that he was there, in the first catastrophe, as the leader of the heroes.'' "Don''t just stand there, let''s go!" said Shannon as she hit my shoulder yfully. As I approached the entrance, I saw a throng of students walking across the bridge. The majority of them wore ck and red uniforms, with a few ck and blue ones interspersed among them. There were fewer ck and green uniforms, and I couldn''t spot a single ck and gold one in the crowd. p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® I caught up to Shannon who was already walking far in front of me. "I don''t see any fourth-year students here." "Ah. They are supposed toe to the academy in the mid-term. That''s when theye back from their apprenticeships." I nodded, It was something I already knew, but it never hurt to confirm with someone who had been here longer than me. "Speaking of apprenticeships, when do third-years have theirs? And where are you nning on going for yours, Shannon?" Again, it was something I knew, but yeah, you might already know the reason. "It''s today, after the weing ceremony. And¡­" she paused a bit, licking her dry mouth. "I''ll tell you where I''d have my apprenticeshipter, after the event." "Oh. Okay." As I fixed my gaze on her, I couldn''t help but sense a change in Shannon''s demeanor. Her face bore the sameposed look as always, yet there was an air of secrecy lingering beneath her mask-like expression. I remembered how she had rejoiced at my eptance into the academy yesterday, her eyes shining with genuine enthusiasm. But now, that infectious energy was reced by a hollow facade, concealing something lurking within. ''Hmm¡­ What exactly could she be hiding¡­'' The next moment, I found myself standing in front of a massive building that served as the auditorium for the academy''s weing ceremony. It was located deep within the Eagle realm, and the sight of it was awe-inspiring. The building was designed to resemble an eagle''s wings, with intricate details etched into the walls. It was said to be able to amodate up to 2,000 new students, a testament to the academy''s grandeur. "Then, I''ll see youter," said Shannon. To my left, Shannon was standing, facing me. It might be me, but when I stare at her ice-colored eyes, I could feel a cold aura radiating from them. "Ah. Yes. You''re going to the dorm first, right?" "That''s right. I''ll meet you in the park at 5 PM." She shed me a smile, one that I couldn''t forget for maybe a month. But, I could feel it. I felt it. There was something behind her smile, it felt like I might never see her again. It could be that I might just be paranoid, just like the time in the Fishman Lake Dungeon. ...right, there was no way something would happen to her. Moreover, she was strong enough to defend herself from harm, she was ranked 7th in the third year after all¡­ My gaze was focused on her as she slowly disappeared into the crowd. When I couldn''t spot her again, I shook my head and turned at the building entrance. "Huu¡­" Shannon, how could she ruin my first day like this, it was supposed to be a cheerful day, not one that needed me to overthink because of your sudden change in behavior, you know. Taking a deep breath, I walked inside the building. As I entered the auditorium building, the soaring ceilings and expansive interior immediately struck me. The intricate details etched into the walls outside continued inside, with intricate designs of feathers and talons woven into the architecture. The spacious lobby was bustling with new students, all dressed in their respective uniforms and excitedly chattering amongst themselves. The walls were lined with disy cases, showcasing various replica artifacts and trophies that the academy had collected over the years. Moving towards the main hall, the sound of my footsteps echoed throughout the space. The hall was enormous, with rows upon rows of seats stretching out before me. The ceiling soared above, decorated with an array of chandeliers that glittered and sparkled in the sunlight streaming through the windows. The stage at the far end was massive. The entire atmosphere of the auditorium was one of grandeur and majesty, a fitting reflection of the academy''s reputation and prestige. Taking notice that everyone else just sat anywhere they wanted, I followed them and sat on the nearby seat, in the mid-row. The seats werefortable, made from plush velvet, and with armrests on either side. I sunk into the seat, feeling a sense of drowsiness as I leaned on thefy seat. The rows of seats seemed endless, with thousands of students expected to attend the weing ceremony. The anticipation in the air was palpable as everyone waited for the ceremony to begin. And suddenly, the chatter and excitement in the room began to die down as the lights flickered, signaling the start of the ceremony. Looking ahead at the podium stage, a man in a white suit was walking onto the stage. He was rather young to be considered someone of high standing in the academy, and that was what made some of the students here look at each other while whispering about the man''s identity. He was a handsome man with light brown hair and bright blue eyes that resembled the clear sky. He had an upright posture and a positive aura that exuded friendliness and justice. Despite his youthful appearance, he carried himself with the confidence and maturity of someone with experience. I knew who this man was, but I was not sure, so I had to use my irvoyance to check his information first. [Name: Owen Lawrence (Male Sign) Age: 30 Race: Human] His name rang familiarity to me. In the novel, he was an S-rank hero and ranked 101st in the heroes ranking by Omega. His role in the academy was as a vice headmaster. Well, that was the only information about him I''d written other than he would be an important character in the third catastrophe before the demon invasion. Lawrence stood on the stage, his charming appearance bewitching the female students. "Wee, new students, to the Octagram Academy," he began, his voice booming throughout the hall without the aid of a microphone thanks to the amplifying sound magic, or maybe skill. "We are excited to have you all here with us today, as you embark on your journey toward bing the next generation of heroes. You have all shown immense potential in the entrance exam, and that is why you''re all now gathered here together," Lawrence paused, just to observe the audience''s reaction. Following him, I also looked around. The students looked at each other, feeling both excited and nervous at the prospect of bing heroes and that they are epted to the academy because they deserved it. Of course, not everyone deserved to be a student of Octagram Academy. There was a thing called ''money'' in this world, and that very money was to be used as a ''bribe''. Among these students, there were the underserved to be here. A conglomerate''s son or daughter with average or even trash potential and talent could get admitted to the academy just because their parents were making a ''rtion'' with the insider. All of that was like a tradition that couldn''t be erased unless humanity ceased to exist. "We cannot wait to see how you will grow and develop over the course of your time here at Octagram¡­" As he spoke, I found myself bing increasingly bored. I wondered when the speech would finally be over and we could get on to the next stage of the weing ceremony. As the minutes ticked by, I began to fidget in my seat, my mind wandering the endless possibilities of imagination. At first, I was imagining what my life would be like in the academy and such things that didn''t burden my mind. But, all of sudden, an image of the city burning and people screaming reyed in my head made me immediately disconnect from my mind. ''What was that?!'' Cold sweat drenched my head and my back. I looked around, everyone especially those who sat around me seemed to focus their attention on the vice headmaster''s speech rather than on me. Letting out a long breath, I regained myposure and leaned on myfy seat just to feel drowsiness engulf me once again. When I turned my attention to the stage, the vice headmaster seemed like he was almost done with his speech. "Now, hold onto your hats, because we have a real treat in store for you! Are you ready to meet some of the brightest, most talented students the Octagram Academy has to offer?" Vice Headmaster Lawrence''s voice boomed through the hall, his blue eyes shining with excitement. "I''m talking about students who have already aplished amazing feats, and who are sure to inspire you to reach new heights!" He paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink in. "So, without further ado, let''s give a warm wee to our star students, who will be delivering the official wee address!" The crowds cheered and pped their hands. ''Finally¡­'' Just when I thought I could rest my mind and this weing ceremony would finally introduce our protagonist, Lux Virtus, who had ranked 1st in the entrance exam, to everyone here. The worst thing that I''d already considered to be an unexpected variable and the one that I hoped won''t happen was finally unfolding. The one who was walking to the stage was not a boy with white snowy hair I knew. But, it was a girl whose I''d seen twice but never had a chance to talk to. [Name: Ember Crimson (Female sign) Age: 17 Race: Human] Just like when at the Garuda Soar Tower. The moment I used my irvoyance at her, she''d immediately locked her gaze in my direction with her sharp yet cold red eyes. ''This is bad¡­'' Chapter 28 Neophyte Nexus I ?As Ember stepped up to the podium, her cold demeanor seemed to intensify, and the room fell silent. She stared out at the audience with a nk expression before beginning to read from the script. "Good afternoon, fellow students and faculty of Octagram Academy. My name is Ember Crimson, and I am honored to be standing before you today as the top-ranked student in the entrance exam." Her voice was monotone and devoid of emotion, but there was something about the way she spoke thatmanded attention. I was drawn in, curious to see where this speech would go. "As I stand here before you, I am acutely aware of the responsibilities and expectations thate with being the top student. It is not a position that I take lightly, and I ammitted to upholding the standards of excellence that this academy represents." I could see that Ember''s hands were shaking slightly as she spoke, but she didn''t falter or pause. She continued to read from the script in her measured, unemotional voice. "I may not be the most outgoing or charismatic student, but I believe that my abilities and dedication speak for themselves. My goal is not to impress you with words or showmanship, but to let my actions and achievements speak for themselves." There was a brief pause, and Ember''s eyes flickered up from the script to meet the audience''s gaze. It was only for a moment, but I could see a flicker of emotion in her eyes cold eyes¨Ca hint of something that she was trying to suppress. "I am grateful for the opportunity to study at Octagram Academy, and I look forward to working alongside all of you to achieve greatness in our chosen fields. Thank you." As Ember stepped away from the podium, the room erupted in apuse. Even though her speech had been delivered in her usual unemotional style, there was something about it that had resonated with the audience. I was still staring at the stage with a thoughtful expression. Watching Ember closely as she stepped away from the podium and talked to Lawrence, I wondered what they were discussing. But, the more pressing matter for me was not their discussion, but Ember herself. She was not in the novel, I''d never written anything about her, and she was not supposed the rank 1 on the entrance exam. And I also realized that even if I was writing about her, it was just that she was supposed to be dead or not existed throughout the story. Assuming by her appearance and her name, she was rted to the War Goddess, Nuria Crimson, the headmaster of this very academy. If I remembered correctly, I''d stated in the novel that Nuria''s only bloodline, her daughter was already dead in the story. Also, I was sure that Nuria''s daughter was not a youth the same age as the protagonist and the other main characters. So, this Ember Crimson was¡­ ''I don''t know¡­ But, for a person her caliber, there may be a lot of news about her online, right?'' The weing ceremony continued but only God know what it was about as I didn''t pay attention anymore. The next second I knew was that Lawrence finally ended the speeches and such, then announced that we were inquired to go to gather at the arena building. It was finally here, the best part of the Octagram Academy Weing Ceremony. Neophyte Nexus. Neophyte Nexus was a 1v1 battle event between the new students and their upperssmen, the second-year students. Each student was called upon randomly to challenge a senior to fight. If the new student emerged victorious, they were rewarded with advantageous merit points to start their first day in the academy. But if they were to lose, it was the senior that would reap the reward. The event was a highly anticipated tradition that served as a rite of passage for new students and a test of skill and determination for second-year students. In today''s match, Lux and the other two main characters would make their appearance, Leonardo Miguel and Seo Yeong-Ha. Those two were like a sidekick ofbat of the protagonist, ones that excelled in fighting. Arriving at the Horse realm, stood at the center of the octagonal area and was pitched by four training buildings where the entrance exam had been held was the great arena. As I approached it, I couldn''t help but feel awe-inspired by its grandeur. The exterior was made of gleaming white marble, with towering pirs lining the entrance. The futuristic touches were evident in the intricate metalwork that adorned the top of the pirs, forming beautiful patterns that seemed to glow in the sunlight. Entering the building, my eyes widened in wonder. The inside of the arena was even more impressive than the outside. The seating area was massive, with rows upon rows of cushioned seats stretching high up into the air. The seats were arranged on a steep incline, giving every spectator a clear view of the arena floor. Once arrived in the seating area, I noticed that the other side of the seating area across from me was already filled with people, each wearing a ck and blue uniform. ''They must be the second-year¡­'' That was obvious by looking at their uniform and the goal of this event. From this side seating area itself, many people were already taken a sit on thefortable chairs and cushions. I myself sat on the back row, the highest row judging by this arena seating area design. Usually, it would be hard to watch from this distance, but I was proud to say that my eyes were better than most. So the distance was not a problem for me. Moreover, with the closed rooftop that blocked out the sun''s rays. In its ce, was a massive disy screen hanging above right at the center. It was the kind of setup you''d see in an esports arena, allowing spectators to watch the action unfold from multiple angles. ''Not that it''s going to be used for this event, though. It''s usually for bigger and public events like festivals and the academy''s annual evaluation exhibition.'' Looking down at the arena, the floor was circr in shape, with arge open space in the center. The ground was made of polished ck stone, which seemed to shimmer in the light. The center of the arena was where the action happened. The tform was raised a meter high, and the tform''s floor was made of polished white concrete. It was reinforced with a wizard''s magic and other materialsing from the dungeon so it could withstand the battle of the students, especially ones who had explosive-stylebat. "Hello, students!" A voice rang out from the speakers ced on the corner, it was small but with amplifying sound magic, and the voice could be heard by everyone in the arena. After that voice, the screen hanging at the center was turned on and it showed a figure with fiery red hair just like Ember. Nuria Crimson. The hero of the first generation who fights alongside Garuda, she was titled War Goddess because of her epic victory on one against many in the first catastrophe. The second strongest hero after Garuda, but that wasn''t the case for this generation. Her face looked very simr to Ember, the only difference was that Nuria seemingly looked more ''alive'' than Ember. As for reminder, don''t get fooled by her rather young appearance. She was actually an old woman, almost sixty years old by now. But well, ages weren''t a significant matter for Enhanced as they could live for almost two hundred years. "I''m sure you all already know about me. But, let me introduce myself," she paused to clear her throat. "My name is Nuria Crimson. One of the Octagram heroes, as you all already know¡­" She continued to talk about the academy, its history, and the reason why the Octagram heroes decided to build an academy, all in a casual and friendly tone without minding her status as headmaster as well as the War Goddess. That was the kind of person Nuria Crimson was, talking formally would just leave a bad taste in her mouth. Eventually, the speech ended rather shorter than the one that Lawrence had in the auditorium. "First of all. For new students, you can check your student ID on your smartwatch that had been distributed. I hope you all wear it today¡­" I looked at my wrist, a Nova Watch was hugging my wrist tightly there. It was a good thing I didn''t forget this. To be frank, how could someone forget about a free Nova Watch? Checking my Nova Watch as per her instruction, a screen appeared. === ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom Student ID: 30-0911-03 Name: Zio Varrez ss: Lupus / First year Role: Striker Rank: 911 / 2000 == As soon as I looked at my student ID, I felt like my heartbeat was stopped for a second. The reason for that was because of the ss where I was ced. ''The Lupus ss¡­'' The Lupus ss. It wasn''t anything bad or what, it was just that it wasn''t the ss where Lux and the others were assigned to. Draco and Tigris were the sses that the other main characters were assigned to. Lux was in the Draco ss, and Leonardo was in the Tigris ss. It was only those two sses that I''d developed and know about. The Lupus ss though, I had no clue about this ss¡­ ''Ah. Damn! How am I supposed to prevent the future if the main cause of the story is separated from me?'' I clenched my fist until it turned white, but then I realized that the situation wasn''t that bad. ''Wait. It''d be better like this. If I was to be in the same ss as him and the others, I''m afraid that my presence there would ruin the progression of Lux''s rtionship with the other main characters except for Leonardo who was in a different ss¡­'' Yeah. I could still do things even if we were separated. And I didn''t need to be afraid of bumping into the main characters and ruining the story. The event that happened in the ss was lesser and smaller than the other, so if I was to ignore it. The flow would go ording to the story. It would lessen my burden. With that, I could focus on the bigger event that yed a crucial part in the future. For example, the event of choosing the club¡­ "Huu¡­ Well. It''s not like I can request a transfer ss¡­ " I would have to rethink my strategy. The n I had meticulously crafted for a month had been rendered useless by the harsh reality of the situation. Waking me up from my contemtion was a gasp and whisper from students around me. "If you''re dissatisfied with your cement ranking, then you better work hard and improve yourself. The ranking is updated every 3 or 4 months, precisely after the midterm and final exams per semester." Hearing that, the students who were previously gloomy and dejected were now brightened up. "Next, we''re moving on to the main event, a tradition, the Octagram academy''s rite of passage, Neophyte Nexus!" Chapter 29 Neophyte Nexus II ?As soon as Nuria said that, the crowd erupted in cheers and apuse, and I couldn''t help but feel a thrill of anticipation myself. "Let''s enjoy the show, everyone!" Beep¨C! The screen was turned off and left only with a ck screen. On the arena, someone was standing on the tform at the center of the arena, his voice echoing throughout the massive space. "Ladies and gentlemen, wee to the Neophyte Nexus!" The host began, his voice filled with excitement. "Today, we witness the sh of the greenhorn¨Cthe new students and the sophomore¨Cthe second-year students, in a 1v1 battle that will surely leave you on the edge of your seats." Cheers and apuses erupted again from the crowd, this time apanied by whistlings. "As you all know, the Neophyte Nexus is an opportunity for our new students to showcase their skills and prove themselves worthy of their ce in this prestigious academy. And for our second-year students, it''s a chance to show just how far they''vee and how much they''ve grown since their own Neophyte Nexus event." I watched as the second-year students across from me in their ck and blue uniforms stood up, their faces filled with determination and pride. "So, without further ado, let''s get this event started! I present to you, the Neophyte Nexus!" The host gestured grandly to the arena floor where he stood. The air was filled with the vibrant sounds of the academy''s anthem, as the instruments and melodies swirled together in perfect harmony. The second-year students and some of the new students stood up and sang the academy''s anthem solemnly. As for me, I just sat in my seat because I didn''t know the lyrics. Come to think of it, there was another piece of paper inside the package, maybe that was the lyrics I was supposed to remember and sing right now. After that, the host was back even with more excitement in his voice. "Ladies and gentlemen, that was our academy''s majestic anthem! A big round of apuse for the student who graced us with their vocals!" The crowd erupted in apuse and whistles. "Allow me to give you an overview of the Neophyte Nexus proceedings," the host said. "Today, we have eight matches scheduled, with each matchsting for 30 minutes. A random number will be selected, and if your ranking matches that number, you''ll have the opportunity to challenge and pick a senior to fight against." The host took a brief pause, scanning the crowd''s expressions. Seeing many confused faces among the new students, he continued. "Let''s start by picking a random number, shall we?" The screen flickered on, shuffling numbers until it stopped at ''70''. "The number is 70!" the host announced. He checked his Nova Watch and then said, "Rank 70, Josh Sanford, pleasee to the stage!" The crowd erupted in cheers and apuse. While the rank 70 students walked somewhat proudly to the arena, the host announced again that he would keep shuffling and picking numbers until there were 10 contestants. After a while, another 6 numbers were announced. Those numbers were picked in this order; ''332'', ''27'', ''1404'', ''4'', ''2'', and ''1''. The number 17 was Seo Yeong-Ha. Leonardo Miguel was number 4. The numbers 2 and 1 were Lux Virtus and Ember Crimson. "And¡­ here is ourst number!!" As the numbers were shuffled on the screen, everyone wore an expectant expression. When it finally stopped, my heart skipped a beat. "911!! Zio Varrez, pleasee to the stage!" ''Oh¡­'' Don''t get me wrong, while I was happy to have been picked, the thought of performing in front of everyone made me anxious. Nheless, I saw it as an opportunity to gain bonus merit on the first day, which could help me learn techniques and be stronger earlier than I had anticipated, I wish¡­ Unfortunately, I did not write about the other five fights since my focus was solely on Lux, Leonardo, and Seo Yeong-Ha''s fights. So, I was thinking¡­ Would this unwritten part have an impact on the story or not? I guess if I just stay low in my own fight, it would go ording to the story, right? But, if I was to stay low and choose a lower number than me, I wouldn''t get much merit from doing that. ''Oh well¡­anything for changing the ending¡­'' ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom Despite my uncertainty, I made my way to the arena, where Lux greeted me with a wide grin. "Zio Varrez!" "Lux. Hey." "It''s good to see you again!" "Haha¡­ Yeah." We talked about things that I considered necessary like how was life, and how was life, or how was life¡­just kidding, it was Lux who drove the conversation, I was on the passive side. While we talked, the first match of Neophyte Nexus started. It was between the rank 70 of the first year against the rank 90 of the second year, I guess he was ying safe to pick the number lower than him. But, I thought that if he wanted, he could just go for rank 50. Our second-year seniors were not that good¡­maybe. Looking at both fighters on the arena stage, I used my irvoyance to get their information though it wasn''t that much. Only the name, gender, and race. Both of them used a sword, but their stances were different. Narrowing my eyes, I could more or less guess that the first year would emerge victorious based on the way he held his sword and his stance. But, a battle wasn''t only determined by only that, the technique and experience also yed a part. Eight minutester, the result was just as I expected, the first year won against his senior. It was not an easy victory though, but still, a win is a win. The next battle was the rank 332¡­ she lost to the rank 400 of the second year. Next, number 27, was a girl with straight chestnut hair that fell down to her shoulders, her dark green eyes were ring in the direction where the second-year students were seated. Her grin was visible on her face while her pale white hands were on her hips, doing a little stretch. She was Seo Yeong-Ha. Although, her appearance was not what I expected her to be. She looked too ''soft'' and ''clean'' for someone who liked to fight and studied hard in martial art. But, well, though I must admit that she was prettier than I expected. "Student Seo Yeong-Ha. Please choose your weapon from this box first, then nominate a number ranging from 1 to 100," said the host. Seo Yeong-Ha shook her head. "My martial art only needs my fist and feet." "Hoho. Of course, of course. Then, who will you nominate for Neohpyte Nexus?" Taking the mic from the host''s hand, Seo Yeong-Ha shouted confidently. Her voice echoed in the building. "Rank 14!" "Second-year students, rank 14, Baek Jin! Pleasee to the stage!" Baek Jin was Seo Yeong-Ha''s childhood friend and her ssmate in her uncle''s martial art school. He was a genius in martial art thanks to his trait [Martial Aptitude] that made him could learn any martial arts moves as if nothing. Sword art, fist art, palm art, etc. he could learn then master in a short time which usually needed years or even decades for most martial artists to master. He was an overpowered character, even stronger than the protagonist. But even so, he wouldn''t make it past 25 years old. The reason why Seo Yeong-Ha choose him was that she was a verypetitive person. After so many years together, from ying to learning martial art together, she was always inferior to him in many aspects. Eventually, she considered Baek Jin as a rival. "Haa¡­" My sigh was left unnoticed by Lux who sat beside me. "Zio? What are you thinking?" "Hmm? Nothing. I just feel bored, it''d be a long time before my turn¡­" "Oh! So you''re eager to fight too? I never noticed you to be that kind of person, honestly." "Is it because I was talking to a cat?" I smirked. "Uhh¡­" Lux scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. And that was how you did it, everyone. That was how you ended a conversation! Looking back at the stage, a teenager around my age¨Cmaybe one year older than me was standing on the stage face to face with Seo Yeong-Ha. Both of them didn''t use any weapon but their bare hands. ''Baek Jin¡­'' His name rang in my head. As far as I remember, he was supposed to be a viin in the future due to a brainwashing ability. Because of that, Lux had to kill him, and when he did, the conflict between him and Seo Yeong-Ha woulde to the surface. It was one of the events that marked the downfall of the story, where everything became uncontroble, and everything that Lux had built up from the start was falling apart. The demon invasion, the heroes-viins war, and Lux''s rtionship decline, that all was happening at once at the same time. Knowing that information, I considered Baek Jin as a key to preventing or at least lessening the damage in the third catastrophe. ''Either I kill him or find the culprit that will brainwash him¡­'' By this far, I had found four keys that would lead me to a better ending. Jin, Bell, Specter, and Baek Jin. ''As soon as this is finished, I will make a n and alternatives immediately¡­'' But before that, let''s watch Seo Yeong-Ha vs Baek Jin fight first, shall we? Personally, I was curious about their martial arts, maybe I could learn it too? Both of them were standing still on the stage, and when I looked carefully, they seemed like they were talking. I wonder what were they talking about¡­ Chapter 30 Neophyte Nexus III ?Seo Yeong-Ha red at Baek Jin who was standing a few paces away from her and asked. "Are you underestimating me, Jin?" "What do you mean?" Baek Jin replied, flexing his fist and stretching his body. "Use your sword!" Seo Yeong-Ha insisted. "Don''t wanna," Baek Jin replied while massaging his neck. A crisp cracking sound could be heard as he did so, suggesting his body was stiff from sitting too long. Gritting her teeth, Seo Yeong-Ha clenched her fist so tightly that her palm turned pale, revealing the intensity of her frustration and annoyance. "You will regret this, Jin!" "I won''t," Baek Jin smirked. Seo Yeong-Ha and Baek Jin faced each other, standing a few feet apart. The tension between them was palpable, as they each prepared to enter their martial art stances. Seo Yeong-Ha''s body was taut and her gaze was fixed on Baek Jin. She raised her arms and assumed a fist art stance, her fists clenched tightly as she coiled her energy, ready to strike. Baek Jin''s stance was different, his arms loose and rxed at his sides, with his palms facing outward. He possessed the palm art, and his stance reflected his style, emphasizing fluidity and open-handed techniques. Then, came the signal from the referee that indicated the start of the round. "Both fighters are ready!" A moment of pause was deliberately created to increase tension between Seo Yeong-Ha and Baek Jin. "Start!" Although the referee had signaled the start, both of them were refusing to move immediately. Instead, for a moment, they stood in silence, each assessing the other, waiting for the right moment to make the first move. Then, without warning, Seo Yeong-Ha dashed forward andunched a lightning-fast jab with her right fist, aiming for Baek Jin''s midsection. Baen Jin deftly sidestepped the attack, his movement smooth and fluid as he pivoted on his left foot and countered with a sweeping palm strike aimed at Seo Yeong-Ha''s temple. Seo Yeong-Ha ducked just in time, and the strike missed her by inches. "After all these years, you''re still slow, Yasaeng." "Don''t call me that!" The fight continued relentlessly. They both knew that they were evenly matched, and the tension in the air continued to mount as they each sought to gain the upper hand in the fight. Outside the arena stage, a couple of students were watching the fight, each with fascinated expression. "They''re evenly matched." The white-haired boy¨CLux said as he focused on each of the fighters'' movements. Then, a snorting sound was hearding from behind him. "Even blind people can see that they''re matched. You''re stating the obvious, genius," said the voice, there was a little sarcasm included. Lux, as well as Zio who stood beside him, turned around to face the source of the unfamiliar voice, a tall boy with blond hair and an annoyed grin on his face. Zio''s eyebrows raised in recognition of that person. ''Leonardo Miguel,'' he said inwardly. "Uhh. Who are you?" Leonardo''s eyebrows twitched the moment he heard an unbelievable from Lux''s mouth. His face looked in disbelief as if it was telling Lux a ''Are you for real?'' question. "Really? You don''t know who I am?" p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® A pang of annoyance was shown in his voice. "No. Sorry." Leonardo spitted on the ground and stepped forward, trying to domineer Lux by height difference, but it just didn''t work. Because he was barely higher than Lux, like 7cm higher. "Tch. Did you just leave a cave or something?" Did not want to lose, Lux straightened his body and challenged Leonardo. His eyes were narrowed but his face still keptposure. "What is your problem?" Leonardo chuckled at Lux''s response, finding his bravery amusing. "My problem is that you''re stating the obvious, and I don''t like obvious things." Zio rolled his eyes at Leonardo''s response, knowing that he was just trying to provoke Lux. He decided to ignore them and focused on Seo Yeong-Ha and Baek Jin. ''Let''s just ignore them, it''s not worth my time to join in their argue¡­'' Back to the arena stage. The seemingly even match before had now turned in Baek Jin''s favor. Every blow exchange made Seo Yeong-Ha breathe for air, she was suffocated by her own movement that was being parried and countered by Baek Jin''s technique. Eventually, Seo Yeong-Ha backed up a few paces away to recuperate. But, Baek Jin didn''t want to let her rest, he kept pressing Seo Yeong-Ha. Baek Jin was determined to seize the opportunity and not let Seo Yeong-Ha recover. He knew that every second she had to catch her breath was a chance for her to gather her strength ande back stronger. Baek Jin charged forward,unching a series of quick and powerful strikes aimed at Seo Yeong-Ha''s head and torso. Seo Yeong-Ha tried to dodge and block the attacks, but she was unable to keep up with Baek Jin''s speed and agility. Seo Yeong-Ha felt the impact of the blows as theynded, and she knew that she couldn''t keep taking hits like this. She needed to find a way to turn the tide of the fight in her favor. With a burst of energy, Seo Yeong-Haunched herself forward, surprising Baek Jin with her sudden movement. She aimed a powerful kick at his side, hoping to catch him off guard and knock him off bnce. Baek Jin was quick to react, however. He blocked the kick with his forearm, then used his other hand to strike Seo Yeong-Ha''s temple with a lightning-fast palm strike. Seo Yeong-Ha stumbled back, her head spinning from the blow. She knew that she was in trouble and that she needed to find a way to turn things around quickly if she wanted to win the fight. ¡ª "Finish her, Baek Jin!!" ¡ª "Show our junior what we made of!" The second-year students were shouting as the fight got more intense. ¡ª "You can do it, Seo Yeong-Ha!! ¡ª "Don''t lose!!" Even the first-year students, whether they know Seo Yeong-Ha or not, everyone was cheering for her. It was a battle of pride, after all. "Looks like you need more training, Yasaeng." "Shut up, Jin. I''m trying here¡­" Gathering her strength, Seo Yeong-Ha charged forward once again, a surge of hot ki gathered around her. Baek Jin''s eyes widened as he noticed the hot ki around Seo Yeong-Ha, but he didn''t flinch. "I take my word back. You''re a real monster yourself too, Yeong. But, that''s not enough¡­" Baek Jin prepared his own firm stance, his left hand stretched forward with his palm facing outward while his right palm was ready to strike after a sessful counter. "Take this if you can, Jin!" Hot steam billowed from Seo Yeong-Ha''s fist as she prepared to strike Baek Jin with her ultimate technique. But, unknowingly to her, Baek Jinunched himself forward, meeting Seo Yeong-Ha''s fist with his palm. "Wha¡ª?!" "Do you think I''ll let you use the Formless Fist?" With his palm, Baek Jin''s sessfully stopped Seo Yeong-Ha''s technique before she could release it, the Formless Fist. "Sleep well, Yasaeng." Baek Jin executed the Dragon Palm Strike, hitting Seo Yeong-Ha with a powerful whipping motion that connected with the base of his palm and fingers. The strike was aimed at her stomach, and the impact was so powerful that Seo Yeong-Ha lost consciousness immediately. The spectators fell silent as they watched her lie there motionless. Then, when it was confirmed that Seo Yeong-Ha couldn''t continue the fight, the referee announced Baek Jin as the winner. "Baek Jin, rank 14 of the second year has won against Seo Yeong-Ha, rank 27 of the first year!" The audience, mostly the second-year students erupted in cheers and apuse as Baek Jin stood victorious in the center of the arena. The medical teams brought Seo Yeong-Ha to the treatment room, she was unconscious but her life was not in danger. With Baek Jin''s proficiency in executing the Dragon Palm Strike, he had made sure that it won''t injure Seo Yeong-Ha badly. As Baek Jin walked off the stage, he passed by the first-year students which were Lux, Zio, Leonardo, Ember, and the rank 1404th. "Good luck, guys," said Baek Jin as he grinned. Among the five first-year students, only Lux bowed toward Baek Jin as he thanked him for the good luck. Ember and Zio ignored him, their attention was somewhere. Leonardo clenched his fist as he gritted his teeth and then spitted on the ground. Meanwhile, the rank 1404th was trembling nervously. Neophyte Nexus continued to the next round. The rank 1404th had picked the number 1666th and he emerged as the victor of the showdown. ''Two wins for the first year, and two wins for the second year¡­'' Zio''s mind was in absolute focus as tried to recall what would happen in Neophyte Nexus next. ''The first year will have another two points from Lux and Leonardo,'' Zio thought, then his eyes drifted to Ember. ''Might be three points if she could win.'' As he contemted, suddenly, Leonardo brushed over him. He walked to the stage as his name was called. "Get out of the way," Leonardo said, irritatedly. Looking at him, Zio couldn''t help but shake his head. ''I wonder why I didn''t make Lux punch him in the face in the novel¡­ Now that I experienced it first hand, his personality is really annoying.'' Chapter 31 Neophyte Nexus IV ?The entire stage was covered in fierce aura forceing from Leonardo''s body, even when stood outside or even up at the seating area, everyone could feel the intense pressure of the aura. "Cyclone sh!!" With a swing of his scythe, he unleashed the Cyclone sh, whichbined multiple smaller aura waves into a massive cyclone that left a trail of destruction on the stage as it headed toward the second-year student. Upon seeing that, I couldn''t help but be mesmerized by Leonardo''s power. Sure he was a jerk, but no one could underestimate his destructive power, he was one of the many heroes whose destructive power was on par with the higher rank heroes in the future when he was just graduated from the academy. Unable to defend himself from the Cyclone sh, the second-year student desperately activated his magic barrier, hoping it could reduce the damage. The result was as he had hoped, even though the final damage still left him unable to continue the fight. "Leonardo Miguel, ranked 4th of the first year, has won against Daniel Hugo, ranked 2nd of the second year!" The crowd erupted in cheers and apuse in unison, making a rumbling sound. I could feel the ground below me shaking slightly as people''s cheers were roaring in the air. The result was as expected, Leonardo won against the 2nd rank just as I remembered. It was not like the senior was weak, but it was just Leonardo who was too strong. Savoring his victory, Leonardo puffed his chest and arrogantly walked off from the stage. Passing by between me and Lux just like he did when he went to the stage. "That''s how you do it, genius." He disappeared into the tunnel while flexing his sore muscle. "Now I know why he has that kind of attitude," said Lux. I peeked at him, curious. His face was as bright and positive, there was no resentment or hate behind his expression, Lux was genuinely saying that as apliment, not a mockery. "Arrogant, overconfident. He''s used to winning all the time. That''s why he acts like he''s the best." He continued, this time he was looking at me as if asking for my opinion. I ignored him at first, but when he finally asked for my opinion directly, I answered. "He''s a jerk. But, yeah, just like you said, he was born with a golden spoon in his mouth. Talented and full of resources, though I''d like it if he was a bit more humble." It was not out of the realm of possibility, he''d have a lot of character development, from a jerk and arrogant person to a respectable and well still arrogant person. Lux nodded at my response and added, "Same here." "But in this world, it''s the strong who get ahead. Sitting on top of the world. That''s just the way it is." Lux''sment about the strong sitting on top of the world touched on a fundamental truth of this world. There existed an invisible societal system that favored those with strength and power. The powerful and talented were given opportunities, while the weak were left to struggle. This system simply appeared after the second catastrophe. People with power started to be arrogant and just decided to build their own group called a guild. Although there was exist thousand of guilds, the central power of the world was still held by the Hero Association which was built by the first generation of heroes, Omega. The power the Omega had was superior that not even the power of 8 heaven realm guildsbined could mess with. This societal system was especially evident in the Omega ranking system, which determined one''s position and status in society based on theirbat ability. Those who held high rankings were showered with wealth, prestige, and opportunity, while those with low rankings were ignored. This system was also reflected in many of the world''s top academies, which only epted students with exceptional abilities or resources. Those whocked such abilities and resources were left to fend for themselves, with little hope of achieving sess or reaching the top. While this system may seem unjust and cruel, it was simply the way of the world. Those who were able to rise to the top and maintain their position did so through sheer willpower and determination. The weak, on the other hand, were simply left to fall by the wayside. "Let''s get on the next round of Neohpyte Nexus!" The host''s voice brought me back to reality along with the cheers of students in the seating area. The next one to fight was Lux. He was using a long sword, already standing on the stage as he thought about his opponent. Obviously, he was going to go for the first rank of the second year! At least, that was what I thought and hoped. But, he betrayed my expectation by choosing another number. "I want to challenge the number three!" Why did he challenge the third-ranked and not the first-ranked? It was not supposed to be like this. Just what was wrong? What caused this? Is it because Ember was ranked first and not Lux? Was Lux''s decision to choose the third-ranked because his equal number was already picked by Leonardo? Even so, why didn''t he just pick the number one just as in the novel? Fvck Lux and his upright and fair personality! Don''t get me wrong, the reason why I wanted him to fight the first-ranked second-year was that the fight was gonna be epic. It was a close fight that ended up in Lux''s favor as the fight continue, the first fight was where Lux was going all out with his power because after that everything was too easy for the protagonist until the demon''s appearance. ''Ah shit! This is the only chance I could witness him fighting with all of his power early so I could study his technique, the Fluorescent Moonlight!'' *** Lux took a deep breath as he walked forward, where his senior, a renowned swordsman, was standing a few paces away in front of him. He bowed respectfully and greeted him, for formality. "Good day to you, Senior. I humbly request your guidance in our match today," Lux said, his eyes focused and determined. "Of course, Junior. I''m happy to help. Although, you look like someone who doesn''t need advice. Let''s both do our best and learn from each other from this NN." There was a strong German ent in his voice. Lux nodded. He unsheathed his sword and assumed his stance, waiting for his senior to make the first move. The two warriors faced each other, the tension palpable in the air. The senior was using a sword each in his hands, a dual sword user if you''d like to call him. Upon seeing the senior''s weapon, Zio''s eyes widened in surprise that he would find a dual-sword user among the second-year students. ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom That senior was someone who Zio never mentioned and remembered, so the surprise was genuine for him. Curious, he used irvoyance on the senior. [Name: Nix Schwartz (Male sign) Age: 18 Race: Human] ''Nix Schwartz? That''s the name I''ve never heard before¡­'' Despite his doubts, Zio couldn''t help but be curious about the brand-new introduced character that he had never known. Of course, this one was a weing introduction of character rather than when with the appearance of Ember who suddenly took over Lux''s position for the rank 1 of the first-year student. Not that he hated Ember for it, rather, he was worried about what might the future hold after Ember''s appearance which seemed like a big change from what he known. Different from Nix whose appearance might slightly or even not affect anything in the future. But, in the end, it was just what Zio thought about the things he believed. Back to the stage arena, the two fighters fought evenly. They both were the type that relied on agility and speed. For a dual-sword user, those two aspects were important because they had to bnce the weight and momentum of both swords. Lux was agile and quick, but Nix was not far behind. The senior swordsman was able to match Lux''s movements and even anticipate his attacks. Lux and Nix exchanged blows, their swords nging against each other in a rhythmic dance. Sweat dripped down their faces as they moved with grace and precision. Lux was impressed by Nix''s skill, and he knew that he had to give it his all to win. Suddenly, Lux''s speed increased as he rained down Nix with a series of strikes that appear as if he was dancing with the sword. Each strike was precise and calcted despite its shy style of attack, aimed at different angles and parts of Nix''s body. Did not want to lose to his junior, Nix gripped both his sword tightly, blocking and parrying every iing attack aimed at his weak point. At that moment, Zio noticed the glow on Lux''s sword. He looked carefully and then found out that it was not because of the mana-coating technique he had used back in the entrance exam. ''If it''s not the mana coating, then it must be that. Fluorescent Moonlight swordsmanship!'' Chapter 32 Neophyte Nexus V ?[Techniques] Name: Fluorescent Moonlight Rank: 4 stars Description: A swordsmanship created by Grace Gaghan. This technique is characterized by its precise, swift, and graceful movements, resulting in dazzling sword strikes that resemble beams of moonlight shing in the darkness. The swordsmanship involves lightning-fast strikes, quick transitions between offense and defense, and the ability to attack from unexpected angles, keeping the opponent off-bnce. === Lux moved with remarkable speed and finesse, his strikes resembling shes of moonlight. He weaved in and out of Nix''s counterattack attempts with graceful footwork, evading each strike with impable timing. His swordsmanship was a symphony of dazzling movements,bining offensive and defensive maneuvers seamlessly. Just a while ago, it was Lux who rained down Nix with his swordsmanship but the situation was reversed now. With the swords each in his hands, Nix went off offensive this time after sessfully escaping from Lux''s flurry of strikes. But, even though Lux was rained down by a flurry of strikes from Nix, he was able to evade it rather easily and counterattacked when he have a chance. Lux''s movements were a mesmerizing disy of swordsmanship, incorporating spins, feints, and swift changes in direction. His strikes were like beams of moonlight, each onending with pinpoint uracy, ones that could create a dazzling spectacle if he was fighting when being showered by the moonlight. "Kugh!" Nix groaned. With each passing moment, the tides had turned in Lux''s favor once again. Chipping away at Nix''s defense with a barrage of precise strikes, he seamlessly transitioned from offense to defense, always staying one step ahead of his opponent. "You''ve been a great opponent, Senior. But, I''m afraid I need to end this now!" Struggling to keep up with Lux''s attack, Nix forced a smile as he responded to Lux''s words. "I never thought you''d be this strong, Junior." They broke off the shing and stepped a few paces back, keeping the distance for a seemingly to go for a finishing move. "Then, let''s end this match with this final move¡­ Here Ie, Junior!" Lux smiled as he spun the hilt of his sword and grabbed it again. Then, he rushed forward. p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® In their final, decisive move, Lux unleashed a flurry of strikes with blinding speed and precision, even faster and more precise than before. The glow on his sword was increasing that it was now vividly visible to the audience''s eyes. ¡ª "His sword is glowing!" ¡ª "His swordsmanship beautiful¡­" Cheers and screams came from the female students, either from the second-year students or the first year. They were all cheering for him, somehow making a chant. ¡ª "A beautiful swordsmanship is being used by a handsome swordsman!" The male students rolled their eyes, annoyedly and jealous. Lux''s techniques and overallbat skills proved to be superior to his senior as he overwhelmed Nix. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Nix redoubled his efforts for the final move. He backstepped and cross-shed his dual sword, making a cross-mana sh thatunched forward. However, Lux sidestepped gracefully and reached for Nix then attacked him from unexpected angles with blinding speed. ng¡ª! Nix was disarmed from his weapons and a pointy de was hanging before his eyes. "I yield," he said, smiling as his hands were raised, gesturing that he gave up the match. ¡ª WOOOOOOOOOO!!! The arena rumbled as cheers and apuse roared. Lux lowered his sword and offered Nix a hand in sportsmanship. Nix, without feeling disappointed over his defeat, epted the gesture with respect and a friendly smile, acknowledging Lux''s superior skill even though he was his junior. "I had a hunch¡­ that your ss would be the golden generation of this academy," said Nix. As they left the stage, Lux was greeted by the adoring cheers of the female students, who praised his swordsmanship and also admired his handsome appearance. Lux, though felt ufortable, graciously epted theirpliments, but remained humble, knowing that his victory was thanks to his mentor''s teaching and his dedication to his craft. Waiting for them outside the stage were two people, one was a female student with fiery red flowing hair, her face was stunning and bewitching even though her whole expression was cold, unapproachable, telling anyone to note near her. The other was a male student with jet-ck hair, with eye color the same as his hair but it was darker, looking much more like an endless void if someone was to stare at it for too long. His appearance could be categorized in a list of ''Handsome students in the academy'', overall he did not fell behind in terms of handsomeness from Lux. "That was a nice swordsmanship you disyed there, thanks!" "I''m not sure why you are thanking me¡­ But, thanks for thepliment, to tell you the truth, I haven''t achievedplete mastery in my swordsmanship yet." Nix who overheard it turned around and look back at Lux with a grin. "Oh? So that''s not your full power?" "That was my limit for now, senior." "Haha! I see, I see. Knowing that¡­ I''d like to have a rematch sometime when you''re already passed your limit." Nix said with a light chuckle as he walked toward the tunnel with a waving hand. "Then, good luck to you Zio," Lux said, pausing a moment to take a look in the red-haired girl''s direction. "You too, Ember. Good luck with your match." There was no responseing from her. Her silence made the two boys wonder if she listening or not. Sighing, Lux walked toward the tunnel and disappeared from Zio''s sight. There were only Zio and Ember left in the arena, waiting for their turns in the Neophyte Nexus. Obviously, the next match was Ember''s. As her name was announced by the host, she gracefully strode towards the stage and picked up a sword with a unique de design. The de appeared to be connected by a series of thin wires, resembling a whip with intricate detailing. As her name was called out by the host, she moved with fluidity and grace toward the stage. Her eyes were still the same, cold and seemed hollow, as she reached out for the weapon of her choice - a sword with a de that immediately caught everyone''s attention. The de was unlike any other, with an intricate design that seemed to defy convention. It appeared to beposed of a series of razor-thin wires, intricately woven together, resembling a whip frozen in time. The wires glinted in the light, giving the impression of a deadly, flexible weapon that could strike with swift and precise movements. It was a sight to behold, and as she lifted the sword, the audience held their breath in anticipation, eager to witness the mastery with which she would wield this extraordinary weapon. With a confident grip on the hilt, she gave the sword a practiced swing. The de sliced through the air with a mesmerizing whistle, leaving a trail of gleaming arcs in its wake. The whip-like de seemed to have a life of its own, moving with a sinuous grace that was both mesmerizing and awe-inspiring. The audience was captivated by the disy, their eyes fixed on the dazzling spectacle before them. Each swing of the whip de created a mesmerizing disy of movement, with the wires of the de tracing intricate patterns in the air. The subtle shifts in her stance, the flicks of her wrist, and the mastery with which she manipted the weapon, that sheer artistry of her swordy was a sight to behold, leaving the audience entranced and in awe of her skill. She stopped swinging the sword with a flick of her wrist, the whip de retracting smoothly into its hilt. Her expression remained unchanged, the cold and unapproachable demeanor still intact With an air of nonchnce, she sheathed the sword and turned to face the host. "Number 1." She said suddenly, leaving the host confused for a moment before he realized that he was in a dazzle because of her performance. Turning around to face the big audience sitting on the bleachers, the host announced. "Second-year student, rank 1, Noah Alfonso! Pleasee to the stage!" The crowd was excited, cheers erupted as they heard that it would be a battle between rank 1. The first rank of the second-year student, Noah Alfonso, unlike the previous second-year students who were normally walking to the stage. He was making an entrance by jumping from his seat andnding on the stage cooly. The crowd was left in awe by his entrance, whistles and cheers were directed at him for doing that. But, Ember was still with unchanging expression, not a single reactioning out from her. With a wink as Noah stood up, he smiled flirtatiously at Ember. "Hello there, Ember. I''m Noah Alfonso, pleased to make your acquaintance." Zio who overheard him talking like that had his eyes rolled and his face buried in his palm. ''Ah. Herees the womanizer¡­the very character that openly flirts with every girl he stumbles upon¡­the one who ys a role as aic relief character. One of my favorite characters I''d created¡­'' "But, why do I feel embarrassed?'' Chapter 33 Neophyte Nexus VI ?Noah Alfonso was a character I created to bringedy into the story, though he was antagonizing Lux because girls were flocking to him. But, in the end, he was the only one who lived longer together with Lux in a world where humanity had perished. He''d bring joy in a world of nothing, the only source of Lux''s sanity after losing all hisrades and friends. Although, it would be long to see the better of him¡­ for now, he was still irrelevant to the story. ''Unless I interfered, that is¡­'' On the stage, two students faced each other. One maintained a stoic, deadpan expression, while the other exhibited mboyant agility, evading the whip de''s swings with ease. Despite Noah''s seemingly irrelevant role in the story, his fighting prowess was not to be underestimated. He skillfully dodged each of Ember''s whip de strikes, effortlessly juggling his spear with yful finesse. As for the whip de itself, while it had appeared impressive during Ember''s earlier practice, its limitations were bing apparent. Noah''s mobility outmatched the whip de''s reach, making it ineffective in this fight. Observing Ember''s unchanged expression, a slight grin escaped me. "Now, what will you do?" Crackle! The fire ignited, enveloping the de of Ember''s weapon in mes. "Wow!" Upon closer inspection, it appeared more like a whip me than a whip de now. It was not only me who was in awe, the audience, and even Noah who fought as her opponent too. When I look at them, Noah was seemingly saying something to Ember. Upon seeing him wink, I more or less could guess what he was saying, probably thing like, ''Whoa, not only does your face capture my heart, but your me also seems to ignite my passion for you.'' Don''t ask me where I knew that because it was obviously his pickup line for every girl he saw. I just adjusted thest few lines to match the subject he was trying to flirt to. Then, the battle continued¡­ With the whip me in Ember''s hand, the fight had decidedly shifted in her favor. The mes on her weapon traced the de swing with fierce, almost sentient movements as if the me itself had a mind of its own. Noah''s earlier yful demeanor had faded, reced by a sense of urgency as he struggled to keep up with Ember''s relentless attacks. Despite wielding a spear, a weapon that offered some defensive advantage, Noah found himself on the back foot. Ember''s me was unlike anything he probably had ever encountered, moving unpredictably and catching him off guard. Her movements were calcted and swift and her me seemed to dance effortlessly around his defenses, singeing his clothes and pushing him to the brink. As the fight wore on, the audience was captivated by Ember''s skillful maniption of the whip me. The heat radiating from the zing whip created an aura of danger and excitement, while Noah''s spear shes with the fiery whip seemed increasingly desperate and futile. Then, Ember''s whip de covered in me whirled upwards, coiling like a dragon, leaving me and the audience in awe. "Oh, damn¡­" p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® I was impressed, also the audience, and even the host who usually stayed silent in a fight reflexively shouted into his mic. "OH MY!! WHAT IS THAT?! A DRAGON?!!" Just as the host said, Ember''s me at the end of her de shifted wildly, taking on the shape of a dragon''s head. The crowd gasped in awe, and cheers followed after that. Starting with a small burst of fire from the dragon''s head, then the fire that resembled the dragon''s head devoured Noah. At that moment, people were surprised. If someone was engulfed in me like that, surely they would die, right? But, they need not worry. As stated by Nuria in one of her interviews that I found in the inte just now; her granddaughter, Ember''s me power was the same as her. The me that if the user had high mastery over it, they could control all of the fire''s aspect such as heat and me control. If that statement by Nuria was true, then those mes could be harmless. Though without the information I got, the me wouldn''t kill Noah because why would she kill him? It was an act of crime if she was to do that. Moreover, if she was really going to kill him, the match would have been stopped by Nuria herself. After what seemingly ten seconds, the me disappeared into the thin air, revealing Noah who was sitting on the ground dumbfoundedly. He was fine, there was no visible burn or any physical injuries, though there might be some mental damage. With that, the host announced the winner of the match. "As expected of the granddaughter of the War Goddess herself!" As the host said those lines, I could see Ember clicking her tongue. "I hereby announce the winner of Neophyte Nexus round 7! Ember Crimson!" The crowd erupted in cheers, filling out the arena. Despite my doubt of her uncertainty about Ember''s existence, I couldn''t help but admit her prowess. I thought that, maybe, with her existence which I had no knowledge about it. Altering the ending, and probably preventing the demon''s invasionpletely wouldn''t be impossible. After all, if there was a young Nuria that existed, I''d be d to have her by my side. The potential she had too, might surpass Nuria Crimson herself. ''If Nuria Crimson is the War Goddess. Then, Ember Crimson could be the War Goddess II!" Sorry for my naming sense, I just had no idea what to call her because it was still too early to give her a nickname. But, didn''t War Goddess II sound cool? Or maybe War Goddess 2.0! As I was trapped in my ''giving people nicknames'' world, a shadow was looming in my head, covering me from the light. "Huh?" There was a pair of shoes in my vision which was looking at the floor. When I traced it upward, Ember was standing in front of me, with a never-changing expression, still that deadpan and cold face. "Oh. Do you need something from me?" "Take this." Looking at her hand, there was a crescent-shaped earring gently lying on her palm. Though I was confused and wondering why she gave me this, I picked the earring from her anyway. "That will protect you from a mental-based attack." Mental-based attack¡­ was a type of attack or skill that was hard to prevent. It affected the mind or mental state of the target. Unlike the physical attack which could be defended by either dodging, blocking, etc. the mental-based attack was impossible to defend unless with a skill or having a resilient mental state. Though it was strong, it could be useless when used against a high-ranking Enhanced as most of them had a resilient mental state. That was the case if it was a normal mental-based attack, but what if there existed a higher rank of that attack type? Obviously, it would overwhelm even those high-ranking Enhanced with great mental state. In fact, because mental-based attacks were stronger than physical ones, the chance of someone possessing it was very low, like 1:100000000. Unless, of course, for the demons. All of them had at least one type of mental-based attack. Putting that aside, why did Ember give me this out of the blue? And what did she mean by this would protect me from a mental-based attack? I wouldn''t mind if we knew each other, but we wereplete strangers. Hell, we had never even talked before, so why? ''Why would you give me this?'' She stared at me for a moment before walking passed me. One step, two steps, and in her third step, she paused and spoke in a low voice that could be heard only by me. "The demons." "!!!" My heart skipped a beat as soon as I heard the word ''demon''. Moreover, it wasing from the very character I did not know about. As surprised as I was, I didn''t make it obvious to her or everyone watching us from the bleachers. I tried to stay calm, enjoying the clean air. Ember was already disappeared into the tunnels, and with that, I couldn''t question her anymore about what she just said. A demon? Here? In the Neophyte Nexus? There was no way it was true¡­ Recalling everything that had happened since I came here, I shook my head. ''Sh!t¡­stop thinking about the original story¡­'' Yeah, the only thing I needed to do was to ignore the storyline. I did not need to remember everything and hope that the world would proceed the same as I remembered. Just use it as a reference, as a piece of information, and as knowledge, but don''t follow it blindly. "Huu¡­" Looking at the earring in my palm, I was left confused. The earring had a shape of a crescent, and in the middle of it was a little star. I didn''t know about the material used for this earring, it was dark and sturdy¡­ "What am I supposed to do with this earring?" Judging by her personality, Ember might want to have it back after this match so I put it inside my chest pocket. Hearing the host announce my name, I walked up to the stage. "Rank 911 of the first-year student, Zio Varrez! Pleasee to the stage!" Chapter 34 Revelation ?As I came to the stage, the host directed me to the weapon box. I took two daggers from it and traced my finger on the de. Taking notice that the de was a bit dull, I wondered if the other weapons the previous fighters were using also had a dull des. Well, the purpose of this event wasn''t to kill your opponent, so a dull dagger would suffice. "Is that your weapon of choice?" said the host. "Yes," I nodded. Yes, dual daggers were enough. To be honest, I was better in using dual daggers rather than dual swords. The reason for that was that the dagger was lighter and smaller than the sword. Even though my range of attack would be reduced, it was better than having my weapons stuck to each other, hindering my movements. Satisfied, I scanned the bleachers where fellow students were seated. ''Which number should I pick?'' Then, suddenly, I heard noises in my head, interrupting my thoughts. I couldn''t make out the words at first, but the voice grew clearer with each passing moment. p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® ''Pick me,'' it said. But I wasn''t sure what it meant. Did the owner of the voice want me to choose their number? If so, why didn''t they mention which number they had? Then, a faint glow emanated from my chest pocket, catching my attention. The earring... It was faintly glowing. Could it be true? Was there really a demon among us, as Ember had told me? Was the voice in my heading from the demon? Thinking about it just left me with another series of questions like how did Ember know that there was a demon? By demon, did she refer to a demonic human or a real demon? If it was the former, how did she know about their mental-based power? But, if it was thetter, how did she even know about the real demon in the first ce when everyone else did not? Ah no, she might know about that if she was Nuria''s granddaughter, with all those authorities over top information¡­ I wasn''t sure. If only I knew their rank number... "Have you decided who you will challenge?" the host''s voice interrupted my thoughts, bringing me back to the present moment. "The number range for me is from 1000 to 500, right?" "That''s right. So, which number will you choose?" "Then, I want to challenge number 666." "Very well," the host nodded. The host turned around, facing the second-year students'' seating area. "Rank 666 of the second-year students, Julian Klein! Pleasee to the stage!" Rank 666, there were no other numbers that often associated with a demon other than this, right? It was purely my guess. If I was lucky, I might find this demon hiding in the academy who might also be the one that brainwashed Baek Jin. If not, well, I had nothing to lose by choosing a higher rank than mine. But, after giving it a second thought, shouldn''t the demon have a higher cement? Considering their proud nature. Oh well, maybe this one was an ashamed, outcast demon. And after giving it another thought, if the number I picked turned out to be the demon¡­ ''Can I defeat them?'' In the incident in the sh dungeon, I was able to kill that Minion because I had Retro in my hand. But now, I only had two dull daggers in my arsenal. Could I defeat them? Shaking my head, I pushed the useless thought away from my mind. There was no use to think about it. After all, this was Neophyte Nexus, no need to get too serious. No one would die here, anyway. If I won, I got merit points. If I lose, he got them instead. As simple as that¡­ Walking up to the stage was a guy with a slim build. Ruffling his brown hair as he walked, there were ck lines under his eyes, and when he smiled, it looked creepy as hell. Using my irvoyance, my guess about him being a demon was right. [Name: Julron (¡á) Age: 102 Race: Demon] ''I don''t know what to say about my luck¡­ Is this good luck or bad luck?'' Maybe it was bad luck because the number I picked turned out to be the demon. But, it was good luck that his demon''s name was revealed. ''So, it''s Julron, huh?'' The demon, when they manifested themselves to earth, they were disguising. Be it human, animal, nt, or otherworldly being like elves and dwarves; yes, they did exist in this world, precisely after the second catastrophe. They also often used a fake identity to cover their real name, because, once their real name was revealed, it would be a nightmare for them. The demon''s true name held a great of authority and power for the demon. Their names were considered sacred and not meant to be disclosed lightly. The names were their source of power. The longer name they had, the more power they held. The consequences of their true name being revealed by their enemy would weaken their power, also their status and reputation among other demons. Every demon in the story had its true name, but there was only one demon who I wrote and told their true name in the novel. One that had a 6-words length name. This demon though only had one word, Julron. That meant he was a low-ranking demon. But, the demon was still a demon, they were not an opponent you could underestimate. Knowing that there was a demon existed earlier than in the novel, which supposedly made its first appearance in New Avian, a floating city in Europe, I finally realized that the world was a sentient being. The world was alive, time was always running in this world, always changing, and so did everything that happened. The world was vast, it won''t always be centered around the main characters'' focus, and there would be so much that happened behind the scene¡­ ''And here I am, calling myself a genius because I know just small things¡­'' What a joke. You were truly a joke, Zio Varrez. "Haa¡­" Let''s put that aside first, there was a more concerning matter before me. My opponent, the demon Julron who disguised as Julian Klein, what should I do to him? Should I call out his true name and weaken him so I could win this? ''No. That''s too risky. There might be other demons than him among the students here. If I''m to call his name and decided not to kill him on the spot¡­ He might try to kill me when he had a chanceter. Also, killing is prohibited here, and even if I managed to kill him, what reason should I use to avoid detention or worst, branded as a criminal¡­'' Unless Ember who also knew about the demon and had authority in this academy as the headmaster''s granddaughter helped me¡­ "Nah. I won''t risk it¡­" Too much risk, I''d just confront himter after this¡­ "Hey, junior! What are you doing standing there? Come here, I will let you take the first hit." "Ah sorry, senior. For putting my mind somewhere else¡­" I apologized, looking pathetic and confused as if I was just got mind controlled. When I looked up at Julian''s face, I could see a faint grin stered there. Seeing that, I also smirked inwardly. He thought he got me under his mind control, but if only he knew that those things won''t work on me, thanks to the earring. The earring was an A-rank artifact, the name was Lunar Starwarden. As for the effect, it could block a mental-based attack like mind control, maniption, etc. though my feeling told me there was more to this artifact other than to block a mental-based attack. If only the information I got from my irvoyance could be more useful¡­ "Haha. Don''t mind it, don''t mind it. Now,e hit me, junior." "If that''s what you want, thanks for the opportunity, senior," I said, smiling. I wanted to finish this as quickly as I could, so I went all-out in the beginning. Mana was surging from my body and coated my feet, this was so I could move faster. I couldn''t keep it up for too long though, 15 seconds was my limit for now. After it ended, I must cast it again. Knowing that, I didn''t waste my time and immediately dashed forward, both daggers ready in my hands as I held them tightly. "Mana coating?!" Taking advantage of his surprised behavior, I maneuvered my dash, deftly sidestepped him, and appeared behind him. Not giving him any chance to react, I feinted him with my dagger. Instead of shing him, I actually kicked his back knee, causing him to fall on the knee. After that, I attempted to strike his face with my dagger. But, he blocked it with his quick reflex using a sword. Because I got the advantage of the position, I could cancel my attack anytime. Adjusting my strategy, I pulled my dagger back and shifted my mana coat to my knee, diving it into his chest. However, he once again defended himself well from my attack and released himself from me, backing a few paces away, he twisted the hilt of his sword. "I did not expect that," he said. Yeah. Same, me too, I didn''t expect that I could move like that. It felt surreal¡­ I collected my breath after spending my stamina on that surprise attack which turned out to be failed. "Too bad you just waste your opportunity to attack me. Now, it''s my turn!" He rushed toward me and relentlesslyunched shes and stabs. As always, I could see where the strikes going tond so I could easily dodge and parry them. "Tch!" This won''t do, if I kept on dodging this, I would lose. Damn this stamina of mine! I could feel a tickling sensation on my legs and shoulders, as well as my eyes. This was the first time I felt this. It was not like this when I was in the dungeon, what had happened? ''Is it because of the ring?'' That might be the case because unlike when I fought the demonic human or the fishman boss dungeon, I didn''t feel exhausted this fast. It could be that the earring kept on draining my mana to block Julian''s mental-based attack. We exchanged a few blows before backing away and keeping our distance from each other. Catching my breath, I observed Julian''s expression. He had that kind of annoyed and frustrated face. ''Could he be frustrated because his skill didn''t work on me?'' As I thought about that, he called to me. "Hey, junior. You okay?" What kind of question was that? "Of course. I''m fine, nothing can distract me from this match." "Haha! I see!" Though he was smiling, I could see he was actually gritting his teeth and his palm turned white as he clenched it hard. He was frustrated. The reason for that might be because his skill didn''t work. I looked at my chest pocket for a moment, the glow on the earring still glowed faintly. Then, a secondter, the glow brightened for a short time before itpletely disappeared. ''I guess that''s gonna be thest attempt of his skill.'' Shifting my attention forward, Julian''s face turned even sour. There was blood streamed down from his mouth, clearly showing his frustration. Juggling the dagger in my right hand, I prepared to rush in again. I tapped the floor with my feet and do a little jump beforeunching myself forward. I threw one of the daggers to distract Julian''s vision. He parried that dagger as I wanted, and his focus was now solely on me. His angry eyes red at me as he spat out the blood from his mouth. "This is weird, junior¡­" He started talking. His sword pointed forward, not in the right position to block an attack. I guessed he won''t bother to defend but rather meet my attack with an attack of his own. That was useless though, attacking me was useless as long as I could see where would his attacknded. I slid down, dodged his sword, and went through both of his feet then caught both of his heels deftly then pulled them, causing him to stumble forward, left in confusion. "Don''t you have any honor, junior?!" "I don''t. As long as I could win this fight," I smiled. Instead of attacking him while he was in rather a vulnerable position, I picked back my dagger. As I stood up, I felt the wind gushing behind me. "Then, don''t hate me for doing this!" The gusts of wind got stronger and made me shake a little. When I noticed it, in Julian''s de, the wind was swirling around it. At that moment, I could see an image in my head. There, a series of wind des thrust out from Julian''s sword and rained me down with a flurry of stabs and thrusts. When the image faded away, I immediately prepared my stance. "You better dodge this if you don''t want to get hurt!" A flurry of wind des strikes rushing at me like a thousand needles. I parried and dodged it as I pushed myself forward, reaching for him. That was the only thing I could do in this situation, risking taking the attack to respond with another attack of my own. As I got closer and closer, immediately, I coated my feet in mana and disappeared from his line of sight. Appearing behind his blind spot, I swung my dual daggers. ng¨C! He blocked them with his sword quickly and turned around to meet my face. At that moment, I was smirking, feeling that victory was within my grasp. "Gotcha!" I ducked in a sh thanks to mana coating that now covered half part of my lower body and shed his right calf with my dual dagger in a circr motion. "Guak!" He screamed in pain as he fell to his knees. Thanks to that, he was disarming himself, saving my time to kick his wrist. With a flick of my hand, I pointed the dagger at him and said. "Do you feel like surrendering yet, senior?" He chuckled, then yielded. "Rank 911 of first-year students, Zio Varrez has won against Julian Klein!" The cheers erupted in the air, assaulting my ears and earlier confidence. Never had I thought that the crowds would be overwhelming like this. Chapter 35 Mental Burden I ?The Neohpyte Nexus ended with my victory against Julian Klein who ranked 666th of the second-year students. The event closing was as much exciting as the main event itself. Nuria gave a few speeches, an encouragement that triggered students'' inner desire to be stronger. I never knew she could give inspiring speeches. Did someone help her with the script? Anyway, Neophyte Nexus this year was one of the best events the academy ever held. The only one where the first-year students overwhelmed the second-year students. When the clock disyed 2:30 PM. The Neophyte Nexus 2030 officially ended with a perfect score. Right now, I was getting treated in the treatment room. As a result of forcing myself to face the multiple wind de strikes, I got injured in my shoulder area, the cut was a bit deep and it felt stung when the nurse applied a cure there. As she finally healed my shoulder, I tried to move it. "How is it?" The nurse asked. "I feel better. Thank you!" The nurse smiled and gave me onest check before leaving the room. This ce''s wall was painted nk white, and the floor too was made of white marble, giving this ce an innocent, pure, and clean environment befitting a room intended for treating a sick patient. Patient beds were lined up in two rows, leaving a walkway in the middle. This room wasrge enough to amodate nearly a hundred patient beds. Three of the beds were upied by Neophyte Nexus participants who were also receiving treatment. There was one bed with a patient who was sleeping soundly, it was Seo Yeong-Ha. Well, she got hit by a powerful attack from the martial art genius, Baek Jin, no wonder she was left in that state. Standing up from the bed, I walked toward the door and leave the room. "Yo, junior!" Waiting for me outside was Julian Klein, or should I say the demon Julron. He leaned against the wall to the right side of the door. A wide grin was painting his face, making me shiver. "I''m intrigued by your fighting style, is it possible for you to teach me?" I looked him up and down, not even trying to hide my suspicion as I observed him. "What''s with that look? I just want to improve mybat ability by learning something new." He acted friendly to me so suddenly, tapping my shoulder gently. ''If you want to lie, at least control your expression dude. Your true intention is leaking out¡­'' At this moment, while he was acting friendly, smiling here andughing there. He was forgetting to control his face. The way his expression shifted stiffly and looked as if it was forced, his movement too. On top of that, the faint noises that fill my head right now, as well as the glow emanating from the earring, indicated he was using his mind control or other mental-based attacks. He still didn''t give up on manipting my mind, eh? Well, let''s feed him up this time. "I understand, senior. I''ll help you with your training." "Great!" He grabbed my shoulders. "Come meet me behind the fourth-year student''s dorm at night, the night breeze there is rxing, it can help wash away our fatigue after training!" "The fourth-year student''s dorm? Sure." After saying what he wanted, he disappeared from my sight, running out of the building with excitement. Looking in the direction where he was running, I just shook my head as my mouth slowly turned into a smirk. I still have time before the promise to meet Shannon in the park at the Crow realm. Taking out the earring from my breast pocket, I examined its intriguing craft details. Not gonna lie, even though I knew nothing about artistry especially crafting, I could tell that this earring was made by a top, seasoned crafter. ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom The detail of pattern and texture in this earring was insane. I could understand it if it was done on a bigger canvas, but to do it on this small earring was just mindblowing. "Howe I''ve never known about this artifact?" As I was drawn into the detail of the earring, I suddenly recalled Ember. "Oh yeah. I need to give this back to her¡­" But, after giving it a second thought, I decided to keep it with me for today. I still have to meet with the demon Julron tonight after all. ¡­ After wasting my time in the cafeteria, it was finally time to meet up with Shannon. But, as I was about to leave the building, my Nova Watch beeped. When I checked it, someone had messaged me. Honestly, I had no idea at first, but after thinking for a while, I guessed that it might be from Shannon. And hell yeah I was right, the message wasing from Shannon. "Huh?" Upon seeing her messages, I narrowed my eyes. I could feel my mood swing, my day was ruined and my disappointment was immeasurable. [Sorry Zio, I had to leave for the apprenticeship much earlier than I expected >w<] [There is a schedule change] [And I just remembered to tell you when I arrived at my apprenticeship''s ce] [*Images.png*] [Guess where is this ce?] [Yes, that''s right. I''m taking my apprenticeship in the Chrysalia guild!] "..." Along with the barraged messages, she also took a selfie of herself in front of the majestic tall building. In that photo, she was smiling cheerfully. The mncholy aura that I felt in the morning was nowhere to be found, she was genuinely happy for having an apprenticeship in the Chrysalia guild. But, now I knew what caused me to have a bad feeling earlier in the morning. It was because she took an apprenticeship ss in the Chrysalia guild, ranked 4th in the guild ranking by the Omega system. The problem was that the Chrysalia guild was fated to perish¡­ Their guild leader, Neychta, had many enemies among the high-rank heroes and even viins. A year from now on, when they were raiding the Yamata-No-Orochi dungeon, most of their executives and members would be dead, leaving only Neychta as the sole survivor. But in the end, she too would die in the same way as the Thunder Emperor, from the Magic Core Dysfunction. The news said that they sacrificed themselves so much for the sake of evacuating the other guild''s members that joint-raid with them. But in reality, the reason why they failed to raid the dungeon and the truth behind the fall of the Chrysalia guild was that they were betrayed by the other guilds. "Haa¡­ Surely, she will be okay. She''s just taking an apprenticeship in there, not as a member that obligated to join the raid¡­" Despite trying to keep on positive thinking, the feeling that I had felt was too strong that I couldn''t stop thinking about it. Typing on my Nova Watch, I sent her a message. [Don''t join any raid.] Then turned off my Nova Watch as I walked out of the building into my dorm building. Coincidentally, my dorm building and the room number were the same as when I stayed during the entrance exam. The fourth dorm building was located to the northeast, it was one building away on the left side if I was to arrive from the north entrance. My dorm room number was 403, the same room I used to stay during the entrance exam. Arriving in front of my room, I scanned my Student Card to the scanner on the door. Beep¨C! As the beeping sound was entering my ears, the door clicked and I pushed it. Stepping into my dorm room, my vision was greeted by the design of the room. Now that I had time of my own in this academy, my eyes swept every corner of the room, observing it carefully. There were two beds just like a few weeks ago, and nothing changed. The beds were sleek and inviting, adorned with smooth lines and minimalist ents. The room was bathed in a soft glow of LED lighting, giving it a modern and a bit of futuristic ambiance. On the walls, holographic art disys that changed with a wave of my hand were hanging. The climate control system responded to my preferences with automated precision, adjusting the room temperature to create afortable environment tailored to my liking. "Now this is what I call peace!" Feeling excited, I flopped onto the plush bed with a relieved sigh. The soft, memory foam mattress conformed to my body, providing the perfect bnce offort and support. As I sank into the bed, I couldn''t help but feel sleepy. But, I couldn''t sleep yet. I must resist thefiness of this bed for the better sake of the future. There was no way I would lose to temptation such as thi¡ª "Yawn¡­" Oh well, it won''t hurt to close my eyes and let the dream fairy guide me to the dream world. Nah¡­ I couldn''t resist thisfiness¡­ But¡­ I need to¡­ I need¡­ Sleep¡­ Chapter 36 Mental Burden II ?The night was cold. The leaves danced with the cool night breeze, and the moon reflected on the surface of the pond water, it was so beautiful. Not far from the pond, there was a grove. A swing was tied between the trees. On that swing, a boy with a wide smile hummed happily yet sounded creepy. The boy swung back and forth on the creaking swing, his eyes glinting in the moonlight. His pale face was illuminated by the silvery glow, and his brown hair fluttered in the cool night breeze. The grove around him seemed to close in, the trees casting eerie shadows with their twisted branches. As he swung, the boy''s humming grew louder, and the melody took on an unsettling tone. The leaves rustled in response to the strange melody, and the pond water seemed to be still, as if holding its breath. Despite the chilly night, the boy''s wide smile never faltered. He swung higher and higher, hisughter mixing with his haunting humming. The grove, once a serene spot in the park, now seemed to have an air of unease. "Ah¡­ After such a long time, I can start my n¡­" Julian Klein, his chuckles echoing through the grove like a maniac, finally descended from the swing and walked toward the pond. The moonlight danced on the water''s surface, casting a silvery glow. As he peered into the pond, something strange happened. His reflection in the water seemed to be shifting. At first, he saw a boy with brown hair, himself, just as he expected. But then, in a blink of an eye, the reflection transformed into something altogether different. Horns sprouted from Julian''s head, curving upwards like those of a wild beast. His eyes turned a piercing yellow, glinting with a predatory gleam. He looked more like a fearsome creature than a human. The transformationsted only a moment, and then the reflection shifted back to show Julian as he normally appeared¡ªa boy with brown hair, smiling wickedly. "No, not yet. I can''t show ''that'' just yet¡­" Rustle¨C! Rustle¨C! Sounds of footsteps wereing behind him. The footsteps grew louder and closer until they finally stopped. p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® Julian turned around, with his face that already expecting somepany from the owner of the footstep. "You''re finally here¡­" Julian started, but his voice faltered as he took in the appearance of the unexpected visitor. It was not the boy he had been expecting, but a man with a strange sense of fashion, wearing dark clothes that seemed out of ce in the serene grove. The man''s face was hidden in the shadows, making it impossible for Julian to discern his features. Julian furrowed his brow, his curiosity mixed with a sense of unease. "Who are you?" Julian asked, his voice wavering slightly. He had been anticipating thepany of a fellow teenager, someone familiar, but this man was aplete stranger. The figure remained silent for a moment as if contemting his response. Then, he stepped forward, revealing himself to be tall and imposing. His clothing seemed outdated, and he exuded an air of mystery and foreboding. "Good evening to you¡­" The man took off his hand and ced it on his chest as he did a greeting bow. As his face lifted to face Julian, he smiled. "Julron." Upon hearing the word ''Julron'' being spoken by the mysterious man, Julian suddenly fell to his knees. His body felt heavy as if a force of gravity was centered around him and brought him down, itsted for a few seconds before he could stand again, wiping the blood that came out from his nose. "How do you know that name?!" Julian shouted, his voice hoarse. "Who are you?!" "A dead man¨C" The mysterious man paused, changing the way he referred to Julian. "A dead demon doesn''t need to worry about that." "Kughk!" Julian flinched as his identity as a demon was found out. He didn''t even try to deny the mysterious man''s statement, because all that was left in his head was to figure out the man''s identity and kill him as soon as possible. But, he was not in a position where he could kill people easily as his power was disappearing after the calling of his true, demon name, Julron, by the mysterious man. The demon''s true name held the authority of power that the demon had. But, the w of having great power just from a name was that if his name was found out and called out by the others, they would lose their power. The proportion of how much they would lose depended on who was calling their name. If it was someone who was far superior to them, whose gap power was like earth and heaven. The demon whose name was called would likely be a ve to the caller orpletely extinguished their authority of power. If it was someone whose power was equal to or weaker than theirs, the demon would lose a proportion of their power. Julian was left only with 60% of his original strength. Judging by this, the mysterious man was someone who had strength equal to his or maybe weaker, or slightly stronger. "What are you doing here, lowly demon? Are there any other demons than who came here?" Said the mysterious man. His hat dissipated into a blue light and was gone. Reced by the silver sword with a well-tempered de and minimal decoration. The hilt was a marvel of intricate detailing, with flowing patterns and a beautifully carved ''R'' letter in elegant calligraphy on its lower de. "You! YOU HUMAN RAT BASTARD!!" ROAR¨C! Instead of getting an answer to his question, what greeted the mysterious man was a boy that was about to transform into something heinous evil creature. But, before Julian could even do that, his head was already rolling on the ground, separated from his body. "Tch. I identally killed him without even getting any information." The cause of Julian''s head being cut off from his neck happened quickly. When Julian was growling, a wound cut was already visible on his neck. Then, when the mysterious man swung his sword, Julian''s head was already fallen off even before the de shed him. In the end, the sharp de swung through the air, cutting nothing but empty space where the head had been. "Oh well, I could just research myself when I have time." The mysterious man walked away, leaving the headless bodyying beside the pond alone. He didn''t bother to take care of the criminal evidence, because he knew that even if an investigation was carried out. No one would be able to find him. Also, even if they did find him, what reason could they give for arresting someone who killed a demon, not a human. If anything, he should be awarded. The evidence was there. It was not a normal student, human corpse. But, an entirely different corpse which would make even the researchers want possession of the corpse for their project. The right hand of the dead Julian was the evidence, a trace of the danger that loomed over the world. That very evidence was the wish of the mysterious man to make people aware of the existence of a dangerous creature. The demon. *** The night breeze grazed my skin as I nkly walked through the quiet road, on my way to my dorm building. My vision was blurry and my head was throbbing in pain, every step I took seemed to make the pain increase. Even so, I must endure it until I reached my room. Arriving in front of my dorm building, I could see the light still on inside, indicating that there were some people left who were chilling on the first floor, the lobby, and the student zone. Everyone was turning their attention toward the door where I stood for a while before returning back to their own activities; talking with friends, watching movies, or enjoying a drink. From there, I immediately went to my room on the sixth floor, the highest floor using the lift. While waiting inside the lift, my vision returned to normal, but the throbbing pain in my head was still there. Ting¨C! The lift door opened, and I quickly made my way to my room. Creak¨C! "Haa¡­" The pain was killing me. I did not have any idea what causing this. It just suddenly appeared after I killed the demon Julron. It couldn''t be mana exhaustion, because mana exhaustion did not cause a headache but rather dyspnea or shortness of breath. As I lifted my face to examine the familiar room, I found something that was not there when I left the room. A roommate? Sitting on the vacant bed was a girl. She wasbing her long ck hair, and her expression looked calm and focus as she did that. She was too focused onbing her hair that she didn''t realize someone¡ªI just entered the room and was now sitting across from her. "Ehem!" I deliberately coughed, intending to draw her attention. The girl stoppedbing, and finally, notice me. Her red ruby-like eyes observed me up and down curiously. A while after that, her eyes shed in recognition. A blush was visible over her pale white skin, and a smile stered happily on her face. "Zio!" She sped my hand all of sudden, making me flinch in surprise. On top of that, she called me by my name. Was she someone I had known? I looked between her face in front of me and her hands that were holding my hand alternately. Confusion engulfed mepletely as her smile kept on getting widened. "Uhh¡­ Who are you?" Chapter 37 Childhood Friend? ?"Hey¡­" I started. "What are you doing? "I''m drawing." "I can see that, but¡­" Why? Sitting across from me, separated only by a round small table, was a girl with long ck hair. Her ruby eyes focused on the paper on the desk, while her white small and soft hand holding the pencil, scribbling on the paper. If anything was weird, the pencil hardly made any sound, it was as if she was drawing on the air rather than the paper''s surface. Also, her drawing skill¡­ Her drawing skill was¡­ uhh, suck. Looking at the paper, I couldn''t even tell what the drawing was about. There were two stickmen, one without hair and another with long hair and red eyes. The background, I was not sure what it was actually but, it looked like somewhere in a room, maybe? A hospital room, to be precise. When she was done, she grabbed the paper and showed it to me, and said "Look!" Her finger pointed at the two stickmen. "This is you, and this is me." I nodded. "We met in the hospital, a few years ago. You found me crying in the corridor." She smiled warmly as she said that, though the fact that I couldn''t precisely figure her out was bothering me. Even the irvoyance skill. It was the second time I had failed to get information from the target when using the irvoyance, the first time was when I used it on the cat during the entrance exam¡­ ''Come to think of it, the cat that day also had red eyes, right? And before that too¡­ when I was in the sh dungeon¡­ The strange girl with red ruby eyes¡­'' Realizing something, I immediately looked at the girl in front of me. She didn''t flinch at my sudden motion, instead, she met me with a smiling face. Our eyes were locking on each other. The silence engulfed us, trapping the girl and me in our own''s world, where only the two of us existed. The strange girl I encountered inside the sh dungeon. I was sure her eyes were red like a ruby, and her hair was long and ck¡­ The ck cat too, that I found in the park. That cat too had red eyes¡­ And now this girl, who imed to be a friend of mine when we were a child. I might be thinking too much, but what if all of them were actually the same person, and that very person was the girl that now sitting with me, in the dorm room, as a roommate? "Did you get dragged into the sh dungeon that urred a month ago on this ind?" She responded to me with a dumbfounded expression, and a momentter, sheughed. "Haha. No, of course not! I was in my hometown at that time." Did I wrong? This girl, said that her name was Zia Vonzy. Her name, was somewhat alike to mine when spoken, as they share simr phic elements. When I heard it the first time, I thought that she was calling my full name when I asked for her name. She imed to have met me when I was young¨Cwhich I wouldn''t ever remember because that wasn''t me who she referred to, but rather the real Zio Varrez. I asked her a few questions about the details of our first meeting, and her overall thought about Zio in the past. It was a chance for me to know this body''s past. To know about Shannon, and Zio''s lost sister too. But, the answer I got from her left me with a bitter feeling, unsatisfied. She was saying that she actually didn''t remember that much about the past meeting. She only remembered the ce where we met, and who she was meeting. I thought that was a bit strange. How could you forget everything but retained the memories about me alone? About how I was kind, my favorite food, and what I had spoken to her about at that time. I eyed her suspiciously. Did she really Zio''s childhood friend, or a stalker? "Why do you ask though?" Her eyes looked innocent when she asked me. Somehow, it made me calmer though. "Nothing, just curious." As I said that, her mouth pouted. She crossed her hands and held her chin high. "You''re mean, Zio. How can you even forget me when you are the one who promised me that you will not ever forget about me." My face changed to a deadpan expression immediately, staring at her in disbelief. ''Haven''t you also forgotten about it, why me me?'' The atmosphere between us had turned lively once again, but it was not the ''lively'' I expected. Rather than anything, the situation just made me awkward as the only thing she did when we were silent was just stare at me with a smile. I pinched my nose bridge, trying to get out of this awkward situation. "By the way, you''re also admitted to this academy, I guess?" She straightened her body and replied, "That''s right." Her cheek was now resting gently on her palm. "Did not you bring your luggage here?" in stark contrast to my side of the room, which was now cluttered with the things I''d just taken out of my suitcase, hers was empty. If someone was toe to check on this room, they might think that I was living alone. "Ah no. I just bring some spare clothes. It''s already inside my wardrobe," she said, pointing at the dresser beside her bed. Looking in the direction of her side of the room, I couldn''t help but feel that she was suspicious. But, at that moment, when I was about to ask her another question, the throbbing pain in my head was back. "Ugh!" I held my throbbing head, feeling dizzy as time went by. "Zio! Are you alright?" Oh yeah. A very reasonable question. Did you think I was fine, huh? Could that eyes of yours see what was happening in front of you? Suppressing my annoyance with her worries, I held my other hand high, gesturing for her that I was alright. "Just a bit of headache, it will be gone soon¡­" Her face looked worried as she clenched both her hands in front of her. I did not know if it was because of my headache or not that I was seeing her form turned a bit transparent, like a ghost or something. I stood up from my chair and headed straight to sit on my bed. "I think I''ll be resting first¡­" Zia stared at me in the distance, still sitting at the table. Looking at her from this perspective, where her back was to the window where the moonlight was shining on her, she really looked ghostly, and transparent. "Okay, good night¡­" Her voice trailed off in my ears when the throbbing feeling in my head continued to torture me. "Good night," I said before Iy down on my bed. Hoping that the throbbing pain in my head would subside, I closed my eyes and tried to wander to the dream world. As I drifted into a fitful sleep, I could hear someone''s voice, whispering softly. "Have a sweet dream, I''ll always be by your side¡­" I did not know what that meant, but I weirdly found sce in their words. The room faded into darkness, and my dreams were filled with nothing but an endless void of darkness. A dreamless sleep. When I woke up the next morning, the throbbing feeling had gone. Yawning, I looked around the room. My side of the room was still in a mess, cluttered with my unorganized belongings. Meanwhile, Zia''s side of the room was clean, even the bedsheet looked like it had never been used. Also, the person herself was nowhere to be found. I looked at the time on my Nova Watch, "It''s still seven in the morning¡­ And she''s already going to ss? so diligent." The ss usually started at nine in the morning, so waking up at this hour was considered early you know? So, let me make it clear, I didn''t wake upte but it was Zia who woke up too early. Knowing that the ss would start in two hours. The first thing I did after waking up was to organize my belonging, then after that, shower and breakfast. Finally, attending the ss. An hour had passed since I woke up, and my side of the room was now organized, looking pretty neat and clean. p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® Today marked my official enrollment as a student at the academy, and I was determined to make a good impression. I made sure to dress impably, as I didn''t want to risk messing up my first day by appearing untidy. As I stood in front of the mirror, I couldn''t help but feel a sense of excitement as I shed a smile to my reflection. The ck zer hugged my shoulders perfectly, adorned with red buttons and lines. The ck tie with a red striped pattern was neatly knotted, adding a pop of color against the dark background. "Uniform¡­ check!" For today''s asion, I speciallybed my hair to fit my attire. Though every hairstyle would suit me even my attire was just a t-shirt and short pants. That was how handsome and good-looking I was. "Hair¡­ check!" With a final nce in the mirror, I took a deep breath and headed out the door after I grabbed my sleek white sling bag that was resting on my bed. As I made my way to the lift, I swung my bag effortlessly by my side. "Lupus ss. Herees the trouble!" Chapter 38 Lupus Class I ?The big tower clock of the Octagram Academy was pointing between 9 and 8 when I arrived at the Eagle realm, where the lecture halls were located. "30 minutes are enough for me to find where my ss is¡­" Without a wayfinding sign, it would take me that much time to navigate thisrge building. But, there was no way an academy as prestigious as Octagram didn''t have one. A huge¨Cthree meters tall bulletin board, could be seen as soon as I entered the building. It was ced in the middle of the intersection, facing each path in a cardinal direction; South, East, West, and North. Let''s say that the direction of the exit door was the south. So, to the north was a grand staircase that led to the next floor. The east and west path was a long corridor and at its end,rge statues were disyed. Along the wall hallways, collections and trophies were disyed, protected by transparent ss. The ss had been enhanced by strong magic so it won''t break easily. At least, the strength that equals C-rank or B-rank could break it in multiple hits. Students were flocking in, crowding the hallways as they made their way to their sses. Noticing that none of the students were heading towards the east and west corridors, it appeared that all the sses were on the second floor. I checked the building interior map on the bulletin board just to make sure. ording to the map as well as the way signs which had been mounted on either the walls, ceilings, and ced on the floor. It was showing the direction of where each path led to. The sign pointed to the grand staircase telling the students, especially me, that the ssrooms were on the second floor. So, without further dy, I headed straight to my ssroom. As I arrived in front of my ssroom, I noticed a metal sign above the double doors with the name ''Lupus'' intricately carved into it, along with a tribal pattern that resembled a wolf. Entering the ssroom, I could see that half of the seats were already upied. Most of them were upying the front to mid sections, while only a few of the students were seated on the elevated tform at the back. Some of their attention shifted to me, mostly the female students. Some just stared at me with fascination, and some whispered among themselves. When I passed by them, they looked away shyly and entered their inner monologue. But of course, there were some that bold enough to keep their stare on me, even blocked me with their hands, asking if I was single. ''What the hell? What''s wrong with these girls?! Even Lux never had this kind of situation on his first day!'' It was challenging to get away from them, but I managed to do so after kindly answering their questions and giving them my contact. However, as soon as the ss ended, they would likely swarm around me. I needed a scapegoat if I want to escape from them¡­ I continued on my way to my seat at the back, where a ck-haired boy was already seated there alone. "Mind if I sit here?" The boy looked unfazed by themotion, unlike the other male students. Judging by his whole demeanor, he seemed like someone who enjoys beingid-back and avoiding attention, a true extra character. That was the reason why I decided to sit here, as a fellow extra character but had a different kind of situation, I might feel rted to him in some way. "Go ahead." He said nonchntly, his golden eyes gazingzily ahead, not bothering to acknowledge me. Sitting on the two-person chair without armrests, I hung my bag under the sleek, well-polished desk coated with carbon. Around ten minutester, the ssroom filled with noises as soon as a familiar figure entered the ss. It was Ember. Despite her stunning appearance that could easily rank in the top ten for beauty in the academy, no one dared to get close to her. Her cold, piercing eyes gazed ahead, exuding an aura that clearly warned people not to approach her. ''Why out of all people, do I have to be in the same ss as her?'' Don''t get me wrong, I was d that she was here. But, my gut told me that she was going to be trouble. I did not know what it could be, but¡­ I let out a sigh. Comining wouldn''t change anything. After all, I was just a student. Unless I became a professor, I didn''t have much control over the situation.¡­ "Hmm?" Looking at Ember who looked like a lost child, she was sweeping the entire seat column with her eyes. I met her gaze. And at that moment, she immediately walked over in my direction, where I was seated. Wait. Wait, wait. Wait, wait, wait! Why did she walk over toward here?! As she approached my seat, I kept my gaze on her, while feeling a little uneasy. But, it looked like I was too assuming, thinking she was going to talk to me. Turned out, she was just looking for an empty seat, and coincidentally, it was the one in front of me. Still, there were still empty seats around the middle row, so why would she sit right in front of me? ''Does she actually have a feeling for me?'' It could be, considering that she suddenly gave me an earring yesterday. Though I doubt that was the case, maybe she had her own reason for choosing her seat, just as how I chose mine. Ember sat down in the seat in front of me without sparing me a nce. At that time, I was thinking about whether this was a chance for me to give back the earring to her. But, when I was about to open my mouth, a voice that sounded sweet and captivating rang out in the air, interrupting all the noises the ssroom once had. "Attention!" The voice belonged to a woman with petite stature, wearing a cream formal teaching coat, round sses, and a red tam hat. By small, I meant that her height was short, probably around 150 cm to 160 cm tall. She had pale blonde hair styled in a short bob, with the ends falling just above her shoulders. Her hair was cut in a straight fashion with slight curls at the ends, framing her face and enhancing her features. Her eyes behind the round ss scanned the ssroom as she stepped onto the podium in front of the ss, cing a thick book on the desk. The noises subsidedpletely when she did that. Smiling, she introduced herself. "Nice to meet you, ss!" She started cheerfully. "My name is Carolina Monte, and I''ll be your homeroom teacher!" Murmurs were voiced among the students as she introduced herself. Did not want to miss any chances, I used my irvoyance skill on her. [Name: Carolina Monte (Female) Age: 24 Race: Human] Usually, it was the senior professor who had reached the age of 30 that became the homeroom teacher, that was the youngest age a professor in the Octagram could be a homeroom teacher. But, she was only 24 years old and had already be the homeroom teacher. She must be that good if she could be one when she was probably the youngest professor. Carolina continued, gesturing animatedly as she spoke. "I am actually an alumnus of this academy. Just graduated 3 years ago, I''m sure some of you already know who I am, right?" Just as she said, some of the students in the ss nodded in recognition at her. If you asked me whether I knew her or not, well then, my answer is yes, I knew her. Though she was not a character I had written about, I knew about her through the data gathering I did asionally. She was the top graduate in the academy 3 years ago. Unlike her fellow peers who continued their careers as either a hero or a mercenary. After graduating, she was applying to be a professor at Octagram, the reason she gave in one of her interviews was that she just like to teach. "Since I was young, I''ve always liked to lecture and teach my siblings. Many people doubting me that I won''t seed as a professor, but here I am, as a homeroom teacher and the youngest professor in the academy." She cleared her throat. "Ehem. So, I''ve been teaching for three years now and I absolutely love it!" Putting down her round ss on the desk, she scanned the room. Most of the male students were mesmerized by her eyes when she took the sses off. Her eyes were a mesmerizing shade of blue, reminiscent of the turquoise waters of a tropicalgoon. They were the kind of eyes that could captivate anyone''s gaze with their brilliance and depth. p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® Long, paleshes framed her eyes, adding an enchanting allure to their already striking appearance. Hershes were naturally curled, giving her eyes a wide-eyed, innocent look that was both cute and alluring. Not gonna lie, I was also captivated by the beauty of her eyes. I had never seen an eye that beautiful¡­ "I''m excited to get to know each and every one of you and make this semester a memorable one!" She smiled, her eyes lit up with a radiant joy, and they crinkled at the corners, adding to their charm. They had a way of making everyone around her feel special and cared for, as if they were being seen with pure affection. Imagine being her lover¡­ You''d die of diabetes. The students nodded eagerly. They seemingly couldn''t help but feel a sense of warmth and reassurance from her genuine smile. Carolina then went on to outline the ss rules and expectations, using a mix of humor and firmness to keep the students engaged. "Now, let''s talk about our ss rules, especially in my Monstronomics ss every Tuesday." Every ss of the first year had 5 sses, mainly Combat Theory, Monster Theory, Combat Training, Dungeon Theory, and History ss. As today was Tuesday, it meant that we would have a Monstronomics ss after this introduction ended. "First, no sleeping in ss, unless you''re a cat. And even then, I expect you to participate in our discussion!" The students chuckled, and even I found myself cracking a faint smile. Carolina continued, "Second, no talking during ss, unless you want to taste my mute spell being cast on your mouth!" She winked, disying a mischievous glint in her turquoise eyes. Her firmness was evident as she set clear expectations for the students'' behavior in her ss. "I want to hear your thoughts and opinions during our ss discussions, so please feel free to raise your hand and participate. However, I also expect everyone to respect each other''s speaking turns and not talk out of turn during ss to ensure a focused learning environment." "Also,stly, don''t be shy to ask questions when you don''t understand." She eyed her students for a while before pping the desk with the thick she had brought. Bam¨C! "Now, before we start the ss. Shall we take attendance first?" Chapter 39 Lupus Class II ?"Rank 1987, Niah Hayes¡­" "Present!" Carolina began calling out the names of the students one by one, in ascending order¨Cfrom the lowest rank to the highest rank. She was taking the time to learn her students'' names. When she reached my name, Carolina paused a moment and smiled warmly at me, just like what she did to every student she had called. "Rank 911, Zio Varrez." "Present." She nodded and continued taking attendance. During which she called out students'' names, I could feel a few gazes on me after my name was called out. No, it was not a warm or affectionate gaze I''d received the first time I came here but something entirely different. Something like a predatory gaze, perhaps? They¡ªmostly the male students openly showed their hatred for me through their gazes and snorts. They were probably jealous that the girls were flocking to me who was a low rank, and only had a good look. Well, of course, I ignored them. It was not even my fault that the girls were acting like that. If anything, it was their fault for not having the privileges of a good look. As I said some time ago, there were three types of force in this world that could help someone gain standing in society. Money, power, and charisma or charm. Though I didn''t have money or power, my look and charisma werepensating for those two aspects. I murmured to check my status, it had been a long time since I checked it. === [Status] Name: Zio Varrez (¡á) Age: 17 Race: Human ? Stats: Strength: F+ Agility: E- Intelligence: C Stamina: F+ Magic: F p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® Charisma: D Luck: E ? Talents: [Dual Wielding Lv.2] (¨‹ Expand) [Swordmanship Lv.2] (¨‹ Expand) ? Skills: [irvoyance Lv.2] (¨‹ Expand) === ''Hmm. My magic stats still hasn''t gone up¡­'' It had been a month since I came to this world, and during that time, I practiced every day. But I thought that my growth rate was below average. It shouldn''t be that hard to raise low-rank stats such as my Strength, Agility, Stamina, and Magic. In this world, ranks were used to measure one''s abilities. rank and below were equivalent to normal human adults, and it was only when you reached rank that you were considered to have surpassed human limits. However, it was when you reached rank that the world truly started to reveal its secrets, warning you that you had achieved a new perspective of the world. At rank, one''s perception of the world changed. Senses were heightened, powers were unlocked, and the world was revealed to be more dangerous than one could have ever imagined. It was a world beyond theprehension of normal humans, where hidden dangers lurked and hidden powers awaited those who were strong enough to uncover them. Yes. That was what the world of the Enhanced looked like. Full of dangers. Ambition to be stronger might lead them to their doom. After all, Greed was one of human nature that couldn''t ever be erased from them. That was why academies were important. To guide the greenhorn so they wouldn''t fall into their temptations of achieving greater power that might destroy their life. Well, at least, that was what I wrote in the novel. Who knew there might be differences in this world? "Rank 91, Enzo Ruiz." "Present¡­" The ck-haired boy beside me raised his hand wearily. I made a mental note to remember his name. He mighte in handy, considering the fact that he was ranked 91st, which I honestly didn''t expect. I thought he was another low or mid-rank like me. Carolina continued, and I listened half-willingly. "Rank 49, Lumi Alicia Alexa." But, when she called out a name that sounded familiar to me. I immediately shifted my gaze toward that student, with my irvoyance already activated. [Name: Lumi Alicia Alexa (¡â) Age: 17 Race: Human] "Present!" ''What the hell is she doing here?!'' Lumi Alicia Alexa, was one of the main characters, someone that supported and helped the Protagonist, Lux, in the field of resources. I called her the ''sugar mommy''. She had dark violet hair that fell right above her shoulders, framing her face in a stylish manner. Her eyes were a mesmerizing shade of green, reminiscent of emeralds, adding to her enigmatic aura. Despite her serious demeanor and poker-like face, Lumi always remainedposed and level-headed. She was, after all, the heir of the Nova Corps. For the record, Nova Corps was a prominentpany that created the Nova Watch and had a significant presence in the world of Enhanced. Under their banner, they not only entered the market but also established the Nova Guild, which held a high rank of second ce. The issue with Lumi being in the Lupus ss instead of the Dragon ss with Lux, Ayano, and Seo Yeong-ha puzzled me. It was yet another unnecessary change. I shook my head dejectedly and shifted my attention back to the front of the ss. Finally, the roll call attendance finished after Carolina called out Ember''s name. "Rank 1, Ember Crimson." Carolina''s eyes were slightly widened as she called Ember''s name. "Present." Carolina looked in my direction, precisely at Ember whose seat was in front of me. There was excitement written on her face as she nodded in acknowledgment. pping her hands, the sound of the p was heard throughout the room, it could be because of the amplifying sound that she made from utilizing the mana. "Alright, ss. Now that we have done with the attendance, it''s time for our first lesson in my ss¡­" She reached for a thick book and held it up for everyone to see. The front cover was adorned with an illustration of various fantasy monsters, each one intricately detailed and menacing in its own way. "This is a record book about the monsters that have been found and identified." Her eyes shone in excitement as she said that. "Today, we''ll be delving into the world ofmon monsters, creatures that you may encounter in your future adventures. We''ll learn about their anatomy, characteristics, abilities, and more." She paused and scanned the room to see the student''s reactions. Noticing most of them had expectant expressions, she smiled brightly and continued. She flipped through the pages, revealing detailed drawings of the monsters they would be studying. "I doubt that some of you could see this. So¡­" Rummaging her small bag, she took out a remote-looking object. When she pressed the button, the whiteboard on the wall behind her changed to a graphical, disy board, like a television. Pressing another button, a sphere support tool came out from under the board. She registered the book inside the sphere and immediately the disy board was turned on, showing the earlier page of the book. Satisfied, she continued. The first one was a fearsome creature with sharp ws and teeth, covered in thick, armored scales. "Meet the Dracolion," Carolina said, her voice tinged with excitement. "A majestic beast that rules the mountains and forests with its fearsome prowess." She traced her finger along the illustration, her eyes alight with enthusiasm as she described the creature''s anatomy. "Its jaws are lined with rows of razor-sharp teeth that can crush through the toughest of prey. Its scales, as hard as a fortress wall, provide imprable armor against all but the most powerful attacks." "Well. The exaggerated description only applied to you all greenhorns who don''t have any experience in hunting monsters and are not yet reached the rank yet," she winked. The studentughed at her joke. Hearing her mention the mountains and forests, made me remember something. It was true that this world was the earth that we knew, but the thing that made it different except for the fact that we got magic and fantasy creatures that existed here was the environment. Since the first catastrophe, many mountains, forests, and other inhabited areas had be home to wild beasts and monsters. They called it the ''Base Dungeon''. It was a dungeon that came to the surface and took over the area around it, bing a field dungeon or red zone area for a long time where monsters and wild beasts would magically spawn over time. Usually in an inhabited area with dense magic energy such as a forest and mountain It was not like it would upy the area permanently. Once the magic energy was depleted because of the monster spawning, the area would return to normal condition. Though, that would be useless for most people as there was nothing to be looked for in an empty area. The Base Dungeon was the dungeon type that appeared the most. The appearance of this dungeon had reached thousands, scattered all over the world. Another term for the Base Dungeon was the hunting field; a ce where people, presumably Enhanced could hunt monsters and sell monster parts for money. Back to the present, Carolina then moved on to the next monster in the book, a cunning and elusive creature with sleek fur and razor-sharp ws. "This is the Shadowcat," she exined. "A stealthy hunter that lurks in the shadows and strikes with lightning speed. Its night vision allows it to see inplete darkness, making it a formidable opponent in the dark¡­" As Carolina continued to describe each monster, she brought their illustrations to life with vivid exnations of their abilities, behaviors, and habitats. She encouraged questions and discussion, engaging the students in an interactive learning experience. She used her vast knowledge of monsters to captivate the students'' imaginations and instill in them a sense of awe and curiosity about the creatures that inhabited their world. The lessonsted for two hours. By the end of the lesson, the students were buzzing with excitement, eager to learn more about the monsters that Carolina had brought to life through her teaching. She smiled, her eyes lit up with pride, knowing that she had seeded in igniting their curiosity and sparking their interest in the world of Monstronomics. "Okay, ss. That''s it for today!" I stretched my body as I yawned. Looking at Carolina who was looking at her Nova Watch, I smiled. "It''s more fun than I expected." Noises started to fill in the ssroom once again as Carolina sat on her desk, looking at her Nova Watch more seriously than earlier. When she was done, she immediately stood up and put all her stuff in her small bag. pping for attention, the ss noise stopped. "Since there is no more ss after this, you guys are free to do anything around the campus. Training, learning, or anything. Just don''t do any scandal, alright?" "Yes, ma''am!" "Good. Then, see you next week!" She rushed toward the door after that, her face looked grimacing. ''I guess the evidence has been found. Let''s see what are their reaction to this¡­'' Chapter 40 Shard ?Over sixty professors had gathered in a spacious room, their sleek chairs filling a long table at the center. Arge disy screen hung on the front wall, easily visible to everyone in the room. Two people stood beside the screen, a woman and a man. The woman''s fiery red hair flowed in waves down to her waist, resembling a flickering me. On the other side of the screen, the man had light brown hair and bright blue eyes that sparkled like a clear sky. "Here, right here," the woman said, her finger pointing at the footage ying on the screen. The scene showed a grove behind the fourth-year dorm building, captured from a bird''s-eye view as if recorded by a drone. The video revealed the lush trees and greenery of the grove, bathed in the soft glow of moonlight. The leaves rustled gently in the night breeze, casting dappled shadows on the already dark grove, creating an eerie yet serene atmosphere. In the next second, the camera zoomed in, capturing the two individuals by the pond in closer detail. The boy had brown hair that shimmered in the moonlight, and his eyes were fixed on the man in front of him. The man, whose face was hidden in the shadows before, now came into focus. When the man took his hat, he then bowed to the boy. Unfortunately, at that moment, the video suddenly lost focus and the image became a blur. The video feed was paused, disying the man''s blurry face on the screen. "Does anyone have any idea about this person?" The red-haired woman asked, her voicemanding attention. The group murmured among themselves, trying to make out any discernible features from the blurry image. One of the professors, a man with a thick beard that resembled a cloud, raised his hand as he squinted at the screen. "Sorry if I sound rude, headmaster Nuria, but¡­ I think you should y the video first. I, and probably the others here are looking rather confused at your sudden inquiries of wanting to know the person whose face was blurry in the camera." The red-haired woman, Nuria, who was referred to as headmaster flicked her finger musingly. "You''re right, Gilbert. Well, then¡­" The video feed continued. The moment the video was unpaused, the boy, wearing an academy uniform suddenly fell to his knee as the man in weird clothes looked at him. There was a short talk between them before the boy moved in a sudden motion, the fluttering wind suddenly formed around him. But, in the next second, the boy''s head suddenly fell to the ground, separated from its body. "Wha¨C?!" "What happened?!" Hearing that the room was filled with noises, Nuria paused the video again and observed the professors'' reactions. "Did that man just kill our student?!" "How dare he?!" The professors'' reactions varied as they watched the video. Some expressed curiosity and shock at the sudden beheading of the student, while others directed usations toward the man who appeared to have killed the student. The noises in the room grew louder, prompting Headmaster Nuria to shout for attention and unpause the video feed. The next scene in the video added to the confusion of those watching. It showed the man about to swing his sword even though the student''s head had been cut off first. In the end, he cut through empty air where the student''s head had been. This unexpected turn of events left the professors puzzled, and murmurs of confusion and disbelief filled the room. Headmaster Nuria paused the video again, and the room fell into a hushed silence. She looked around at the gathered professors, her fiery red hair framing her determined expression. "I noticed something wrong¡­ Look at this, everyone." Nuria zoomed in on the image on the screen, highlighting the right hand of the student that looked odd with protruding ws and reddish skin color. "Is that¡­ the Astray?" "It could be the Minion, too¡­" "It seems we have more questions than answers," Nuria said, her voicemanding attention. "We need to investigate further to understand what happened here. Gilbert, gather a team to analyze the footage and see if we can enhance the image of the man''s face. The rest of you, I want you to review the events leading up to this incident. We need to piece together the puzzle and find out who this man is as well as the student''s identity." "But let''s make sure the investigation doesn''t interfere with our teaching responsibilities. The student''s education is a priority, after all." The professors nodded in agreement, and Gilbert, the bearded man, nodded solemnly as he left the room to assemble a team for the analysis. The rest of the professors began discussing amongst themselves, exchanging theories and spections about the strange turn of events as they left the room. Headmaster Nuria remained by the screen, watching the paused video with a determined look. "It might be that the demonic humans are starting to make their move," Lawrence suggested, his bright blue eyes peering at Nuria. Nuria turned to Lawrence, her trusted advisor, and vice-headmaster, who had interrupted her as she was watching the paused video with a determined look. "It''s possible," Nuria replied, "but there''s something different about the transformation this time. Take a close look at the hand." Lawrence leaned in for a closer inspection and soon realized what Nuria was pointing out. "You''re right," he confirmed, "this is new. Usually, when they transform, the body part that has changed appears as a misfit from the human body. But in this case, it looks perfectly in sync, as if the transformed body parts are the original ones." Nuria nodded, her mind racing with possibilities. As her mind wandered, she recalled something which her granddaughter had told her some time ago. Something about the beings that the demonic human worshipped and the beings that became their source of power. The demon. With that word kept ringing in her head, Nuria turned her attention back to the screen. "That student might be a demon." "A demon?" "Yes. The being that the demonic human worshipped and got their power from." "I''m sorry to say this, but, are we talking about the demon that once appeared in the second catastrophe? The one that¡­" Lawrence''s voice faltered, afraid that his words might offend Nuria. But, it was Nuria herself that finished his unfinished words. "...killed Garuda. Yes, that very demon¡­" Her fists were clenched as she said that, there was a resentment look on her face. Both of them were silent for a moment before Nuria broke it with a cheerful sound, she was the best at controlling her emotions, and that was the reason why she was strong. After all, her power¨Cthe blessing of Emberheart was the power that was influenced by emotions. "Yahh. We could say that the student is a demonic human or an astray or a demon. But, what about the man with old-fashioned clothes?" "I''ll be looking for it immediately." Nuria smiled at Lawrence''s reply, she could always trust him when it came to this, gathering information. *** Somewhere in an ancient ruin¡­ A shadow figure resembling a human was roaming around the ruin. The ancient ruin was shrouded in darkness, with only faint beams of light filtering in through cracks in the crumbling walls. The air was thick with dust and the musty scent of decay as if the ruin had been abandoned for centuries. Amidst the shadows, a figure moved stealthily, blending into the darkness with a grace that seemed almost unnatural. p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® The figure appeared to be humanoid in shape, but its form was indistinct as if it was constantly shifting and changing, never settling on a single appearance. The figure moved through the ruins with purpose, its steps silent as it navigated the ancient corridors and chambers. It seemed to know its way around, moving with familiarity as if it had been here before. Its eyes glowed with a faint, otherworldly light, casting eerie shadows on the walls as it moved. As the figure continued its exploration, it came across a chamber adorned with ancient runes and symbols. The air crackled with energy, and the figure paused, sensing something powerful within. It reached out a hand, and the runes on the walls seemed to respond, glowing brighter as if acknowledging its presence. The figure raised its head, and its features became momentarily clearer. It appeared to be a human female, with her skin as pale as snow, her silver hair tied to a ponytail seemingly contrasted with the dark ce, and her eyes were piercing, glowing light blue. With a sense of purpose, she approached the center of the chamber, where a pedestal stood. On the pedestal, a glowing crystal shard pulsated with a mysterious energy. She reached out a hand, and the shard responded, resonating with void-like ck color. The crystal shard glistened with an otherworldly radiance, its surface smooth and translucent. Within its depths, a peculiar sight caught the girl''s attention. A faint reflection or image seemed to be trapped within the shard, like a fleeting glimpse of someone. The figure had jet-ck hair and hollow ck eyes that seemed to hold the depth of nothingness, like a void. The image appeared to be trapped, as if imprisoned within the crystalline confines, peering out with an air of desperation. Her lips curled into a smile as she observed the image reflected within the shard. "Found you." Chapter 41 Competing I ?It had been a week since the first lesson in the academy. And in those times, I had been in intense training by myself. The Octagram''s training center was really live up to its name. With so many features and support the TC provided, I finally had my stamina stat break through the rank. It was an rank now. The instructor in charge left absent, so they postponed the previous week''s Combat Training ss. In the announcement, it stated that the four instructors that would supervise the ss were still nning the program, so they would dy the ss until next week. Well, that was what they mentioned in the announcement. In reality, they were busy investigating me¡ªnot Zio Varrez, but Ian Crow. By this time, they might have already figured out Julron''s real identity but kept it a secret, but they still couldn''t figure out the culprit that killed Julron. Even though it was beneficial for me they couldn''t identify Ian Crow. Still, their intel gathering was disappointing me. Why didn''t they, or precisely Nuria,mand her shadow corps to investigate it? It would be faster that way. Or, maybe, she thought I wasn''t worth enough to pay attention to, so she didn''tmand the shadow? I wouldn''t know. Whatever that was, as long as Julron''s identity being a demon had been found out, I guess that was enough. Today was the week when the Combat Training ss would officially start. Though, in that week''s time, I still did not return the earring to Ember. Not that I intended to steal and not give it back to her forever. It was just that I couldn''t reach her. What I meant by couldn''t reach her was¡­ First, she would immediately be gone after the sses and I couldn''t find her, even with my pathfinding skill. There was a time when I got a slight image or trace of her, but the detail was too blurry to recognize. Second, whenever I found her roaming in the city, it was when I was disguised as Ian Crow. Surely, there was no way I woulde over to her and give her the earring when I was Ian Crow. Even if I wanted to transform back into my original body, I couldn''t do it in public ces. If I was to transform back, I''d just waste the mask''s cooldown time. Andstly, I was too focused on my training that I forgot to give the earring back when I encountered her in the training center as Zio. Umm yeah, that''s how my life was in the past week. "Attention!" A loud,manding voice brought me back to my senses. Hundreds of students gathered in a wide t field¨COctagram''s Training Field. The field itself was covering 5% of the campus area. If I was to put it in number, it should be around 630 meters or 0.397 square kilometers. Looking around, I saw students lining up to my left and right, and there were still much more of them. I myself stood and lined up in my row. Behind me was Enzo Ruiz, who was trying his best to hold open his eyes. The dark lines under his eyes increased more than the first time I saw him in ss. Was he always sleeping sote? Fortunately for me, even if I was to sleepte at night. I always felt like I was sleeping for more than 8 hours, thanks to Zia for singing me a luby whenever the night came. I would still listen to her luby, regardless of whether I would be called a kid or something. You might be wondering why I never questioned that my roommate was a girl. Because here, a mixed-gender room was normal. There was no rule against it and so getting in the same room with a different gender could be possible, though notmon. Of course, the reason why mixed-gender rooms were considered normal here was for the sake of the plot story. Despite nearly 25 years since the academy was built, there had been no reports or scandals involving students of different genders sharing a room. As a result, the academy allowed mixed-gender rooms to this day. Though, that was going to change this year. After the mid-term, there would be a big scandal in the academy regarding the mixed-gender room. After that, the academy''s policy would be changed immediately following the incident. That was why, I''d like to enjoy the moment of listening to her luby as much as I could. "Today, we''ve gathered four sses here for the Combat Training ss. Draco, Lupus, Tigris, and Serpent." Four instructors stood on the raised tform in front of the student''s line. The one who spoke earlier was a female instructor with a stern expression. Her features were delicate and refined, with a clearplexion and well-defined cheekbones that gave her a striking appearance. Her eyes, though stern in expression, held a glimmer of intelligence and intensity that demanded attention. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, conveying a no-nonsense attitude. She had lustrous, shoulder-length hair that fell in waves around her face, framing it with a touch of elegance. She was gorgeous, I admitted it. But, don''t be fooled by her appearance, she was ruthless! How did I know her? Simple, she was the Combat Training instructor for the Draco ss, the protagonist and friends'' ss. ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom She held an important role in the early part of the story, especially in the main characters'' growth and development. One of the six instructors I had written about apart from Jillian. Also, she did mention that there were four sses gathered here, right? The Combat Training ss in the academy was always like that. Considering there were 20 sses in the first-year ss. The Combat Training had been programmed as a joint ss between four sses that had the same schedule or in the same group The ss schedules of every ss group were different from each other. On Wednesday was the schedule of my ss group, Lupus, Draco, Tigris, and Serpent. Though I had never known that the Lupus ss had the same schedule as the Draco and Tigris as I never mentioned it in the novel. "We, the instructors had prepared a full-year schedule for this ss." She cleared her throat. "Before I exin further, it''d be best to get to know each other first. I am ra Tomson, the instructor in charge of the Draco ss¡­" She started with her self-introduction, then followed by the other instructors. From the left to the right; Kane, ra, Julian, Vic. "For the first lesson of the Combat Training ss, we have prepared something for you all. First, check out your Nova Watch, then group up with your team members. The Draco ss shall gather in front of me once done." "Lupus ss shall be with me!" Shouting with a cheerful tone was a blonde-haired man in a tracksuit. Julian. "Tigris ss, gather immediately when you''re done." This time it was a bulky, ball-headed man who was talking. A confident smile was visible on his brown-skinned face. Kane. "Now, as for the Serpent ss, even though I would prefer for you all to take your time, it seems like everyone wants to rush this. So, please do it quickly and gather once you''re done" The man with the carefree attitude spoke, while idly ying with his mop of brown hair. Vic. I checked my Nova Watch as it rang and vibrated on my wrist. A hologram screen panel popped up from it, disying a list of names of the students. Searching for my name using the search feature, I found my name listed under the group ''Lupus-8''. === Group Lupus-8 > Ember Crimson (1 / Vanguard) > Enzo Ruiz (91 / Marksman) > Zio Varrez (911 / Striker) > Hulio Lio (1789 / Vanguard) > Niah Hayes (1987 / Support) === ''Seems like my rank luck just activated its lifetime luck¡­'' I noticed that the groupposition was bnced. Two Vanguards, the frontlines. A Striker, the midline assassin. A Marksman, the backline ranger DPS. And a Support, well, the backline support. The student''s position role was decided by the academy when they first took the exam. Though it was all just for formalities, and if the students didn''t want the role decided for them, they could always change it after getting confirmation from the instructor. The Vanguard position was usually taken by those who used close-range weapons such as the sword, spear, gauntlet, etc. The Striker too was usually taken by those who used close-range weapons. What made it different from Vanguard was that their role would likely be more focused on dealing damage and lock-targeting the enemy''s weak point. I didn''t think I should exin what the Marksman as the backline DPS, and Support as support do, right? Though if you still insist¡­ The Marksman was usually taken by those who used long-range weapons such as the bow, crossbow, gun, etc. Their purpose in the group was to deal damage as much as possible. And Support was usually taken by those who had supporting skills, blessings, or talents. There was one more position actually, and that was the Caster. They were usually those who could cast a variety of magic spells. Some of them could also be categorized as Support if the only spell they had was a supporting spell like heal. Well, time to regroup with my team members. ''Since Enzo Ruiz was right just behind me, I just need to look for Ember and the other.'' I turned around, facing Enzo Ruiz who had just checked his Nova Watch, then looked at me with almost closed eyes. "Zio," he nodded sleepily. "You remember my name, good. Let''s look for the other, shall we?" I said as I gestured with my thumb, inviting him to go. Enzo stared at me, not moving from his ce. "Why not let them look for us instead?" "That''s a great idea, but¡­" Could they find us if we were the ones who waited? Failing my expectation, a shrill shout assaulted my eardrum. "Hey! Zio, Enzo,e here!" Turning around, I found three people standing side by side. From the left was Ember, looking at her Nova Watch. Standing in the middle was a brown-haired girl with pigtails, waving at us cheerfully. And to the right side was a boy who was blushing as he stared at the brown-haired girl. "Oh. There they are." I turned to Enzo and said, "I guess we are the ones who should go." Enzo sighed, but eventually followed me to regroup with the other. Once regrouped, we were introducing ourselves. The brown-haired girl was known as Niah, and the boy was Lio. When everyone had grouped with their team members. Each ss''s respective instructor called for them. My group gathered in front of Julian, our instructor, along with the other Lupus ss students. ra left her post and walked to the raised tform, with her voice amplified by magic, her sound rang out in the air. "Today''s activity is monster hunting practice." She scanned the students'' excited faces upon hearing the word ''monster'' and ''hunting'' in the same sentence. "However," she continued, "remember that it''s only a practice. The monsters you will be hunting in the Artificial Forest are replicas of the original ones, with their strength adjusted. It''s simr to the monsters you faced during the entrance exam. You will earn points based on the type of monster you hunt. The list of monsters and their corresponding points will be uploaded to your Nova Watch once the practice begins. You can also check your rankings in real-time on your Nova Watch." "The points you will get are counted both as individual points as well as group points. You will get individual points depending on your contribution to hunting the monster, that''s all." The students pped in cheers. "Oh, and one more thing. The group will not change until the mid-term. So, try not to have a dispute with your team members as it can spoil the mood of your group and might lower your group''s performance." Looking at her Nova Watch, a moment of silence in this wide field could be felt by everyone. They were excited. Some were nervous too as the silence stretched out. Then, a sound of breath was vividly heard ringing in the air. "Start!" Chapter 42 Competing II ?As soon as the word ''Start!'' was dered, the students sprung into action. They dashed into the Artificial Forest. Where was the Artificial Forest exactly, you say? The Artificial Forest was located outside academy ind, it was on the north side of Octagram Ind. It was a property solely owned by the academy, anyone other than the Octagram students or staff was prohibited to enter the forest. How could the students go there, it was far from the campus, won''t they bete and run out of time because the time limit was only 2 hours? Why, of course, by using the warp gate, anything could happen. It was a world with magic and advanced technology, you remember? The warp gate itself was located in the Wolf realm, where the student space¨Cclub buildings were located. If someone here who had a rank agility was to run at full speed, they could reach the warp gate in 5 minutes. As we raced towards the warp gate, I couldn''t help but notice the difference in agility stats among my group. Lio and Niah, with their rank agility, were struggling to keep up, and I estimated it would take us 10 to 15 minutes to reach our destination. In contrast, the high-rank students in the other group were helping their lower-ranked peers, carrying them or leading them by hand to fasten their pace. For my group though, it looked like Ember and Enzo had no interest in doing that. I caught up with Ember and Enzo, leaving Lio and Niah behind. "Hey!" I shouted. When they turned their attention slightly to me, I continued. "You guys can go ahead and start hunting. I''ll catch up with youter." I gestured over my shoulder, indicating that I needed to wait for the other two. "It would be better to turn on and share your real-time location with me." Enzo nodded. Meanwhile, Ember quickly turned her attention ahead, slightly peeking at her Nova Watch. As I slowed down to wait for Lio and Niah, Ember and Enzo disappeared from my sight. "Zio¡­!" Niah''s naturally high-pitched voice, with its soprano-like quality, rang out in my ears as both Lio and Niah stopped before me, gasping for breath. Seeing them like that, I couldn''t help but smile, remembering my own struggles just a month ago. "Let''s take it slow from here," I said. "But¡­!" Niah shot up, her breathing in ragged gasps, her P.E. uniform hugged her chest as it rose and fell with each heavy breath, her eyes fixed on me with determination. ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom The grey hoodie-type uniform she wore had red ents on the cuffs of the sleeves and the hem of the hoodie, adding a touch of sporty style to her appearance. I nced down at my own uniform, which also had the same design and color as hers. The uniform was made from a lightweight and breathable fabric, it was practical andfortable, allowing for ease of movement during physical activities. The long pants, also in grey, reached down to our ankles and were made of the same material that ensuredfort during training sessions. "It''s fine. Just rx, they will get us points anyway." "But, the individual points are¡­" "You can worry about thatter. The important part in this practice is the group points not individual points." I looked at Lio who was in the same state as Niah. "Don''t you think so, Lio?" He flinched at my question and spontaneously answered. "Y-yes! I don''t mind freebies!" Eventually, Niah sighed and gave up. We kept it at a normal pace as we were running to the warp gate, not too slow nor not too fast. Once we reached the Wolf realm, we headed straight to the warp gate and immediately found ourselves surrounded by trees once we teleported. As we stepped into the Artificial Forest, I was taken aback by the astonishingly lifelike atmosphere. The air was thick with the earthy scent of pine, and a gentle breeze rustled through the leaves of the towering trees. The canopy above filtered the sunlight, casting dappled patterns on the forest floor, while the undergrowth was a lush carpet of ferns, moss, and wildflowers. "This ce is incredible!" Niah eximed, her eyes wide with wonder. Lio, who had been struck by the forest''s scenery, spoke up. "Yeah, I''ve never thought that ''Artificial Forest'' would be like this. The trees, the air, everything feels so authentic," he said, emphasizing the word ''Artificial Forest''. "Don''t let it distract you from your goal, let''s start hunting for points." "Don''t we need to regroup with Ember and Enzo first?" Niah asked. "They are separated from each other, and our positions are far from each other. It''d be best if we start hunting first, collecting points, and who knows we might be regrouped by ident as we hunt." They looked at each other, feeling rather anxious about my suggestion. I understand where their anxiety came from. Before, they had rank 1 and rank 91 in their group, but now they were separated from them, leaving me¨Crank 911 as the highest rank in the group, and they thought that I wasn''t as good as Ember and Enzo. It was a bit hurting my feeling to have been doubted by someone. But, I didn''t intend to back away. Just like ra said, we needed to maintain the vibe in the group. "It will be fine, trust me." I put up my brightest smile to ensure them. ¡­ "Aim for its eyes." Swoosh¨C! Niah released her arrow after my instruction. The arrow cut through the air and hit the goblin''s head deep. Well, that was beyond my expectation. The reason I told her to aim for the eyes instead of the head was that I doubted her arrow could pierce it, but it seemed I was wrong about her. Despite of being a Support, she was good with bow. Did she ever bothered with her role decision? Surely, she could ask the instructor if she want to change it. "Good job!" Lio and Niah exchanged a victorious high five, celebrating their sessful hunt. Meanwhile, I looked at my Nova Watch to check the points we had collected. After seemingly a half hour of exploring the forest, we added 5 group points from the four doll monsters we hunted. 3 goblins and a wolf beast. Also, in those hunts, I collected around 10 individual points. My group was currently ranked third in the ranking, with a total of 23 points. The second rank group, ''Tigris-3'', with a total of 25 points. And the first rank group, ''Draco-30'', with a total of 34 points. "I think it''s time to regroup with Ember and Enzo." Upon hearing that, Lio and Niah beamed me a smile and nodded excitedly. Actually, the reason why I suggested regrouping was that I wanted to do something else. All this time, I asionally used my Pathfinding skill to trace the Dracolion, a monster that gave 10 points to the group that managed to subjugate them. Just recently, I used my Pathfinding skill for the third time and found its precise location. I saw an image of the Dracolion fighting against a group of students. I had no idea which group they were in, but I couldn''t miss the chance to steal the kill from them. It was a whole 10 group points, with a maximum of 20 individual points that one would get from contributing to the hunt and a solid 20 individual points for the one who didst hit and killed it. Adding that to mine, I would get a total of 30 individual points effortlessly. Not to mention the point from the group¡­ I might be able to get around 100 merits in one go! Looking at the hologram screen that popped up from my Nova Watch, there was a blue dot, indicating someone from my group was nearby. The green arrow in the center of the map orpass screen was the indicator of my position, while the blue dots were my team members. Two dots with me was Lio and Niah. One dot slightly to the east from us, and another one far to the northwest. ording to the signal I got, it seemed like it was Enzo who was at the east. So, I headed there with Lio and Niah, but in the middle of the trip, I separated from them with the reason to meet Ember who was far from our current position. They were hesitant at first of letting me go because they had not yet met with Enzo. When I told them that they would only need to just walk a few meters to meet him, they immediately ran off like scared cats. Seeing them running frantically, I chuckled. I turned around, stretched my body, and started coating my feet with mana. My limit on maintaining the mana coating before was 15 seconds, but now, as I mastered it little by little in a week, I could now maintain it for 25 seconds. It might be not that much. But, another 10 seconds added to the duration were essential for just moving around. I leaped into the nearby tree branch and stood on it, quickly making my way as I jumped from branch to branch like a ninja. "Now, the thief game begins!" Chapter 43 Points Rat ?Upon arriving at the location, I stopped and hid among the tree leaves. The distance between me and the Dracolion who fought against the group of students was a little far, but enough for me to watch them. As I took a closer look at the group, I found familiar faces among them. "Lux? And Seo Yeong-Ha?" Lux''s snow hair was easy to notice, even more so Seo Yeong-Ha''s fighting style. When I arrived here, they were in a fight against the Dracolion. Looking at the situation, then on my Nova Watch, I guessed that it had been 20 minutes since the fight start as well as the time which I had wasted to reach here. If it was not for the trouble I encountered on the way, I should''ve reached here 10 minutes earlier. On my way here, I encountered several problems like slipping and tripping then falling, and bruised. Other than that, there was also a little hunting¡­ or maybe stealing was the right word. That''s right! I was steal killing from the other group! And I was proud to say it out loud! Because of that, now my group was in the second position with 33 points. I just added 6 points to my group''s points. I guess my team members didn''t ck off either. Oh right, it was not because of the steal kill I did which made me waste my time. Rather, it was because of the chasing. So, the group whose target got steal killed by me was chasing me like a madman. It was a good thing I knew how to fasten my movement speed with mana-coating so they couldn''t catch me. It was fun, except for the fact that I needed to feast on the bigger te. "Well, as long as the Dracolion is still alive. I guess it''s fayn." I observed the fight while sitting leisurely on the tree branch. Fruits were growing, that looked like an apple but the color was ck. Picking up the fruit that resembled a ck apple and upon closer inspection, I realized it was not actually a fruit. I yed with it on my palm, feeling its texture and shape, surprised to find such an unexpected item in this ce. "I didn''t think this ce would have this little guy." The Smokefruit, resembling an apple in shape but with ck color, was not meant for consumption. Instead, it served as a weapon or support kit. When thrown, it would explode upon impact, releasing smoke in circr areas, akin to a smoke bomb. Unlike a normal smoke bomb, the Smokefruit was lethal for the monsters, it had a weakening effect on them, making it a valuable tool in hunting a group of smaller monsters. "Though I doubt it would work against the Dracolion." But then, if I used this and stacked the smoke. It might weaken the Dracolion but also would be fatal for humans too, if they were to inhale the smoke, they would pass out in an instant. So much work to weaken the Dracolion but no one could finish it off when it was weakened. ''If only I have a gas mask or purifier potion.'' At that moment, a loud, girl''s shouting voice rang out, immediately getting my attention back to the fight. "Lux! Get ready for the final blow!" "Let''s go! Seo Yeong-Ha!" Lux and Seo Yeong-Ha started to move, pinching the Dracolion. The other three of their group were all long-ranged, they positioned themselves far back. Two of them had their bows at ready, and another with a shortsword, a transparent blue glow emanating from his body. I straightened my body and stood on the branch, taking out my daggers. "I guess it''s about to reach the climax." Lux and Seo Yeong-Ha, the two frontline fighters, moved with precision and skill, aiming for the weak spots of therge beast. They were attacking and dodging in a precise manner and with teamwork. The other three members positioned farther back, using long-ranged attacks to support Lux and Seo Yeong-Ha. Two marksmen fired arrows at the Dracolion''s head and neck, while another cast buffs from a distance, providing continuous support for his group''s members. The Dracolion''s roars grew weaker, and its movements slowed further. Lux and Seo Yeong-Ha seized the opportunity, pressing their attack with excitement. "Now, Lux!" As Lux was about to deliver the final blow with his swordsmanship that was seen from the faint glow radiating from his sword, I threw the Smokefruit at the Dracolion. With mana-coating, my throw strengthened and the Smokefruit flew at a high speed and exploded before Lux could even make his move. "Wha¨C?!" The Smokefruit exploded in a burst of ck smoke upon impact, engulfing the three meters tall Dracolion in its noxious fumes. Lux and Seo Yeong-Ha were caught off guard, their attacks halted as they tried to get themselves out of the ck smoke that blocked their visions. As they seed, they stumbled back, coughing and choking. The other members of their group, positioned further back, were also affected by the smoke, and their attacks were disrupted. "What is happening?" While they were in a state of confusion about what was going on. I leaped down from the branch with my daggers drawn, seizing the opportunity. Before I leaped down and darted in, I saw something flickering from the trees across from me. It was red, glowing red, like a me. Then, when I darted in, midway before I could reach the Dracolion. Someone also jumped in from the direction where the glowing red came. "?!!" It was Ember. Her sharp me eyes focused on the Dracolion. She was jumping toward my line of direction, if either of us did not stop, it could lead to a crash. Noticing me, she furrowed her eyebrows and quickly shifted her body. We moved with synchronized precision movement, avoiding a collision mid-air as we both descended toward the Dracolion. Her whip sword raised and I used her sword de as a temporary foothold to maintain my momentum to jump upward andunched her down at the beast first. "Go!" I didn''t expect this kind of situation and synergy between Ember and me. But, since we were teammates, I helped and let her dealt with the Dracolion first. Her whip sword glinted with fiery me as she swung it expertly, using it as leverage to propel herself toward the beast. Thanks to my irvoyance, I could see what was happening inside the ck smoke. I watched in awe as Ember unleashed a barrage of fiery strikes, her me eyes focused and her movements precise. Her relentless assault was too much for the beast to handle. With a final, powerful strike, Ember unleashed a powerful downward strike aimed at the Dracolion''s head, causing it to roar in agony and copse to the ground yet still alive. That was where I came in. I coated the soles of my feet and then force-released the mana to make it explode,unching me downward. Darting in, I used my mana-coated daggers to deliver one fatal blow to the Dracolion''s weak spot, its nape which was unprotected by its hard scale. Grrroooaaarrrggghhh!!! The Dracolion was defeated, with a deep-cut wound on its nape, almost separating the head from the body. "Who are you guys?! How dare you stole our hunt?!" A female voice rang out in the air, assaulting my eardrums. It was Seo Yeong-Ha''s. The ck smoke from the exploded Smokefruit subsided, revealing Ember and I stood victorious over the defeated Dracolion. Ember''s whip sword crackled with residual mes, and my daggers gleamed with the beast''s blood. "Zio?" Lux started, then his eyes darted at Ember. "And Ember?" I turned around and faced them with an innocent smile. "Yo, Lux!" I sheathed my daggers and jumped down from the beast''s corpse that soon would be dispersed into a particle of mana because it was just a doll monster. As soon as I approached them, Seo Yeong-Ha grabbed me by my uniform''s cor. "Hey! Why did you do it?! It''s our hunt!" Lux was surprised by her aggressiveness. Before I could answer Seo Yeong-Ha, Lux''s voice wasing out first. "Calm down, Seo Yeong-Ha, it''s just a game." Seo Yeong-Ha''s face darted from me to Lux. "It''s our¨C!" She paused mid-sentence when everyone''s Nova Watch vibrated and beeped, and eventually did not finish her word. Sighing, she released my cor. "It''s 10 minutes left before this end," Lux said upon checking his Nova Watch. Seo Yeong-Ha''s eyes widened in shock as she cried out, "WHAT?!! Our group ranks down to second!!!" Before she could direct her frustration at me again, I was already far away from their group the moment Seo Yeong-Ha turned, looking like someone who wanted to choke people to death. "Thank you for the points!!!" "YOU!! COME BACK HERE!!!" I couldn''t hold my nervousugh as her voice reached my ears considering our distance. Chuckling, I quickly spun on my heels and sprinted away together with Ember who was already ahead of me. I pushed my body to its limits, using my agility and speed to put as much distance as possible from Seo Yeong-Ha''s wrath, disappearing into the dense forest. ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom That day, I got a nickname from my victims. ''Points Rat'', that sounded some¡­ For thest 10 minutes, we hunted any monsters in sight. And when the time was up, my group ced in the first position with a total of 51 points. The result of the hunting practice was uploaded to the student''s Nova Watch when we gathered back at the Octagram''s Training Field. === [Group Rank] 1. Lupus-8 - 51 points 2. Draco-30 - 44 points 3. Tigris-3 - 40 points 4. Draco-17 - 37 points 5. Serpent-9 - 35 points 6. Draco-11 - 33 points 7. Lupus-20 - 31 points 8. ¡­ 9. ¡­ 10. ¡­ === [Individual Rank] 1. Ember Crimson - 53 points 2. Lux Virtus - 49 points 3. Zio Varrez - 48 points 4. Leonardo Miguel - 45 points 5. Seo Yeong-Ha - 41 points 6. Ayano Fuyuki - 39 points 7. Lin Xao - 33 points 8. Enzo Ruiz - 30 points 9. Grace Caghan - 27 points 10. Lumi Alicia Alexa - 26 points === ¡­ After ss was dismissed, I immediately looked for Ember before she could slip away again. "Here, your earring," I said, extending my palm toward her. She stared at the earring for a moment before taking it, and I acted as if I had no idea why she had given it to me in the first ce. "I''m not sure why you gave this to me before my fight in the Neophyte Nexus, but I''m sure you didn''t intend for me to keep it, right? Thank you, anyway," I said, trying to sound casual. Ember reached up to fix the hair that covered her ears, and as she put the earring on her left ear, I found myself tensed up. My eyes were watering for no reason, and I quickly wiped them with my hand. ''Damn, I know she is pretty, but why am I so fascinated that it makes me sobbing?!'' Was it because she resembled Nuria? It seemed usible, although being charmed by a 17-year-old brat didn''t make sense to me, and how my eyes were watering. Nuria was considered the epitome of beauty in this world. Despite being 60 years old, her appearance was still youthful and stunning, akin to that of someone in their 20s. Well, to be frank, 60 years old is considered young for an Enhanced like us, who can live up to 150 years old. Ember frowned as she was done putting the earring on her left ear. "Is there something wrong with it? If I somehow broke it, I will pay for the damage." As she shook her head, I found myself feeling relieved. I felt relieved because I didn''t need to pay for the damaged item of other people, which I couldn''t afford to pay. "There''s no need for that," she said as she turned back. "See youter." I stood still, watching her disappear from my sight. "Huu¡­" When I was about to return to my dorm, I suddenly felt an intense aura directed at me from behind. Peeking over my shoulder, I found Seo Yeong-Ha walking with heavy footsteps toward me. "You¡­!" I tensed up as I saw her. I instinctively ran away soon after that. "COME HERE YOU DAMN RAT!" Thus, with that, it marked the end of today''s Combat Training ss, as well as the end of my story. ''Just joking! I shall not die until I can change this world''s fate!'' Chapter 44 Visiting The Floating City ?"We will finish the ss here. Don''t forget to do the assignment, as it is due by next Friday at thetest." As the professor left ss, the ssroom was immediately filled with students'' noises. I yawned, feeling a little exhausted after not having a restful sleepst night. The dream or maybe the vision that had haunted me before was back. Even Zia, my roommate, was nowhere to be seen in the room. I didn''t know if she hade backte at night or if she hadn''t returned to our dorm room at all. Her bedsheet was clean and cold as if she had never slept on her bed. ''Well, she''s already 17. Surely, she can take care of herself,'' I thought. But, a part of me couldn''t help but be worried about her. "Heck, if only I knew where her ss is..." I muttered to myself. Zia had never told me where her ss was, and whenever I asked her about it, she would always change the topic. The strange part was that when she did that, I felt like I wasn''t myself. I would immediately immerse in the topic she brought up and never mention the question I asked in the first ce again for the rest of our conversation. Shaking my head, I got up from my seat and headed to the training center. ¡­ Two hourster, inside the training center¡­ Practicing in the training center after sses had be my usual routine by now. However, even though I did that, it was still hard to raise my stats. The main cause of my slow progress was my low growth potential. Unlike the maximum potential that could be measured during the entrance exam, there was no way to know how much potential one had for growth except by guessing from experience. Whenever they felt like they were growing slower, they could tell that their growth potential was low, probably a rank or lower. As for me, I had a hunch that my growth potential was potentially a rank. It was just a hunch, but it was likely the case. "I may need to consume both Horizon Elixir and Catalyst Potion if I want to boost my progress. The problem is that I don''t have enough money..." I mused to myself. There was also another variable that prevented me from consuming those expensive items. Both of them had not yet made their appearance in the market. They were supposed to be produced three years from now. ''I can''t wait for that long... Either I make them myself ormission someone to make them. But, those items are essential. It will be a waste if I just give them the recipes but don''t get anything in return. I need someone who wants to make a deal with me¡­'' As I was trapped in my thought, a loud, yelling sound echoed in the air. "HAA!!" It was Seo Yeong-Ha. She was practicing her martial arts, a spar to be precise, and her opponent was a Latino guy with blonde hair. Leonardo Miguel. Watching them spar intensively, I slowly backed away from the open field area in the middle section of the building. As I backed away with my eyes locked on them, I identally bumped into someone behind me. "Ouch!" A feminine voice brushed softly close to my ears. "Oh. Sorry." When I turned around, what I found wasn''t someone''s face but rather their dark violet-colored hair. It was vibrant and caught my attention immediately. Though I couldn''t see the person''s face as their hair covered most of it, I could make out a pair of strikingly bright emerald eyes peeking through the strands. ''She looks familiar¡­'' I thought as soon as I noticed her emerald eyes. "Sorry," I said again. "It''s okay," she replied, sounding nonchnt. The person took a step back and slightly pushed her hair aside, revealing her face. It was a familiar girl, with delicate features and a stoic smile on her lips. Lumi Alicia. One of the main characters whose fate and role have already been altered because she did not get in the same ss as the protagonist. Though I doubted it could stop her from getting close to the other characters, especially Lux who showed eminent skills and potential. She would be eager to recruit him to her guild. "Can you move aside?" Noticing I was standing in front of her, I immediately stepped aside. "Oh, sure." As I stepped aside, she quickly walked away, approaching Seo Yeong-Ha and Leonardo Miguel. ''Hmm. I guess that being ced in a different ss doesn''t affect her role that much, seeing that she maintains her rtionship with both Leo and Seo Yeong-Ha.'' ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom ''Especially with Leo. As the two of them were heirs of influential conglomerate families, they were bound to have some sort of rtionship since they were children.'' Turning around, I headed to the locker room, took a shower, and changed into my ck and red uniform. As I was changing into my academy uniform, I overheard a group who was discussing something. "Hey. I heard that there will be an auction held by the Agate Auction House next week!" "Agate? The auction house in New Avian? The floating city?" "Yeah. That one! I''m going to ask my parents to buy me an artifact there." The group of students continued to discuss, imagining this and imagining that. I left the room as soon as I finished changing into my uniform. ''New Avian, huh?'' New Avian was a city known by two nicknames; Artisan Town, and Metro Trading City, it was a breathtaking floating city located in Europe, precisely above the North Sea, between the United Kingdom and France. The floating city was a vibrant and bustling metropolitan city that served as a haven for artisans from around the world. It was a ce where art, culture, and technology intersected, creating a unique environment for artisans to thrive and showcase their skills. With its stunning architecture, advanced technologies second only to Octagram Ind, and emphasis on sustainability, New Avian became a beacon of artisanship and creativity in Europe and the world. ''Now I know where I could get someone who will dly make a deal with me.'' ¡­ The next day, Saturday¡­ For today''s asion, I had transformed myself into Ian Crow. A handsome guy with weird and old-fashioned fashion as if he was cosying a character¨Cwhich was almost true. Though I didn''t know what character I was cosying. An extra cosying as an extra? I waited in front of the warp gate in Octagram Transport Center, and a ''New Avian'' text screen was disyed on the hanging small disy screen above the gate. "You finally decided to show up after ignoring me for 2 weeks?" a familiar voice came from behind me. When I turned around, I found a man with yellow, snake-like eyes walking toward me. "Sorry, I was busy." He crossed his arms and red at me. "Anyway, how did your progress with the cure?" I asked. He scoffed before answering me. "Are you really asking me that?" "Huh, why? You didn''t make any progress yet?" "No way! How am I supposed to make progress when I don''t even know what to do with the ingredients I had collected?!" he eximed in frustration. "Uh-oh, right. I forgot to give you the recipe." He gave me a side look, then rolled his eyes. "Dude, are you serious?" a look of disbelief painted on his face. "Hey, don''t look at me like that. I thought you''d be able to figure it out yourself, but I guess I overestimated your ability," I said, shaking my head, intending to provoke him. Though I did not think he couldn''t figure it out by himself. After all, the one who made the cure was himself, with the same ingredients. ''I guess that his genius and cunning mind hasn''t been developed yet.'' Goose didn''t bother to be provoked by me. He stood still as his eyes darted from the portal to the sign hanging above. "New Avian?" "Yes. I have something to do here." "Why bring me into this? Are there even any benefits for me by following you?" "Of course, there are. You will get a lot of them if you follow me. The recipe''s cure or¡­" I paused mid-sentence, smirking before continuing. "The recipe for Horizon Elixir and Catalyst Potion." Goose''s eyes widened for a moment but then frowned in an immediate manner. "Horizon Elixir? Catalyst Potion? What is that?" he asked, clearly intrigued. I chuckled, enjoying his reaction. "Well, well, well. What is that, I wonder, hmm?" I teased. His eyebrows twitched a few times before he burst out. "Just tell me, dude!" "Haha! Okay, okay," I paused, clearing my throat, then spoke in a low tone as if whispering. "No one but me knows about this potion. So, I found this recipe in ancient ruins. Horizon Elixir is a potion that raises the maximum potential limit. Unfortunately, it could only be consumed once per person, and how much their potential limit would raise depends on luck." "Raises the potential limit? It sounds intriguing at first, but the random factor on how much it will raise the limit and thing about it is a one-time use potion are a bit unconvincing¡­" Goose remarked. "I know. But, hey, people will do anything as long as they could break through their limiters." I shrugged casually. What I told Goose about how the elixir could only raise the limit by a random factor was a lie. For maximum and perfect consumption of the elixir, one must know how to meditate and absorb mana from nature. The process was simr to how the martial artists or wizards trained themselves to expand or increase their mana and ki pool. But, it would ruin the fun if I told Goose about that. "Well, what about the other one?" Goose asked. I straightened up and looked at the portal in front of me. "Oh, do you think I will tell you about it all? Though, if only you decided to follow me, I might tell you about itter. So, what''s your answer?" "Ughh! Fine!" "Hehe, great! Now, let''s continue this while we walk around the New Avian," I said, as I stepped through the portal, Goose followed behind me. With that, I obtained a key to stop the world''s end. ''It''s nice to have you in my quest, Specter.'' Chapter 45 The Trio ?"So, you''re saying that those potions can enhance potential, both upper limit and growth?" "Yes. That''s what I''m trying to make. If possible, monopolize the market with them, it could bring me profit in long term. So, I will ask you again, are you up to do that?" Goose put his hand on his chin, considering whether he should ept my offer or outright refuse it because the risks are too high. I understood where his worriesing from. Monopolizing the market was not an easy thing to do, especially if he started from the bottom. He needed to do everything to protect the brand from bigpanies such as Nova Corps, Mogul Adventure, and others. If it was Goose the Specter, I was a hundred percent sure he would ept my offer despite the risks. But, right now, he was nothing more than a duckling in arge pond. ''What will you choose, Spec¨C no, Goose?'' I waited patiently as Goose pondered over my proposal. His yellow, snake-like eyes narrowed as he weighed the potential benefits against the risks. I could tell he was cautious, but also intrigued by the idea of monopolizing the market using potions that could enhance one''s potential. The silence stretched on for a few moments, and I resisted the urge to prompt him for an answer. Finally, Goose lowered his hand from his chin and gave me a shrug. "I¡­ don''t think I could do it. But, if you give me time to consult this with my boss¡­" "Boss?" "Oh, I have not told you yet, right? I''m an advisor of a guild." "Which guild?" He extended his hand to me, with his palm facing upward. Meanwhile, his other hand was gesturing a coin sign. "You know what I mean?" he said. I watched him with a deadpan expression. "Nevermind, then," I shrugged. ''I do not care which guild he belonged to. ording to the story, he changed sides to the viin side because his guild was destroyed by big guilds.'' You could say that the reason he joined Utopia was because of revenge. The target of his revenge was clearly those guilds and heroes. Because the guild was never mentioned, I had zero interest in his guild situation. ''Hmm. I doubt I can get much profit from doing business with him and his guild. Well, except if I could prevent his guild downfall, I might get something. But, it''s too much work to do¡­'' p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® After giving it a second thought, I changed the term of my proposal. "Fine, take your time to consult with your ''boss''," I said, emphasizing my skepticism. "But, I will only offer you the Horizon Elixir." "Huh? Why?" "My business mind telling me to be greedy," I said with a smirk. He scoffed, but eventually ept my offer and reasoning. The matter was settled, for now. We walked further in the New Avian. The cityscape of the New Avian was a visual feast for my eyes, with stunning buildings adorned with intricate carvings, colorful murals, and decorative motifs. Artisans from various professions such as cksmiths, carpenters, painters, and many others had their workshops and studios throughout the city, showcasing their craftsmanship and selling their unique products. The streets were alive with the sounds of music,ughter, and the tter of artisans at work, creating an atmosphere of creativity and innovation. In addition, there were visitors from all over the world who came for trading, selling, and buying. Do you think the products they sell are ordinary items? Hoho, you couldn''t be more wrong! No! None of them were ordinary. They were all useful tools, ranging from everyday items to specialized tools for Enhanced. I noticed that some of them were man-made artifacts, from rank artifacts to rank artifacts. "So, what do you want to do here?" Goose''s voice released me from the bustling city''s scenery. "Well, I''m looking for shops that can make me something." "And what exactly is that?" I took out a piece of paper¨Ca blueprint from my storage cube and showed it to him. When he looked at it, his eyes immediately widened, shing with recognition of the blueprint and what item I would make. "You are insane¡­" ¡­ After he looked at the item I wanted to create, he suggested to me a capable and trustworthy workshop he knew in the New Avian. Because I had no idea where to go here, I followed his suggestion and we went there immediately. Upon arriving in front of the workshop, it was rather a small workshop. The storefront had no disys, only covered windows and a door with a rusty knob. Creak¡­! The door made a loud creaking sound when I opened it. Stepping inside the shop, three people looked at us with surprise, but their expressions softened as Goose followed me inside. "Oh, Goose!" One of them, a woman with a delicate, well-muscled build and wearing a ck crop tank top with cargo pants, finally spoke. Her short, stylish hair appeared wild, and her red eyes seemed to glow in the dark. She reached at Goose and rested her hand around Goose''s shoulders, saying¡­ "Long time no see. How are you doing, cutie?" Goose''s face reddened a bit as he shook his head. "Stop it, Aran. You don''t act that way to your employer," said a cool-looking guy inside the shop approaching Goose and the woman named Aran. He wore a cyber-looking mask, covering half of his face. He gently patted Aran''s shoulder with his prosthetic right hand, signaling her to back away "Tch. You''re too stiff, Wilson." At that moment, a loud screaming sound rang out behind them. "AHH!! No way I''m gonna lose my money again!" The man looked homeless, unshaven face, and disheveled long ck hair. His dead fish eyes widened as he stared at the tablet in his hands. "Fvck, Eru! Did you just bet with our money again?!" Aran yelled. Surprised, Eru threw the tablet to the cushion he was sitting on, then immediately stood up. "Hehe, sorry, sorry. I''ll return it next week¡­" he said, then disappeared behind the door. Aran shook her head, her hand massaging her forehead. I frowned, observing these people. Among these three, the only one I knew was the guy named Eru. As far as I remember, that homeless-looking guy was a member of Utopia in the future along with Goose. He was known as the Phantom Thief because of his exceptional skills in stealing. If Goose was called the man behind the scene with hiswork and information maniption, Eru was the man who directly faced the heroes, stealing every valuable and opportunity the heroes had. The other two though, Aran and Wilson, I had never heard of them. There might be a chance that the two were an extra whose going to die in the heroes'' hands, a perfect viin backstory for Eru. ''Well, I''m not sure, but that might happen.'' Wilson whose attention was disrupted by the conflict immediately returned to me and Goose. "Right. I''m guessing you have work for us?" "That''s right. But, it''s not me this time who will do business with you guys. It''s this person right here," Goose said, pointing at me. Aran and Wilson exchanged curious nces as Goose pointed at me. Aran spoke up first, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well, who do we have here? A handsome man with such a drip hase to our shop." Wilson rolled his eyes at Aran''sment. He took a step forward, his cyber-mask giving him a stoic appearance as he said, "What brings you to our shop, dear ''customer''." I took a moment to gather my thoughts, assessing their ability to see if they were really the right people for me to entrust to make the item I wanted. "Before that, I want to look at your creation first. The item I want you guys to create needs someone with high-level craftsmanship, I hope you understand." Wilson raised his chin confidently as Aran smirked, taking the items out of their storage cube. Around ten items were neatly lined up on the floor. "Take your time to assess our abilities in craftsmanship," Wilson said with a confident tone. Unlike other people who needed to carefully examine these items to determine their worth, I only need to use my irvoyance. Once I activated my irvoyance, I felt ticklish in my eyes and a little throbbing pain in my head. Despite that, I was satisfied with their items. Most of these were rank, with two rank. Though I did not know what each item do, knowing their ranks was enough for me to call them both a master of craftsmanship. Satisfied, I smiled and gave them my inquiry. "I''m in need of a tool for a certain venture, take this." I gave Wilson a piece of paper containing a blueprint of what I wanted them to create. As they slowly and carefully studied the blueprint, I waited patiently for their reactions. A momentter, their faces were painted with shock and disbelief, staring at me with awe mixed with a bit of confusion. "Man, you are insane to even think about creating something like this¡­" Aran spoke first, her tone sounded in disbelief, but her smirk and determined eyes said otherwise. "A vessel tube that is capable to create a dungeon by cing the dungeon boss core inside¡­ Why did I never think of that?" Wilson said, sounding intrigued. "Well, do you think you can do it?" I asked. Wilson and Aran nodded at each other in acknowledgment, and at the same time said, "Certainly! This is a piece of cake for us." I proceeded to exin the details of the additional part of the vessel tube, such as installing an anti-jamming system so that when the dungeon was created from it, the Omega couldn''t detect the unusual magic energy from it. After a thorough discussion, we reached an agreement on what the exchange would be like. It was simple, I offered them valuable information for their group, especially for the homeless-looking guy. "For example, I could give you the information about where the dwarf lives and a hidden ancient ruin, where the Coyote''s Mirror is located" There was no way an artisan like them wouldn''t be intrigued by the dwarves, which held the epitome of craftsmanship, knowing where they live was like finding treasures for them. Also, the Coyote''s Mirror was the artifact that Eru, the homeless-looking guy was using as the Phantom Thief. Though I doubted he would know what that was right now. But, betraying my expectation for him was a loud banging sound of the dooring from behind the counter. "Coyote''s Mirror?! Did you just say Coyote''s Mirror?! Where is it? Tell me where is it?!" Eru shouted as he ran and begged me. "What the hell, Eru? What''s going on with you?" Aran said, trying to pull Eru from me. "Aran! Wilson! ept their offer! Please, ept their offer!" Eru looked like someone who was desperate for something, which made his friends look ufortable, ''he was not usually like this'' were what I read by observing Aran and Wilson''s expression. "Even without you doing this, we are going to ept his offer, Eru. So, calm down." Wilson patted Eru''s back and gently pulled him from me. Looking at me again, Wilson extended his hand to me. "I''m intrigued to know where the dwarves live, and just as you see, our friend Eru too seems bewitched by whatever that mirror you mentioned is. So, I think we''re deal?" "Of course." I reached for his hand and we both shook hands, sealing the deal. With the deal sealed, I gave them the information they wanted and thanked them for their assistance as I prepared to leave the workshop. Goose said he wanted to stay with them for a while so I ventured to the New Avian by myself, just looking around the city, observing the artisans and people that lived there. As I did so, I couldn''t help but feel my body tense, knowing that I only had a half-year before therge events that happened in the story urred in this very city. After looking around, I prepared to return to Octagram Ind by using the warp gate. The anticipation and nervousness engulfed me as I thought about what would happen in that event. ''6 months is more than enough to stop the event from happening the same way as in the story¡­'' Taking a breath, I stepped inside the warp gate and found myself back at the Octagram Transport Center. "Huu¡­ What should I do next?" Chapter 46 Club And Elective Course I ?I did not know how precisely it had been since I visited the New Avian but since the Clubs and Elective courses were near, it meant that it had been a month since I first enrolled in the academy. It always had been a tradition for every academy in the world to have clubs and elective courses, and the students were obligated to join both club and elective courses after a month since they were enrolled. Elective courses were extra or specialization sses offered within an academy''s curriculum that students could choose to take based on their interests or career aspirations. Examples of elective courses in Octagram Academy were the magic specialization ss: "Introduction to Magic", the sword specialization ss: "Way of The Sword", etc. Often taught by qualified instructors and might have a rank or celebrity heroes attended the ss as a guest instructor. p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® Meanwhile, the clubs were extracurricr activities organized by students that focus on specific interests, hobbies, or causes, providing opportunities for personal development, socialization, andmunity involvement outside of regr academic coursework. Examples of clubs in Octagram Academy were the sports teams: "Digital Empire" a club for the geek and those who fancy games or digital technologies, a hobby club: "Literary Fan Fancy" a club for those who love books, writers, and readers, etc. As for me, I had already decided which club and elective course I would choose, hell I was already thinking about it the first time I stepped foot inside the academy. The Exploration Club and the Magic Specialization Course. For the record, once the students decided to join a club and course, they couldn''t leave or change the club or course until the next year. While I was pondering in my seat, someone tapped my shoulder. "Hey!" The voice was unfamiliar to me, it was aggressive. Neither Enzo nor Lio had that kind of voice, so it must be someone else. Slightly peeking over my shoulder, I found three people standing behind me. Starting from the left was a boy with a bulky build, a big nose, and shaved hair. To the right side was a contrast from his friend, he was slim and had those bunny teeth. Then, in the middle who looked like the boss of the small gang, he had his hairbed neatly and his grip on my shoulder tightened. "Yes?" I did not recognize any one of them, though I knew the big guy on the left because of how noticeable he was. "Can youe with us for a second?" said the guy in the middle. I raised my eyebrow. *** At the same time, in the ss¡­ In the past weeks since the Practical Hunt, the female students were restless. The reason was because that Zio was seemingly looked close with Ember. They did not know the reason why they were close was because they were of the same group in Combat Training ss, so bond-making was bound to happen. They did not know that it was not only the two of them who was bonding to each other, but the five of them had became closer. Either they had no idea or they did not care, what they cared about was Zio, and why did he getting closer to Ember. With that in mind, their curiosity peaked. "Hey, Ember. What''s your rtionship with that guy, Zio?" A month was enough for everyone in the ss to get to know Ember. She usually had that aura that told everyone to not get close to her, but in fact, that was only what people thought of her. Ember had never any intention to be a loner in the ss, it was just that everyone seemed to be afraid of her, either because of the rumor on the inte or because of the incident a few years ago. When she was 14, she mercilessly killed the people who tried to kidnap her. ording to what people and witnesses said on the inte and news, the little and cheerful Ember was abducted by a group of men wearing ck clothes when she was in France. There had never been any information on whether the group actually kidnapped her or not. Once the local officers and heroes arrived at an empty warehouse, what they found was the burning corpses of unidentified kidnappers. Standing atop those corpses was a little girl whose me raged, almost burning the entire warehouse and its surrounding. That scene was carved deep in the ones who saw it. Since that incident, there had many rumors and spections about what actually happened. No one could even extract any information from the victim herself, as she suddenly passed out not long after and went into aa for a year. What important was, her demeanor hadpletely changed by a half-circle degree after that. People said that Ember became aggressive and hot-headed once she woke up from hera, speaking nonsense about the world''s end. Then a yearter she had be cold and heartless, keeping herself away from people and media. In that 3 years time, Ember''s reputation seemed to decline and people thought negatively about her. From the prodigy to a mad girl. All of that was the fact about Ember''s past that Zio could find on the inte and media. But, Zio seemed to not give it too much care. What he cared about was whether Ember could be useful or not for his goal to stop the end of the world, or at least help humanity win the war against the demon in the future. Back to Ember, everyone was afraid of her past. But, after a month together with her in the same ss, they had realize that she was nothing close to what the rumors said about her. It''s true that she was cold and did not talk much in ss, but she always helped her ssmates whenever they needed it. That was the only way Ember could think to prove that she wouldn''t bite anyone as the rumors said. "Nothing," Ember answered the girl''s curiosity then left the ssroom after. As Ember walked through the corridor, she recalled the incident 3 years ago. The memory made her shiver, shaking her head as she threw the thought away. But, no matter how much she tried to not think about it, the memories were intact permanently in her head. It was not because of the trauma or anything, it just was because of her blessing. "[Status]," she muttered. === ?[Status]? Name: Ember Crimson ? [Stats] Strength: E+ Agility: D- Intelligence: C- Stamina: E+ Magic: C- Charisma: C Luck: C ? [Blessings] [Emberheart] (¨‹ Expand) [Eidetic Memory] (¨‹ Expand) ? [Talents] [Swordsmanship Lv.3] (¨‹ Expand) [Magic Control Lv.4] (¨‹ Expand) ? [Traits] [Fire Resistance Lv.4] (¨‹ Expand) ? [Skills] [Mind Cleansing] (¨‹ Expand) [Enhanced Strength] (¨‹ Expand) ? [Techniques] [Crimson Sword] Rank: 5 stars Mastery Status: Advanced (34%) A swordsmanship created by Nuria Crimson. The technique emphasizes destructive power and wide-area attack. Upon mastery, the sword destructive''s power will increase, with each swing producing me on the sword. [Serpent''s Fury] Rank: 4 stars Mastery Status: Beginner (50%) A technique developed by Lady Ayara Sven. The technique focuses on mastering the art of wielding a whip sword with unparalleled finesse and agility. The user''s movements flow with serpentine grace as they manipte the weapon with precise control, allowing for swift and versatile attacks that catch opponents off-guard. === A window panel appeared in her vision, showing her stats, skills, etc. She tapped the [Eidetic Memory] and another window popped up. ? [Eidetic Memory] ¡ª Enables the user to recall and retain the information they had seen with incredible uracy and detail, allowing them to quickly ess information from their extensive mental database. ''It''s because of this blessing that I can''t forget anything¡­ the past, a horrible past, my nightmare¡­ I can''t forget it.'' She shut the window panel and then shook her head, heading for her dorm. ''That boy too, he should be dead if I wasn''t there.'' ¡­ On a quiet corner somewhere in the lecture hall building, Zio was pushed and fell to the ground, his head bing a mop for the cold marble floor. "I knew it! You''re just nothing, the trash that leeches off the strong!" Despite the beating he was receiving, Zio remained quiet, calmly observing his attackers. ''Well, I don''t know what happened, but it seems they hate me,'' Zio thought. He was confused about his situation, he was observing because he did not have any idea about what the fvck was going on that led him to be beaten by them. All this time, he never made any problem with his ssmates. All he had done was train and practice, make business with Goose, n for the future, study so he could pass the exam, and socialize with the other students. The bulky student grabbed him by the cor and locked him from behind. At that moment, Zio had a goosebump because he had to see an ugly face that close. "Look here, trash," the blonde-haired student started, "If you value your life, you''d better stop doing those things in ss." Zio raised his eyebrows at the blonde-haired student''s words. "What do you mean?" he asked, frowning. "This fvcker dare to look at me with those eyes?" Instead of getting an answer from the blonde student''s mouth, Zio got a fistnded on his face. Bam¨C! His nose bled, but he kept hisposure. "Do you want to taste my fist again?" Zio sighed, spitting the blood from his mouth, and said, "You sh!t, I ask you what you mean by I should stop doing my training and study." The blonde guy gritted his teeth in anger as he lifted his chin. "This blockhead trash¡­! Looks like you need some more beating to get to your senses!" He shouted at the slim guy behind him. "Hey! I need more hands to educate this trash!" "Oho! Boss, certainly!" said the slim guy, stepping forward and flexing his fist. "Hehe! Finally, I get the chance to punch the weak-ass annoying good-looking guy in the face. Let''s see if you can still y with the girl after having your face turned like a goblin!" "What?" Zio muttered, his eyes blinking repeatedly. ''So it''s just because the girl in the ss flocking onto me that they are doing this to me? Seriously?'' Zio said inwardly, disbelieving. After knowing the reason why they were doing this to him, Zio finally fought back. First, he coated his feet with mana then kicked the slim guy that approached him. "Guhak¨C!" Surprised, the bulky guy locking his arms tightened the lock. The blonde guy though, he was staring at his friend who flew a few meters back and nowy on the floor while grunting. "You! Using a skill is prohibited in the academy! I''ll report you to the professor!" "I''m not using my skill though?" Zio said as he sling his legs forward and then coated his arms with mana. He mmed the bulky student forward. It was impossible to do that if he was an ordinary human, but since he knew how to use a mana-coating technique, enhancing physical abilities without skills was possible. "Uakk¨C!" The bulky student groaned in pain as soon as his back met the hard, cold marble floor. Zio spat the blood out from his mouth, then swept it with the sleeve of his uniform. "So? The reason you attacked me is because you are jealous that no girls are approaching you¡­" He paused to spit another blood. "And you attacked me after knowing my rank is lower than yours that makes you think I''m weaker than you, is that it?" "S-shut up!!" The blonde guyunched himself forward after activating his skill [Enhanced Strength] which raised his strength by one rank. Zio deftly dodged the uncoordinated punch and countered by kicking him in his knee. "Arrgghh¨C!" The blonde guy screamed in a high-pitched voice, sounding like a girl''s scream. His knee broke after only one hit from Zio. It was like a child-y for Zio to fight someone who hadn''t learned mana control that could protect them or enhance their physical aspect. The training in mana control should have been learned the moment Enhanced could feel the mana, but it seemed like the people here mostly learned it in the academy. ''The wizard circle is behaving differently than in the story, they are supposed to limit only how much the Enhanced could learn magic, not the requirements of when they could start learning magic.'' Zio walked away, leaving the three students lying on the ground with various pained groans and grunts. "Ah. I should change my uniform first before attending the club recruitment fair¡­ these dust and dirty clothes are irritating to see¡­" Chapter 47 Club And Elective Course II ?"Oh? What happened to you?" As soon as I entered my room, I found Zia settled in her bed who wasbing her long hair just as when I met her the first time in this very same room. "Just had a little conflict with my ssmates," I said, heading to the bathroom. "Did you give them a lesson?" Pushing the door, I paused a moment to answer her before I entered the bathroom. "Yeah, some broken bones. I hope I didn''t get caught." Inside the bathroom, I could hear Zia''s voice faintly. What came from her mouth made me shocked. "You should''ve killed them. That way, they won''t annoy you again," she said, sounding rather calm. I found myself frozen in ce as I heard that. When I was about to respond to her words that I thought she was joking. A tingling, throbbing pain invaded my head again. "Maybe I should have done that¡­" I was surprised at myself as I spoke those words, it felt like I was not myself when I said that. Yeah, it felt like something, a hollow and void feeling forced me to say that subconsciously. Taking off my clothes, I eagerly waited for a reply from outside. When I realized there won''t be any responseing from Zia, I immediately took a quick shower. Upon taking shower, I felt refreshed, but the throbbing pain in my head was still there, instead, it seemed to be worsening. Before, it was like a ticklish and tingling feeling, but now it felt like my inside was crushed by a giant hammer or maybe a Buddha''s palm. I was holding on to the pain and forced myself to dress in a white t-shirt. "Fvck!" My unconscious yell did not go unnoticed by Zia who was probably stillbing her hair. "Zio? Are you okay?" "Y-yeah¡­ A bit dizzy though." A faint humanoid shadow was seen through the bathroom door, Zia was near the door. She was standing in front of the door, and looking at the hand position of the shadow, it looked like she was going to open it. Before she could twist it and opened the door because I forgot to lock it, I stopped her. "Don''te in, I''m naked¡­" I lied. There was no replying from her after I said that. The silence stretched between us which made me suddenly awkward and I could feel my cheek warm. "Let me just finish getting dressed." "Okay¡­" Finally, the reply came. The shadow behind the door stepped away, and I sighed relievedly. As I finished getting dressed in a white t-shirt and ck uniform pants, the pain in my head began to subside slightly, though it was still present. I opened the bathroom door and stepped out. Zia was sitting in her original position before I entered the bathroom, and looked at me with concern. "Are you sure you''re okay?" I rubbed my temples, trying to ease the lingering ache. "Yeah, I don''t know what''s going on. I''ve been getting these weird headachestely, and they seem to be getting worse." Zia frowned, her expression looked serious yet hollow, and I also noticed a soft smile on her face. "I hope you''re better soon." "Thank you¡­" Taking notice of Zia''s appearance, I realized that whenever I talked to her, she was seemingly to be always in her uniform clothing. In fact, I had never seen her in another outfit before. Say, maybe a casual outfit? I really want to see her in a casual outfit. "Do you always wear your uniform whenever and wherever?" She blinked a few times before answering me. "Oh. It''s just that the uniform is veryfortable." "I see." I couldn''t agree more with that. Since I got the uniform, I had been morefortable wearing it than my casual outfit. It was proof that the materials used for the uniform were of high quality, as expected from the prestigious academy. "Why? Do you want to see me in my casual outfit?" I coughed. Surprised by her sudden questions. "Not really." "Hee¡­" She looked at me with narrow eyes¡ªteasing-like eyes. When she stood up, I reflexively jolted and took a few paces back. "So you want it, eh?" she said while approaching me like a ghost trying to scare off a kid. "N-no?" I stuttered, looking around my cabs for a spare academy uniform. "Really, you don''t want to?" Once I found the uniform, I immediately grabbed it then headed to the door. "Too bad that''s true. Well, see youter, I''m going to the Wolf realm!" BAM¨C! A loud banging door sound rang in the corridor. As I walked in the corridor, my mind suddenly yed an image of Zia in a casual outfit, and I immediately regretted my rejection. I said that I had no interest in that, but why did I think of that? Shaking my head, I threw the thought away and better thinking about the more objective topic. Though I couldn''t help but think about Zia, not because I was interested but rather curious. How should I say it? She was bing more ''alive'' if you know what I meant. At our first meeting, everything about her seemed hollow, like a doll that had just been given a soul. But now, she had be more ''alive'' and ''humanely''. ''What''s wrong with her actually?'' I thought. ¡­ The Wolf realm''s courtyard was crowded with students, all of them bustling with excitement and anticipation for the academy club recruitment convention. As I walked among the sea of students, I could hear chatter,ughter, and the sound of footsteps as students rushed from booth to booth, trying to gather as much information about clubs as they could. There was a buzz of energy that permeated the air, making it almost tangible. The students were all dressed in their finest uniforms, mostly ck and red, indicating that they were first-year students. Each booth was adorned with colorful banners and posters, showcasing the different clubs and activities avable to the students. Manning the booth was the second year students, which could be discerned by the color of their ck and blue uniforms. I weaved through the throngs of people, trying to make my way to the club I had my eye on. While I did so, the aroma of food assaulted my nostril. The aroma of food wafted through the air,ing from the various food stalls that had been set up for the convention. The scent mixed with the sound of music andughter, creating a festive atmosphere. The sun was shining brightly, casting a warm glow over everything. The trees provided some much-needed shade, and the gentle breeze that brushed my skin and blew through the courtyard provided a refreshing relief from the heat. As I finally reached the booth I was aiming for, I could hear some familiar voices calling me out. "Zio!" Trying to find the voice''s owner, who I spotted waving at me among the crowd around the booth I would join in, was Lux. Beside him was a face that I hadn''t seen since the entrance exam, Ayano Fuyuki. I approached them and greeted them, "Lux, Ayano, long time no see." Ayano slightly bowed, retaining the politeness that her parents had taught her. "Long time no see, nice to meet you again, Zio Varrez," Ayano replied, bowing slightly. Lux yfully punched my shoulder with a wide smile. "What do you mean a long time? We saw each other at the Practice Hunt two weeks ago, remember?" p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® I chuckled at Lux''sment, "Oh yeah, you''re right. I guess time flies when you''re having fun." Two weeks¡­ The Combat Training ss past two weeks was a single ss practical test, so it was true that I had not met Lux since then. As for Ayano, since I did not see her in the Practice Hunt, it would be meant that it had been a month since Ist see her in the entrance exam. "Have you decided on which club to join?" The question wasing from Ayano, and she did so while looking at me. I was not sure if she was talking to me, but seeing her tilt her head while her eyes were locked on me, I guess she was. A bit surprised, because I did not expect her to even bother talking to me. "Not yet, I''m still checking out all the booths. How about you guys?" I lied. Lux pointed to a nearby booth. "I''m thinking of joining the Exploration Club. I like exploring after all." What a coincidence¨Cnot really though, I was also thinking about joining this club. Though my reason for joining was not because I like to explore, I just want something out of the main characters that joined this club too, not Lux. "I''m considering joining the Tea Ceremony Club. I''ve always been interested in the art of tea," said Ayano. ''Tea Ceremony Club, huh?'' Now that she mentioned it, I just remembered that there would be a branch event bound to happen in the Tea Ceremony Club. It was Ayano''s event character arc. Thanks to her reminder, I remembered it now. Because of that, my choices of club had been branched too. "Sounds like you guys have it all figured out. I''m still undecided, but I''m leaning toward the Exploration Club too." There was no way I would say that I had an interest to join Tea Ceremony Club. If I was to mention it, I doubted that there wouldn''t be anyone who wouldn''tugh at me. Why? Because Tea Ceremony Club was a girl-only club. "Oh! I think we really have the same taste, Zio. As expected of my first friend." Uhh no. I did not enjoy exploring¡­ I would rather stay indoors rather than go outdoors. I just wanted something from this club¡­ "To be honest, I don''t really enjoy exploring. It''s just because my cousin asked me that I should choose an outdoor activity club that I thought of joining this club." Sorry, Shannon. I hope you won''t be angry that I brought you to this. "Cousin? Did your cousin also study here?" "Yes. She¨C" Just then, a voice calling Lux and Ayano rang out behind me, it was the voice that I had heard before. "Lux, Ayano!" I turned around and found a girl with dark violet hair walking toward us gracefully. ''Herees the wanted person.'' Lumi Alicia Alexa. Chapter 48 Club And Elective Course III ?The scent ofvender assaulted my nostril as Lumi approached us, I felt my body tense up but managed to keep my expression straight. "Oh, Lumi." Lux waved meanwhile Ayano slightly bowed politely as she did to me earlier. As Lumi was only a few steps away from us, it was then that she noticed me. Her emerald eyes glinted in recognition as she stared at me. "You''re¡­" There was a long stretched pause between her words as she thought about what to say. "The yboy in my ss, Zio Varrez, right?" "Huh?" I surprised. Of course, who wouldn''t be surprised when someone suddenly called you a yboy when even you did nothing, and never hooked up with a girl? I heard gasps behind me, which I knew wereing from Lux and Ayano. Lux looked at me with disappointed eyes and Ayano gave me a side look. "I never thought you are like that¡­" said Lux, shaking his head. Beside him, Ayano was shaking her head too. "Huh? No? I''m not a yboy, though?" "You are not?" Lumi asked with a surprised face. "I''m not," I said firmly. "Hee¡­" Lumi observed me for a while before turning her attention back to Lux and Ayano. "Anyway, have you guys decided which club to join?" "We''re talking about it right now. Me and Zio are going to apply for the Explorer Club, and Ayano said she is going to Tea Ceremony Club," said Lux. Though I said I was still considering my choice, I did not argue with what Lux said. Because in the end, I would still join it unless I found a way so I could join the Tea Ceremony Club instead. "You too? Explorer Club?" Lumi''s eyes shifted to me with a pure shocked expression, almost felt like she was going for that with what everything I did. Too much of that and her jaws might fall off¡­ "Yes. Though I''m still considering my choice, there are still clubs with outdoor activities other than the Explorer Club after all." She eyed me for a while, and curiosity filled in her face. I smirked inwardly. I knew that whenever Lumi started to look at someone''s face for longer than 10 seconds and even looked at them again and again, it meant that she was interested in said person. p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® Not romantically, though. She was the heir of the Nova Corps as well as the Nova Guild, ranked second only after the Prodigy Eclipse Guild. As an heir, obviously, she would be the next head of the organization, and guess what was the head of the organization looking for? Yes, talent. Someone who has extraordinary talent was sought after by every organization. Her purpose in enrolling in the academy was to look for that talent and by now, she must be already set her eyes on Lux, who hadn''t been affiliated with any organization. I also believed that she was setting her eyes on me too. No. I was not arrogant or confident, it was just because I knew about her nature. If she did not put an interest in me, she wouldn''t even remember my name. Knowing my name and even called me a ''yboy'', meaning that she always observed me in ss. I had a hunch that she started to take an interest in me since the Practice Hunt where I ranked third. I did so because at that time I was already nning to get Lumi curious about me, ''How did the 911the in third?'' was probably what she thought when she saw the rankings. The reason why I wanted to get Lumi curious about me was that she might help me to reach my goal. I had decided that I would take a risk by interfering with the main characters, even if that meant the plot would be altered. An altered plotline wasn''t a problem in the first ce if I wanted to prevent the bad ending, instead, it was good. Since the world had a bad ending, it meant that if I was to follow the original story and only changed a little thing here and there, then it would just lead to another bad ending. If I wanted to change it, instead of following the plotline, it''d be much better topletely alter everything as long as Lux who would be the strongest alive. Back to Lumi, she could help me with my financial situation. I wanted to make a deal with her, to produce the Catalyst Potion. "How about you, Lumi?" Lux asked. Lumi reluctantly shifted her eyes from me to Lux and Ayano. "Ah. I''m also nning to join the Explorer Club¡­" My mind drifted away as I listened to their conversation. Memories were being yed in my head, I did not know whose memory it was but it showed me a gruesome scene where a city was burning, engulfed by the raging red inferno. I opened my eyes immediately as soon as they came to my mind. ''That scene again¡­'' The same memory, and the same scene of the burning city that I first had seen at the weing ceremony a month ago. It was always being yed in my head every time I did not hold on to my consciousness such as when I was sleeping or had my mind wandering, empty. Because of that, I could now tell what it meant. There were three events or incidents that rted to the burning, me, raging inferno, etc. in the story. First, was Nuria''sst heroic moment before she died. Second, was when the third catastrophe arrived. And third, was the demon in the New Avian. Though I was not sure yet which of the tree the scene I saw referring to. Just then, a loud voiceing from the nearby booth disrupted my thought. "Ah! Wee, wee, first-year students!" The senior started. "We are the Explorer Club, a club dedicated to exploring the unknown and uncharted territories of our world. Our expeditions cover everything from mountain climbing to deep-sea diving, and we are always seeking new adventures to embark upon," they paused, scanning the crowd filled with enthusiasm. As he smiled, he continued, "However, the club is actually more lenient towards ancient sites and ruins exploring, as we are particrly interested in uncovering the mysteries of the past. Join us if you have a thirst for adventure and a passion for uncovering the secrets of the world!" Lux looked at Ayano who stood beside him. "Ayano, are you sure you don''t want toe with us to the Explorer Club?" Ayano slightly shook her head, her hand also gesturing rejection. "Sorry, but no. I will join the Tea Ceremony Club." Lux, a bit looked disappointed, but did not fully express it, sighed. "I see." Ayano giggled softly, "Don''t be like that. You will make me feel bad." She looked around. "Then¡­ I''ll look for the Tea Ceremony Club''s booth. See youter, Lux. Zio Varrez and Lumi too," she waved at us, then ran toward another booth. My eyes followed her until she disappeared from my sight. Then, feeling a tap on my shoulder, I found Lux. "How about you, Zio? You are joining the Explorer Club, right?" I thought for a moment. "Yes," I said, followed by a sigh. With that, we lined up in front of the Explorer Club''s booth. It took us 30 minutes until we found ourselves standing in front of the booth''s reception, manned by the senior. "Wee, are three of you applying for the Explorer Club?" What an obvious question with an obvious answer. Was there even any purpose for asking this? "Yes, senior." "Great choice! Please fill this form first!" The senior handed us three pieces of paper and pens. The form consisted of the applicant''s personal identification such as name, student ID, ss and year, hobby, etc. I filled in the form, but since I was not particrly good at writing on paper and using a pen, I could only hope that they could read it. I was a digitalized person, I meant, everything I did was done on digital tforms. Just like the vessel tube blueprint, which I had drawn on my tablet, and the text was done by typing on a digital keyboard. The senior''s face looked troubled when he saw my form, but he did not say outright to me that my writing was bad and unreadable, better learn how to write. "Lux Virtus. Uhh, Zio Varrez¡­?" There was a bit of uncertainty in his voice. "...and Lumi Alicia Alexa?!" The senior swiftly shifted his eyes from the paper form and Lumi''s face alternately. "Oh, goodness gracious! It''s an honor to have the heir of Nova Guild in our club!" We were surprised when the seniors suddenly jumped and stood from their seats, gazing at Lumi in awe. "Please, don''t be like that, senior. We are all students here, social standing is nothing if not just a hassle, and I am your junior. I hope you won''t treat me differently as the other students just because I''m an heir of my father''s guild." Why did that sound like she came from a royal family in a kingdom-fantasy novel? Oh well, whatever. I had promised I wouldn''t be surprised again¡­ Chapter 49 Learning Magic ?When someone asks me what I like, my answer is of course things that are beyond reason. What are the things that are beyond reason, you said? Well, something like magic, space travel, No Life No Game 2¡­ I guess? In this world, magic existed. Even though this was Earth, let me say it again, magic existed. In 1988, the first catastrophe urred. The monstersing from Abyss Gate brought with them powerful and mysterious energy. This energy,prised of magical molecules, permeated every corner of the, seeping into the very earth itself. As the monsters rampaged across the globe, humans began to realize that they could harness this magical energy for themselves, their bodies had been tempered by magical molecules so they could control magic as easily as breathing. Those who could harness magical energy without awakening and without the help of the system were called the Wizard. Unlike the Enhanced, they did not own a system and could never have one for an unknown reason. Even as the one who wrote the story, I myself do not know about that¡­ never want to think too much, they just can not have a system. Together with the Enhanced, they drove off the monster from Earth and won the first catastrophe. But, after the death of Garuda, the Wizard made their own organization known as Wizard Circle. There were some conflicts between Omega and the Wizard Circle in the past which were not recorded in any book history or inte. People who tried to bring up the topic rted to that would disappear the next day. Back to when the magical molecule first appeared two years after the monster came to Earth. Over time, the magical energy began to shape the new Earth, giving birth to new creatures and changing the environment. nts grewrger, animals evolved in unexpected ways which we called ''beast'' or ''mutant'', and even some of the geography of the was transformed due to magical energy overload and created base dungeons and dimensional rifts. Those most affected by the magical energy were the oceans, and the Earth''s sea, which covered 70% of the Earth''s surface. The oceans became infused with magical energy, causing massive changes in marine life and the underwaterndscape. Entire new species of sea creatures emerged, some with incredible magical abilities, and the oceans themselves became more turbulent and dangerous. Some people even said that they had seen mythological sea creatures lurking in the oceans. Sea transportation was forbidden since 2005 and if there was someone who dare crossed the sea by ship or boat, the Wizards who already nted their detection magic would immediately punish those people. They did not want to disturb the sea yet when the problem on the surface was still not resolved, there were still so many monsters and wild beasts roaming the forest and mountain and other ces with dense magical energy. As humans, or precisely the wizards learned to harness and control magic, new technologies and industries emerged. The Hero Organization¡ªOmega and the Wizard Circle reconciled and became a powerful force in 2008. The Omega''s heroes acted as the front face of humanity, the defender of Earth, and the invader of the monster realm known as the dungeon. Meanwhile, the Wizard Circle acted as the architect, developing the Earth. They yed a role in maintaining order and security in the world, especially in the face of continued monster attacks and the emergence of a dangerous opposing group, the Viin. All of those history and world evolutions were only because of one incident that gave birth to a newponent on earth called ''magic''. Magic, what a fascinating word it was. Everything was considered magic when someone had no idea what was going on because exining with science would just make their head explode. That''s why I like the sound of ''magic'' because I did not need to think too much and exin things from science view. But well¡­ "To create a spell, other than understanding the spell incantation and formation, you also need to understand the amount of magical energy required to sustain it. The magic required depends on the intensity and duration of the spell," ''Huh?'' p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® "Think of it like this. If you want to create a barrier, the intensity would refer to the size and defense power of the barrier. The duration would refer to how long you want the barrier to protect you for." ''What???'' The wizard pulled out a dusty old tome from her storage cube and flipped the pages. "We wizards use this form to calcte the amount of magic required," she exined. "M = P x t. M represents the magic required, P represents the power or intensity of the spell, and t represents the duration of the spell." ''What the hell is she talking about? M = P x t? What the hell is that?!'' "Let''s say you want to create a spell to create a mana barrier thatsts for 10 seconds. We need to determine the amount of magic required to sustain a barrier of that size and duration. Assuming the power of the barrier is 5 units, we can calcte the energy required as follows: E = 5 x 10, which equals 50 units of magical energy or mana." ''???'' "And then we recite the incantation while channeling that amount of energy into the spell to create a barrier!" She eximed. "With practice and mastery of these forms, you can create an even faster spell-casting speed or probably reduce the amount of mana required to create a spell of the same quality!" Reality often betrays expectations. And this was the very example of that quote. I had never expected that there would be a form to use magic efficiently. All this time with mana-coating Shannon taught me, she only told me about the technique, and never had she mentioned this. If only I knew about this earlier, my mana-coating wouldst even longer. No. If only I was thoroughly and dedicated to writing the story, I would have known about this in the first ce. ''Huu¡­ well, one can never bete to learn¡­'' ¡­ After the ss ended, I immediately headed to my dorm room. Zia was nowhere to be found. Good, it was my chance! I sat on the floor with my legs crossed, in a meditation position. While the memory was still fresh, I immediately applied the knowledge I got from the Magic Specialization Course earlier. Meditating was the way to increase my magic energy and raised my magic stats, of course, it was meditation. I had tried meditating before, but it was to circte my mana and direct it to my magic core. This time it was different, ording to what the wizard said, what I needed to do was not to circte the mana I already have in my magic core but to absorb the natural magical energy and spread it across my body then circte it again. I was not sure that I could absorb much magical energy in my room but let''s give it a try. I sat cross-legged on the floor of my dorm room, taking deep breaths to calm my mind. Instead of focusing on what I already had, I needed to concentrate on absorbing and expanding my magic pathways. Closing my eyes, I visualized the energy flowing through my body, its pathways bing wider and more flexible. With each breath, I felt my magical energy channels stretching and expanding like a muscle being stretched during a workout. It was a slow and gradual process, but I could sense the difference as I continued to meditate. As I opened my eyes, I felt a newfound sense of power and energy coursing through me. It was as if my magic capacity had increased, my mind became clearer, and my body felt lighter than before. "[Status]" I said excitedly. === Name: Zio Varrez (¡á) Age: 17 Race: Human ? Stats: Strength: F+ Agility: E- Intelligence: C Stamina: E- Magic: F+ Charisma: D+ Luck: E+ ? Talents: [Dual Wielding Lv.2] (¨‹ Expand) [Swordmanship Lv.2] (¨‹ Expand) [Magic Control Lv.1] (¨‹ Expand) (New!) ? Skills: [irvoyance Lv.2] (¨‹ Expand) === I smiled to myself, feeling proud of my progress. "Finally, it raised by one rank¡­ and not only that, my Charisma and Stamina also increases!" I closed the window screen and stretched my body. Crack¨C! Crack¨C! I heard some satisfying sounds of bone creaking because of the long still position. When I checked outside my window, it was alreadyte at night. Standing up, I headed to the bathroom and took a joyful shower. It was a bit strange though. The clock already showed that it was 11 PM but I did not see Zia anywhere. ''Maybe she''s having a sleepover in her ssmate''s room?'' Well, she could defend herself if a problem arose. Feeling heavy in my eyes, I jumped in my bed and the softness of the bed immediately absorbed me and guided me to the dream world. Haa¡­ What a life¡­ It had be easier and easier as time went on¡­ I hope it would keep like this¡­ Chapter 50 Lets Impress The Heir ?"Hey, you up for a spar?" said Lumi. It was a few days after the Club Recruitment Convention and my Magic Specialization Course. "What?" "I''m curious as to how you cane in third ce in the Practice Hunt." Murmurs began to voice in the ssroom. There was who shouted ''he was stealing points from others''ing from their mouth, probably my victim on that day. I did not know who that was because I was in an impossible position to search for them. It had been a few weeks since the Practice Hunt, but I wonder why Lumi suddenly brought it up. Moreover, why must she do this in public? She could just send me a message via Nova Watch. Oh right, I never gave her my contact. "Well, you''ve probably heard how I did it." "So all of that is true? About you stealing from the other group''s hunts and getting yourself a nickname ''Points Rat''?" I shrugged at her questions. She observed me, not caring about the stares that came from our ssmates. Then she let out a sigh. "It doesn''t matter. I want to see it for myself." "You are persistent." "I am. Now, let''s go, show me what you made of." I smiled inwardly, knowing that I predicted this situation well. Oh my, how could I so understand Lumi? For other people, they said that she was unreadable and unpredictable. No one knew what she was thinking in that genius brain of hers. But for me though, she was nothing but a book. A character that I dedicated my life to creating¡ªthe same as Lux, fleshing out every bit of her characterization into life. What she thought, what her motivations were, and howplex her mind was, I knew about that all. Standing up, I grabbed and slung my bag around my shoulder. "Sure, let''s go." Why not? I could make this a substitute for my daily solo exercise. I was tired already of training alone. It would be good if I could find someone who could be my training spar to see how much I had improved in these past few weeks since the Practice Hunt. Truly, I missed Shannon¡­ ¡­ I stood inside the circle area, specifically set up using a tool that could create a dome barrier for a special asion such as a serious spar or duel. The area was wide enough for two people to run around while exchanging blows. Stopping the swinging practice with the wooden sword, I caught up with my breath. "[Status]" Imanded. A window panel popped up in my vision, showing me my abilities profile. === Name: Zio Varrez (¡á) Age: 17 Race: Human ? Stats: Strength: E- Agility: E- Intelligence: C Stamina: E- Magic: F+ Charisma: D+ Luck: E+ ? Talents: [Dual Wielding Lv.3] (¨‹ Expand) [Swordmanship Lv.2] (¨‹ Expand) [Magic Control Lv.1] (¨‹ Expand) ? Skills: [irvoyance Lv.2] (¨‹ Expand) === Great! My Dual Wielding talent had leveled up! On top of that, I managed to raise all of my physical stats to rank ''Let''s see what''s new after it leveled up¡­'' [Dual Wielding Lv.3] Users will be able to wield two weapons at once even if their proficiency in said weapons is low. Learning dual-wielding techniques will be much easier. Avable weapons for dual-wielding: Sword, Dagger, Shield. ''Shield?'' What was that even supposed to mean? Maybe I could use the shields like gauntlets? You know, something like attacking with shields. But rather than using arge shield, I thought a smaller, round shield was more appropriate. If that was the case, the fighting style would be simr to martial art. That sounded cool. Unfortunately, I had not any experience with unarmedbat¡­ or maybe I had but rather than a proper technique, it was more like a streetfight fistbat, unprincipled and uncoordinated. ''Maybe I should learn a martial art or any unarmedbat technique¡­'' "Are you ready?" Focusing my attention ahead, I nodded at Lumi. "Yeah." She was using holding the wooden staff with both her hands, the other end pointed forward, the angle was slightly facing the floor. Her right hand was delicately positioned at the rear grip while her left hand firmly grasped the middle, ready for any movement. "Wait, I thought you are using dual daggers?" "I am. But, I''m in the mood to use a sword today." Lumi frowned. "I see." "Don''t worry, it''s not like this is my first time handling a sword." She nodded calmly. "Then¡­" Taking a deep breath, I raised my wooden sword and got into a defensive stance. "Let''s start." Suddenly, she lunged forward, thrusting the staff like a spear toward my chest. I quickly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the attack. "That''s almost got me¡­" I countered with a swift strike, but Lumi was able able to block it with the staff. If I was using a ded sword, the staff would have been broken right there. The two of us continued to exchange blows, moving around the circle with graceful movements. "You''re not bad," she said. Sweat dripped down my face as I smiled. "Thanks." I focused all my attention on the fight. Despite my best efforts, I seemed to not be able tond hits on Lumi. She was blocking and countering all my attacks pretty easily. I guess it would need me a few more weeks until I could somehow be at the level of the main characters. Considering the fact that Lumi was the weakest inbat prowess of the main characters, I thought maybe it was not weeks but months. "You should focus on the fight." Lumi thrust the staff onto my stomach. "Guh!" I staggered back, momentarily stunned by the force of the blow to my gut. But I quickly recovered, and the spar continued. As the fight wore on, I could feel my muscles starting to ache, and my breath bing morebored. I was pushed back yet by another attack on my gut. "Haa¡­ Haa¡­" My breath became ragged. "Your swordsmanship is not bad, but your technique iscking." I looked at the wooden sword that supported me from falling. "Heh. Truthfully, I had never learned any technique yet." "Ah, that exined everything. But, you seemed to know what you are doing in the Neophyte Nexus, those sliding and spontaneous movements." It was because I knew a few tricks bybining mana-coating with my movements, also irvoyance helped me back then. This time though, I wanted to fight without relying too much on my skills but on my technique. It was not because I wanted to throw my chance for having the advantage due to my skill, but if there was a situation where I couldn''t use my irvoyance, I would still be able to handle the dire circumstances. I stood up and threw the wooden sword to the floor. Lumi raised her eyebrows and said, "You surrender?" p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® "No," I said while looking at the weapon shelf then looked back at Lumi. "Can I change my weapons?" Though I said I did not want to rely on my irvoyance skill, I could not let the chance to impress her go away this easily. If I did not show her what I was capable of, she would lost her interest in me and that could ruin my n. "So you finally getting serious? Sure, go ahead, change your weapons." There was a soft smile stered on her face as she said that. Taking out two wooden daggers from the shelf, I smirked on my way back to the circle spar area. "It won''t be easy this time," I said. Lumi just smiled as she assumed her stance. *** The spar between the two resumed. With his new weapon of choice in both of his hands, Zio could feel the difference immediately. He felt more in control andfortable, like they were an extension of his arms. The effect was thanks to his Dual Wielding talent. Whenever he wielded weapons both in his hands, that would enhance or increase his stats. The dual sword would increase his Strength, the dual dagger increased his Agility, and the dual shield increased his Stamina. Zio realized the effect of his talent just recently, when he sessfully raised his Magic to rank. ''No wonder my body feels light as a feather whenever I used dual daggers,'' he thought. He moved forward, feinting a jab with his left dagger beforeunching an attack with his right. Lumi blocked it easily, but Zio followed up with a quick spin, shing at her from the side. She dodged it and countered with a swift kick that Zio effortlessly blocked with his left dagger. ''He''s bing faster after changing his weapon¡­!'' Lumi said inwardly, but her eyes disyed her shock at Zio''s movement. They continued to exchange blows, and Zio could feel his confidence growing with every sessful attack and defense. But as the fight wore on, Zio was waning, his movements bing more sluggish. Lumi seemed to sense this and increased the intensity of her attacks, forcing Zio to retreat. "Don''t lose focus," she said as she pressed her advantage. Zio gritted his teeth and pushed back, trying to regain the upper hand. It was no use. His body was exhausted, and his mind was clouded. But... ''An opening!'' Zio saw an opening in Lumi''s movement and quickly took advantage of it, disarming Lumi with a swift strike to her wrist. "Shi-!" Lumi grunted, still holding onto her staff. Though he couldn''t make her release the staff, but he had managed to turn the tide of the fight. However, Lumi was not one to back down easily either. She made a swift low strike to Zio''s feet. "That''s a bad move!" Zio eximed as heunched his leg and struck Lumi''s side. "Kuh!" Lumi staggered back, giving Zio the chance to push his advantage. He lunged forward, pushing Lumi to the floor and quickly shifting his position to behind her. Zio''s lock was like that of a snake, trapping its prey. Lumi felt a shiver run down her spine as Zio''s dagger brushed against her neck. "I lost," Lumi admitted defeat. Chapter 51 Level 3 Clairvoyance I ?"I lost," Lumi admitted defeat. I released her and stood up. p¨C! p¨C! p¨C! "Huh?" I was surprised. I had forgotten that we were sparring in an open area. Of course, people would be watching us. Among the crowd that stood around us, I saw some familiar faces. A boy with hair as white as snow, Lux; beside him was a girl with the same hair color that people might assume them a twin, Ayano; another girl with chestnut hair with a face with mixed emotions both annoyance and shock, Seo Yeong-Ha; and thest one was a blonde-haired boy with knitted eyebrows, Leonardo. The main cast was all gathered here. "Can you get up?" Ignoring the crowd, I put my priority on Lumi and offered her my hand. "Thank you." Her hand was so soft and small, it was cute to the point I wanted to crush it. ''What am I thinking?'' Putting the random thought aside, I pulled her up. "You''re quite good," Lumi said while patting the dust off her uniform. "So, it''s ''quite'', huh?" I guess she had a high standard for talent. Though I felt disappointed, getting a ''quite good'' from her was enough for now. I could get to the next step just with that. "I will raise the evaluation once you have learned some techniques." "Will I get some sort of reward if I get a high score from you?" "There might be." There was a subtle upturn at the corner of her mouth. This was what I liked about her. Subtlety. Sly. She never outright told anyone if it was concerning her guild. But, she was dense as fvck. Just look at her ignoring these stares rained at us. Hmm, maybe she was not dense but rather did not care about things like this. Being an heir to the big family had her familiarized with the stares. If it was me, well, this much was fine. But if the scale was asrge as the whole world¡ªa global scale, I don''t think I could ignore the attention I getting from. I would be nervous or act erratically. "Hmm. I ept your challenge." I smiled, unconsciously of course. "Zio, Lumi!" Right then, I heard a familiar voice, it was Lux. Walking with Ayano side by side. From the same direction, precisely behind them were another two familiar faces. "I finally caught you, rat." Seo Yeong-Ha walked while fist-bumping her hands, the smile on her face was like a maniac. "Lumi, do you want me to avenge your lose to this trash?" Walking with a straight posture and a confident and smug face was Leonardo. Someone who heard that would probably think that he cared for his childhood friend, but I knew better that it was not the case. That was sarcasm, one that no one could notice except me. "Thank you for your concern, Leo. But, don''t worry, we are just having a friendly spar." He scoffed, and his smugness disappeared from his face. At that moment, I felt a dark auraing from behind me. My gut told me that if I didn''t move my feet, I would be left dead from the choking. Yet as I was about to make my move, my neck was already wrapped in someone''s arm. "Where are you going, rat? We still have an unfinished business¡­" I was caught! No way, I got caught! Why was she so fast?! "Ahaha. I-it''s you¡­" "Yes. It is me, you rat¡­" "Yes yes, it is you, I know you¡­" "Of course, you know me. I''m your grim reaper." I just smiled, a fake smile perhaps. I knew that If I tried to release myself from her, I would pass out. She was serious when she said she was my ''grim reaper''. Seo Yeong-Ha, why did I make her like this? Haa¡­ the younger version of her was such an annoying fellow for me. She was probably much more annoying than Leonardo. "Hey, trash. I hate you, let''s spar with me!" Nevermind. I take back my word about him being a betterparison to Seo Yeong-Ha. "Shame on you, Leo. You should have picked an equal opponent." "What did you say, genius? Can you repeat that again?" Yo, Lux! Why did you even bother yourself with him?! You are not supposed to act like that, hey! "Why are you so quiet, rat? Cat got your tongue? Oh right, I''m the cat." God, please help me¡­ Why did I even get into this situation? I would be traumatized every time I met one of the main characters and the situation suddenly turned into this again. You all were ungrateful children! "Uhh. Why are you guys acting like this?" Oh? Looked like there was still someone sane among the main characters. Looking at Ayano who seemed like to be the sanest person here, I eagerly waited for the group''s angel to speak up her mind. "..." We all were looking at Ayano, waiting for her to speak. But what greeted us was the stretched silence. ''I give up.'' ¡­ Finally, I escaped from the hell circle. "Huu¡­ What a bunch of kids¡­" I arrived in my room,ining about the recent event. "What happened?" Zia, again. She sat on her bed,bing her hair. Did she ever get tired of herbing hair routine? Her ruby eyes stared at me affectionately. Something more like when you saw a cute wild cat on way back home? "Nothing serious, just ying with a bunch of excited kids." Her eyes widened a little bit. "Hoo¡­" And then she pouted. What? What happened? Was she jealous because I got new friends? "You should meet them sometime." She stoppedbing her hair and shifted all of her attention to me while I walked past her then sat on the table by the window. Feeling her intense stare directed at me, made me awkward. When I turned my head, my eyes frowned as I saw her expression, she looked like someone who was about to cry. "Umm, Zia?" "You shouldn''t have befriended them¡­" Her voice cracked. I could sense the sadness and jealousy in her voice. It was not like her to be emotional. "What''s wrong? Why shouldn''t I have befriended them?" Something''s wrong. Why did she suddenly like this? Zia looked down at herp and fidgeted with her hands. "I''m just scared that they will rece me, that you will like them more and forget about me¡­" I was taken aback by her words. I had never thought that she would be insecure about it. She had always been so confident and self-assured. But again, why would she be jealous? She had a lot of friends on her side too, right? Maybe. Maybe she had, or maybe she had not. I realized that I had never asked her about her friends. "No one recing someone, you will still be my friend, and I will never forget you." She looked up, her ruby eyes stared depth at my soul, almost bewitched. "You have forgotten me once, though!" Uhh... That was a different situation. It wasn''t me whom you met back then, it was Zio Varrez, not me... darn it! What was my name before I arrived here again?! Forgetting about my past self is something that I despise. I mean, if God or whoever brought me to this ce, they should have either preserved my memories of my past life or erased them entirely! Having a half-and-half memory like this is what I find frustrating. What I only knew was about the future of this world, every event that would be happened, and such. Though I was d about that. But still, I wish I had my memory of my past life. Looking at Zia who now had translucent tears falling from her eyes, I tried to cheer her up (was what I thought). "That is a different case¡­" Feeling overwhelmed by her teary eyes, I changed the topic. "Aren''t you have a friend yourself too in ss?" "No, I''m not! You''re my only friend! I will never betray my friend as you did to me!" I stood frozen in ce, not knowing what to do about the situation. In the first ce, I was not the best person when it came toforting others. Zia swept the tears around her eyes. "I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have reacted like that. It''s just that... our friendship means so much to me. We''ve known each other since childhood, and I don''t want to lose that." After saying those words, she got up and left the room with heavy footsteps. I was left dumbfounded. "..." Why¡­ Why did her bedsheet look untouched even though she had just been sitting on it this entire time? ''Ouch!'' I felt a sting of pain inside my head suddenly. ''The pain ising back¡­'' The throbbing pain came back, but it was not severe as before. I shifted my attention to the door where Zia had left when the knocking sounds were voiced. Knock¨C! Knock¨C! Knock¨C! ''Is she returning already?'' I chuckled. She looked like a kid who said that they would leave the house after getting scolded by their parents, and 5 minutester they returned back home. I walked toward the door and opened it. "Zi¨C" But what I found behind the door, standing on the corridor was not Zia but¡­ But who? There was no one in front of my room. Was someone doing a prank on me? I stepped outside, checking every corner of the corridor to look for someone alive but the result was nothing. No one had ever stepped foot in the corridor¡­ ''What the hell? Someone really doing a prank on me¡­" p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® Returning to my room, I put the thought aside and carry out my routine. Before I learned how to meditate, I would practice my physical being in the training center. It had reached rank thanks to that. It was good and all to train one physical power, but I would rather prioritize my spiritual power first such as my magic! I sat in a meditation position and began my magic training. I seeped in deep inside my subconscious world as time went by. After some time, I felt my connection weakened¡­ The soul! My soul, I felt the string that held my consciousness to my body was weakened, it became thin as I fell deeper and deeper into my subconscious world. I can''t get out! I could not bring myself back to the real world¡­ ''Ah, shit¡­ why is this happening¡­'' Before I could finish speaking, the world in front of me turned white. Chapter 52 Level 3 Clairvoyance II ?CONTENT WARNING! This chapter includes depictions of child abuse in order to explore the memory of a character''s past. If you find such things triggering, please consider skipping this chapter or reading with caution! === === Just like when someone switched off the light, I couldn''t see anything. Darkness. Like a feather, I felt light. Weightless. As light as if I don''t have any form. Formless. Then¨C ¡ª Please stop¡­ I could hear a voice. Maybe belong to a kid. They were shaken, trembling, fear. ¡ª You better do what we said if you want to live! ¡ª Let me go¡­ Another voice. The former had a hoarse and raised voice. Thetter sounded like the kid''s voice I had heard. It was trembling from fear. ¡ª This brat! A muffled blurbing like sound was audible. It resembled the sound heard when someone tried to speak while underwater. ''What is going on? Where exactly am I? Did I get kidnapped?'' I won''t know until the darkness that blinded my eyes disappeared. ¡ª Cough! Cough! Mister¡­ please¡­ Another muffled, blurbing voice as if trying to speak underwater entered my hearing. ''...'' I felt restless. As the voice repeated, with the same line, the same cough, the same voice. All of that entered my hearing. I felt restless. I wanted to know what was going on. But I could not. Then, as if God was hearing me. The darkness that blinded me disappeared. ''Finally.'' My vision returned, but it was still dark. I meant the ce. The ce was still dark, with the dim light from antern being the only source of illumination in this warehouse-like space. I was here. Umm, no. Although I was present, the word ''here'' didn''t seem fitting to describe my situation. Instead, my consciousness seemed to float around like that of a spirit or ghost, enabling me to view everything from a third-person perspective, much like a camera in 3D animation and modeling software. This exined my weightlessness and inability to feel my body. ¡ª Have you learned your lesson yet, brat?! However, my musings were interrupted by a raised voice that demanded. ''What is this?'' Startled, I wondered. ''What is he doing¡­?'' ¡ª I, I will do it¡­ so please¡­ I skipped a beat when I heard that voice. As I looked around, my attention was drawn to a young child in the middle of the room, tied up tightly with a rope that had left red marks on his wrists. ¡ª Please¡­forgive me¡­ His face was flooded with tears as he pleaded. ''Why does that kid look familiar?'' I couldn''t see his eyes behind the jet-ck hair covering his face yet I felt a familiarity with this kid, prompting me to change my position. It felt weird. Moving around in a formless state felt strange, almost like being air, but I couldn''t quite put the sensation into words. ¡ª Look here, brat. Stop crying and hurry use that skill of yours and tell me what you see about my future. As the man grabbed the child''s hair, I could finally see the kid''s face. His eyes were pitch ck. Even darker than the darkest man-made substance, like a void in outer space. There were no lights reflected. ''!!!'' That kid. ¡ª H, how do I do it¡­? Why did he¡­ ¡ª Tch! Just use your fucking eyes and focus on me, isn''t that what the skill description said?! ¡­look like me? ¡ª Kugh! Ack! I, it hurts¡­! What happened? The kid was just closed his eyes but why did he look like he was hurt? The veins protruding around his forehead made my stomach writhe. ¡ª So, what do you see, brat? Come on, tell me. I clenched my fist. Though I couldn''t feel my body. Though I couldn''t see my form. But I knew I was clenching my fist just as how the kid clenching his fist. ¡ª P, promise me you w, won''t hit me¡­ The kid''s face turned grimace. I wanted to choke this guy. ¡ª Huh? Sure, sure, I will not hit you. So tell me, hurry! The man rolled his eyes. I wanted to gouge his eyes out. ¡ª Y, you will die tomorrow¡­m, mister¡­ ¡ª How dare you say that?! The manunched a perfect punch into the kid''s stomach. The kid screamed but no one could hear his voice except for the man and me. ¡ª Uagh! Another punch wasunched into the kid''s face, then the stomach again, andstly a kick to the chin after the kid copsed, leaving him in an unconscious state. ¡ª You deserve it, brat! How dare you say I''ll die tomorrow. Who will even kill me? ''Me! I want to kill him! I will kill this bastard!'' If only I had a form. If only I had my body. If only I knew where this ce was, I would already kill that bastard. ¡ª Tch! He''s fainted. I''ll be in trouble if Boss sees this¡­ He pped the kid while gritting his teeth. Nervousness began to show on his face as the kid hadn''t gone conscious yet. I could only watch as he tried every physical abuse to wake the child up. I did not know why I feel so angry. I did not know this kid yet I was so angry seeing him getting abused like this. Something was connecting us, me and this child. ''...'' This was too frustrating. ''Is there anything I could do here?'' Then, the scene suddenly warped. ''Huh?'' Looking around, I only found the child still unconscious. ''Wha? Am I in a memory? Is that perhaps a timepse?'' As I continued to look around, I noticed there were some things missing from this ce. The abuser was nowhere to be found, the tools and kits that he brought too were missing. The floor was clean, the blood from before was also disappeared. ''I think this is a memory¡­'' The feeling was different but I could sense a familiarity with this whole warping scene. It was just like when I used my Pathfinding skill, and also some shing memories that urred several times. ''It''s simr to when the memory of that demonic human in the sh dungeon being yed in my head¡­'' But something ¡ª Uhh¡­ Suddenly, the kid stirred and slowly began to regain consciousness. I felt my heart tighten as I saw his poor state. ''Poor kid¡­'' I knew that this was the world inside memory but I didn''t know whose memory this was and what was it trying to tell me. Was this a memory of the future? Or was this a memory of the past? ¡ª Hey¡­ Y, you can see me, right? My eyes widened as soon as I heard the kid speak. There was no one around him, so I wasn''t sure who he was talking to. Perhaps he was talking to himself? But, that was not something that you would say when talking to yourself. p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® ¡ª You¡­ Who are you? He spoke again. ''Is he hallucinating?'' I made sure to look around again to see if anyone was around, but no. It was empty, no one was there. ¡ª W, why are you simr to me¡­? I was taken aback. With that one word, I felt like he was talking to me¡­? ¡ª Ah¡­ So that''s is¡­ You are me from the future¡­ Hehe¡­ What? "Are you talking to me?" The kid beamed. ¡ª Ah¡­ I hear your voice. How was this possible? I thought it was a memory. "You can see me, kid?" ¡ª Y, yes, yes¡­ I can see you¡­ It''s my skill¡­ Skill? I was curious. Something was telling me that his skill was¨C "irvoyance?" ¡ª Yes¡­ Y, you are also using it right now, right? I didn''t understand. I just had no idea what was going on. "..." ¡ª Actually. I can''t see or hear you in real time¡­ I see the future, that you are here right now¡­ I''mmunicating with you through my foretell¡­ I see the future where you (me) attending the Octagram Academy¡­ I''m happy. There was a short moment of silence. ¡ª I see the future where I recklessly used my irvoyance¡­forcing myself to foretell every event of the future. I, it had cost me a lot. I kept silent. ¡ª You''re silent, confused. I see that too¡­ Ugh! The kid, who said that he was me winced and curled like a worm. ¡ª I, I can''t keep using this¡­ L, listen future me¡­ You must g, go and search for the Chrono dungeon¡­ It could¡ª Bang¡ª! The child gasped and quickly looked at the warehouse door. ¡ª Who are you talking to? Coming from the door was a bunch of people, the abuser of the kid was among them. ¡ª N, no one¡­ As they approached, the kid''s body flinched instinctively. ¡ª No¡­p, please¡­forgive me, mister, forgive me¡­ I found myself with overloaded rage as I saw him in that state again. It was just earlier that he finally looked in peace. But when these guys came, he became like that again. ''I''ll remember your face!'' ¡ª Terrible¡­ A girl''s voice said. ''Huh?'' When I turned my head toward the voice, I saw a familiar face. No. It was familiar but something was different. ¡ª You guys are beasts¡­ Her red hair flowed to her waist. ¡ª Torturing a little child until such state¡­! Her red eyes sparked a fire. ¡ª Death is too light of punishment for you¡­!! And me burst out from her hands. ''What is she doing here¡­?'' At that moment, I realized who that little girl was. It was a very familiar girl, the one whose very existence was alien to me. As my attention became too focused on her, a window panel that only I could see popped up, showing the little girl''s information. [Name: Ember Crimson (¡â) Age: 14 Race: Human [Stats] Strength: D- Agility: E+ Intelligence: D+ Stamina: D Magic: D Charisma: B+ Luck: C [Hidden Stats] Perception: B Mental: A- Potential: SS Health: D] ''What¡­is this?'' The information had increased. The first time, it only showed me the target''s name. Then, it gave me additional information. Now¡­ Wait. What about¡­ I quickly diverted my attention from the girl who was summoning mes to the boy who was writhing on the ground. ''Shi¨C!'' My vision began to blur as the information was extracted from the boy. ''!!!'' But, before the darknesspletely engulfed me, I had seen some of the information. No way that was true. I did not understand. I did not understand this situation at all. No. This world. This world was confusing me¡­ It was not one that I knew. Howe there was someone like that existed? ''...'' As my consciousness started to disintegrate, darkness enveloped me. Later, it was the same instance as when I lost touch with my physical form. I felt weightless, floating in the void. As time passed, I sensed my weight returning and my senses graduallying back to me. I could feel my hands and legs functioning. Finally, as my consciousness reconnected with my body, I took a deep breath, gasping for air. "Damn it...!" I cursed. The experience was draining, taking a toll on my mind. Ding¨C! [Your irvoyance skill has leveled up!] "What?" Chapter 53 Level 3 Clairvoyance III ?[Your irvoyance skill has leveled up!] "What?" Since when did the system notification turn on? All this time, I had never bothered to switch on the system''s voice notification, so it should have been quiet. I hated it when some random noises filled my head, it just felt strange. But after giving it a second thought, I thought that it might be useful for when I leveled up some things. Being back in my body, I had a lot of questions about the scene I saw earlier. ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom What and when did that happen? The kid resembled me, just that he had small stature. Then, Ember, her age was 14 years old when I saw her status screen. It gave me a sight that the memory was in the past. Also hearing the kid say that he was my past self and I was his future self, it seemed the memory was my¡­Zio Varrez''s memory. So what I did right then was some sort of scrying to the past? It seemed to be the case, as I had irvoyance skills. Just like what I knew about the power true ability was to see the past and future, not just an appraisal and detection skills like the system''s description said. I tried to piece together the puzzle of the scene earlier but there was something still missing to solve it. ''Ember Crimson¡­'' That''s right. I needed to ask her about this. I massaged my forehead. Sweats streamed down my face and back. When I noticed the scenery outside the window was already night, I stood up and showered. ''She looks different¡­'' Ember Crimson in the memory looked like a bright and cheerful kid, who upheld justice and hero''s principle. It was different from what she looked like right now. The rumor about her might be true. The thing that she had changed into a different person after experiencing aa. ''Anyway¡­'' Then I recalled something. ''Why does the information from irvoyance look like Odyssey''s?'' Back then, when I extracted information from little Ember and little Zio, the status screen that showed up looked exactly like the Odyssey system. Odyssey system was Lux''s exclusive system. Unlike the normal system that everyone else had, his was unique. His status screen checking was more detailed and included the [Hidden Stats] that was not shown from the other''s system. The Odyssey system also had a unique way of describing skills. It was a half-sentient system that was just like apanion and mentor. It gave quests, and every time Lux cleared it, he would be rewarded from the system. ''Huu¡­'' Standing in front of the mirror, I stared at my well-built body. It was not yet a perfect body for a man but no one would care about my body when I had this face. "[Status]" My status screen opened up. There was no significant change to the stats, it was still the same as ever. The only difference from here was that my irvoyance had finally reached level 3. === [irvoyance Lv.3] Type: Active / Passive Rank: EX Allows users to acquire information about their targets and detect the undetectable. It requires a sharp perception, a strategic mind, and the ability to concentrate under pressure to utilize the full potential of this skill. With irvoyance, users can uncover secrets, avoid danger, and stay one step ahead of their enemies. ?Sub skills [Pathfinding]. [Retrocognition] === [Retrocognition] The users will enter a state of trance upon activation of the skill. Allowing them to see into their target''s past. ¡ù However it will be dangerous if the user''s mental capacity is low when using the skill. ¡ù Mana consumed depends on how far the user sees the past of their target. === ''Recognition¡­'' It was a good skill. I already knew the future but I did not know the past, especially my past. ''Those who forget their history are condemned to repeat it.'' Someone had said that line, but I forgot who they were. ''Simply learn from the past.'' The past and history were something that needed to be learned for a better future. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. The pitch ck, like a void in outer space, stared back at me. Water dripped from the tip of his wet ck hair. As I focused on my reflection in the mirror, a status screen that only could be seen by me appeared. [Name: Zio Varrez (¡á) Age: 17 Race: Human [Stats] Strength: E- Agility: E- Intelligence: C Stamina: E- Magic: F+ Charisma: D+ Luck: E+ [Hidden Stats] Perception: C Mental: F- Potential: B Health: D+] ''As I thought¡­'' Since I couldn''t use the irvoyance skill to myself directly, I had to use some mediates like a mirror or anything that produced a reflection. Focusing my eyes on my reflection and then boom, a status screen of me popped up. It was more detailed than when I used the ordinary way. But of course, it was also moreplicated to use it for myself, unlike using it for others. ''Feels like I have the Odyssey.'' It was not a bad feeling. Though the aftertaste of that memory still attached to my mind, knowing this upgraded irvoyance could do had slightly reduced the bitter feeling of that. ¡ª L, listen future me¡­ You must g, go and search for the Chrono dungeon¡­ It could¡ª At that moment, I recalled the word of me in the memory said. Chrono Dungeon. It was one of the ancient dungeons that Lux had a hard time clearing. Let me remind you that there were different types of dungeons in this world. First was the rift dungeon, a peculiar dungeon that had formed as a result of a crack in space, which served as a portal connecting two worlds. Its shape was reminiscent of a dark, oval void, surrounded by swirling currents that rotate in a clockwise direction. If the dungeon was left unattended, it would eventually undergo an event known as an ''Outburst'', in which it would absorb enough energy from its surroundings to create a one-way gate through which the dungeon''s inhabitants could pass into Earth. To erase the dungeon from the surface, someone or a group must attack and defeat the dungeon boss, which will then reveal the dungeon core. Destroying the core would unlock a treasure room as a reward for the sessful group that had cleared the dungeon. If a group attacked a dungeon during its "Pre-Outburst" state, it may be easier to clear the dungeon because the magic cirction that typically maintained the mob monsters would be focused on preparing for the impending Outburst instead. As a result, the dungeon''s inhabitants would likely only have a boss monster to defend the dungeon. And ah, there was a difference between raiding the normal Rift dungeon and the Pre-Outburst. The environment and the treasure room. The environment of a below rank normal Rift dungeon would typically a cave-like orbyrinth-like while the rank above and Pre-Outburst Rift dungeon had manifested its environment and habitat. Such as the Fishman Dungeon which was manifesting to forestry and river environment, also a humid temperature too due to it undergo the Pre-Outburst state. There was no treasure room in the Pre-Outburst as the reward for clearing directly came from the boss monster. Next was the sh dungeon, the worst and dangerous dungeon, that urred suddenly as a result of a gathering of magic molecules in space, causing an explosion in dimensional space and creating a dimensional gap thatsted only a few seconds, trapping and sucking those around the dimensional gap. The appearance of the sh dungeon was unpredictable and couldn''t even be tracked by the signalwork that the Omega had set up, at least for now. The sh Dungeon had no boss monster or dungeon core. The only way to get out of there was to survive until the time ran out. What made this dungeon the worst and dangerous was that it gave no benefits even the ones who were trapped inside managed to survive. However, this ce was heaven for those who had knowledge of otherworldly materials. Heaven to gather and collect various materials for crafting, and if one was lucky enough, they would find artifacts and other equipment in this dungeon just as I got [Retro] and [Avatar Mask]. The third was the base dungeon, a dungeon that came to the surface and took over the area around it, bing a field dungeon or red zone area for a long time where monsters and wild beasts would magically spawn over time. Usually in an inhabited area with dense magic energy such as a forest and mountain. It was not like it would upy the area permanently. Once the magic energy was depleted because of the monster spawning, the area would return to normal condition. Though, that would be useless for most people as there was nothing to be looked for in an empty area. The Base Dungeon was the dungeon type that appeared the most. The appearance of this dungeon had reached thousands, scattered all over the world. Another term for the Base Dungeon was the hunting field; a ce where people, presumably Enhanced could hunt monsters and sell monster parts for money. Those three were types of dungeons that people had known about and ones that had appeared in this world. But, there was another dungeon type that was yet to be discovered and even hadn''t appeared in this world known as ''The Tomb''. Though it was called The Tomb, it wasn''t a literal tomb or grave. The appearance of The Tomb was magnificent. An example of how magnificent it was, was the Chrono Dungeon. The translucent blue gate portal adorned with two great pirs soared high like a castle tower. On top of the portal, between the pirs was a clock-looking decoration with the numbers written in Roman numerals. To reach that ce, Lux had to cross the beautiful deepke in a forest dense with magical energy in southern Europe. Just like a castle on theke, that was how magnificent the Chrono Dungeon was. The number of The Tomb appeared in the world was close to a hundred but only seven of them were cleared by Lux. ''...'' I stood frozen, I wasn''t sure how long I was standing in front of the mirror. As the reflection in the mirror changed to that of the kid¨Cme in the past, I shook my head deliberately. ''That kid¡­'' I recalled the information that I was able to grasp from his status screen before I lost my connection to the memory. ''If that is in the past,'' Especially the information about his irvoyance skill, magic, and hidden stats. ''Why are his stats superior to mine?'' I saw it. A nce at his magic stats being rank. Another nce at his hidden stats with overall being rank with rank potential. Also, the information that I wasn''t able to find on the current status screen in front of me. ''His irvoyance too¡­'' The skills information section that didn''t exist on the status screen. ''...is already maxed out?'' You heard me right. That kid had his irvoyance skill on max level. How was that possible? He told me that I was his future self but howe I only had my irvoyance in level 1 when I started? Chapter 54 Clue ?Grand Library of Octagram¡­ In the night, the library''s grandiose castle-like structure was striking. The towering walls loomed up into the sky, their sharp edges casting ominous shadows in the moonlight. The turrets and spires of the castle-like structure were silhouetted against the starry sky, giving the library an almost magical aura. The windows wererge and arched, and the ss panes gleamed in the moonlight, reflecting the stars like diamonds. The heavy wooden doors enhanced by magic, adorned with intricate carvings, were closed and locked for the night, keeping the knowledge and treasures of the library safe and secure. Despite the grandeur of the library''s exterior, there was an air of serenity and calmness that surrounded the building. The night was peaceful, broken only by the asional rustling of leaves in the wind, a soft luby that lulled the library. The interior of the library was just as grandiose as its exterior. The towering shelves, made of dark, polished wood, stretched up to the high ceiling, which was adorned with intricate paintings of creatures such as dragons, griffons, and others, up to 20 different creatures which each represented the 20 ss of Octagram Academy. The shelves were lined with countless volumes of books, some of which were ancient and bound in leather, while others were more modern and had colorful covers. At night, the light was switched off, plunging the interior into darkness. Making the atmosphere quiet and peaceful, with the only sounds being the soft rustling of pages turning and the asional creaking of chairs. Despite the library''s immense size, it was not intimidating or overwhelming. Rather, it was a weing space that encouraged exploration and discovery of new knowledge. And there, amidst the grandeur of the library, sat the solitary reader,pletely absorbed in the world of the written word. The reader sat all alone, perched upon a table piled high with books that formed a tower, filling the entire surface. Amidst the stack of books, only one was opened and ced before the diligent reader who had been engrossed in reading till the night hour. Even at thiste hour, the reader''s mind remained fixated on the books before her, with the only source of light being a floating me, adding a magical touch to her surrounding. The light from the me cast a yellowish hue on her long red hair, while her fiery red eyes moved calmly from one word to the next as she read. ''I wonder how many books here I have left to read.'' Ember thought to herself as she finished reading the book currently ced before her. ''This one was my 1501st.'' Closing the book, she ced it beside the towering book piles, intending to make a new tower of books. ''This will be a long time to finish all the book here, but¡­'' She ced a new book before her. ''Now that I got a new trait, my reading speed will be much faster.'' Looking at the book, she noticed the book''s title ''With You, Under The Night''. ''...why is there this kind of book here?'' Though sheined, she read it anyway. As the night wore on, Ember eventually closed thest book she had brought and sat back in her chair, taking a deep breath and relishing in the quiet of the library. Three hours had passed since then, Ember had finished 100 books in one night. Before, she could only read 10 to 15 books at best. But since she got the [Fast Reader] trait, her reading speed had increased a ton, making it possible for her to finish 100 books in one night. ''Huaaaa¡­'' She stretched her body as she yawned, then curled up like a cat. ''So sleepy¡­'' She was so sleepy that she thought about skipping today''s ss, which was Combat Training ss. Then, as she was about to close her eyes. The great door made a creaking sound, making her jolt. "Ember dear¡­" Following the creaking sound, an alluring and caring voice broke the quiet and peaceful night of the library. "You''re sleeping here again?" Standing at the entrance was an adult woman, resembling Ember in terms of appearance. She just looked like the adult version of Ember. Rubbing her eyes, Ember got up and stared at the woman. Though her vision was still blurry, she could discern the blurry figure standing at the entrance. "Grandma?" Her grandmother, known as the headmaster Nuria, despite having a grandchild already and being in her 60s. She was rather looking young and beautiful. Nuria approached her granddaughter who was half-conscious in her chair, surrounded by the book piles. Gently cing her hand on Ember''s forehead, Nuria checked her granddaughter''s temperature. "You''re not sick, are you dear?" It was rare for Enhanced to get sick just because they were reading all night, but Nuria couldn''t help it. She was afraid. The first-generation hero titled War Goddess was afraid that she would lose yet another of her family members. Ember shook her head, still feeling groggy from herte-night reading session. "I''m just a little tired, Grandma. I think I might skip Combat Training ss today." Nuria sighed, a hint of disappointment and worry in her voice. "I understand that you love reading since¡­" Nuria shook her head. "I understand that you love reading, Ember, but you can''t neglect your other duties. Yourbat training is important for your future as a hero." Ember nodded, knowing that her grandmother was right. Though Ember knew how eminent her capability as a hero was. She couldn''t afford toze around even though she was already the strongest among her peers. The world was full of danger. The threat wasn''ting only from the monster in the fields or dungeons, but the viin as well. "I''ll try to make it up, Grandma." Nuria smiled and ruffled Ember''s red hair which had the same color as hers. ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom "I know you will, dear. Nowe on, let''s get you to bed." Ember''s cheeks flushed red as she heard that. She wasn''t a kid anymore yet her Grandma still treated her like one. Nuria felt herself warmed, delighted when she saw Ember erect a reaction. It had been a long time since she saw her granddaughter making an expression. Despite being called like that, Ember neither argued nor retorted. "Grandma." Ember clutched Nuria''s wrist. "Yes, dear?" "The thing that you had asked me for, I think I know who that person is." Nuria''s eyes widened slightly with her mouth hanging open. Before she could say anything, Ember talked first. "I saw that person sometimes in the city, and just yesterday that I saw himing out from the Chrysalis guild HQ." "Chrysalis¡­ It''s Neychta''s guild, isn''t it?" Ember nodded. "Yes¡ªhuaaa¡­" And yawned again. "Thank you, Ember. Now, let''s get you to bed." With her grandmother''s help, Ember returned all the books she had read to their original ce precisely, as if they were never been taken out from their shelves. After that, she gathered her things and headed back to her dormitory with a staggering walk. Nuria stopped, looking down at Ember who tried to keep her eyes open. "Looks like you need a piggyback." Upon hearing that, Ember shook her head and rubbed her eyes. "N-no, Grandma, I can walk just fine¡­" "Are you sure?" Nuria smiled. "...yes" "If you say so, dear." As they walked through the halls of the library, Ember couldn''t help but feel a sense offort and belonging. The library was her sanctuary, a ce where she could upy her mind with books and escape from the bitter memory she couldn''t ever forget even if she wanted to. After all, her [Eidetic Memory] had made her a humanoid codex, a living library, and the embodiment of knowledge. She was almost an Omniscient being. Her brain recorded everything that she saw through her eyes, what she heard through her ears, and what she experienced throughout her life and body. And those records of information wouldn''t ever be forgotten unless she died. ¡­ The next morning, Nuria visited the Chrysalis guild HQ. "Wee to the Chrysalis guild, Miss Nuria. May I help you today?" The receptionist greeted Nuria with a smile. There was a hint of respect and excited showed on her face. "Yes, I''m here to speak with Neychta. Is she avable?" "I''m afraid she''s currently in a meeting. Would you like me to schedule an appointment for you?" "No, that won''t be necessary. I''ll wait." The Receptionist guided Nuria to a VIP waiting room. "Then, you can stay here while you wait." "Thank you." But, the receptionist didn''t move an inch. Instead, she took out a blue marker and a handkerchief. "I know this is rude, but I''m your fan War Goddess. May I have your sign?" Said the receptionist as she handed the marker and handkerchief. "dly." Nuria smiled as she took the marker and sign her name on the handkerchief. "Thank you!" The receptionist walked away happily, her head seemed to grow a flower as she left. Nuria sat down on the sofa in the VIP waiting room, her eyes scanning the fluffy decoration of the room. "Did that girl purposely decorate this room like this?" She couldn''t help but feel a sense of humor. Neychta had a reputation for being ruthless and cutthroat, willing to do anything to achieve her goals. But no one knew except a small circle of her friends that she was actually a sweet and lovely girl, sometimes careless and mischievous. Nuria put aside the image of Neychta in a bunny suit that was projected in her head for the sake of a more objective matter. She needed to know if the person Ember had seen was indeed the one she was looking for. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Neychta emerged from the door. "Granny, what brings you here today?" Chapter 55 Confrontation ?Neychta had a tall and slender build with long ck hair under the mask, reaching her waist. She had a distinctive mask that covered her entire face. The mask had a metallic appearance and was adorned with ck bunny ears on top. She wore a ck, high-cored coat that covered most of her body and was adorned with golden buttons and trim. Underneath the coat, she wore a ck skin suit and ck gloves. She also wore ck boots with golden ents. As she stepped forward, she asked Nuria. "Granny, what brings you here today?" Nuria chuckled and teased back. "I''m not sure I appreciate being called ''granny'', Little Ney." There was a little snorting from Neychta as she heard Nuria tease her. "Looks like you need to check your eyes, Granny." "Hmm? I could say the same to you." They both chuckled. "Hah¡­ It isn''t fun when we both are teasing each other. One should be the victim, Granny." "Haha, sorry if you feel that way. You know how much I enjoy getting back at you when you''re teasing me first." Shaking her head, Neychta sat down on the sofa across from Nuria. "You''re 60 but you''re like a kid, I can''t believe my idol is this childish." "At least I''m not weird¡­" Nuria said as her attention shifted to the bunny ears. "What is that? A bunny ears?" "Huh?!" As soon as she heard that, Neychta jolted and the bunny ears immediately pulled in and were changed to ck-colored horns. "B, bunny?! Where? I, it''s a devil horn!" Nuria gave her a deadpan stare but her mouth looked like she was holding augh. "Sure, sure. Anyway, how have you been, Little Ney?" "Busy. The guild has been keeping me on my toes, especially the apprentices. But I can''tin, it''s what I enjoy doing." Nuria leaned back on the sofa, her eyes scanning the fluffy room. "Speaking about apprentices, how is she doing?" Neychta tilted her head. "She?" Then she realized who was Nuria referring to. "Oh, Shannon. She''s been doing great." "That''s good to hear. And what about your search for your sibling, have you found him?" The question made Neychta flinch. Though her face was covered by the mask, Nuria could tell that her question had made her ufortable. "I''m¨C" The masked girl answered before Nuria could apologize for bringing up the topic "Truthfully, I have already found him a few years ago. But¡­" Nuria raised her eyebrows, her curiosity built up. "But?" "It''s nothing. More importantly, he seems to be happy even without me, so I thought it''s not necessary for me to look out for him" Nuria was silent, and so did Neychta. As the silence had stretched for too long, Nuria straightened up, breaking the atmosphere. "That must be hard for you," Nuria began. "This is advice from who has lived for 60 years. You''d better tell him as soon as possible or you will regret it." Neychta stared at Nuria behind her mask then leaned on the sofa as she breathe out a heavy sigh. "I''ll tell him. But not right now. sping her hands together, Neychta tuned her voice. "Enough about that. So, what actually brings you here today? Don''t tell me you just want to talk?" The room''s mood suddenly changed. It had been going on a roller coaster, from happy to sad and now serious. Before she talked, Nuria took a deep breath. "I''ve been searching for a person¨Ca culprit. He was caught killing our student on the first day of the new semester. Here''s what he looks like." Neychta''s eyes widened slightly as she saw the portrait of a man in a ck Victorian coat suit. Taking notice of Neychta''s reaction, Nuria couldn''t help but ask. "Looking at your reaction. I assume you know this person?" Neychta nodded. "He''s our business partner. We just had our contract signed two days ago. Are you sure he killed an Octagram student? He doesn''t look like someone who had the gut to kill people in my eyes." ''In my eyes'', that word alone whiching from Neychta, who had killed not a few dozens but hundreds or maybe thousands, had convinced Nuria that at least the person she was searching for wasn''t a heinous criminal¨CA viin. "Actually¡­" Nuria exined everything that happened on the night after Neophyte Nexus and even showed the footage recorded by the drone. "Isn''t that¡­" After watching the footage together, Nuria also showed Neychta the student''s actual identity as a demon. "It''s not demonic human. But the demon." "The existence that the demonic human worships?" Nuria nodded and went on exining again. "So, you want to know this person itointerro¨Cquestioning him about his reason for killing the student?" "Yes. We don''t know why he killed our student. Was it because he knew that the student is a demon or was it because there are other motives behind it." Neychta stroked her chin¨Cthe bottom part of her mask helmet. "I see. I''ll do what I can to help you, Granny." Nuria breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that Neychta was always dependable, and she was d that she saved this little girl back in the days, a long time ago. "Thank you, Ney. I really appreciate it." Neychta nodded, and then stood up. "You can always count on me, Granny. You are my idol and savior, I''ll do everything that I can to help you, even if your request cost me my life, I will still do it." "That''s too far. You need to value your life too, at least you must stay alive until you told the truth to your brother. And by the way, you said that you and this person is a business partner. What makes you sign the contract with him?" Neychta paused. Looking at where her mask''s ss was looking, she looked like she was in thought. "Heh. I bet you''ll be surprised. He offered my guild to produce elixirs and use them to monopolize the market." "Elixir? I thought it has be moremon by now." "It''s not an ordinary elixir. It''s Horizon Elixir, one that can raise the potential limit." *** "She didn''te to ss today¡­" After the ss ended, I was deliberately searching for Ember. I had already asked my ssmates about her but no one knew. And instead of getting proper answers, they would only tease me and suspect me I had some sort of feeling for Ember, which was not true. My purpose was to ask the truth about that particr night, the scene I saw in the sh memory. What did Ember know about that night? There was one report in the forum about what happened that night. It said that Ember was abducted when she was visiting France and when the local heroes arrived at that warehouse, Ember had already killed the abductors. But they didn''t mention anything about a kid who was supposed to be there that night. Then, as someone told me about Ember''s roommate, I immediately looked for them. But, I remembered something. ''Wait¡­ I can just use my Pathfinding!'' Why was I so dumb? Stopping my feet, I closed my eyes. [Pathfinding] was a skill that allowed me to trace and visualize an image of my target position. Of course, I needed to think about my target so I could find them. ''Red hair¡­'' Think about how her hair long red hair flowed like a water stream to her waist. ''Red eyes¡­'' Think about how her sharp red eyes stared at me coldly when I saw her for the first time at Garuda Soar Tower. ''Unparalleled beauty¡­'' Think about how pretty she was when she put on the earring, captivating me with the sight. With these thoughts in mind, I focused on the [Pathfinding], feeling a tingling sensation in my head as the image of her location projected in my mind. What I saw from the image, there were a lot of bookshelves, tables, and book piles. ''A library?'' There was no other ce with towering bookshelves and book piles other than the library. Am I right or am I right? Without a moment''s hesitation, I started running towards my destination. As I run, I couldn''t help but wonder what to ask of her about the scene. Should I just straight-forwardly ask her? Should I have a conversation first and then ask her about it? Or should I approach with a more subtle question leading me to the answer? The questions lingered in my mind as I continued running, my eyes fixed on the path ahead, running from the Eagle realm to the Owl realm. But no matter what, I knew one thing for sure¨C ''I have to see her, no matter what it took.'' And then, once I arrived on the library''s first floor¨Cthe lobby, what came from the receptionist''s mouth had struck me with a reminder. "You need the membership card to browse the library." Right. I thought to myself that, it was probably the time to spend some money and merits. Chapter 56 Bet I ?"It''s only 50 merits to create a Membership card." Merit. Imagine a world where academic achievement was not just recognized, but also rewarded with a special currency called merit. Think of merit as sparkling gems that symbolized a student''s hard work, dedication, and intellectual prowess. In this world, in every academy, earning merit points was no easy feat. It required students to go above and beyond the expectations of their professors and instructors, and prove their academic mettle through various tasks and challenges. From submitting assignments on time to acing difficult exams and various missions, every effort counted towards umting this precious currency. But what made merit truly special was its power to unlock a range of benefits and privileges. Just like in a game, students could exchange their merit for valuable rewards, such as library membership that granted ess to exclusive floors filled with rare books and scrolls containing powerful techniques. The more merit a student has, the greater the rewards they could earn. From Bronze Membership to Diamond Membership, each level of library membership offered ess to a wider range of resources and knowledge. But that''s not all. Merit points could also be exchanged for other things such as Cred, Skill Books, Technique Scrolls, and many things. In short, merit was points that have various benefits and it was awarded to students upon evaluation of the task theypleted. Currently, I have like 343 merit points. Which I got from various sources. 100 merits from Neophyte Nexus, 150 merits from Practice Hunt; 100 merits for scoring first ce in group ranking, and 50 merits for scoring third rank in individual ranking. And 93 merits from academic ss; professor''s bonus, task & assignments, etc. If you ever wondered was 343 merit points a lot, then the answer is yes. 343 merit points in the first month of the academic year is a lot. I could exchange them for 343k Creds. But that won''t be necessary as I already had enough money. Instead, I would use them for a library membership card! "A silver membership card, please!" Library Membership Card was one of the essential items to invest your merit points. With Library Membership Card, you could browse books on a higher floor level. The library''s first and second floor was wheremon and ordinary books were ced. Beyond the second floor was where the rarest books were. The rarest books included lost literature, information or journal book about ancient sites, and such. There were even skill books and scroll techniques ranging from to rank. The Library Membership Card had four ranks. Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Diamond. The bronze card was the basic, students with this card could only ess the books from the first floor and second floor. Next, the silver card, with the privilege to ess the first floor to the fourth floor. The gold card could ess up to the sixth floor. Lastly, the diamond card could ess up to the eighth floor. "300 merits have been deducted from your student ID. Here is your membership card!" said the receptionist while he handed the card with silvery decorations. I received the card with a smile¨CA smile that hid a thousand emotions. The price for a card was no joke. The bronze only cost you 50 merits but the silver card cost 300 merits. And if I remembered correctly, the price for gold and diamond was 1000 and 4500 respectively. It would be impossible for the first-year to reach that number as there were not many practical lessons and missions given to the first-year students that could serve as mining fields for merit. I would start getting a bunch of them only after I became a second year, and once I got them, buying a diamond card and high rank skill books and techniques would be a piece of cake. "Haaa. If only I had a time-skip power¡­" Comining was easy, but it won''t make things better. Looking ahead, I took a deep breath and began to walk upstairs. I didn''t find Ember on the first floor or the second floor. So she was either on the third floor or the fourth floor. The possibility of her being on a higher floor than that was impossible. Even though she was Nuria''s granddaughter, there was no way she would be given that much privilege of bypassing the library''s level. I arrived on the third floor. Looking around, I noticed that this floor''s inhabitant was mostly second-year students. ''She''s not here either¡­'' Then, she was probably on the fourth floor. As I was about to take off from this floor, someone called me. They called me, but it didn''t being caught by my ears but my brain. A telepath. ¡ª [Hey, first year!] There was no other first-year student here other than me, so I was a hundred percent sure that they were calling me. As much as I wanted to ignore them, I couldn''t help myself but turn around and look for the voice''s owner. ¡ª ["Right here!"] I found them. They were sitting on the mid-sized round table for 6 people, but only 5 seats were upied. One of them was a familiar face, waving at me with an expressive smile. He was Ember''s opponent in the Neophyte Nexus. The second year''s first ce. Noah Alfonso. ''What does he want from me?'' The other second-year students were sometimes peeking at me as I walked past them. Murmurs began to break the silence in the library, but it was not for long. When I reached Noah''s table, the murmur stopped and the third floor went quiet again as everyone''s attention was back to their original activities. "Yo, junior. What are you doing here? Did you just spend 300 merits for library membership in the first month?" There was no mocking tone in his voice, the other fours too, they kept silent as they¡­ Wait. ''Are they seriously ying a card game here?!'' Taking notice of my attention to the card on the table, Noah smirked. "Never mind my question earlier. More importantly, do you want to join us ying poker here?" On the table, cards were scattered, each with different values and suits. "What do you think? We also do bet, in case you want to increase your merit back." I hesitated for a moment, unsure if it was appropriate to y cards in the library. But as I looked around, I noticed that no one seemed to mind. ''I only have like 43 merits left. This would be a good chance to get it without much hard work.'' He would never know. They would never know. I was not sure how this poker worked, and I had always wanted to y it. This could be my chance to learn a thing or two about it. "Sure, I''ll y." I knew that my chance to win was zero, but I decided to take Noah up on his offer. "But. This is my first time ying, can we start from the tutorial for new yers first?" "Sure, sure, yeah. Let''s do that!" Everyone said in a cheerful tone yet managed to keep the voice low. "So you need to put this here¡­" "Throw away the card that you don''t need¡­" "Sort and search¡­" As they exined how the game worked, I slowly and surely understood the basic of this game. Then, after a few free rounds, I had already grasped how to y this game. Before, my chance of winning was zero. Now, it had increased to ten. That was if I yed it in a ''right'' way. Did you think that by ying a card game with betting like this, anyone would y it in the ''right'' way? No. They wouldn''t. I was a hundred percent sure they were going to cheat. And so that was what I did too. The ten percent win would increase more to 50%. No. 99% chance with my irvoyance! Noah shuffled the deck and dealt the cards. "Five-card draw," he said. I nodded, trying to act as nonchnt as I could. The game had started, and everyone was focused on their cards. I looked at my hand and quickly scanned through the other yers'' cards. ''Now, let''s see what they have¡­'' I activated my irvoyance and the object''s information began to pop up, filling my vision. ''Hoo¡­ this will be fun.'' Noah bet 20 merits, and the other yers followed. ''Hmm, let''s raise the bet.'' It was my turn, and I decided to raise it to 40 merits, pretending to have a good hand. The other yers hesitated, but eventually, they all followed my bet. We exchanged cards, and I got lucky (not really) with my draw, getting a full house. "Flush." "Three-of-a-Kind¡­" "Sh!t!" As we revealed our cards, I could see the disappointment on the other yer''s faces as they saw my cards. "Full house!" I had won the round. "Again!" Someone shouted, and the game continued. We continued ying, and I kept winning round after round. "Four of a kind!" As the game went on. "Straight flush!!" My cards would only be getting higher and higher. "Royal flush!!!" My irvoyance gave me an edge that no one could match. "Well, that''s enough for today, I think." Noah and the others scratched their hair, looking like they wanted to rip apart those hairs from their heads. I had won over 800 merits in a few hours. What was even this game? "Senior, thank you for today. Take this, a fee for teaching me how to y this game." 800 merits. Not in a month, or not even in a week, but in a few hours! The professors and instructors would obviously be suspicious of me. If they knew I got all of that from gambling and betting with my seniors, I would be dead! They wouldn''t even consider that I got them from merit''s duel which was an official way to get merit from the other''s student if you''d won. It was better to give some to them back to avoid suspicion. Just like when one sent money from their bank ount, the way merit could be transferred to someone''s ID too was the same. So, at the end of the day, I only brought back 500 merits with me. I knew that was such a dumb move, but I couldn''t help it if I wanted to avoid punishment from the academy. "Then, excuse me." "Wait, junior. Where are you heading?" I paused. "To the fourth floor." "I see, good luck with your studies!" With that, I was back to my original goal. Looking for Ember. Chapter 57 Bet II I didn''t care and I didn''t want to know how there was a wind blow inside the library. Whoosh¨C! No. It''s not a whoosh, rather¡­ Howl¨C! Hmm, that sounded weird. Anyway, once I arrived on the fourth floor, I saw a familiar face sitting by therge window. Her red hair was blown by the wind, making her fix them as the hair covered her vision from looking at the book ced before her. No one was sitting at her table. Well, because there was only a girl with red fire-like hair on the fourth floor. She was alone, so she knew she could open the window and let the fierce wind enter the room. But, why would she do that? As far as I see, what the wind did was only disturb her reading time. I walked towards the bookshelves and took a few books, then I headed to Ember''s table. "Hello, mind if I join you here?" No respond. After like ten seconds, she took a breath and then shifted her attention to me. ''Beautiful.'' The eyes, I meant. It might be only me, but I felt like the coldness in her eyes was gradually softening from the first time I saw her. Her red eyes bore a hole in me. I stood still, feeling my legs numb out of nervousness. Then, she said something. "I don''t mind." After getting her permission, I quickly took a seat across from her and ced the books I brought on the table. We read silently as the wind blew our hair and book pages. It''s annoying. ''I can''t focus¡­'' I couldn''t focus because of the wind. So I stopped for a moment, taking a look at the person in front of me who seemed to be immersed in the book''s world. Hmm¡­ ''5 minutes.'' Every 5 minutes, she would close her current book and open a new book. There were 5 towering book piles on her left and three towering book piles on her right. ''I''ve never thought she''s a bookworm¡­'' A nerd. A fast reader nerd at that. Even the seemingly thick book with almost a thousand pages felt like ten pages essay for her. Another 5 minutes had passed since she took the thick book, it was a new book in her hand now. Whoosh¨C! The wind blew again. Despite that, the towering book piles didn''t copse, not even flinched. "Are you enjoying your time here?" Eventually, I couldn''t hold the urge to say something at this peaceful silent table. It took her ten seconds before nodded her head slowly and replied while still focused on the book. "It''s peaceful here." I smiled. "Yeah¡­" Peaceful. People always said that when they were doing the thing they liked. But for me, this peaceful moment was bittersweet. The wind brushed my face and the birds singing in the distance could be heard. That was peaceful. But you see, this world was fated to end. In just thirteen years, everything that they knew and loved would be gone forever. The oceans would rise; sea monsters began to y the destructor role along with the demons, the crops would wither; the earth wouldn''t be the same anymore after the third catastrophe, the air would be toxic; the consequence of not being able to subdue Basilisk rank monster, making the world filled with its toxic breath. The world would be consumed by chaos and destruction, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. That was what happened in the story. I turned my attention back to Ember, who was still engrossed in her book. Did she know? Did she care? Was her situation like mine? A person from the outside world who got dragged here? A person that knew about what would happen in the future? If she was, it exined why she knew about the demon Julrot that day. I wanted to ask her, but I couldn''t bring myself to do it. What if she was a regressor or transmigrator, she wouldn''t let me go for knowing that secret just like every regressor and transmigrator story''s protagonist. If she was not one, well the worst could happen that she might suspect me as one. And who knew what she would do with the regressor/transmigrator/reincarnator''s knowledge of the future? ''No¡­'' I thought too much. I was not here to contemte those thoughts. I just wanted to know the truth behind the memory I saw. I reached for the already-opened book before me and continue reading, stealing nces at her every now and then. As time passed by, I break the silence again. "Dystopia," I began. Ember''s ears twitched as she heard the word. "It''s a world filled with oppression, control, and despair. A world where individuality is oppressed and conformity is forced upon everyone." Ember looked up from her book, her eyes meeting mine. "That''s why they are more in unity. The world they living in is where the strong rule the weak, thus¨C" "They''re a bunch of bastards," said Ember, cutting my word. Her expression was nk as she said it. Though I notice that there was a small portion of hate. "They''re a bastard, I agree. But, they''re more organized and structured, There had never been the case that they would terrorize a ce with only small numbers, always more than a dozen with high rankers. That''s why they can get away from the Heroes rather easily. Sacrificing their weakest members so that the high rankers will safely get out from there and cause a ruckus again somewhere." I briefly take a nce at Ember, her eyes frowned. "They obey their higher-ups, though it would hurt their pride, they still obey them. Individually, they''re selfish but once faced with a person stronger than them, they would dly swallow their pride and obey the strong. That''s how Dystopia work." "..." Ember stayed silent. "3 years ago. There was an incident, regarding someone who has a value of their name. It also said that the doer was Dystopia''s viin member." She kept silent, unfazed by the mention of her past. "But, I felt like the media tried to cover something up as they only mention one name of the victims." Ember finally sighed and my expression turned cold subconsciously. "As the victim of that incident. Do you have anything to say about what the newspaper and media said? I feel sad that there was no mention of the other victims, who was abused until their mind was broken, and live cluelessly in this world, not knowing what actually happened in their life, or their past, they even forgot everything, living like a newborn baby. Do you know anything about them?" "That¡­" Her eyes zed fiercely, as if her pupils transform into a fire. "...is not something you are supposed to say." Chapter 58 Bet III "You are not supposed to say something like that." Ember closed the book she was currently reading. Her attention was fully on me now. "People may think of you as part of them." I leaned forward, putting my chin on the back of my hands. "Who?" I said. "People." "Who are people, exactly?" "Students. Professors. Instructor. Everyone." "But, I don''t think there will be anyone who would think of me like that. They don''t even present right now, how would they know?" I smirked. "It''s not about whether or not they are present, it''s about the potential impact of your words on others. You never know who might be listening or how your words might be interpreted." Ember''s eyes were fixed on me, waiting for a response. ''I think that was the longest word she ever said.'' I never thought she would respond to me like that. I thought that she would be more elusive and the usual few words saying. But, I guess, her hate for the viin organization was beyond the limit. "My point still stands. Do you think I would say this out loud in public? Also, why are you changing the subject? I''m sure my question was what your opinion about the media that covered the incident 3 years ago, and tell me, what''s actually happened at that time." Ember sighed and shook her head slowly. "I can''t." I frowned as I heard her. Why? For what reason she couldn''t tell me? "Why?" Ember remained silent for a moment, her eyes cast downward. Finally, she looked up at me with a sad expression. "I can''t tell you because I don''t remember," she said softly. At that moment, I flinched upon seeing her face. That was the first time I saw her with a meaningful expression, did she genuinely forget the incident? Or was she lying? I couldn''t tell. "What do you mean you don''t remember?" Ember hesitated for a moment, casting her eyes sideways. As I watched Ember hesitate and nce sideways, I realized that it was difficult to discern whether she was genuinely unable to recall the incident or whether she was lying to me. Despite all the knowledge I had gained from reading books on human psychology, I couldn''t definitively say which was the case. But well, if reading books could make anyone smart, this world would be disappeared sooner than expected. "You must already know that after the incident, I was in aa for a year¡­" I nodded. "When I woke up¡­ I had lost most of my memories from before the incident. I don''t remember what happened, or who was involved. All I know is what the media and the rumor said about me mercilessly burning the criminals." "Hmm¡­" I felt a pang of sympathy for Ember. Whether she was telling the truth or lying, losing one''s memories was a difficult and painful experience. What we knew about our past wasing from what people said not what we actually experienced. There was even a risk that what they said was not what actually happened. "Sorry," I said. "I was desperate in knowing the truth about my¡­ rtive." Words didn''te out of her mouth as she slowly shifted her attention back to the book. But I caught something from how her eyes and expression moved. Her pupil was shrinking when I said those words and I noticed a small shiver on her shoulders. When I saw that, I thought that she was actually lying to me. She probably knew about the incident but decided to keep it quiet. ''Why would she do that?'' Maybe, as someone who hade to rescue in the memory, maybe she knew about Zio Varrez, and she might be thinking that I was a fake one because I acted differently from the original, so she shut her mouth, was that the case? Argh! This whole situation made me frustrated. If she didn''t want to tell me, then I just needed to make her do so. We fell into afortable silence (for her, not me), each lost in our own thoughts. After what seemingly long hours had passed, I packed my stuff as I returned the books. Ember too, the 8 towering book piles she brought, hadpletely been read all by herself in less than a day. No matter how much I wanted to be shocked by it, I felt like my brain had already adapted and normalized those unexined things beyond the human realm. "Do you have time?" I asked Ember as she packed her stuff. She had returned to her usual self. Just like usual, there was a ten seconds dy before she responded to me with a slight nod. "Are you free after this? I want to have a training spar with you." "Spar?" "Yes." *** The sun had set when Zio and Ember left the library and headed to the training center. Even at this time, the training center was still full of students each wanting to improve themselves, their faces were determined. But, as soon as they saw the red-head beauty walk side by side with the ck-head handsome, it was as if a God had taken the spirit out of their bodies. Ember and Zio themselves had already in their P.E. uniform, they were walking toward the private training room where Zio had his entrance exam a month ago, the room with the time maniption artifact. Though this time, the artifact was unactivated so they wouldn''t benefit anything by training inside the room. It was just a normal training room now, but the good thing was that it was empty and quiet. "Can we spar with a sword?" said Zio as he took the training wooden sword from the shelf. Ember nodded silently as she also took out the training sword and practice swinging it. Zio and Ember stood across from each other, swords raised in preparation for the spar. Taking a deep breath, Zio charged forward, swinging his sword in almost perfect precision. Ember expertly blocked his attacks, gracefully dodging and parrying each strike. The two continued their dance of swordy, moving with fluidity and grace. Their wooden sword shed and echoed throughout the room. "As expected from rank 1, you are so good with the sword." Then, as Zio did saying that, he deliberately made a misstep, leaving himself open for a split second. Ember saw that as an opening, she didn''t notice that Zio was making himself misstep purposely. She swiftly struck, knocking Zio''s sword out of his hand and tackling him. Fell, Zio was panting heavily on the ground, there was a cunningness in his eyes yet no one could tell them. "You''re amazing," he said. Zio still lying on the floor, but his eyes were locked on Ember. "You''re not bad too." Ember approached Zio, she was clueless about everything that Zio was about to do. "Can you help me get up?" As Zio said that, he closed his eyes, looking rather in peace and serene. His right hand was raised, waiting for another helping hand. "..." Ember stood still for a while before extending her hand forward and taking Zio''s hand. "[Retrocognition]" At that moment, Zio''s grip tightened, making Ember flinch. Vroooo¡ª! As he used his [Retrocognition], his body was in a state of trance. His soul though, was exploring the memory of his target. "This boy¡­" Ember could feel it. She could feel that Zio was surfing her vast memory database. "How reckless." Chapter 59 Explorer Clubs Activity I "Fvck!" I almost experienced death. A few days ago, I had a spar with Ember. Which was actually just a trap so I could use [Retrocognition] on her. But, I''d never thought that¡­ That her mind was full of countless information, memories, experiences, etc. I was overwhelmed by her never-ending consciousness, that my own consciousness almost got trapped inside because of how long I was searching for past memories. So you see¡­ I was sitting on a bench in the park, and in my hand was a rock that I had picked up from the ground. There was a difference when using [Retrocognition] on living creatures with consciousness and those without consciousness or non-living object. When I used [Retrocognition] on Ember, it was like diving into a deep, murky sea. Her mind was full of countless thoughts and memories, some recent and some from long ago. I had to be careful not to get lost in the maze of her consciousness, and to stay focused so that my consciousness won''t get swayed while trying to conserve my mana. That was exhausting, I could only stay inside her consciousness for like 20 seconds before I had to cancel my skill. Because if I did not cancel it, my physical body would run out of mana and my skill would get force-cancel by itself then I had to experience a mana depletion state again. Yuck, I don''t want that. But with the rock in my hand, the experience with [Retrocognition] was different. As I closed my eyes and focused my mana to use the skill, I could feel the rough surface of the rock against my palm. In an instant, I was transported back in time, to the past hours when the rock was still lying on the ground. I could see the events that had urred around the rock during that time ¡ª who had stepped over it, what other objects were near it, and any other events that had urred in its immediate vicinity. The experience was lessplex and less exhaustive than using the [Retrocognition] to explore the memories of a living creature with consciousness, as the rock did not have its own thoughts or emotions to contribute to the experience. ''Nheless, it could still be a useful tool for me in certain situations.'' It would be really useful in case I wanted to know the object or some ce''s history. This would allow me to gain insight into the events that had urred in a specific location. ''That is that, but I feel like Ember''s consciousness is way bigger and moreplex than other people''s.'' I also tried using it against my ssmate, but the experience was lessplex than Ember''s and yet still harder than the non-living object. ''Maybe she has a blessing that expands her brain''s storage like Specter?'' I took out a bottle containing blue liquid from my Storage Cube. ''Something like [Brain Overdrive] perhaps?'' Pulling off the cap with my thumb, I drank a quarter of the bottle of the blue liquid called Mana Potion. "Fwah¨C!" The potion tasted sweet at first but it gradually bing bitter. I had to drink water to subside the bitterness. ''This is troubling¡­'' No. I don''tin about how the potion tasted bitter. But, it was something else that troubled me. I checked the skill''s information. === [Retrocognition] Type: Active The users will enter a state of trance upon activation of the skill. Allowing them to see into their target''s past. ¡ù However it will be dangerous if the user''s mental capacity is low when using the skill. ¡ù Mana consumed depends on how far the user sees the past of their target. === I was troubled by this. The fact that it not only used up a lot of mana but also needed me to have a good mental stat was a problem. My mental stat was at , and I didn''t know how to raise it as I never thought about it. Lux was able to raise his mental stat through the Odyssey system''s reward and a time skip that I did not write very well. Right now, I was clueless about how to raise it. Maybe a meditation? It might work, but I needed a quieter ce than my dorm. A ce that dense with magical energy was better, so I could simultaneously raise my mental and magic stats. Another option was an ancient ruin or site. Those ces were condensed of magical energy. Which was another reason why I decided to join Explorer Club in the end. Ancient ruin was a term used to describe remnants of ancient civilizations or cultures that had long since disappeared. Those ces were not limited to the lost civilizations and cultures of Earth, but also other worlds or dimensions, which had somehow manifested on Earth but only partially. These ruins were like physical dungeons, but they were devoid of monsters or other hostile creatures. Despite theck of danger, ancient ruins and sites were highly sought after by everyone. This was because they were often containing artifacts and treasures that held great value and power. Though that was the case for the unexplored ruins and sites alike, as those which had been explored had no artifacts and treasures left as they had been hoarded. Ring¨C! "Hmm?" My Nova Watch vibrated on my wrist. Checking on it, I had messagesing from the Explorer Club''s group chat. ¡ª Han Jihan: "Hello first-year students!" ¡ª Student A: "Hello senior." ¡ª Student B: "Hi, senior!" ¡ª Student C: "Good morning, senior! How are you?!" "Oh?" ¡ª Han Jihan: "Hi, Hello, I''m feeling good today!" ¡ª Han Jihan: "Tomorrow, we will have our first official activity for our new members! [Ancient Ruin Visit Announcement.pdf]" ¡ª Han Jihan: "Please look at the file I sent. If there''s any question, just ask here, okay?!" I downloaded the file and opened it immediately, it read: === Dear members of the Explorer Club, We are excited to announce an uing visit to an ancient ruin located in the Himyas. Our visit will take ce tomorrow, and we will be departing from our meeting point at 10:00 AM. We will be traveling by bus to the location and will then be exploring the ruin on foot. Please note that this is a physically demanding activity and may not be suitable for all members. It is important that you bring appropriate warm clothing, footwear, and equipment for the trip, including water and snacks. As always, safety is our top priority, and we will be providing all necessary safety gear and first aid equipment. However, it is important that you follow all safety instructions and remain vignt at all times. If you have any questions or concerns about the trip, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be happy to address any questions or concerns that you may have. We hope that you will join us on this exciting journey and look forward to exploring the ancient ruin together. Best regards, The Explorer Club Han Jihan === I smirked as soon as I finished reading the announcement. "It''s finally here." ¡­ "Zio! Over here!" Once I arrived at the Wolf realm''s warp gate which was supposed to be our meeting point, Lux greeted me with enthusiasm. "Oh, Lux, you''re here." I cast a nce at the crowd, trying to spot Lumi among them. "Where is Lumi?" I said. When I said that, someone patted my back. "Behind you~" Along with a soft wind that brushed my ears which made me flinched. "Wha¨C?!" I turned around to see Lumi, who had just arrived, and yfully blew into my ear. My eyes widened in surprise and confusion. I''d never thought that she would do this kind of mischievous thing. This was a very out of charactering from her. Well, not really, she would sometimes be yful and mischievous, but that was in the future. Right now, she was supposed to be a stoic and stern though friendly character. "Haha, what''s with that face? You look like you just saw a ghost." The only time she would act like this at her age was when she was under pressure and stressed out, but what''s got her looking so stressed now? "Come, the seniors are calling us out." Then, she walked past us without sparing a nce behind after that. She ced her hands behind her, fidgeting her fingers. That too, was a subtle movement that she usually made when she was stressed out. Lux patted my shoulder. "Let''s go, Zio." Shaking my head, I nodded at Lux. "Right." As I walked, my mind was upied because of Lumi''s behavior. What could make her look like that? Nervous because of today''s asion? As if. If she was nervous, she wouldn''t never make it as the Nova Corps'' heir and be the richest woman in the world in the future. ''What could it be?'' We joined the rest of the Explorer Club members and entered the warp gate after a brief exnation given by the seniors. ''Well, whatever that is, I hope it won''t interfere with my n for this asion.'' Chapter 60 Explorer Clubs Activity II ¡ª Neycute: "Crow, are you free today?" ¡ª I.C: "I''m a little busy right now. What''s up?" ¡ª Neycute: "Oh¡­" ¡ª Neycute: "There''s someone, a friend of mine, who wants to meet you." ¡ª I.C: "Who?" ¡ª Neycute: "It''d be better if youe here directly when you are free." ¡ª I.C: "Okay." ¡ª Neycute: "Okay." ¡­ I turned off my tablet and stored it inside the storage cube. When a device like that was stored inside a storage cube, it couldn''t be tracked. That''s why I was able to avoid Goose''s trackingwork. Though, in the future, someone was able to breach the storage cube''s defense system, like anti-jamming, wlessly. That marked the beginning of thework war. "..." Anyway, "Neycute" was my business partner, Goose''s boss who I didn''t expect, Neychta. So,Goose was actually a member¡ªvice leader of Chrysalis Guild, where Shannon taking her apprenticeship. Did Goose knew Shannon because he wanted to recruit her to the guild? "Umm¡­" I nced sideways, sitting beside me was Lux. He was scratching his neck and looked rather awkward. "Don''t ask," I said. "Okay." We were currently inside a bus, riding to the Himyan mountain range after teleporting to the warp gate near the region. Though I was sitting inside the bus with a heater system, I could still feel the cold air prating my threeyer of warm clothes. Looking outside the windows, I saw a breathtaking view of snow-capped mountains. ''Wow.'' This was my first time going to a mountain, not to mention the Himyas region which was famous for its highest peak mountain, Everest. Taking notice of Lux who looked fine even in this cold weather made me remember his origin. He originally came from a snowy ce, I did not really specify where was that but just know that the ce was a fictional ce that did not actually exist on Earth. Since a child, he was constantly fighting with the cold weather so he had quite some resistance to cold. Even when his first element was manifested, he got the rare Ice element. Lux''s eyes stared far away, lost in thought as he observed the snowyndscape outside. I wondered what he was thinking about. Perhaps he was reminiscing about his past or pondering the risk thaty ahead. Just as I had said before. Since magic molecules appeared on Earth and dungeons were manifesting, no forests and mountains were safe from the monsters lurking. This was also the case for the Himyas mountain. Though many local heroes had been in constant hunting in the area, the monsters would keep spawning, just like those in Role-ying Games. I turned to look at the rest of the Explorer Club members on this bus. Honestly, other than Lumi and Lux, I did not know the rest of them. Lumi was sitting in the very front seat, behind the driver, a position befitted a person of her title. It was not hierarchy, but well, it just seemed fit for her to sit in the front seat and to walk in the middle of the group, safe from harm. As we reached our destination, the base camp of Mount Everest, a student got up from her seat and stood beside the driver while facing straight to the other end of the aisle. She cleared her throat to get our attention and began to speak with a mic. "Okay, everyone, we have arrived at our destination. Grab your stuff and gather around point B, we will have a short brief before continuing our tour to the ancient ruin." With her leading the way, the students unloaded their gear and equipment as they began to make their way toward the base camp. Crunch¨C! The fresh, cold wind hit my face as soon as I stepped outside the bus. It was crisp. I could feel my lungs filling up with fresh mountain air. Then after that, I felt chill all over my body even though I already wore threeyered clothes; an academy uniform, a sweater, and a ck thick jacket with fur around its neck. "Is it that cold?" Lux stepped beside me, though his clothes were less thick and less warm than mine, he did not show the slightest hints of him being freezing. "It''s very cold. You know very well that tropical regions don''t have weather as chilly and snowy as this." "Doesn''t Octagram Ind have the artificial 4=season system created by the wizard circle? It''s the only ce with snow in winter in SEA, right?" "Yeah, but the temperature is still not as low as here. Also, there''s no way an artificial could perfectly replicate a natural phenomenon." Even with those advanced technologies and magic, replicating a natural phenomenon such as snow weather was impossible. Well, except if it was a skill or magic spell. Still, they won''tst long, and there was no one who could maintain and control the weather for that long¨C No, wait, there is one! No, two! p¨C! ''Speaking of the devil¡­'' The sounds of pping hands for garnering attention rang in the air. "Hello, I am Han Jihan, you can call me just Jihan, your guide for this expedition!" Standing in front of the group was a girl with long straight blond hair with curfew bangs, leaving her delicate head and face framed by the hair. Her pale and tender finger was fixing the strand of her hair. "We will be exploring the ancient ruin known as ''D-Point'', because it appeared near point D of this area." Jihan, the senior student who appeared a few times in the story, especially in every chapter all about the Explorer Club. She had a skill that allowed her to control the weather around her for ten minutes. Though it sounded useless, her skill has the potential to evolve into one of the overpowered skills in the story. Sadly, I''d never written it. "There might be monsters and other obstacles on our way to the ancient ruin, but don''t worry, we have strong A-rank and B-rank heroes who will apany us today." Standing behind her were four adults, nodding. ording to my irvoyance, one of them was an A-rank, while the other three were a B-rank. After the briefing, we gathered our equipment and began the journey to the ancient ruin. There were around 80 students and 4 heroes in the group. With that many members, what could go wrong in today''s expedition? I''m not jinxing it, it''s the truth that¡­ ''Of course! There will be many things that will go south today!'' ¡­ "It''s so cold¡­" Lumi was shivering under her warm clothes, thicker than mine. "Need a hug?" As I said that, she gave me cynical eyes and a disgusted face. "I''m just joking, don''t look at me like that, please." Well, at least I now know that having just a handsome face won''t be able to sway her. Talent, what she was looking for was someone with great talent and potential to be a high-ranking hero. I circted my mana and channeled it to my palm. When I felt the mana had gathered in my palm, I patted Lumi''s shoulder, covering her body with my mana. "Is it warm now?" She looked at me with wary eyes. "You know how to use mana-coating?" she said, examining the mana around her. "And it seems like you already have a high level of mastery too." "Thanks to my cousin. She''s the best yet not the best teacher." Lumi raised her eyebrows, her face looked confused. "What is that supposed to mean?" I shrugged. Then, someone approached us from behind, it was Lux. "Zio, Lumi," he began. "Looks like we''ve arrived, look!" Far from us, there was a big cave under the snow and ice mountain terrain. The cave''s entrance was blocked by a huge metallic door. "Wow. I think this is the biggest ruin I''ve ever visited," said Lumi. I could feel an ominous feelinging from the ruin''s direction, then as I narrowed my eyes and used my irvoyance, window panels were appearing in my vision. It was just as I expected, the trouble that would greet the group as soon as they arrived at the ruin. "Hmm?" "Who are they?" One of the heroes said as they noticed the shadowy figure waiting in front of the gate. "Hey! Who are you guys?! This ce has been reserved by the Octagram Academy, anyone other than Octagram students is not allowed to be here!" The B-rank hero shouted loudly, his voice made the snow rumble. But, there was no responseing from the other group. "Wait here, kid. We will go first and check what''s going on ahead," said the A-rank hero. "Okay¡­" Jihan nodded, she looked nervous. My eyes followed the four heroes who were running effortlessly on the snow toward the group in front of the gate. As they arrived there, the heroes and the unknown group looked like they were discussing something. "What the¨C?!" But then something happened. "Those guys are!" Lux, whose eyes always had a great range of vision, obviously could tell what was happening right there between the heroes and the unknown group. He was shouting frustratedly as he witnessed the scene. As for me, I had irvoyance and Pathfinding. I could see the image of the heroes fighting against the unknown group. At that moment, Lux ran forward, toward Jihan while shouting, "Senior! They are viins!!" Chapter 61 All According To Plan I In the world where ''good'' people exist, there was also bound ''bad'' people. Viin. That word alone embeds the stigma of the individual that bore malicious and evil intentions. The good people, or those referred to as ''Heroes'', embodied courage, nobility, fighting for justice, and upholding the values that define humanity. Viins, on the other hand, were the epitome of malice and malevolence. They were the enemies of society, driven by greed, power, and revenge, and will at nothing to achieve their goals. Though, that was not always the case. Even among the heroes, there were tends bad people disguising themselves as a person of justice and virtue. And among the viins, there were still good people and intentions left behind them. For example, corrupt heroes were still roaming around society, hiding behind their ''Hero'' title to do inappropriate acts, saying that it was for the good sake, which was not true. Contrary to the corrupt heroes, there existed the good viin. Their heart was in the right ce but not their mind and body. This might break the system and concept of good and evil, but these things existed. In the case of the unknown group in front of the D-Point ruin''s gate. They were the real viins, they brought evil intentions with them as they waited for the group of students to approach the ruin. They did not expect that the group would have high-ranking heroes guarding them, which lead them to a conflict. "Hey! State yourself! This area is restricted to other visitors than the Octagram students!" The unknown group whispered among themselves while the heroes were approaching them. "What the¡ª they have an A-rank hero among them?" "You said this will be an easy task." "Shut up! I''m just bad at math!" Crunch¨C! As they were bickering, the heroes finally arrived in front of their group. Leading them was the A-rank hero, a man with stretched scar started from his eyebrow to his mouth. "Identify yourself, what are you doing here? This area is restricted to visitors for today." Someone from the unknown group stepped forward as they pulled out the ck hood covering their face. "Sorry, sir. We don''t know about that. Can you inform us why is it restricted?" "Pretty¡­" The hero was dumbfounded the moment he saw the person''s face. She was a woman, with a stunning appearance often referred to as a hot girl. Her long, silky ck hair cascaded down her back, framing her exquisite features perfectly. Her almond-shaped eyes were a deep shade of brown, and her full lips were painted with a bright red lipstick that contrasted sharply with her wless, porcin skin. The way she carried herself with confidence and poise only added to her already captivating presence. The hero couldn''t help but stare at her,pletely mesmerized by her beauty. It took him a few moments topose himself before he finally spoke. "Um, excuse me¡­ miss. We are conducting a special asion, a ruin exploration activity exclusively for Octagram students, which means that this area is not essible to visitors today. I''m afraid you''ll have to leave." Upon hearing this, the woman responded with a charming smile and said. "Oh, I wasn''t aware that a ruin could be reserved. That''s quite interesting." Her smile caused the hero''s heart to skip a beat. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and tried to focus on the task at hand, but it was difficult with such distraction in front of him. "Oy!" His B-rank heropanion patted his shoulder and whispered. "Can''t you act a bit more professional here? You''re A-rank, dude." "I can''t help it. She''s too hot¡­" "Well, you''re right¡­" Hispanion gulped and nodded. The A-rank hero cleared his throat. "Typically, ruins cannot be reserved. However, since Octagram is involved, special arrangements were made." "I see. So even a public and non-owner area like this ruin can be a private space when Octagram is involved." The heroes frowned. "Miss, with much¨C" "Do you realize that ruins are perfect locations for attacking and pointing swords at each other''s throats? People, regardless of whether they are on the same side or not, be ovee by greed and even betray theirpanions." "Sorry?" "The ruin is awless zone that belongs to no one. It''s stated in the agreement pact that neither your association, Omega nor my organization, Dystopia, has a right to im the ruins and thend around them." As they heard the woman mention ''Dystopia'', the four heroes suddenly tensed up. Their eyes slightly widened as they raised their guard, preparing a fighting stance. "Dystopia?! Then¡ª" "You guessed it right. We are what you ''heroes'' called the ''viins'', we are the bad guys from the evil organization, Dystopia." The heroes were now on full alert, ready to fight against any potential threat. The woman didn''t seem to be intimidated by their reaction, though. Instead, she continued to speak with a sly smile on her face. "Don''t worry, we''re not here to cause trouble. I''m just passing through." "Passing through? In a ce like this?" One of the heroes questioned, clearly skeptical of her intentions. "Yes. You see, we are also interested in the ruins, specifically this one. Though, we only have an interest in research instead of an exploration of this already empty ruin." The heroes exchanged a look of disbelief as they whispered among their group. "Don''t let them fool you, viins are all like that," said the B-rank hero. "I know but, they look harmless, especially that woman," the A-rank hero replied, his eyes exploring the woman from the top to the bottom. Hispanion put a hand on her face, clearly lost in words by herpanion''s behavior. ''Howe is he an A-rank with this kind of attitude.'' Those were what the three B-rank heroes thought about their one and only A-rank hero in the group. "But,petition is good, isn''t it?" the woman continued, still smiling. "It keeps things interesting." Then her eyes briefly shifted toward the group of students a few hundred meters away from her. No one noticed her gaze on the students. "..." At the same time, the heroes didn''t respond, they were still wary of her and her group''s motives in this ce. However, the woman simply shrugged and began to walk away, regrouping with the rest of her group. "Well, it was nice meeting you all. Good luck with your exploration with those kids." As she left, the heroes watched her talk to her group, still unsure of what to make of the situation. They didn''t put their guard down yet until they were sure the viins won''t bite them as soon as they put their guard down. "What are we going to do? It''s risky to leave them be. I think it''s better to capture them once and for all." The A-rank hero never took his eyes off the woman, either he waspletely captivated by her beauty or he was thinking about what to do to her and her group. "Capture¡­ Yes. that''s it. Capture! We shall capture them here so they won''t make any trouble in the future, especially the woman, I have a bad feeling that she will create a lot of problems if we let her go," said the A-rank hero while his tongue licking his own lips. "Though I know what your real intentions are but, whatever. Let''s capture them." "I''m speechless," said the female hero as she massaged her temple. As the A-rank hero was done with his fantasy, he smirked. "Hey¨C" When he was about to shout, he felt a chill run down his spine. Then, in a split second, two people in ck robes suddenly appeared in front of him each with swords pointed at him. Luckily, he was able to block them in time. "What the fvck?!" The two people didn''t stop just there, they kept pressing the attack with perfectbination. The three other heroes looked confused at first but then regained their senses as killing intents were directed at them. Another six robed men dashed, they were all the eight people from the woman''s group. As for the woman herself, she was smiling from afar and disappeared like snow being blown by the wind. "Happy hunting, boys!" That was thest word she spoke before disappeared from the scene. ¡­ "Senior! They are viins!!" Lux shouted as he ran toward Jihan. "Junior? What do you mean?" As Lux was about to speak, the 80 students had already witnessed the turmoil of the distant snowfield. The cacophony of shing metal, shouts, and intermittent explosions blended together into a horrific symphony that surpassed even the most dreadfulpositions. "Oh, darn,'' Jihan cursed, not knowing what to do with the situation. "We don''t know if there will be more of them, I''m afraid that if we return to the base camp, the viins might have intercepted our way back. I think it''d be best if we help the heroes fight those eight viins," said Lux, his eyes determined. Chapter 62 All According To Plan II "Filthy viin! Haaaa¡­!" The A-rank hero shouted as he fought back the two viins who relentlessly attacking since earlier. "Grahh!!" Blocking the iing attacks from the viins, he quickly pushed his advantage. While the viin was staggering and in an unbnced position, the hero shed him in the stomach. One fall. The other one disappeared as soon as his friend died and appeared again behind the A-rank hero, his sword at ready to pierce the hero. ng¨C! "What?" But, someone had parried the attack and disarmed him. "Kid, what are you doing here? It''s dangerous!" It was the snow-colored hair boy with golden eyes, Lux. He ignored the hero as his attention was fully focused on the unarmed viin, and though his face was hidden behind the robe, the way he gritted his teeth was evidence of his frustration. In a blink of an eye, Lux swung his sword and did not hesitate to kill his opponent. Blood spurted. His sword was bathed in blood, and fresh blood stained his clothes. Only when Lux was done with his ''business'' that he spoke back to the A-rank hero, though his focus was still on his sword. "We havee to help." On the other side, students sprung together, pinching the six viins remaining. The viins stopped moving. They grouped together, getting surrounded by the students. "Viins! Surrender yourself!!" Then, a voice that carried authority and dominance echoed in the air. It wasing from a girl with dark violet hair, her emerald eyes held a sharp gaze toward the viin''s group. "Tsk!" One of the viins clicked their tongue frustratedly. "That''s her¡­" Another one spoke in a whisper. "Our target?" "Yes, Lumi Alicia Nova. The eldest daughter of Andi Nova, the Nova Corps owner, and guildmaster." "We must press on the n." They nodded at each other and then in an instant, dispersed and disappeared. "Lumi! Watch out!!" Lux shouted frantically. "Huh?!" The next second after Lux''s warning, the six viins appeared around Lumi at the same time. "Catch her!" The viin shouted. Meanwhile, the student closest to her, Jihan, who was not much of a fighter braved herself to reach Lumi but she was intercepted by one viin. "Lumi!" Lumi wasn''t expecting the quick ambush at all so she was defenseless at the moment. She couldn''t put up a guard in time, there was basically nothing she could do at that point except for epting her fate. Though already knowing that, she didn''t give up and put up quite a resistance. As her wrist was grabbed, his other hand manifested the mana de and swung it toward the grabber. "Don''t touch me!" But, she was soon overwhelmed by the assants and her resistance couldn''t buy enough time for Lux to reach her ce. "Not so fast, third-rates. Thisdy is mine." Suddenly, an unknown man in an all-ck suit styled in Victorian fashion showed up, saving Lumi from the four viins. "?!!" The students, viins, heroes, Lux, and Lumi¨Cliterally everyone was shocked by the unknown man who moved like lightning toward the gate and entered the ruin. "Stop him!" Three of the viins dashed, trying to catch the unknown who stole their target. But, the heroes intercepted them. "You must pay if you want to enter the ruin! Guys, attack them!" Another fight urred between the four heroes against the three viins. On the other side were the students against two viins, the other one was already dead, killed by Lux. "Senior, I will catch up to whoever kidnaps Lumi." Jihan nodded. "Alright, be careful¡­ uhh, Lux¡­?" Lux smiled before turning around. "That''s my name." Then he rushed to the gate, slipping around the chaotic fight between the heroes and viins. ¡­ "Release me!" Inside the ruin, loud and high-pitched screams echoed. "Who are you?!" Lumi struggled to release herself from the unknown man but it was but a futile attempt. "Stay still." The man''s voice was cold and calm despite the constant loud voice prating his ears. "No¨C" As Lumi tried to wriggle again, the sweet smell like cotton candy hit gently entered her nostrils. "This¡­!" She couldn''t finish her words as the smell clouded her mind. It was the smelling from a powder, a sleeping powder to be more precise. Not long after that, Lumi fell into a deep sleep on the man''s shoulder. The man shook his head. "Why does she so aggressive today?" He kept running around the ruin, exploring it as if he already knew the entireyout of the ce. "Though I must say I''m d that she is like that. She can''t think rationally when she is stressed, she doesn''t even think to attack me with her mana de¡­" As he arrived at a small corner, the deepest part of the ruin, he carefullyy Lumi on the ground so as not to wake her up. "Now, where is that ce¡­" he said while closing his eyes. For other people, he might be just closing his eyes to rx. In reality, he was using his skill to search for the ce he was referring to. "Hmm¡­" After a while, he opened his eyes again. But, his eyebrows were knitted. Looked like he didn''t find what he was searching for¡­ "It should be around here¡­" ¡­or perhaps he did? He looked around before walking toward the broken pir on his left, near the ruin boulder where Lumiy. ording to him, there should be a mechanical switch around the broken pir. Carefully examining and scanning the pir and the small area around it, he finally found the switch. "There it is!" He eximed as he turned the switch. The sounds of gears turning and stones shifting could be hearding from behind the pir. Suddenly, the ground started shaking and ruins around them began to crumble. That sleeping powder had a very strong effect. With all the sounds and rumbling of the ruins covering the surrounding area, it didn''t disturb Lumi''s sound sleep in the slightest. "That duck really lives up to his name as the future Utopia''s vice-leader," the man mumbled. The man quickly lifted the girl up and started running towards the opening revealed by the shifting stones. As he ran toward the opening on the floor, he saw a narrow staircase leading downwards. With Lumi in his arms, the man began descending the seemingly endless staircases. Finally, they reached the bottom of the stairs. They were in arge chamber filled with gold and artifacts. "This is what I call hitting two birds with one stone." Soon after, he shook his head slightly and started moving again. He seemed to be searching for something specific among the treasures, but it wasn''t them that he was looking for. "Found it!" he eximed, pressing the small stone button buried under the mountain of gold. Another sound of stone shifting could be hearding from behind him. A hidden door was revealed beside the staircase, it didn''t lead anywhere and only contained a small, narrow room. He put down Lumi there carefully. "Sorry for doing this. I hope you could bear the fear of being trapped here," the man spoke and walked away, pressing the stone button, then the hidden room was closed again. His blue eyes shone briefly before the stone wall door fully closed. "Then, it''s time to go back to the surface¡­" Though he said that confidently, his face said otherwise. He looked hesitant to leave this ce but there was not much he could do. "Fuuu¡­ I should have brought two storage cube rings¡­ But even with the money I have, I can''t even buy the smallest size." Shaking his head, he went back to the surface, climbing the endless stairs once again. ¡­ "Odyssey! Can you locate where they have been gone?!" Ding¨C! [Sorry, you don''t have any attempts left to ask for my help!] A monotonous, robot-sounding voice responded to Lux. That voice, only Lux could hear that. "Damn it!" Despite his frustration, he kept running around the massive D-Point ruin, searching for his kidnapped friend. After a long search and couldn''t find a single clue of his friend''s whereabouts, he rested for a moment, leaning toward the grand pir. "You know what, you''re actually useless in urgent situations such as this, Odyssey." There was no one around him yet he spoke loudly. If someone was to hear that, they might assume that the boy was crazy. [...] "I shouldn''t have epted you back then." Lux sighed. Taking out a bottle of water, he drank it in a gulp. Crackle¨C! The sound of someone making noises on the ruin carcasses was heard from the distance. Startled, Lux quickly got up and pointed his sword toward the direction of the sounding. "Who''s there?!" Slowly, the shadowy figure from the distance revealed themselves. Because of their appearance of jet-ck hair, ck eyes, and a ck thick jacket with ck fur that seemed to blend with the dark background, it needed him to walk a little more closer for Lux to finally recognized their familiar face. "Zio?" Chapter 63 All According To Plan III "[Bind]" A blue ring made of mana materialized in the air. The ring then enclosed around the three remaining viins, trapping them in a powerful magical hold. "Good job! As expected of Octagram students, you guys are a bunch of amazing people! Haha!" The A-rank heroughed loudly. So loud that even the snow made a rumbling sound. After hearing that, he shut his mouth immediately. That was a good choice, because who wants an avnche after the viin''s surprise appearance? "It''s¡­ nothing. Anyway, sir, can you help us? Our friend was¡­" "Ah, that girl, she''s the daughter of Andi Nova, right?" Jihan nodded. As he heard that, he fell deep in thought¨Ca creepy thought. ''Hoho, the heir of Nova guild¡­ If I can have her¡­ then¡­ hehe¡­'' Hispanion realized what he was thinking about judging from his face, so she stepped on his feet. "Ouch! What?!" he shouted. The female B-rank hero looked at him in disgust. "You are such a creepy guy¡­" "Huh? Why do you suddenly saying that?" She rolled her eyes, really hating on this so-called A-rank. "Disgusting¡­" The hero frowned and turned around, looking back at Jihan. "First. Who is that guy before, that took your friend away? He doesn''t seem to belong in the same group as these guys." Jihan looked behind, toward the bunch of students. They were all shaking their heads. "I don''t know." Stroking his chin, the hero then pulled his big sword buried in the snow. "Well, whoever that guy is. He will pay for his doing just as these three weaklings." ¡­ Inside the ruins, two students faced each other, with their strikingly different hair colors serving as contrasting features. One had white hair resembling snow, while the other had ck hair resembling the night. ck and white, they were like a yin and yang. "Zio?" the white-haired boy, Lux, spoke first. He was surprised to find his friend, Zio, in this ce. As far as he noticed, there shouldn''t be anyone than him who entered the ruin while the situation outside was in chaos. ''I didn''t sense his mana at all¡­'' Lux said inwardly. Not only that, he was certain that no one could match his speed among his peers. So, Zio being here meant that he could catch up with his speed, but he still didn''t believe it. ''But¡­ There are fresh traces of mana around here, he might be using mana-coating to speed him up." That''s it. The trace of mana, it was filling the whole area but it lead nowhere. Just a random trace that was used to distract a tracking ability. "Lux¡­finally¡­ I can¡­catch up to you¡­" said Zio as he gasped for air. Lux noticed that Zio was panting heavily and was walking rather sluggishly. "How did you know where I am?" Zio stopped, bringing his body down, and sit on the floor. "Right. I''ve never told you about my skill, it''s¨C" "It''s alright. You don''t need to tell me." Zio smiled as Lux said that. Letting out a long breath, he stretched his legs. "Thank you for your consideration." "Don''t mention it. Huu¡­" Lux who had been on guard since Zio''s sudden appearance, finally could take a breath and sat down again. The ruin went sleeping, no sounds and strange things happened as the two students happily took their rest time. As the silence stretched for quite long enough, one of them began to speak, bringing a new day to the sleeping ruin. "So, have you found out where did they go?" Zio asked. Lux shook his head first, then slowly got up from his short yet fulfilling resting time. "Not yet. This guy is quite skilled at faking traces and patterns to make sure no one could follow him. The paths are random, they are leading to nowhere." "I see¡­" Standing up, Zio patted the dust from his clothes. As he was done, he briefly scanned the area. "Then, just leave the rest to me." Lux raised his eyebrows. As he was about to ask Zio about the meaning of his words, Lux was interrupted by a small shocking from Zio who was now closing his eyes. ''A tracking skill? No. This feels like¡­ a sight-rted skill. He''s got a rare skill¡­'' Lux thought, trying to guess the skill type that Zio had just used. A few momentster, Zio opened his eyes. Once his eyes were fully opened, he looked around while mumbling, "Broken pir¡­ ruin debris¡­ and a monument?" "Are you describing a ce?" Zio turned to Lux and nodded. "Yes. Do you happen to know where that ce is? One with broken pir and monument close to each other." Putting his hand under his chin, Lux fell deep in thought. He tried to recall every detail of the ce in the ruin he had passed by. As his face frowned, the answer was revealed by itself. He didn''t know it either. "Looking at your expression, seems like you don''t know about it too." "Sorry." "Well. We''d better move around." Lux nodded in agreement, and the two of them set off to explore the ruin once again, hoping to stumble upon the particr ce Zio had sensed. They carefully treated through the ruins, scanning their surroundings for any sign of the broken pir and monument. Zio, who led the party of two actually already knew the ce that he referred to. But for some personal reasons, he had to act as if he didn''t know about it so they just walked around for at least twenty minutes before eventually arriving at the designated ce. "There! A monument and broken pir!" Lux eximed as he pointed toward them. Zio simply nodded as he approached the monument, inspecting it carefully with his hand. Lux stood beside him, watching him with curiosity. "This is it," Zio said as he traced his fingers along the engraved words on the monument. "What is it?" Lux asked. Zio turned to him, his expression serious. "The monument." "I can see that¡­ Is there anything special about it?" "Yes. Don''t you think it''s strange that a monument like this is here?" After hearing that, Lux then realized what Zio meant. He stroked his chin while saying, "You''re right. It''s indeed strange¡­" Zio nodded. "Right. It''s even more strange that you even believe what I just said." "Yes¡­ Wait, what?" Chapter 64 All According To Plan IV "Right. It''s even more strange that you even believe what I just said." "Yes¡­ Wait, what?" Zio chuckled. "I''m just kidding. But seriously, this monument is not just a random architecture in the ruins. It holds important information." "Information about what?" "About the ruin. The origin of this ce, which civilization that built it, and about what lies within." Lux furrowed his eyebrows. "I thought that the ruins are just a ce containing treasures¡­ something like dungeons." Zio shrugged. "That''s what people said. They''re too greedy to care about something like this." He walked away from the monument. "Anyway, we''re not here to talk about that. Let''s hurry and find Lumi," said Zio as he looked around. "There should be something around here. Lux, let''s search the area." As they rummaged around the ce, searching for anything that would lead or give them clues about Lumi''s whereabouts, the silence and humidity began to shroud them. Luckily, they wore warm and thick clothes so this much cold was nothing from the one on the outside. Eventually, after some searching, one of them, Zio found a mechanical switch on the broken pir. He already knew about the small and camouging switch, but just as earlier with the direction, he pretended not to know about it. As he turned the switch, the ruin began to rumble and floors shifted on the ground, revealing the narrow staircases leading downward. "What''s going on?!" Lux who was startled by the crumbling sound, ran toward Zio who was standing in front of the hidden path. "I sense a trace of mana down there¡­" Lux said as soon as he examined the staircases. "Really?" "Yes. I think this is the ce where the mysterious man who took Lumi might have gone." Nodding at each other, they began to descend the stairs. ¡­ The room was so small that the girl couldn''t even stretch her arms out without hitting the walls. It was so narrow that she couldn''t take more than a couple of steps in any direction. And it was so dark that she couldn''t see anything beyond the outline of her own body. Lumi was trapped, and the walls were closing in on her. ''Why did this have to happen to me? Why did I have to be trapped in here? How long was it since I was trapped here? I can''t breathe. I can''t see anything. I''m so scared.'' She tried to take deep breaths to calm herself down, but it only made her feel more panicked. She began to imagine all sorts of terrible things that could happen to her in this room. She tried to feel her way around the room, but her fingers found only smooth, unyielding walls. ''What if the walls keep closing in until there''s no space left? What if the air runs out and I can''t breathe anymore? What if I''m stuck here forever?'' The more she thought about it, the more her fear grew. She felt trapped and alone, with no hope of escape. ''I can''t do this. I need to get out of here. Someone has to hear me. Why isn''t anyoneing to help?'' "Zio?! Lux?! Anyone?! Help me, I''m here!!" She called out for help, but her voice echoed back at her mockingly. She tried to calm herself down, but the fear was too great. Crying and screaming, hoping that someone, anyone, would hear her ande to her rescue. "Please, someone, help me." Tears streamed down her face as she realized that she might be trapped in this room forever. "I don''t want to be in here anymore! I don''t want to be alone again!" She pounded her fists against the walls, screaming until her throat was raw, but no one came to save her. "Please, please, please." She was alone in the darkness, with nothing but fear forpany. No one answered her pleas, only the sound of her own cries echoing back at her. Hopeless and helpless, that was what she felt. No way out of her situation, that was what she thought. "Anyone¡­ please¡­ hic¡­" As her consciousness was about to leave her body, she felt the floors and walls shaking. Then, voices started to fill her head. She was holding to those voices in her head, the only hope she had to maintain her consciousness. She wanted to know her fate, she wanted to know what and whose voices were those. If they were only hallucinations, then so be it. But if they were the voices of her savior, she wanted to know who were they. She wanted to make sure that if she survived she could pay back her debts to her savior, her hero. "...i!" ",,,mi!" "...umi!!" "Lumi!!!" As the blur voices started to be clearer, Lumi felt relieved. She recognized those voices, and they were real. She knew that she wasn''t alone anymore, that someone was finally there to save her. The voices were calling her name, and she could hear footsteps approaching. But, she was too tired to mutter any strength to call them. She could only hope that they could be faster to save her. The shaking of the floor and walls grew stronger, and suddenly, a small opening appeared in the wall in front of her. A hand reached in and grabbed her, pulling her out of the room. "Lumi! Are you okay?" It was Zio''s voice, so calm and reassuring. She tried to open her eyes, but everything was still blurry. She felt someone''s hands on her shoulders. "Zio¡­?" "Yes. It''s me. d you''re safe¡­" said Zio, his expression somewhat looked guilty, but no one noticed it. Lumi lifted her face, she wanted to see her savior''s face, Zio''s face. Though blurry, she caught a glimpse of Zio''s face, but it wasn''t the face that she felt familiar with. But rather a face that would give her a nightmare. For a moment, the image of Zio''s face was distorted, changing to that of her abductor''s face. Jet-ck hair and blue eyes, wearing old-fashion clothes and a monocle. Because she was too tired at that time, she couldn''t get more surprised as she saw that. Before she lost consciousness, she said. "Why¡­did you trap me¡­there?" With that words being spoken, she fell into a deep slumber. "Huh?" Zio and Lux, were both of them surprised at Lumi''s words. Of course, the reasons they were surprised were different from each other. Chapter 65 The Ruins Origin I "She must be just too tired that she mistook you as that guy." Lux, who heard the words spoken by Lumi assured Zio. There was no way he could use Zio as the kidnapper when in the first ce they were so different. The man was an adult, tall, and even though they had the same jet-ck hair, his eyes were blue. Contrary, Zio was a teenager, of average height, and had a pair of ck eyes. "Yeah¡­" Zio released a relieved sigh silently, not wanting to alert anyone, especially Lux who was there. "Anyway, this ce is¡­" Lux interrupted Zio''s words as he looked around therge chamber filled with gold and artifacts, low-ranked ones. "Amazing¡­ So there are still treasures left in this ruin? I thought it was empty, that''s what everyone said too." Lux''s eyes widened as he marveled at the sight before him. The gold stacked high, forming mountains of glimmering wealth that seemed to stretch out endlessly in the chamber. The artifacts, though not as valuable as the gold, were still impressive. One could sell them for money too as they were all trash, at least that would get them some pocket money. "Haa, but unless the gold, everything here seems useless." Zio, on the other hand, looked relieved and d as he noticed Lux''s disappointment because he couldn''t find a good artifact among them. Because, in fact, he already hoarded the good artifacts from this chamber. There were only three of at least rank artifacts, enough for him to store them in his storage cube. "You could always sell them for some small money," he said. Lux nodded somewhat grimly. As he approached the narrow staircase leading to the surface, Lux spoke curiously. "Who is that man, anyway? He took Lumi here and then what? Just to trap her in that small room in this hidden chamber with treasures? I don''t understand his intention at all," he said, frowning. Lux did not know. He did not know about Lumi''s fear. No matter how much he thought, he couldn''t find the answer to his questions. He could only assume, though it was all illogical thinking. Zio, though, who was always been the culprit behind all of this, could only smile nervously. ''He doesn''t know that Lumi has ustrophobia. I kind of feel bad now, both for him and Lumi¡­ She must be very scared. Just look at her tears,'' Zio said inwardly as he swept the tears streaming down from Lumi''s eyes with his ck gloves. He sighed. ''No matter how many times I sweep it away, the tears alwayses back.'' Lux, unaware of Zio''s inner thoughts, continued his inquiry. "Do you think we should find where that man has gone? Demand answers from him for the whole situation?" he asked, his tone serious. Zio shook his head, still holding Lumi. "No, we will just be wasting our time if we do that. We''ve already aplished what we came here for, rescuing Lumi." Lux turned back, staring at Lumi who fell asleep in Zio''s arms. "You''re alright," he scratched his head. "Then¨C" He paused suddenly and froze in ce. Zio looked at him quizzically, "Lux?" Lux felt a shock run down the back of his neck, just like a spider sense, he could also detect and sense when danger was about to befall him thanks to his skill. He stepped away from the staircase and stood beside Zio and Lumi. "Careful! I sensed someone¨Cno, a group. They areing from up there¡­" Zio closed his eyes upon hearing that and opened them again after a passing momentter. He frowned, biting his lips. "The viins¡­" Sure enough, the sound of footsteps descending the stairs could be heard. Whoever they were, they were making sure that their footsteps which resembled the horse''s gallops could be heard, bringing an intimidating feeling. Then, a group of five emerged from the staircases, blocking Lux''s and Zio''s only way out. The air around them grew tense as the strangers drew closer, their faces hidden behind the folds of their ck, ragged hoods. Zio tightened his grip on Lumi while Lux stepped forward with a sword in his hand. He had a bad feeling about this, and he wasn''t going to let anything happen to his friends. "Zio, prepare to run to the exit after my signal," Lux said in a low voice that could be heard by Zio. Zio gave him an acknowledgment nod. Looking back at the strangers, Lux warned them. "Take another step and you''re dead." The strangers remained silent and ignored his warning, their attention fixed on the trio as they closed in on them. "A deaf one, huh?" Then, without warning, Lux lunged forward, targeting the one in the middle of the formation. In this dimly light ce, his sword shone bright and beautiful. As he swung it, the trace of the sword was clearly visible, most of them making the shape of a crescent moon. That many swings in a split second, but only one of them was real, and it perfectly hit the robed man in the middle of the formation, leaving him only with his body attached as his head flew in the air. "NOW!" Lux shouted, and Zio, holding Lumi, dashed toward the exit as fast as he could through the opening Lux created. "Ten minutes! You have ten minutes to leave this ruin!" Zio shouted as he ran up the stairs. Though Lux was not sure what Zio meant by that, he made a mental note of it. Ten minutes, that was the time he had to fight off this group and leave the ruin immediately. p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® The remaining four were caught off guard for a moment, giving Lux an opportunity to strike. He twirled his sword, and it glowed with a bright blueish light, illuminating the dark ce. With lightning-fast movements, he managed to disarm two of the robed man quickly, sending hands and weapons flying. "Uagh!" They screamed. While their mouth was opened, Lux stabbed them one by one quickly, not wanting to give the other two the chance to ambush him. Two dead. The other twounched their attacks, but Lux was quick to dodge them. He spun around, his sword making a trail of light behind him, and Lux managed to slice through the robed man''s chest, leaving a deep gash. "Kugk!" The remaining robed man stood frozen after witnessing his friends being killed by a brat that had not even reached the legal age for marriage yet. "What the fvck is this kid¡­! Monster¡­! Y,you are a monster¡­!" Ignoring the man''s babbles, Lux swiftly cut the man''s legs¨Cknees, causing him to fall to the ground. He pointed his sword at the man''s throat, and the man looked up at Lux with fear in his eyes. With cold stares, Lux asked. "Are you the mysterious man''s aplices or are you with the viins?" Chapter 66 The Ruins Origin II The staircases felt endless. At this rate, I would be left with no stamina when I reached the surface. ''I don''t want that.'' I did not want to feel helpless once I arrived back at the ruin''s surface. There would be a lot of viins waiting for me up there. Knowing that fact because of my Pathfinding skill, I slowed my pace, which almost looked like a leisurely walk. Taking deep breaths, I tried to regte my breathing and conserve my energy as much as possible, this also considering that I was holding Lumi like a princess. "She''s so heavy!" I was d she fell asleep and was unconscious right now so she couldn''t hear what I just said about her being heavy. If she was to hear it, I did not want to imagine what would happen to me. Humming while climbing the stairs, I took my time to reach the surface. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I reached the top of the staircase. I was back in the area with a broken pir and a monument. And to my surprise, I didn''t find any viins up there. Even after scanning the area, I found no signs of life around. "Where are they?" Though I was d there were not here, I still felt uncertain about this. At that moment, I had realized how dependent I was on my irvoyance. I felt like if I didn''t check my surroundings with the irvoyance skill, something undetected by a normal vision that lurked in the area would jump at me. I closed my eyes for a moment just to make sure. Using my irvoyance to scan for anything undetected by normal vision, shing images projected in my mind. The reason why there weren''t any viins around here was that they were busy fighting the Octagram students and the four heroes. ''Looks like it''s only those five who managed to slip away from the fight.'' Feeling relieved, I approached the monument. Carefully examined the engraved words on its hard and cold surface. I couldn''t read those unknown alphabets, but I didn''t need to know how to read them as I already knew what did the engraved words meaning. Narrowing my eyes, I began to read it out loud. "Behold!" I began, already feeling cringe. "The Frostheart, a monument to the great civilization that once flourished in our world of eternal snow¡­" The first paragraph basically told about how the people of that world were hardy and resilient. They adapted to the harsh and unyielding environment that surrounded them. And despite the challenges they faced, they built a magnificent civilization, with cities of ice and crystal that shimmered in the pale light of their world. "Yet, we knew that our world was not meant to endure forever. Our seers and sages had long foretold of a great cataclysm that would bring about the end of all things. And so, we built the Frostheart, a sacred ce of remembrance and warning to all who mighte after us." I frowned upon reciting the second paragraph from my memory, especially when it mentioned the great cataclysm that would bring the world to its end. That somehow does ring a bell. A familiar, the same meaning as the third catastrophe of this world. ''Let''s finish it first¡­'' Chapter 67 Being Cocky Costs Me ? Just as when you started the engine of your vehicle before taking off, I too started my ''engine''. It was not the same engine as the vehicle, but a magic technique called ''mana coating''. Covering my legs¨Cfrom feet up to knees¨Cwith mana, I took the first step. And another step as I did the first one. It was a motion of a human walking at first. Then after a few dozen steps, it turned into a running motion. ''This is it!'' As the ground beneath my feet began to shake violently, I felt a surge of thrill go up my head. Yes, it was a thrilling feeling that I had felt, not fear nor nervousness, and only God knows why that was happening to me. Maybe I was going crazy? I ran like a madman on the shaking ground, dodging the falling rock and ice block that crumbled from the cave''s ceiling. Thanks to the mana coating my legs, I could run in bnce and faster than my original speed at that. If you had read or watched the show with the protagonist who had a nine-tail monster inside him, then you might know that this legs mana coating worked like a chakra. It could bnce you on any surface such as a vertical cliff, the water''s surface, etc. Of course, it was not easy to do that. If it was easy, everyone would have been called a Spiderman or a ninja. The difference though, mana coating would also give me an enhancing effect. Depending on what part I coated my mana, they would be enhanced by the mana. Extra speed''s movement for the legs coating, extra power for the hands coating, and extra anything for any body parts avable. But one thing for sure was that the parts which were coated would be no doubt hardened, like steel. The cave, the D-Point Ruin, the Frostheard Sanctuary, or whatever you called this ce was crumbling. While this ce was in that situation, dozens¨Calmost hundred of people were inside. The students, the heroes, and the viins were all inside this ruin. As I made a halfway through the exit gate, someone''s high, hoarse voice echoed in the air. "That''s her! That''s our target!!" Group of people¨CViins showed up from the gate''s direction. Three. Four. Five¡­ I stopped my track as my eyes traced, following the robed figures that appeared like a ck wave. Eight in total, standing a few meters away in front of me. Curious to as how they could manage to reach this ce despite being blocked off by the heroes and students, I closed my eyes and used my skill. Once again, and obviously would not be thest one I used this skill. Mental images projected in my head, showing the students and heroes fighting against a massive number of robed men, the viins. They were equal in numbers, but that was the present case. There were a dozen of the viins'' bodies scattered on the ground, not dead yet as I didn''t see blooding out from their bodies. "Yo, brat! Why are you closing your eyes? Are you afraid? Did you pee yourself off? HAHAHA!!" My eyebrows twitched as I heard the insult. Opening my eyes, I red sharply at them. "Ooh~ Look, he''s ring at us. How scary! HAHAHA!" I pulled off the mana on my legs, not wanting to waste them when all I did was stand still instead of running. "Hey, dude, that kid¡­" one of them approached theughing viin. I could hear his voice because I didn''t know, it was probably his intention. But, as he arrived in front of theughing viin, he suddenly went with a whisper instead. asionally, theughing viin''s expression changed from shocked to confused. When they were done with their small, private talk, theughing viin looked at me as if he wanted to bore a hole within me with those bulging eyes of his. He stroked his chin and said. "You''re right. That boy does seem familiar, where have I seen him?" He was thinking, his guard was lowered. The others too, scanned at me and immediately fell deep in thought. If I wanted to make an escape, now was the chance! "Ah! I remember now! That damn witch, she¨C" Unfortunately for him, before he could finish what he was about to say, a knee coated with mana was flying toward his face and left him unconscious. "You''re not suited to be a viin if all you got is only a tongue and a mouth!" I yelled as I dashed, breaking their formation. The others, realizing what just happened in a split second, chased after me. "Chase him!" they shouted. Their chaotic, inharmony footsteps were echoing throughout the crumbling ruin. "Shit! Howe that brat is faster than us?!" "He might have been a magic-potent Enhanced, they were just like those bitchis wizards, good at controlling their mana, fvck!" "I don''t care whatever he is, just kill him and take our target before this fvcking cave copsed!" "Don''t kill him! That damn witch might want him!" Their yells and shouts went unnoticed by me, they were louder than the crumbling sound of this cave after all. I tightened my arms around Lumi again, starting to feel the burden of carrying her around. ''Hell, this girl¡­ I swear!'' The mana asionally wore out every minute and was damn hell annoying when I needed to cast it immediately after that. One minute. That was my limit to maintaining the coating after learning the method of how to use magic or mana efficiently in the Magic Specialization Course. When it wore out, that didn''t mean that I had depleted my mana but, well, you all are smart, it was just like a skill''s effect duration. After casting it two times since the escape, it meant that two minutes had passed of this chasing game. I could see the light, a vertical light from the outside. And near the exit were filled with people, it seemed a war had taken ce there. Surprisingly, I didn''t find dead students among the scattered bodies. ''This is different from the story but¡­'' I couldn''t say I wasn''t relieved when I witnessed that scene. This arc seemed to be altered, but in a good way, and I didn''t mind it. Originally, half of the students and three heroes were dead in this ruin. Lumi injured herself, and Lux went on a rampage, massacring the viins in his sight. I guessed that it must be because I messed it up by taking Lumi myself. In the first ce, this was bound to happen after seeing Lumi act differently from the novel, she was nk and asionally lost focus on this trip so the viins almost caught her back then. The ambush inside the ruin didn''t seem to happen either, that was what made half of the students and three of the heroes died, in this very ce. "Hey, you! Stop him! Stop that brat and take the girl!!" A high-pitched, hoarse voice assaulted my eardrums, bringing me back to reality. The viins behind caught up to me, and some of the viins who were fighting the heroes and students made a shifting focus on me, surrounding me on all sides. I was trapped. They were closing in their distance from all sides. My eyes flickered, trying to find the spot where I could use to break through them. ''There!'' As I found the spot, I renewed the coating on my legs. But, as I did that, I could feel my mana was almost depleted. My breath became ragged. This would be myst chance! ''Sessfully slipping through them and I could leave the rest to Lux and the heroes.'' Gritting my teeth, I took a deep breath and prepared to lunge forward, toward the threeyer viins with daggers and swords. Swoosh¡ª! As they closed in, I moved swiftly, dodging the first wave of a sword sh, then blocking the daggers pincher attack with my mana-coated legs, and kicked thestyer of viin in the face. ''Wow!'' I couldn''t believe it! I couldn''t believe that I was moving like that earlier, it felt surreal! "Hahaha! You can''t stop me!!" My mouth and tongue moved by themselves, speaking the words that I did not¡­ had a little expectation woulde from me. "Because Agility is my middle name, remember that, scum!" I eximed, bursting out from them. Again, it was not my intention to speak and act arrogantly like that but fvck! I couldn''t help it! The excitement and confidence already got me in their grasp. But then, I heard a voice¡­ "Look out!!!" When that voice reached my ears, a sudden st of energy knocked me off my feet, sending me tumbling across the ground and hitting the pir. I identally released Lumi in the process. Now, she was lying a few meters ahead in front of me. Unconscious, defenseless, but her expression was peaceful. I couldn''t move. My body won''t listen to me. My breath was ragged. I felt suffocated as my throat turned dry and the air escaped from my lungs. Mana Depletion. Chapter 68 [Bonus ]Escaping ? ''Not this again.'' I tried to catch the air, the oxygen, but it was useless. Something blocked my throat, I couldn''t properly inhale and exhale. On top of that, my head was throbbing in pain. Slowly, my vision was getting blurry. I wriggled like a worm. And before my consciousness was cut off, I heard a sound inside my head but I couldn''t quite put what it said. *** A few minutes ago¡­ "Are you the mysterious man''s aplices or are you with the viin?" Lux pointed his sword at the man''s throat, his eyes as cold as ice even though his eyes color were gold like a sun. The man looked up at Lux with fear in his eyes, shivering as if he was shrouded by the cold weather. Though, a momentter, his eyes widened as he finally recognized the boy''s face. "Ahaha¡­haha¡­!" Heughed. "So¡­ you''re that Lux Virtus." Lux raised his eyebrows, but his sword now touched the man''s neck. Blood streamed down slowly from there. "Shut up and just answer my question," Lux said coldly. The man''sughter did not stop even when the sword pressed against his skin. His eyes were as round as a ball, his smile like a maniac. He was crazy! "You think I''ll tell you?" he said. "Oh sure you will." Lux tightened his grip on the sword, making the man wince in pain. "I''ll ask again. Are you with the mysterious man or are you with the viins? And why did you want to kidnap Lumi?" Lux asked through gritted teeth. The man closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he spoke again. "Alright, alright, boy. I''ll talk. Just please don''t kill me," he said as his eyes gestured toward the sword pressed against his neck. Lux lowered his sword and stepped back. "Talk then. But make it quick," he said, his voice still cold. The man took another deep breath before he began to speak. "I don''t know who the man you''re talking about is, and I''m not obligated to answer the dead man''s question!" Instead of giving a proper answer, the man surprised Lux with an attack. ''Predictable.'' You could never lower your guard to the viin, even when you saw they were pitiful. The moment you did that, it was you who would be dead in the viin''s hand. Those words were said by Lux''s mentor, Grace Caghan. Lux was always a kind and gentle, naive-looking young man when he was around his friend. That was his facade, that was the role he was ying in the academy, a kind and innocent boy yet strong and sharp enough to not let people make use of him. But, his true personality was theplete opposite of what people called kind and gentle. Cold-blooded. As the man thrust his sword at Lux, he deftly dodged it and stab the man''s neck quickly. Merciless. "Gruak¨C!" He pressed the sword until it prated the man''s neck. Brutal. Blood gushed out violently,ing from the wound and through his mouth. He was suffocated by his own blood. But¡­ Twisting his sword as if the man''s neck was spaghetti and his sword was a fork, Lux then pulled it upward, splitting the man''s face into two. Those true personalities of his were nothing more than a passing twisted personality that asionally ''woke up'' when he was fighting the viins. As the man''s body wobbled, Lux seemed to be in a trance. Then, when the body hit the cold floor with a loud thud, Lux looked as if he was just waking up from sleep. "Huh? What happened?" He looked around and found his sword and clothes were covered in blood. Not only that, his hand and face too. As his eyes found the man''s body, he realized what happened to him. Pressing his head with both hands, Lux tried to calm himself. "I can''t believe I lost control over my mind and let him overtake my body." He sighed. "I need to train my mind again after this¡­" Suddenly, the room shook violently. Lux was confused at first but then he remembered what Zio said. "Is this what he meant when he said I need to get out of this ce in 10 minutes?" Looking around, Lux hesitated. He wanted to take the gold in this chamber, but if he was to do that, he might not have time to safely get out of this ruin. But, if he did not do that, he thought that this exploration might not be fun and just wasting time. He should at least get something for the clubmates, topensate for the gone wrong activity even though he wasn''t a club leader. In the end, he took whatever he could take in 3 minutes and stored them in his magic bag, an inferior storage-type artifact than the storage cube. He spent a minute running from the hidden chamber to the ruin''s surface. As soon as he arrived at the surface, he immediately ran toward the exit by following a smell¨C a trace of mana that intermittently every few hundred meters. He knew the trace was belong to Zio, though he was not sure that the trace would lead him to the exit but at least it would lead him to Zio who was probably already outside, yeah that had the same meaning that it would lead him outside. But, as he reached halfway to the exit, he spotted a group of people. "That¡­" The robed men. Five of them surrounded a boy with jet-ck hair who stood like a motion doll, his eyes were gold in color, and the sword in his hand also glowed the same color as his eyes. Three of the robed men were lying on the ground, and each of them had the same wound. A hole in their heart. As Lux focused his eyes on the boy, he instantly recognized him. "Zio¡­" Not far from him, a girl with dark violet hair was lying on the ground. "Lumi!" As Lux fastened his pace, the battle between Zio against the five men continued. With his sword, Ziounched various forms of attack such as shing, thrusting, and spinning his sword, and every time he did, the air around him would distort. ''What is that swordsmanship?!'' Lux said inwardly as he ran. One of them was chanting a magic spell skill. Lux noticed that and wanted to disrupt the man''s chant, but he was toote. Byte, Zio was already shifting his attack toward the man. He swung his sword but missed his attack. Weirdly, though his attack didn''t hit his target, Zio didn''t try tounch another attack but instead shifted to another target. When Zio stepped away, the man suddenly coughed up blood and found his chest had a hole. When he realized his heart was gone, he fell to the ground, dead. "What?" Lux eximed. Zio''s attack left his enemy and Lux in confusion. They didn''t understand what was happening. The only thing they would know was after Zio''s sword made contact or made a swing, they felt as if something was distorted. The space. The time. Miss attack became a killing attack. shing the right side became the left side. Blocking the sword, but suddenly found themselves dead. As thest one of them fell to the ground, Zio sheathed his sword. Lux carefully approached his friend who had a different aura around him just as the battle ended. He ended up not helping anything. "What just happened? What was that earlier, are you always this strong?" Lux shook his head. "No. Who are you? Are you really Zio?" Zio just nced at him nkly, his golden eyes gradually disappeared and returned to their original ck color. After that, he suddenly fell to the ground. "Zio!" Lux knelt beside Zio and checked his pulse. He did the same to Lumi. They were alive but unconscious. "Thanks, God." As he sighed relievedly, a female voice rang in his ears. "Hey! You! Hurry and leave this ce!" It was the female B-rank hero, she ran toward Lux as she shouted. "Oh my! Are they okay?" When she arrived, she immediately checked the two unconscious students. "They''re okay. Can you help me bring them?" "Of course!" Then, the other heroes appeared. "Yo! What the hell, this is a bloody battlefield." The A-rank hero eximed as he looked around the ce, finding the corpses of the viin. His eyes slightly widened as he saw Lux. "Kid. Are you the one responsible for this?" he said with a smirk. "Uh, n¨C" Before Lux could say anything, another voice cut him off, it wasing from the B-rank hero. "I think so. I heard some shouting voices and they suddenly turned their attention toward this direction." When the A-rank hero was about to say something, the shaking in this cave became more violent that the floor started to break and fall to the depth. "Shit! Let''s talk about thister, we need to get out from this ce first. Hurry!" The A-rank hero ran first, leaving the other who helped the three students. "That guy!" One of the heroes cursed him. Lumi was carried by the female hero and Zio was carried by the reserved-looking hero. Together, they all ran toward the exit gate. Though it was not an easy run. The shaking ground would asionally make them lose their bnce and trip, not to mention the falling floor devoured by the depth of the underground and the falling debris and rock of the cave''s ceiling. "Fvck! Just what is happening?!" "Keep running!" As they burst out of the cave and found themselves alive on the outside, greeted by the cold weather and the sunlight, they breathed long relieved breaths. "What is happening?" "Look, the ruin¡­" The cave waspletely gone. In its ce, there was a massive, unfathomable hole that seemed to stretch down into the earth forever. Chapter 69 Evelyn Aquatile ? The students, the heroes, and the remaining viins that seemed to make it out alive and unnoticed stared in shock as they realized the magnitude of the destruction. Lux, who was standing among the students, couldn''t believe what he was seeing. ''This is crazy¡­ what did he do to make something like this?'' he said inwardly as his eyes stared at Zio who was unconscious. The heroes were equally puzzled, and they turned to Lux for answers as he was the only of the three that came out from the deep of the ruin. The A-rank hero spoke up first, his voiceced with suspicion and excitement. "Kid, what did you do back there? Did you cause this?" Lux hesitated for a moment, not sure how to answer. "I don''t know¡ª" Then, the ground shook again violently as if something was about toe from that massive hole. "Shit! Again?!" "Everyone, go! Go! Run as far as you can from this ce! Quick!" The heroes started to usher the students and the remaining viins away from the hole, urging them to move quickly. As they ran, Lux looked over his shoulder, watching as the ground continued to shake and the hole seemed to grow wider. Snow avnches from the top, the massive hole from behind, and the students and heroes desperately running toward safety. Then, an echoing voice rang in the air. "[cier Wall]" A wall of ice jutting out from the mountain''sndscape served as a barrier against the avnches that could threaten the settlement situated at the base of the mountain. A new group of people arrived, they were floating the air on their respective broomsticks. "The wizards! Finally!" The A-rank hero shouted. Everyone was happy with the wizards'' appearance but they couldn''t afford to stop running until they were far enough from the massive hole and found a stable terrain to stand. Then as they arrived at the safer ce, the wizards¨Cfour wizards to be precise, approached them. "You''re¡­" the female wizard began, looking at the A-rank hero. Her long straight blue hair swayed slightly as she spoke, her dark blue eyes fixed on the hero. The hero smiled almost creepily, relieved to see the wizards had arrived. "Gustavo! It''s a pleasure to meet with the 8th circle wizard, Evelyn Aquatile!" "I see. So, Gustavo. Do you mind telling me what is happening to the D-Point Ruin?" Evelyn said as she pointed in the massive hole direction. "That''s actually what we want to know, Miss Evelyn," Gustavo shrugged and shook his head slowly. "I think it''s better if you ask those kids instead." He pointed in the direction of the crowd surrounding Lux, Zio, and Lumi. "Which kid?" "The two that unconscious and that white-haired boy." Evelyn scanned the crowd and spotted Lux. "Very well." Turning around to face herpanion¨Cthe other three wizards, Evelynmanded them to go and investigate the massive hole. Watching them go, Evelyn folded her broomstick into a wand and walked toward the crowd of students. As she approached the crowd, Evelyn could hear the chatters. ¡ª "You are telling me that Zio, the rank 911 defeated eight of the viins by himself?" ¡ª "Could he possibly be possessed by the sword god''s spirit?" ¡ª "Tsk, you¡­ It''s not the time for a joke!" ¡ª "I didn''t know that Lumi has usthropobia¡­" ¡ª "Shh! You better not tell anyone about that if you don''t want to be hunted by the Nova Guild." Crunch¨C! Some of the crowd turned their head, their eyes widened as they saw a prominent figure standing behind them. But, somehow, they felt like the ''prominent figure'' was too small to be called that. "Heya! What is happening here?" Evelyn said cheerfully. The students whispered among them, ''Evelyn'' they said. Hearing the students talking about her right in front of her, she felt proud. Then, one student emerged from the crowd, it was Jihan. "Miss Evelyn¡­ Nice to meet you." Evelyn''s eyes shed in recognition as she saw Jihan. "Heya, Jihan. It seems your club really fancy problems." "Eh¡­" Jihan scratched her cheek. "Never mind that. Can you tell me what is going on here? And what caused the D-Point Ruin to end up like that?" Jihan seemed troubled to exin the situation as she herself didn''t know what actually happened. Fortunately for her, Lux came up and helped her. "Miss Evelyn, nice to meet you, I''m Lux Virtus. Allow me to tell you the story before all of this happened," said Lux, tightening his grip on Zio''s sword. Evelyn nodded. "Go on." Lux told Evelyn everything. The viin''s appearance in front of the gate, the mysterious man with swift feet, the hidden chamber, Lumi''s phobia, and Zio''s fight against the viins. He left out everything that rted to the possibility of what caused the ruin to copse. What he told the wizard were the things that seemed ordinary, with no clue about what caused the ruin to copse. That was how much he wanted to keep his friends safe. If he was to tell her that the one causing the ruin''s copse was Zio, she would take Zio and interrogate him, extracting information from him, whether by soft conduct or force. "I see. I don''t know what actually caused the copse but I sensed a great disturbance in the magical energy from that hole. Ominous. No, it feels resilient, majestic, and preserved." As she spoke, Lux couldn''t help but notice the aurora-like pattern in her eyes, a mesmerizing sight that made her appear even more prominent. "Whatever that is. I''m one hundred¨Cno one thousand sure that it''s rted to magic. I mean the magical energy that only we, wizards could sense, you know right?" Lux nodded. "Good. We''ll need to investigate this further. In the meantime¡­" She took out a crystal ball only God knows where it came from. It looked like she was talking to someone with that, amunication device that the wizards used. ''Why don''t they just use a phone or the watch?'' As Evelyn was done talking with her fellow wizard through themunication device in the form of a crystal ball, she looked at Lux with a smirk on her face. "Communication through this tool is safer than using the phone''s or the watch''swork, technology freaks (hackers) are everywhere," she said, her eyes looking at the Nova Watch on Lux''s wrist. When Lux realized what she meant, he smiled sheepishly. ''Right¡­'' "Well then¨C" As she was about to leave, she caught something. "Oh?" Evelyn walked toward the crowd, approaching the two unconscious students wrapped inyers of warm nkets. "Who''s this?" she said as she kneeled beside Zio. "It''s Zio Varrez¡­" Hearing the crowd mention Zio''s name, Lux joined the crowd. "I see¡­" Evelyn''s hand moved, tracing her fingers around Zio''s body, then stopped on his chest¡ªa part that was close to his heart. "Oh? What is this?" Feeling curious, Lux walked closer and asked. "What happened to him?" he said, his face filled with worry. Evelyn closed her eyes as she pressed her index finger on Zio''s chest. "What a miracle. His mana is depleted, it''s empty, but his vitals arepletely fine. He didn''t experience Mana Depletion despite that¡­" Her eyebrows frowned as she kept checking Zio''s condition. "No. There are traces of him undergoing a Mana Depletion state, but it''s just for a moment. His mana suddenly regenerated in a bunch as if he has external mana reserves." Finally, she opened her eyes. At the same time, blue light was emanating from Zio, outlining his body. "Well. Done. He will wake up soon." "What did you do to him? Evelyn unfolded her wand, it changed into a broomstick. "Refill his mana." Then, she rode the broomstick and hovered in the air. "See you lotster!" Lux watched as Evelyn flew in the direction of the massive hole. As she maneuvered the broomstick, Lux couldn''t help but admire Evelyn''s graceful movements and the way she seemed to effortlessly control her broomstick. ''That looks fun.'' Chapter 70 The First Seal ? August 31¡­ That was the date when the ray of light soared, prating the sky and beyond. And to be more precise, the phenomenon urred at 11:11 AM OIST (Octagram Ind Standard Time) which was 8 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC +8). In under five minutes after the light was seen by every living thing on Earth, thousands of topic about it flooded the inte and became the most searched keyword. ''Ray of Light'', and ''Light Beacon'', these two were the first keyword to appear on the search trend. Ten to fifteen minutester, the keyword increased, ''Himya Mountain'', ''D-Point Ruin'', ''Abyss Hole'', ''Evelyn Aquatile'', and ''Octagram Explorer Club''. [What happened to D-Ruin Point?!! What is that Abyss Hole?!!] [Hot News!!! The Copse of The Ruin!] [Evelyn Aquatile: The 8th Circle Wizard Will Personally Investigate The Case!!] As news of the mysterious phenomenon spread rapidly across the inte, reporters from all over the world scrambled to cover the story. Live broadcasts were set up on the scene where the light originated, and some in major cities, with reporters speaking to experts and heroes. In New York City, a news anchor stood in front of arge screen disying moving images of the Himyas Mountain and the trace of the ''Abyss Hole'' on the location that was once a cave ruin named D-Point. Millions of people watched the broadcast, whether on the inte and on their favorite streaming tforms, the television on their favorite channels, or watched the live broadcast on the screen in the street such as those gathered in Times Square. ¡ª "Reports areing in from all over the world about this mysterious ''Ray of Light'' that appeared in the sky just hours ago¡­" On the Inte, thements section was buzzing with spection and theories about the phenomenon, or sometimes just a random user typed a randomment. ¡ª Maybe it''s a message from an advanced civilization somewhere in the gxy trying to contact us! ¡ª Oh shit! Are we finally going to explore outer space?! ¡ª Interster Exploration Arc! Let''s fvcking go!!! ¡ª Bullshit! It''s obviously a sign of another catastrophe! You guys better pray. ¡ª What catastrophes? This is not their era anymore! ¡ª Fr, even if it was a catastrophe, I doubt that those monsters would be a threat anymore for us! Hail Thunder Emperor! ¡ª Hail Thunder Emperor! Hail Thunder Emperor!! As the camera shifted from the Abyss Hole and now was broadcasting Evelyn Aquatile and the wizards, everyone in thement sections went wild. ¡ª OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!!!!! ¡ª LADY EVELYN PLEASE MARRY ME!!! ¡ª Youresocutepleasesteponme~!!!! ¡ª OMG! HOW IS MY WIFE THERE?! ¡ª HEY! Shut up! SHE''S MY WIFE!! ¡ª OUR WIFE!!! As the live broadcast continued, the excitement only grew, as people around the world waited, some were anxious, some were excited, and some were those that only care about Evelyn Aquatile who went mad when the camera shifted back to the Abyss Hole. They all waited for answers about the mysterious ''Ray of Light'' that had captured their imaginations and sparked their deepest fears and wildest hopes. ? ? ? In the grand throne room, a magnificent figure sat on their throne, a sinister grin spreading across his face. Their most trusted advisor stood beside them, their heads bent together in conversation. "Master," the advisor said, clearing his throat. "It seems that one of the eight seals has been broken. I don''t know who did it but this is great news for us, we can execute our n sooner than expected." The master''s eyes glinted with a malevolent light. "Excellent. This is the first time that my prediction miss. I thought we would need 3 years before the first seal broke. This is a stroke of luck for us." The advisor nodded. "Indeed, master." Then the advisor handed the scroll to their master. "Here is the information you requested about the location of the other Seals, master. Shall we begin nning our next move?" The master took the scroll and unrolled it, studying the information carefully. "Yes, but don''t rush it. We cannot afford to make any mistakes. Tell our contractees to secure these ces and have them stand by until further notice once they secured the ce." "As you wish, master," the advisor said. "Do you also want to send our newest recruit? He can''t wait to be back in his world and get his revenge." "Has he finished his evolution?" The advisor nodded. "Vey well, then. But, tell him to secure one of the Seals first before he could take his revenge." "Yes, master," the advisor said, bowing low before leaving the throne room. Alone in the vast chamber, the master sat back in their throne and chuckled softly to himself. "10 years. That is how much time you, inferior creatures have to live." *** "Humans are gross!" It had been a week since the D-Point Ruin incident. And that was also how many days Lumi had taken absent from ss. "Of course! Master is different from those gross humans!" Right now, I was resting inside my dorm room after training. In front of me was Zia, we had reconciled. Though, she became quieter and more passive than I had ever known. Every time Lux paid me a visit, Zia would suddenly disappear. I never knew she was that shy to meet other people, no wonder she couldn''t make any friends in her ss. When I said to her I''d like to introduce her to Lux and everyone else in my ss, she rejected the idea immediately, saying that she didn''t need anyone except me. A bit sounded creepy, but well, what can I do? "Master!" And there was another person who would live here with us. Umm No. Rather than ''live'', ''stay'' would be a better word. Turning my head left side, I found a little girl sitting beside me, ying with the tablet I''d bought yesterday. She had striking short blonde hair that shone like gold under the bright lights, framing her angelic face. Her eyes were simr to Lux''s in color only¨C a mesmerizing shade of golden yellow that seemed to glow with a mysterious energy. She brought with her a rather boyish appearance and charm despite being a girl. With her short blonde hair tousled and falling down her ears. Looking at me with her piercing yet soft gaze, she asked a question that left me confused. "Are you okay? Who you are talking to?" "A friend. Don''t you see her? In front of me, this?" I said, gesturing at Zia who stared at my hand. The little girl shook her head, tilting her head. "Master. I think you need to see a doctor!" "Eh?" Yeah, well. Anyway, this little girl''s identity was one that I''d expected to be. She was the ego of the sword''s artifact. Retro. Chapter 71 Sword Ego: Reina ? This happened the next day after the event that people called ''Ray of Light'' or ''Light Beacon''. It was Sunday at that time, I didn''t have much schedule except for why of course, training! Lux approached me when I was improving my dual wielding talent with daggers. "Here," he said while handing me a sword. When I looked carefully, the sword had a carved ''A'' letter on the lower de. I recognized it. That was my sword. Retro. But, I didn''t remember I took my sword out in that ruin. Something exploded and sent me flying, that was what I remember before I fell unconscious. He said that I wasn''t unconscious. Instead, I was fighting the viins that ambushed me and killed them with weird swordsmanship that left him confused upon witnessing it. That, I didn''t remember I was doing that. "At that time, your eyes were golden in color, and I felt a strange aura emanating from you." "I thought you were maybe got possessed by a spirit. A swordmaster''s spirit perhaps?" Lux continued. He looked hesitant as he said that, as if he was hiding something. Was it possible that I was really possessed? Not that I''m d about that, but it sounds cool. I took the sword and traced my finger on its de carefully. It was at that moment that something, like a burst of electricity, a static feeling surged up into my brain. I heard a voice that sounded like a little girl but a bit deep, ringing in my head. "Master." That was what the voice said. Some timester, when I was alone in my room. The sword emanated a golden light then poof, it became a little girl. As soon as she saw me, she lunged in and hugged me tightly. "Master! Master! Kyahaha! I can finally hug you, master!" She was like a chick clinging to its mother¡ª Uhum! Father. If you thought whether I was confused or not. Then my answer is no. Why would I be confused? I had already expected this the moment I got the sword. Every artifact with Ego had its own consciousness and personality, and this sword was no exception. They were rare, very rare. Especially the one that could transform into another living thing such as a human or animal. Among many Ego-artifacts that Lux had in his possession in the story, only three could transform into living things. A woman, a cat, and an eagle. The rest only had consciousness and personality without being able to transform. So, I was quite surprised that Retro could transform into a living thing. But the question was why must it be a little girl? Couldn''t it transform into another form, a cool and kind mommy perhaps? I looked down at her, her golden hair shining in the light of the room. "So, you''re the Ego of this sword?" She nodded excitedly. "Yes, yes! I''ve been waiting so long for someone to wield me! And now that you''re my master, we can go on so many adventures together! Kyahaha!" She buried her face in my stomach and snuggled up excitedly, just like a child. "What should I call you?" "Anything! You can call me anything, master!" Seeing her cheerful face, a smile formed across my face. I patted her head as I spoke. "How about Reina? Do you like it?" She tried out the name ''Reina'' aloud, testing how it would sound. After repeating it a few times, she eximed, "Yes, yes! I really like it! Thank you, master!!" Then she hugged me again. ''What an active kid¡­'' When she finally calmed down, she sat on the chair and began swinging her feet back and forth while shing me a smile coupled with a prolonged gaze. "Hmm?" As I moved closer to observe her golden eyes carefully, she tilted her head. "Master? Is there something wrong with my face?" "Reina. Could it be possible for you to take over my body?" "Of course, master! But, I only can do it when you are unconscious, not sleeping though. But, more like when you are faint or when you lost consciousness in that cave¨C Oops!" She blocked her mouth as soon as she realized she spoke too much. Though, I already heard it so that was useless, but cute nheless. "I see. So it was you." "I''m sorry! Master! Please don''t leave me! I will not do that again, I swear!" I patted her head. "How can I leave a kid as sweet as you? I''m not that heartless." "Really?!" "Yes." She lunged forward for a hug and I let her be. I meant, who the fvck in their right mind wanted to throw away an S-rank artifact just because it took over their body when they were conscious? Only an idiot would do that. Imagine an S-rank artifact with an overpowered ability and an automatic defense system. That was how our first meeting looked like. ¡­ The present¡­ "If you don''t want to go to a doctor. How about if we y hide and seek?" "Why?" In the corner of my eyes, I noticed Zia''s nk gaze at us¨C at Reina. "I''ll y hide. And you will seek for professionals help, master." "Huh?" For some reason, Reina became a sassy kid instead of a sweet and cute little sister. "I mean it, master. You really need it!" I shook my head and sighed. Looking at Zia, I plead to her. "You really don''t want anyone to see you?" Zia didn''t answer me. She only raised her hands and crossed them on her chest, her mouth pouting while her eyes still locked on Reina. "See! You are talking to an empty air again, master! Let''s don''t waste time anymore and go to the doctor!" Reina said as she tried to push me. "No, Reina. I don''t need them. I''m mentally fine! She''s just shy to show herself to other people!" Reina stopped, ring at me with teary eyes. "Really?" "Yes, really. I''m fine, no brain damage at all!" She snorted. "Okay¡­" Sighing, I patted her head as I apologize to Zia for Reina''s behavior. "It''s fine," she said. Looking in the direction of the door, she stood up. "I will be at the Cafeteria if you need me." BAM¨C! ''Haa¡­'' "Master. I still think you need to go to the doctor." Just when I thought I''d have a peaceful and sweet time after Reina came¡­ Chapter 72 Ka-Ching! Its Monopolizing Time! I ? "Morning, ss!" Carolina greeted as she entered the noisy, chitty-chatty ssroom. Her voice was vibrant, and it echoed in the room. The ssroom''s noises quickly subsided as the students watched Carolina sit at her desk. Organizing her stuff and all on the long rectangr table, she then strode a few steps away. Her eyes scanned the students before she started to speak. "I hope everyone had a good weekend," Carolina said, smiling warmly at her students. And she stopped once she spotted a particr student, Lumi. "Especially you, Lumi. d to have you back in ss." Lumi stood from her seat and bowed slightly. "Thank you, Miss Carolina. And sorry for my absence for the past week." Carolina''s smile widened as she gestured for Lumi to sit back down. "No need to apologize. I understand. It must have been a hard and terrible experience for you." Lumi just nodded. And this time, Carolina looked in the direction of where I was sitting. "And how about you, Zio? How was your week?" I slightly fixed my posture, feeling a little surprised that she had noticed me. Well, I meant, who would not? "I''m doing just fine, Instructor," I replied shortly. "Great!" She sped her hands together. "But, I hope you''d address me with ''Miss Carolina'' in the future like everyone else." Carolina Monte. She really had that passion for teaching just like what she said back on the first day of her ss. It had been five weeks since then, which meant that it had been five times I had attended her ss. Within that time, I could more or less tell what kind of person she was. She was outgoing, trendy, and had a unique way of engaging with her students. Her warmth and friendliness made her studentsfortable, and that made them know they were going to enjoy her ss. Throughout these past five weeks, Carolina proved to be an excellent teacher, mentor, and friend for her students. She always kept us up-to-date with thetest trends and technology, and her sses were always filled with excitement and enthusiasm. Carolina cleared her throat and caught the attention of her students. "ss, I want to remind you that our midterm exam is fast approaching. We''re only a month away from the exam date," she said, and though her tone sounded serious, there was still a vibe of yfulness in it. "It''s important that you start reviewing the materials we''ve covered in ss so far. Use your notes and study guides to help you prepare. Don''t wait until thest minute to start studying," she continued. Carolina paused for a moment to let her words sink in before continuing. "There will be two types of exams. Writing exams and practical exams, just as how you did in the entrance exam. I believe that my students have the skills and knowledge necessary to seed in both. If you need extra help or guidance, please don''t hesitate to ask me." The students whispered among themselves but kept their voices low, making it sound like a mosquito''s buzzes. "Now. Let''s start the ss." With that, the ss began and it felt like a fleeting time after that. As the ss ended and Carolina left the ssroom, I found Lumi striding toward my desk while I was packing my stuff. "Hey, can you spare a moment to walk with me?" she said. ¡­ We arrived at the park and took a silent stroll. People asionally nced at us, probably thinking that we were a couple. Then, as we passed the small pond where a beautiful lotus flower lived, Lumi suddenly turned to me and said¡­ "You know, I can''t stop thinking about what happened to me back then¡­" I listened in silence as she began to tell me how she got trapped inside the small room in the ruin. She didn''t hesitate to share her stories with me as if I was Leo, her childhood friend whom she trusted so much. But, knowing her nature, she won''t tell anyone including Leo about things like this except for a person who was involved. In this case, it was me, and probably Lux too. A week ago, Lumi had been in a dangerous situation threatening her life. She told me about how she was losing focus when the viinunched an ambush and ended up getting kidnapped by a mysterious man who looked like me but was older, also with blue eyes. "I think everyone in the Explorer Club has already known about my ustrophobia by now¡­" "Maybe. But Jihan is making sure that this information doesn''t get leaked to everyone else," I said, taking a moment before continuing. "It must be hard for you. I mean, I don''t even want to imagine how I''d feel if I had it and ended up in the same situation." "You better not," she sighed. "And, I want to thank you for saving me." I shrugged, acting nonchnt. "Don''t mention it, I''m just doing what a hero should do!" Lumi scoffed. "Heh, bullshit. I know you''re not that kind of a person." "What do you mean?" She turned away and faced the pond. "First of all, I want to apologize for invading your privacy and gathering information about you without your consent. I sent a team to gather information, but there wasn''t much to find. It seems that someone has been actively trying to hide information about you and erase any records or traces of your past." I could only hold my gaze as I heard that. Though my mind was pondering, ''No wonder I couldn''t find anything about me on the inte¡­ If the team Lumi had sent out couldn''t even find anything, no matter how hard I looked, I won''t find it.'' Alternatively, I could always ask my most trusted to-be-viin duck for help. But, if I did that, he might tell Shannon that someone was looking into her cousin''s past. I wouldn''t do that until I knew what their rtionship was. Were they an aplice? Or simply knowing each other because Shannon was the individual his guild was after? "Looks like you don''t have any intention to forgive me for that¡­" Lumi''s voice brought me back to my senses, and I immediately shook my head slowly. "Oh, sorry. I dozed off," I said. "Anyway, it''s fine. I don''t mind when someone is looking into my past." In fact, I was d if someone did that. And if possible, I wanted them to share with me what they have found about me. Hell, I might as well be happy if I had a stalker following and digging up information about me, especially my past. "Quite a narcissistic, aren''t you?" I gave her a shrug. "Anyhow, I''m the type of person who can''t stand the idea of being in debt to someone," Lumi said, her voice filled with conviction. She faced me again firmly. "So, I need to pay you back as soon as possible." Upon hearing that, I felt my soul was smiling inside. Chapter 73 Ka-Ching! Its Monopolizing Time! II ? ''It''s about time!'' I thought. It was about the damn time she gave me something for saving her, even though all of that was what I nned. Kidnapped her, trapped her in a small room, then eventually saved her. Making her owe me her life which would bring me closer to my goal. Not an end goal though, but a short-term goal. That was making my financial situation stable. "I appreciate the sentiment, Lumi, but you don''t me owe anything," I said, trying to reassure her. Of course, I did that for pleasantries! I needed to look like I was your humble, virtuous, and kind guy the same as Lux. It was called the ''build a good rapport'' strategy to increase the chance your would-be boss epted you into theirpany. Also, I said that because I knew that no matter what I said and what I did such as reject her proposition, she would still force me onto it. "No, I owe you my life, and I can''t help feeling like I must pay you back for everything you had done," Lumi said. "I want to make things right." See? There was no way she would just call off her offer just because I said no. Trying to keep my expression neutral, I said "Well, if you insist. What did you have in mind?" "I was thinking about maybe offering you a contract to join my guild, but uhum¨C! It''s prohibited to recruit a student who hasn''t graduated yet, so I''ll postpone that. Alternatively, I can offer you a reward in the form of money or items, or you can ask me for something specific that I can afford." "That''s a pretty generous offer," I said, touched by her willingness and determination just to pay me back. I was really touched, and it was not a joke. "But you don''t have to do that. I helped you because I wanted to, not because I expected anything in return. You''re my friend, and so Lux. I will always help my friend." As I said that, my stomach felt like it was being twisted and a shock of electricity ran down my spine. I felt it, I felt the cringeness in my word. Lumi held my gaze. "Please, let me do this." I shut my mouth for a moment and nced down, just to make her think I was considering her offer. "Very well," I said finally. "If you''re that persistent, I could use some help with a project I''ve been working on." I handed her a piece of origami paper shaped like a cat. Lumi smiled in relief as her hand reached for the origami. "Thank you. I''ll do my best to make it up to you." Only when she looked at the origami that a smile spread across her face for a moment before she noticed that I was looking at her. Her favorite animal was a cat. And that was why I folded the origami into a cat, it was another plus point for my value point in her eyes. If there was something like a ''bond parameter'' that you''d find in a dating sim game, I would assume my bond point with her was around 40 if not 50, noting that the max bond point was 100. "What is this?" she said, trying to hold the urge to add a ''so cute''ment on the origami. "Just open it." Lumi unfolded the origami to reveal a sketch of a potion and a handwritten note inside. Hmm, my handwriting had improved slightly. Well, at least it was on the level that one could read without needing to spend time to figure out what was written. "This is¡­amazing!" she eximed, her voice filled with wonder. I gave her a grin when she looked at me. "I think we should discuss this thoroughly!" she said, beaming with enthusiasm. With that, our stroll was concluded and a few dayster, I found myself sitting inside a tidy office. Lumi had invited me to discuss the potion, which I named ''Catalyst Potion''. It was a potion that could raise someone''s stats growth rate potential. Unlike the Horizon Elixir which could only be consumed once. Someone could consume a Catalyst Potion a few times before it lost its efficiency. If one was an incarnation of the God of Luck, one would hit a jackpot in the first shot. It meant that they could get a significant raise in their growth rate potential. But, if one was an incarnation of the God of Misfortune, one would need to consume the potion until it lost its efficiency and yet didn''t get that much raise in their growth rate potential. Oh, Goddess of Fortune¡­ Please bless this poor child. Anyway, that was what I told Lumi. It was just a brief exnation of what Catalyst Potion was. And I''m not that dumb to tell her about the existence of the Horizon Elixir that I sold already to Chrysalis Guild. ''Now that I think about it. They should have been starting to distribute the elixir by now. Give it a week and it''s going to monopolize the Enhanced market. Thenes the Catalyst Potion¡­'' I could already hear money fell down like rain in my head. "Do you realize how this potion can change the flow of the market? This item is very valuable, you know?!" She eximed with excitement. "I don''t know how or where you got this crazy innovation, but you''vee to the right person!" She added confidently. "Are you sure you don''t want to have the right over this potion?" She asked. I just smiled at Lumi''s enthusiasm, rejecting the idea of putting my name as the potion''s creator because I didn''t want to be a target of those greedy people. "I trust you with this," I said, shaking my head. "You''re the one with the resources and the expertise to bring this to market. Also, I don''t want to bring trouble to my life by iming the right to the potion, it''s safer that it''s distributed under the Nova Corps'' name." "I understand. But I want to make sure you get your fair share. How about we split the profits fifty-fifty?" I paused, considering her offer. It was more than fair, considering that Nova Corps was a mega-corporation that dominated the market in technology and gadget, Enhanced equipment, and man-made artifacts. I already calcted how much I would get by sharing fifty-fifty profits with the Nova Corps and the Chrysalis Guild. Assuming both of the items sold well in the market, in one year I could get more than 400 million Creds. Yep, that was more than enough to get me a rare rank weapon artifact with good skills. But I wasn''t going to do it since I already had Retro which was worth more than 10 billion Creds. "Let''s do it!" Chapter 74 Having Fun ? "Haa, finally a short break..." As I made my way to sit down on the sofa in my dormitory room, the storage cube around my finger shook as if something wanted to get out from there. When I sat down, a little girl emerged from the ring and shot me a re. "Master!" Just when I thought I would have a peaceful time¡­ "What?" "I don''t want to live inside there!" I held her re, and she showed me an angry yet cute expression. "If only you could transform into another creature, maybe an animal, when we are here on campus. I''ll let you do anything you want here as long as you don''t get caught transforming as a human." Unexpectedly, her eyes were teary when I said that. I pondered about what I did do wrong. I didn''t even scold her. It was when she spoke that I realized what made her cry. "Do you not like it when Reina transforms into a human?" She said while sniffing. I ruffled her hair and when I did that, a look of annoyance could be seen on her face, as if telling me ''What are you doing to my hair?!'' "Silly, it''s not like that. It''s just that I must follow the rules of this ce." Her eyes perked up as she fixed her messy hair. It was obviously a subtle movement that demanded me to continue. "So you see, this ce doesn''t allow a little girl to live here. Only humans around my age could. And if someone happens to spot you roaming in this ce, I''ll be in trouble." Reina looked down, seemingly understanding the situation. After a moment of silence, she spoke up again. "But I don''t want to be stuck inside that cube all the time." I sighed, realizing that it was a dilemma. I couldn''t just let her roam around campus in her human form, but I also couldn''t keep her locked up in the storage cube all the time now that the Ego had woken up. If only she could transform into another shape, maybe I could let her go. Unfortunately, she couldn''t do it as the Ego could only transform into just one shape (The first shape they had taken) and couldn''t change it unless the owner lend the Ego their mana. And of course, the amount of mana required would be unimaginable, especially for my current stats. On top of that, the mana stored in the sword was almost depleted, partly because of my fault. I didn''t know that when I was using the Causality Reversal against the demonic human Nado and Finrax was possible because I used the sword''s preserved mana. That exined why I could do a one-shot kill to them with my trash magic stats at that time. The Causality Reversal required me to use 2000 to 10000 units of mana, it was simr to MP in RPG. ording to the instructor from Magic Specialization ss, a rank magic stat had a max mana capacity above 100 mana units. The scaling is like this: [F- ~ F+] = 1 ~ 200 [E- ~ E+] = 201 ~ 500 [D- ~ D+] = 501 ~ 1000 [C- ~ C+] = 1001 ~ 2000 [B- ~ B+] = 2001 ~ 5000 [A- ~ A+] = 5001 ~ 10000 And those above 10000 are considered and rank. Those scalings were used for Enhanced without magic potential. The instructor said that there might be a significant difference between those with magic potential and without. Unfortunately, the wizards still couldn''t determine how much was the difference between them. When I checked mine with the mana parameter, the number shot up to 230 even though I was rank at that time. Because of that, the instructor invited me multiple times to serve as a benchmark for her research journal, ''It is rare to find an Enhanced with such a high-rank magic potential like you!'' she said. I rejected her every time she made an attempt, of course. Back to Reina''s situation, I ruffled her hair as she curled up next to me. "I''ll think of something, okay? For now, you can''t roam around the campus. But, every time I''m outside, I''ll let you out. How''s that sound?" She looked up at me, her teary eyes now reced with her usual childish and naughty expression. "Okay, Master! You''re the best!" I smiled at her and patted her head. "Good. Now let''s rest for a bit and enjoy this quiet time together." With that, we both settled down on the sofa, with Reina curled up next to me, immediately watching an action cartoon show on the tablet. "By the way. I think we need to change how you refer to me." ¡­ I took a walk in an amusement park as Ian Crow, walking alongside me was Reina. But, she didn''t look that happy or excited, and I wondered why. "Why is your face like that?" She looked up at me, staring me right in the eyes. "What is this ce, Mas¨C Uncle Crow?" "It''s an amusement park," I said. Reina''s face didn''t seem to light up with excitement, so I continued. "It''s a ce where peoplee to have fun, go on rides, y games, and eat lots of yummy food. Don''t you like amusement parks?" As soon as she heard ''games'' and ''yummy food'', her ears twitched. "Games and yummy food?!" "Oh, yes! There are so many fun games you can y, like ring toss, basketball, and whack-a-mole. And the food here is yummy, too. You can try cotton candy, popcorn, hot dogs, and even ice cream!" Reina''s eyes widened with excitement. "Wow, that sounds amazing! I''ve heard about basketball and ice cream, but I don''t know about everything else!" As we walked through the amusement park, I took the time to exin to Reina what each ride was and how it worked. "This is a Ferris wheel," I said, pointing to arge, slowly rotating wheel with enclosed seats. "You go up to the top and can see a great view of the park and the surrounding area." Reina looked up at the Ferris wheel with interest. "That sounds interesting!" "Do you want to try to ride it?" She nodded excitedly. "Yes! Yes!" Seeing her happy face, I couldn''t help but smile at her. So, this was what it felt like to have a younger sibling. Taking her hand, I led her to the Ferris wheel. As we ascended into the air, Reina''s grip on my hand loosened as she began to show the most bright smile to the world. As we reached the top, I pointed out the beautiful view of the park and the surrounding park. "This is so beautiful," she said. "Unfortunately, the sun is still conquering the sky up there. It would be much better if we take a look on top at night. The night view is thousand much better than this." As I said that, Reina red at the sun. I could only wonder how her eyes could fare with the light. "Master! I mean, Uncle! Let''s go kill that sun!" I just chuckled and ruffled her hair. After the Ferris wheel, we continued to explore the park, trying out different rides, ying games, and indulging in delicious treats. Ourst stop was the Roller Coaster¡­ "Are you ready for this giga snake?" I asked her. "Yes! Let''s go!" I smiled, "Alright then. Moving on, soldier!" We waited in line for the roller coaster, and as we got closer, I exined to Reina how to buckle the safety belt and hold on tight. "Don''t let them know who you truly are. Be careful, there are a lot of spies," I whispered to her jokingly. "Yes, sir!" Her expression turned serious which I found cute. As we rode the roller coaster, Reina screamed with delight, and I could see the thrill and excitement on her face. After the ride ended, she was bouncing with excitement. "This is so much fun!" By the end of the day, Reina''s face was beaming with happiness and excitement. "Thank you, mas¨C uncle," she said, giving me a big hug. "I had so much fun today." I patted her head and smiled widely. Then, as we were about to leave the amusement park. An attractive, soft, and alluring voice stopped me on track. "Hello there, are you Ian Crow?" I turned and twisted my body as fast as I could upon hearing the voice. I knew whose voice was that. I had heard it before, in the Neophyte Nexus. Approaching me were two people with identical undercover outfits; sunsses, masks, hats, and hoodies. They had the same hair color, one was an adult while the other one was a teenager around my age (Zio Varrez''s body). The Crimsons. Nuria and Ember. Taking notice of the nervousness that showed on my face, Reina gripped my hand tight. "Uncle?" Chapter 75 The Crimson Flower ? "Uncle Crow?" Reina''s sweet yet stiff voice brought me back to my senses. I looked at her, giving her a reassuring nod before shifting my attention to two people standing before me. Regaining myposure, I spoke with a calm tone. "Yes, I''m Ian Crow. And you are?" I said, my eyes moving to look at Nuria and Ember simultaneously. Both of them were different from their original appearances. The crimson red hair had been changed to a bright, light blonde color. Nuria slightly lifted up her sunsses. "Can we talk somewhere morefortable?" And her blue ocean eyes winked at me. ¡­ The night in Octagram City which was known as the most advanced in the world was a spectacle to behold. The city''s tall buildings dominated the skyline and streetlights illuminated the roadway below. The sun was already set by the time we arrived at a cafe bustling cafe. The cafe was nestled in the heart of the city, surrounded by towering skyscrapers that lit up the sky with their neon signs and bright LED lights. "Please, let''s have a drink first." Sitting opposite me were two beautiful creatures. Nuria and Ember, they took off their sunsses and carefully hung them in their breast pockets. Beside me, Reina was eating a pancake. Staring at my drink, a vanitte, I took a sip and tasted it. I looked around the cafe, taking in the diverse group of people around me. A group of friendsughed and chatted at a nearby table, while a lone figure sat in the corner, typing away on theirptop. Couples cozied up together, lost in their private worlds. "Mas¨C Uncle, I want to watch my favorite show," Reina said, breaking the silence at our table. I smiled and handed her the tablet I had hidden under my coat. Nuria nced at Reina briefly, while Ember had her eyes locked on her. "Such a sweet child," Nuriaplimented. I just gave her a silent smile and said, "So, what brings you two, the crimson here?" Both their eyes widened as I said that. "So you already know¡­" "Ah yeah. It''s hard to not recognize the smell of ash which is so familiar," I said, making up things. "No offense." Nuria chuckled. "Well, that will fasten things up," she spoke, her finger flicking a sound. Immediately, I could feel a barrier of mana forming around our table. Judging by how the barrier was formed, I guessed this was to iste sounds inside the barrier from leaking out. "Now, let''s get straight to the point. Is this you in the video?" Nuria leaned forward, cing the photos and a video yer on the table. Examining them, I found out that they were photos of me. The portrait of my face was printed there, blue eyes shining in the darkness. ying the video yer, it showed me footage caught by a drone camera filming my action, killing the student whose real identity was a demon in disguise in the night after Neophyte Nexus a few months ago. Of course, Nuria had no idea about the student''s identity. Or was she? I sighed and leaned back on my chair. "Huft. You finally figured it out. It took longer than I had expected." Nuria''s expression turned serious and stern immediately as I admitted that was me in the video. Her once warm eyes suddenly emitted a cold aura. Reina flinched as she felt Nuria''s cold gaze at me. She instinctively hissed like a cat at Nuria. Though Nuria seemed to ignore and was unbothered by that. Ember, on the other hand, found herself jumping back in her chair upon seeing Reina''s reaction toward her grandmother''s action. "Looking at how you entered the campus ground undetected by our defense system, I must say you''re quite skilled. But, why did you do it? Are there reasons for killing that student?" I crossed my arms across my chest, stillposed. "I think you might already know the reason. Two months of investigation are enough for you to figure out everything, right? My identity, my motive, the student, and his secret." She narrowed her eyes. "Then, let me change my question. How do you know about them?" I took a deep breath before answering. "Believe it or not. I''ve been in the demon-hunting business since ten years ago. My family was killed by them, you see. And I want to get my revenge. As for why I killed your student¨C" "Because he''s a demon. But, how do you know if he''s a demon?" "Let''s say I have connections that help me gather information about their whereabouts and activities," I lied. Nuria leaned back on her chair, her expression softening a bit. "I see. How much have you killed?" I nced over the window. A steady stream of vehicles zooming down the busy street, their highlights casting a warm glow over the pavement. People bustled along the sidewalks, their faces lit up by the soft glow of their gadgets. Turning my attention back to Nuria, I replied. "Only two." "Two?" Her brows arched, and curiosity spread across her face. "Ten years of hunting and you only managed to kill two of them?" I cleared my throat. "Correction. Ten years of nning. ording to the intel, they recently started to be active, appearing this year. Expect the worst." Nuria nced at Ember, and Ember gave her a nod. Then, she stared at me for a while before throwing out a question again but I cut her off, my phone to be precise. Ring¡ª! I reached for my phone and read the caller''s name, it read ''Duck''. A few minutes ago, while we were on our way to the cafe, I had asked for his, the third party help to dial my number at the designated time. The reason was so I could use that to excuse myself from this conversation. Looking at the clock on the phone, it was already the time when he was supposed to dial my number and thankfully he did what I asked him. I looked at Nuria with an apologetic smile, "Somethinges up, I''m afraid I must take my leave. Thank you for your hospitality, Nuria Crimson." She looked hesitant to let me go but eventually, she gave up when Ember clutched her clothes and whispered something. "I understand," Nuria said with a sigh. I lifted Reina who waszily curled up on the chair and carried her. While I did so, I purposely dropped a piece of paper from my coat side pocket. ncing over my shoulder, I noticed Nuria''s eyes were looking at the piece of paper thatnded on the table. As I headed to leave the cafe, I took onest nce at her table. She took the piece of folded paper, unfolded it, and read it. With that, I left the cafe and disappeared into the sea of people wandering the city. *** As Nuria and Ember read the note written on the paper, their eyes widened in confusion. The note read: [Observing the sky at the new year.] "New year?" they said at the same time, looking at each other. Chapter 76 Horizon Elixir Sales & Payment I ? "Thank you for the help back there, Reina." Still in my Ian Crow form, I was walking aimlessly in the city, just trying to spend as much time as I could before returning to Academy Ind. Reina, sitting on my shoulders stayed silent. Though, I could tell she was happy and d by how her feet went back and forth, hitting my chest lightly. Back then, when Nuria gave me a cold stare, the pressure of what felt like gravity was stacked on me. That should have been making me choke breathlessly if not for Reina''s help. Her hand was holding my finger at that time and I could feel some sort of energy, like a mental barrier, covering my body. Though, I had no idea that despite being in her weakest state, Reina could reinforce me with a barrier that could handle the pressure of the Octagram heroes, who if not the strongest, at least stronger than your average student. "You should at least say something. Are you okay?" "Yes, Uncle. Reina is okay. That rudedy is a piece of cake," she said with confidence, though her shaking hands gripping my hair said otherwise. Yep. There''s no way someone would be okay after receiving that pressure from the War Goddess. As I walked along the bustling street, my head cocked upward, staring at the night sky. "Only four months left before they appeared," I muttered. ¡­ The Horizon Elixir had finally been on the market for a few days. And just as I expected, the elixir immediately caught the attention of Enhanced all over the world. It didn''t matter whether they were a hero or a viin, everyone had set their eyes on this elixir now that even the Thunder Emperor had given his testimony. ¡ª The Chrysalis Guild deserves the top 3 in the guild ranking for creating this miracle. Thanks to them, I can finally break through the chains that have entangled me for all these years! Though I was a bit sad that this is a one-time-use product. The Thunder Emperor, the rank 1 hero, who had reached the limit of his potential, at the same time he gave his testimony to the public, he was announced as the first rank hero in the world. The announcement of the Horizon Elixir and the testimony of the Thunder Emperor caused a significant stir among the Enhancedmunity worldwide. The elixir''s potential to break through the limitations of one''s potential was a game-changer for both heroes and viins alike. With the Thunder Emperor''s endorsement and confirmation of its effectiveness, the elixir gained even more credibility and attention. The Thunder Emperor''s acknowledgment of the elixir''s positive impact on his powers further fueled the excitement surrounding it. As a result, the Chrysalis Guild, the organization responsible for creating the Horizon Elixir, gained widespread recognition and acim. Their achievement of developing a product that could potentially break the limitation was hailed as a miracle despite it being a one-time-use product. The guild''s reputation soared, and it quickly rose to the top three in the global guild rankings, one rank away from the Nova Guild. Simultaneously, the Thunder Emperor''s status was elevated even further. His transformation into the world''s first rank hero solidified his position as an unparalleled force among the Enhanced. The news of his achievement spread like wildfire in a sh second, inspiring countless Enhanced individuals, especially viins to seek out the elixir in the hopes of breaking free from their own limitations. Today, I had an appointed meeting with the Chrysalis Guildmaster, Neychta, who had always been my favorite character in the novel. She was an interesting fellow, dressing fully covered in all-ck attire and an odd full-face mask covering her entire face. As soon as I arrived at the Chrysalis Guild lobby, two staff members warmly greeted me with wide smiles. One of them spoke up, addressing me by name. "Good day, Mr. Ian Crow! We''ve been expecting you," one of the staff members said cheerfully. "Guildmaster Neychta is eagerly awaiting your arrival. Please follow us." The staff members led me through the impressive guild headquarters, guiding me down a corridor adorned with intricate designs and futuristic technology. The atmosphere was buzzing with activity, and I could see the guild members and staff engaged in various tasks and training exercises along the way. After a short walk, I reached a set of grand double doors. The staff members gestured for me to enter, and as the doors swung open, I was greeted by an opulent and spacious room. Seated at the far end of the room, behind arge ebony desk, was Guildmaster Neychta herself. She wore her signature all-ck attire, which concealed her figure and added an air of enigma. Her full-face mask obscured her features, making it impossible to discern her expressions or emotions. "Wee, Ian Crow," Neychta''s voice resonated from behind the mask, carrying an air of authority and intrigue. "Please, have a seat." I took a seat across from her. Neychta''s enigmatic nature had always fascinated me, making this second meeting with her still intriguing. "Good day to you, Guildmaster," I said casually. "Can we go straight to the point for this asion?" As I settled into my seat, ready to discuss the Horizon Elixir sales and profits with her, she leaned forward slightly, her masked gaze fixed on me. "Crow, the Horizon Elixir has truly exceeded our expectations in terms of demand and sales just as you predicted," she began, her voice measured and confident. "Within just a few days of its release, we''ve witnessed an unprecedented surge in orders from heroes and mercenaries across the globe." She paused, looking at me in search of a response. I just nodded, gesturing for her to continue. "As a result, our sales have skyrocketed. The initial projections have been surpassed multiple times over, and we''ve had to ramp up production significantly to meet the overwhelming demand." I leaned back on my chair, cocking my head sideward as I listened to her talking. Everything that she said was what I already calcted and told her before we had a deal for this business. So, I just shut my mouth, letting her continue as she savored the feeling of wonder. Neychta gestured to a holographic disy on her desk, which showcased various graphs and charts depicting the sales numbers and profit margins. "Our profits have seen a remarkable increase as well. Thebination of the elixir''s high price point and the substantial volume of sales has resulted in a substantial boost to our financial standing¡­" As the discussion progressed, I pondered a strategy that could further boost profits for me and Chrysalis Guild, taking into ount the unique properties of the Horizon Elixir that differ from Catalyst Potion. When an idea sparked in my mind, I decided to share it with her. "Guildmaster, considering the incredible demand for the Horizon Elixir and its potential to unlock and raise an Enhanced''s potential limit, I have a suggestion that could maximize our profits even further," I proposed. Clearing my throat, I continued. "What if we create exclusive, premium editions of the elixir thate withprehensive guidance and resources?" Chapter 77 Horizon Elixir Sales & Payment II ? "What if we create exclusive, premium editions of the elixir thate withprehensive guidance and resources?" That was the idea that surged up from my mind considering the nature of Horizon Elixir that most people didn''t know about how to use it to reach max proficiency. The Horizon Elixir is a product that is essential for Enhanced, it can remove or precisely, raise the limitation of someone''s potential. Though in the end, it will depend on how the consumer uses the elixir. They need to absorb every essence of the elixir for maximum efficiency to raise their max potential limit. If not, they will only waste their only chance to increase their potential limit. Also, yes, how much it could raise one''s potential is dependent on how much one can absorb and circte the elixir essence with their mana core. Neychta leaned forward, clearly intrigued by my idea. "Go on, Crow. Exin." I smirked. I told her that the premium elixir would be something like a subscription or season pass that you''d often find in a video game these days. The premium editions would be more even pricey than the normal Horizon Elixir already set price. Though this would make some people mad and protest at first, they would still buy it in the end. Anyway, the packaging would be unique and they would get an invitation to a specialized training program that would guide consumers on how to absorb and circte the elixir''s essence effectively. "If you can get the Thunder Emperor''s help, this n will run smoother." I could see Neychta considering my suggestion, her masked expression pensive. After a brief silence, she spoke. "I think it''s a good idea. By providing guidance and resources alongside the Horizon Elixir, we can create a truly exceptional experience for our customers and differentiate ourselves in the market. But, what happens if one of the customers who have received the guide on how to maximize the elixir''s effect leaked the information to the other?" "That''s when the Thunder Emperor does his part if you can convince him to work together with you. Alternatively, which will be costly, just use the goldfish powder to make them forget the process." For the record, the goldfish powder was a, well, an odorless powder that had an effect to make anyone who consumed it forget everything. The amount of powder used would determine how much would a person forget their recent memories. The more the powder, the more they would get forget their recent memories. A minute, an hour, but no longer than a day. "I''m not sure if that can do anything to the high-ranked Enhanced." I chuckled and shrugged in my chair. "Haha, of course, it won''t do anything if you do it in a normal way. But, if you are to mix it with sugar, the effect will be lethal that it can affect even the Thunder Emperor." She straightened herself. "Really?" Then press the green button on her desk as she spoke. "Bring a ss of milk, 20 grams of goldfish powder, and sugars." A momentter, the staff member entered the room with everything Neychta had mentioned earlier. The staff was a middle-aged man in butler attire, I knew who he was. He was the Chrysalis Guild''s shadow, a rank hero whose strength was slightly weaker than Neychta. James Knot. He put the tray on the desk, turning away and about to leave the room before Neychta stopped him. "Wait," she said. I gave James a sympathetic look, which then he made a confused frown at me and then turned to Neychta. ''Oh, what a poor guy, he gonna be a ratb,'' I thought. Neychta poured a teaspoon of goldfish powder and sugar into the milk, stirring the spoon until it mixedpletely, and handed the ss to James. Confusion painted his face as he reached for the ss. "Madam?" he said, as the ss was already in his hand. "Drink it, James," Neychta said¨Cno,manded. James closed his eyes and nodded, bringing the ss closer to his mouth. But before he could take a gulp, Neychta stopped him again. "James," she called. Putting a stop, James looked at Neychta. "Yes, ma''am?" Neychta opened her mouth and began to tell James the trick of how to maximize the usage of the Horizon Elixir essence. "Oh! That''s certainly a good tip to know, thank you for telling me this, ma''am!" Neychta waved her hand, gesturing for James to continue to drink the milk. "Yeah, no problem. Now, drink it." James stared at the ss of milk briefly, his face showing confidence and a smirk. Confidently, James brought the ss to his lips and took a gulp of the milk mixed with the potent concoction of goldfish powder and sugar. Almost immediately, his expression shifted from cocky confidence to nkness. The effects of the powder were taking hold. James blinked, his gaze bing unfocused as the memories of the past few minutes slipped away. As soon as his eyes returned to normal, James looked around the room, confusion filled his dumb face. "H-huh? W-what am I doing in madam''s office?" "James, what are you doing here?" Neychta asked, trying to hold a chuckle. "I¡­ I don''t know, ma''am. I was at my usual spot then, uhh¡­ then, something uhh. I''m sorry, ma''am. I don''t know what happened." Neychta nodded and looked at me. "Well, it seems you''re right once again. I can''t help but wonder where you got all of this knowledge," she said. I just smirked, impressed that thebination of the goldfish powder and sugar was working against a rank hero as intended. It was a clever solution to ensure secrecy and protection of valuable intellectual property. Neychta looked at James. "Now, James, go back to your duties. Carry on as usual, and don''t think too much about your situation." James blinked a few times, as if trying to process everything. Then he straightened his posture and replied with a resolute tone. "Yes, ma''am!" Nodding at his response, Neychta dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "Now," Neychta said, turning her attention back to me, "Let''s continue the discussion." We continued to think about the n for the premium edition of the elixir. ¡­ At the end of the discussion, I received my shares of money from Neychta, in cash. Because I forgot to make a bank ount for Ian Crow. Well, money is money. Whether it was physical or digital, it would still make my wallet full. We exchanged a firm handshake before I excused myself from her office. The Horizon Elixir was just the beginning for this world''s development. There would be even greater things waiting in the future, and I hoped that this world would be ready by the time theye. Chapter 78 Before The Midterm Exam I ? It was two weeks left before the midterm exam began. I particrly didn''t have any scheduled activities so I just spent my time practicing and improving my battle skill. The theory or written exam wouldn''t be a difficult subject for me, but a practical exam would. The fact that the Horizon Elixir had been up in the market, and the midterm exam wasing soon. Many of the student''s parents had bought their children the elixir in the hope it could help them seed in the midterm exam and scored a top ce in the quarterly ranking rotation. Some of them even were so brave to buy the premium editions and have their children receive the special guidance and resources that came together with it. Also hoping that they could get something out of it, like information about the guidance that until now remained a secret thanks to the trick I suggested Neychta, using the goldfish powder and sugar. Though, I preferred it if she could convince the Thunder Emperor to work together with her. Hufft. She didn''t even try to attempt it. Now that I thought about it. Thunder Emperor, he had reached the rank because of the elixir. It meant that I had somehow altered the course of the novel''s story, which might be a big turn of events at that. He was supposed to die because of forcing himself to break through the limit which ended up with a tragedy. He should have suffered from Magic Core Dysfunction and died, not even the strongest wizard could cure him when that happened. The Horizon Elixir''s original production was a year after Thunder Emperor''s death. But now that it appeared a year earlier from the supposed time of Thunder Emperor''s death, he was lucky to be alive. And I unconsciously added a new variable to the script and n I had revised. ''Guess I needed to make a few changes again.'' The world was changing, and time would keep running. Knowing this fact, I tried a different approach to my nning. If before it was just a meticulously crafted n without even considering the endless possibilities, now I needed to create a n that was flexible. Not just the n, I needed to make myself and my way of thinking spontaneous, ready to face the new variables because of the butterfly effect I had caused. "Zio, can you help me with this question?" Knocking me off from my little world of thought was Enzo. ncing at him, I couldn''t see his usualzy and bored self, recing them was a contorted face. I leaned close to look at the paper sheet on his side of the long table. "Oh. This is one is easy, you just do this and this and this¡­" I pointed out a few corrections on his paper sheet, also telling him how my correction would make sense. "I see¡­ so that''s how you do it. Thank you¡­" he said, though his face was focused on the paper. "No problem," I said, d that I could be of assistance. "Anytime you need help, just let me know," I offered. A quiet passing moment went by, and breaking the silence was Enzo again. He nced up from his paper, his eyes reflecting curiosity. "I''ve always wondered how you became so knowledgeable about everything. It''s like you have an answer to every question. You know, something like a regressor or a reincarnator in a novel." I almost cough up when I heard thest sentence of his word, but quickly regained myposure. "Well! I''ve always been curious about the world and eager to learn! I''ve spent a lot of time reading and exploring various subjects," I said, trying not to be obvious in lying. "Hmm, I guess that''s true. It''s just impressive how much you know." I patted his shoulder as I got up from my seat. "Everyone has different areas of expertise, it''s important to embrace what you''re passionate about," I told him, my feet ready to take me away from the talk. "Knowledgees with time and experience, so don''t be too hard on yourself." ncing toward the exit door, I prepared to walk down. "Anyway, I have something to do this afternoon. If you need any more help, just ring my number¨C oh right, we haven''t exchanged numbers yet." I strode back to him and we exchanged our watch''s contact. "Done. Just ring me anytime you need help." Walking down while waving my hand, I left the ssroom and headed to my dorm. ¡­ Ring¡ª! I had just arrived in my dorm when suddenly my Nova Watch tickled my wrist. Ring¡ª! Checking it, I arched a brow when I found the contact name read ''Loomy''. The messages wereing from Lumi, not Enzo, and I couldn''t help but wonder why she sent messages. ¡ª Loomy: The Horizon Elixir! Can you believe that?! ¡ª Loomy: It''s already monopolized the market, taking away 13% of our market share! ¡ª Loomy: I don''t know what to say anymore but, I will not let the Chrysalis guild takes over the market from me. We already announced the production of the Catalyst Potion to the public and we''re open for investment! ¡ª Loomy: The hype for the potion is building up thanks to them. Now, we just need to wait for the time to y out and took over the market back from them. ¡ª Loomy: *Sticker* ¡ª Loomy: Btw, how are you doing? ¡ª Loomy: *Sticker* I sighed with a chuckle, my fingers moved to type on the holo-digital keyboard of the watch. What I typed was just a short ''LOL'' message that irked her. Before she could send me more messages, I closed and turned off the notification. As soon as I settled on the sofa, I took out Retro from the storage and lie it next to me. Shortly after, the sword transformed into a human¡ª a little girl with short blonde hair. "Un¨C Brother Zio!" Reina yelled excitedly as soon as she saw me. If only her hands weren''t extended and gestured for me to take out the tablet¡­ "Cartoon. Tablet. Give me." Ruffling her fluffy hair, I took out the tablet and gave it to her. I was happy seeing her like that, but I also felt regret for letting her mingle with technology, and I didn''t want to imagine how would she behave if she got the addiction. I leaned on the sofa, stretching my legs forward and my arms upward. Taking out the book with a nk ck cover and a pen, I began to flip through the pages, looking for an empty page before I started to fill it out with a bunch of ideas and mindmap for the uing, small event of the novel. The event would take ce at the Tea Ceremony Club''s activities in London. And the main cast of this event was Ayano Fuyuki. Chapter 79 Before The Midterm Exam II ? After writing everything down in the book, I closed it and savor a moment of peace while sitting on the sofa. Though the asionalughs and gaspsing from Reina helped me not to sumb to the dream world. As I sat there, basking in the tranquil atmosphere, my mind began to wander. The images of the burning city came back again after a long time. As the images became more vivid, I shook my head and disced the thought away from my mind. "That again¡­!" I said through gritted teeth, cing my hand on the temple. Reina shifted her position as she heard my grunt, her eyes staring at me with a mix of wonder and worry. "Master?" Her head was tilted to one side as if asking me if I was okay. I forced a smile even though a pang of pain still stabbed my head like a needle. "I''m fine. Just reminded of something horrible," I said with a dismissive tone. I thought that was going to make her back off, but I was wrong. Reina''s concern deepened, and she leaned closer, her voice filled with genuine care I''d never heard this type of voice of her. "Master, you can''t hide anything from me. Our soul and fate are intertwined with each other, I could feel what you feel, master, and you also could feel what I feel. And I know that this feeling I felt from you is telling me you''re not fine at all." It was true, our connection went beyond the physical realm. It was something that I''d already known in the first ce. When an artifact willingly bound with its owner, the pact was made automatically. The owner and the artifact would share sentiments after the bond. They could feel each other feelings and understood what each other wanted even without exchanging words. Since Retro''s Ego, Reina, was manifested. She had be a part of me. That was the reason why I felt like I was always happy and optimistic, it was probably because of Reina''s influence on me. I sighed, realizing that I couldn''t hide my true emotions from her. But I still didn''t make an attempt to tell her what was on my mind. "Master!" she scolded me. It felt weird, to be scolded by something that resembled a little girl. She pouted, and her hands on her hips, posing like a domineering figure. "This won''t do! I think we should just go to the amusement park again, master! Come on!" I smiled, ruffling her hair again and again. A disbelief expression and hanging mouth were visible on Reina''s face as I did that. "M-master! How many times are you going to ruin my hair?!" I chuckled. "Sorry, I can''t help it. Your hair is so soft like a cloud," I said, standing up from the sofa. "Anyway, let''s go." Reina perked up with sharp, narrowed eyes while fixing her hair. "To the amusement park?" She sounded like she was grumbling. "Nope. To the training center." ¡­ Arriving at the training center, already in my P.E Uniform, I immediately started my training of the day. After all these times. Since the first day of the academy calendar, I had always trained and improved my fundamentals¡ª the basics of handling daggers and swords. Other than physical talents, I also trained my magical talent [Mana Control]. The talent [Swordmanship] had reached level 3, and [Mana Control] had reached level 2. In my hand was Retro, the sword artifact with the ability that could reverse the oue of my or my enemy''s attack. Today was a special training. I had realized I couldn''t rely on the one-shot ability of Causality Reversal of Retro now that the mana the sword had saved was now depleted, thanks to who? Yes, thanks to me, of course! At least a rank in magic stats before I could use it again. So, today''s training was not only to improve my footwork and technique (I hadn''t learned any though). But, it was to find an alternative way how to use Retro''s ability. I already had some thoughts in my head to make use of Retro''s ability. Since the one-shot technique was no more avable, I had to use or search for another technique. Hell, this might also be my chance to create my own technique honestly. After a long time of thinking about how to create an alternative technique for Causality Reversal, I finally stumbled upon an idea. That was to reduce the mana usage to activate it. I knew that by reducing the mana, the effect would also be reduced, but that was exactly what I intended to do. The simple exnation would be like this: Arge amount of mana could result in a deadly one-hit kill move. Meanwhile, a small amount of mana could create a technique that resembled a feint. At least that was what Reina told me, she wanted me to learn to use a minimum of mana to make use of her abilities. At first, I didn''t have a grasp of what did Reina want me to do, but as hours went by, I finally took the first step of creating my own technique. Before I could do any attempt to swing my sword for offense, I needed to learn how to control my mana first. Thankfully, with [Control Mana Lv.2], the process was going on the smooth side. The first and second day was just me standing around the training center, channeling my mana to the sword in a controlled manner. Then as I got a grasp of it, I continued to the next step. Basic sword techniques which I had learned from Shannon, focusing on precise strikes and fluid movements. That was how she teach me her way of swordsmanship. Getting ustomed to the basic swing and stab, I began to channel mana to each swing and stab. The first attempt was a huge fail, it didn''t do anything except for making the mana exploded when I swung it on the dummy. Thankfully, no harm was done. Though I must pay for the damage I had caused. The training was a series of fail and try for a week. And it was on the first day of the second week that my first swing finally worked as intended. I swung my sword toward the dummy''s left side, near the head part. But when the de actually hit the dummy, the sword mark was in a different ce¡ª on the dummy''s left body, under the wooden stick hand. It worked. But, the only drawback of this technique was that the damage was nullified, as if Retro''s de was dull, bing a wooden stick. It was fine though, I knew exactly what I could do with this. Then finally, the day of the exam wasing¡­ Chapter 80 Exam Convention I ? The midterm exam. It was a mini-arc of the novel, telling a story of what was happening on the midterm exam. All the events that urred in the academy were but a small story arc. An appetizer before the main dish. In fact, this midterm exam would be thest two mini-arc along with Ayano''s arc. After these two were done, the first main plot event would finally ur. The exam would be divided into two different categories; written exam and practical exam. The written exam would be as easy as ripping the paper with a scissor, as long as I could remember what I had learned and known about this world, scoring first in the ranking would be possible. I didn''t need to prepare much for this exam, just some reread on the file I''d gathered to refresh my memory and it was done. Looking around, everyone was focused on their digital tablet that served both question sheets and answer sheets. Just like how it was done at the entrance exam. Focusing on my own digital tablet, I quickly filled out my answer. While I was doing thest two questions, my eyes widened as I saw Ember get up from her seat and submitted her answer. Leaving the ssroom earlier than anyone¨Cthan me. She just did a speedrun on her exam answer! In less than 20 minutes! Shaking the thought away, my focus was back on the question on the digital tablet. Filling everything in as fast as I could but also didn''t forget to double-check it once I was done with thest question. Feeling satisfied, I submitted the answer to the invigtor waiting on the desk in front of the ssroom, while the other one was roaming the ssroom. The written exam whichsted 4 days of 4 different sses happened in repetitive and monotonous. Ember always be the first person to submit her answer and I followed after. I never thought I would get beaten in a written exam that I was so proud of. To make it worst, she was never been a part of the novel. Thus, what she was doing in the exam convinced me further that she was the same as me¨C a reincarnator, or might be a transmigrator, a reader who had read my novel. Though I was still unsure about the idea of the usations. I meant if she was one, everything¨Cthe plotline wouldn''t be the same as I remembered before I decided to ruin it by myself. Unless she was the type that didn''t care about the whole idea and just wanted to enjoy her new life as the granddaughter of the Crimson family? That also seemed wrong because if she was going for that route, then she shouldn''t have brought herself to the spotlight by scoring first ce in the entrance exam. Haa. I don''t know, I guess the only way to confirm it is to ask the person herself. The fourth day of the written exam week had finally concluded. On the fifth day of the week, I went for some training again. This time I was going to try dual wielding a sword. The training center was crowded with students, which was to be expected because everyone wanted to improve themselves. Not to mention that some of them had now rejuvenated with new energy after consuming the Horizon Elixir. I didn''t know if most of them bought the premium subscription though. If they were not buying it, well, I hoped they could get even a tiny of the elixir''s essence and raised their potential significantly. If they were unlucky, then I could only thank them for the money. As I prepared for the warm-up session, someone''s voice broke the air and made me shudder. "Rat!" ''Oh, no. Not her again¡­!'' Iined inwardly. Running away was toote, I could only prepare myself to receive the iing damage. But, no matter how long I waited, the thing that I expected was never happen. Turning around, I found no one. Eh, I meant, a lot of people were there but it was just that the one that I expected was not there. ''Where is she?'' I said, my eyes scanned the crowd but after a long search and I ended up just wasting my time, I returned my focus to training. I tried swinging the sword a few times before pausing for a while, once again searching for the person that might be jumping at me anytime. The result was still the same, she was nowhere to be found. ''Am I getting hallucination now?'' Taking a deep breath, I continued to swing the sword a few more before eventually grabbing another sword. With two swords each in my hand, I determined to improve my dual wielding as well as my swordsmanship. At first, swinging the swords in synchronized movements was difficult. But as I focused on my training, I managed to do it, slowly but surely. What seemingly unfamiliar feeling of long-ded weapons in my hands gradually became more familiar andforting just as when I wielded two daggers. However, the absence of the person I had been expecting continued to bother me. I couldn''t shake off the feeling that she was ying some sort of game, hiding and watching from a distance. It was as if her presence lingered in the air, even though I couldn''t see her. Despite the constant distraction, I remained determined to push myself on training and make the most of it. After all, I only had three¨Ctwo days to prepare for the practical exam. Why did I so determine for the exam? Well, let''s just say that I was a ratherpetitive person. Ember, she had sparked the me inside me that had been long gone¨C If I ever had one. I increased the intensity of my movements, focusing on my footwork and the fluidity of my sword swings. The sound of des cutting through the air became a rhythmic melody as I lost myself in the training. Time seemed to slip away as I continued to hone my skills. The sun began its descent, casting an orange glow over the facility buildings. Fatigue started to set in, but I refused to let it deter me. Just for this once I felt like I wanted to push myself to my limit, it would even be better if I copsed from exhaustion. After all, this is the first time since I came to this world that I felt like this. As the evening sky painted hues of purple and pink, I finally decided to end my training session. I wiped the sweat from my brow and put the swords back on the shelves spanning over the edge of the facility. Ding¨C! The familiar noise of the system notification clicked, anding together with the sound was a transparent system panel. [Your Stamina stat has increased from to ] I smiled at the information, and the smile widened as I recalled the sweet memory from a week ago when I got my Agility stat raised to rank. "Haa¡­ It has been a long journey to even reach E rank," I said as my legs led me out of the building. "I have one Horizon Elixir in my storage. The Catalyst Potion is already prototyping¡­ Between them, it would be best to consume the potion first and save the elixir forter after I''ve got the core of a high-ranked monster." Arriving in my room, I immediately found myself sinking into the soft bed. As my consciousness drifted away, I felt something¨Csomeone was sitting on top of my back. Chapter 81 Change In Demeanor (Skippable) ? Creeeak¡ª! A jarring, eerie noise echoed through the room, jolting me from my sleep. Blinking groggily, I struggled to summon the energy needed to pry open my eyes. Another creak reverberated in the air, this time punctuated by a sharp click that sent shivers down my spine. I rose from my bed, my hand instinctively rubbing my still-heavy eyes. Through blurry vision, I could make out the silhouette of someone standing in front of the door. The figure advanced toward me, each step bringing them closer as my eyes strained to focus. Finally, they reached the foot of the bed opposite mine, and my gaze fixated upon them as they sat. As my vision gradually cleared, the features of the figure came into focus. Strands of long, ck hair cascaded onto the surface of the bed, syed in a hauntingly beautiful manner. A pair of piercing red eyes locked with mine, seeming to prate the depths of my soul. Her skin was as pale as that of the deceased. A spark of recognition ignited within me as I discerned her unmistakable features. "Zia...what time is it?" I managed to utter, my voiceced with a yawn. Zia''s lips curved into a gentle, warm smile, momentarily easing my unease. Yet, as I caught a glimpse of the coldness lurking behind her eyes, an inexplicable shiver coursed through me. "It is the midnight hour. You should go back to sleep," she stated, her voice devoid of any emotion. It was a tone I had never before heard from her, void of the warmth and familiarity that used to define her speech. Something was wrong¡­ I stretched my body and got up from bed. Zia''s gaze was still locked on me. Her earlier demeanor made me feel a knot of apprehension tightening my chest. Something was off with her¡ªher distant gaze, her detached demeanor. It was as if a stranger stood before me, wearing the skin of the person I knew. p¦Ánd¦Á---no¦Í?1,§ão§® "Are you okay?" I asked, my voice quivering slightly. The air seemed to grow heavier with each passing moment, filling the room with an unsettling stillness. She remained silent for a moment, her gaze unyielding. Then, in a chilling monotone, she finally spoke, her words hanging in the air like a forebody mist. "There are things¡­dark things. They whisper in the shadows, beckoning to me." A chill ran down my spine as I absorbed her words. I had never heard Zia speak something cringe like that before¡­and so I thought. "Oh. So it''s like that¡­ I see, don''t worry. It will soon disappear when you realize it." Her face stayed still, expression unchanging. Upon seeing her expression, I couldn''t help but feel a pang of regret for saying something that might offend her. Well, I couldn''t say that it was all my fault, right? ''Looks like when someone is in their phase, they really can''t ept a joke,'' I thought to myself, scratching my cheek. Feeling that the atmosphere turned awkward and I didn''t have anything to soothe the situation, I decided to walk away, finding myself peace on thefy sofa. I could feel Zia''s gaze was still on me, and wondering when would she stop that. I didn''t particrly bothered by the stare, it just felt strange when she did that. Blood-red eyes in perfect shape, devoid of any tiredness. And that very same eyes were staring at me like a psycho. I tried to ignore her gaze and focused to do my own thing. Though I was supposed to sleep right now, it was hard to fall asleep when someone was giving me a locked stare. Instead, I put my A5 journal book on the table. Take out a pen and at the same time flip through the pages to find a nk page I could write on. I was not going to craft a n as it was already done. Instead, I did sketching on the paper. While my hands were moving in a knowing manner, I asionally nced at Zia who, once again, was still staring at me. By the end of the time, I finished my sketch of her. The sketch captured Zia''s haunting beauty, emphasizing the sharp angles of her face and the intensity of her eyes. The lines on the paper seemed toe alive, portraying her enigmatic aura. I set the pen down and admired my creation, satisfied with the way the sketch had turned out. Zia''s gaze still bore into me, unrelenting and unsettling. I got up and walked toward her, showing the sketch. "I thought you might like to see it. Also, this is my attempt to get your apologies for what I said earlier." Zia''s expression remained unchanged as she nced at the sketch. Her eyes lingered on the page for a moment, then slowly extended her hand, her pale fingers delicately grasping the edges of the sketchbook. As she studied the drawing, a hint of a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. It was a subtle expression, barely there, but it was enough to make me breathe relief. "You capture me well," she finally spoke, her voice soft yet still carrying the unusual aloof and mncholy tone. "There''s an intensity in your lines, as if you truly see me. I really appreciate that, thank you." I nodded and let out a smile. "Well, I ''truly'' see you," I said, though unsure of my own word''s meaning. Zia closed the book and handed it back to me. Her gaze finally softened as she looked at me. As I took the book back, the sleepiness suddenly hit me. My body felt burdened as if gravity itself tried to drag me down. "Oh?" I stumbled back, falling to the floor near my bed. My vision was blurry once again. Zia''s features became unnoticeable, and she once again became a silhouette like the first time I saw her standing in front of the door. Her silhouette figure asionally blinked, appearing and disappearing, and even glitching as if she was a hologram. That was thest thing I had seen before the world around me seemed to distort and everything went ck. The next time I opened my eyes, I found myself waking up on my bed. Which I found strange because I was surest night I was sleeping on the floor. As I rose up from my bed, feeling a little of a headache, I rubbed my temple. Taking notice of the clean bedsheet opposite mine, the memory of thest night surged up my head. I frowned at the sight of the clean, cold bedsheet. It was the same as thest time I witnessed this¡­ "..." Chapter 82 Exam Convention II ? Two days before the practical exam, I had notified my team; Ember, Enzo, Hulio, and Niah this morning, telling them to gather. I was the first toe to the meeting point. While waiting for them, I kept myself busy with my Nova Watch, searching for any additional resource information¨Cany information which mighte to useter. After half an hour, the team finally arrived, wearing expressions of curiosity and confusion. Ah, but of course, our two top ranks had their usual expression of boredom, and the other was a t, poker face. "Uhh, Zio, is there any reason why you gathered us?" It was Hulio the one who asked, which was usually the one who never asked questions in the group. His face disyed a mix of wonder and annoyance. "Yeah¡­ I was hesitant toe here since the practical exam is just two days away. I should be practicing instead of being here but¡­" Niah said, her eyes staring at me reluctantly. "Since you''re the team leader, I suppose I can spare some time." Team leader. That''s right, I was the leader of Lupus-8. eaglesnov?1,§ão§® It was in the second lesson of the Combat Training ss that I was appointed as the team leader. It should have been Ember or Enzo since those two were the strongest of the team, but the instructor believed their quiet natures were not suited for leadership. So, the responsibility fell on me, the third strongest ording to the rankings. Observing each of the team member''s expressions, a smile finally formed on my face. "Don''t worry. I''m not calling you all here just to waste your time but rather to inform you," I assured them, pausing briefly to check my Nova Watch. "You see, the practical exam will be conducted as a group exam this time." "What?!" They¨CHulio and Niah¨Calmost shouted at the same time, eyes widened. Ember looked at her Nova Watch, while Enzo just yawning,zily ncing at his Nova Watch but decided not to bother to check it. I put on an apologetic smile before saying, "I just received the message from the instructor about that." It was half a lie, half a truth. I already knew about the practical exam format even before the instructor informed all the team leaders of each group. "So, the reason you gathered us¡­" I grinned at Niah''s unfinished words. "I want to improve our team''s teamwork." I could see a mix of reactions on their faces¡ªconfusion, surprise, and even a hint of excitement, even our unenergetic members had a smile. They were all skilled individuals¡ªyes, it also included Hulio and Niah even though they were almost deadst in the rankings. Though not as skilled as Ember and Zio obviously, they had the potential to be in the top 300 students. ''The only problem is our teamwork,'' I silentlymented, ncing toward Ember, who raised an eyebrow in response. ''Especially her¡­'' ¡­ "Niah! Cut it out with the buffs on Ember. Hulio is our tank, remember?" "But-" Niah, our trusty support with buffing abilities, seemed to be making some errors in her support role. She kept giving buffs exclusively to Ember. I mean, it wasn''t entirely wrong since Ember was the strongest among us. However, the issue was that Niah''s buffs leaned toward defense. Instead of buffing Ember, who was already agile and capable of creating a mana barrier, it would be more effective to grant buffs to Hulio, who served as our team''s tank, or Enzo who was the main long-range damage dealer, or even herself who was vulnerable to attack. "You should focus on your own battle, rat!" "?!!" Interrupting me from giving orders to my teammate was Seo Yeong-Ha. I barely missed her fist that produced hot steams. My team was currently having a scrimmage training with Lux''s and Seo Yeong-Ha''s team¡ªDraco-30. Ember was fighting against Lux, they were on par. Though, Lux slightly overpowered her because their buffer seemed to have offensives buffs. Hulio fought against their vanguard, he was overwhelmed because he didn''t get the support he was supposed to have. Meanwhile, Enzo won his duel against their caster as they didn''t have a marksman. Though, after winning he ceased his attack and had went quiet since then, not helping his teammate. And there was me, a supposed striker of the team. Rather than doing my job to take down the opponent''s support, I was holding my ground, protecting Niah from Seo Yeong-Ha, the opposite team''s striker. Seo Yeong-Ha''s fist emanated hot steam, ready to strike me with her Formless Fist Technique. As she prepared tounch her fist, I interrupted her with my feet, suppressing her fist before she couldunch it. "Tch!" She clicked her tongue and pushed her fist anyway. As she pushed her fist forward despite my attempt to suppress it, I quickly reacted by jumping backward to create some distance between us. My nimble movement helped me to maneuver myself in mid-air, evading her follow-up attack. It was a fortune that she didn''t try her chance to press the attack. As Inded after the jump, I assessed the situation, keeping a watchful eye on Seo Yeong-Ha. My eyes were ticklish while I did so, and a system panel appeared in my vision. [Name: Seo Yeong-Ha (¡â) Age: 17 Race: Human [Stats] Strength: E+ Agility: E Intelligence: E Stamina: D- Magic: E- Charisma: C Luck: C+ [Hidden Stats] Perception: D Mental: A+ Potential: S Health: D-] The gap in our stats was actually not that far. But our experiences were. I only had like four months of experience, while she had almost ten years. With that, her foundation, fundamental, and fighting senses were far above me. Not to mention that she had a lot of martial techniques, while I had none. This was going to be a hard fight, I was sure of that. Those eyes of hers that seemed to be obsessed to crush me would be the evidence of that. Taking a deep breath, I stood up and tried to talk to her. "You sure enjoy beating me up, don''t you?" Seo Yeong-Ha cocked her head to the side, and a wide grin appeared at the same time. "Hehe, of course. After all, I still don''t get my revenge." "Revenge? Are you still angry because I stole your prey back at the Hunting Practice?" "Yes, you rat! I will never forgive you until I can beat you up with my hands!" She yelled, her eyebrows knitting to each other. "Is that so?" I sighed, then I opened my arms wide. "Thene, beat me until you''re satisfied." "Heh! I''ll dly ept it!" She said, rolling her sleeves up over the elbows. I stood still as she approached me with a devilish smile, which somehow added to her charm. As she walked closer, not knowing what was about to happen to her, I mirrored her smile. ''Heh. What a fool.'' I dropped my daggers but she didn''t react to it. Finally, she stopped in front of me, her gaze fixed on me. The mischievous glint in her dark green eyes seemed to intensify, contrasting beautifully with her fairplexion. Her shoulder-length chestnut hair framed her face delicately, adding an air of elegance to her fierce demeanor. "Stay there, rat," she said. "Sure." Without warning, Seo Yeong-Ha lunged forward, her fist aiming for my chest. Her movements were swift. But I dodged her attack effortlessly, stepping aside just in time. "Wha¡ª" Frustration was surfacing on her face, and it grew stronger especially when I tackled her, sending her crashing to the ground. "Guh!" She groaned. Chapter 83 Exam Convention III ? "Grr¡­" I could hear her growling, something that sounded like a hungry beast. She stood up and pointed at me angrily. "Why are you dodging?!" I chuckled softly, enjoying the sight of her growing frustration. "Dodging is part of the fight, isn''t it? Don''t me me if you can''t hit me even after I give you a handicap." Seo Yeong-Ha''s eyes zed with rage as she gritted her teeth. "I told you to stand still!" "And you think I''ll do it?" She didn''t answer, or precisely, she couldn''t answer. She just gave me a stare full of resentment, her face almost red like a tomato out of frustration. "Y-you¡­!" At that moment, a pping sound was echoing in the air, disrupting the heated situation between us. Lux and the rest of his team members and mine were gathered in a circle. They were looking in our direction. It seemed that we were too focused on our little fight that we didn''t realize the training had ended. Lux called us out and Seo Yeong-Ha and I joined them, discussing our scrimmage. "Good work to both teams," Lux said. "Thanks to this joint training, I now know what our teams arecking." I nodded approvingly. "Same here," I said, a tone of sarcasm was hanging in my words that made two of my team members smile sheepishly. Seo Yeong-Ha scoffed and crossed her arms, still visibly annoyed. "Tch! As far as I see, it seems you''re the one that iscking. You''re ying tricks so you can attack me. How are you supposed to improve if that''s the only thing you can do?" I shrugged nonchntly. "Rather than a trick, I would call it a tactic. Adapting to unpredictable situations and fooling a strong enemy you can''t win by normal means are essential skills inbat. Actually, it''s you that needs improvement. If you can''t discern and anticipate whether your opponent is tricking you or not, then I''d say you are worse than these two," I said, my hands pointed at Hulio and Niah. "What did you say?!" She yelled. Her head seemed to blow up with uncontainable rage to my provoke. Thankfully, Lux and his teammates were quick to hold her down. "H-hey, calm down, Seo Yeong-Ha!" Lux said, then he nced at me. "You too, Zio. Can''t both of you be civil? You guys always fight every time you meet." I shrugged in response to Lux''s words. Seo Yeong-Ha sighed, her anger subsiding slightly. "Fine! But he better not use any trick against me next time!" she demanded, stomping her feet on the poor ground. Lux smiled. "I''ll make sure you get that chance if we encounter Zio''s team in the exam. Now, let''s gather everyone''s feedback on the scrimmage, even though we''repeting for the examter, it won''t hurt to discuss what we can improve upon." As we began sharing our observations and suggestions, I noticed Seo Yeong-Ha stealing nces at me from time to time. I grinned mischievously, to which she responded by sticking out her tongue and yfully tugging at the under-eye bags as if mocking me. That marked the end of today''s scrimmage. Though, we did it again tomorrow and everyone seemed to already improve. Especially for my team. Finally, the day of the practical exam came. Unlike written exams, the practical exam was basically like a festival, it was open to the public, and this event was called the ''Exam Convention''. The entire academy ground buzzed with excitement as visitors from various cities gathered to witness this grand quarterly event of Octagram Academy. Among them was often found an agent of the guilds, seeking talented students. The Exam Convention had transformed the academy into a vibrant carnival, with colorful booths, interactive disys, and stages where students demonstrated their skills. eaglesnov?1,§ão§® Students in each grade or year of school were typically assigned specific locations or venues where they took their exams. The freshman year was to take the exam in a battle royale theme, so their designated ce was at the Artificial Forest. Dozen of drones would be installed to capture the exam''s process, broadcasting it live on various tforms and on the academy''s massive disy screen ced at the academy''s heart. Meanwhile, the sophomore year was to take the exam in the form of a duel system like Neophyte Nexus. Their designated ce was the Octagram''s arena. Visitors were free to spectate the ongoing duel between students. It was also being broadcasted live the same as the freshman year''s exam. Because there were 20 sses in each grade year, the practical exam was held for 5 days¡ªfour sses each day. On the first day of the freshman year exams, my ss, Lupus, will be participating along with three other sses: Draco, Tigris, and Serpent. Before entering the Artificial Forest, we had a brief exnation from the four instructors about the practical exam and its rules. Assessment will be divided just like a Hunting Practice, individual and group. Now that the exam was recorded by the drones and supervised by the supervisors who would give grading to students'' performance, they couldn''t just win the games but also needed to perform as well as they could. Winning the games of battle royale didn''t guarantee a student got a high rating from the supervisors, they needed to prove what they were made of. Also the rules, it was simple. 100 groups consisting of 5 people each would be assigned to a base that they needed to protect from the other''s group. The group needed to protect the g ced on their base so it wouldn''t get stolen. If the g was stolen, the group would lose their base, and if they couldn''t get their g back in 5 minutes, they were out of the games. And that would affect their grade because usually, they couldn''t get much chance to show off their skills to the supervisors. Now that everything was set for today''s group exam, we began entering the gate and teleported to the Artificial Forest. As soon as we arrived at the Artificial Forest, each of the groups immediately ran and searched for their base as per the instructors'' order. It needed like twenty minutes before all the 100 groups were settled in their base, each of their members discussed what would be the best approach to the situation, would they get offensive or defensive? A loud siren sound howled, echoing through the air that would make my ears bleed if itsted longer than 15 seconds, signaling the exam had begun. I looked at my team with a wide grin, confidence enveloped me. "Get ready!" Chapter 84 Exam Convention IV ? "Listen," I began, pping my hands to gather my team''s attention. "We have two options, either we go offensive or defensive." Noticing no one seemed to want to say something, I continued. "If we go offensive, we have to leave our base with at least two people, the rest will search for the enemy''s g and take it away." "What if we stay defensive?" Niah asked. "If we stay defensive, then we will stay here. Waiting for the other team toe by themselves to our base. Probably three to four will roam around, and if that was to happen we will get the number advantage." Ember raised her hand, but kept it at a moderate height, with her fingertips reaching the same level as the top of her head. I slightly raised my eyebrow at her gesture. "Yes, Ember? Do you wanna say something?" She nodded calmly. "I want to go offensive." "Me too!!" Niah and Hulio followed along. I shifted my attention toward Enzo who was already sitting on the ground as soon as we arrived here. Noticing my gaze, he shook his head and then yawned as he leaned on the nearby tree. As I nced back at the three individuals who voted for the offensive approach, I inquired, "Why do you want to go for offensive tactics?" Niah and Hulio quickly averted their gaze, disying restlessness and asionally seeking support from Ember through stolen nces. Observing their reaction, I let out a sigh. Eventually, I shifted my attention toward Ember, who appeared ready to share her thought. "For evaluation. The earlier we act, the more time we have for demonstrating our skills to get a higher grading." As soon as she uttered those words, both Niah and Hulio abruptly made approving noises. "Yes, yes. That''s it! We want to get a high rating for this exam!" "You do know that we have two hours for the exam time limit, right?" I asked. "Yes, and?" The two low-rankings cocked their head to the side. Ember stared at me silently. Just as I said before, there were two options that a team could choose on how to y this exam game for the first 60 minutes. Offensive or defensive. If a team chose to be offensive, they basically yed a search-and-destroy game mode. They would search for another team''s g, then steal and keep it for 5 minutes to make the opponent team out of the game. The other case was if a team chose to be defensive. They would y a tower defense game mode except that they couldn''t build a tower or defensive utility to stop the enemy''s advance. Well, though I could say that in general, this exam game was more like Capture The g mode but the participating teams wouldn''t be limited only to two opposing teams but a hundred. Abination of Battle Royale and Capture A g I would say. e¦Áglesn?¦Íel In my opinion, an offensive approach would be harder than a defensive tactic. Why? Because of the 5 minutes countdown to keep the stolen g. Five minutes are not a short time you know? Especially when you also need to fight the team g owner. Not to mention that the offensive team would be outnumbered because they had to split their number. That was what I wanted to tell these three who voted for the offensive tactic but, I thought that it might be interesting if they figured out the difficulty by themselves. Might as well serve as their lesson for getting too ambitious. "You know what. Just do what you like. Enzo and I will try to defend our team''s g here while you guys seek the enemy team''s g," I said dismissively. "Really?!" Niah surprised. "Will you two be okay?" "If you are worried then why don''t you just stay here with us?" "Eek¨C I, I am just asking¡­" I sighed. "We will be okay. There may be only three to four people who will try to steal our g. I think we can handle it, right, Enzo?" Enzo just nodded, seemingly not caring about what I just said. Well, anyway, I was confident I could protect the g! With that, our team was split into two divisions. The attacker division: Ember Crimson, Niah Hayes, Hulio Lio. The defender division: Zio Varrez, Enzo Ruiz. My gaze followed the attacker division until they disappeared from my sight. Once they were gone to the thick of the forest, I approached the g positioned near the tree where Enzo was enjoying his nap. My hand reached for the gpole, trying to pull it up but failed. I observed the g, my eyes searching for something, and eventually found what I looked for on the gpole stand. An indicator. The indicator lit a red light, indicating that the lock was active. The g had a sensor, it could identify who tried to pull it. And this g was designed so the members of the team that owned the g couldn''t pull it out from the gpole stand. Only the enemy team could do it. But¡­ Remember what I said that defensive tactic was the best choice for the first 60 minutes? It was because of this locked g. In the first 60 minutes, the g''s owner couldn''t pull their g. But, after 60 minutes had passed, the indicator would light green color, indicating the gpole stand was unlocked and we could finally bring the g around. Yes. That''s what I''m going to do. Holding my ground for 60 minutes. Once the lock was unlocked, I would bring the g around and regroup with the other members. It was then that the offensive tactic would be viable because we didn''t need to worry about leaving our g in its original position as the g would be with us all the time. Smirking, I leaned on the tree next to Enzo''s. "Looks like you noticed the indicator on the gpole stand," Enzo said as soon as I settled in my rxing position. "Sure, I do. How about you? Since when did you notice it?" "I already noticed it as soon as we arrived. In one nce." Hoho. This was unexpected. Chapter 85 Exam Convention V ? The room was spacious, featuring a meticulously designedyout to amodate a myriad of monitoring stations. Dominating the room were multiple disy monitors, each arranged to provide aprehensive view of the monitored group exam captured by the drone camera. These high-resolution screens, with their sleek bezel-less designs, spanned across the walls, forming a mesmerizing digital tapestry. The vibrant glow emitted by the screens illuminated the room, casting an otherworldly ambiance. Interwoven with the array of digital screens, holographic projection in the middle of the room danced throughout the space, adding an ethereal touch to the surroundings. Intricate and lifelike, these holograms projected real-time 3D models of the Artificial Forest, including the students taking the test there. Dozen of supervisors¡ªwho were the heroes of the Omega Association, dressed in professional attire, worked their 4ss off to study the students through the monitors. With focused attention, they analyzed the information streaming across the screens and holographic projection, evaluating and studying the group of students in real time. Among the supervisors, an odd-looking individual wearing a full-face mask was watching one particr monitor only. That very monitor was disying a group of three students led by the red-haired girl and would asionally switch to the two students who were resting under the trees. Every time the screen switched to the two students, the supervisor would straighten her posture, a hint of excitement and anxiety were clearly there. "Is there any group that you set your eyes upon?" The supervisor was startled as the voice ranging behind her. She quickly turned around to find another supervisor standing behind her. This supervisor, dressed in a sleek ck suit, exuded an air of authority and confidence. "Raja. Do that again and I''ll show you what it feels like to live in hell," the masked supervisor said, recovering from her surprise. Before her stood a colossal man, a magnificent specimen of brawn and stature. His towering figure exuded power, each muscle meticulously sculpted to perfection. Yet, amidst his imposing presence, his shining bald head broke the illusion, making the masked supervisor let out a chuckle as she examined his head. Raja is his name. He took 27th ce in the hero ranking as a rank hero. He shrugged in response to the masked supervisor''s threat, thinking it was a joke and her usual banter. "Well, sorry." "So, who is it? Who''s the student that catches your attention? Is it the me brat?" Raja inquired. The masked supervisor turned her attention back to the screen, waving her hand at Raja dismissively. "Mind your own business, baldie." "Hey! It''s not like it was my intention to be bald, someone scammed me!" ", h. Keep talking, baldie." ¡­ Lupus-8''s attacker division consisted of three people; Ember, Niah, and Hulio had finally found their first target. They weren''t sure which group was it camped around their base with only two guards. But, that didn''t matter as long as Ember and the other could steal the g. "Uhh, Ember, what''s our strategy?" Niah asked, standing right beside Ember. "No strategy. Just attack them when they are vulnerable," Ember replied. "I''m not sure about this¡­ but hey, we got top student among us, so I''ll trust your judgment," Hulio added. The three of them were hiding behind the trees close to their target''s base. Noticing that the two guards didn''t even react to the mana Ember had emitted, she was sure that those two were low-ranked. ''As if there''s someonepetent except the top 100¡­'' Ember thought. As she said that, she suddenly recalled someone''s face. A boy with jet-ck hair and eyes as dark as outer space. ''Mmm. He would be in the top 100¡ªno, top 10 if the event he told me didn''t happen¡­'' Ember closed her eyes and then looked at herpanion. "There are only two guards over there. You guys should be able to handle them," Ember said, briefly pausing to sigh before continuing to mutter, "That''s what he wants, right?" "Sorry, I can''t seem to hear yourst sentence. Can you repeat it?" said Niah while fidgeting her fingers. Ember shook her head slowly. "It''s nothing." Niah and Hulio looked at each other and gave each other an approving nod before looking at Ember with renewed confidence. "Okay! So, we just have to take those two down, right?" Ember nodded silently. "Will you help us if we failed to do so?" said Niah, smiling sheepishly afterward. Ember responded with another silent nod. With that, the two low-ranked officially began their conquest for their first g. Ember watched them in silence as they made their way toward the enemy''s base. Startled by the sudden appearance of two intrudersing to their base, the two guards who were talking andughing in a conversation stood up and pointed their weapons at Niah and Hulio. "W-who are you guys?!" one of the guards yelled. Niah and Hulio maintained a confident stance despite the guards'' aggressive response. Niah stepped forward, still behind Hulio''s sword and shield protection. "We are members of Lupus-8," Niah dered firmly. "And we''vee to im your g!" The guards exchanged a skeptical nce, clearly underestimating Niah and Hulio due to how clumsy their stances were. One of the guards sneered and lowered his weapon slightly. "Ha! You think you can take us down? You''re just a couple of rookies," he scoffed. "Hey! You''re also a rookie! I can see by how you just run your mouth instead of attacking us, you''re probably even lower than us in rankings!" Niah provoked them, and Hulio knew very well where Niah learned that trait. "What did you say?!" He looked toward hispanion and both of them nodded in understanding, suddenly rushed to attack Niah and Hulio. "We''ll show you who is the rookie here!" That marked the battle of the century, the rookies'' battle! Hulio charged forward to meet the guards'' attack with his shield, while Niah released a volley of arrows at her pace, aiming to disrupt and distract the guards. Hulio engaged the guards head-on, his shield providing a stalwart defense against their attacks. With each swing of his sword, he somehow managed to deflect the guards'' strikes and did a bit of counterattack. eaglesnov?1,§ão§® Niah, not only gave Hulio a defense buff, but she also provided cover fire, luckily hitting the guards on the shoulders and thighs. The battle somehow favored Niah and Hulio, though their attacks were clumsy, it seemed the Goddess of Fortune helped them, especially Niah with her bow and arrows. At the end of the short battle, Hulio delivered a powerful blow with his shield, knocking one guard to the ground, while Niah mercilessly knocked out the other one by striking their neck with her bow. The guardsy defeated, their weapons scattered around them. As they pulled the g out of the gpole stand, they cheered for themselves. "We did it!!" Chapter 86 The Defenders ? [Name: Enzo Ruiz (¡á) Age: 18 Race: Human [Stats] Strength: E Agility: E Intelligence: D- Stamina: D+ Magic: E Charisma: E+ Luck: S [Hidden Stats] Perception: S Mental: C e¦Áglesn?¦Íel Potential: A+ Health: E] '' rank Perception? So that''s how he did that.'' I blinked my eyes as the ticklish became itchy. That was the first time I felt it. The itchy eyes I meant. Rubbing my eyes, the itch gradually subsided. I threw my face away from Enzo who was closing his eyes, unaware that he was being observed. I looked at my hand, noticing that the storage ring was not there. Before the exam started, the instructors demanded that bringing a storage cube with personal weapons was prohibited. They had asked that students were to use the weapon the academy provided. The academy itself didn''t have strict rules about students'' weapons. We were allowed to change our weapons whenever we wanted. Though most of the instructors and professors advised that it was better to stick with one type of weapon of students'' talent. Those who had Swordsmanship talent would obviously use a sword, Bowmanship talent used a bow, Spearmanship talent used a spear, and so on. These talents that were limited to one weapon only were often called ''Path Talent''. Meanwhile, the talents simr to demaster, Assassin, Berserker, and other talents that were named like a ss or profession in RPGs were called ''Specialization Talent''. These talents were capable to wield different weapons to improve their talents level. demaster was capable to use any weapon with a de. In my opinion, this talent was the most broken talent because most of the weapons produced for Enhanced mostly had des. Assassin could be equipped with a dagger, short sword, or even a bow. Berserkers could fight with their fists, halberd, or any weapons categorized as heavy weapons. ''For my Dual Wielding talent, I''m still not sure what type of weapons I can use to improve my talent level but, I do know that it will raise my mastery as long as I hold¡ªuse two weapons in both hands.'' So I categorized my Dual Wielding in Specialization Talent. Because I could use any weapon as long as I held a pair in both hands. Anyway, I used my usual weapon for today. Dual daggers. ''What''s the point of practicing with dual swords a week ago, you said? Well, even if I was practicing it doesn''t mean I will use it. Idiots and cool wannabes should just shut up.'' ''This whole talk about what weapon I should use depended on what I''m going to face, it''s situational. I know what I should do. So just shut up!'' Uhum! Sorry, some weird noises were ringing in my head, telling me to do this and that as if they knew sh!t. Using my irvoyance, I tried to survey and scan the area around me. I found no signs of humans within a hundred meters of the vicinity. As I was done, I closed my eyes and eventually rxed under the tree. The fresh air brushed my skin helping me to rx. 30 minutes had passed since the game started, and only half an hour left before we could move with the g in hand. This was surprisingly quiet and easy, I thought there would be a wave of students trying to steal the g from us like what happened to Lux''s team in the novel. ''Oh right. That may be the reason why¡­'' It was just my assumption but since I didn''t find any team around my team''s base, it might be possible that they were raiding Lux''s team. Oh ho. It was an illogical story event but phew, I was d that this exam yed out the same as I knew. *** At the same time. On the other side of the Artificial Forest¡­ "Seize their g!" a male voice shouted. Three teams, each made of three people had teamed up against Lux''s and Seo Yeong-Ha''s team. Nine against five. Lux''s team had decided on defensive tactics so that he could defend their territory. Another reason was that he had a feeling that this would happen. He had noticed that a few teams were already targeting them even before the game started. A lot of cold and jealous stares were directed at him at that moment. The worst thing was he didn''t know what he did wrong to make those people hating on him. As the group was desperate to reach the g positioned at the center of Lux''s team formation, Seo Yeong-Ha wiped four of them with ease. And Lux handled the other five by himself. Meanwhile, the rest of his team members just watched as the two strongest members of their team single-handedly defeated the nine aggressors. Lux started with a slow, flowing motion. He was swinging his sword, following the jiggle light that only he could see. The slow swinging motion gradually increased in pace, it had be fast that the five couldn''t follow Lux''s movements. Lux effortlessly swung and danced together with his sword, shing while dodging the five in a fast motion. At the end of his action, he reached the backline of the five, his sword creating a trace of a crescent moon. With a graceful sheathing of his sword, the five aggressors suddenly crumpled to the ground, defeated. "Your swordsmanship is pleasant to my eyes. It''s beautiful and still captivating no matter how many times I see it," said Seo Yeong-Ha as she knocked out thest person of the attacking group. Lux, finally opening his eyes, grinned as he turned around to see Seo Yeong-Ha dominating her opponent. Her left foot rested upon the two unconscious bodies stacked beneath her. "I can say the same to you. You''re brutal and ferocious as always." "Ferocious? This is merely moderate," Seo Yeong-Ha scoffed. Lux just chuckled in response to her im. "Anyhow, why are there so many teams targeting us? How many have we defeated?" Lux wondered. "I don''t know, probably 30?" Seo Yeong-Ha replied, her thumb gesturing to dozens of students tied to trees. "It''s 34 now!" Her teammates shouted. Lux sighed. "I hope this will end soon, I''m tired already." *** As I woke up from a brief, approximately 5-minute nap, I stretched my body and rose to my feet. Gazing in the direction of Enzo, I noticed his hands were upied with his bow and arrow. "You''re finally awake," he remarked. "Yeah. Thanks for not waking me up and..." I trailed off as my gaze fixated on the three individuals tightly bound with a rope, their mouths securely taped shut. "...good work for stopping them too." "It''s nothing." I could hear blocked noisesing from one of the attackers, he was shooting me a sharp, burning re. I arched a brow before approaching him and pulling the tape on his mouth. Immediately, he yelled at me, "YOU FVCKING RAT!! I¡ª!" Once I heard the word ''rat''ing from his filthy mouth, I quickly shut him up, his mouth taped again. "What a cruel fate that I''ve encountered my victim for the second time." The man made a noise as soon as I said that. I didn''t what he was saying but he was probably throwing me a bunch of curse words in differentnguages. Well, I just ignored him. What could he do, anyway? Nothing. If he couldn''t break free from the knot then he couldn''t do anything to me. Rustle¡ª! Rustle¡ª! The bushes, or probably the leaves on the tree suddenly make a noise, freezing me and Enzo in the ce. We exchanged a nce and nod before taking out our weapons. I unsheathed the dual daggers from the scabbards hanging on the belt made of kydex around my waist. Did not want to get ambushed, Enzo performed the first strike. His arrow flew toward the tree not far from us. Stab¨C! "Ack!" Following the sound of an arrow prating the flesh was a pained groan from a student. He fell from the top of the tree and hit the ground pretty hard that it made a loud THUD sound. As soon as one of the ambushers was spotted, the other quickly emerged from their hiding spots and surrounded us. Four people. Five if we count the one who already fell. ''Hmm, are they teaming up to steal our team''s g?'' I thought as I counted their numbers. Then, one of them, a tall and muscr figure charged toward Enzo with a longsword in hand. He swung it fiercely, aiming to overpower him with brute strength. Enzo swiftly dodged the attack and jumped away, making a distance between them. Meanwhile, two others, armed with short swords, lunged at me simultaneously from different angles. They probably hoped to catch me off guard, too bad it didn''t work. With ease, I dodged their strikes, agilely maneuvering between them andunching counterattacks with my daggers. The fourth attacker, a nimble and acrobatic woman, circled around, attempting to nk me and catch me off bnce. Her agility made it challenging to predict their movements. Thankfully, I got irvoyance in my possession. Predicting her next move was as easy as I breathe air. When she was about tounch a kick, I intercept her and knocked her out before the other two could make their attempt to attack. Burst¡ª! A strong gust of wind materialized around Enzo''s arrow. When he released the bowstrings, the arrow enhanced with wind magic sent the muscr figure to fly away. I hope he doesn''t die¡­ Thest two had a goodbination and coordinated attacks that kept me on the defensive, evading their strikes while searching for an opportunity to strike back. Whoosh¡ª! Enzo shot another arrow to help me, ruining their coordinated attacks. "Nice one!" While their concentration was broken by the distraction arrow, I delivered a swift, lethal strike to one of them, staggering him before Enzo knocked him out. "Ready your jaw!" Thest one, seemingly distracted by my voice, couldn''t react in time as my fist came from below and hit his jaw. Thud¨C! After a short dramatic flying a few centimeters above the ground, he crumbled to the ground. "Fuh¡­ That was easy." Chapter 87 The Attackers I ? The size of the Artificial Forest was big. It upied 70% area of the northern part of the ind. That very forest was currently used for the first-year students'' exam. On the northern side of the forest, a student with blonde hair, Leonardo was dominating the area. Tagging along with him was a tall guy¡ªthe same height as Leo with cropped hair, his skin color was on the darker side. Only two of them were enough to clear out the team in the area. Meanwhile, the rest of their team was left to guard the g. "Benjamin," Leo called out hispanion''s name. "Leo, what can I do for you?" Benjamin responded with a tone of respect toward Leo. "Is there another team nearby?" As soon as Leo asked him the question, Benjamin closed his eyes and squatted. His index finger touched the ground. A momentter, Benjamin could hear and feel what was happening in hundred meters area around him. Opening his eyes, Benjamin frowned and shook his head. "I don''t detect anyone around except those who already lost their g by us. Sorry, Leo." "Hmm¡­" Leo pulled out his scythe de from the ground, hanging the handle around his shoulder. "I can force myself to expand my skill reach¡ª" Before Benjamin could finish his words, Leo cut him off with a firm ''No'' as he began to walk away, following where his feet would lead him to. Nodding his head, Benjamin followed behind. On the eastern side of the forest, two girls with contrasting hair colors stood with their backs turned to each other, protecting each other''s backs. The first girl boasted a lengthy mane of dark hair, fashioned into a ponytail,plemented by captivating violet eyes reminiscent of a feline, Grace. Meanwhile, the second girl, with her white hair elegantly arranged in a bun of Kimono hairstyle. Her serene blue eyes resembled a tranquil ocean, Ayano. "Watch my back, princess girl," said the girl with dark hair. Ayano gave Grace a stern, sharp re upon hearing Grace calling her ''Princess Girl''. She didn''t like it when people gave her a nickname that rted to her being a daughter of a prominent family with a long history. Though she was discontent, she didn''t show it openly. Just a re was enough, that was what she thought. Grace, with a quick motion of drawing a sword, managed to knock out two of the six students surrounding them. It was so quick that the two didn''t get a chance to react before they passed out. Chanting abination of words while her hand was positioned near her mouth like a ninja, Ayano then emitted a cold, freezing aura from her palm. As it turned into a sphere, she threw it forward. The sphere of cold and freezing aura immediately exploded while mid-air, forming shards of ice that froze two students'' feet as soon as they touched the ground near them. After that, Ayano only needed to knock them out by hitting the back of their necks with precision and carefully so as not to injure them in the process. The other two that came with those guys were already running away the moment they witnessed Grace''s quick draw. "They''re running away¡­" Ayano said. "I can see that, I have eyes after all," Grace responded. On the southern part of the forest, a girl with violet hair and her four teammates had seeded in defending their g from the other team, simultaneously. All of that was thanks to the girl''s efforts in givingmands to her teammates. Their firepower was quite weak, but they were able to fill that hole with the tactics of the heir of the Nova Guild, one who would stand above all, in financial, power, and personnel. Lumi Alicia is her name. Remember that. "Fuu¡­ Finally, we''re able to drive them off." Meanwhile, the situation on the western side, close to the center part of the forest was chaotic. The conflict between teams was prolonged just because Lux''s team released their captives. "Look, there are so many people ahead!" Niah shouted. The trio from Lupus-8; Ember, Niah, and Hulio finally found not only a single team but almost ten teams gathered ahead of them. Hell, they even dared themselves to know what was happening. As they reached close to the crowds, they could hear the noises of a battle. Metal shing with each other, the cries of the students, and a loud sound of bones breaking. "Aren''t they Lux''s team?" Niah asked as she scanned the situation from the tall tree. Lux, with his sword effortlessly blocked the endless attacks, and even could do simple counterattacks toward them. Seo Yeong-Ha, the girl who fought using her fists as a weapon ferociously fought against eight people at the same time. After dodging the first attack from her opponent, she quickly shifted her position between the gap while counterattacking. Dodge and punch or asionally kick to break their bnce, that was how she fight against many. "Too slow!" Seo Yeong-Ha eximed as she dodged the grab from behind and quickly delivered a blow with her elbow to her opponent''s stomach. As she gracefully avoided the barrage of attack, making herself as if she was dancing through the obstacles, the trail of light was tracing her movements. Once the trail was long enough, it started to disappear or explode to be precise. The exploded trail was shaped into a melody note before it actually exploded, making the sound of the note. Ting¨C! Ting¡ª! Ting-! Ting¨C! Ting¨C! Just like music, every trail that exploded was making a sound of the melody note, echoing in the air. Those who heard the melody would be affected by random buffs as slow and weakening. Mostly everyone who heard it was having their stats reduced slightly. The technique was called the ''Melody Trail'', a 4-star martial technique - movement art. It would leave a melody trail for every step taken and then the melody would explode and produce a humming sound that reduced the stats to whomever heard it. But of course, the technique user wasn''t affected at all. Stopping the melody dance, Seo Yeong-Ha quickly knocked out the eight raiders while they were weakened. Using the Formless Fist technique would be too much for them, so Seo Yeong-Ha just went with the ssic way, pure martial art fighting movements like chop, punch, kick, and grab. On the other hand, Lux was fighting against ten. With his sword in hand, Lux demonstrated incredible swordsmanship and speed as he parried and countered the relentless attacks of his opponent. His movements were perfect, never wasting a single motion. With each swing of his sword, a burst of white fluorescent energy emanated, creating distractions and shockwaves that pushed back his enemies. Lux''s swordy was always fluid and seamless. He seamlessly transitioned from one enemy to another, exploiting their weaknesses with a lot of feint attacks from his swordsmanship. His strikes were swift and powerful, leaving no room for his enemies to counterattack. He summoned beams of concentrated light that darted toward his opponent, disorienting them before he knocked out half of them. But, in reality, there were still many of them. Observing his surrounding, Lux clicked his tongue as he saw the waves of students circling around his teammates. ''This is troublesome¡­'' The reason why they ended up in this situation was because of Seo Yeong-Ha. She was bored because she couldn''t fight anyone since most of the teams around their area were already captured. So, she released them all just so that she could fight again. ''Haa¡­ That girl¡­'' Luxined, pinching his nose bridge out of frustration. A few meters away from the crowd surrounding him, the trio Lupus-8 was watching as the conflict unfold. "Oh my god! That boy''s name is Lux, right? Right?! He''s so strong¡­ and handsome, kyaa!!" Niah screamed like a fangirl. Her face was as red as a tomato as she wriggled like a worm, wrapping her body with her hands. Hulio looked at her with a mix of emotions, disgust and jealousy. He quickly looked away as he felt as if he was making eye contact with Niah. Silently watching the fight, Ember''s expression depicted a wall. A wall made of ice as that, t and cold. But, her subtle gesture of having her fingers relentlessly tapping on her arm and her feet lightly stomping the earth was showing her frustration of couldn''t join the fight. But, it wouldn''t be long before her patience ran out. "I''ll join them," she said as she stomped the earth so hard and her subtle movements were silenced. Without waiting for the two''s responses, Ember dashed away toward the crowd. Now that the neer hade for the party. Someone just needed to step up before everything went south and chaotic. On the western side of the forest, two boys leisurely spent their time daydreaming. They had the same jet-ck hair color, the only difference was their eye color. One was ck, and the other was gold. Zio and Enzo. The boy with golden eyes, Enzo, was picking fruit on the tree. Meanwhile, the other boy with ck eyes, Zio, was smiling as he looked at the clock on his Nova Watch. "58, 59, 60!" Zio eximed. The digital time on the watch read ''11 AM''. "Enzo, get ready! We''re moving out!" Chapter 88 The Attackers II ? Inside the monitoring room. Raja and the masked supervisor which was Neychta focused on one screen that disyed two ck-haired boys, Zio and Enzo. Someone shouted ''30 seconds left before the unlock!'' in the background, their voice reverberated across the room. The camera on that particr screen zoomed in, establishing the focus on the Nova Watch on Zio''s wrist. The clock was ticking, changing its shape number every second. "What is he doing?" Raja finally broke his focus. Too bad for him, Neychta was too focused on the screen that she might not hear him. Sighing defeatedly, Raja turned his attention back. As the clock on Zio''s Nova Watch changed to ''11:00''. At the same time, someone''s voice echoed, giving the order to unlock whatever he meant by that. A few secondster, Zio finally moved away from his position as the camera zoomed out, following them heading east. "What. How does he know about the game mechanism? I thought the instructors had left it a hole for the student to figure out?" said Raja, his face disying genuine confusion. The other supervisor around who coincidentally saw the same screen replied to him, "They didn''t tell them." "What about the second-year students? Maybe one of them tell him about it," Raja argued. The supervisor shook his head, "No way that''s the case. You also attended as a supervisorst year, right? It was a different concept thanst year''s exam so I don''t think they telling anything to their junior will be useful." "Then how did he know?" Annoyed by Raja''s chatters, Neychta finally sighed through her mask. When she did so, her mask ss, or likely a one-way visor would glow a dim purple light for a while before returning to its original white color. "Not everyone is dumb and has a shrimp brain like you, Raja. If he knows about it then maybe he has already figured it out." "But, I mean, how? I''ll let it go if he figured it out five minutes after the unlock, but he¨C" "Like I said, not everyone is dumb and has a shrimp brain like you." Raja sighed defeatedly. He went quiet and filled in his evaluation report on the digital tablet. *** "We just need to go straight from here. I can smell a crowd¡ª a battle, hundred meters ahead," said Enzo while his nose was sniffing like those of dogs and wolves alike. That didn''t escape my sight of course. It was such a rare asion to find someone who could track others by their smell, not to mention that it wasn''t a skill but a natural talent. "Are you a hunter beforeing here?" Enzo nodded. "Something like that." Well, if he was a hunter then that alone was enough to answer my questions. What I meant by hunter here was a literal hunter, a real hunter. You know, those who usually live in the forest. Yes, that very hunter. Not the one that refers to those who enter a dungeon portal. Anyway, following after Enzo who lead the way as he was the one who could smell the crowd. We eventually arrived at the said ce. The situation of the ce was chaotic just as how it projected in my mind when I was using my irvoyance Pathfinding. A fight. No. Calling it a ''fight'' would be inappropriate for the situation, ''war'' might be the best word of choice to tell what happened ahead of us. As far as I could see, the war was between three different factions. The first one was Lux''s faction, they only had five people. But. thanks to Lux and Seo Yeong-Ha that they were able to survive this war, dominating them even. The second faction wasing from 7 to 10 different teams who worked together to bring down Lux team, Draco-30''s g. The reason why they targeted Lux was because they were jealous. Most of the girls, both freshmen and sophomores were flocking to him like a ma. Well, that was actually just a minor reason. The actual reason was that Lux wasing from an unknown lineage, none about his past history was known to the students. These students, mostly boys who were jealous of Lux''s fame, power, and charm despite being a low-born¡ªit was what they call a person who came from an unknown, insignificant background. They used their status, jealousy, and skepticism as the foundation to find something to hate, to find reasons for justifying their actions. As you can see from their rather regal appearance, with at least two rings in each hand and many other essories they wore. Those were people or a faction, literally a faction that served as a social circle for those who had a clear background to identify themselves such as the Child of The Riches, Child of The Strong Figures, etc. Kaiser was their faction''s name. And thest faction was mine¡ªUhh no, actually, I didn''t want to be part of them¡­ sigh¡­ Thest faction was Ember''s along with Hulio and Niah. I could see by how Ember maneuvered herself in the middle of the fight, that she was an unexpected variable for the Kaiser. I stood still as I watched them fight. I was focused on the fight at first before my mind trailed off somewhere¡­ Looking at how the ''war'' was so intense that made all of them focused on each other, it seemingly caused the Kaiser to forget their purpose ofing there. If I was to guess, their purpose was of course to eliminate Lux''s team. But, for some reason that I wasn''t aware of, their original purpose seemed to change. They didn''t care about the g anymore and were focused to subdue Lux''s team first then took over the g. That was the direct thing a team could do to eliminate the other teams. Of course, for them to be able to do that, they had to be stronger than and confident to beat them up. If they couldn''t do the direct elimination, then stealing the g and keeping it for 5 minutes was the only way a weak team could defeat the stronger team. They¨C the academy did not want to see their student power in raw strength only. They also wanted to see how much their students actually use their heads. Scheme, Tactic, Etc. But, it seemed that most of the students were relying too much on their bodies and physical aspects that they forgot they could use trickery and scheme to win. I meant I might be like them too if I my adrenaline was high. Because a direct confrontation only needed me to move my body and instinct. Though I still prefer a subtle approach like trick and scheme. My eyes were sweeping the crowd for the g. After focusing enough on my vision, I spotted it¨C Lux''s g that was still stuck on the gpole stand. "What should we do, Zio?" Enzo''s voice finally broke my focus. I grinned, turning to face him, "Say. You may be a bitzy person, but that doesn''t mean you''re craven too, right?" Enzo raised an eyebrow, genuinely puzzled, "What do you mean?" "I have a challenge for you," I began, pausing to get his reaction. When I realized it was a positive-interested reaction, I continued. "If you can blow away all of them in a single shot like you''ve done before. I''ll give you a Horizon Elixir and the hyped Catalyst Potion." Enzo frowned, finding it difficult to believe. "That sounds impossible," he replied. I cleared my throat, realizing the truth in his words. It would indeed be too much for someone with an overall rank. ''That''s true,'' I thought, dismissing the idea from my mind. Instead, I presented him with an alternative challenge. "You''re right. How about this: distract them by blowing away their shy essories?" "Deal!" Enzo responded almost immediately. He notched an arrow onto his bowstring, ready to take aim. Then, the wind began to swirl around us. Enzo channeled his mana and materialized wind element, intertwining the arrow with the power of the gusts. He focused his gaze. His eyes narrowed while he was concentrating on the control over his mana to surge the wind. With a deep breath, he released the arrow infused with his wind magic. Swoosh¡ª! ''Damn,'' I screamed internally. The arrow sailed through the air, propelled by thebined force of Enzo''s bow skill and the natural wind currents which actually didn''t help at all because his wind alone was enough. Halfway toward the crowd, the swirl around the arrow became bigger, eventually creating a wind drill. The gust of wind spread and swept across the crowd ahead. I could hear their shocked voice as the wind raged, sweeping everything. Their hair and clothes fluttered wildly under the storm. The Kaiser Circle''s essories fluttered and drifted away in the gusts of wind. They screamed frantically as their expensive essories flew away. When the crowd was idle in confusion, I took that chance to slip between the crowd toward the g guarded by three of Lux''s team members. Swoosh¨C! I skillfully avoided the crash with the other while I was moving at a high speed. With the help of the mana coating technique, moving at incredible speed wasn''t impossible for me. Not to mention that I had learned mana control and consistently reforged my mana core. Then, as I arrived behind the three guards, I made sure to knock them out first before grabbing the g. As the *click* sound reverberated in my ears, I pulled out the g from the gpole stand. At the same time, Seo Yeong-Ha turned around and spotted me. "You!" I grinned, waving the g in my hand. On the g cloth was written Lux''s team name ''Draco-30''. "Hello!" I eximed mischievously. Chapter 89 Rank UP! I "You!" Seo Yeong-Ha said through her gritted teeth. I could see her fist clenched tightly until it turned white. "Hello!" I eximed mischievously. Upon hearing Seo Yeong-Ha''s voice, Lux also turned around and immediately frowned. "Zio¡­" he muttered. "Lux," I responded spontaneously. The intense and silent staring contest between the three of us was broken by the raucous sound echoing in the air. "Hey! You! Run and take the g away! We''ll hold him here! If you do that, I''ll wee you to our circle even if you''re a low-born!" Seo Yeong-Ha''s frown deepened, I could even hear the sound of her teeth grinding into each other. Meanwhile, Lux let out a long sigh, slightly lowering his shoulder as he looked at me. "Don''t do that, Zio. We''re friends, aren''t we?" he said. Seo Yeong-Ha shot him a re. Her demeanor, apparently, was beastlike. "Are you dumb?! Just because you guys are friends, it doesn''t mean he will do what you said! Especially him!" Seo Yeong-Ha eximed, pointing at me angrily. "Look at his grin! I don''t think he willply with your request!" Then, she looked at me with a fiercer gaze than earlier toward Lux. "Isn''t that so, Rat?!" My grin disappeared as fast as the money that was immediately used to buy an action figure on the first day after payday. Though I hated the way Seo Yeong-Ha speak to me, I understood where her skepticism and paranoia came from. How do I say this¡­ She is uhh¡­actually a victim of betrayal. Though I must say that the history was quite amusing? No. The history was quite funny. So, when she was seven years old. Baek Jin and Seo Yeong-Ha were BFFs but then something happened, which turned them into rivals. Their mentor, Seo Yeong-Ha''s uncle, favored Baek Jin more than her niece. At first, everything was going well between them. But as time passed, Seo Yeong-Ha grew jealous of Baek Jin because he always got attention and extra lessons from her uncle. Instead of ming her uncle because of the unfairness, Seo Yeong-Ha med Baek Jin, thinking that because of him, her uncle neglected her training for him. That was the long-short story of her trust issue with a thing called ''friend''. I meant she was a kid back then so she couldn''t differentiate between right and wrong. And she didn''t even think that the one who was at fault was her uncle. Well, her logic was on the lower side. She was stubborn and hot-headed. So expect the constant feeling of annoyance once you get on her nerves like I did. Just because of one event and she would haunt you until death. But, it was not like she couldn''t be stopped. The only way to stop her hostility was to be her ''rival''---her term to rece the word ''friend''. Just as in the novel, Seo Yeong-Ha immediately imed Lux as her rival. But eventually realized that it was just her coping mechanism. In the end, they became a best friend. Yes. Best friend. You heard me right. Because Lux''s one and only lover was Ayano. "Yes, that''s right," I finally responded. "See?!" Seo Yeong-Ha eximed crossing her arms across her chest and holding her chin high in triumph. "There''s no way an existence like a friend can ex¨C" "Catch this." Before Seo Yeong-Ha could finish herst word, I cut her off by throwing the g toward Lux. Lux caught the g and smiled at me, nodding approvingly. I chuckled upon seeing Seo Yeong-Ha''s expression. She once disyed a triumphant face but had now fallen to disbelief. Her jaw dropped dramatically. "W-what¡­" She stuttered, slowly shifting back her attention to me. "What are you doing?! W-why did you give the g back?!" Lux and I cocked our heads to the side at the same time, coincidentally. "Because we''re friends?" Again, we said that together purely coincidental. Seo Yeong-Ha gritted her teeth harder, even clenching her fist tighter. She looked like she was about to burst out of rage. "WHAT?! HEY! Why did you give the g to him?! Are you an idiot?!" someone from Kaiser Circle shouted loudly. Thankfully, Seo Yeong-Ha''s rage wouldn''t be directed at me. As she made a full turn, now facing toward the Kaiser Circle. I sped my hand in a prayer gesture. May God forgive you because this little devil won''t. Latom. Truly, thank you for saving me from her wrath. "That idiot is his aplice! Surround him! And search for the one responsible for blowing our essories away! And these three intruders¡ª" As the speaker turned his attention toward Ember, he finally realized who had he been fighting all this time. "No way!" He said in disbelief. "Are you Ember? The Headmaster''s granddaughter?" A momentter, he and the other Kaiser Circle members found their cheeks reddened as they stared at Ember. I know that she''s beautiful, pretty, and cute, I guess? A mini version of Nuria Crimson. But, aren''t they giving her too much credit? One of them cleared his throat and walked forward, kneeling in front of Ember with his hand extended. I almost chuckled when I saw him do that, albeit found myself frowning. ''What''s he doing?'' I thought. "Oh, Ember," he began, his tone sounding as if he was ying a theater drama. "I, Ramoz, havee to you to con¡ª ughh!!" A full blow of an invisible fist had sent him flying several meters away. Slowly turning toward where might the blowe from, the Kaiser Circle found Seo Yeong-Ha with clenched fists emitting hot steam. "Wh- what the fuck was that?!" Peeking over her shoulder, Seo Yeong-Ha shot me a re full of rage, but there was an uncertainty mixed in her eyes. As she turned her attention back toward the Kaiser Circle, she said, "Don''t run away, Rat. Stay there. I''ll deal with youter after I beat up these bastards!" With that, the ground beneath her feet glittered a light. As she made her way toward the Kaiser Circle member, the trails of her movement materialized, looking like an illusion. "S, stop her!" They couldn''t. Seo Yeong-Haunched a simultaneous Formless Fist technique at each opponent she passed. Also thanks to her movement trail that produced a melody of note, it weakened the defense and overall stats of whomever heard the sound in 5 meters range. I was far enough from her, surely it was more than 5 meters between my position and her. So, I didn''t get affected. Taking notice of something strange happening to the Kaiser Circle member in a five-meter area around the trail, Ember backed away a dozen paces with Niah and Hulio. Seeing her dominating almost twenty students by herself, I made a mental note of her movement art: Melody Trail. If my memory served me right, the way to prevent the weakening debuff from her technique was to cover the ears with mana. I might be able to avoid the debuff because of her currently low mastery, but as the technique mastery reached its peak, it would be hard to prevent it. But of course, by the time she finally reached the final mastery. I, too, would already improve and get stronger than I am now. The thing about Melody Trail was that it would only be effective against those with lower magic stats or those who couldn''t properly control their mana to even make a simple barrier. As for those with stronger magic control and stats, it would be a bit useless against them. "Uagh!" The scream of those getting hit by the invisible force,bined with the note sound of the Melody Trail, really sounded grandiose. Like music. No, it was music. Subconsciously, I hummed along, trying to match it with the music. "Zio?" Lux turned around and found me humming, his face painted with confusion. I ignored him as I walked toward my teammates while still humming. I didn''t even need to see how Seo Yeong-Ha beat them up, just hearing the melody was enough for me to imagine it. I saw Enzo walk toward me, his brow arched but didn''t say anything. He walked along with me, side by side. His eye momentarily locked on me before shaking his head. I still humming. "W, what¡­?" Niah''s surprised voice sounded as I approached. "What''s wrong with him? Why is he humming?" Stopping the hums, I also stopped my feet, standing in front of the trio. Smiling, I said, "Don''t you hear the melody?" They raised an eyebrow in response. "Isn''t it sound nice?" I continued. Niah blinked several times before throwing ament. "You''re crazy¡­" "Am I?" She shook her head in disbelief. My eyes shifted toward Ember¡­ I might be crazy to say this after what I said earlier, but, I think she really does deserve the credit for having the unmatched beauty. As I gazed at Ember, my heart skipped a beat. ''What the hell is wrong with me?!'' There was something about her that resonated deep within me, and the worst was I couldn''t tell what was that! I couldn''t tell what happened to me! ''Huh! Don''t tell me that this original body''s owner started to assimte himself with me?!'' No way! I don''t want that. I am alreadyfortable with this body. No one taking anything from me. But, no matter how much I tried to distract myself from not staring at Ember. It rendered to be useless. Lost in the depths of her red eyes, I finally spoke, my voice barely above a whisper. "You''re¡­ Incredibly beautiful." "?!!" "Huh?!" "Wow!" "..." What the fvck did I just said¡­? Chapter 90 Rank UP! II ? After the event of ''Storm Arrow'' that ravaged the battle at the West-Central of Artificial Forest, the monitoring room was in an uproar. "That was amazing!" The supervisors eximed as they watched the yback of Enzo''s Storm Arrow. "Who is he again?" "Enzo. He''s Enzo Ruiz!" The other responded. The supervisors were captivated by Enzo''s extraordinary skill, especially when they found out that his rank was only 91. "Wait, he''s only ranked 91st?" "Yeah, it''s hard to believe. He definitely deserves to be among the top 10 students." "I agree. I wonder if he''s hiding his skill at the entrance exam for him to get a low cement in the rankings. But, the question is why did he do that?" The chatters began to devour the room atmosphere. Half of the supervisors present in this room talked about how they would lure Enzo to their guild, and that lead to a small conflict between them. One side wanted Enzo in their guild, while another also shared the same intention. Before the tension escted any further, Raja forcefully stomped his foot on the floor. The impact shock of it made the supervisors immediately muted. "The audacity to call themselves heroes with such an attitude¡­" Raja grumbled. Neychta, whose focus was still attached to the screen, responded sarcastically. "Isn''t it a bit toote for you to realize that? This so-called hero society is no longer what it used to be." Raja sighed, and did not even bother to argue with her. He knew that if he was trying to argue with her, it would just be an endless conversation. Neychta was that stubborn, and so he was. But at least he knew when to retreat. "Anyway," Raja changed the topic, "Is it that boy you had your eyes on?" Neychta shrugged. "Don''t even bother to ask. I won''t tell you." Her mask visor glowed a dim light of purple shade, showing that she was frustrated. Her shoulders raised up, and her foot relentlessly tapped on the floor. ''Enzo, Enzo¡­'' she said inwardly. A few momentster, the visor once again glowed a dim light, this time bluish. At the same time, Raja pointed to another screen where two students¨Ca blonde Latino student and a dark-skinned with cropped hair student¡ªwere captured by the drone. "Oh. Here''s the guy!" he eximed. In the hologram projection, they were currently running from the northern forest to the central. A small information about their estimated arrival time was expanded above the two students'' hologram model. The expanded panel read ''5 minutes before encountering the central group.'' Raja rub his beardless chin and said, "This is going to get more interesting." *** So, after I identally spoke about Ember, the atmosphere suddenly turned awkward. At least for me, it was awkward. Niah looked like she was ready to barrage me with questions. Before she could do that, and before everything became more awkward between my teammates, I tried to smooth the situation by looking for validation of what I''d said. "Did you just¡ª" I walked passed the trio and approached the tree several meters behind them. "Oh, it''s really beautiful!" I turned around to face my teammate, trying to keep my act and expression. It''d be better to be recognized as crazy and weird rather than the ''guy was caught in 4K confessing to the headmaster''s granddaughter, dude dream big!'' guy. Between those two, the former obviously would be the best. It attracted people''s attention, but not one that would bring me trouble unlike thetter. "Do you see that fruit up there?" I pointed at the Smokefruit. "Isn''t it beautiful?" "..." Ember stared at me with her usual deadpan expression. She seemed unfazed by whatever I''d said earlier. That''s good. Hulio looked at me with a pair of eyes that seemed to pity my situation. Niah stepped beside Enzo. She whispered something at him and he responded with a sigh and headshake. After that, both of them looked at me as if I was pitiful, someone who mentally needed professional help. "Sure¡­ Zio. But, have you thought about visiting¡ª" "I will climb and pluck them!" I didn''t know how many times I had cut off Niah mid-sentence, but I knew I would do it every time she made a weird remark about me. Reaching the top of the tree, I extended my hand to grab the Smokefruits. Once I got five in my hand, I threw them down for my teammates to catch. "Catch this." After doing so, I jumped down, covering my legs with mana before I couldnd on the ground to avoid injury or any unexpected variable. "What do you guys think? Isn''t it beautiful?" Niah examined the fruit in her hand, tilting her head from one side to another side. "This¡­ Is this Smokefruit?" Before I could answer her, a breathy voice echoed in the air, calling my name¡ªmy nickname. "Rat!" I suddenly tensed up as soon as the voice entered my ear. Walking with a heavy step, Seo Yeong-Ha approached me with a focused sharp stare. I could feel the intensity of her gaze as she closed the distance between us, her fists clenched tightly. "Yo!" I greeted her, trying to maintain aposed and carefree demeanor despite the unease. She ignored my greeting and passed by my teammates who sadly, didn''t even try to stop her¡­ fuck you guys! "Didn''t I tell you to stand still?" She grabbed my P.E. Uniform cor. "Don''t even think to run away, Rat." Then she pushed me away. "Now, let''s settle this," she said as she flexed her arms and neck, then entered a fighting stance. I fixed my cor and examined her and my surrounding. Her breath was heavy, I could tell that she was tired from the fighting earlier. Looking past behind her, I saw the students groaning in pain on the ground. Lux, with an innocent face, put the g back on the gpole stand. I looked at Niah who instantly realized my gaze was on her, she raised her eyebrow at that moment. "Niah," I called her. "Take this." I pulled the g on my belt and threw it toward her. As I threw the g, Seo Yeong-Ha''s followed my hand motion and the g until it reached Niah, her palm wrapped around the g. "Huh?! This is our g! Did you lose it to someone?!" "Of course not. If that was the case, we would have been lost already." I shifted my attention toward Seo Yeong-Ha, but her focus was still on my g. So I cleared my throat to garner her attention. Looking back at me, Seo Yeong-Ha clenched her fists and said something through gritted teeth. "Come!" I raised my hand and said, "I''d like to do a bet." "A bet?" She raised her eyebrow, but this time her guard was still up. "Yes. A bet, with our merits on the line. If I win, I''ll take all of your merits. But if you win, you''ll take all of my merits." She grinned widely, confidence painted her face as soon as she heard my challenge''s offers. "Heh! Deal!" Nodding, I pulled my daggers from their sheath and twirled them in my hands. The glint of the des caught the sunlight, reflecting the light on my eyes identally. I clicked my tongue when that happened. Seo Yeong-Ha watched my movements closely, her arrogant expression still painting on her face. Everyone else¡ªmy four teammates backed away, standing around Lux and his team g. I smiled upon seeing that, it looked like they knew what my intentions were for dealing with Seo Yeong-Ha''s request. Taking a deep breath¡­ "Huu¡­" I focused my attention solely on the arrogant girl in front of me. Though I knew I was no match for her in raw power, I could still underhanded tactics and tricks. She said she wanted to have a clean fight against me. But, as expected of Seo Yeong-Ha, she was really naive. ''As if such a thing could happen,'' I thought. Without wasting another second, Seo Yeong-Ha charged toward me, her fists clenched tightly. "You dodge, you die!" she shouted, aiming a swift punch at my face. But I swiftly sidestepped, dodging her attack effortlessly. Using her momentum against her, I countered with a series of quick shes, targeting her exposed side. "Tch! You''re annoying!" I smiled in response, "Do you have a mirror in your room?" Iunched a powerful roundhouse kick, aiming for her midsection. However, she managed to block the attack perfectly. "Heh! Is this all you''ve got?" Seo Yeong-Ha''s attack grew more ferocious. She was really a stubborn person! I was almost overwhelmed by her as we exchanged attacks. "Just take the hit, damn rat!" she shouted as sheunched her fist. Hot steams were emitting from her fists. Taking notice of that, I tried to suppress her fist as I had done in ourst sparring. But, I was toote this time. "Bye, bye, go sleep!" A wide grin was expanding on her face. But, heh. Did she think I would lose just like this? Hoho. No. I won''t let her win and take all my merits away! BAM¡ª! "Gugh!!!" As I blocked her Formless Fist with my hand, I could feel my bone fractured. Not enough power to hold her fist, I was sent flying several meters. But, before I flew and stumbled backward, the Smokefruit that I held in my hand I used to block her attack exploded and created thick fog shrouding us. I heard a few of the same explosion sounds as I was sent flying backward. "Hup!" As I finallynded on the ground and rolled a few times, I got up, my stance was wobbly. "This Rat!! This trick again! Cough!" Seo Yeong-Ha''s voice reverberated. I looked around in the fog. Though I couldn''t see anything, I could sense anything. "i¨C" I stopped before I finished my skill cast. Feeling a gentle wind brush my face, I turned around and saw some fog looking like it was being sucked by a vacuum. "Heh, thank you for the guide." With the help of Enzo''s wind, I escaped the fog and reunited with my teammates. "The g?" I asked. Niah, with a wide smile, waved the g around. I smiled, "Good!" Chapter 91 Rank UP! III ? Leo''s team was running as fast as they could after Benjamin told him a fight was currently happening ahead, hundred meters from them. But, because of the Smokefruit, Benjamin''s reckoning skill was disrupted. Telling Leo about the circumstance, they increased their pace. After a minute, they finally arrived in the central forest. Ahead of them, ck smoke billowed, engulfing the tall trees. Fortunately, it seemed the smoke was about to subside soon. "That''s the Smokefruit''s smoke," said Benjamin. Hearing that, Leo clicked his tongue in annoyance. Just as always, he hated it when someone say obvious things in front of him. At least, Benjamin knew his ce. He immediately apologized to Leo, unlike a certain someone. That was why Leo always kept him by his side, as his loyal sidekick. Benjamin was obedient, and Leo didn''t exactly know why he was like that. At first, he thought that it was because Benjamin wanted to leech on him. But, as time passed by, he turned to be an obedient follower of him. Benjamin told Leo that it was just because he admired him. Although Leo was arrogant and impatient, he was also a very careful person because he was the heir of his family, and many people and rtives wanted to take his title as heir. His family circumstance was like those of the medieval kingdom, where rtives fought each other to im control over the family and its business. But in the end, he won the war against his rtives and established his position in the family hierarchy with domination. "Ptuu¨C!" Leo spitted on the ground. "Let''s go, I''m curious about what happened in there." They approached the billowing ck smoke. As they got closer, Leo heard a familiar voice followed by a coughing sound. "That Rat *cough* will he ever stop *cough* *cough* using a cheap trick like this?!" The smoke gradually dissipated, uncovering Seo Yeong-Ha kneeling on the ground. Her chestnut hair was in disarray. She continued to cough as Lux approached her from behind, gently patting her back. "Are you alright?" he asked. "I''m fine¡­" Straightening his posture, Lux stepped forward and spoke, "Very well. Then, I''ll go catch them." Seo Yeong-Ha arched a brow, feeling like asking a question but suppressing it. "Good. You are finally motivated to fight your so-called ''friend''." "Actually, it''s because they stole our g¡­ haha¡­" Lux scratched his cheek nervously. "I promise I''ll catch them. See you!" Then ran as fast as he could before Seo Yeong-Ha realized what his word meant. Realizing what Lux said, Seo Yeong-Ha''s jaw dropped, her face a mix of confusion and anger. "YOU WHAT?!" She yelled loudly. Sadly, Lux was already disappeared from her sight. She could only shake her head and take a deep breath, rxing her body now that the adrenaline was dropping. As she looked at the sky, sound of the footsteps was approaching her. In her vision, the face of a handsome blonde student popped from the edge of her eyes. "Heh," Leo smirked. "Tch! Can you move away?!" Instead ofplying with her request, Leo added, "Do you need help catching the rat?" *** We were on the run after stealing Lux team''s g. We just ran straight aimlessly, hoping to lose track. But, after finding that Lux was after us, I split the team into two. The trio was heading south. Meanwhile, Enzo and I continued to run straight to the east. I trusted the g with the trio because they had Ember, the strongest of our team. Though she was strong, I couldn''t help but be a bit skeptical. So I ordered them to just run as far as they could until Lux''s g made a *click* sound, indicating that they were eliminated from the game. Feeling like we had lost Lux following us, we stopped for a moment to get a rest. "Fuu¡­ How much time has passed since we took the g?" I asked Enzo as I tried to lean on the tree. "It''s only been three minutes." Nodding at his words, my body immediately sank into the embrace of the sudden fresh air. It was the effect of the adrenaline dropping, which was good. Anyway, it had been three minutes since we took the g away. It meant Lux only had two minutes left to take his g from Ember''s hand. The question is, can he do it? Well, I doubted that. It was the end for our protagonist. This was an act of altering the storyline. He was supposed to win this game and got a very high evaluation from the supervisors. But, who cares? I couldn''t just let him win just because he was supposed to, or because he was some sort of character who appeared in a prophecy. Fvck prophecies. Fvck my novel. I wanted to be a main character¡­ Not just an extra. "Fuu¡­" Taking a deep breath, I shook away the thought out of my mind. It was a rather selfish wish, but who wouldn''t want to be a main character? Lux was already got himself full of cheats and overpowered sets. Especially when he got the Odyssey system, he could just do the task the system gave him and get a reward. So, robbing his achievement in this exam wouldn''t affect him that much. Stretching my legs, I gestured for Enzo to change our destination. We wouldn''t go east but instead go south, reuniting with the trio. "Let''s go." But, as we were about to run, we suddenly tensed up, feeling the burst of energy emitting in the air. "An ambush!" I shouted. Burst¡ª! Aura waves wereing and raining us down, each of them had a small intensity of aura. Even though it was small, touching it would result in light injury such as bleeding. The aura waves crashed against our bodies, causing minor cuts as we tried to evade them. "Get cover!" I shouted to Enzo, my voice barely audible over the chaotic energy in the air. We sprinted through the barrage of aura waves, weaving and dodging with every ounce of speed we possessed. While I was dodging, I thought about the potential suspect capable of doing this kind of attack. Leonardo Miguel. He was always a person fully capable of harnessing and cultivating his weapon aura. It functioned like mana, but the only difference was that aura was an energy that you draw from your surrounding and applied to yourself or your weapon. Absorb and use, that was an aura. Absorb and store and then use, that was mana. To harness aura, you didn''t need to have something like a mana core. Just make sure you had your body otherwise it wouldn''t work because you couldn''t live without a body. As we dodged them, we managed to reach a nearby cluster ofrge boulders in the middle of the forest, providing some temporary respite from the assault. Enzo and I caught our breath, taking a moment to assess our situation. After some while, the attack stopped and a voice amplified with mana echoed in the air. "Oy, rat! Get out, let''s fight!" said the voice. It was Leonardo, just as I expected. But, my question was how did he know our specific location? Looking at where the aura waves came from earlier, I was sure it wasunched at a distance of around a hundred meters. But, he was able to cast and lock us precisely, there might have been someone who helped him. I responded to him with my own amplified voice with mana, "Fight? Is this gonna be a fair fight or one that is full of tricks?" Leonardo''s style was just like mine. Though his raw power was strong, he still used deception and tricks to fight. But of course that was only applied when he fought a strong opponent. With how arrogant he was, I doubted he would going to use tricks to fight me. Which I found good for me. "Heh! Trick? I don''t need a trick to fight a weak-ass like you. Come on, get out. Or I will destroy that little boulder of yours and torture you." Grunting, I gestured for Enzo to walk out from our hiding carefully. As we got outside the cover of the boulder, I saw Leo standing with full confidence painted on his face. I noticed someone standing behind him. A dark-skinned guy with cropped hair. His demeanor was like a loyal servant who followed his master everywhere. As he saw me, he walked toward me arrogantly. And Enzo and I walked forward too, facing him. We stood a few paces away from each other. The tension was high which made me want to w my skin roughly. Breaking the tension, I finally said, "So. A team fights? Or One on one?" The grin on Leo''s face widened as he scoffed and instead of giving me an answer, what he gave me was a full swing of his scythe. I dodged it rather easily, and so did Enzo. "Two vs one. You two,e at me," he said, taunting us with a gesture of his hand. Chapter 92 Rank UP! IV ? ng¨C! The sound of my daggers grazing with Leo''s scythe was filling the air. Swoosh¡ª! ng¡ª! The arrow shot by Enzo was parried by him too, pretty easily at that. ng¨C! Leo parried my cross-sh dagger attack and kicked me on the side through the openings he made. "Guh!" Not giving me any chance to recover, he lunged at me, his scythe ready to give me a nightmare of sh attacks. I couldn''t afford to block or parry his attacks because of how much gap in strength we had, so I only dodged it with the help of my irvoyance skill. Enzo, who was shooting on top of the tree got a free hit on Leo. But each of his arrows was blocked by Leo, he didn''t even need to look at the arrow. His attention was fully focused on me, like a predator ying with his prey before he ate the shit out of me. "Are you just gonna keep on dodging?" he mocked me. Leo hacked his scythe down vertically, aiming for the top of my head. Slightly dodging, Iunched a sh to his side but was stopped by the aura barrier. We did no damage to each other. As I tried tounch a follow-up attack, he pulled his scythe and I was trapped between him and his scythe. The sight I got from my irvoyance resulted in injuries. There were two scenarios. If I jumped and ended up in mid-air, he wouldunch an aura wave. And if I was to duck and dodge to the side, he would extend his scythe and still catch me. In that split second, I threw one of my daggers into the air and jumped. The dagger and my foot were covered by mana so the weight and mass would be increased, allowing me to use the dagger as a stepping stone. Using that dagger as a support to maneuver myself in mid-air, I managed to avoid his aura wave by a thin margin. "Tch! I hate this guy," Leo muttered, and I somehow could hear it. Uponnding, I quickly dashed forward to catch him off-guard but that was a mistake. A very dumb decision for me to enter the tiger''s den. With only one dagger in my left hand, I lunged at him and tried to stab this rather harmless dagger on him. But¡­ "What are you doing?" He caught me. His palm stopped my momentum. Grabbing my face, and pushing me to the ground. I hit the ground with a loud thud sound. Thankfully, I reinforced the back of my head before it hit the ground, or else I would have gone unconscious. "Hah? This is it? Is this all you can do without your trick?" I red at him between the gap of his fingers on my face. "What is that look? You think you could hurt me with that?" His grip tightened, almost crushing me. But I endured it, waiting for the right moment to escape. Then, a gust of winds began to move, swirling around Enzo''s arrow tip. Releasing the string, the Storm Arrow cut through the air, carrying a powerful gust with it. But, when I saw it. I felt like something was different. The wind was stronger, and fiercer than before. It was so overwhelming that I hallucinated, seeing a falcon head formed on the storm. At this rate, if Leo didn''t stop it, I would be a victim of a friendly-fire attack! I cast a mana barrier and prepared for the worst. Leo released me and got up, his face looked like a lunatic when he saw the storm. I used that chance to crawl, staying away from him as far as I could. But, the impact of the Storm Arrow got me. I was blown away by the wind, hitting the tree several meters away from Leo who tried to stop the storm but instead was assaulted by the wind de that swirl like a vortex. Witnessing the unbelievable, my eyes widened slightly. ''No way he will lose to that, right?!'' I thought. I just leaned on the tree, my body aching from the impact, I watched Leo struggle against the storm created by Enzo''s arrow. I was dumbfounded, not believing what I just saw. It was not like I worried for Leo, instead, I was bbergasted by Enzo. With only rank But again, the Octagram entrance exam ranking was based on potential and how well the student fared against the test. He might have been struggling on the test because of the in terrain of the test room. It''s just a guess but who knows? Maybe he''s just good with the forest-like terrain, considering that he was a hunter. The wind continued to whip around, tearing at the trees and causing debris to fly through the air. I just stayed in my ce, knowing that none of them would hit me. Crash¡ª! A chopped tree trunknded beside me, making the ground around me shaking. ''Whoops¡­'' "HAHA!!" Leo''sugh echoed in the air. "Fuck¡­!" His voice began to falter. "Underboss!" His friend who was silent all this time shouted. "Shut up, Benjamin!" His friend, Benjamin, was taken aback. His intention to run toward Leo was denied immediately. I pitied that guy. Benjamin was Leo''s loyal sidekick but was killed by the demonic human in the future. Suppose Baek Jin was a character that served as Seo Yeong-Ha''s development. Then Benjamin served as Leo''s character development. Leo fell to his knee. His eyes red at Enzo, who was on the tree, gasping for air. ''Hoh, that must have drained a lot of his mana.'' Thud¡ª! Leoy on the ground, gasping for air. A momentter, his lunaticugh filled the air. He was defeated, but he was satisfied. It was his first loss. Not by Lux, but by a side character who wasn''t even in the novel. I frowned, ''Huh, wait. What if Enzo is that guy? I mean, those people that reincarnated as an extra character but ended up as a main character in the end?'' Chuckling, I shook my head and slowly got up. ''If he is the one. What am I then?'' After that, the exam continued until time ran out. Only four teams were surviving until the time limit. My team (Lupus-8), Leo''s team (Tigris-3), Lumi''s team (Lupus-20), and one team from the Serpent ss (Serpent-9). Though it didn''t matter that much as the real evaluation wasing from the supervisors not the final results. Well, but, with the win, at least I got some plus points. Still, In the end I didn''t get much chance to show off my skills. On top of that, I just embarrassed myself with that one blunder. Haa. I hope no one watching me at that moment. ¡­ A weekter, the results came out. After the ss ended, an announcement was made through the ssroom, corridor, and any speakers installed around the Lecture Halls. They also sent one via the student''s contact on Nova Watch. My ssmates rushed out of the ss as they heard the announcement, leaving only me, Enzo, and Ember. Ember was busy ying with her Nova Watch, and beside me, Enzo was sleeping soundly. He really didn''t care about everything. ''Just like someone fitted as an MC who hiding his power, heh.'' Operating my Nova Watch, I checked on my student profile. There must be some changes had been made such as my ranking. === Student ID: 30-0911-03 Name: Zio Varrez ss: Lupus / First year Role: Striker Ranking: 666 / 2000 === "..." ''I hope this not gonna bring me a bad omen¡­'' From 911 to 666, that meant I rose up by 245 rank. It was probably because of my writing Exam¡­ I did not want to be arrogant but, I was a hundred percent sure I was in first ce in the ranking! But, when I saw the results disyed on the notice board in the hall, I felt like I was betrayed by the world itself. === [Lupus ss Writing Exam] 1st rank: Ember Crimson 100/100 2nd rank: Zio Varrez 100/100 3rd rank: Lumi Alicia Alexa 94/100 4th rank¡­ 5th rank¡­ 6th rank: Enzo Ruiz 85/100 7th rank¡­ 8th rank¡­ 9th rank¡­ 10th rank: Niah Hayes 80/100 === Unbelievable! ''The first ce is Ember?!'' Seeing that she was the first ce in the writing exam, and not to mention that she always submit her answer faster than me. It seemed my suspicion about her was true¡­ She may be just like me, someone from Earth who was reincarnated into this world. The only difference was that she got to live inside the body of the War Goddess''s granddaughter! She had a better life than me¡­ This world is so unfair to me! Now that my suspicion of her was increasing, I just needed to find some ways to uncover her secret. And thus, it marked the start of my n to get closer to her and uncover her secret. Did she truly someone who came from another world like me, or was she just that highly intelligent person? I called this the ''Groom The me'' operation. Chapter 93 Groom The Flame I ? Groom The me. That was what I called my n to get to know Ember. I meant it was not like I like her or something. It was just that I was curious, wanting to know what her real identity was. Was she a reincarnated person, or not? I had spent a week nning for this since the announcement of the midterm ranking. And starting today, it finally began. I didn''t want this to be like I was stalking her, so after the ss ended, I always came to her for a small talk. Like ''How are you?'', when she definitely looked fine and healthy as usual. Or ''The weather is beautiful today, isn''t it?'', when the sky was dark, about to rain I suppose. Well, those two interactions wouldn''t work that much because of how dumb it was sound. But, there''s a saying that when small amounts umte over time, they can result in a significant or substantial amount. In other words, even small and seemingly insignificant actions or interactions add up to arger whole. Well, I did admit that the first day of the operation was a failure. Ember was seemingly to listen to me at least. The expression she was making at that time, what was it like? A pity? A pang of guilt? I was not sure. So, I woulde back tomorrow and continue with my n. But for now, since the day had been reced by the night, I returned to my room. "Fuu¡­" As soon as I settled on the sofa, Reina came out and embraced me in her unusually warm temperature. Day by day, her human form became a real human. At first, her body was cold as a metal but now, it had the warm in it. I ruffled her hair. When I did that, she looked at me with a pout. I knew what that meant. Chuckling lightly, I gave her the tablet and she quickly immersed herself in the cartoon movie. Staring in Zia''s direction, I found her bed covered by the curtain for the first time. ''Is she sleeping?'' If she was, then it seemed rude to bother her. So I left her alone. My eyes drifted to my Nova Watch as I felt it vibrating. Lumi sent me a message, telling me that the Catalyst Potion would soon be put up on the market. Her barrage of messages, followed by various emojis and stickers told me that she was very excited and happy about the whole thing. My ss group chat had a ''999+'' unread messages icon on the top of the group chat''s picture. It had been a week since I didn''t partake in the group chat. Feeling curious, I opened the group chat and read only the new messages. They even mentioned me. ¡ª Kris: I saw Zio and Ember together LOL. Do you think he likes her? ¡ª Mann: LOL really? ¡ª KYuuki: Is that true? @zvar ¡ª Mann: LMAO why are you tagging him? I doubt he gonna read this. Just look how many times we tagged him a week ago, he didn''te up till the end. ¡ª G.rald: Are you sure? Because I see him online and he''s among the one who has recently read our messages LOL ¡ª Kris: Oh shit! You''re right! Hey dude @zvar ¡ª Mann: I think you should stop doing it. It''s for your own good bro @zvar ¡ª Joooo: Yeah. Better be safe. She won''t ept you no matter how good-looking you are LOL ¡ª KYuuki: If she rejects you, don''t worry. I''m willing to be your GF instead! ¡ª Paprika: No Yuuki. You''re still too young for that, let me do it instead. ¡ª Mann: Nah girls. I doubt he even cares, why don''t you girls date me? ¡ª Kriss: Bro''s smooth yet idiot¡­ ¡ª G.rald: *Sips coffee* Hmm. Why did everyone like to bother with other people''s affairs? Well. Not like I was bothered by them. While I read the group chat as a silent reader, a notification message popped up. When I read the name of the sender, my eyes slightly widened. *** Quietly engrossed in reading her books, Ember multitasked by typing on her Nova Watch. ''I can''t continue like this. I feel sorry for him¡­'' Ember messaged her ssmate, Zio Varrez, expressing her desire to speak about something. ''Let''s meet up this weekend at these coordinates.'' After closing her chat with Zio, Ember sent another message to a contact named ''Silver Hound''. Just as she hit send on the message to Silver Hound, the window on the library''s fourth floor emitted a creaking sound. Standing on the windowsill was a figure draped in a ck robe. Their features were concealed beneath the garment, except for their gray eyes, tinged with a faint bluish glow in the darkness. "Now isn''t the right time to tell him, Ember. You know that." Their voice was gentle and soothing, carrying a sense of tranquility amidst the chilly night air. "Silver Hound¡­" Ember''s words trailed off as she observed the figure jump down from the windowsill to the floor. They didn''t make any sound as their feet stepped on the floor. Stepless. Just like a skilled assassin. "Just hang in there, Ember. It just 3 months left before the new year. The date on which he told us that the world will start to change." Ember sighed. "Fine¡­ But, what should I do with this?" The figure raised their eyebrows. "What do you mean?" "I''ve already sent him a message to meet me at the warehouse location." The figure pinched their nose as they heard it. "Why do you even choose that location for your meeting?" Ember fidgeted her fingers, her face looking away at the window while asionally peeking at the figure. Suppressing their frustration and disbelief, the figure shook their head slowly. "Fuu¡­ Anyway, just cancel it. Or you can just tell that you want to hang out with him and change the meeting location. Here, I have a list of which ces will make him happy¡­" Thus, the conversation quickly went stray from its original purpose. But thanks to that, Ember gained knowledge that was actually not important to her but at least it would serve to be useful for some cases. *** Billowing ominously against the horizon, the acrid smoke rose from the ruins of shattered buildings, transforming the once-vibrant blue expanse into a foreboding, charcoal-colored sky. The devastation was palpable, and the lingering haze cast an unsettling gloom that seemed to suffocate the remaining fragments of hope. It was as if the very atmosphere mourned the loss, serving as a chilling reminder of the destructive force that hadid waste to this once-thriving cityscape. Each plume of smoke told a tragic tale of lives shattered, dreams reduced to rubble, andmunities torn apart. The charred remnants stood as silent witnesses to the chaos and despair that had unfolded, while the darkened sky echoed the collective anguish of the survivors. The air hung heavy with the weight of loss as if the very essence of the city had been altered irreversibly. Amidst the destruction, small sparks of metal shing with each other were visible. But, at the end of that, the sound of a sharp de stabbing the human flesh was echoing, followed by a sound of grim devastation of death. "Why have you be like this¡­?" The man had a sword stuck in his chest, he wasying down on the broken terrain of a destroyed city. Sitting beside him was a woman, the one who killed him yet tears were streaming down her eyes. The man stared at the sky with nk eyes. His life was fading away, he couldn''t see or hear anything. As the light disappeared from his deep ck eyes, and so did his life. The darkness contained in his eyes was no mere darkness. It was darker than anything humanity had ever seen. Everyone who had ever seen his eyes would call it ''The Eye of The Abyss.'' *** I woke up immediately after having that dream or sight, whatever it was it got my heart beating so fast. The image of the man''s ck eyes was deeply etched in my mind, making me shudder every time I recalled it. Though it resembled my eyes in color which was ck. That man got a pattern on his eyes, and that pattern was something that resembled a ck hole. And the woman who killed him, no matter how hard I tried to recall her features, I couldn''t seem to remember it. Though I saw her wearing a red robe that looked like it had its own life. The robe was zing as if it was a me. I had thought that was Nuria Crimson. But again, who was the man? Garuda? No. I don''t remember there was even a scene like that in the novel. And the destroyed cityscape too didn''t look like it came from the earlier era of the Enhanced age, around the 90s to 2000. Shaking my head, I put the thought away from my mind. Though the image of the man''s eyes would still appear asionally, I tried my best to ignore it. For now, I''d got something more important. My n to uncover Ember''s secretes first. When I do something, I''ll make sure I get the job done! Chapter 94 Groom The Flame II ? Today was the day Ember invited me to hang out. What a coincidence, and convenient for me. Yet the timing was so good that now I used her of being a regressor instead of a reincarnator. Haa¡­ I feel like I''m bing more and more skeptical and paranoid¡­ As time passed by since I first arrived in this world, I felt like this world had be more alien to me. No, I mean, I felt like there was something more to this world than I had expected¡­ It was not only that I was trying to change the storyline, because I had predicted every variable of what would happen if I was to change something. But, it was something more, a key, an important key that made this world different from the one I knew. Like, what was the nature of the shrine where I got Retro and Avatar Mask? Especially Retro, why did I get a sword? Did Jin also get the sword too? Then Ember¡­ Someone who I suspected was the one who caused all of this. Myself, Zio Varrez. This boy, ording to the memory I saw at that time, said he could see the future, even talking to his future self which is me using his irvoyance. The conversation felt natural at that time, I did feel as if he was talking to me directly. Looking at the bed opposite mine, the curtain had been rearranged, revealing the empty, tidy, and clean bed. Zia, a weird girl who imed as my childhood friend. I wondered why I never questioned her. Though I felt like I had done that, I didn''t actually remember what the questions I asked her were. ''Maybe Reina remembers?'' She was sleeping soundly like a human should, her small hand was wrapping my finger. Waking her up gently, I waited for a while before started questioning her. "Reina. Do you remember anything I ever asked Zia?" Rubbing her eyes, she looked at me with a sleepy face. "Zia¡­? Oh, that invisible friend of yours, master??" ''Invisible friend'' she said. So, Zia still hadn''t shown herself to Reina, I guess. But¡­ I had some thoughts about the reason. And that was why I asked Reina. I nodded, "Yeah. That one." To my surprise, Reina began to tell me from the first time I met Zia in this very room, on the first day of school. She even told me the story I had forgotten or wasn''t aware of, like Reina had never seen Zia''s form which I clearly saw with my own eyes. The Ego could see what their master saw, feel what their master felt. We were bound to each other. Sadly, the master, if not strong enough, they couldn''t do what the Ego could do. Every time I talked to Zia, she told me that I was talking to the empty air. She even had a shiver run down her spine when she witnessed that, worrying about me. The Ego, especially one as strong as Reina, could detect and prevent illusions from influencing my mind. "I don''t know why you took the earring when you have me, master. I was sad¡­" "Well. I didn''t think you have already awakened the moment I received you in the dungeon back then." Because Ego could detect and prevent illusions or any mental attacks directed at me, even if my mental stat was ranked. I, basically, was invincible to them as long as I have Reina. That was what made me question Reina again and again until I was satisfied. "As I said, master! You need professional help! I don''t know what is it, but I feel something so strong that blocks me from diving inside your memory. Like, you''re some sort of a baby that was just born a few months ago." "It even got stranger that despite your 4 months long memory have a lot of information about the thing that hasn''t even urred yet. The knowledge of the future, I presume? But, it has a lot of branches that also get blocked by something I told you earlier, master." Reina''s golden eyes locked on me, she looked like a curious predator that was intrigued by her prey. "That''s why I epted you as my master. You''re different, strange. I thought you were an outsider like me. But no, you''re a native of this world." Among the thousand words she spitted, there was one word that buzzed in my head over and over. "Native?" ¡­ That word still buzzed in my head even when I was waiting for Ember at the meeting location. I sat at the table in the dessert shop pensively, pondering what Reina said in the morning. She referred to me as a native of this world. At first, I thought that was normal as I was possessing Zio Varrez. But again, the Ego''s and its owner''s contract was a soul contract. Retro was making a contract with my soul, not Zio Varrez. She said it herself. But, the way she said it was a bit odd¡­ ''You''re really strange, master. How can you live with only a piece of soul?'' that was what she said. A piece of soul. I didn''t understand what she meant by that. Anyhow, hearing her refer to me as a native had left a big impact on me. I had a crisis identity! "Sorry, have you waited for long?" A soft voice belonging to Ember broke my thought. Shaking my head from my deep thought, I lifted my face to see her face. "Oh, you finally arrived. Please, take a sit and ce your order because I already have mine." I pointed at my ice cream in a cup container, only to realize that the ice had melted and turned into liquid form. "Oh, shit¡­" Well, there goes my ice cream. "Pfft." The chuckleing from Ember made me jump¨Cnot really jumped, just a metaphor. That was the first time I heard her let out a chuckle. ''What happened to her? Is she sick? I think she is. Because what the fuck was that chuckle earlier?! That sounds cute. I think I''m falling in love.'' No! I pped my cheeks hard to bring myself back into reality. ''Don''t get swayed Zio! Remember what your purpose here is!'' Chapter 95 Groom The Flame III ? ''Don''t get swayed Zio! Remember what your purpose here is!'' Clearing my throat, I started the conversation. "So¡­ What''s the asion? To think you''d invite me to hang out like this, just the two of us. I was surprised honestly." She was peeking at me while she ced her order to the waiter that came to our table. As she had done, she turned to face me and slightly cocked her head. "Surprised? Why?" "Why you said? You literally looked like someone who didn''t want to get bothered by people. Even I am still reluctant to talk to you." "You talked a lot to me these past few days doesn''t seem reluctant to me." "Well. That''s because I was bored. Enzo always sleeps, and Niah and Lio are always together like two different sides of a ma. You''re the only one I''ve never tried to strike a conversation in the group." "You''re popr in ss. Surely there is someone else you can try to talk to if you are bored." "I said in our group," I sighed. "By the way, what happened to you? You seem a bit chatty today. It''s unusual." Ember tilted her head, "Do you like it when I stayed quiet?" "That''s not what I meant¡­ but, no. I like it when people are noisy. It helps me reduce the voices and activities inside my head," I said. My index finger glued near my temple. Ember stared at me, her expression turned sour as I said that but she tried to keep herposure. "Did¡ª" She stopped a moment, holding back what she was going to say. When she was about to say a word again, the waiter came with Ember''s order. A strawberry ice cream with Oreo toppings. I didn''t know if strawberry was her favorite ice cream vor but I made sure to remember it. "Anyway, Ember," I called her, my expression serious. "I have a few questions to ask you. First, do you know Utopia? Second, are you faking your circumstance? Third¡­ Is that your favorite ice cream vor?" I didn''t just ask any random questions to her, well except for the third one. To break down the questions: With the first question, I would know whether she was a regressor or a reincarnator or whatever that made her know about the future event. Why did I ask her about Utopia? As you all already know, Utopia is the future viin organization that will rece Dystopia. I asked her this because Utopia wasn''t known to everyone in the world yet, hell like I knew if they had made a preparation for raising the stage to the surface. In my opinion, this is the question that is suited to this situation. If she is someone from the future who regressed back in time or someone who was reincarnated into this world, then she must have known what Utopia is. If she doesn''t know, well, then she isn''t what I suspected her to be. How would I know whether she told a lie or a truth? Don''t worry, I had already prepared something to prevent the lie with my brand new skill I got from exchanging my merits with a D-rank book skill! Lie Detection! It cost me about 600 merits, almost spending all of the merits I had, which I just gained from the midterm exam. From about 500 merits plus 100 merits from the midterm exam, the fruit of my hard work for three months, and it only needed me a day¨Cno, an hour, to spend it all. Damn! Sparing me a moment of her luxurious ice cream time, she chuckled before speaking out her thoughts. "Can I start with thest question first?" I nodded, giving her a green signal. Her mouth formed a thin smile, "Yes. Strawberry is my favorite vor." I got a reaction signal in my brain, a tingling sensation on my brain, indicating that she was saying the truth. Nom¨C! She ate another spoonful of it. The face she made when the ice cream entered her mouth was¡­ cute, I would say. She really looked different from what I knew of her in the academy. "The second question. If you''re referring to me having memory loss and acting differently after my a'', then I''d say yes." Just as I thought, she was faking her circumstances. If you were asking me how did Ie to know about that, it was pretty simple actually. I was a keen observer. I always observed every single thing that other people do. I could tell what someone was feeling or thinking by looking at their body movements, a tiny amount of subtle gestures, I could see it all if I was focused enough. I could even do it while I was talking to someone¡­ Ember, every time I talked to her, she was always making that small and subtle uneasiness in her gestures and body movements, especially the day when I talked about Dystopia to her in the library, hoping to find something about my past. But now, when she was answering my question about her faking her circumstances. There were no subtle gestures I could see from her. She was confident when she said that. Even my Lie Detection said that she was saying the truth. "Why are you suddenly being honest with me? I''m sure you were trying to hide the fact and lie to me, remember when I asked you that day? In the library? Aren''t you telling me a lot of lies that day?" "Fuu¡­ I was just tired of acting like this for almost three years. I''m not a person who likes to lie, but circumstances force me to do so," she said, her smile was weary. I didn''t know what she was facing, and I honestly didn''t care about it. What I cared about was that she knew about me, she knew about the event of the memory, but why didn''t she tell me? Whatever, it didn''t matter for now. What mattered was her answer to my first question. Does she know about the Utopia? "I see. I don''t know why you did that, but I honestly don''t care and don''t want to know. So, what''s your answer to my first question? Do you know Utopia?" She pursed her lips and began to speak as if she was reciting the contents of a Wikipedia. Once she was done, I was bbergasted by how long and precise her exnation was. I even tried topare her exnation with the one on the Inte and Wiki, and what she said was 100% simr to Wiki''s contents. ''What the fuck? Does she actually memorize each and every word of what the Wikis said?!'' Even my Lie Detection didn''t signal me any reaction because that wasn''t an answer but an exnation! "I see you memorized what was written in the Wiki. But that''s not the answer I want to hear¡­" "What do you want to hear then?" "Let me rephrase it for you. Do you know any organization that goes by the name ''Utopia''?" She gently stroke her chin, seemingly to be in thought. A momentter, she looked at me cluelessly. "I don''t know. What''s it though?" I waited for my Lie Detection to send me the signal. When it did, a tingling sensation appeared. She was saying the truth. Chapter 96 Luck Of The Century I ? ''That''s why I epted you as my master. You''re different, strange. I thought you were an outsider like me. But no, you''re a native of this world.'' ''Utopia? I don''t know. What''s it though?'' ''Have a sweet dream, I''ll always be by your side.'' ''I''ll y hide. And you will seek professional help, master.'' ''Death is too light of punishment for you¡­!!'' I was suddenly burdened by the memory of the past. The voices that were etched on me filled my head. My head was noisy. And I couldn''t seem to stop the voices. ''Ah, so that''s it¡­ You are me from the future¡­hehe¡­'' The image of the younger Zio shed as I heard his voice ring in my head. ''You capture me well. There''s an intensity in your lines as if you truly see me.'' Zia''s cold and doll-like face reced the younger Zio. Her smile was thin and her red eyes looked like a pool of blood. ''Stop!'' ''Please have mercy!'' ''I can''t do this anymore'' ''I''ll be leaving first¡­'' ''You have gone astray.'' Many other voices filled in my head. Some were I recognized, some were I did not. ''See? You should have listened to me.'' ''This is the end!'' ''Goodbye.'' The voices grew louder and louder even the noises of the bustling city were muffled. As I bumped into someone and fell, candies wrapped like a bowtie spread onto the cold concrete pavement. I collected the candies and put them back in my pocket. Standing up, I apologized to the person I bumped into. As I walked again, my hand reached for the candy and I couldn''t help but stare at it, recalling the recent event with Ember in the dessert shop. Some time ago, I was in the dessert shop, hanging out with Ember. I gained a lot of information after exchanging a few words with her. Before we parted, she gave me these candies. I recognized them immediately because those were candies that I often found in the kitchen in my old house when I was living together with Shannon. She said that it was a special candy that could help someone to rx. That was true. Every time I chew on this candy back then, I always felt rxed. What was weird about her giving me the candies was it looked like she was already preparing for this. I unwrapped the candy and slowly chew it. Sure, after a while, I felt rxed. The noises in my head gradually disappeared. I sighed relievedly when the noises werepletely gone. I felt at peace now. "Fuu¡­" After a long walk and taking public transportation for free because I was Octagram''s student. I found myself standing in front of the huge, towering modern building. Covering the building''s exterior were countless windows, disying a hologram slide of the heroes'' action footage and apany logo with its logotype (typography) that read ''Nova''. That''s right. The building in front of me was the Nova Corps'' guild HQ. It was the day of the Catalyst Potion''sunch in the market. The day when the Nova guild would rise to the first position of the guild ranking, which happened much earlier than the original, thanks to me. Lumi invited me to watch the market statistics together, but I refused. I refused her, so why did Ie here? Well, to get my potion of course. I couldn''t wait to reach the new level as the Enhanced. ¡­ "You''ve finallye, Zio the innovator!" "What''s that? That''s some." Arriving at Lumi''s office, Lumi greeted me warmly with a little tease. "Hehe. I think the nickname would suit you well." She looked so happy. Well, who wouldn''t when they knew they would soon bathe in money? But somehow, I still couldn''t bear this kind of Lumi. I meant I would rather like her quiet and calm personality. Thinking of it, I felt like every character I had influenced seemed to be happier than usual. Not really all characters, only two for now. Lux and Lumi. I wonder if Ember counts too. Am I actually an incarnation of happiness? Hehe, as if. I sat on the chair across from her, between us was a table separating the two greedy creatures. "I don''t have much time so I will get straight to the point. Can I have my Catalyst Potion?" Lumi held my gaze, she looked like she was observing me. Then, she smiled and tried to persuade me. "Don''t you want to see how much money you would get from the potion? So, could you stay a bit longer?" "That sounds great but no. I already know it would get us money and that it would dominate the market along with the Horizon Elixir." To be honest, I was intrigued. I wanted to see how much profit I would gain from the Catalyst Potion sale. But, my desire to be stronger was way bigger. I couldn''t afford to dy any more time as I had already been stuck because of my low growth potential. "Horizon Elixir. Right. That product¡­" Lumi fell in thought, she rested her chin on her fingers, asionally peeking at me. "Is the Horizon Elixir also your idea?" I raised my eyebrow at her, slightly tilting my head to the side. I didn''t know if it was me who blundered or if Lumi was just too perceptive and a doubter for her to think that the Horizon Elixir was rted to me. "What are you saying? Of course not. If it was mine, I would have given it to you together with the Catalyst Potion. Why would I waste my idea on a guild that even didn''t have a business before?" Hmm¡­thinking back, why would I even work together with them? Hu. No. I can''t be this arrogant. I worked with them to gain scores from Goose, the future Doctor Specter, King of Network. Thanks to that, I also established a professional rtionship with one of the strongest rank heroes, Neychta, Chrysalis Guildmaster. Her emerald eyes narrowed, scrutinizing me. "Hmm. That''s good, then!" she said, sping her hands. "But, if I caught you cheating on me. Just prepare yourself, okay?" I rolled my eyes. At this point, I might have changed her too much. Where''s the sugar mommy that I''d expected?! Fvck Lux and fvck my novel too! "Must you use the word ''cheating''? People may misunderstand that," I said. Lumi smiled behind her hand, her expression telling me she was going to tease me. "Oh? You actually care about that?" I sighed and chose to ignore her. If I was to respond to that, her n to make me stay longer by trapping me in conversation might turn out to be a sess. "Fuu¡­ Don''t know, don''t care. I just want my Catalyst Potion, can I have it now?" At that moment, I felt the throbbing pain inside my head. It finally appeared again after a long time. On top of that, the timing was worst. Why would it appear now?! Appearing along with the pain, noises began to fill my head again. Holding the urge to grab my head, I took the candy instead. Unwrapping it, I chew on it immediately. Though it didn''t make the pain and noise immediately subside, at least the impact of them had been reduced. Lumi looked at the candy wrap in my hand. The moment she saw it, her surprised expression was palpable but it immediately changed into a concerned expression. Her face when she stared at me seemed to want to throw a lot of questions, but she suppressed it as a thin smile formed on her face. "Can I have one?" I gave her a candy, she gave me the Catalyst Potion. What a fortune candy, I could get Catalyst Potion for a candy''s price. Well, it was actually free so whatever, Feeling satisfied, I got up and bid my goodbye. Lumi looked like she wanted to stop me but did not. Walking toward the door, I could feel the excitement electrocuting me, it spreading through my body from the top to the bottom. ''Finally, I can raise my growth potential. Now, what I need is luck¡­'' *** After Zio vanished behind the door and disappeared from Lumi''s view, she found herself fixated on the candy clutched in her hand. Suddenly, someone appeared behind her, their face concealed by a mask. However, their feminine figure and posture left no doubt about their gender. Lumi initiated the conversation by unwrapping the candy and expressing her thoughts. "I thought this is just a normal candy. But, as I expected, this is a special candy." The figure behind her leaned forward, taking a closer look at the candy. "Isn''t this Serenity Candy? The candy that has the effect to calm one mind?" "Yes, it is. But¡­" Lumi chewed the candy. "The effect only applied to those with special circumstances. Like hallucination or the other mental health problem." The figure nodded thoughtfully. "Then, the information we just obtained is true. That boy probably has one of those special circumstances." Chapter 97 Luck Of The Century II ? Now that I have the Horizon Elixir and Catalyst Potion, it''s time to level up! Well¡­there might be a little bit of gacha¡­ Anyhow, lucky or not, I had a few chances¡ªaround 4 or 6 chances to gamble with the Catalyst Potion. Though I couldn''t use them repeatedly in a day or else I would be overdosed and ended up with MCD (Mana Core Dysfunction). One bottle per week, so if my luck this week was on the negative side, I could try to consume the potion in the next week. But that wouldn''t be necessary as I was confident I could hit the jackpot on the first try. Lumi also had making sure to notice the warning for the Catalyst Potion. "This potion could be consumed a few times until your body resisted the potion''s effect. Even so, we suggest that you don''t use the potion repeatedly in a day. Our suggestion is to consume at most two times a week. There''s no shortcut to achieving power -Nova" Something like that. There was a w in the Catalyst Potion restriction and that was the blessing, talent, skill, or even curse that allowed the Enhanced to take the drugs simultaneously without worrying about the side effect that came with it. Bell Walker was the very example of that. He had a blessing that could enhance the potion or elixir efficiency he consumed, on top of that, every side effect of the potion he consumed was nullified. Thus, these two potions were like gifts from God to him. If only he got the money to afford them¡­ "..." Wait, money¡­ ''Maybe I could get a score with him with this?'' Yeah, I might be. But, let''s put that aside first as I got more important things to do first. Currently, I was inside the building with arge and beautifully decorated lobby. Many people¡ªmostly the Enhanced¡ªwere hanging out, talking to each other, and enjoying their leisure time. Some were busy and crowded around the devices spanned across the lobby''s wall. And some were just like me, lining up and attending the registration or receptionist table. This was just like an Adventurer Guild you oftentimes found in the manga but much more modern and advanced. ECQ, or Enhanced Commission Quarter, was what this ce was called. This was a building maintained and belonged to the Hero Association, Omega. For the record though, this wasn''t the Omega''s HQ. This ce served just like an Adventured Guild just as I mentioned earlier. The Enhanced could take themission and work that the other had requested through the ECQ. Other than that, this ce could also serve as a ce for hanging out and so on. My reason here was to search for a ce, a base dungeon or hunting field to be precise. One that had a particr monster residing in it. "Good morning! What can I help you with today?" "Good morning, sir!" It wouldn''t hurt to be polite, right? "I was looking for a hunting field to practice and make money." At the same time, I showed him my student card. Recognizing it, the receptionist changed his demeanor almost immediately. "I see. Let me look it for you," said the receptionist as he began to operate the device on the table. After a while, he pressed the small button protruding from the edge of the device. The tiny printing device on the backside whirred quietly, producing five chips resembling a short delicate pen. Gently, he retrieved the chips and ced them delicately on the table before me. The chip, with a shape of a pen no longer than a standard poker card, came to life as he activated it. As if guided by unseen forces, a slender screen emerged from within the chip, integrating with itspact form. The screen was disying information about each of the base dungeons that would be suited for a student like me. The rank of those dungeons was not higher than rank, which I saw on the screen. The receptionist began telling me about each of the hunting field''s pros and cons, its geography, the monsters residing in it, etc. Though, I found those unnecessary so I listened to him half-heartedly. Almost every hunting field was upying either mountains or forests, so I ignored his geography and terrain exnation and only focused on the pros & cons, and what monsters the field had. The first hunting field was a forestry area located in Australia. The forest was turned into a hunting field 7 years ago but the magical molecules that shrouded the area were still dense. "Since it''s a forest area, you don''t need to worry about food and water supplies if you were going to hunt for a long time there. But, please remember that not every natural food from the forest such as fruits and nts is edible. It''s better if you have a guidebook. If you don''t have it yet, you can buy it from us with a huge discount as you are an Octagram student!" This was the privilege and treatment you would get from attending Octragram Academy. A huge discount! Though, I didn''t need those guidebooks. "Swamp monsters like lizardman are dwelling here. But mostly you will find low to mid-ranked monsters such as a goblin to an ogre, and a few mutated animals." The second hunting field was a mountainous region located in North America. The biggest and most popr hunting field for its diverse monsters and areas, also the oldest hunting field in the world. It already inhabited Earth since the first catastrophe. "This hunting field is a bit unique. Because of itsrge area, we divided this hunting field into a few areas namely the ck zone, red zone, yellow zone, and green zone¡­" The ck zone was a term for the most dangerous to ranked area. The green zone was the safest area where only small and low-ranked monsters were dwelling around. A suitable ce for newbies to make money and get experience. "One thing to note about this hunting field is its rich mineral deposits. The areas are filled with valuable resources like ores, gems, and crystals, which can be used for crafting weapons and armor, or you can just sell them to us, we are fair when ites to pricing loots the Enhanced got. It''s a paradise for those looking to make a fortune!" Yeah, I knew that already. Despite its resources being looted every day, the miasma or magical molecules would restore them the next day the same as the miasma spawned thousands of monsters. Though it had been 40 years since the first emergence of this hunting field, the magical molecules surrounding the mountain range showed no signs of depletion. The receptionist proceeded to tell me thest two hunting fields but I didn''t listen to him anymore. As he was done, I asked him a question. "Is there a field that recently has an unusual rate of the goblin''s activities?" He seemed to fall in thought for a while. "Yes, there is," he said as he operated the device. "We''ve received reports and signals of unusual activity and spawning rate of the goblins in some of the hunting fields." "And, which of them has the highest rate?" "It''s on the Caltrope hunting field''s green zone area I told you earlier. They said they saw an unusual number of goblins and that they were always flocking together in a group of ten which usually only one to three were found in a group." Ha! That''s it. After hearing the information, now I was certain where I should go to get my luck with the Catalyst Potion. "Thank you, sir!" I thanked the receptionist and immediately headed for my destination. ¡­ "Hoo¡­ So this is the Caltrope hunting field? It''s so vast¡­" As I stepped into the Caltrope hunting field area, I was greeted by a breathtaking sight. Towering peaks stretched as far as the eye could see. The air was crisp and invigorating, and the sound of howling winds echoed through the valleys. The terrain was rugged and challenging, with steep slopes, rocky cliffs, and dense forests. As I made my way to the first level of the hunting field, the green zone area¡ªwhich was a forestry area, I noticed signs of goblin activity after a few minutes of walking. Broken branches, footprints, and faintughter in the distance indicated their presence. I pressed forward, keeping a watchful eye on the nearest goblin''s group at a safe distance. The reason for this group dynamics and the increased number of goblins was that they were celebrating. What did they celebrate? You''d find out soon. ''That is¡­'' As I followed the group of goblins quietly, I finally found their hideouts. The goblins there were just like humans, they were celebrated along with the fire and danced, just like a tribal civilization of humans. Sitting on the huge, majestic chair made from animal bones was an unusuallyrge goblin with an animal skull resting on its head. No, it was not an ogre. It was a goblin. A goblin champion that had recently be a goblin king. Sweeping my eyes throughout the hideout, I found what I looked for. Recently leaving the small tent to a bigger one was a small goblin with distinctive skin color, it was different from the rest green creatures. That small goblin had a long nose like Pinhio, pointy ears as sharp as an elf, and skin color as shimmering as gold. "Found it." Chapter 98 Luck Of The Century III ? Golden Goblin was usually known as a goblin that held rare, high-ranked items or treasures as a bunch of gold in some games. But, in the novel, they were identified as a creature that brought luck with them. They were very rare goblin that was born naturally when a goblin champion ascended as a goblin king. I meant, I also had no idea about the full concept of this creature even though I was the author but just as in games, they were spawned once every a while. Golden Goblin only had a 7 days lifespan. They were born immediately the moment the goblin champion rose to the throne. Looking at the situation of the hideout, I guessed that the goblin king was rising to the throne not long ago. Probably a day or two days ago. Carefully watching them from afar, I thought up a n on the spot. ''Barging in alone there is a stupid move, even a 5-year-old kid knows that¡­'' I was like¡­ wait, what was my stats look like again? "[Status]" [Name: Zio Varrez (¡á) Age: 17 Race: Human ? [Stats] Strength: E- Agility: E Intelligence: C Stamina: E Magic: F+ Charisma: C- Luck: E+ ? [Talents] [Dual Wielding Lv.3] (¨‹ Expand) [Swordsmanship Lv.3] (¨‹ Expand) [Mana Control Lv.2] (¨‹ Expand) ? [Skills] [irvoyance Lv.3] (¨‹ Expand) [Lie Detection] Type: Passive Rank: D The user is capable to tell whether someone is telling the truth or lying through conversation.] ''Oh. Only my Charisma is increasing after the midterm.'' Anyway, with these stats, it was now clear that I couldn''t just barge inside the goblin''s hideout like the main character was supposed to do. It was not like I was a coward or anything. I just thinking rationally and logically, I cared about my life, man¡­ Not to mention how strong might be that new goblin king was. Using my irvoyance, I scanned the goblin king and his information appeared in my vision. [Goblin King Race: Monster / Goblin Rank: D+] Yep! I would die in one hit if I was to fight him. Anyway, killing a Golden Goblin would give me a 24-hour time of luck blessing. As they only lived for a week, I couldn''t raise them as a pet. Other than its short lifespan, Golden Goblin was a very arrogant creature. It wasn''t worth my time to tame it. It would be faster to just kill it and exploit the luck buff. To the goblin''s eyes, Golden Goblin was considered a highly respected creature. Because of its golden skin, it was considered an emissary of God and highly guarded by the goblins. So, despite its low rank and abilities, it would be hard to kill it if I couldn''t breach the goblins guarding it. The only way I could do was to sneak in and kill the Golden Goblin as fast as possible. Taking out a bottle of white, transparent liquid water, I drank it in one gulp and threw the empty invisibility potion I bought in the wizard shop along with other potions on my way here. Taking a deep breath, I felt a strange sensation coursing through my veins as the potion worked its magic. It started with a subtle shimmer, like the gentle rippling of water under a pale moonlight. As I looked down at my hands, I could see the transparency gradually spreading from my fingertips, enveloping my entire body in an ethereal glow. ''Wow¡­'' The transformation was mesmerizing yet surreal. With each passing moment, the color and contours of my body began to fade, blending seamlessly into the surroundings. It was as if I was bing a vessel of light like I had experienced in the memory back then when I got my irvoyance Level 3. But this time, even as my body turned invisible, I could still feel the warmth of my own skin, the weight of my body, the beat of my heart, and the rhythm of my breath. ''...good. Now¡­'' As I moved, my footsteps left no trace, and the air seemed to part effortlessly around me. ''As expected of a high-ranking invisibility potion.'' I carefully made my way toward the goblin''s hideout. Stealthily navigating through the goblin-infested territory, I used my irvoyance periodically to scout and gather information about the hideout in case I failed to assassinate the Golden Goblin. As I approached the big tent, probably the main chamber where the goblin king was supposed to live in, I stopped for a while. ''That goblin is inside this tent.'' Gathering my courage, I stepped inside the tent. Amazingly, no one noticed when I swiftly through the tent''s curtain that served as a door. ''So far so good.'' Inside the tent was spacious because it had less furniture ced inside. I even immediately found the Golden Goblin rxing on top of hay that was supposed to be a sleeping chamber. The goblin guards surrounded the Golden Goblin. Assessing the situation and identifying the weakest points in their defenses, I found a small gap that I could exploit. Timing would be crucial to execute my strategy sessfully. With a deep breath to steady my nerves, I moved forward, careful not to touch anything that would produce a sound. Talking about producing sound. Other than not leaving a trace, I also didn''t make any sound while in my invisibility state. Though I must hurry, I could feel the effect would wear off soon. My objective was clear¡ªto swiftly kill the Golden Goblin and im the luck blessing it held. Taking advantage of my invisibility, I slipped through the guard''s defense and approached the small creature. The creature had a wide grin as it was sleeping on the haystack, not knowing its life would end soon. ''Yeah. Have a sweet dream, buddy.'' With a swift strike, I ended the life of the Golden Goblin quickly in its sleep, not having a chance to react or so whatever. I also made sure that the assassination was done as quietly as possible so the guard wouldn''t notice. As the Golden Goblin fell lifeless in its sleep, I felt a surge of energy and luck coursing through me. Ding¡ª! [Your Luck has been increased from to for 24 hours!] Chapter 99 Yet Another Fire Girl I ? [Your Luck has increased from rank to rank for 24 hours!] The time limit blessing had been obtained. However, I couldn''t afford to bask in my victory for long. It wouldn''t be long until the goblin guards noticed their prized emissary had been in. They just needed to turn around slightly and found out about it. So, without wasting time, using the remaining time of my invisibility, I worked my ass off to get out of the tent. As I approached the curtain door, I heard a loud and clear voice outside the tent. "GERONIMO!!!" *** 10 minutes ago¡­ "Are you sure that the creature is here?" Walking alone through the forest was a girl with ck hair cascaded down her waist. Her walking was a bit wobbly as if she forced herself to walk. While speaking, her red ruby eyes would often look at her left top side as if she was talking to someone or something floating beside her. But, the problem was that whoever she talked to was invisible. No one could see it except for her. So, if someone caught her talking alone in the forest like this, they would likely be terrified by this weird girl. "Really?" She spoke again in surprise. "Ahh, but I''m tired¡­" As she stopped walking, her eyes found the goblin hideout where the creatures were celebrating something. Panting heavily, she leaned on the nearby tree. "What? No way!" She jolted as she spoke to whatever it was beside her. "Umm¡­" The girl pinched her nose and eventually sighed. Her face and body were already tired, she needed some proper rest. She even coughed all the way on her journey and always grasped her chest whenever it happened. That girl looked like she was having a chronic disease. Judging by her physical appearance, it looked like she had a weak constitution. But despite that, her charming weak smile and beautiful face couldn''t be rid of just her having a disease. "Okay¡­ But, promise me not to overwork my body even though you didn''t feel it." Sighing, the girl closed her eyes. In an instant, the air around her changed. When she opened her eyes again, it felt like she was a different person. Her whole demeanor of a weak girl had disappeared, now reced by a strong and wild girl. Her wide grin depicted another personality opposite to earlier. "Fuu¡­ Finally, I can move again¡­" She unsheathed the sword she had around her back and started walking toward the goblin hideout. Her movement didn''t look sluggish anymore. She walked with firm and confident. "Yes, yes. I promise not to overdo it. I still want to live too." Approaching the goblin''s hideout gate in person, without concealing herself with an invisibility potion or sneaking through, the girl took a long breath and yelled as she ran inside the hideout with her sword raised. Noticing the intruder appeared in their camp, the goblins made a noise to rm the others. The goblins emitted shrill shrieks, piercing the air like daggers and reverberating off the walls of the hideout, their high-pitched cries a blend of fear and aggression. As the goblins gathered to defend their territory, the girl jumped high into the sky. Her sword was enveloped in raging me. By swinging it, she unleashed the me wave long-range attack, burning the goblins on the ground. The fire spread to a nearby small tent and was engulfed by me in a second. It continued to spread around the camp. "GERONIMO!!" The girl brought herself down with thest swing of her me sword that burned everything it touched. Everything was burned, engulfed by her fierce me. What was left from the hideout was the goblin king who sat still on his throne made of skull and bone. A wide grin was painting the goblin king''s face. its yellow eyes glimmered under the cascading shadow from the me burning its home. A few goblin guards were flocking out from the bigger tent that the me hadn''t touched yet. They snarled at the scene of the me burning their territory and kinds. And, a boy who was hidden under the effect of the invisibility potion which would soon wear off. Zio Varrez. His eyes narrowed, scrutinizing the goblin''s hideout under the terror of the raging me. As he noticed the girl who stood in the center of the camp, together with the me sword in her hand, Zio''s eyes widened. "Zia?" As he spoke, the effect of the potion wore off, exposing him to the goblin guards in front of him and those who just came out from the big tent behind him. "Shit¡­" Kriek¡ª! The goblin guards behind him growled, rming the rest of the guards in the front. Meanwhile, the goblin king slightly moved his eyes to take a peek at the situation before shifting them again toward the girl''s direction. The goblin king finally got up from its skull and bone throne as the girl with the me sword approached, an excited grin as wide as the goblin king was also painting the girl''s face. Zio quickly assessed the situation, realizing the danger he was in. The goblin guards were closing on him from all sides, their grotesque faces contorted with anger. "Fuck¡­ it''s not time to worry about money!" With a quick motion, he pulled a small bottle containing a swirling blue liquid from his storage cube. Without hesitation, he uncorked the bottle and consumed its contents. The potion he had ingested was a speed-enhancing potion he bought from the wizard''s shop, granting him increased speed and agility for a limited time. [Your Agility has been increased from to for 10 minutes!] A notification system was ringing and appeared in his vision, but he quickly swept it away. "Shit, this is why I hate the notifications feature!" As the goblin guards lunged at him with their weapons raised, Zio dodged and weaved through their attacks effortlessly. His heightened speed,bined with his irvoyance skill allowed him a spacious room for movement and better prediction to dodge and counter with lightning-fast strikes. With each swing of his twin daggers, he incapacitated one goblin after another. Meanwhile, the girl was engaged in a fierce duel with the goblin king whose height was above two meters tall. The mes from her sword shed against the king''s crude weapon, creating sparks that illuminated the chaotic scene. "Hahaha! This girl''s power is the best! I like this!" the girl eximed in an exhrating tone. Chapter 100 Yet Another Fire Girl II ? "Huh? That voice isn''t Zia''s¡­" As he heard the girl''s voice and lunaticugh, he was convinced that the girl''s identity wasn''t someone he knew. He immediately focused back his attention on his own fight with the goblin guards. Using his irvoyance, he received information about the goblin guards. They were all ranked , unlike their king who was ranked . Knowing the goblin guards'' rank, Zio was confident he could defeat them all with his current abilities. Kriek¨C! One of the goblins lunged for an attack but Zio quickly decapitated it with a quick sh to its neck. "Come at me, you greenie things." Zio continued his onught, his speed giving him so many advantages against the goblin guards. Despite their numbers, he swiftly killed them one by one, leaving a trail of defeated foes in his wake. His fluid, acrobatic movements and precise strikes were living proof of the neverending training of his dual wielding talent. "Fuu¡­" As thest goblin guard fell lifeless to the ground, Zio turned his attention to the ongoing battle between the girl and the goblin king. The goblin king was taller than him, so it was obvious that it possessed an intimidating aura that sent shivers down Zio''s spine and formidable strength. It swung its weapon with a ferocity that matched the girl''s attacks. "Should I help her?" The girl looked like she had the upper hand against the goblin king. But, Zio noticed the girl''s heavy panting on each of her attacks. The girl was exhausted, she would soon lose her advantage and be overwhelmed by the goblin king. And so was Zio, he would soon lose the effect of the speed-enhancing potion, so he was unsure of how he should proceed. He used his irvoyance to gather information before he decided to do anything. As he already knew the goblin king''s information, Zio was using irvoyance on the girl instead. [Name: Ruby Ustrina (¡â) Age: 16 Race: Human ? [Stats] Strength: E ¡ú D+ (Enhanced) Agility: F+ ¡ú D+ (Enhanced) Intelligence: D- Stamina: G ¡ú D+ (Enhanced) Magic: D+ Charisma: F+ Luck: C ? [Hidden Stats] Perception: A Mental: A Potential: SS Health: F-] "Cough!" Zio almost choked himself to death due to the shock he got from seeing the girl''s stats. ''SS-rank potential?!'' Though he promised himself not to be surprised again when seeing something beyond the logic, this one was an entirely different case. ''Who in the world is she?! Ruby Ustrina?!'' As he screamed her name inwardly, he suddenly recalled the familiarity that rang from her name. ''Ustrina¡­ Ustrina¡­ Where have I heard it before¡­?'' A few secondster, Zio sped his hands together as he remembered the name''s origin. ''Ah! Yes. It''s the name of one of the viin characters¡­ but¡­'' But, the character that Zio knew was not a girl. And his power wasn''t something rted to fire and sword. So, who was this girl? Another case and entity that was the same as him? ''I don''t know but, I can''t let someone with SS-rank potential die here.'' As he sensed an opportunity, Zio rushed toward the goblin king, using his about-to-wear-off enhanced speed to close the distance rapidly. ''Fuck it!'' With a swift maneuver, he leaped into the air and brought his daggers down upon the goblin king, aiming for a vulnerable spot. However, the goblin king anticipated his move and managed to parry his attack with a bone shield despite that the goblin king''s attention was drawn toward Ruby. "Guh!" The impact sent Zio stumbling backward, his daggers ttering to the ground. Undeterred, he quickly regained his footing and prepared for the next assault. But, the potion effect had worn off. Though, he didn''t seem to mind it as he realized the goblin king had weakened. Ruby, noticing Zio''s arrival, seized the distraction to unleash a powerful attack. With a mighty swing, her ming sword broke through the goblin king''s defenses and struck true. The goblin king let out a bellowing roar of pain as the mes engulfed its body. But, despite being burned alive by the mes, the goblin king stood firmly, asserting his dominance through his roar. "Haha! Good, good! You should be this ''lively'' for someone titled as king of the goblin!" Ruby yelled in an excited voice. Roar¡ª! The goblin king knew he wasn''t going to live for long because the me drained its life every second, so he fought back with desperation. Its attacks became more frenzied, but Ruby and Zio fought together as a seamless unit even though they didn''t have any experience as a team. Zio used his speed, though not as fast as when his speed was enhanced, his original agility and speed were enough to dodge the goblin king''s attacks, while Ruby delivered powerful and fierce shes. Finally, with onest coordinatedbo, they unleashed a devastating blow. Ruby''s ming sword burst, increasing the intensity of the me. It sliced through the air, leaving a trail of raging fire in its wake. The swing connected with the goblin king, reducing it to ashes and ending its reign before it could even experience the sweet life as a king. Silence fell upon the remnants of the goblin hideout as the mes slowly subsided. Ruby and Zio stood victorious, their bodies covered in sweat and dirt, but with triumphant smiles on their faces. The goblin guardsy lifelessly, and the once-mighty goblin king was no more. As they caught their breath, Ruby turned to Zio, her stares were sharp and her voice was filled with aggressiveness with a bit of humility. "I don''t know who you are but thanks for the assist." Zio sheathed his daggers, his face unchanging, deviant of emotions as he cautiously stared at Ruby. "Don''t mention it, I just happened to be here." "Oh really?" Ruby approached closer toward Zio. At that moment, Zio raised his guard instinctively because of the aura Ruby emitted. "Anyway, boy. Have you seen a goblin with gold skin around this camp?" Her old-fashioned speech manner made Zio stunned in surprise. She was a year younger than him but she spoke to him as if he was the younger one and that Ruby was someone who had lived for a long time. Ignoring the matter of her speech manner, Zio shook her head in regret at Ruby''s question. "Are you looking for the Golden Goblin too? Too bad, I already killed¡ª" Before Zio could finish his words, he saw the girl standing wobbly. Her legs were weak, shaking so much that she might crumble at any moment. "Hey, are you oka¨C" Again, his word was interrupted and he was caught off guard by what the girl was saying as she fell forward toward Zio. "Catch me¡­ brother¡­" Her voice also changed. No aggressiveness was found in her voice now. It was pure, clean, and a bit hoarse because of the tiredness she had. "H-huh?" Zio''s eyes slightly widened as he caught the girl in his arms. Her weight was as light as a feather. He could sense the exhaustion emanating from Ruby''s trembling body which eventually calmed as she fell unconscious in his arms. "Did she just call me brother?" said Zio, his eyes full of concern yet also suspicion. Chapter 101 Not So Heartless, Am I? I ? "Fuu¡­" Somehow concerned, I carefully adjusted my grip on her and lowered her to the ground, ensuring she was in afortable position. We were currently outside the burned goblin''s hideout, close to the entrance of the hunting field. I knelt beside Ruby, observing her closely, searching for any signs of injury. But I couldn''t find one except that she had a fragile body and an overall weak constitution. Leaving her alone, I sat several meters away from her and took out the Horizon Elixir and Catalyst Potion. I put the Horizon Elixir on the ground and consumed the Catalyst Potion first. As I consumed the potion, I felt a surge of energy coursing through my body. The energy''s pattern was random, it spread all over my veins and body. To fix this, I needed to be in a meditation state, cultivating the very essence of the potion. Taking a deep breath and focusing my attention inward. Drawing upon the amplified energy granted by the Catalyst Potion, I entered a state of deep meditation, channeling the newfound energy into cultivation practice like those in martial arts and cultivation stories. With each breath, I felt my body and mind harmonizing, aligning with the potion''s growing power. In this heightened state of cultivation, I visualized the Catalyst Potion merging seamlessly with me. Its purplish-blue glow intertwined with my mana core and blood, infusing me with an increased growth power. After an hour, I emerged from my meditative state, feeling a profound connection with the Catalyst Potion. Ding¡ª! [The fortune has smiled upon you! You have perfectly absorbed the essence of the Catalyst Potion!] [Your Growth Rate Power has been increased from to [The original result: B-]] [The fortune has smiled upon you! As a result of your focused, deep meditation. Your Mental has been increased from to ] [The fortune has smiled upon you! You have sessfully reinforced your mana core with the essence of the Catalyst Potion!] [Your Magic has been increased from to ] As you can see. I said I was confident I could hit the jackpot on the first try. Luck really yed a significant role to achieve greater power other than talents and blessings. For me who had no blessings and a low-rank Luck stat, this was my greatest achievement in this life. I will make sure to thank the Golden Goblin if I diedter. But, I couldn''t be satisfied with just only this. My potential was still ranked, and I only had one chance. As I was about to reach for the Horizon Elixir, Ruby made a sudden sweet yawn noise, stopping me from drinking the elixir. ''Haa¡­ I guess I can do itter once I''m done with this.'' Turning around, I observed her fragile body and confused face. She rapidly blinked as she just opened her eyes. Then, as her eyes found me she gasped, covering her opened mouth with her hands. Putting back the elixir into my storage cube, I got up and walked toward her. "You''re finally awake." I recalled the moment she was passing out after the fight with the goblin king. "Are you okay?" She nodded shyly, trying to find something to cover her face. She felt like a different person from what I encountered before she passed out. "You¨C" Before I even could speak my first word, she cut me off with a quick speech. "S-sorry! I was rude to you before, so I''m sorry!" "Yes?" If someone could tell me what happened here, please do. Because I didn''t know what the fvck is going on right now! Cough¨C! Cough¡ª! She suddenly coughed up blood, her hand grasping at her chest. Surprised, I knelt beside her as I pulled out a small potion containing red liquid. "Hey, drink this." Ruby''s eyes fluttered weakly as she struggled holding the pain feeling in her chest. She managed to lift her unupied hand and weakly grasp my sleeve, her grip feeble but desperate. "No¡­" She whispered, her voice barely audible. "It doesn''t work on me¡­ *cough*" I frowned upon hearing her words. What didn''t work on you, damn it, a potion? Really?! ''As if I would let an SS-rank talent like you die here! No. No-uh. Not in my watch.'' Carefully, I rose to my feet. "Pardon me." Gently lifting her into my arms. "W-what are you doing?!" She protested with her voice. Yeah, but what could she do with voice only? That was not gonna stop me from saving the SS-rank talent that had the surname of the viin character! "Stay still." ncing around the area, I quickly retraced my steps back to the hunting field entrance as fast as possible. As I arrived at the base camp of the hunting field, where Enhanced prepared or took rest before heading out for hunting, I called for the medic. "Excuse me! Is there a medic here?" At first, people who stayed at the base camp were nonchnt at my call. But, when I showed them my student card and introduced myself as an Octagram student, they scattered and helped me. ''A bunch of bootlickers¡­'' I eyed them with a disgusted face, not even trying to hide my dislike of their demeanor. Though, they were the ones that ignored my expression at that time and continued onward with providing Ruby with medical aid. While I waited for Ruby''s recovery, I slipped away from the crowd''s busyness and looked for a quiet, empty ce I could use for meditation. As I found the ce, I immediately sat in a meditation position with the elixir already in my hand. With a steady hand, I uncorked the elixir and raised it to my lips. The elixir had a faint, sweet aroma that filled my nostrils. As I drank it, a tingling sensation spread throughout my body. After that, the rest procedure was the same as when I cultivated the Catalyst Potion. An hourter, I finished my cultivation and perfectly absorbed all the elixir''s essence thanks to my effort as well as my enhanced luck. Notifications assaulted my vision with their blue window panel. Ding¡ª! [The fortune has smiled upon you! You have perfectly absorbed the essence of the Horizon Elixir!] [Your Growth Potential has been increased from to [The original result: A]] [The fortune has smiled upon you! As a result of your focused, deep meditation. Your Mental has been increased from to ] [The fortune has smiled upon you! You have sessfully reinforced your mana core with the essence of the Horizon Elixir!] [Your Magic has been increased from to ] [The fortune has smiled upon you! As a result of the ''Triforce Energy''. Your physical stats has been increased a level!] [Strength: E- ¡ú E] [Agility: E ¡ú E+] [Stamina: E ¡ú E+] [Health: D+ ¡ú C-] ¡­ Arriving inside the tent where Ruby was treated, I found herying on the patient bed. She was sleeping soundly, her face was in peace. ''Ustrina.'' I called her surname a few times, trying to recall what I remembered from the novel but the result was null. So I searched for it on the Inte instead. As I found the articles, my eyes shed with recognition. "Ah! So it''s him!" Chapter 102 Not So Heartless, Am I? II ? After sessfully increasing my potential and its growth rate to and ranks respectively, I didn''t feel as excited as I had initially expected to be upon reaching that milestone. I don''t know, man¡­ I just felt hollow, empty¡­ Was it because it was too easy? Was it because I used the advantage I had to achieve it? What if I had achieved this power through my own hard work without relying on the knowledge of the future? Would I be happier than I was now? Only God knows. Well, whatever. It didn''t matter now. Without the knowledge of the future, I might have already died back when I was trapped inside the sh dungeon. So, there was no point inining about it. Just let it go. In the end, I would still utilize that knowledge to create a better ending for this world. I still didn''t know about myself, with Reina''s words still ringing in my mind, telling me I was a native of this world. But, if I was indeed a native, what did that memory about the whole book and novel ''The Hero Beyond The Light'' mean? That had the same people, ces, and storyline, albeit with some alterations, as this world. I sat on the chair inside the tent where Ruby was resting, recuperating from her treatment. One of the medics got her medical history from the main Medical Center in the USA. It stated there that Ruby was diagnosed with CHF (Congestive Heart Failure). It was a serious condition in which the heart didn''t pump blood as efficiently as it should. I was surprised when I heard it. Because, if she was diagnosed with CHF, how was she able to move and fight against the goblin king like that? At that time, I didn''t even notice she showed a sign of CHF while fighting. It was only after the fight that she did. Moreover, I wondered how could she even walk all the way to the hunting field despite the disease. ''Could it be somehow rted to her wilder personality I encountered while she was fighting? Or her skills?'' She slept so soundly I could even hear her cat-like purr. My mind suddenly recalled the scene where I found a ck cat on my windowsill and in the park, I couldn''t help but think that Ruby was Zia or that cat because of how much their hair, especially their eyes resembled each other. A gemstone with red fluorescence. A ruby. ''Heh¡­ She even got her name after the gemstone that has the same color as her eyes.'' I retraced my mind back to the topic of the three individuals; Ruby, Zia, and the ck cat. Wondering if I should look into this. But¡­ ''Is it worth my time to do that?'' I didn''t want to do work that wouldn''t benefit me in any other way. But, this time was different. I could see Ruby''s status screen with my irvoyance unlike Zia and the ck cat. Because of that, I found someone with SS-rank talent. It was only for this SS-rank talent that I considered the work to look into Zia more. "Fuu¡­" Leaning on the chair, I turned on my Nova Watch, using it to search for something about Ruby¡ªthe Ustrina surname, to be precise. What I found on the very top search of the keyword were an article and someone''s face photo. A man with short ck hair and red eyes simr to Ruby''s. Below the image was written his name ''Aster Ustrina''. His name rang in my ears with familiarity. I was sure that was the viin character''s name. Surprisingly, when I scrolled through the articles about him, news about his death was everywhere. I frowned as I read those articles. Aster didn''t die in the novel, he was alive at least until Lux killed him in the year 2034. But, somehow he had died in this world. On top of that, the year he died was 15 years ago. That was before he turned into a viin. As I read the articles, I found out why he died. Here was the difference between what happened in the story that I knew and the actual story that happened in this world''s history. In the novel, he was bing a viin after failing to protect his family from the dragon incident 15 years ago. In his desperate moment, his hero''s partners never came tofort him until finally, the Dystopia''s leader recruited him. But in this world, he seeded saving his family and the other civilian but lost his life in the process as a hero. Tomemorate his bravery and service, the Omega built a statue for him in the city that he saved and rewarded the Ustrina family with money and opportunities. Ustrina Guild was created a yearter and many local heroes in that city¡ªwhich after the incident, changed its name to Aster City¡ªjoined the guild. ''So that''s why Dystopia was less active than in the novel¡­'' Aster Ustrina was a viin, and quite a high rank in Dystopia, ranked 17th. He was the viin that actively terrorized the city, especially the metropolis. I pondered the possibility and what else had changed after his death, the one that wasn''t being told in the news and media. ''Ah¡­ The Tea Ceremony Club''s event might not ur this time. Except¡­'' Except if there was an unexpected variable¡­ Like a new viin that was way stronger and more annoying than Aster. Or, the demonic human¡­ "Mmm¡­" Turning off my Nova Watch, my eyes shifted immediately to Ruby who was just waking up. I got up from the chair and helped her into a seated position. He stared at me for a long time before throwing her face away shyly. "Thank you¡­" "No problem." As time passed by between us, the atmosphere started to feel awkward as none of us spoke. Sighing, I walked toward the door that led outside. But as my hand reached for the knob, he called me. "H-hey¡­ Where are you going?" I turned around, staring at her with a t face. "Going home?" I said as I tilted my head. "O-oh¡­" The silence shrouded us again. And again, when I was about to leave the tent, she stopped me. "Wa-wait! I don''t know your name yet¡­ Mine is Ruby. Ruby Ustrina." Her lips formed a thin smile. Twisting the knob and opening the door, I peeked over my shoulder. "I''m Zio Varrez." I walked out without intrusion. At the same time as I just walked out of the tent building, someone¡ªa woman in her 40s¡ªran inside. I could hear Ruby''s voice and the woman¡ªwho I guessed was her mother¡ªas I walked away from the tent and left the hunting field. On my way to the ECQ''s branch in this country, I pondered about a way to save Ruby. Because, jeez, she''s an SS-rank talent! How could I let her die? Chronic disease, especially something that she had couldn''t be cured even with how advanced today''s technology was. As this was a fantasy world and not sci-fi even though there were cool and futuristic technologies, the superior logic of this world was based on fantasy things. The only way to cure her disease was with a miracle. And I didn''t mean that it was depending on luck or so whatever. But, magic. If science couldn''t do it, then maybe magic could. And by magic, I meant not a spell but rather a potion. Oh fu, I guess it''s alchemy then? Whatever. The question is, where should I go when I need to make a potion? Wizard shop? Yes. Alchemy shop? Yes. But, that wouldn''t be enough. Hear me out. If someone wanted the best out of the best. They shoulde to¡­ "Immoral Alchemist. Bell Walker." Chapter 103 Things To Do I ? "Thank you foring!" I was currently buying vani vor ice cream at the ice cream truck I found on the street. After enjoying my ice cream, it was time to make use of the 24-hour blessing luck. The first ce I visited was of course the nearby ECQ to turn in the reward for the goblin king''s material and a few other goblins. Though the number was notparable to the shares I got from Horizon Elixir and Catalyst Potion. I didn''t really do much in the subjugation of the goblin king, so I nned to give 70% to Ruby. Not to mention that she came to the hunting field for the Golden Goblin which I had already killed before she arrived. It was hard to do that. But after reminding myself this was for the sake of forming a friendly rtionship with the SS-rank talent, I could finally let it go. I was nning to give themter when we met again. If that was not enough, I was ready to give her something else. Like, Tearfall, for curing her disease. Yeah, that was if I could tame Bell, the Immoral Alchemist. After the business in the ECQ was done, I transformed into Ian Crow and enjoyed the rest of the day. It''s time to abuse the blessing! Las Vegas, USA¡­ I arrived at the grandest casino in Las Vegas, the Golden Mirage, with my rented limousine and its driver. Exiting the vehicle, security guided me inside the grandiose building. "Enjoy your time, sir!" I made sure I dressed properly for this asion so I would get treated like I was a high-ranking person in social status. Entering the opulent casino, I was greeted by shimmering lights, the clinking of coins, and the excited murmurs of gamblers hoping to strike it rich. I scanned the vast gaming floor spanned a wide range of table games, slot machines, and a high-stakes poker room. Other than that, numerous entertainment options were also avable. The interior''s design had a vibe of a futuristic casino I oftentimes found in sci-fi, interster stories. "What should I y first?" My eyes swept the whole room and stopped at the slot machines section. "Ah, of course. The slot machine will be the best game as my stepping stone to dominate this casino." Basically, I could y any game in this casino and win a ton of money by abusing my luck blessing, and skills. The problem was that the Golden Mirage had the best defense system against the cheaters. Activating your skills or blessings here would result in an instant ban. Yeah. ''Activation'' was the keyword, meaning that it only applied to an active skill. If someone had a passive skill that helped them to cheat, that would be a different story. Unfortunately, as far as I know, there was no passive skill like that ever existed throughout the novel. But, hey, I might be wrong. After all, this wasn''t the world I knew, a lot had changed even before my intrusion. My heart raced with excitement as I approached the slot machines¡ªthe perfect ce to set my n into motion. "Let''s make them bankrupt!" I began with the slot machine. With each spin, the reels seemed to dance at mymand, aligning in winningbinations time and time again as I go from machine to machine, umting significant winnings. "Hahaha!" Buoyed by my early sess, I ventured further into thebyrinth of gambling options. I yed roulette with firm conviction, defying the odds with every bet. The ball obedientlynded on the numbers I chose, filling my pockets with chips and leaving other yers in awe. Barat and poker tables became my personal yground as every card drawn favored me as if I was their king. The news of my extraordinary winning streak quickly spread throughout the casino, captivating the attention of staff and patrons alike. Whispers of a man blessed by unbeatable luck filled the air, drawing curious onlookers who marveled at my unbroken streak of triumphs. With each victory, my fame in the casino and fortune grew, as did the envious gazes cast my way. Realizing that I was winning too much, I stopped my games in the casino before the manager came to stop me. But, I didn''t only stop with the casino. The day was still long and the blessing duration too was still unstoppable. I searched for other luck-based games or activities that would bring me rewards. Lottery, Bingo, Wheel of Fortune, I tried them all. At the end of the day, I could only thank the Golden Goblin for gracing me with its luck. Ah also, the Lady Luck herself. "Shoot!" I threw the dart and popped a balloon perfectly. The crowd, mostly kids who were watching me cheered. "Wow! Uncle! You''re so cool!" I smiled and began to give the kids the rewards I got from the carnival games. They lined up obediently, waiting for their turns. Thankfully, I got enough toy prizes for all these kids. As thest kid received her gifts, she called me ''ck Santa'', probably because of my all-ck attire. I ruffled her hair, "Hoho! Yes. I''m ck Santa." They all were so happy as they walked along with their family. ''Family¡­'' I didn''t know my family. I forgot what my parents and sister looked like. Hell, I don''t even know if I have family or was an orphan in my previous life. What about Zio Varrez, though? Did he remember what his parents looked like? And what about his older sister? Shannon? Someone grabbed my hand, their hands were small. I looked downward and found a little girl with short blond hair, her golden eyes met my ck eyes. Her expression looked sad, probably because she felt my inner state. Smiling, I ruffled her hair and we walked away from the carnival, back to our home¡ªmy dorm room. *** A weekter¡­ "Why are you even here, nerd?" Somewhere in a quiet ce with greenery scenery, a group of students was bullying their fellow students. The victim was a boy with bowl-cut hair, the vibrant green of his hair seemed to blend with the background. As the group of four students was about to start their physical assault, someone knocked them out at the same time. "Guak!" The four studentsy unconscious on the ground. "H-huh?" Realizing it, the green-haired boy looked up and found a handsome student with neatly styled ck hair, his ck eyes stared at him as a thin smile formed on his face. "Yo, Bell. It''s been a long time. How are you?" Chapter 104 Things To Do II ? "Who are you?" Bell looked at me, his face painted with confusion. I extended my hand, helping him to get up. "It''s me, Zio Varrez." At that moment, I saw his eyes move left top, probably trying to recall who I was. Then, his eyes shed with recognition. "Oh. You''re that guy with ss and mask¡­ Sorry, I can''t recognize you right away¡­" I forgot that I was using ss and a mask when I met him back in the entrance exam days. So, it was understandable that he didn''t recognize me. "It''s fine." He patted his uniform from dust. While he did so, I just observed him with my irvoyance. There was nothing special in his stats, he got an overall stats except for his Intelligence which was . His hidden stats were varied; Perception , Mental , Health , and low potential which was only . I talked with him as we took a walk to the cafeteria. It was just a small chit-chat, an appetizer before the main dish, such as how did we fare with the academy''s life until now. When we arrived at the cafeteria, we ordered our lunch and sat at an empty table. I felt many eyes in my direction but I ignored them. Some whispered about a handsome guy this, handsome guy that. Some whispered about how could I hang out with a nerd and outcast like Bell. Unlike me, Bell was a bit overwhelmed by the intended raised voice of whispers. So, I assured him. "Don''t mind them." He nodded, though nervously. ''I guess it''s better to finish the lunch first before talking about the Tearfall¡­'' So we did. After lunch was finished, and Bell started to calm down, I began to speak. "I heard the reason you''re attending Octagram is to get a schrship to help your sister, is that true?" Bell stared down at the floor, fidgeting his finger as he replied, "That''s true. But¡­" "There are no professors who are interested in alchemical." "Yes¡­" Even though Octagram Academy was touted as a prestigious and advanced school. In fact, there were ws that felt like plotholes. That was theck of professors in alchemy and magic tools. But, this world seemed to already fill that hole for me. The reason why theycked professors for alchemy, magic, and its tool was because of the Wizard Circle rules. Alchemy and magic, as well as magic tools, were expertise that only a wizard was allowed to teach the young generations of Octagram and the other academies. The Wizard Circle was fair, they only allowed one academy to have one magic specialization ss. In Octagram, they chose a magic specialization ss with the best wizard to teach the ss. Each academy may have a different magic-rted specialization ss. Talking about magic-rted or wizard-rted sses, there were five sses that the Wizard Circle offered to the academies. [Magic ss] for teaching magic; controlling mana, magic theory, and casting basic spells. This was what Octagram had for their wizard-rted ss for all their ss that was avable in the first year and second years. [Alchemy ss] for teaching alchemy; potion making, alchemy theory, and alchemy ingredients. [Magic tools ss] for teaching magic tools; theory, magic tools making, and magic tools usage. [Summoning ss] for teaching about summoning; theory, summoning magic, and nurturing summoned creatures. [Rune ss] for teaching about runes; theory, rune carving, and magic enchantment. And so I thought, ''Why did he evene here when there are other academies that have Alchemy sses?'' This time, I didn''t hold myself to ask him that. "Uhh, because¡­ I don''t have money. And this is the only academy that doesn''t require a fee for taking the entrance exam and enrolling¡­" That was true. It was information I didn''t aware of before I searched it up on the Inte. Octagram Academy provided free entrance exams and first enrollment for their students. Though, once they finished their first year, they needed to pay the academic fee for the second year. Maybe, that was when Bell got dropped from the academy. He didn''t get the schrship, and he didn''t have money to continue his academic year. I had an extended small talk with him before finally I offered him the idea to make the Tearfall, his masterpiece. Taking out an old paper with a rough texture from my sleeve like a magician, I put it down on the table. "I found this while exploring the dungeon. It looks like a potion recipe of some sort but I''m not sure I understand the content, can you check it for me?" Nodding slowly, Bell took the paper and carefully read the content. "Oh my God¡­ Where did you find this¡­?!" His eyes widened, as big as a tennis ball¡ªnot really, though. It was just a metaphor. "What? What is it?" I acted as if I was surprised, just following the mood. Because in reality, I already knew what that was. Of course I knew that, I was the one who made that note. "This¡­ this is a heavenly medicine!" "Heavenly medicine?" His eyes shed with excitement as he looked at me. "Yes, a heavenly medicine!" Slowly, a mischievous grin yed at the corners of his lips. He sat down back, calming himself from the excitement but he couldn''t. Pulling out his own diary book, Bell started to copy, or rather reformte the content of the note. As expected of the genius, the owner of the title ''Immoral Alchemist'' in the future. With how everything unfolded this time, he might get known not as an ''Immoral Alchemist'' but as a ''Heavenly Alchemist''. "The ingredients stated here, I know them all. Most of them are herb nts often found in the Enhanced market with low prices. But, the problem is this one." He pointed at the ingredient list read as ''Phoenix''s Feather''. Phoenix''s Feather was a rare material or ingredient for alchemy. Just as the name told, it was a material that came from a fantasy, bird creature known for its immortality and me body, Phoenix. What made it rare was that the Phoenix itself was a rare monster found in a dungeon. They were usually found inside rank dungeons or above that had valley or mountain environments. Sometimes, Phoenix could also be found on Earth, habited at the peak of the mountain, or high terrain altitude. I knew that one of them was habited at Zhangjiajie, at the highest summit of the towering pirs mountain soared into the sky. That Phoenix was protected by the CN government and local heroes. It wouldn''t be easy to reach and obtain Phoenix''s Feather from there. The other way was to find Phoenixes in the dungeon or maybe use another ingredient. "Is it possible to use another ingredient instead of Phoenix''s Feather?" Bell nodded solemnly, his eyes focused on his note. "Troll''s Blood. That is the only ingredient I know that has a simr regenerative effect as Phoenix''s Feather. It''s just that Troll''s Blood regenerative power is far inferior, making this potion less effective than it was intended to be." "Wait a minute. Can you tell me what this potion is?" "As I said, it''s a heavenly medicine. A superior elixir that could cure all illnesses and injuries! If¡ª" He paused mid-sentence, realizing he was talking too much. He was probably talking about how this elixir could cure his sister''s illness but worried it might anger me. "Say, if I was to give you this. Will you be able to create it?" Silence engulfed him as I said that. He looked at me warily, probably thinking about what words he could say that wouldn''t anger me. "I¡­" Bell began, his voice nervous. Shaking his head, his expression now disyed strong determination. I could even see his eyes sparked with spirit. "I can do it!" I smiled. But soon faltered to a t face as he continued. "If I have money¡­" Chapter 105 Tearfall I ? I stood firmly with two swords in my hand. Retro was in my right hand. Meanwhile, a 5 million Cred ranked sword was in my left hand. It was not an artifact item so it was pretty cheap. Well, I wouldn''t say it was cheap if I never made a fortune by working together with Chrysalis and Nova Guild, as well as abusing my 24-hour luck blessing. "Fuu¡­" Low-ranked monsters such as goblins and kobolds scattered on the ground behind me, lifeless. A pool of blood was created as a result of those monster corpses. Sheathing my swords on their scabbards around my waist, I flexed my finger and stretched my body. The sound of cracking bones filled the air, making my ears twitch satisfactorily as I heard them. "Hoh. I thought you were just an ordinary businessman, Crow." Appearing behind me was James. In case you''re forgetting who is James. He is the Chrysalis Guild''s shadow, a rank unregistered Enhanced. Most of the guild''s shadow is an unregistered Enhanced as they need to hide themselves from the public. If they are to register, there will be a significant change to the hero rankings. James''s current appearance was different from back then when he was disguised as a butler who took the role of a rabt for the goldfish powder mixed with sugar. He looked more like a ''shadow'' of a guild now, with his dark, sleek attire and an air of mystery surrounding him. His sharp eyes glinted with both curiosity and admiration as he observed me. I turned around, facing James with a faint smile. "Well, Raven, I believe there''s more to people than meets the eye. After all, appearances can be deceiving." Raven was what he told me to call him. And I did so because if I called him James, his real name, he might slice my throat at any moment to silence me. That wouldn''t break his loyalty to Neychta for killing me. Because Neychta herself had said in the novel if there was someone who knew his real identity, kill them on the spot whether they were allies or not, and it applied to civilians too. I shrugged nonchntly as he gave me a slight acknowledging nod. "Survival in this world demands adaptability. The same principles apply whether it''s negotiating deals or facing off against monsters. You have to be quick on your feet, make split-second decisions, and utilize every advantage you can get." James¡ªno, Raven. He finally smirked, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Well said. The guild is lucky to have you as an ally." Smirking at his statement, I turned around and walked away, continuing my journey to get the Phoenix''s Feather for the Tearfall. That''s right, in search of Phoenix''s Feather, I was currently inside a ranked dungeon with extreme terrains such as mountains and valleys. The rift dungeon environment was typically a cave-like orbyrinth. But, for rank dungeon and above, the dungeon had manifested its own habitat and terrain. The environments were varied for each dungeon. You could be spawned in the middle of the ocean, the outskirt of the ancient temple, and so on depending on the dungeon''s boss. The dungeon I entered was wyverns dungeon. The Chrysalis guild couldn''t find a dungeon with Phoenix as its boss, so Neychta gave me this dungeon instead, along with Raven as a support in my search for ingredients. Though, I demanded Raven he would not help me unless I was in danger. Fortunately, the starting point of this dungeon was on the outskirt so I didn''t encounter a wyvern yet. Even though this was a wyvern dungeon, it didn''t mean that every small mob inhabited here was also a wyvern. Wyvern was the boss dungeon, and any other small monsters were the mob dungeon. So far, my journey was sailing smoothly, only fighting against low-ranked monsters. But, I felt like it wouldn''t be long until I fight a young wyvern. I took a path of the forest to avoid being seen by the wyvern flying in the sky. There were three of them. I didn''t want to risk myself being exposed and getting assaulted by three wyverns at the same time. In the first ce, my goal wasn''t to kill the dungeon boss or fight wyverns but to look for Phoenix. If I couldn''t find it after exploring the dungeon area, I would just return to Earth using Return Stone. The path before me seemed to grow narrower, the air thick with a sense of foreboding. Raven asionally revealed his presence to me, ensuring me that he was there even though I couldn''t locate him with my eyes. He was ready to jump at any time if danger was to befall me. Kiek¡ª! A group of goblins ahead blocked my path, bravely snarling their fangs at me. My hands were around the grip of my sword, ready to pull them if the goblins lunged at me altogether. "You wanna try me, bud?" Kiek¡ª! "Come!" I yelled, provoking them. The goblins ran toward me with their crude weapons raised. Their formation was a mess. Undisciplined, as if they werepeting in a sprint Olympic instead of working together to take down their enemies. I let loose the hand gripping the sword, Retro, in my right hand. As I did that, I could feel her disappointment coursing through me. ''Sorry, Reina. I don''t think it''s worth it to use you for this mobs.'' As soon as I said that, the disappointment turned into a sense of pride and happiness. Unsheathing the sword on my left waist, I sliced the first goblin that aggressively jumped at me. Splurt¡ª! The sound of flesh being sliced by a sharp de rang beautifully in my ears. Dodging the two goblins''bined yet uncoordinated attack from the above, I sent them to hell with a quick sh of my sword. Another blood sprung out from their wound, painting the grass and nt around with red color. Kiek¡ª! Thest goblin tried to ambush me from behind. But, I deftly stepped to the side and grabbed its bald, big green head, shoving it to the ground, and finished it with a stab in its head. The goblin''s body twitched once before goingpletely still, a life extinguished by my de. My sword was stained by the crimson color of my enemies'' blood. Sheathing my sword, I continued ahead while checking on my status screen. [Name: Ian Crow (¡á) Age: 25 Race: Human ? [Stats] Strength: E Agility: E+ Intelligence: C Stamina: E+ Magic: E Charisma: B Luck: E+ ? [Talents] [Dual Wielding Lv.3] (¨‹ Expand) [Swordsmanship Lv.3] (¨‹ Expand) [Mana Control Lv.2] (¨‹ Expand) ? [Skills] [irvoyance Lv.3] (¨‹ Expand) [Lie Detection] (¨‹ Expand) "Oh?" It was my first time checking my status while transforming into Ian Crow and never expected that the profile on my status screen would show his name instead of mine. Other than that, everything but Charisma was still the same as my original stats. "This is interesting." Yes, it was interesting. No wonder Jin could live his life with four identities without any of his identities getting caught. This could be very useful to progress with the n. Chapter 106 Tearfall II ? I was always confident in my acting skills as I always observed people. I studied their mannerism, their expressions, and their ways of speaking. It fascinated me how a simple movement or a subtle change in tone could convey so much emotion. Though, I still didn''t fully implement this acting every time I transformed into Ian. Fortunately though, no one seemed to know well both of my identities'' characteristics yet. I had nned this since the first time I got the Avatar Mask but couldn''t execute the n yet because of how weak I was. But now that I had got stronger¡ªI meant my potential and its growth rate had improved, I could start executing my n. The n was originally like this¡­ Zio would live as a normal student, with nothing extraordinary talent. But that seemed to be a failure as I already attracted too much attention, especially from the main characters. So I reformed my n. As Zio, I would just let it flow however I wanted as a student in Octagram, letting my mood lead how I act. Instead, I would start focusing on my role as Ian Crow, a businessman who had a lot of secrets on his sleeve. A cunning, enigmatic, and charming individual. The man who walked the path between good and evil. With two slots left avable in my Avatar Mask, I would use the third one to create my viin identity to infiltrate the ranks of their organization either Dystopia or Utopia. And save the fourth one for an emergency. I had thought that I should just raise Utopia and led them by myself, but I didn''t think I could do that without someone strong to be the organization''s leader. After all, the viin organization''s system was implementing a power hierarchy, those who were strong deserved a position in the organization. So yeah, I canceled my thought to raise Utopia. And even if I was to do it, I didn''t have much time. One year¡ª8 months from now on, there would be a civil war between Dystopia''s members. There was no way I could get to SS rank in just 8 months. Even though my potential and its growth had raised to and , it didn''t mean that I could just bulldoze my way to the top. The potential was how much you could get strong as Enhanced. While the potential growth helped your training speed andprehension. And remember, my potential was inclined toward my magic. So, only Magic stat was getting the 100% benefits of the potential limit and growth, while the other would just get slightly buffed. Let''s say it like this. Before I got my power-up, my magic would need a decade to reach rank from rank, while the other stats needed much more time than that, probably more than 15 years before I could maximize all of them to my potential limit which was rank. All of this was calcted even with maximum training effort. Now,paring them to the current me who had a power-up. Instead of reaching Magic in a decade, I might reach rank. I didn''t know about the other stats, maybe I could reduce it to half? 7 to 8 years for all of them achieved rank. It could be even faster if I pushed myself to death. But, why should I do that? What if I died of exhaustion? Yeah, so, let''s take it slow from now. And by that time, I was confident I could face the demon''s invasion. "We''ve arrived¡­" The majestic mountain range stretched out before me. The peaks towering like ancient sentinels, pierced the heavens and disappeared into the shrouded veil of dark clouds. The mountains stood in magnificent panorama, their rocky faces weathered by time and the elements. Jagged ridges, like the spines of some mythical creature, defined the contours of the range, creating a mesmerizing silhouette against the stormy sky. asional shes of lightning illuminated the scene, revealing the sheer magnitude of the peaks. The air crackled with energy, charged by the approaching storm. Thunder rumbled ominously in the distance, its low growls resonating deep within my chest. The sound echoed through the valleys, reverberating off the towering cliffs and sending a shiver down my spine. "Huuuu¡­" I took a deep breath, the crisp mountain air filling my lungs. The scent of pine mingled with the earthy aroma of damp soil. As I was about to take a step, Raven appeared from the shadow and grabbed my shoulder, stopping me in the spot. "Wait." His voice came into pause as his eyes scanned the sky. Following him, I looked up to the sky. The sky had nothing except the ck cloud. So, why would he stop me? ''Wait, nothing?'' At that moment, I remembered what was missing. The flying young wyverns. "Shit, let''s get back into the forest." Raven suggested that I go back to the forest for cover, but we were toote. "No." "What do you mean?" He stared at me cynically. "We''re toote." Sreeeech¡ª! A piercing screech tore through the air, sending shivers down my spine. Turning around, I found three young wyverns swooping down from the heavens, their scaled bodies glistening in the intermittent shes of lightning. Though they were not as big as an adult wyvern, they were still biggerpared to us, humans. I didn''t draw my weapons, instead, I turned to face Raven. His eyes frowned as he saw a smirk widen on my face. "Well, I don''t think I can fight B-ranked monsters. So I''ll leave them to you." Gently tapping his shoulder, I walked past him and disappeared into the greenery of the forest. I admitted I couldn''t do anything against wyverns and decided to run away. But, I just want to say something to justify my action. I have an S-rank bodyguard. So, rather than risking myself, I should just let him do his job, whilst I hid under cover of the tree, watching the fight. As I settled on the safety of the tall tree with a thick enough branch for me to stand on, I carefully observed Raven''s fight against the wyverns. A symphony of chaos ensued as Raven and the wyverns shed in a dance of death. His movements were fluid, evading the lunging wyverns with ease. With each swing of his daggers, sparks flew, the de carving through the air. ''I could learn something from his dagger technique.'' The first wyvern snapped its jaws, but Raven effortlessly sidestepped, his body a blur of motion. In a swift motion, his daggers shed across the wyvern''s scales, leaving a deep gash that oozed dark ichor. The remaining wyverns circled Raven, attacking from all angles. Raven countered them with his shadow skill. The wyvern had a big structure, so its shadow must also berger than Raven''s. That was what gave him an advantage in fighting againstrge creatures. When the wyverns pinched him from all sides, Raven''s body turned into a shadow, just like ink, he submerged into a circle of shadow underneath him. The wyverns looked like a lost chick searching for their mother as Raven disappeared. A momentter, I noticed the movement of the wyvern''s shadows. ''Here ites the shadow spike.'' My heart beating fast as I held the anticipation to see Raven''s Shadow Spike with my own eyes. Coming out from the shadow underneath them were small spikes of shadow at first. As the spikes rose up, their volumes thicken and their forms sharpen, prating the wyvern''s body like a paper. Trapping them in a prison of shadow spikes. Yet, It was not done. As the wyverns growled in pain, the shadow spikes suddenly thickened and tore the wyvern''s body apart. Splurt¡ª! Dark tendrils of shadow burst forth from the wyverns'' bodies, spraying dark ichor into the air. It was an instant yet painful death for them. The creatures were now reduced to motionless husks, trapped within the prison of shadow spikes. Their dark ichor poured down from the sky like rain. "That''s it. That''s the power of S-rank Enhanced." Raven emerged from the shadows, suddenly appearing right in front of me. Raven wiped his daggers clean on a piece of cloth, sheathing them back to their scabbards with ease. "You praise me too much. It''s just that young wyvern is only rank that I was able to kill them with ease. I can''t say much if it was an adult one which is rank." "Trying to be a humble guy, eh?" He didn''t respond to my bber. "Well, whatever that is. I can always depend on you on this trip, right?" "That''s what my purpose here is." He nodded. "Good. Because I changed my mind after seeing your fight. We will find the Phoenix as well as subjugate the dungeon boss. You okay with that?" "Whatever makes you happy." I smirked at his stoic response before he disappeared into the dense forest, back to his job as the overseer and invisible protector. Jumping off the tree, I continued my way to the next destination. There, up on that highest peak. ''I''m sure I''ll find the Phoenix there.'' Chapter 107 Tearfall III What is a Phoenix exactly? Well, you may already know it. However, in case you don''t, let me tell you. A Phoenix is a mythical creature that captivates the imagination with its fiery splendor. Picture a magnificent bird, its feathers aze in vibrant hues of crimson, gold, and amber ¡ª just like Nuria''s or Ember''s mes. The uniqueness of the creature itself is when it meets its end, it is reborn from the ashes of its own destruction. From the remnant of the old, a new Phoenix emerges, filled with renewed life and eternal beauty. Now, let''s talk about the Phoenix''s Feather and its uses for alchemy, especially the Tearfall ¡ª a cure-all illnesses potion. The Phoenix''s Feather, a prized treasure for alchemists and wizards alike, is a testament to the creature''s extraordinary essence. Delicate yet resilient, it possesses a radiant glow, reminiscent of a dying ember, and a texture as soft as the caress of summer breeze. Legends ¡ª It''s not a legend anymore as its magical properties have been verified by wizards and alchemists. When immersed in potions, it bestows remarkable healing properties upon them. A single plume can infuse a concoction with the essence of ''rebirth'', mending even the most stubborn mdies. But, as strong as it might be. No one since the previous Wizard Circle Leader could make use of this ingredient to its full potential. Because of its purest fire essence, there are almost no ingredientspatible for creating new potions except the one the Wizard Circle Leader had made, Pyrosm Pill ¡ª to suppress his daughter, Evelyn Aquatile''s strong ice element that even almost made her lose her life by her own power and returned her lifeforce that had been drained. To be honest, I didn''t know how Bell could manage to make Tearfall, the process I meant. All I knew was the ingredients used for it. The rest was clueless. But again, can the current him create his would-be masterpiece potion? "Huff¡­" I could feel my legs trembling, almost failing me, even sending me to my death. "Shit¡­" I was currently climbing the steep and narrow path that lead to the peak where I supposed a Phoenix was nested somewhere around this peak. It had been around 20 minutes since I began ascending this path. Raven was walking ahead of me to make sure the road was safe to step on. Behind me was also him, his shadow clone to be precise, making sure I didn''t slip and fall like an idiot. The danger didn''t onlye from the narrow path but also from the asional lightning that crackled through the air, striking mere meters away from us in the air. Although luckily it didn''t hit the narrow road we were walking on, but the sound of the thunder made my ears ring continuously. We continued this dangerous for another half-hour until we finally reached arge nd tform. Along the mountainside, the surface jutted inward, creating a cave-like formation. The cave''s entrance was wide enough to even let an adult wyvern in and the cave size wasrge enough to make it their nest, seemingly to fit in probably an adult wyvern and three young wyverns at a time. As we stepped inside, the cave was empty, and no signs of danger were found. Since Raven wasn''t convinced yet about the safety, he made a ten minutes check of the surrounding. Once he was satisfied, he approached me who already made myself at home in the cave. "I guess we can take a break here." The fire I lit on firewood I brought in my storage cube illuminated the once-dark cave. "Here." Raven frowned when I handed him a freshly grilled fish, its aroma wafting through the air. He hesitated for a moment before epting it. "Where did you get the fish from?" "From the market. It''s still fresh because I kept them inside my storage cube." Satisfied with my answer. His expression finally softened as he began to devour the grilled fish like a beast, finishing it in just three seconds. Turning my attention away from him, I looked at the grilled fish in my hand, relishing its perfectly seasoned, salted vor with every slow, deliberate bite. "You shouldn''t be too carefree in your surroundings or else you''d die when you least expect it, Crow." Raven suddenly said, breaking the calm, peaceful silence. And I responded with a shrug and finished my break meal savoringly. Once I was done, I finally got up and looked around the cave. Raven didn''t say anything except lock his eyes on me, his eyebrows raised. I walked toward the wall with the rough cave''s surface, looking for something. A small mechanism that might help us reach the peak faster. ''It should be somewhere around here.'' Seemingly couldn''t find the object I looked for by normal means, I used my irvoyance - Pathfinding. At first, it was hard because I didn''t know what the mechanism looked like. But, as I kept thinking and imagining every mechanical object I had seen before in books, the Inte, etc. An image was eventually projected in my mind after I imagined a shape that had never been recorded anywhere bybining some shapes I remembered. The proficiency and detail provided by irvoyance and its sub-skills had been enhanced ever since my Magic reached rank realm. Because of that, finding something with Pathfinding bing easier. With the information I got from my skill, I continued my effort to look for the mechanical device that looked like a small, hidden contraption, no longer than a few inches. Its intricate design boasted gears, levers, and a tiny winding mechanism. After a while, I found it tucked away in a narrow crevice between two rocks. The small device gleamed with a metallic sheen, camouged perfectly amidst the rugged cave wall. "There you are." Carefully, I retrieved it, marveling at its craftsmanship. It fitted snugly in my palm. After that, I walked outside the cave. Raven followed me after, he didn''t question me anything, returning to his usual demeanor. A silent shadow. Standing at the precise midpoint of the t tform outside the cave, I closed my eyes, focusing my mana on using Pathfinding again. The image projected was the area right under my feet. Sweeping the dust with my shoes, I could see a part of what seemingly bigger pattern. "Raven, can you dig the ground right under me?" Without asking me the reason why he needed to do that, he obediently dug into the ground¡­ He kneeled down, pulling out his dagger, and then forcefully drove it into the ground. Describing it as a "dig" might be an understatement, considering the force and intention behind the action. As soon as he drove his dagger into the ground, I took a few steps to the back, knowing that he would use his skill. Nodding at me approvingly, Raven focused his attention back on his dagger. Slowly directing his mana to his dagger, the shadow enveloped the dagger''s de, seeping into the ground through a small crack created by the dagger. BOOM¡ª! The explosion urred underground, sending a small tremor to the tform and everyone standing on it. As Raven pulled out his dagger and sheathed it, a small area of the tform crumbled, revealing a mechanical tool ¡ª a keyhole that seemingly fit the device in my palm. ''As expected!'' I grinned. Before we stepped onto this t tform, back when I was walking on the narrow path, risking my life. I had noticed this weird pattern carved on the mountain wall that supported the tform. The ground, t tform we were standing on wasn''t a part of the mountain but was a whole mechanism set. An inactivate floating tform. I carefully inserted the small device I had found into the keyhole, feeling a satisfying click as it fit perfectly into ce. Instantly, the surrounding area seemed toe alive. The tform beneath my feet began to move and shake, creating a great tremor upon my legs, making me fall to my knee. Unknown symbols and intricate patterns emerged, glowing with a faint ethereal light. The symbols and patterns intertwined, forming a mesmerizing disy of arcane energy ¡ª something like hologram but magic, you know what I mean. As the glow intensified, the entire tform lifted off the ground, defying gravity with otherworldly power. "Look out for the lightning!" I shouted as we were being propelled upward, ascending toward the towering mountain peak at an incredible speed. The wind whipped past us, roaring in our ears as the tform soared higher and higher. Thendscape below rapidly transformed into a sprawling panorama of jagged cliffs, deep valleys, and swirling mists. The air grew colder, biting at our skin as we ventured closer to the summit. Lightning struck the tform and terrorized us. Under the pressure of the wind, we forced ourselves to move and avoid the raging lightning. "Isn''t this fun, Raven?!" I yelled loudly, trying to ovep the thunder sound. "What?!" Finally, the tform reached its destination, halting abruptly at the mountain peak. The closer we were to the peak, the darker it got because of the dark cloud that seemed to protect the peak from the sunlight. Nheless, we could see endless stretches of pristine red me spread out at the center of the peak. There. Protected by the pir of mes,y arge golden bird with fiery plumage ¡ª the Phoenix. Chapter 108 Tearfall IV ? "Wait." I stopped Raven quickly as he reached for his daggers. He frowned at me but obediently followed my order. Rested at the center of the peak was a Phoenix, its size as big as a four-story house. The Phoenix''s ember eyes stared at me sharply. Despite that, I didn''t feel heavy pressure or hostility from its stare, instead, it seemed to call me. I felt weird. Every thought I had in my mind suddenly scattered away, being purified by the warmth inside my head. Comfortable. As I stepped forward, I could hear Raven''s voice calling me but I kept walking toward the Phoenix. The warmth it gave me was drawing me in. Then, as I found myself standing before the magnificent firebird, my heart thumped uncontrobly as if I had just found my true love. The Phoenix closing in, its great beak touching my forehead. Immediately, I heard a lovely and smooth voice inside my head. "You''re finally here, dear." As soon as I heard that, the world fell apart, seemingly to distort and the scenery somewhat different. The lightning had stopped its violent strike. The dark cloud disappeared, recing it was a red sun that looked like a fireball. Turning around, I didn''t see Raven anywhere, even the floating tform also disappeared. Then finally, when I noticed the scars painting my arms, I realized I wasn''t in my world but a memory. But, it felt too real to call this a memory. Not only because I could feel the surrounding elements around me, but I could also move my body on my own, unlike the memories I had experienced in the past where I was only an observer. "What is going on?" Instead of seeking the answer by myself, it would be better to ask the suspect that causing this phenomenon. The Phoenix. But, as I turned around again at the Phoenix, what I found wasn''t a great firebird but a woman whose features were all mes. The woman made entirely of mes stood before me, her fiery presence both mesmerizing and intimidating. "I am the Phoenix." She spoke, her voice still smooth and enchanting, but now emanating from the form of the fiery woman. "And you, my dear. I''m d to see you again after a long time." "What?" I asked in confusion, trying to make sense of the situation. What the hell did it mean by that? d to see me again after a long time? When it was only a monster inside the dungeon? The woman, who imed to be the Phoenix, looked at me with a mixture of warmth and sorrow in her fiery eyes. "You don''t remember, do you?" She said softly, her voice carrying a hint of longing. "You were once a part of me, a cherished partner¡­ But the threads of time have woven a different path for us in this already destroyed world." I struggled toprehend her words. Memories started to surface, like fragments of a forgotten dream. Images of a familiar cityndscape, engulfed in mes and destruction, that very image depicted the scene of the ending of the novel, ''The Hero Beyond The Light''. But, instead of a white-haired man and golden eyes standing as thest human on Earth, it was a red-haired woman with red fire-like eyes. I recognized her. Even though her red hair was disheveled and dirty, her eyes were not easy to forget. Ember. That''s Ember Crimson, I''m sure of it. It''s not Nuria as she didn''t have that unique touch on her eyes, unlike Ember. ''What is this?'' I couldn''tprehend any of this. Not until my wild imagination ran around and stumbled upon the wildest idea. ''Could this be an alternate timeline?'' "Huhu." The woman suddenugh interrupted me. Though I couldn''t see her expression because of her me form, I could tell she was smiling based on her gesture and subtle movements of the me that resembled an eye. "No matter where you are. You''re still as clever as you were¡­" Her words trailed off for a moment before continuing. "Looking at your face, I guess you''re already remembered what happened, right? You''re always making that expression every time your irvoyance tells you the sight." My frown deepened when I heard that. "You. Are you Ember?" She didn''t say anything. The sound of fire crisp built tension, her still eyes stared at me for a long before it was closed. Looking at the gesture, I assumed she was having a happy response to my question. "Hehe. You''re such a dork." Herughter echoed in the air, filled with a sense of affection. If I tried to guess what was happening right now¡­ I was inside a memory? No, perhaps a subconscious boundary, considering how strong she was. How did I know she was strong? Well, the information my irvoyance gave me was proof of it. The information I got was filled with question marks on all of the profiles. This was the first time I''d got an error from my irvoyance appraisal. Even I could appraise Neychta, Nuria, and Owen Lawrence, the heroes whose power was considered to fit in the top 50 heroes¡ª no, Enhanced. Because of that, I assumed this me woman, or the Phoenix, was above the Earth''s boundary. Probably a multiverse level, because she talked to me as if I was a person she once knew in ''this world'', which was the dungeon. "I''ll leave that for you to guess but, I just want to say this line, ''Death is too light of punishment for you!''." At that moment, my heart skipped a beat, my mind went nk, and my muscles went numb simultaneously. I recognized that line, it was what Ember said when she came to save the younger Zio. The Phoenix was definitely Ember. But, what the hell is going on? How could the Phoenix be Ember? What is this dungeon? "Okay, fine. Tell me what is this ce exactly, it''s still the Wyvern dungeon, right? And, if you''re Ember, then that means you''re Ember from an alternate timeline. Thest human on Earth?" "Wyvern dungeon? Ah, so that''s what they call my world now. If so, then yes, you''re still in the ''Wyvern dungeon''." I waited silently for her uing answer to the other question but nothing came. When I was about to ask her again, the world began to crack. "Ah. Time''s up." She examined the cracks in the sky and turned to look at me with sorrow and regret. "It''s a short time. But I''m d to meet you again before my end¡­" The scars on my arms gradually disappeared and my appearance returned to the original ¡ª Ian Crow, as the world around me fell apart. Suddenly, the me woman hugged me tightly, making me surprised for a moment. Surprisingly again, the me didn''t burn me and there was no heat emitted. While hugging me, the woman lifted her face to see me. But, her eyes immediately had a hint of hatred when she saw my face. "Tch. You''re still doing this annoying act?" "Annoying¡­ what do you mean?" I wriggled as I said that, trying to get out of her embrace. "Whatever. It''s not like I can do anything about it. But, I hope she does do something about you if she doesn''t want to repeat the tragedy." "Huh?" She seemed not to listen to me. She was trapped in her own world, everything inside her mind was telling her not to let go of me, as her arms around me tightened. "Please, let''s stay like this until the spell wore off¡­" Eventually, I found myselfplying with her request. We stayed still like that as we watched the world''s crack increase, slowly tearing the sky apart as numerous rift space was created. Eventually, when the world began to fall apart, the woman started to sniff. "Goodbye¡­" The woman''s me danced, casting an ethereal glow for thest time. Crack¡ª! Crash¡ª! Finally, the crack fell apart, plunging the world into darkness. I felt light as a feather when the world around me turned into darkness. A few momentster, I could feel my senses again. Opening my eyes, I found myself back at the mountain peak shaded by dark clouds and lightning. The great firebird, the Phoenix, or the woman me had disappeared. In its ce, I found Phoenix''s Feather and the Phoenix''s Core. My heart suddenly tightened as I recalled the event earlier, but I quickly shook the thought away. Stepping forward, I took the feather and the core. "Wait, what happened? What did you do for the Phoenix suddenly gone?" Storing them inside my storage cube, I turned around. "Hey¡­ Are you crying?" I smiled, slowly wiping the tears that streamed down from my eyes using my sleeves. "Am I?" Staring at me with a frown, Raven finally gave up, sighing a short breath. "Well. I don''t have any idea what is going on. And you have the right to keep it secret. But, since we''ve got the feather, I think it''s time for us to leave?" Smirking, I pointed in the direction behind him. "Yeah. We will. After we get rid of that thing." [Snxol Race: Monster / Wyvern Rank: A] Chapter 109 Tearfall V ? "Shadow Bind!!" The shadow of arge flying creature resembling a dragon sprouted up, moving as if they were tentacles, strangling it like prey trapped in a cobweb. The creature wascking front limbs or arms, and a pair of wings attached to its back was membranous simr to those of bats or pterosaurs. If Raven was to rip those wings apart from the creature, I could say that it would be looked like a tyrannosaurus. Examining its size, I assumed that it was slightly smaller than the Phoenix from earlier. ''That reminded me¡­'' As soon as the Phoenix was reduced to ashes not long ago, the Wyvern finally revealed itself to us. It felt like it waited for the moment the Phoenix disappeared. Did the Wyvern afraid of the Phoenix? I guess that''d be understandable. That Phoenix was too strong for the Wyvern to mess with. But, to finally reveal itself after the Phoenix''s death meant that it was already targeting us as its prey. The problem was neither I nor Raven had noticed the Wyvern as we made our way to the peak. I didn''t think it was possible for a Wyvern to hide its presence but, this was a dungeon, anything could happen as they evolved. Because of the Phoenix''s pressure, it might be possible for the Wyverns to have evolved and ended up getting new traits, and this one particrly got a trait rted to hiding its presence like an assassin. "Shadow Spike." Now, with the shadow strangled tightly around the Wyvern, smaller spikes sprouted and crushed it with all might. The shadow spikes prating its body effortlessly as if it was just a thin paper. Dark ichor spurted out like a fountain, pouring down like rain. With thest screech, the Wyverny dead. Raven retracted all of the shadow spikes and the Wyvern dropped to the ground, sending a small tremor upon thend. Coming out from what seemingly its heart was arge glistening rock ¡ª Wyvern''s core. "Nice job." I tapped Raven''s shoulder as I walked past him, extracting the core from the Wyvern corpse. Storing it inside my storage cube, I turned toward the door-shaped portal that popped out of thin air. The portal emitted faint magical energy. "Let''s grab our reward and return." Smirking, I stepped inside the gate, Raven followed me behind, as quiet as always. The gate brought me into a small square room, the torches on the wall illuminated the entire room. The wall was made of brick you''d find in a dungeon room (Underground Prison) you''d find in medieval settings. Sitting on top of the raised tform several meters ahead of us was a chest decorated with silver. It was something like this treasure room that made this world, or this world''s dungeonery looked like we were inside an RPG. Approaching the chest, I unlocked it with amand. "[Unlock]" This was the basicmand people must use if they wanted to im their rewards after defeating the dungeon boss and getting inside the treasure room afterward. The creaking sound of the chest opening reverberated in this small room, making a creepy yet beautiful sound to the explorer''s ears. ''Let''s see¡­'' As expected of ranked dungeon. The reward itself was much more generous than the Lizardman dungeon I visited a few months ago. ''I''m d I''m clearing this dungeon!'' *** After clearing the Wyvern dungeon and getting a lot of amazing rewards including the Phoenix''s Feather and Core, I gave the feather to Bell the next day. For the core, which actually wasn''t a core but rather an egg after I appraised it using my irvoyance, I trusted it with Chrysalis Guild. Asking them to take care of the egg for me since I didn''t have the facility and tools to take care of it myself. The good thing was they didn''t ask me anything in return, telling me that I was their precious business partner and that they would treat me as VVIP or honorary member. When one of the Chrysalis'' researchers asked me if they could do research on the egg, I allowed them. It would be better if they knew about the unknown earlier than in the novel. If anything, that would help in stopping the end of the world. Apart from humanity''s fighting prowess, we also needed a brain, a thinker, a lot. Regarding the matter of the Phoenix which I thought was Ember from an alternate timeline or universe, I needed some time to think about it alone. Seeing that memory and the Phoenix''s human me behavior to me, making me feel awkward every time I saw Ember. Every time I saw her, I was always reminded of that scene over and over. So, yeah, I just needed some time to organize my thought. And I didn''t feel like that was urgent so I set my priority to the other things first such as The Tea Ceremony Club, Ayano Fuyuki''s mini-arc. The Dawn of The New Year, the demon''s public appearance for the first time. Or my infiltration n. My days went on as usual, nothing interesting was happening, I was basically living a life of a normal student in a normal superhuman academy. A monthter, when Bell brought me good news about his progress on making the Tearfall, the busyness started to kick in again in my life, but not for long. For a week since he told me that he could finally start concocting the ingredients that could withstand the feather''s pure fire essence, I would asionally visit Ruby right at the Ustrina HQ. Every time I visited, I would always bring up the news about an elixir that could save her life. Ruby would always be delighted and thankful for my help, saying why would I do all this when we were just strangers to each other. I just said that I was just repaying my debt for the goblin''s king event. Saying if she wasn''t there at that time, I would be dead once my invisibility disguise effect wore off. With every day that passed, Ruby''s health deteriorated. Her illness bing more violent. During my today''s visit, she coughed up more blood than usual. Her skin wrinkled as her body wascking nutrition. This Tearfall project was a race against death. But, though I knew that, I couldn''t force or push Bell to hasten the making of Tearfall. Finally, The Tearfall had sessfully been made. We could only make two bottles of it, so we divided it. "It seems I didn''t misce my trust. Take one bottle and go cure your sister, Bell. You''re a lifesaver." "T-thank you! And no. I''m not a lifesaver, you are." With the Tearfall in my hand, now it was time to awaken the dragon in its slumber. Arriving at Ustrina HQ for a visit, the staff greeted me with warmth and familiarity. In these past two months, we had made acquaintances. They ushered me to the room where Ruby was always nested like a hikikomori. "Zio! Youe again." She had that happy vibe painted all over her face. Ruby had be an existence that was like a little sister to me. Though, when her other self came out, the position seemed to reverse. Nheless, now, the dragon needed to wake and soar to the sky. "I have something for you today!" *** As winter wrapped its icy fingers around the city, a hushed tranquility settled upon the streets. The air was crisp and biting, each breath painting a frosty cloud in front of a person''s face. The city wore a muted palette, its color muted and softened by a nket of pure white snow. The familiar sounds of bustling footsteps and honking cars were muffled, reced by the delicate symphony of falling snowkes, their soft whispers filling the empty spaces. From a clear vantage point, on the t rooftop, a woman with silky ck hair stood. Her brown eyes danced with wonder as she watched the graceful descent of each snowke, marveling at the intricate patterns they weaved in the air beforending gently on the cold surface. Coming out of the elevator door at the middle of the rooftop was a group of four, each had a distinctive feature that made them unique. One of them, a big guy that resembled a bear in terms of body size and structure, called the woman who stood on the edge of the rooftop. "Valka!" The woman named Valka looked over her shoulder. Once she found out that the one calling her was herpanion, she turned around almost immediately and waved her hand energetically. "Oh, Ivan! And everyone! What''s up?" The bear man, Ivan, walked toward Valka. They spoke in a foreignnguage that the other three didn''t understand. "Cool! So what does cyka blyat mean?" One of themined with a hint of sarcasm. Ivan apologized to one of the three, a guy with blonde hair who dressed mboyantly. "Sorry, Martin. I can''t help it whenever I talked to my kin." Martin snorted. Ignoring him, Ivan looked at Valka again. "The boss is calling for us. He said it''s time for party." Hearing that, Valka''s ears twitched and a wide smirk painted her face. "Party? Then, what are we waiting for? Let''s go! Move! Move!" Valka chanted cheerfully as she ushered Ivan to move. Before they actually departed from the rooftop, Valka took ast nce at the building across from her. There, two teenagers were talking cheerfully. But, her eyes were only locked on a particr boy with ck hair and ck eyes. ''Huhu¡­ I can''t wait to meet you again. Zio Varrez.'' Chapter 110 Gunter I ? While talking with Ruby about the Tearfall, I caught something from the corner of my eye. Across from this building was a taller building by two-story. Through the screen of sses of the building, I watched a group of five standing near the edge of the rooftop. I recognized one of them without using my irvoyance. ck hair, brown eyes, delicate body hidden under her ck fur warm coat. She was the viin thatunched an attack on the Himyas Expedition but disappeared as soon as the conflict started. Valka Ignatyeva. Her overall stats were . With the help of my irvoyance, I could identify the rest of them. The big guy whose body looked like a bear was Ivan. Ivan Petrov. His overall stats were the same as Valka''s. A little girl, 12 years old, with blonde hair styled in long twin tails. Zoe Bryne. An overall rank stats except for her Intelligence and Mental which were . mboyant man with blonde hair and blue ocean eyes. Martin Palmiero. An overall rank stats. Lastly, a man who was exuded an indifferent aura. His hair was a notable feature, styled in a striking and unconventional manner. It was short and brown, with asymmetrical bangs that partially cover his forehead. G¨¹nter Goldberg. His overall stats were . As they were about to leave, Ruby''s weak voice had me turn my attention to her. When I did that, I caught a glimpse of Valka staring in our direction with a condensed intensity before she and her crew disappeared from the rooftop. "What are you looking at?" "It''s nothing." I said as I shook my head slowly. Raising the vial containing a mixture of red and yellow color liquid (Tearfall), I said, "Anyway, shall we start for your recovery?" Ruby raised her hand, stopping me as I was about to approach her. Her hand trembled a little as she did that, showing how weak she was right now. "I''m feeling dizzy right now. I don''t think I can focus on meditation¡­ So, can you put it on the table for now?" A tingling sensation crept inside my head, noting that Ruby was uttering a lie just now. I raised my eyebrow in response to my Lie Detection. My mind filled with questions about why she lied to me. But in the end, Iply with her request. "Fine¡­" With a dejected sigh, I put the vial on the bedside table. While I did that, I caught Ruby talking to an empty air in a low voice almost like a whisper. I recalled the event when Reina told me I was talking to an empty instead of Zia when I saw that. At that moment, I was thinking about the possibility. Does Ruby have the same circumstance as me? Seeing a thing that other people couldn''t see, that is. Noticing my gaze, Ruby flinched and stopped her talk-to-ghost activity almost immediately. I almost chuckled when she smiled innocently afterward like nothing was happening at all. Actually, it had been the thirtieth time I caught her talking to an empty air. My suspicion grew day by day every time afterward. Either she was like me, talking to a ghost or spirit, or it could be her skill too. Though, as far as I know, she wasn''t a necromancer. Yeah. Talking to a ghost or spirit, I could do that. In these past two months, I had finally found out who¡ª what Zia was. She was a ghost. And I could see her because of irvoyance. But, why couldn''t I see what or who Ruby was talking to? Which left me confused. If whatever Ruby talked to wasn''t a ghost or rted to her skill, then what was it? I had a short talk with Ruby for a while before I left for another matter I needed to attend to. "It''s been such a nice time talking with you, brother¡ª I, I mean Zio!" I just smiled in response. Just how much did her brother, Aster''s death affect her? I was afraid that the effect would be the same as how Aster lost his family in the novel. That was one of many reasons I asionally visited Ruby, making sure she didn''t take the same path as Aster did in the novel. Because if she was taking the same path as him, that would be extremely annoying to have her as an enemy. "You must have loved your brother so much." "I do. He is so kind and humble to everyone. For me, he''s the true hero." I only nodded, not knowing what should I say in response. After reminding her about the Tearfall, I bid my goodbye. Finding myself outside the health & treatment facility room, I took out a book from my storage cube and scribbled something on it. Valka, Ivan, Martin, Zoe, and Gunter. In the novel, they were known as The Seven Pirs of Utopia, the future viin''s organization that separated themselves from Dystopia and eventually crushed them. Those five and the other two were the founders of Utopia. But, right now, they were no mere than Dystopia''s Combat Division led by that ck-haired girl, Valka. I had no idea what they were doing here in the USA. Were they spying on the Ustrina guild? Did they know about Ruby''s potential as SS-rank Enhanced? Was their mission here to kidnap Ruby? Whatever their mission was. One thing I had to note was that the viins were starting to make their move after seeing them. I sketched all of their faces in my journal book. When I finished, my eyes locked on the particr face sketch. It was a sketch of Gunter''s face. ''Gunter. The leader of Utopia.'' *** Staring at the door where Zio had left, Ruby let out a long breath. On her right side, floating in the air, was a man whose body was transparent. Like Gunter, that transparent man had a distinctive hairstyle, and even their appearances were simr. What was different was their form. One was a human and alive. The other was a spirit, presumably dead. "That boy is quite perceptive." His brow and the corner of his mouth perked up as the spirit spoke, intrigued by Zio. "What do you mean?" "I told you earlier that someone is spying on us on the building over there, right?" Ruby nodded her head yet raised her eyebrow at the same time, not quite catching what the spirit wanted to say. Noticing Ruby''s confused face, the spirit hovered around her counterclockwise. "What I''m saying is that boy does have an amazing sight and perception. To be able to notice and even locate Valka like that is quite an achievement, I would say." Finally, Ruby understood what the spirit wanted to tell her. Adhering to her assumption, she thought the spirit wanted to tell her about how unique Zio was because of his sight and perception. But, Ruby slightly misunderstood the part where she thought the spirit wasplimenting him. In fact, the spirit was intrigued and cautious about Zio''s identity. His existence was a variable that the spirit didn''t know. "I see¡­" Ruby stared at the rooftop building across from her through the screen of sses. "You say that she was your friend, right? And that she is a viin. So, does it mean you''re one too?" There was a coldness in Ruby''s voice as she said that. Despite that, the spirit didn''t flinch. Well, he knew he was already dead so why would he be afraid of a little brat like her? And, what kind of conqueror was afraid of a girl who just got her period? "That''s what society calls us, a viin. Though, I identified my group as a vignte rather than a viin. We decide what is right and what is wrong. Both hero and viin organizations are wrong, so we decided to fight against them." "Uh-huh¡­ Now that I think about it, when will you tell me about the rest of your story?" The spirit stopped moving in a circle, instead, he did some strange poses as sitting in a reversed position, his head facing the floor while his legs facing the ceilings. "Oh, right. How far have I told you?" Ruby smiled sheepishly while fidgeting her fingers. "I forgot¡­ Why don''t you start over from the beginning?" "Huh, I guess I should. Oh right, you''d be better take that potion as soon as possible. Just as that boy said, this potion has an amazing recovery effect it could even cure your chronic disease. But, huh, I wonder how did he get his hand on this potion. Did the Immoral Alchemist regress? Or is it that clumsy swordsman boy?" Shaking his thoughts away, the spirit turned to face Ruby. They were both ready to immerse in the story that the spirit was about to tell. "So, at the beginning, huh?" Clearing his throat, the spirit began telling his story. "Once upon a time, there was an orphan boy who live his life happily in the orphanage, until that incident befell him¡­" Chapter 111 Gunter II ? Gunter was born in a rough ce, left alone among heaps of stic trash by his parents when he was only a baby. Luckily, a kind person from the orphanage found him and brought him to safety. At the orphanage, Gunter found a loving and supportivemunity. He was given the chance to grow up healthy and strong. The kids there lived together peacefully, like a big family, hardly ever arguing or fighting with each other. He made friends with the other kids and became someone whom the younger ones looked upon if there were troubles because he was so reliable and responsible at the age of ten. But, two yearster, a big incident, yet not as big as the catastrophe urred in European countries, namely Germany, France, Denmark, Nethends, and the other West-Central European countries. In 2015, numerous portals appeared in those countries, connecting another realm with Earth. Those that came from the portal were dragons. Mythological creatures that were only found in books and legends. That very creatures were invading the Earth. Because the portal''s appearance came undetected, heroes and mercenaries were caught off guard. Many Enhanceds and civilians became the victims of the incident. Though the incident was solved in a day, the damage had been done. Not only the European countries mentioned above became the victim, but some other countries across the world were affected such as the USA where Aster lost his family to the wounded dragon that managed to escape from the genocide by the Europe heroes. "Wait. So, my brother was alive in your world? But, I and my parents were dead?" Ruby''s eyes widened as she heard the shocking news. "Yes. I was surprised when I found out that you''re Aster''s little sister. Alive, yet only have a short lifespan." The orphanage where Gunter lived his life for 12 years was reduced to ash, only he was the survivor. And that was the moment when he was awakened as an Enhanced. But, without someone guiding him, he had misused his power for criminality. At first, he only stole food from the market. As he grew up, his criminal activity broaden such as robbing banks and money from the rich. At the age of 17, he got caught by the heroes alike and was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment. As soon as he was released from jail, he was recruited as the hero association''s shadow because of his blessing and talent. He achieved numerous achievements from missions alike in 2 years of his career as a shadow and had a happy marriage with an ordinary human female at the age of 24. But, two years after his marriage, the higher-up called him for an infiltration mission. Gunter was bing an agent for Omega, infiltrating the rank of Dystopia. He managed to be a main member of Dystopia''s Top Combat Divisionmanded by Valka, 8 months after he infiltrated. In May 2030, one year after he received his mission, Omega''s executive that had given him the mission was assassinated, forcing him to abandon his mission. But, that was when his life began to turn upside down. He was used of betrayal by the other executives because only the assassinated executive and Omega''s vice leader knew about his mission. But, the vice leader had turned a blind eye and abandoned one of Omega''s best shadows because he didn''t like Gunter in the first ce. In fact, it was the vice leader himself who gave the ''secret mission'' order to the executive which he passed along to Gunter. He was also the one who personally sent an assassin to kill that very executive and manipted the other executives into thinking that Gunter betrayed Omega, telling them that he was a spy from Dystopia. Gunter was chased by Omega''s shadows but managed to escape from their grasp after sessfully changing his identity with Valka''s help who already knew about Gunter''s identity as Omega''s spy with a price, that he woulde to her aid when she needed it. Unfortunately, the world seemed to hate Gunter. Misfortune after misfortune kept on raining down upon him. He found his wife killed by an unknown killer when he returned home, his daughter nowhere to be found on the scene, kidnapped. That was his turning point. Gunter''s sanity had dropped to zero, darkness started to devour him. "For a month, I tried to trace the killer of my wife and eventually found them. It was my old colleagues, Omega''s shadows. I killed them brutally, packaged each of four of their heads, and sent them to Omega''s door." The Ghoster aka Ghost Gunter, said. Somehow, instead of grief, his voice filled with a sense of pride as he told Ruby about his history. "Is that why you became a viin?" Ghoster nodded in response and continued telling Ruby his history. "I don''t know how but, I found out that my daughter was kidnapped by Dystopia''s leader, so I couped against them. Maybe Omega''s vice lead and Dystopia''s leader are acquaintances?" Until the end of his story, which ended at the age of 44 after seeding in eradicating the Demons invading Earth and bing the sole survivor of humanity, Gunter had always had the world in his palm. Heroes, Viins, Demons, no one could stand against him. Then, he died. But, somehow was alive again as a spirit that was attached to Ruby in the same yet different world with the same appearance as his 25 years old self in 2028, the year when he first opened his eyes as a spirit. "That''s it. What do you th¡ª" Ghoster couldn''t finish his sentence because he caught Ruby crying as soon as he finished telling her his life. "H¡­ You must have been lonely¡­ being the sole human alive on Earth for three years¡­ h¡­" Ghoster scratched his cheek. "Eh. Not really. In fact, I was quite proud of how things went on at that time¡ª woah?!" Again, before he could finish his word, he was interrupted by Ruby. Ruby was trying to hug Ghoster''s spirit form, but it looked like she forgot that she couldn''t touch him. As a result, Ruby fell from her patient''s bed and hit the floor quite hard. "Woah, brat!" Ghoster panicked as he witnessed Ruby groaning in pain on the cold floor, grasping her chest for air. But, there was nothing he could do as he was just a spirit, and no one than Ruby could see or hear him. Fortunately, the staff members who heard Ruby''s desperate groan from the outside immediately tended to her. The Ustrina Guild was in turmoil because of that ident and had to call healers. Luckily, nothing significant that threaten her life was happening. Ruby recovered the next week and immediately consumed the Tearfall with Ghoster''s help. "This won''t immediately cure you in an instant. So, be careful with your health and condition for a month at the very least." "I understand¡­" With a dejected sigh, Rubyy down on her bed. "When you''re fully recovered. I''ll start teaching you my techniques and makes you the strongest Enhanced in this world!" Ghoster, who had be her guardian angel kept his eyes on any intruder as Ruby fell into a deep slumber. Chapter 112 Distress ? Click¡ª! "I''m home¡­" Pushing the door open, Zio was greeted by the short, narrow entrance of his dorm room. Walking through, he jumped onto his bed and let the softness sink in. But, when he thought he could have an immediate sleep, Reina''s sweet voice resounded in his ears. "Master!" Lifting his face with force, he looked to his right, his cheek still pressed against the bed. Zio watched as Reina approached him with heavy yet soundless footsteps from the sofa where he had left her this morning, her face contorted into an angry yet cute pouting face. But, his attention was soon stolen by the view of the night sky outside the closed windows. The moon hanging on the starless sky lit brightly, making a great disy above the city skylines. On top of that, the addition of artificial snow that poured down slowly on the city added a feel of serenity and calm, as if hinting that something bigger was about to happen sooner orter. Zio blinked slowly as he had enough look at the night view. His head was now working to its best as he thought about the five people he saw this afternoon when he was visiting Ruby. He was too focused on his mind that he didn''t even hear Reina who screamed which might make people walking in the building corridor get suspicious as to why they could hear a little girl''s voiceing from Zio''s room. Thankfully, Reina was filtering her voice so only Zio, her master, could hear her voice at the moment. ''It''s the middle of the month. 15 days from now on will be the new year, and a week from now on will be the winter holiday¡­'' It might be weird for a region located in the tropics to experience snow or the winter season and have a winter holiday but, Octagram was the only region in the tropics that was different from the others. With the technology and magicbined, Octagram Ind had seeded in creating artificial four seasons in theirnd. Though it was artificial, the details and experiences the people of Octagram Ind had were simr to other temperate climate countries alike. ''Winter, huh? It''d be good if I have someone to hang out with on winter''s and new year''s night like those in the movie and drama.'' In winter holidays, students were usually returning to their hometowns to celebrate Christmas Eve with their families, friends, or even girlfriends/boyfriends. For Zio, as the only family member he knew was only Shannon, he had hoped that he could meet with her and spend time together, especially on new year''s night, when he would need someone close to him the most giving him mental support before that event urred, or else¡­ "Zio¡­" A new voice entered his hearing, reverberating in his head clearly that it interrupted his thought as if someone had just used telepathy on him. Waking up from his bed, Zio''s eyes immediately locked upon a ck-haired figure with bright red-blood eyes standing in front of him. Though he couldn''t see who it was at first because of the sudden ckout making the darkness engulf the room almost immediately, he was able to recognize the person after seeing their red eyes and familiar skirt uniform with red lines. "Zia?" Zio''s eyes soon turned interested as she recognized who it was. With a sigh and a little headshake, he waved his hand dismissively at Zia. ''She''s only a ghost, I could just ignore her¡­ but¡­'' But, he caught a sh of white glistening around Zia''s arm. Making use of his irvoyance, he inspected whatever it was that produced the sh. [Kitchen Knife Rank: F] As he inspected the knife, Zia lifted her hand that held the knife into the air. "Huh¡­?" Zia''s red-blood eyes didn''t flinch, looking cold-blooded as she thrust the knife forward at ZIo. In quick reflexes, Zio avoided the knife by rolling on his bed and dropping onto the floor. He red at Zia with his irvoyance activated but no information window popped up, making him left confused and distracted for a moment. Zia made another swing of the knife, this time her movements were flowing and her swing became smoother. Yet, Zio could avoid it again and lunged for a lock but failed miserably as Zia sidestepped in a blur. "Retro!" After failing to do a grab move on Zia and instead diving onto the floor, Zio quickly called upon his sword. Almost immediately, a sword with the unique carved letter ''R'' on its lower de summoned in his hand, and quickly blocked Zia''s knife. Kicking her in the gut, Zio rolled backward and rose up to his feet, his sword at ready. "What are you¡­" ¡­ Standing in front of the lift, Ember waited for the door to open. In the meantime, it had been her habit to y with her Nova Watch while she was waiting for something. ''Huu¡­ How could I forget to give his monthly candy? I hope Silver Hound won''t scold me for this¡­'' Ding¡ª! Once the lift door opened, she stepped inside and pressed the button to the sixth floor. ''I messaged him I''d visit him an hour ago but, why doesn''t he reply to me yet? He doesn''t even read my chat.'' Ding¡ª! The door opened again as it finished its job to take Ember to the sixth floor. Stepping outside the lift, Ember walked through the quiet corridor, her eyes scanning for the room''s number though she didn''t have to as the destination room she looked for was only a few steps away from the lift. ''It''s here¡­ Room 403.'' Knock¡ª! Knock¡ª! She knocked on the door yet it was quiet, no replying from inside the room even after 10 seconds. ''Is he already fallen asleep?'' With a defeated sigh, she backed away from the door, nning to leave it for tomorrow if the person he was about to visit was already asleep. As she just took a step toward the lift, she heard a voiceing from inside room 403. It was but a faint thud noise. Curious, she pressed her ear against the door and at that moment she heard a familiar voice saying, ''What are you¡­'' Knock¡ª! Knock¡ª! She knocked again, just in case. But still didn''t receive a reply. ''Hmm¡­'' As she heard more noisesing from the room, her worry and suspicion gradually increased. Eventually, Ember gently rubbed her eyes with her soft and smooth palm. Just as when someone wore a masquerade mask, the swiping gesture of her palm ignited mes in front of her eyes, enhancing and protecting her vision at the same time. Now, with her vision enhanced, she could see what was happening behind this door. ''Oh no¡­'' How surprised she was when he saw what was going on inside the room. She saw Zio swinging his sword like a madman against empty air. Not only that, but he was also rolling and dodging as if he was avoiding an attack. Ignoring the manner of the visit procedure, Ember twisted the doorknob and pushed it open. Once the door opened, she quickly dashed through the short and narrow entrance. "Zio!" Swoosh¡ª! Swaaaaa¡ª! In a quick motion, after she shouted, she found the tip of the de stopped a few centimeters away from her eyes. If not for her me enhancing and protecting her eyes, she would have lost them. On the other hand, Zio''s eyes widened as he noticed the one who was standing in front of her wasn''t someone he was currently fighting with. "Huh? Ember? Why are you here?" Chapter 113 Reminiscence ? The ckout disappeared immediately as he saw Ember, the brightmp and LED light lit up the room once again. Zio could capture Ember''s pretty face clearly, but his mind ying a trick on him. He would asionally see her changing appearance with Zia, making him frown until his eyebrow knitted. Zio wasn''t in his right mind, right now. So, he couldn''t tell which was the truth. Eventually, his grip on his sword tightened when he thought that the person in front of him right now was Zia in disguise. "Heh. You think you can trick me?" At that moment, in his eyes, Ember''s figure was nowpletely changed to a still figure of a demonic human he had fought in sh Dungeon. Nado. "Calm down. It''s me." Ember tried to calm him down but it was futile. Zio''s mind already recognized her as the demonic human, Nado. Her voice didn''t reach him. "I don''t know how youe back alive but, it just means that you will die twice. Nice try for the illusion, though." With a growl, Zio pulled his sword back and used the momentum to make a spin of his body and swung his sword at Ember. In a quick motion, Ember sidestepped and grab the de with her palm which was enhanced by beginner-level mana coating and her me. She pulled the de, disarming Zio. Pulling him close, Ember whispered to Zio, "You need to sleep," then mmed him to the floor, locking him on the ground. Zio''s head was pressed against the floor. Sitting on Zio''s back, Ember took out a small bag of powder from her storage cube and blew it toward Zio. In an instant, Zio lost his consciousness and fell into a deep slumber. "Huu¡­ Sorry¡­" Retrieving a bag of candy from the storage cube, Ember extracted one piece and removed its wrapper. With utmost care, Ember inserted the candy into Zio''s mouth. She sighed softly, feeling a mix of relief and sadness. She had only wanted to help him, to bring him back from his own delusions since a few months ago, it pained her to see him like this. Carefully, she lifted herself off Zio''s back and stood up, brushing off the dust from her clothes. The room felt strangely quiet after the chaos that had just unfolded, was the chaos actually too quiet to make the neighborse out from their room to check? Leaning back against the wall, Ember allowed herself a moment of reflection. She thought about the times they had spent together back when they were kids, though it was short and not exactlyfortable to remember, the memories were deeply carved inside her mind even without her Eidetic Memory. Focusing on her mind, she recalled the event from 3 years ago¡­ It was after she burned all of the viins inside the warehouse with her me. She stood wobbly, her body marked with bruises and broken bones. Despite her weakened state, shepelled herself to keep going, exerting effort to untie the rope that bound the ck-haired boy, younger Zio''s body. "Thank you foring¡­" the boy said weakly. As little Ember tried to catch him from falling, she forgot that her body wasn''t in a state that could support the burden of little Zio''s body. In the end, they both were falling onto the cold concrete. Ember chuckled, sounding exasperated. They stayed still in that position for 10 minutes. Once they regained their energies to move their bodies, Zio rose up and leaned on the pir to which he had been tied. Following him, Ember also rose up and sat with crossed legs facing Zio. Their eyes met, examining and observing each other. Searching through her hoodie, Ember retrieved an eagle origami from her pocket, unveiling it to Zio. "Did you send me this?" Zio nodded silently, but his smile widened as he was done observing Ember''s face. "Why¡­? I mean, how did you even send this to me? Have we ever met before? And¡­" Ember looked around the warehouse, her eyes narrowed as he carefully scanned the interior. Except for the various tools and the burned bodies, the warehouse was empty. "Who are you? Why did they kidnap and torture you as you''d stated in this origami message?" Zio raised his hand, halting any potential onught of questions. Despite the smile still gracing his face, his ck eyes bore into Ember''s soul, peering into her memories through her own eyes. shing memories flooded his head, but they were not his. It was Ember''s. Seemingly satisfied despite the pain that almost tore his head apart, Zio finally told her everything rted to this event. But, Ember seemed couldn''t digest the exnation that Zio provided her. "I mean, okay. You know me through your future sight. But, why me?" "There''s no one with a sense of justice as pure as you. I know that you won''t abandon someone, especially a kid like me to his death. At least, that''s what I see from you through my future sight¡­" "You make me sound like I''m a pushover." The corner of Zio''s lips perked up as he heard that. "You are." Zio continued to exin what had happened before he got caught by the viins. He had known that the viins were targeting him because of his future sight blessing, but as a child without anyone he could rely upon, his fate was to be ruled by them. But, he didn''t give up. He experimented with his blessing which took a toll on his brain and mind until he finally gained the sight of the future where he saw Ember as the sole survivor of humanity on Earth after the demon''s invasion. It wasn''t just a piece of memories, but the whole memories. With his skill, Zio had sessfully gained a whole memory of the future where Ember was the sole survivor on Earth as if he was the one that experienced them. Not everything was free in this world. In exchange for that memory, Zio had to sacrifice some of the stats and skills he possessed. With that knowledge, he decided to gamble with his fate by contacting Ember for help before he was caught. As he was done telling her everything, Ember could only stare at the boy, she pitied the boy but couldn''t shake the feeling that Zio wasn''t telling him everything and might even lying to her right then. Zio stared expectantly at the ceilings. His behavior made Ember curious so she followed him to look at the ceilings. A momentter, she could hear noiseing from the roof. It was the sound of someone''s footsteps. Hearing those, Ember rose to her feet and prepared for whatevering from above. But, Zio stopped him, informing her that whoever was on the roof wasn''t their enemy. Smash¡ª! A loud voice reverberated around the warehouse as the roof was smashed and small debris was falling to the ground. "You''vee too¡­" Strands of silver hair peeked from the hole in the roof for a moment before disappearing and being reced by the human figure. Ember was captivated by the view of the person bathed in the moonlight. Standing on the rooftop, peeking inside the warehouse, was a figure dressed in a sleek ck coat. Their piercing grey eyes seemed to glow with an otherworldly intensity as they scanned the surroundings. Her eyes stopped at Zio. At that moment, her face suddenly looked pale and panicked. Quickly, she jumped down and checked Zio''s condition. Ember tensed up as she saw the person whose features were hidden under the ck coat. "It''s okay. I know this person." "You know? But, you said you don''t have anyone you can call upon for help. So you asked me instead." Ember frowned, her eyebrows knitted, and suspicion toward Zio began to grow. "Seems like your Eidetic Memory is broken," said Zio with a thin smile. "I know about her thanks to your memories." Hearing both Zio and Ember bickering among themselves, the girl in the ck robe pulled her mask down, revealing her beautiful face and hearty lips. "I don''t seem to follow what you guys are talking but¡­" She stared at Zio, her eyes narrowed with mixed feelings of anger and concern after noticing the bruises and wounds covering his body. "I''m sorry for beingte¡­" Zio waved his hand dismissively, trying to act cool. Though the sting of pain really made him want to scream and cry, he managed to endure it and controlled his expression. "You''re not supposed to apologize to me, Shannon. It''s my sister who should do that for leaving me alone in the streets." Shannon flinched as she heard her name, her real name was being called by Zio, someone who shouldn''t have known about it. She almost reached for her sword slung around her shoulder to decimate Zio, but she remembered that he was not someone she should kill, but someone she should protect. After all, that boy was her boss'' little brother who was separated when he was 5 and the older sister was 12. But still, having to know that someone knew about her real name which was supposed to be a secret when she was living as a guild shadow made her feel a bit cautious around Zio. "I don''t know how you know my name, but please refrain from calling me that. Call me Silver Hound instead. And, your sister didn''t abandon you." Chapter 114 Reinas Punishment ? The moon outside shone brightly in the middle of the night. The chill breeze brushed the leaves, making an arrangement of melody. The dormitory building had all their light switched off except for a room with the window left open, letting the chill breeze creep up the boyy on the floor. Growling under his teeth, Zio''s consciousness finally returned. As he opened his eyes and rose from the floor, he found a small pouch with a note beside him as he shifted into a sitting position. Reaching for the pouch, he took the note first and read it. It was but a short sentence that read, "Your monthly Serenity Candy~ -Shannon" He sighed as he read it, recalling the time when he received a message chat from Shannon telling him that she was going to supply him with Serenity Candy out of nowhere every month. But, he wondered why should Shannon ask Ember to give him the candies instead of herself in person or use the Octagram''s Delivery Service itself. It was not like Zio had a problem with Ember, it was just that he thought that was unnecessary to do that. Though in the end, as long as he could rx his mind, he couldn''t care less about who and how did he get the candy from. Zio flipped the note, thinking that there might be more of this note message, and yes, there was a message on the other side of the note that read, "I have already fed you one while you''re unconscious. -Ember" As he read that, he realized there was something stuck in his mouth, the candy. Sadly, he could no longer taste the candy''s sweet vor. Feeling disappointed, he immediately swallowed the whole candy that was in his mouth. Serenity Candy''s rxing effect came as soon as someone chew it, mostly from its taste and vor. So, as the rxing effect was already in effect, swallowing it whole didn''t make any difference to his mind. He could always spit the candy out if the effect was already active, but he chose to swallow it anyway. Zio rose to his feet, storing the pouch in his storage cube. Before anything, he scanned the room for any potential trouble. Did not find anything, he took Retro from the floor and walked toward his bed, switching the light off as he made his way. "Reina?" Zio stared at his sword, waiting for a response. But, the sword, Reina, did not respond. Though he was curious about why she didn''t respond, his sleepiness started to kick in, overwhelming his thought to investigate to just sleep. Gently put the sword beside the bed, Zio quickly jumped onto his bed. As he was on the verge of seeping in deep into his dream world, he assured his mind that Reina would be alright once he woke up in the morning. After Zio fell asleep on his bed, the sword made a sound as if it were being polished. A trembling voiceing from the sword, "It''s hurt¡­" The next morning, Zio woke up with renewed energy even though he sleptte. After showering and such, he had breakfast together with Reina who was unusually quiet today. Zio asked if there was something that troubled her but Reina said no and suddenly cheered up. "Well then, I''ll go to ss first. Take care of yourself, Reina. Avoid window, you don''t want people to see you right?" Reina nodded with a forced smile. Noticing her smile, Zio stopped as he was about to leave his room and stared at Reina concerned. Though he couldn''t feel what his bound artifact felt at that moment because of hisck of magic, he still could discern and guess just by looking at her expression and gesture. "Are you sure you''re alright?" "I am, master. Don''t worry about me!" As much as Zio wanted to find out what troubled Reina, he still have a ss to attend, and he didn''t want to skip ss for sure. So, after confirming Reina''s behavior for thest time, he headed to the lecture hall, to his ss. Reina stared nkly at the door where her master had disappeared from her sight. A momentter, her body jolted as if she was being electrocuted. "It''s hurt¡­" Reina groaned in pain as she wrapped her arms around her, curling up on the couch like a cat. It was normal for an artifact, especially one that had materialized its own ego to experience its body, either human form or object form, to be electrocuted like that. The reason why Reina experienced something like that was the result of disobeying her master. Last night, when Zio was not in his right mind, swinging her viciously against the empty air and eventually almost killed Ember. At that time, Reina had forced herself to stop the sword''s momentum before it could sh Ember. She also made her de dull when Zio was swinging her for the second time so Ember could parry it easier. Those were the act that was considered as disobeying the artifact''s owner, and the punishment given to the artifact were varied and would be umted, the more they did it, the higher the level of punishment. The worst of it was losing their ego and returning to a normal artifact, and when they did regain their ego, it wouldn''t be the same as their previous one. Despite knowing that, Reina disobeyed Zio because she didn''t want her master to feel guilt and regret what he was doing just like her previous master. Reina''s previous master took his own life after unconsciously¡ªunder a hypnosis spell¡ªkilling his family and friends. On top of that, her previous master killed himself using her twin sword, which now had lost its ego as the punishment. "Sister¡­" Since that time, Reina was determined to ensure her master''s life. She was ready to sacrifice and risk herself if it meant her master could live a long life. If by chance she lost her ego in the process, so be it. For her, nothing was more important than her master''s life. Chapter 115 Dystopia I ? Swoosh¡ª! Deftly dodging the straight punchunched at him, Zio counterattacked with his own unpolished bare-fistbat technique. Zio was currently in a joint sparring session of the Training Combat ss, his opponent was someone from the Serpent ss who excelled in hand-to-handbat. Despite that, he managed to fight on par with him because of his prediction ability. His opponent couldn''t hit him because Zio was constantly dodging. Meanwhile, Zio couldn''t hit his opponent because his technique was too basic for his opponent to parry and dodge. As the fight continued, his opponent''s attacks were bing faster. But, no matter how fast his opponent''s attack was, his irvoyance could still follow it as long it was still in his prediction time range, allowing him to see and predict any danger that would happen in 5 seconds to the future. Though he could predict dangers, it didn''t mean he could avoid them unless he was ready. His thinking process (brain) and body had a significant role to avoid danger, and his mental fortitude also. In the end, the spar between the two of them was turning into an endurance fight rather than techniques and skills. Zio could reinforce his speed and power with mana coating but that would be breaking the rules of the spar. If only there was no merit reduction penalty, Zio would dly break the rule to win his spar. He didn''t afraid of getting a bad reputation among his peers or instructors for breaking the rules. But, he was more afraid of his merit point would get deducted. Swoosh¡ª! An uppercut came at him at high speed but as always Zio dodged it andunched a quick counter. Taking a step back to dodge, he pulled his torso down as he twisted his body, toppling his opponent with a sweep kick. It was supposed to be impossible for his opponent to drop that easily but, he was already exhausted and his focus was distracted. Thud¡ª! Zio inhaled the oxygen before rushing to intercept his opponent who was about to get up, locking his neck like a snake to its prey but quickly releasing him as soon as he remembered one of the rules forbidding the use of lock or submission grappling. So, after freeing his opponent, they both rose to their feet and started over. Face to face, their eyes locked as if they were having a staring contest. Then, as if someone was blowing the whistle, they began their move, their decider move. Who would win? The Serpent ss studentunched a straight punch but was dodged by Zio. Unexpectedly, he quickly pulled his punching hand and twisted his body, attacking Zio with his left elbow. Zio backstepped while his palm reached for the elbow. Pushing the elbow, he broke his opponent''s bnce and quickly followed up with a hook. But, his hook was only a feint for momentum to spin his body to do a spinning back heel kick, perfectlynding on the Serpent ss student''s jaw, leaving him standing unsteadily. "That''s enough." The instructor''s voice stopped Zio from doing a follow-up move as the instructor noticed that the Serpent ss student couldn''t continue the fight, he was already on his knee the moment Zio realized it. Feeling the adrenaline gradually fade away, Zio flexed his fist, opening and closing it over and over as exhaustion started to burden his body. "You did a good job for canceling your lock back there, or else you''d have been got a penalty." Praising Zio was one of the four instructors that oversee the Combat Training ss'' spar session, ra. Her blue eyes almost captivated Zio, but not as much as how Carolina''s turquoise eyes did to him, it was to the point that he wanted to gouge her eyes out and collected them. "Ahaha¡­" When ra dismissed him, Zio regrouped with Enzo and Hulio. "That was a nice move you did right there, that guy was really caught off guard by your feint!" Hulio said, his voice filled with amazement and excitement. "I''m just lucky." Zio settled on the bench to Enzo''s right side. The three of them had a small talk before turning their attention back to the sparring floor, solemnly watching as the students exchanged hits on each other. Zio was focused, at least until a group of students wearing blue cloaks and hats, with some red colored cloaks, designed like military uniform cloaks, showed up on the training center floor. Zio furrowed as his eyes locked on and followed them. A familiar figure was walking among them. Flowing red hair like a me with curtain bang, eye color as red as a burning fire,plementing the red coat she was wearing. "She really joined the student council?" "Who?" "Ember." Zio pointed at the group, and Hulio tracked where Zio''s finger was pointing, finding out the group of student council roamed the floor. One of them, a small girl with white hair styled in a ponytail and wearing a chain monocle was approaching instructor ra. Upon focusing his attention on the girl, a window screen popped up in Zio''s vision as he acquired the information about the girl whose name was ''Bianca Madeline''. He closed his eyes as he tried to remember who Bianca Madeline was in the novel only to find out just insignificant information about her that she was only a character that showed up only in a few chapters and then vanished until the end of the story. "What are they doing here anyway?" Hulio asked, his expression seemingly clueless about them. "It''s because of Shiro Oni." Enzo who was quiet since the beginning finally speak up. "Shiro Oni? White Demon? You mean that wannabe viin who recently caused a ruckus in Singapore and some other Southeast Asia countries?" "Yes, that one. I heard rumors about him roaming around Octagram Ind and the academy''s vicinity. Maybe that''s why the student council tightened their patrol, in case Shiro Oni nning something in Octagram." Someone chuckled as Enzo spouted nonsense. It was Niah, just arrived after her spar session and lose miserably. "Hahaha! nning something here? In Octagram? He must be an idiot! Who in their right mind doing ''something'' in thend of heroes?" As someone who heard and felt Niah''s words stabbing him with facts, Zio could only scratch his cheek, though his eyes were still locked on the group of the student council. ''Well, sorry about that¡­'' Chapter 116 Dystopia II ? As Niah and Hulio bickered about ''Shiro Oni'' and the student council, Enzo was forced to participate in their talk because he was sitting near them. Meanwhile, Zio was staring at the student council group, particrly at the red-haired girl, Ember. Since his encounter with the Phoenix and the information he got from it, whether it was true or not, he would constantly look at Ember from afar, seemingly could not stopping to think about what the Phoenix was saying. Though he didn''t get approval from the Phoenix when he asked for her identity was Ember from another timeline, he was half sure that it was Ember because of the mes and the Phoenix''s human made-of-me figure that resembled Ember, especially the flowing me that was supposed to be the hair was simr. But, if he wanted to know the actual truth, he needed to wait for the Phoenix''s next rebirth. That was why he entrusted the Phoenix''s ash egg to Chrysalis Guild, precisely Neychta. Neychta''s cold-blooded and cruel character was the main reason why Zio entrusted the egg to her. To her enemies, Neychta was seen as the Grim Reaper. But, she was a Loyal Guardian Angel to her friends andpanions alike. The fact that Neychta considered Zio or precisely Ian as her guild''s honorary member, meant that she had held Ian''s trust and expected him to do so too. As he kept on staring at Ember, their eyes eventually made contact. Noticing Zio''s gaze was directed at her, Ember arched a brow for a while before her eyes smiling yet her lips unmoving. She took out candy from her p pocket, unwrapping and munching on the candy while looking at Bianca. ''Oh right.'' As soon as Zio glimpsed at the candy, he remembered that he wasn''t yet consuming it today. Before he ate the candy, he looked at the time on his Nova Watch. It was 1 PM. ''I''m not sure exactly when I ate thisst night, so it''s better to do it earlier thanter.'' He made a mental note to eat the candy every 24 hours as he unwrapped the candy and ate it. His mind was immediately at ease. ''The sensation I feel when the effect spreads never gets old¡­'' As he indulged in the soothing sensation given by the Serenity Candy, Niah called out to him. "Zio." However, her voice seemed to not reach him. "Zio!" Even when she raised her voice a bit higher, it still didn''t make him respond. So, Niah walked toward him and tried to surprise him. But Zio didn''t let her have the chance to surprise him. The moment Niah got closer to Zio, her presence and intention was detected as a danger by Zio''s irvoyance, giving him a sight of the future. "Don''t even try to surprise me, it won''t work." Said Zio, his attention fixed on the group of the student council, this time looking at the senior student, Bianca, and Draco ssbat''s instructor, ra. He attempted to guess what they were talking about by reading their lip movements. But, no matter how good his skill in reading people''s gestures and expressions, lip reading was still too difficult for him. "What are you looking at?" Niah settled beside him, following his gaze with her own eyes. Her eyes shed with recognition as she found Bianca on the other side. "Ah! It''s senior Bianca, the leader of the student council." Niah eximed with a bright tone. ncing to her left, she found Zio whose attention was unbroken even as people passed by, asionally blocking his view of Bianca. Niah observed Zio with her hand on her chin. After a moment, the corner of her mouth perked up slightly, forming a naughty smile. "Hey, Zio. Are you falling in love with senior Bianca right now?" "No." Zio replied almost immediately without sparing Niah a nce. Niah turned back to see the group of the student council. As she scoured through the dozen of students, she eventually noticed Ember at the back row, seemingly munching on something. Looking at Zio and Ember back and forth, she found out that Zio was also eating something. Obviously, that made her curious, and wanted to tease her group''s leader who always could find a way topose himself and looked like he knew everything. "Oh ho~" Her mischievous smile widened. "Perhaps it''s not Bianca, but Ember?!" Zio still ignored her, yet as soon as he noticed the talk between Bianca and Instructor ra seemingly came to an end, he sighed, getting up from the bench. "Hey, wait! Where are you going? You owe me an answer!" ncing at Niah, Zio smiled like a fox. Niah suddenly felt a shiver run down her spine as she caught a glimpse of Zio''s smile. She knew that whenever a fox-like smile appeared on Zio''s face, it meant he had something up his sleeve, and it usually wasn''t a good thing. "The instructors are about to end the ss soon. I''m going to explore the city. Do you want to tag along?" "Ahahaha¡­ no, no thank you, I have to pack my stuff for the winter holiday¡­" She smiled sheepishly while raising both her hands at eye level as she replied. "..." "..." "Well, then, see youter." "Yeah, haha¡­" Just as Zio said, after Instructor ra had finished her conversation with Bianca, she and the three other instructors dismissed the ss, giving the students an assignment to learn the fundamentals of unarmedbat. "Don''t think to take it easy even if you''re on holiday. As soon as the school started again after the new year, we''ll do a test of your fundamentals." After giving thest speech, the instructors disappeared behind the exit door. Some students were leaving the building, some were continuing with their training as they didn''t really have things to do. Lux and Ayano practiced together. Seo Yeong-Ha was drinking c from the vending machine. Leonardo seemed to have his eyes locked on Seo Yeong-Ha. Ember and the student council members left the building. Meanwhile, Zio was walking alone, buying a drink from the vending machine outside the building. Beep¡ª! As he took the drinking out from the machine, someone already standing in front of him, wearing a smile. "Do you have time?" Chapter 117 Dystopia III ? Standing in front of Zio was a pretty girl with dark violet hair, her emerald eyes shifted from staring at Zio''s face to the can of coffee in his hand. "That''s a nice sses." Said Zio as he noticed the eyess Lumi was wearing, though he wondered why she suddenly used an eyess. As far as he knew, Lumi didn''t have any problem with her eyesight. Maybe, it was just fashion sses? Smirking, Lumi brushed her hair as she lifted her face. As soon as that, her eyess seemed to glow bluish light. Once the glow dispersed, her eyes widened in shock. Seemingly unsure and didn''t believe what she just saw, she narrowed her eyes again and the eyess glowed. "Huh?" Lumi looked at Zio and the window screen that appeared in her vision which only she alone could see back and forth. The floating screen that appeared in her vision was informing her of Zio''s growth rate power being at rank. "Are you for real? Did you hit the jackpot with only one potion I gave you back then?!" Zio only smirked at her question, his eyes focused on the eyess, appraising it with irvoyance. [Nova Eyess Prototype C Rank: E] "Is that an appraisal sses?" Lumi brought both of her hands across her body, crossing them in front of herself. Her expression was still like an undisturbed pool of water. "Answer me first. How did you raise your growth rate to rank with only one potion?" "It''s just as you said, I was lucky to hit the jackpot." "Really?" Lumi began to give him a cynical sidelong nce. Ignoring that, Zio opened the coffee can and drank it slowly, savoring every moment as the coffee slid down his dry throat. Lumi gulped, swallowing her saliva as she watched Zio finish his drink. Her cynical nce gradually disappeared. "Puha!" Throwing the empty can, Zio sped his hands when it perfectlynded inside the trash can. He raised a brow when he noticed Lumi''s expression. "So, what do you want to talk about?" Said Zio while inserting a bill inside the vending machine, and pressing the buttons. The sound of the machine operated reverberated in the air. While he was doing so, Lumi cleared her throat and began speaking. "It''s about the Catalyst Potion. I was going to distribute the potion supply to you but, looks like you don''t need it anymore." "Who says I don''t need it?" "Huh. But, you''re already a rank¡­?" As Lumi watched Zio retrieve the coffee can and the exchange from the vending machine, she swallowed the saliva stuck in her throat. Zio looked at Lumi with a raised brow, his finger reached to open the coffee can. "So what if I''m already rank? Do you think there''s no higher rank than that?" Lumi was distracted by the sound of the can opening, her throat felt dry. Every time her eyes looked at the can, she quickly shifted them back to stare at Zio''s face instead. "Well, I''ve never seen someone with growth rate power higher than except you in my life, so¡­" Zio chuckled, seemingly finding it amusing to tease the thirsty Lumi. Luckily, Lumi seemed not to notice if he was teasing her with the coffee can. "You should have taken a look at Lux with that prototype ss of yours then. Just ready your heart if you''re doing it though." As he said that, he moved his hand holding the can around. Lumi''s eyes followed the motion like a cat. "C-can you not¡ª" Before Lumi could finish her words, she was interrupted by the coffee can stopping before her eyes. "Haha, you''re so funny." Hearing Zio''s chuckle, Lumi frowned, ring at him as she realized that he was teasing her all along. "Sorry, sorry. Here, take it." Zio extended the can of coffee toward Lumi, a mischievous grin still lingering on his face. Lumi hesitated for a moment, her irritation evident, but eventually reached out and took the can from him. "Thanks." She muttered, her voice slightly strained. She brought the can toward her lip and took a sip, trying to hide the embarrassment behind the act of drinking. Zio''s amusement faded as he remembered he had something to do. Leaning against the vending machine, a more serious expression was visible on his face. "I apologize if I went too far with my teasing." Lumi nced at him, her annoyance softening a little after considering various reasons to forgive him. "It''s okay. I know you like to joke around. I guess I just didn''t expect it this time." Zio stood in silence for a moment, waiting for Lumi to finish her drink. As soon as she finished, Zio took a deep breath, deciding to change the subject. "So, about the Catalyst Potion¡­" He began but was immediately cut off by Lumi. "It''s here." A ck suitcase suddenly appeared in her hand as a result of taking it out of the storage cube. Lumi opened it and showed Zio the content inside. Seeing three bottles of potions that were stored neatly in the suitcase, Zio couldn''t help but feel it was too much to put inside a suitcase. But, what could he say? It was maybe a custom of rich people to put everything in a suitcase. Closing the suitcase, Lumi handed it to Zio. "Take it." Zio received it with an open hand, quickly storing it inside his own storage cube. "Thanks." As he thanked her, his hand unconsciously move and reach for Lumi''s head. "H-hey, what are you doing¡­" Zio had unconsciously ruffled Lumi''s hair as he did to Reina. That, of course, made Lumi confused, and immediately shook his hand away from her head. "Oh, sorry." Zio raised his hand, his palm facing forward. Lumi sighed as she fixed her hair. "It''s fine." Looking at his hand, Zio thought about Reina, wondering how she was doing right now. Her behavior this morning had made him worried and he wanted to return to his dorm as soon as possible. So, for that reason, he bid goodbye to Lumi. "I have something I need to do, so catch youter, Lumi. Thanks for the potion!" Lumi watched as Zio disappeared from her sight. Looking at the can of coffee in her hand made her recall the recent event. As the memory was about to surface in her head, she quickly threw the can into the trash can and walked away. ''Leo is better. Leo is better. Leo is better.'' She chanted a magic word to distract herself as she walked. Chapter 118 Dystopia IV ? Octagram, a small ind country near Singapore, may be small at around 450 square kilometers, but it has made impressive advancements in technology and magic. As the world''s central power, Octagram is home to esteemed organizations and institutions like the Hero Association Omega, Wizard Tower Lunaria, Octagram Academy, and various guild facilities. The ind is divided into six distinct regions: Central, North, East, South, West, and Southwest. Each region has its own unique array of districts spread throughout Octagram. Academy Ind is located in the central region. The Central Business District upies the northern region,prising 2/8 of the ind''s area. This district houses many guild facilities and buildings, with the northernmost area serving as the location of the academy''s Artificial Forest. The eastern and southern regionsbined make up 3/8 of the ind''s territory, primarily consisting of residential districts across Octagram Ind. Alongside the residential areas, there are also diverse district types in the east and south. The western region upies 2/8 of the ind and is home to the Omega HQ and Lunar Tower. Half of this region serves as the administrative district, housing these notable organizationalndmarks, while the other half is the Enhanced district, a popr gathering ce for the Enhanced individuals. The four regions mentioned above cover 7/8 of the entire ind, leaving the remaining portion for the academy ind in the central region and the industrial district in the southwest region. "The Central Business District is bustling with people even at night but, I might be able to kill him if he goes this route." Sitting on the parapet along the edge of a three-story building rooftop was a man with striking white hair in the night. His face was hidden under a visually striking white mask with a unique mechanism of eyesockets where he could open or close them as he wish. The mask featured the fearsome shape of a demon''s face ¡ª Oni, with two curved horns on either side of the forehead, resembling those of a bull, and protruding fangs. Because of that mask and his all-white attire, people called him Shiro Oni or White Demon. Though one could argue it was dumb to pick the white color for the night''s ambush, Shiro Oni had his own reason. In the first ce, he never had any intention to be someone who lurked in the shadow. If he was to do that, it would take a long time before people began to recognize him as a viin because they needed to investigate the case first. Shino Oni also constantly left a trace around the crime scene to let people know that it was he who did that. It had been a month since Shiro Oni announced himself to the world. At first, no one paid him any attention, they were thinking that he was just your ordinary viin who would disappear soon. As he did numerous criminal acts, which mostly was killing heroes all over the world, Omega finally had their attention on him. But, even after killing dozen of heroes and leaving his trace, no one could track him. Hero Association and guilds that had their members killed by him attempted an investigation but they didn''t find a single clue about Shiro Oni''s whereabouts or even his real identity and which organizations he affiliated himself to. The heroes most likely suspected him as one of Dystopia''s members, taking his appearance as a sign that Dystopia would be active again. Shiro Oni did not only target heroes, but he also targeted viins. His goal was to make those opposing sides aware of his existence. Though, unlike heroes who put a bounty on him. The viins were seeking him either to recruit him or fight him. Shiro Oni rolled up the map he spread on the parapet and then closed his eyes for some time before opening it again. "Found him." ¡­ "Ahahahaha~" A drunk man was walking alone through the dimly lit alley aftering out of the ''night bar'', a hidden ce in the Central Business District. Not many people were crossing the alley the man was currently walking on in the night because of various bad rumors. As the man realized that the alley became darker and narrower, he stopped on his track, looking around in his unstable state of mind because he was drunk. "Umm~" Shrugging, the man continued on his way through the dark alley. After taking a few steps, he stopped again. He was drunk, but it didn''t mean he couldn''t feel that something strange was currently happening around him. He had noticed that when he walked through, he asionally caught a glimpse of something white moving at a high speed on the rooftop. At first, he thought that was just a light but, how could there be a light while this alley didn''t have anymp or light source? He was toote to realize that, eventually finding himself as prey to whatever was going to appear. Staring at the darkness of the alley in front of him, he caught a glittering red dot. He rubbed his eyes, hoping that he was just seeing things. Unfortunately, the glittering red light wasn''t his hallucination but a real deal. As the man''s sober dispersed, Shiro Oni emerged from the darkness of the alley. The glittering red light the man saw was actually Shiro Oni''s red eye, he had just added ayer of mana to make his eye glow in the dark. As soon as his full form was visible to the man, Shiro Oni dashed forward, his sword at ready. "W-White¡ª!" A sh of light suddenly appeared, motioning a shing movement at the man''s neck. Blood slowly gushed out from the fresh wound cut. "???" A momentter, Shiro Oni finally appeared before him, shing his sword in the same motion as the sh of light earlier. At that moment, the blood that slowly gushed was now spurting like a fountain. The man wasn''t dead yet even with that wound, so Shiro Oni shed him again at the exact same ce where he attacked earlier, sending the man dropped dead on the cold, dirty floor. A disturbed look was visible in his eyes as Shiro Oni looked at the corpse. Shaking his head, he walked away as he sheathed the sword and pulled a book out of thin air. Flipping through the pages, he stopped at the page with a list of names that only he and God knows whose names were listed on it. "Number 28, check." Chapter 119 Dystopia V ? Throwing the book into the air, it dissipated into particles of shards and was absorbed into the ring with the cube Shiro Oni wore. p¡ª! The once quiet and serene alley was now filled with pping sounds. Looking at the direction the sounding from, Shiro Oni found a group of five staring down at him on the rooftop. "That was a good technique you used right there, White Demon." Said the woman with long ck hair tied into a long ponytail, standing at the front of the group. As she jumped down, the rest of them followed. Shiro Oni quietly inspected them for a moment, finding out that they were Dystopia''s Combat Division members. The ck-haired woman, Valka, brought her hands across her chest, crossing them in front of her body. She was also inspecting the man with the oni mask in front of her. "What is that technique, I wonder. I''ve never seen it before, care to tell me?" After saying that, she quickly raised her hand. "No, wait. Of course, you''re not going to tell me, right? So¡­" A snapping sound reverberated in the air as she flicked her finger. "Gunter." Calling out one of herpanion''s names, a brown-haired man with asymmetrical bangs stepped forward, flexing his fists before taking out a slightly curved sword from its sheath. "Go test him." "Yes." Shiro Oni smirked under his mask. As Gunter was ready in his position and sword stance, Shiro Oni just stood firmly, his defense was wide open. Witnessing that, Gunter cocked his head. "Where is your sword?" "A sword? Against a swordmaster like you? Don''t you think it''s kind of useless to unsheathe mine if I was to lose anyway?" When she heard it, Valka''s grin widened, finding Shiro Oni was an amusing fellow. "I''ll just use this instead." Suddenly, the particles of blue glistened around Shiro Oni''s wrists and then small round shields materialized. Those shields were floating above Shiro Oni''s wrists while he was holding twin daggers in each of his hands. "Wrist shields and daggers?" A blonde man who was dressed mboyantly looked confused. Meanwhile, Valka''s grin kept on getting wider and wider. "So unorthodox! I like this guy!" Valka eximed. The use of wrist shields and daggers might be inconvenient for most people but, since the shields were hovering above the skin surface, they wouldn''t be a hinder to Shiro Oni''s movements. The hovering shield was the thing that the blonde guy, Martin, hadn''t yet noticed, and that was why he expressed his confusion. But, Valka and the rest of her team who noticed that were left impressed. They all had the same thought, ''Where does this guy find an idea as novelty as that?'' Shiro Oni reached for the button beside his mask. As he pressed it, the left eyesocket opened, revealing his red eyes with an odd pupil that was shaped like an upside-down triangle. Among the witnesses, only Gunter was noticing his pupil shape. After seeing it, Gunter shifted to another sword stance. Adjusting his left eye to his surrounding, he assumed a battle stance. ''It''s nice to have something cool that people don''t know about.'' As his eye finally adjusted to his surrounding, he rashly dashed forward. ''It''s time to test the artifact''s power!'' [Eye of Lace] [Bounded to Euclios Niveus] Type: Artifact Rank: A+ Skill: Lace Sensory With the power of Lace, you are able to understand and perceive all of the oues of your action. Shiro Oni, or should we call Niveus, charging at Gunter. Before he was doing so, his Lace Sensory was perceiving all of the oues of his action. Sadly, as his magic and mental stats were not enough, he could only perceive 3 oues at the moment. The first one was the action that he currently took, charging at Gunter to surprise him. This action would result in a sessful hit if after charging, Niveus quickly maneuver himself to the side to dodge Gunter''s quick stab and immediately counterattacked. The second and third oues were showing him died getting stabbed by Gunter''s sword. As Niveus did exactly what his Lace Sensory showed him, everyone was shocked. Though, he couldn''tnd a hit at Gunter because he missed the timing. ''He dodged my quick stab?!'' Valka smiled when she witnessed Niveus dodge Gunter''s quick stab effortlessly as if he was predicting it. ''Hmph, this White Demon guy sure isn''t normal.'' Because Niveus failed tond a hit at Gunter, the Lace Sensory bestowed upon him another piece of information about the oues of an action he could take. Following the information with the best oues out of the three, Niveus dragged his torso down and parried Gunter''s formless sword once again. ''He blocked it!'' When Niveus was about tond a decisive blow at Gunter, he suddenly perceived the oues, and there wasn''t a single oue that lead him to his victory. ''What the fuck is this?!'' All of the three sights he perceived would lead him to his death, getting chopped into pieces by Gunter''s sword techniques. Gunter gently ced his hand around the sword''s hilt, ready to unsheathe the sword. Once he unsheathed it, that was when Niveus would be ravaged by his ravenous sword draw technique. ''He looks lost.'' Knowing that he couldn''t rely on the Lace Sensory this time, Niveus stopped in his ce, not making any movements as Gunter was halfway to drawing his sword. ''He stopped?!'' At that time, the five of Dystopia''s Combat Division Members had their eyes widened in shock, a great shock caused by one man who decided not to move even a single finger. Burst¡ª! It started with one sh, then turned into dozens, and dozens turned into hundreds. Amidst thousands of quick shes that couldn''t be followed by human eyes, Niveus stood firmly while slowly enveloping his body with mana even though nothing had sliced him once. Everyone, especially Gunter who released the Thousand Formless sh technique was bbergasted. As the vortex of shes stopped its ravage, Gunter sighed defeatedly as he sheathed his sword back. Valka, who had the happiest face among her friends jumped at Niveus with wide open arms. Perceiving the oues of her action and what he could do at that moment, Niveus sidestepped, letting Valka dove into the snow floor. "What the fuck?" Chapter 120 Dystopia Combat Division Warehouse ? "Wee to our base camp!" The base camp was just an empty big warehouse, but Valka introduced it as if it was a magnificent ce. Well, it was not exactly open. The aged furniture was ced randomly all over the floor, making Niveus feel overwhelmed by how messy this ce was. Though the furniture was all old and barred, the warehouse was surprisingly clean. Niveus didn''t spot a speck of dust or cobwebs decorating the warehouse. Still, seeing how the furniture was haphazardly ced made his OCD kick in. "Did you recruit me because you needed a janitor?" Unlike Niveus, Valka and the others already made themselves home in that messy warehouse. Ivan carried Zoe on his shoulder, heading toward the door in the back where a kitchen was located. Martin brought himself to the staircase leading to the upper floor. Valka settled on the worn-looking sofa while Gunter sat on the box crates beside her. They stared at Niveus expectantly. "What are you doing standing there? Come take a seat, and let''s talk." Niveus raised a brow as Valka invited him to take a seat. No matter how thoroughly he scanned the room, he didn''t find extra chairs around. Aside from the sofa and long table in the middle of the room, everything else was box crates and rusty barrels. His eyes moved from object to object until they stopped at the long table. ''Well¡­ I might as well be bold. Although she doesn''t have much screen time in the novel, I know she likes bold and reckless people or a unique and weird individual.'' Turning on the left eye socket on his mask, Niveus approached them. The Eye Of Lace didn''t react as he made his way and sat on the table in front of Valka and Gunter. Then as he noticed Valka''s smirk and Gunter''s sigh, something within his mind reacted but it was not the Eye Of Lace. Niveus decided not to move a single limb because that was the best choice. Swoosh¡ª! A gust of wind rattled his white hair, sending it fluttering backward. Before him, two fingers were inches away from poking his eyes, but he remained calm. "Hmm¡­" The smirk painting Valka''s face faltered as she cocked her head slightly, seemingly pondering something. A momentter, she withdrew her hand from Niveus and smiled with closed eyes, a cunning fox smile. "What''s tha¡ª" Before Niveus could finish his word, the Eye Of Lace and something within his mind reacted at the same time, allowing him to escape from an instant death he witnessed through prediction and the Lace Sensory. Knowing what was about to happen, Niveus put a force on his chest to allow him to push himself backward, avoiding the iing sh. Swoosh¡ª! When the de that moved like a bullet failed to find its target, Niveus quickly rolled to the side and dropped onto the floor, perfectly escaping Gunter''s quick turn and stab. Thump¡ª! "As expected¡­" Valka spoke as she calmly crossed her legs and rested her chin on her hand, watching Niveus slowly rise to his feet. Despite the surprise attack, Niveus managed to maintain hisposure. From the corner of his eyes, he caught two spectators peeking behind the kitchen door. Then as he turned his attention toward Valka, he noticed her crazed expression. The way Valka looked at him was very intimate, like a monkey in heat or Midas to gold, man to woman, lust. But, instead of being sexually intimate, it was more like someone who liked to exert dominance over people. That caught Niveus off guard for a moment, chill running down his spine but he quickly regained hisposure. Valka''s breath became ragged as the weird sensation kept stimting her excitement. Noticing Valka''s excited behavior, Gunter tugged his sword stuck on the table forcefully, making it obvious to Valka. "Valka." Thanks to that, Valka could retain her desire and return to her usual self. Wiping the saliva streamed down from her mouth, she leaned on the sofa, her hands resting on herp gracefully. She thanked Gunter first, then shifted her attention to Niveus and said: "What you did before¡­ that''s not just a reflex, right? You were already moving your body before Gunter reached for his sword earlier. The same case happened back in the alley a few hours ago. Your movements were stiff and untrained, but somehow you could dodge Gunter''s quick stab, which is his best technique. Don''t you see how that hurts him?" Even when in a serious matter, Valka always found a moment to tease herpanions. But this time, her tease didn''t work on Gunter. Noticing that Gunter didn''t react to her tease, Valka clicked her tongue and looked away. Looking back at Niveus, she continued after letting out a sigh. "Anyhow, the way I see it. You didn''t move reflexively or instinctively. You¡­" The intensity of her stare increased. "You possess a foresight, don''t you? Is it a blessing? It must be that, right?!" Niveus remained calm even though Valka found out his secret. Valka, on the other hand, looked like she was about to go frenzy, ecstatically. She had a fascination with the idea of seeing the future because of her dark past, rather than remembering the ugly past, she wanted to see what the future holds for her. That part of her was something that Niveus did not know about, even though he was someone who imed to be the creator, the author of the world he was currently living in. Sure, Niveus admitted that he didn''t develop Valka''s character, but finding out the truth he wasn''t aware of was surprising him a little. Despite the shock, Niveus confidently revealed his skill to Valka, unflinching even when she suddenly leaned forward. "Hahaha! You have it! I knew it!! Hahaha! So, how far can you see with your foresight? A day? A month?! A year?!!" "I''m not sure why you''re so excited about this but, a year? That''d be a divination! I can only see what will happen in 10 seconds to the future." Disappointed with the news, Valka naturally returned to her usual self again, already losing interest in Niveus after knowing he could only see 10 seconds to the future, unlike her favorite foresight user who escaped from her grasp a few years ago because of her subordinates'' liability. Lazily leaning on the sofa, she dismissed Gunter with a wave of her hand. "I need to talk with our new member privately about his first mission." Without a word, Gunter walked away and disappeared into the kitchen. Valka already lost her motivation, the news about Niveus''s short foresight hit her hard like a boulder. Letting out a long, devastating sigh, she gestured toward the table where Niveus had initially sat. Once he foundfort sitting on the table, Valka tossed two Proids to him. "You have six months to bring the person in that photo to me." Carefully inspecting the photos, Niveus''s eyes widened. His eyes shed with recognition upon seeing who it was printed on the Proid. The first photo had a boy with jet-ck hair sitting on a bench alone in the park with familiar surroundings. The second one had the same boy who was seemingly aware of the camera, his ck eyes stared intensely. ''Huh? Isn''t this me?'' Chapter 121 The Calm Before The Storm I ? Christmas Eve had finally arrived. The Octagram City was festively decorated, bringing a livelier atmosphere to the bustling city that was never asleep. Tall Christmas Trees were installed on the sidewalks, bulb lights alike connected by wires and such wrapping the trees helped themp streets to illuminate the road and city. Meanwhile, in Octagram Academy, although the campus was decorated with a Christmas vibe, the atmosphere was serene as most of the students were returning to their homes to celebrate Christmas, enjoying the winter holiday, and expecting the new year toe in a few days. Approximately 120 out of 4000 students stayed in the academy, celebrating with the other students at the cafeteria. They had a nice, small banquet and dance session, and the music was being yed by a group of talented students that fancy arts, particrly music. Lux and Grace were seen together having a nice meal as they watch the others dance. Sitting at a table crowded with students was Lumi, as popr as ever, to be expected as she was the heir of the top 1 Guild andpany in the world. Recently arriving at the cafeteria were Seo Yeong-Ha and Leonardo. They didn''te here together, but it was a ''coincidence'' they bumped into each other ording to Leo''s testimony. Seeing Leo together with Seo Yeong-Ha, a feeling of jealousy bloomed inside Lumi. They were always together from a young age but now they were like strangers to each other. Leo would always dismiss her every time she wanted to talk with him, saying that he didn''t have time for ying with her. Leo didn''t greet her, not even sparing a nce as he and Seo Yeong-Ha passed by her and Lumi also seemed not to have any intention to call him out, not when people were crowded around her table. Zio was a bit of an anomaly here. When everyone was having a good time inside the cafeteria, he was sitting at the table outside the cafeteria alone. At least that was what the passerby saw when they noticed him. In reality, a ck-haired girl with red ruby eyes apanied him, she wrapped her arms around Zio''s shoulders obsessively. "Nanana~ nanana~ nanananana~" While everyone else was having a nice time with each other, Zio had to deal with an annoying ghost that always followed him from the first day of enrolling in the academy. A few days ago, this ghost was trying to kill him with a kitchen knife he wasn''t sure whether that could kill him or not. But after finding out that his sword nged with the knife, he was left confused. At first, he thought that the girl was a real person who enrolled in the same academy and existed in the same world. Then he found out that the girl was just a ghost and started to ignore her existence, but as he did that the ghost tried to kill him and its form was solid like a human. "Please, Zio. Don''t forget about me¡­" The girl cast a dark gaze at Zio. "And, you shouldn''t take that ugly candy anymore, it''ll be bad for your health if you keep consuming it." She pulled her arms off Zio''s shoulder and shifted her position. Standing in front of Zio, she spread her arms wide open with much freedom, the darkness on her face reced by the happiest face she could make. "See this, Zio? If you ever need a hug, you can just ask me!" Rolling his eyes, Zio tried to ignore the girl. His hand reached for the candy inside the pocket and when he took it out, the girl''s happy face contorted to a grim and dark expression. "YOU CAN''T!" With massive force, the girl seized the candy from Zio''s hand and ran away. "Hey!" Zio had no other choice but to chase her for the stolen candy as it was hisst candy. It was supposed to have 30 candies inside the pouch he received from Ember, and that should have been enough for a month because he was supposed to take a candy a day. But, he was forced to take extra candy when he used his other form as Euclios Niveus or the White Demon. Killing people had taken a toll on his mind. Why did he kill people in the first ce? And why did he kill the heroes? Aren''t he on the good side? The heroes that he killed were the corrupt heroes that had a lot of bad track records such as killing civilians or r*ping them while hiding behind the hero title. Not only that, after thorough research and investigation on them, he found out that half of the heroes he killed had tried to make contact with demons or demonic humans. How could he kill the heroes? Aren''t they supposed to be stronger than him? Of course. But, Zio had made sure to list only a hero that he could fight or one that had a lot of hooks and weaknesses. By exploiting their vulnerability, he sessfully established the White Demon''s existence in the Enhanced world. Not only that, but he also carefully selected his target by their names. From the 28 targets he killed, if one was clever enough, they would notice that if they took the first letter of each of his target''s name, it would make up a sentence that read: "Meet Me At CBD Back Alley Utopians" The message was for Valka and her teams. There was a risk that someone else, especially Omega and the heroes to notice this but he already calcted it all. Since the heroes he killed were those lower than D-rank, the Omega wouldn''t pay much attention to them, making his n go smoothly as intended and the one who came to meet him was Valka and the teams, thanks to Zoe for noticing the message. Eventually, he got recruited by them. But, the problem was the mission he got. He didn''t know that he (Zio Varrez) was being targeted by Valka. ''I should ask her why she wants me to find meter.'' Chapter 122 The Calm Before The Storm II ? "Caught you, ghost!" Zio caught the girl''s wrist with force, trying to pull her over. But she struggled, and they ended up falling on the cold road snow. Though Zio saw iting, he was only able to react when they were falling, dropping his arms to the side so that he didn''t fall on top of the girl just to avoid awkwardness even though he believed she was a ghost. But why could he grab and feel the softness of her skin when he caught her? That was a question he asked himself the moment that happened. "Did you just call me a ghost¡­? How mean¡­" The girl, Zia, sniffed. Tears streaming down her eyes. Her ''miserable'', ''defenseless'' appearance whileying on the road caught Zio off guard. Her uniform cor loosened, revealing her sleek, fair neck. ''Ah¡­'' Bewitched by Zia''s miserable impression, Zio couldn''t help but stare at her wonderingly. ''Why¡­'' Slowly, he brought his gaze down to her beautiful neck. At that moment, the throbbing headache he hadn''t felt for a long time was returning, disabling him from thinking rationally. ''She is just a ghost but why¡­'' His heart raced as his gaze lingered on her neck prolonged. ''I must be crazy¡­'' Confusion clouded his mind as he questioned himself. ''To think that I¡­'' Despite the throbbing headache that he felt at the moment, his trembling hand reached out to touch Zia''s neck, almost as if driven by an external force. Then when his fingers brushed against her skin, he felt a warmth in her body that contradicted his belief that she was a ghost. ''You''re a ghost, but you''re warm. What are you exactly, Zia?'' That was the first time he touched someone of the opposite sex intimately. Not to mention that he did that in the middle of the main road where people usually walked to enter or leave the cafeteria. Sumbing to his desire, he brought his face close toward Zia''s neck. But at that moment, someone''s voice called out his name. "Zio Varrez?" Startled, Zio quickly pulled away from the girl and turned his head toward the source of the voice. It was a white-haired girl with clear blue eyes and heavily nketed under the thickyers of warm jackets, Ayano Fuyuki, standing a few meters away with a puzzled expression on her face. "I¡­ I¡­" Zio stammered, his face flushed with embarrassment. "What are you doing crawling like that?" Zio shook her head and hands in denial. "No, no, listen. I just wanted my candy back, nothing more. I didn''t do anything to her¡­" Raising her eyebrow, Ayano surveyed him and the surrounding ground questionably, seemingly looking for someone Zio had referred. "Umm¡­ Sorry but, what do you mean by you didn''t do anything to her? I¡­ don''t seem to find anyone besides you." True to her words, the girl that Zio had a small problem with had disappeared, leaving no trace even though she was falling on the snow-covered road. The stolen candy that was initially in her hand was suddenly in his hand, untouched. ''I''m confused¡­ What is she actually¡­'' Putting all the rising thoughts away, Zio rose to his feet, calmly brushing the snow clumped on his coat. "Haha¡­ I''m just kidding! Actually, I just want to know what the snow taste like!" Being stared at strangely by Ayano, Zio slowly took a step back and when he was far enough from her, he turned around and ran away while waving his hand. "Zio Varrez! Where are you going?" "I forgot something in my room, haha. See youter!" Watching as the boy disappeared from her sight, Ayano scanned the ground where Zio had tried to ''taste'' the snow. With a quick motion, she pulled a paper doll embedded with Japanese calligraphy, pinching it between her index and middle finger. "Hayate." Golden white light enveloped the paper doll as soon as Ayano muttered. Engulfed in the glittering light, the paper doll shrunk into a sphere and shove itself to the ground, transforming into a Shiba Inu biting a Tanto in its mouth. "Ohimesama!" "Hayate, do you smell an evil spirit around here?" Said Ayano in Japanese. Hayate, the loyal Shiba Inu shikigami, sniffed the air and began to explore the area with its keen senses. After a few moments, it returned to Ayano with a confident smile. "Ohimesama, don''t worry! There''s no evil spirit around here!" "Hmm, I thought so. Then, was Zio Varrez really wanting to taste the snow?" Ayano cocked her head slightly as she pondered. "Tasting snow, Ohimesama?!" The shikigami barked, its tail wagging left and right excitedly. In response to the dog''s cute behavior, Ayano chuckled. Everyone often looked at Ayano with respect because of how polite she was to people. Courtesy and manners were the first things her family had taught her, following them was knowledge. Those three aspects were deeply ingrained in her upbringing as a Princess of the family and she must show that side of her to other people, but when it came to her shikigamipanions and someone she trust, she allowed herself to be more rxed and yful around them. She knelt down and gently patted Hayate''s head. "Haha. No, Hayate, you can''t eat snow." Hayate tilted its head, confused by Ayano''s statement. Its fluffy ears perked up as it tried to understand. "But¡­ Ohimesama, you allowed that human to taste the snow, but not me?" Ayano smiled and shook her head. "Umm¡­ Let''s just say that he is unique¡­ He''s always full of surprises and curious about everything as if he was a 10." The shikigami wagged its tail slowly and curiously. Meanwhile, Ayano chuckled and stood up, patting off the snow from her warm coat. "It''s good to talk to you, Hayate. But, I''m afraid I must go, someone is waiting for me." Hayate barked softly before he was enveloped in the golden white light and transformed into a paper doll. Retrieving the paper doll as it was flying slowly toward her, Ayano continued her way to the cafeteria. As she walked, she couldn''t help but wonder about Zio''s strange behavior, but for now, she decided to let it go and simply enjoy the peaceful winter night with her fellow students waiting right behind the door of the cafeteria. *** The next morning... Chirp¡ª! The sound of birds chirping in the morning tingled harmoniously in the air, waking up anyone who heard them. But, it was actually the sound of footsteps stomping throughout the corridor that was the one waking them up. Ember had already woken up even before sunrise, immersing herself in the world of books on the fluffy sofa. By the time she finished reading more or less 100 books in under 3 hours, the stomping footsteps rumbled on the corridor just right outside her room. Since her roommate was returning to her home and would be back at the start of the second semester, she was alone in her room right now. Feeling curious about what happened outside, she stood and covered herself who was currently wearing a nightgown in a thick ck nket with no motives. Opening the door, she stepped outside and peeked in the direction where the members of the council student wearing blue cloaks were crowded. Some first-year students didn''t return to their homes peeking from the opening of their doors. At first, she had no idea why her seniors were surrounding the room several blocks away from hers, but once she looked at the student council group chat on her Nova Watch, she knew why. [I have received a report that a sexual scandal urred in room 255 of the first-year dormitory. Any avable council members who stayed in the academy, please take care of it as soon as possible!] "Ember!" After she finished reading it, she heard someone calling out to her. Turning her head toward the source of the voice, he found Zio walking in the corridor neatly dressed in his casual outfit. Ember froze, opening her eyes wide as she saw Zio approaching her from the lift direction. She quickly adjusted the nket around her and greeted him with a slightly surprised but friendly smile. "Do you have any idea what''s going on over there?" Zio asked, gesturing toward the crowd of blue-coaked council members. "A scandal urred." She nced back at the crowd, trying to catch a glimpse of any developments or discussion taking ce. The seriousness of the situation weighed heavily on her mind, but as a student council member, she knew she had a responsibility to help her senior members. The problem was that she didn''t wear proper clothes. Under the thick nket covering her body, she was only wearing a nightgown that exposed her bare, beautiful skin. Even right now she was trying to hold on to the nket as tight as possible so it wouldn''t loosen. "Hee. Must be the aftermath of yesterday''s party." Ember cast a gaze on him for a while. "Maybe." Noticing the dark lines underlining his eyes, Ember sighed. "Do you not sleepst night?" Surprised by the sudden question, Zio perked his eyes up while his lip pressed tightly. "Hmm? I sleep¡­ for two hours. Why do you ask?" Chapter 123 The Loosened String ? Ember''s eyebrows furrowed slightly, concern evident in her eyes. "Two hours of sleep is not enough, you should take care of yourself properly, Zio." "Huh? Why do you even care about my health?" Ember turned her body adjacent to him, her eyes staring at him full of concern. "I was asked by Si¨C your cousin to take care of you." Zio brought his hands across his chest, crossing them to stand his ground. "I''m not a kid. In the first ce, why don''t you just refuse her request? You know it''s weird for me to be taken care of by someone whose age is simr to me." Sighing, Ember decided to give up, not wanting to turn the conversation into a conflict. To soothe the situation between them, she changed the topic. "Fine¡­ So, how are you feeling?" Feeling the same as Ember, not wanting to make the conversation into a conflict. Zio sighed, instantly giving the red-haired youth a thin smile. "Worst. The truth is that I spent all my candy for this month. Just ate thest onest night." There was no reason for him to lie when his sanity was on the line. Justst night, he almost did an inappropriate act to a ghost. To make things worst, someone had just to see him at that moment. That was the thing he wanted to forget the most in his life. When he returned to his dorm, he couldn''t even sleep because he kept thinking about that and the ghost girl, Zia. The whole situation wasn''t something he couldn''t apprehend. He kept thinking about whether the girl was actually a ghost or an illusion someone had cast on him. If that was an illusion, who was the culprit? Zio didn''t know. After sometimeter of thinking, an extreme idea that he immediately rejected came up. It was the idea that he might have adopted a hallucination, a strong hallucination at that. That was the closest thing he could assume of his situation. Tracking back to the first time he came conscious in this world when he was immediately greeted by the strangeness that ur around him such as the ck cat, the creeping sound when ws grind the wall, the girl in the sh dungeon, and the shadow that asionally passed by his window''s dorm. It had been almost six months but, the idea of him having hallucinations from the start was too overwhelming to be epted. After all, those strange things he experienced could have been the effect of his irvoyance which said it could detect the thing that couldn''t be perceived by a normal vision, or perhaps a supernatural activity. Zio was neglecting his own situation over his goal but, he had recently realized that he might never achieve what he wanted to achieve if he couldn''t solve what was present in front of him. He wanted to know more about Zio Varrez. This time, he would prioritize this first and leave everything else behind, unless something greater prevented him to do so. Asking Ember about what she knew about him would be awkward since Zio didn''t know much what was their rtionship in the memory. Meanwhile, asking Shannon would make her be suspicious of him. He realized that he was d because she seemed to not suspect him thest time they met, or maybe she had but kept it quiet. But, a new option was presented to him by Valka. He might get a lot of information about his past from her. His feeling also told him so. Though, he wondered about another twist that urred in his life. After finding out Zio had a connection to non-existent characters, now he also found out he had a connection to an existent character. Who was the body he possessed actually? "I still have some, do you want it?" Interrupting Zio from his thought was a soft and alluring voice. The owner of the voice was Ember. Though, her eyes were unmoving from the crowd. "It''s fine. I will get it myself from my cousin this afternoon, and tell her to not bother you with a trivial task such as this." Ember frowned at his statement, seemingly wanting to argue but quickly suppressed it, again. "I see¡­" Unbeknownst to her, the nket around her shoulder gradually slid down, exposing her delicate yet scarred neck adorned with a burn mark. "..." If Zio had ever noticed it, he opted to remain silent and quickly threw his gaze away with a few words on his mind: ''Why is it that all the female characters in this world have such beautiful necks?!'' Realizing what had happened, Ember gently pulled the nket tighter around her shoulder, ensuring it stayed in ce. Then the atmosphere surrounding immediately quieted down. After sometimeter, the crowd finally began to move as they apprehended the two first-year students used of adultery, taking them to be judged by the remaining professors and the student council alike. The students who peeked out from their rooms slightly stepped back to their rooms as the student council members marched through the corridor. Zio who had stood in the corridor was pulled in by Ember to her front door so he didn''t get in the members'' way. As they passed by them, a boy member narrowed his eyes upon noticing Ember and Zio. When his eyes made contact with Ember''s, he gestured for her to follow. Zio stared at them as they disappeared from his sight after turning to take the stairs just in front of the lift. "If you don''t have anything else then, please excuse me." Ember gently pushed Zio before closing the door, leaving him alone in the corridor. Just as she said, his business on this floor was done ¡ª he wanted to confirm the scandal event that was happening with his own eyes. With a nonchnt shrug, he walked to the lift and went to meet with Shannon. They already decided where they should meet this afternoon. The hunting field. *** ording to the experts, the forestry environmental hunting field proved to be the easiest and ideal ce for a newbie to make a living. In hunting a monster, one couldn''t only be considering what rank was the field but also needed to assess what the field looked like in geographical and environmental aspects. A rank mountainous and valley environment hunting field could be harder than a rank forestry hunting field. The reason was because of what was mentioned earlier, the environment, geography, and monsters. Standing in front of the field entrance was Zio. He looked at his watch as he waited for someone. The entrance was a natural arching gate of tree branches. Other than him, some of the Enhanceds who were resting in the base camp were also there. Since the hunting field was located in a tropical region, the snow didn''t reach this ce, but the cold wind still carried through, spreading across the forest outskirt. But, it was best to note that even though the outskirt had cold air, it didn''t mean that the forest ¡ª the main area of the hunting field was also cold. Since the ce was contaminated, the weather could be randomly changed as they pleased. It could be raining at one second, then the next second could be hot and dry like a desert. Sometimeter, when he was immersed in watching raid footage in his Nova Watch, a soft and mellow voice broke his focus. "Cousin!" As soon as he heard that voice, he turned his head toward the source of the voiceing. There, he caught a familiar face he had only seen through his Nova Watch screen for the past six months. A perfectly shaped face, long silver hair tied up into a ponytail, and gray eyes that stared at him happily. "Have you been waiting for long?" Closing his Nova Watch, Zio nodded his head slowly in response to her question. "Yes, Shannon. I''ve been waiting for a long time to meet you. Like, six months, can you believe that?" He said half-jokingly. Shannon grinned and reach to wrap her arm around Zio''s shoulder and pulled him close to a yful hug, her other hand was stroking his hair as if he was a kid. "I see you''re still the same as before, cousin!" Zio chuckled as he enjoyed the yful hug from Shannon. Her presence brought a sense of familiarity and warmth that he had missed during the past six months. "Well, some things never change, right?" Shannon released him from the hug and took a step back, her gray eyes gazing at him nkly while the person in question didn''t even realize they had made such an expression. "Indeed." Indeed. As Zio said, some things never change. But, that meant some things had changed, and the very evidence of what had changed was clear. Noticing the shing nk stare from Shannon that contradicted her action, Zio couldn''t help but feel something had changed in her cousin, Shannon. "..." Chapter 124 Before They Part Again ? After briefing the goal in front of the entrance to the hunting field, Zio and Shannon set up their foot into the forestry field filled with low-rankmon monsters such as goblins, wolves, and kobolds. The purpose of this reunion was simple. Shannon wanted to see how far Zio had improved in six months. After that, they would spend a full-day activity together before they had to part again. Even though it was supposed to be an international holiday, Shannon was unlucky that the Chrysalis didn''t follow the custom so she still had to work for her apprenticeship. Fortunately, she got permission to be absent from her apprenticeship task only for today. So she had to make sure that today would be a day filled with memories and happiness. Though, the perspective of what made people happy could differ depending on the individuals. She had nned everything for today''s schedule. The first activity of the day was a hunt. The others would be ice cream time, VR time, watching a movie, and dinner at the end of the day. Sounds like a date¡­ They finally arrived at the first level area of the hunting field where low-rankmon monsters were normally spotted. Just as what it was called, the first level could also mean a beginner area. The beginner area, obviously, was swarmed by Enhanceds whose affiliate was unknown. They could be a hero, a viin, a mercenary, or unaffiliated like Zio who was a student. If the Ruin and Dungeon (Rift and sh) were awless zone where Enhanceds could kill each other for treasure, then a hunting field was a neutral zone where Enhanceds were not allowed to kill the other, No matter whether you were a hero who had a grudge against a viin or vice versa, you could not kill. But, there would always be someone who didn''t abide by the rule. Just as this random guy who stood in Zio''s and Shannon''s way after they¡ª Zio defeated a group of five goblins and was about to get his loot from them. "Stand there! Give me your loots or I''ll kill you!" Zio and Shannon raised their eyebrows at the man, scanning him from head to toe. The man in ragged armor was pointing his spear at the two youths, which was a normal thing to do to threaten someone. But, his trembling body was the problem. If there was anything that one should avoid when they were trying to threaten someone, it was to make sure that they stayed calm and don''t show any emotions. The man seemed to fail to do that. So, rather than got threatened by him, the two youths were taking pity on him instead. The two looked at each other and nodded together. One of them, Shannon, stepped forward. As she took a step, the man flinched in terror. Though he was trembling and sweating like crazy, his wit ensured him he wouldn''t be frozen in ce. Extending his spear reach toward Shannon, he spoke: "Stay there!" Noticing the man''s fear, Shannon stopped and raised her hand simultaneously, gesturing for the man that she wouldn''t do anything. The man narrowed his eyes, seemingly cynical about the situation. In the end, he thrust his spear as a warning that he was serious. "Just give me the damn loots!" Because he was too focused on Shannon, the man didn''t realize the other one was taking out a rope from the storage cube. Then as Shannon said that she would give him the loot out of pity, the man''s face delighted for a while before returning to a cynical expression again. But, as he approached the goblins'' corpses, a rope was thrown at him, and quickly wrapped his fragile body. When the rope tightened around his body, he was pulled back several meters from the corpses and shoved onto the muddy ground on his back. "Ugh!" Appearing in the man''s vision as he opened his eyes was a young man with jet-ck hair and ck hair that he thought was a grim reaper because of the color. He was about to scream but Zio quickly muffled him with a silencer serum he stored in his storage cube. "!!!" Realizing no voice came out of his mouth, the man panicked. He began to regret his decision. "Listen here, man. I don''t care about the loot, but since you''ve threatened to kill us, you should pay the fine for that, understand?" The poor guy started to wriggle like a worm, trying to escape from the Grim Reaper but it was to no avail. The rope was too tight for his weak strength. He kept opening his mouth to plead but his voice just wouldn''te out. "Don''t worry. You''ll have our loot, but you still have to get your punishment first." Zio picked up the spear he had dropped on the ground and then brought the de to his other hand. Then as soon as that, he sliced his palm. Immediately, his palm was covered with red blood color. Shannon who wasn''t expecting that grabbed Zio by the shoulder and pulled him away. "What are you doing?!" Soon after that, she took out a bottle of potion and uncorked it. "No, don''t!" Zio grabbed her wrist and held it, stopping her from pouring the potion on his wound. "I just want to make sure this guy won''t do this kind of thing again." Narrowing her eyes, she scrutinized Zio. "By hurting yourself?!" She waspletely confused by Zio''s action. Why would he hurt himself just so the guy would never do that again? But, when Zio exined his n to her in a whisper so the guy wouldn''t hear them and that obviously would make him panicker even more, Shannon finally calmed down. So to say, his idea basically was to frame the guy so he would get the right punishment from Omega. And to do that, the living proof was needed to make sure he got what he deserved for trying to kill someone in the neutral zone. By making himself bleed by the man''s spear would serve as proof of his action. But, only one bleeding wound wasn''t enough to convince the judge so Zio sliced himself more in the other part of his body such as his left arm, back, and right cheek, all of them was deep cut slice. After all of that, all he had to do was to endure the stinging pain as they brought the man to justice! Upon bringing him to be judged, Zio had perfectly yed his role as a newbie who was fallen victim to a suspect killer. On the other hand, Shannon yed along to be someone who identally saved him from harm and sessfully subdued the suspect killer. "No! They''re lying! I never harmed them! They''re framing me!" No matter how hard he tried to defend himself, no one would believe him. Between a man who had a dirty appearance and ragged armor as well as bloodied weapon and a young man whose body was in a miserable state, being covered by wounds and bleeding, the official would obviously trust the ''victim''. Also, since it was not an official court and the used was someone of no importance, they immediately decided to prison andbor the fragile Enhanced for a year. When the problem was done, Zio healed his wounds with potions and they continued to hunt some low-rank monsters and collected the cores. Shannon was satisfied by how fast Zio was improving his skills. But, one thing she hated about him was his change. ''He slowly returning to himself¡­'' she thought as they were on the way to have fun in Virtual Reality Game World. The game they were ying was a 2v2 fighting game where they teamed up and dominated the bronze and silver ranks. Time flew by as they immersed themselves in their game. The moment they noticed it, the sky color had already turned orange in color. The sun almost set. After visiting their house for a shower and bath, they immediately went to a cinema where they watched thetest released movie starred by a famous actor as well as ranked heroes, Rio Milles and Anna Gillie. Soon after the movie, they had dinner at 9 PM in a simple restaurant. "How was it? Did you have fun, cousin?" Zio took a sip of his drink, gently cing it back in its original ce before saying: "I did. Thanks to you." Shannon leaned forward, putting her elbow on the table to support her chin on the back of her hands, smiling. "That''s good to hear!" They finished dinner and it was time for a goodbye. Zio silently walked beside her, asionally taking nces at her. Her beautiful ce was illuminated by the soft glow of the moonlight, casting a gentle shadow across her features. What was already beautiful was even more beautiful at this moment. Then as they reached the Skyliner station, Shannon turned to Zio with the wide smile Zio had ever seening from her. At first, they didn''t say anything for a solid 30 seconds, just staring and examining each other''s expressions. But then Zio finally broke the silence. "Ah, right! I forgot I was supposed to ask you something." Bringing her eyebrow up, Shannon replied: "What is it?" "The candy. Do you still have them? Also, can''t you just give it to me directly rather than asking Ember to do your task?" Chapter 125 Cut-Off Memory ? "Bye-bye!" In his left hand, Zio had a pouch of candy. Meanwhile, his other hand waved at Shannon, who had just boarded the departing Skyliner, off to the sky. When he noticed her expression, smiling but hollow eyes, he couldn''t help but feel something was wrong. Despite the bad feeling, he couldn''t do anything to solve it. Not until he could find a clue about Zio Varrez, whose information and history were erased everywhere as if they wanted people to forget about him or¡­ protect him from danger. Feeling overwhelmed by the uneasiness, he unwrapped a candy and shove it into his mouth, savoring its fresh mint taste that spread inside his mouth. As soon as that, he finally rxed. ''Now¡­ where do I start my investigation?'' Bump¡ª! When he was in his thought, someone bumped into him from behind, interrupting him from his mind. "Oh, sorry." The man said in a slightly hoarse voice. His features were hidden under the thick fur coat on top of a ck hoodie covering his face, an obvious disguise. Curious, Zio kept on staring at him until he caught a glimpse of the man''s grin as he turned his face sideways. ''I''ve got a bad feeling about him.'' As the uncertainty hit him, he tried to use irvoyance on the man. Unlucky, the man had already blended with the crowd as his irvoyance started to get activated. As a result of a broken concentration, unnecessary information screens flooded his vision. He quickly closed his eyes and threw his face away from the crowd. ''Fvck! That''s hurting my eyes!'' he said inwardly, massaging his eyelids. Although he failed to inspect the man, he had no intention to chase him. He probably grinned because he felt like it and Zio thought he was too paranoid and worried because the new year''s night when the demon would announce themselves to the world was a few days away. Turning around, he left the station and went back to Octagram Academy, to his dorm as fast as he could because the gate would be closed past 11 PM. Whilst running, he asionally checked the clock on his Nova Watch, it said ''10:31 PM'' on the screen. ''Haa¡­ I guess I should use the mana coating technique.'' ¡­ The next afternoon. As Euclios Niveus, or White Demon. "So, you want to know more about who your target is?" "Yes." In the afternoon, the warehouse was usually empty because everyone was busy with their lives. The only one who cooped up in the warehouse was Zoe and another person who never left her room upstairs. This warehouse in particr served as a second base camp or precisely a hidden base camp for the chosen individuals from thebat division. That exined why Niveus never saw other members other than the six people here. They sat across from each other. Just like usual, Valka on the sofa, and Niveus on the table. "Okay¡­ what do you want to know about him?" Valka said as she adjusted her position on the sofa. "Who is he to you? And why do you want to bring him back?" Leaning leisurely on the sofa, Valka answered the question. "He was like a little brother to me. But, that''s not a reason why I want him back. The reason I want him back is because of his blessing which allows him to see the future." ''She thought my EX skill is a blessing?'' The way Valka referred to his irvoyance as a blessing was what made him shocked after the initial shock when knowing what Zio''s rtionship with Valka looked like. He was like a little brother to her, she said. If that were true, then Zio Varrez might actually be someone from the viin side rather than the hero side. But, there was no way Niveus could ept this as a fact. After all, Valka was a viin, she might be lying¡­ but no. If she was lying, his Lie Detection would have reacted as soon as it detected a lie in Valka''s words. "Can you tell me more about it?" Noticing that Valka didn''t seem to be interested in continuing the story, Niveus tried to persuade her but failed. "That''s all I can say," she said coldly. ''Shit¡­'' Not getting any more information from Valka, he decided to start looking for a clue on his own. First thing first, he visited the burned warehouse he found on the Inte about the location of where Ember''s hottest topic had taken ce. It was the warehouse where he saw his younger self through a shing memory. But, everything was already burned down, turning to ashes. Standing on the burned debris, Niveus closed his eyes and rxed his body. ''Let''s focus¡­ I only need to see the event from three years ago¡­'' "[Retrocognition]" Niveus had already grasped how all of his skills worked by now. Among them, [Retrocognition] was the hardest to learn the control of. Even so, he persisted until the end and ended up learning the basic control of how he could use Retrocognition. At first, he didn''t know he could choose a period of time he wanted to see from their target. So, whenever he used Retrocognition on somebody or some objects, he was only able to see or was transported back a few hours or days ago from the current time. But, after learning he could choose a period of time of the target. Retrocognition immediately became his favorite skill. If only the drawbacks weren''t so severe for him, he would have been abusing the skill to gain information about the past. Right now, he was concentrating his mind so his Retrocogntion would y the memory of three years ago, precisely the event of Ember''s abduction ording to the media. He wanted to know about what had happened after the abrupt cut-off of the shing memory. His eyebrow furrowed as he tried harder to pinpoint the exact time and date of the event. The news about the event was released on May 5 in the morning, so the event probably was happening on May 4. ''Found it!'' The world around him distorted. At that moment, he felt as if he was transported back in time or to another dimension. The view around him changed. In his vision, he saw a younger version of Zio Varrez talking to a younger version of Ember. He listened carefully to the conversation they had made. After sometimeter, the vision started to glitch and his head was throbbing in pain. It was at that moment when the memory showed a new person in a ck robe with silver hair that Retrocognition ended abruptly because Niveus couldn''t maintain the mana consumption. If he was to force it, he might have to experience the mana depletion again. He paused for a moment to take a mana potion before attempting to explore the past again. Niveus dived into the past once again, continuing from where he left off. When the memory began to blur, he canceled his skill and drank the potion. He did those procedures several times until finally, hepleted seeing the event sequences from this ce three years ago. The result of the exploration into the past was exhrating yet exhausting for his mental state. After drinking another bottle of mana potion, he swept the sweat spread on his forehead with his coat sleeve. ''So, that''s what happened back then¡­'' ¡­ After the memory exploration in the burned warehouse was done, Niveus canceled his transformation and returned to Zio''s form. Why must he do so? It was because the next ce he going to visit was Octagram City, his house. Ding¡ª! The door to his house opened after he scanned his fingerprint onto the device beside the doorway. Once he stepped inside the house, he was surprised to find that the interior was clean from dust or cobweb despite being unupied and neglected for six months. It was so clean to the point Zio was getting a suspicion there might be some maid ghost living in there and doing the chores. Of course, that wasn''t the case. The truth was Shannon hadmissioned a wizard to cast a preservation spell so it would stay clean for a year even if it was being neglected. What a convenient job for a wizard! Easy money! Walking upstairs, Zio found himself standing in his room. Theputer setup was still preserved on the desk, untouched. Smiling, he sat on the chair and put his elbows on the desk. No. He wasn''t going to y a game on his PC. But, he wanted to use Retrocognition in this ce. The very ce where he had his consciousness alive in this world. Closing his eyes, he began to concentrate, traveling back to six months ago when he first came in conscious of this world. June 8, was the date when he came into this world. So, the set date for Retrocognition would be June 7 and the earlier date. But, when he thought he would get something fruitful in this exploration. Something unbearable and unhealthy for his mental urred when the first scene of the memory had just been yed. Error! Error! ErRoR!! ErrOR!!! ERrOR!!! ERROR!!!! Beep¡ª! Chapter 126 Countdown I ? Ember was walking alone throughout the grand hallway of the lecture hall, her footstep didn''t leave any sound as if she was floating a few millimeters above the ground. She asionally looked left and right, checking for any disturbance left in the vicinity. The hallway, if not for the lighting from LED lighting illuminating the building, was supposed to be darker than the night outside. But, of all things, they had to choose reddish lighting. Imagine walking alone in an empty hallway which had a horror vibe because of the reddish lighting. Thankfully, it was Ember we were talking about. This was nothing for her. In a world where magic existed on Earth, almost all of the ghost stories had vanished, forgotten by everyone. Naturally, with magic and sort, spiritual beings had be a part of the system itself. For example, undead summoning magic was performed by necromancers, and spiritual magic was performed by elves. Because of that, people didn''t believe a ghost was an evil spirit anymore, but a summoned creature. Ember didn''t find any disturbance on the first floor of the lecture hall and immediately went upstairs to the second floor. As a member of the student council, especially one who decided to stay in the academy during the winter holiday, she was obliged to do a night patrol. Since ever the scandal happened a few days ago, the patrol was tightened further. Dozen of members were patrolling across the campus simultaneously to prevent the same incident from happening. Not only that, the student council was tasked by the headmaster herself to patrol for safety. If they found any suspicious individuals roaming around the academy, they had the authority to capture the said individual and brought them to be judged. Patrolling the second floor alone, Ember stopped in her track as she caught a faint sound of something fallinging from a ssroom located at the end of the corridor. Thump¡ª! Leaning forward, she brought her face closer to the door rectangr window, peeking at whatever was inside the room before entering. Ember scanned the room and her eyes stopped at a dark figure sitting on the back end near the sses wall. Their faces were hidden under the hoodie covering the face, and their features were hidden behind the thick coat attire. When the figure lifted their face, they also pulled the hoodie. "Zi¡­" The moment Ember caught a nce of the figure''s jet-ck hair and ck eyes, she was frozen, stupified. The appearance was very simr to someone she knew but, she was convinced that the person in front of her wasn''t him. "Don''t think you can fool me with a cheap trick like this. Who are you?" With her Eidetic Memory, there was no way she could forget what her friends looked like and what vibe they had given to her. The man in question was disguised as one of her ssmates, Zio Varrez. Given how much she had spent and known that guy, she immediately knew that it was not the real Zio Varrez who sat in the ssroom. The aura and vibe the fake Zio gave her were different than usual. Zio, in particr, had a slight positive and carefree aura surrounding him. Sometimes he would exude an indifferent and cold too, but never a bloodshot one like this person exuded. "What. I was found out already? Girl, you''re not fun!" With a wide grin, the fake Zio got up from his seat. As he was getting up, an astounding performance was showcased by the man. His appearance was transforming smoothly into another form at that moment. Jet-ck hair and ck eyes were no more; they had been reced by dark crimson hair and eyes. Additionally, a pair of dark horns now protruded from his forehead, fangs grew on his lower teeth, and his ws were sharpened. "That appearance¡­ I see. A demonic human, it is." The demonic human suddenlyughed, his deep voice echoed in the air. "Hahaha! Demonic human?! Don''tpare me with those lowly beings who still have a human body as a vessel!" Ember noticed his pale skin gradually decayed. After a while, his skin changed in color, from pale white to pale crimson, depicting the image of a devil Ember oftentimes found in fantasy illustrations that portrayed the demon''s appearance. Assessing the situation, Ember skillfully notified the other student council members on her Nova Watch without turning her gaze from the demonic human to her Nova Watch. ''A ragged demonic appearance. The right horn which isrger than the left one, has a pale crimson skin color, and a distinct transformation that is different from how the other demonic human has.'' After inspecting his new appearance, Ember recalled something from deep inside her memory about who the demonic human might be. It was information she got from one of the sh dungeon survivors six months ago, Jin. Jin had told her everything about what happened inside the dungeon ¡ª about how they survived and managed to kill a demonic human at thest moment before they were transported back to Earth. "You''re the demonic human who appeared in the sh dungeon a few months ago." "You know me?" Ember didn''t bother to answer the question. "Aren''t you supposed to be dead? I heard your body was split into two like bread." The grin on the demonic human face disappeared as soon as he heard that. Memories of his loss back then resurfaced in his head. Frustration and anger fueled inside him. "Shut up!" He took the bait Ember had served for him. With a thin smile slowly painted on her face, Ember continued to provoke the demonic human. "On top of that, you''re apparently losing to a kid whose rank was only back then. What a shame for a demon." The demonic human''s anger was clear, it was written on his face. Unfortunately, her n to provoke him so he would lower his guard failed because he suddenly stood frozen. A few momentster, the demonic aspect he had was retracted. "Hmph! You''re lucky this time, brat!" Ember raised her eyebrow. "Lucky? Me? Don''t joke with me. It''s clear it''s you who are lucky." Raising a grin, the demonic human threw something at Ember at high speed. Ember jumped several meters away to the side, avoiding the coteral damage that broke the room''s floor. "Next time, it will be your head." The demonic human disappeared like a shadow. Whatever was left in the position he had been standing until now was a mark of his shoes that broke the floor. A few days after that, the student council had a meeting to discuss the demonic human Ember had encountered that night. Only a few seemed to believe the appearance of a demonic human who was on the verge of bing a full-pledge demon. Luckily, Ember had recorded her conversation with the demonic human in a video format through a passing invisible drone flying outside. After seeing the appearance of a different transformation of the demonic human, the other members started to believe the story. The council discussed this matter seriously they even had to invite some professors who were free. ¡­ December 31¡­ It was finally thest day of the year 2030. Under the night skies, billions of people were waiting for the new year toe. Each of them had brought a wish and resolution for whatevering in 2031. An innocent thought. Among billions of people living on Earth, only five of them didn''t carry the happiness and celebrate the new year. The reason was that they were aware of what would happen as soon as the year shifted from 2030 to 2031. The silver-haired girl wearing a ck robe attire was standing in the middle of a in field of the desert. The chill breeze of the desert brushed past her skin, making her shudder in the cold. But, she quickly regained the warmth as she coated her body with mana. She checked on her watch, it read ''10:20 PM'' ''An hour and a half remaining before the year changes.'' Burst¡ª! Descending from the sky was a beautiful woman with red flowing hair cascading down her waist. Her red crimson eyes had a pattern simr to a crosshair you''d find in FPS games. Floating above her head was a halo with angr beautiful wings on the left and right side. Looking at the beautiful woman, the silver-haired girl greeted her respectfully. She bowed slightly. "Thank you foring here, War Goddess." War Goddess, Nuria Crimson, waved her hand dismissively as a mischievous smile formed on her face. Coming out of her shadow was another girl with dark green hair and violet cat-like eyes. Judging by her stature, she was around 16 years old. But, her actual age was more than 50 years old. The silver-haired girl''s eyes shed in recognition upon seeing the girl. "Ah. That distinctive purple cat-like eyes¡­ Are you perhaps, the Sword Saint, Grace Caghan?" Chapter 127 Countdown II ? Grace stood posingly like a tower in front of the silver-haired girl, though it was fairly oblivious to anyone watching that she was giving her all in making herself seem taller than the silver-haired girl was. "S-Sword Saint¡­ what are you doing¡­?" Feeling ufortable with what Grace did, the silver-haired girl took several steps away from her. But, Grace quickly closed their distance again, still trying to look taller. "Okay, okay. You have had enough coping, Grace." Eventually, Nuria stepped in and grabbed Grace by the cor as if she was a wild cat. "Unhand me, you peasant!" She struggled to escape from Nuria but it was to no avail. Instead, she was now being tied in a heatless me ring Nuria had cast so Grace could just stay still until the showdown time was unveiled in a few hours. Just like how Grace emerged from Nuria''s shadow, a dark figure in ck clothing appeared behind the silver-haired girl as if he had always been there the whole time, camouging with the background. Upon seeing the man, Nuria''s red-lit eyes shed in recognition of the man''s identity. "Ho. ck Raven." Then she cast her gaze on the silver-haired girl. Somehow, her untied silver hair was familiar. Nuria felt as if she had seen her somewhere. If only she could pull the mask covering her nose and mouth area. "Then you must be Silver Hound." Silver Hound nodded. Seeing how she moved carefully around her, Nuria couldn''t help but tease and smooth the situation between them, the four of them. After all, the title ''War Goddess'' was just what people gave her, she didn''t actually integrate herself with the title. In fact, she didn''t care about it. All she cared about was the stability of the realm and the development of the Enhanced younger generation. After doing so, the four of them finally could have a discussion about what they should do to stop the iing Monster Flood that would be urred in this very desert. Nuria stared at Silver Hound, a hint of curiosity clearly written on her face. "I heard about this from my granddaughter, which she heard it from you. I was wondering how did youe to know that the Monster Flood will ur in this desert?" Silver Hound looked troubled by the question. Just like Ember, Nuria, as well as ck Raven, and Grace, Silver Hound was actually not the one who knew about the information in the first ce. It was someone else, and that person told Silver Hound and Ember to keep silent about the person''s identity. Noticing the expression on Silver Hound''s face, Nuria gently tapped Silver Hound''s shoulder and smiled. "Don''t force yourself to tell me if it''s a secret you are supposed to keep. It''s fine even if you didn''t tell me about it. Although I was a bit cynical about this, my granddaughter had given me a solid reason for me to believe this rumor that only you and my granddaughter know about." After being reassured by the War Goddess'' words, her idol, Silver Hound turned to stare at the starry skies. "Thank you for your understanding." ¡­ Ember was cooped up in the Grand Library of Octagram, spending her time with the books and boundless knowledge the library had offered her in a closed private space. The curtainpletely blocked the moonlight, creating an isted space for her and only. Being surrounded by the darkness didn''t stop her from reading the pile of books ced around her. All she needed was her me to enhance her vision so she could see in the dark. The clock mounted on a wall ticked every second, bing the only melody apanying her reading time. The hour hand was pointing at ''11'', whilst the minute hand was pointing at ''2''. 11:10. Only 50 minutes were left before the calendar 2030 was reced by calendar 2031. "Huu¡­" Having finished ten books in 10 minutes, Ember stretched her body while staying still on her chair. As she was about to take another book, she was interrupted by the rm ringing from her Nova Watch that served as a reminder for her. "40 minutes left. He said that I should watch the sky and make a wish if I caught a falling star at this time." Sliding the curtains all the way up, a serene view of the campus and the calm water surrounding the ind greeted her vision. Staring further at theke, Ember could see a nce of tall skyscrapers in the city. As she stared quietly at the blur view of the city, something caught her eyes. In the skies above the city, a trace of sparkling white and golden light was decorating the starless skies. ''A falling star!'' At that moment, she sped her hands together, making a praying gesture. A heartfelt wish formed in her mind, but as she prepared to share it with the star, she hesitated. There was nothing specific that she wanted to realize, except for one thing. ''I hope my grandma remains in good health, always.'' After she finished making a wish, she looked at the sky again. "Huh?" Ember noticed another sparkling light, two of them. One of them had ck color sparkling light with a red sphere orbiting around the falling ck star. Another one was a sparkling red star with a ck sphere orbiting the falling star. Suddenly, the ck sphere orbiting around the red star made a sharp turn as itunched itself somewhere into the city. The red star was left alone. Without the colored sphere orbiting it, the star lost its falling speed, gradually slowing down, and almost looked like it was floating in the sky for a long time, defiance against thew of gravity. The ck star had long gone ever since the red star stopped in its track. "That star¡­ it''s strange¡­" The star had been floating for 30 minutes and hadn''t made any movements since then. The time before the new year was around 10 minutes left. Within that 10 minutes, Ember must be prepared for whatever woulde upon the Earth. She knew she had to move but the star, the red star kept drawing her attention to it. She heard voices inside her head, telling her to reach for the star. Eventually following what the voices told her, Ember stretched her hand forward, reaching for the star, imagining she had grasped the star in her palm. Then a second after she did so, a notification system voice resounded in her head. Ding¡ª! [You received a blessing ''Realm Guardian''.] ¡­ 5 minutes before the new year¡­ The bustling city was stuffed with people, especially the city square. A festival was held in the city square for celebrating the new year together. Everyone was gathered here with the same goal in their mind. That was to countdown the time before the change of the year. The atmosphere was electric as the clock ticked closer to midnight. The city square was adorned with colorful decorations and vibrant lights, casting a magical glow over the crowd. Laughter, chatter, and excitement filled the air as people eagerly anticipated the arrival of the new year. Families, friends, and strangers alike hade together. They stood shoulder to shoulder. As the final minutes approached, a hush fell over the crowd. Eyes turned toward the towering digital clock disyed on a nearby building. The seconds seemed to stretch, each one building anticipation. Hearts beat faster, synchronized in the rhythm of anticipation. With just seconds remaining, the crowd erupted into cheers and apuse. The countdown began, and a wave of voices rose in unison. "Ten!... Nine!... Eight!..." The numbers were chanted louder and louder, resonating through the square. The anticipation reached its peak as everyone joined in, their voices blending into a harmonious chorus. "Three!... Two!... One!..." The final moments arrived, and the crowd erupted into a crescendo of cheers, apuse, and jubtion. Confetti filled the air, shimmering and dancing in the glow of fireworks that erupted overhead, painting the starless night sky with bursts of color and light. In that fleeting moment, all worries, troubles, and differences seemed to vanish. The new year had arrived, carrying with it a sense of renewal, fresh beginnings, and endless possibilities. Strangers hugged and wished each other a happy new year, their smiles mirroring the joy within. But¡­ Crack¡ª! Once they heard the sound of ss breaking echo in the air, theughs and noises were immediately silenced. They looked at each other, asking each other if they had happened to hear the sound or not. They just simply gave each other an acknowledging nod. Then, the sound of ss breaking reverberated again. This time, followed by horrendous, ear-deafened screeches echoed through the air. "H-Hey¡­ What is that¡­" Crack¡ª! Everyone looked into the sky. What greeted them there was a great, traumatic horror of the catastrophes. The crack in the space resulted in arge rift dimension hovering above the city. A yellow eye as big as the rift or might be even bigger than the rift was peeking from the seemingly endless void of the rift. Upon witnessing that, everyone''s shoulders dropped limply. Chapter 128 Demons Pressure I ? Ember froze in her ce. Her eyes stared at the empty air ¡ª in other''s perspectives, yes. But in her own vision, she was staring dumbfoundedly at the floating screen before her. ''Realm Guardian'' was written along with the other geometrical visuals decorating the screen. She pressed on the upside-down triangle visual just beside the name of the blessing. Soon after, a smaller panel screen slid down from the main screen. She had received a new blessing after imagining she was interacting with the red star above the city skylines. But, unlike the other blessings, skills, talents, or techniques she possessed that had their functions being exined by the system, the ''Realm Guardian'' was an oddity. The screens presented in her vision did not give any exnation or so whatever but question marks filled over the smaller screen. Never she saw or remembered anyone, especially Enhanced individuals had experienced a thing like this. She was the first to experience an error in the absolute system that had been a part of Enhanced individuals'' life. ''This is certainly a strange urrence I''ve encountered but¡­'' Ember looked ahead to the silhouette of Octagram City. The too-early-lit fireworks already decorating the starless sky when it hadn''t been passed 00:00 yet. Everyone was just that excited for the new year. Taking a look at her Nova Watch, she thought: ''If only they knew what would happen¡­'' Shaking the bad feeling that began to make its way to her mind, Ember took ast nce over the skies outside before she headed outside of the room, walking down a spiraling staircase connecting the highest floor to the first floor. The staircase was just an illusion, though. With the help of the wizards, the academy set up an invisible door that worked like a wormhole, or simply call it ''Teleportation Spell'', several steps away after entering the tube in the middle of the library''s first level. It was simr to warp gates but did not have a physical appearance and sensation simr to them. Once outside, Ember took in her surroundings as she walked toward the south gate. The campus had fallen into slumber. Quiet and peaceful. No single students roaming around. Either they were joining the celebration at the city square or somewhere else. "..." Feeling lonely, she yed with her Nova Watch as she walked. Tapping the wrong icon, the Nova Watch opened the exclusive messaging app for Octagram Student instead of opening a streaming tform. She clicked her tongue with a pang of annoyance. Before she could close the app, her gaze locked on a particr chat she had with Zio Varrez. It had been a few days since he wasn''t seen around the campus. She was wondering where he had gone. Her message from yesterday was left unread until now. Thus, she decided to look for him. Not only because she was curious but she had several reasons to look for Zio. That was; she needed to fulfill the promise between them three years ago, Silver Hound''s request, and she had something she wanted to ask him ¡ª about the red star. ''But where should I go first?'' Ember only had 30 minutes to look for him and yet, she had no idea where Zio was. ''Maybe I should try with his house first.'' With the knowledge she had about Zio''s house thanks to Silver Hound and her Eidetic Memory. Perfectly recalling the information she had stored inside her brain database, Ember was able to find his house in less than 15 minutes, Knock¡ª! She knocked on the door but there was no answering from the inside. Noticing that the door was unlocked, she carefully entered the house. "Zio? Are you there?" She looked around the first floor but found nothing. The furniture ¡ª everything was untouched. The sofa was cold, no hint of someone had been upied there for a long time. After finding nothing on the first floor, she went upstairs. Soon as she stepped foot on the second floor, she noticed a room with the door leaving a small gap. Not wasting more time, she walked toward the door and pushed it gently. Peeking her head from the gap, her eyes quickly widened as she found Zio sitting on a chair. He turned his head, staring at Ember with empty eyes as she approached. ''Am I toote¡­?'' "Zio?" She extended her hand, trying to reach his face. It was at that moment her eyes widened like a tennis ball, and her heart skipped a beat when something grabbed her wrist. It was Zio''s hand. "Caught you." "Wha¡ª!" Before Ember could react, Zio was already pulling her close to him. Ember''s weight fell on Zio. Her head was buried in Zio''s toned torso, and the warmth of his body immediately spread on her. Ember could hear his heartbeat while she was in that position. Looking up to nce at his face, she just had to have a dumbfounded expression on her face. Eyes as wide as a tennis ball and mouth hung open like a cave. Then her eyes locked on the fingers between her eyes above, ready to flick them at her smooth and soft forehead. Slightly shifting her gaze on Zio, she noticed a grin on his face. His empty eyes had regained their life. "This is the price for hiding secrets from me." He flicked his finger, it carried much force with it, hitting Ember''s forehead with a loud snapping sound. "Ouch!" The area of her forehead which had the finger snapnded on it was throbbing, leaving a temporary red bruise. That was proof that Zio hit her hard with his finger snap. Ember quickly covered her forehead. She still had that dumb face sprayed over her face, seemingly processing what just happened. But Zio was still not done yet. He grabbed Ember''s hand in front of her forehead and pulled it down then quickly assumed a finger-flick gesture again. "This is for lying to me." A loud snapping sound resounded in the air, filling the entire room. Not giving her time to rest, he did another one. "And this one is just me venting my frustration." Snap¡ª! The sound of Zio''s finger-snapping echoed through the room once again, causing Ember to flinch and let out a small yelp. Her forehead throbbed with pain, and she could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Confusion mixed with hurt as she looked up at Zio, trying to make sense of his actions. At best, she could only give him a few blinks out of confusion while rubbing her forehead, trying to soothe the pain and wondering how he could manage to bring such pain to her. As far as she knew, his strength was two ranks below hers. So, how could he deliver such force with a flick of his finger? The obvious answer would be ranking up. But the problem was how did he improve in a short time. Releasing Ember''s hand, Zio stood from his chair. Looking at Ember''s expression, he couldn''t help but chuckle. Leaning forward, he reached out to gently wipe away the tears welling up in Ember''s eyes. "Does that hurt?" Ember blinked a few times before answering. "It does¡­" Zio grinned, throwing his gaze away toward the window. There, he watched as the fireworks painted the starless night sky, filling the atmosphere with a celebration for the new year. "I''m not going to apologize for that. Then he caught the cracks and odd energies tearing apart the dimensional space. Turning around, he tapped Ember''s shoulder as he walked toward the exit, leaving the building. Ember gazed at the scenery outside the window and witnessed the horror view of a crack of the dimensional space unfolding before her eyes. Swallowing the dry saliva stuck in her throat, she rushed to follow Zio outside. "That''s the demon." They stared solemnly at the sky. Their attention was fully focused on the gigantic dimensional rift hovering above the city. Peeking from the ck void of the rift was a yellow eye. The scene itself was like a God''s eye revealing itself to the world, observing what the inhabitant did in their life. "!!!" "!!!" Shivers ran down their spine as the Eye in the sky met their gaze ¡ª which was true but also not true. Because of its size, they just felt like their gazes were contacting each other when it was actually not. Every living being who saw that might also think what Zio and Ember thought. "I expected this sh*t but¡­ It''s different to experience this scene directly as a character¡­" Growl¡ª! Suddenly, a deep, loud growl reverberated in the air. Not only did the sound make people who heard it tremble in fear but it also made the Earth shaken. "Insect¡­" As the first word voiced, it sent millions of people across the world to copse in ce simultaneously because of the overwhelming pressure the voice carried. Mostly, it was civilians who copsed. The Enhanceds, even those who were ranked were able to withstand the pressure of the first word. But, what about the next word? Chapter 129 Demons Pressure II ? "Insect¡­" As the first word voiced, it sent millions of people across the world to copse in ce simultaneously because of the overwhelming pressure the voice carried. Mostly, it was civilians who copsed. Thump¡ª! Thump¡ª! Thump¡ª! Zio felt his heartbeat fasten. For each passing moment in between the demon''s words prolonged pause, his anxiety rose. His breath became ragged under the pressure, and his back was sweating. It was hard even to breathe a small amount of air. "Ember!" He managed to call the young girl standing behind him despite the pressure. The young girl, Ember, nodded at him, seemingly aware of what Zio needed from her. The promise. She had to fulfill her promise right here, right now. She reached for Zio''s shoulders, gently gripping them as she brought him down to the ground, putting him into a meditation position. "Calm yourself¡­" Ember pressed the weight of her palm on Zio''s shoulders. At the same time, she drew the mana from her core located in her heart into her palm. Surprisingly, what emanated from her palm wasn''t the usual bluish glow ¡ª the mana''s characteristic, but a red-crimson light of the me. The me enveloped her hands and gradually spread to Zio, coating his torso withyers of me. What Zio needed, and what they had promised to each other was for Ember to protect him from the pressure of the demon because he would be more vulnerable to mental attack than he was three years ago. He didn''t specifically tell her the reason, and the current him who had lost his memories couldn''t seem to spot a whole picture of what he saw through his Retrocognition. Although he was still unable to put together the puzzle because some pieces were missing, he could at least grasp a few seemingly important parts such as the conversation between him, Ember, and another person who he guessed was Shannon. The promise the three of them had made. The future sight the younger him told, where Ember was the sole survivor of Earth in the future instead of the person he knew as the protagonist of the story, Lux Virtus. There were many things he saw in the memory that couldn''t be listed one by one. They were even forcefully forgotten because he ingested too much and his brain couldn''t contain them at once. Unfortunately, because he forced himself to use Retrocognition repeatedly in a single day, he had to suffer a Mental and Health stat rank reduction, from to rank again for Mental stat and from to rank for Health stat. As her me energy centered around Zio''s head to protect him from a mental attack, Ember felt a great disturbance of mysterious energy blocking the me to seep into his brain. ''What¡­ is this?!'' She looked at the rift in the sky. Observing how the eye moved and the disturbing energy circted around the rift began to run rampant, she guessed that it wouldn''t be long until another devastation-bringer voice echoed in the air. Focusing back her attention on Zio, she tried to force her me energy into his brain, brawling against the mysterious energy preventing her to envelop Zio''s mind. Unlucky, the mysterious energy won the brawl, nulling the me energy of the Emberheart. ''Oh, no!'' Suddenly, the starless night was shrouded in an unsettling stillness, only to be broken by the haunting melody that seemed to emanate from the abyss. It was a tune that whispered through the air, carrying a sense of fear and uneasiness. The melody had a haunting hum, like a forgotten horrible luby sung by someone with a hoarse voice, sending a shiver down the spine. By the time a growl resounded through the wind, Ember pulled Zio into her embrace. Surprised, Zio tried to wriggle out from her embrace. "Don''t move!" Realizing that she just wanted to help, Zio stopped moving, letting Ember do whatever she wanted. Noticing the disturbance in the air and the growl that grew louder and louder, causing the ground to shake beneath their feet, she knew the demon was about to utter another word. So, she focused her attention, calling upon the mana and the Emberheart''s me. "I am Wrath." Rumble¡ª! A voice that seemed toe inside the Earth was voiced in the air, making everyone who had a weak mental constitution fall unconscious upon hearing the fear-bringing voice. The voice carried a heavy pressure spreading across the city¡ª the world, as the same thing also happened simultaneously across the world, making the Earth tremble. Ember waste just a second to cast a protective mana barrier enhanced by her Emberheart''s me. It was not a barrier she was proud of because of its size, almost did not leave space for them to move. They had to endure the feeling of being trapped in that awkward position. Nevertheless, she seeded protected herself and Zio from the voice''s heavy pressure. "I don''t talk much." The third sentence carried even more pressure and mind disruption force than the previous two sentences had. To withstand the increasing force, Ember tried to recall the happiest memory in her life to increase her Emberheart power which basically would get stronger based on how strong her emotion was. Positive emotions would enhance the me or fire''s stability and controbility, whilst negative emotions would enhance the me or fire destructive force but make it more difficult to control, causing the me to darken in a menacing dark shade. ''What''s the happiest moment of my life¡­'' Ember rummaged through her brain database subconsciously, searching for any relevant memories of her deceased mother. Her mother was the only person who made her happy, so she thought it would be best to recall one of the memories with her. But she was underestimating human emotions. Instead of getting influenced by a happy, positive emotion. She was overwhelmed by the sadness of her mother''s passing. Immediately, her vibrant, red-crimson me began to change in color into a darker shade of blue as she was reminiscing the memory. Noticing the changing me color, Zio yelled at the top of his lungs. "Hey! Get a hold of yourself!!" As his voice reached her, she was jolted back to the present moment. She looked at him with a mix of confusion and realization, her eyes wide and her me barrier flickering erratically. "Sorry¡­" Ember concentrated back, searching for the unforgettable among the unforgettable memories containing the happiest moment in her life. Then she stumbled upon a particr memory. It was the memory of her first awakening as an Enhanced. "We will control this realm soon." By the time the fourth sentence resounded in the air, the protective barrier was solid enough to block the disturbance carried by the voice. "Until then, prepare thyself!" Even when the fifth sentence was voiced, they stayed unflinching. Just like that, the eye finally stopped peeking from the rift, leaving it alone while showcasing its endless void that seemed to hypnotize if someone stared at it for too long. The intense aura and heavy pressure disappeared from the air along with the dimensional rift. What was unique about their disappearing was the fact that it progressed as if time had just moved backward. The weather went back to normal with nothing decorating the skies. The spiral cloud formed due to the rift''s appearance gradually returning to normal in abnormal progression. Ember sighed relievedly, and so did Zio. They shared a chuckle together at that moment. "That was close. I almost died¡­" "Me too¡­" "..." Realizing that he was still in an awkward position against Ember, Zio immediately got up, putting a reasonable distance between them. Ember was seemingly surprised by his sudden movement, but she was also d she didn''t have to support his weight again. Their eyes locked, both were observing each other''s faces in silence. After a minute, Zio cast his gaze away, staring upward to the skies. Ember followed his gaze and guess what she found in the sky? Nothing. The skies were still devoid of stars. The surrounding was quiet. It was to be expected since everyone in the vicinity had fallen unconscious because of the demon''s tongue. In the stillness of the night, Ember found herself looking at Zio. He seemed to blend with the night because of his ck hair and ck eyes, also the ck attire of a hoodie and sweatpants. Suddenly smiling, she said: "Have you remembered what happened three years ago?" As the sweet and alluring voices lingered in his hearing, Zio looked Ember in the eye. Contrasting him, Ember seemed to stand out in the dark of midnight time because of her vibrant hair and eye color. Her flowing red hair moved softly by the wind, the curtain bangs framing her face fittingly. "Yes. Though, I feel like there is more to it than what I saw." The breeze gently brushed their skins as they fell into silence once again. In the distance, they could hear the noises of ambnce sirens filling the void, and tranquility of the night. Chapter 130 War Goddess, Black Raven, And Sword Saintess ? On the great desert, four unique people were staring at the skies above, where a great dimensional rift formed as a result of cracks in the dimensional space. Inside the rift was peeking a yellow eye with vertically elongated pupils simr to a snake. The view of the rift made the youngest of the four ¡ª Silver Hound. Because Grace was technically more than 50 years old ¡ª shuddered when she thought the eye was meeting with hers. When the voice from the rift resounded in the air, Silver Hound staggered, affected by the pressure the voice had carried. Taking notice of her situation, ck Raven who had always been standing close to Silver Hound gently ced his hand on her shoulder, reinforcing her mana barrier with his own mana. "We will control this realm soon. Until then, prepare thyself!" By the time the rift, the eye, and the disturbances of evil energy in the skies subsided, the four people: ck Raven, Silver Hound, War Goddess, and Sword Saintess let out a long sigh. Sadly, the world was unforgiving. As though the demon''s intense pressure wasn''t enough, multiple portals connecting their world to the other dimensions were popping several kilometers away from them. "Not gonna give us even a short break it seems." Despite the desperate sentiment behind her words, Nuria''s voice clearly sounded confident and determined. Rooaaarrr¡ª!!! Monsters emerged from the portals. There were many kinds of them, ranging from low-ranking monsters such as goblins and wolves to the highest such as dragons and worm deserts. Fortunately, it seemed they only had 4 Colossal (S) ranked monsters among their convoys. Which was two dragons and two great worm deserts. It was certainly a rare urrence to fight against 4 Colossal ranked monsters in one battle nowadays. Not that it would matter. If that was all they had, then they would stand no chance against the 2 legendary heroes and a rtively strong unregistered hero, with a youngster who would witness the spectacr battle unfold before her. Nuria stepped forward, standing in front of the group. The halo above her head glowed with her crimson me color. At that moment, the me was spiraling her like a tornado but the size of her body. As the me disappeared, Nuria''s appearance changed into a majestic and mesmerizing view of why she was called the War Goddess. Her hair turned into a me, moving by itself as though it had its own life. The halo and the angr wings expanded, floating a few centimeters away above her head, looking as though she wore a crown. Nuria''s unique reticle pattern of pupils lit bright golden color. "Let''s finish this fast guys!" The formal attire she had worn was now reced by the red and silver armor set. Some parts of the armor were shrouded by the mes. "I''m worried about my granddaughter, she must be feeling lonely without me in the new year''s night." Extending her hand outwards with her palm open facing the ground, she called upon her weapon. A few centimeters under her palm, the me flickered. A momentter, it burst out, extending and taking the form of a sword. When the me dissipated, a beautifully crafted sword and its scabbard adorned with intricate carvings were revealed. Unsheathing the sword, the masterpiece disy of the sword was the first thing that caught everyone''s attention. The middle part of the de was a piece of art of carvings, its intricate pattern of birds, dragons, and nts was etched vertically from the lower de to the middle. ck Raven let out a chuckle as he witnessed the War Goddess'' majestic form. Just as the rumors said, she was gorgeous. The glorious look in her eyes mirrored her appearance. From the other side, Grace stomped the sand hard as she stepped. "You''re still keeping that artifact?" said Grace with an irritated tone. Hearing the jealousy in her voice, Nuria couldn''t help but tease her oldrade. "Of course. This is a gift from him, how could I dare to lose this?" teased Nuria, sarcasm ringing in her words. Grace spat at Nuria''s words, clearly disgusted. But, she quickly the thoughts away and shifted her focus to the flooding monsters in the distance. They were marching together but had no coordination. Fortunately, they didn''t split up and kept marching forward, toward the group of four''s coordinate. Silver Hound was about to join in the fun when ck Raven stopped her, saying that she would be a burden rather than a help. It was harsh but necessary. Silver Hound had never given a mission beyond her level so she never experienced hardship in her life. Sure, this could be the time for her to gain a few experiences of fighting strong monsters. At the same time, this was also too dangerous for her. She would be dead first before she got any experience from this. Silver Hound could only clutch her chest when she heard the throbbing facts stabbing her. Now, the three ranked heroes ¡ª actually two, because the other one had lost 70% of her original stats and now only possessed an overall rank stats ¡ª stood side-to-side with the War Goddess as the center of their formation. Without waiting for instruction, ck Raven cast his skills first. As he muttered a word of chant with his lip, he drew a circle on the sand with his finger. Nothing seemed to happen as he did that. But when he finished the chant, the shadow of the marching monsters expanded. It was two timesrger than earlier. "Shadow Maniption: Gluttony¡­" ck Raven muttered under his breath. Burst¡ª! Thousand of shadow vines jutted out from the blob of shadow beneath the monsters, catching everything that move above them with ultimate strength. The low-ranking monsters immediately glued on the shadow, unmoving. Meanwhile, the stronger monsters put up a futile resistance. No matter how many times they broke the shadow vines, they would keep growing and bringing them to the ground, even the dragons and the other flying monsters. Not only the monster on the surface that was caught by the vines but also those moving underground. The great worm deserts were pulled out from their habitat by the shadow vines, trapping them in the blob of the expanded shadow. When all the monsters were trapped in the shadow, ck Raven said to the War Goddess: "I''ve prepared the stage for you, Nuria Crimson. Now, burn them all as you did in the great war 40 years ago." Nuria grinned. "Thank you, shadow." Then she looked at Grace. Noticing Nuria''s gaze on her, Grace met her eyes. Staring at each other for a while, they nodded in acknowledgment of each other the next moment. "Like the old days?" said Grace as a wide smile painted her face. "Like the old days. But it seems it''d be slightly off this time," came Nuria''s reply, her face had the same smile as Grace''s. Grace rolled her eyes at Nuria''sments. How could she even find the time to joke around in this situation?! Although, that came as a fact from the start but still¡­ Unsheathing her sword, Grace mirrored Nuria''s stance. Nuria brought her sword in front of her chest, enchanting it with her Emberheart''s me. The enchantment surged through the de, causing its form to morph from that of a single-handed sword to that of a formidable broadsword. However, this transformation was a mere illusion brought forth by the me''s power; the sword''s true size remained unchanged. With the mes reaching their zenith, Nuria drove the de deep into the sandy ground. "Get ready, Grace." "I know!" A few momentster, a pir of fire burst out beneath the trapped monsters, burning them down to a crisp. Some of the monsters still survived Nuria''s me, mostly the high-ranking monsters. They were on their deathbed, though. After the pir of fire vanished, Grace dashed forward with solid momentum. Her movement speed was beyond the human''s limit. She looked like a human-size bullet. Whilst running, she also zig-zagging her way out as she swung her sword around. It might seem more like nothing but for shy style. In reality, it had its own benefit to swing her sword like that. Getting closer to the trapped monsters, Grace jumped high into the sky. For some reason, she defied gravity, floating in the sky as though she was a balloon. Then as she swung her sword from below, she looked as though she was lifting heavy masses of objects. At that moment, her sword glowed a radiant white light under the moonlight. As the tip of her sword reached the peak point, the glow beamed even brighter. Then illusionary des and shes suddenly make their appearance, ravenously ravaging the monsters on the ground. Splurt¡ª! Growl¡ª! Sraaah¡ª! The once quiet night was now filled with the gruesome noises of death and the beautiful sounds of the de effortlessly sliced through the monster''s bones and meats as though they were a paper. ''Wow... It''s beatiful...'' Silver Hound, who could do nothing but watch the battle was captivated by Grace''s mesmerizing, beautiful, yet also shy swordsmanship. Chapter 131 Curse ? The impact of the demon''s appearance quickly spread across the world. At least 500 million people, both civilians and Enhanced individuals fell unconscious from the Voice Impact ¡ª it was what the event would be called in the future. An hour after the Voice Impact, official statements from the hero association and countries across the world were made, informing the world that 10% of the people affected by the Voice Impact had died from heart attack and brain damage for most civilians, while Enhanced suffered from Magic Core Dysfunction and then died. This was a truly devastating event for humanity after the first and second catastrophes. Not only an unknown entity suddenly appeared in the sky and said they would conquer their world, but they also lost 50 million poptions in one night ¡ª no, in an hour. Not to mention they still had notpletely assessed and calcted them all. There might be more numbers in the next announcement. Or, they might have finished assessing the total of victims but kept it a secret from the public. Who knows, right? Fortunately, the event didn''t affect themunication signal on Earth. Thanks to that, the world wasn''tpletely in darkness, unlike the catastrophes. The Hero Association Omega and Wizard Circle Lunaria called upon all the countries and organizations ¡ª excluding Dystopia and criminal organizations alike ¡ª for Global Meeting that would happen a dayter at Octagram Ind. That¡­ we will save that forter. It was 2 AM. Despite the global-scale event urring two hours ago, Ember was napping peacefully on the long sofa after she received a video call from her grandmother. The War Goddess Nuria and the three other people had defeated the Monster Flood in the great desert. Although, they didn''t expect there would be a second wave. Fortunately, an unknown strong person who appeared out of nowhere helped them clear the monsters in the vicinity. Zio was surprised when Ember told him about the situation in the desert. As far as he knew, there should only be a wave of Monster Flood. And what was that about an unknown strong person in the great desert? He never wrote anything about that! So here he was, leaning his elbow on the windowsill, trying so hard to recall anything rted to the Monster Flood event as the night breeze softly brushed his skin. ''The second wave of Monster Flood and an unknown powerful person? Sh*t!'' He sighed. ''Is this truly the world I''ve created?'' Thud¡ª! He mmed the windowsill frustratedly, causing Ember to wake up from her short slumber. Hearing the sweet yawning behind him, Zio turned around and found Ember staring at him while rubbing her eyes gently. Other than the smile she showed back when he returned the earring after the Hunting Practice, Ember''s morning countenance also momentarily stunned him, captivating him the moment he watched her yawning cutely. Bad thoughts quickly slip into his head. Shaking the thoughts away, he cleared his throat and said: "Sorry for waking you up." Ember didn''t respond. She just tilted her head like a puppy. "You can just go back to sleep, though," Zio continued. "I think it''s you who should sleep¡­ just look at yourself," Ember responded, a hint of concern was heard in her voice. Zio nced at himself through nearby ss furniture. He was quite disheveled and out of ce after everything he had gone through the past these days. His messy hair and tired eyes were a clear indication of his exhausted state. He let out a self-conscious chuckle and ran a hand through his hair, attempting to tame the unruly strands. "Yeah, I guess I do need some rest," He admitted. "But¡­" Rumble¡ª! As though it was nned timing, his empty stomach rumbled after he consciously paused his word. Neither of them made any reaction to the sound. "Oh yeah. I haven''t eaten anything for¡­ 4 days, maybe?" Ember sat up on the sofa, fully awake now. She let out a thin smile. "Can you cook?" Zio grinned. His face looked proud as he said: "Of course!" But then he continued, "...not" Soon after, he suddenly felt dizzy. He started staggering and the world around him was getting blurred. Thud¡ª! Before long, he copsed, falling forward. Noticing Zio''s wobbly posture, Ember quickly ran and caught him in time before he hit his head on the floor. After checking his condition, Ember let out a relieved sigh. ''He''s just sleeping¡­'' She put him down on the sofa, covering him withyers of warm nkets she took from his bedroom. Her gaze lingered on his sleeping face for a while before she rose to her feet and walked to the kitchen. Meanwhile, Zio was currently having a dream in his sleep. ¡­ ''Where am I?'' Everything was dark. ''...'' He took in his surroundings, just to find the endless darkness stretched out before his eyes. Although there was no visible light source, his eyes adapted, allowing them to perceive the details of the space around them with uncanny rity. Examining the area further, he discovered that there seemed to be no physical boundaries or discernible objects. It was as though he was standing in a void, devoid of any tangible form. The absence of sound only intensified the eerie atmosphere. Pondering his situation, Zio began to wonder if he was in a dream, trapped in a subconscious realm of their own creation. ''There''s no way this is my Core Space, right?'' To his knowledge, the Core Space was equivalent to the subconscious realm. It was a ce every Enhanced individual had inside their magic core, but not everyone could enter their Core Space. ''Even in the novel, only a few Enhanced could enter their Core Space. Lux is a different case, though. He is able to enter his Core Space freely because of the Odyssey system.'' ''If this is truly my Core Space, then¡­'' Zio closed his eyes, trying to feel the mana in the air. At first, he didn''t seem to feel them. But after ten minutes of concentrating, he finally felt the mana spread in the air. Opening his eyes, the once dark ce was now filled with bluish glowing trails scattered around. ''Let''s see¡­'' He observed how the traces moved. Although it seemed like they were moving randomly, just filling in the ce. But as he focused his attention, he noticed that they were moving in a pattern. A veryplex pattern that required a high focus. Finally, he caught how was the pattern moving. The pattern was as though it was dancing, forming a series of interconnected symbols and shapes. It was as if the mana itself was expressing a hiddennguage or code within his Core Space. As Zio traced the path of the pattern with his eyes, he recognized two familiar symbols: a vortex, and a spiral of spheres. The other three were something that resembled a disfigured human, an eye, and a grave of weapons. ''A vortex symbol means that I have a full affinity toward wind elements. And the spiral of spheres is darkness affinity. Wind and darkness¡­'' He pondered about someone. ''It''s the same elementbination as Neychta.'' Then he turned his attention to the three unknown symbols. ''I''m not sure about the disfigured human. But the eye symbol and the grave of weapons are probably irvoyance and Dual Wielding.'' After confirming the symbol, he approached the vortex symbol first. Extending his hand forward, he absorbed the trace of mana that formed the vortex. [Your affinity toward wind element has been strengthened!] Hearing the monotonous sound resound in his ears, he smiled. Not wasting his time to enjoy the moment of glory of achieving good news from the system, Zio quickly did the same to the other symbols. [Your affinity toward dark element has been strengthened!] [Your skill irvoyance proficiency has increased! 11% ? 25%] [Your talent Dual Wielding proficiency has increased! 32% ? 50%] ''Haha! Finally¡­ my Dual Wielding proficiency is at 50%!'' He clutched his fist in victory, allowing himself to be basked in glory for a while. After all, increasing talent and skill proficiency couldn''t always be done by training with dummies. To properly increase them, he needed to fight sentient enemies, living entities, and not an object such as a dummy. If someone could get stronger by hitting a dummy, then the power bnce of the world would have broken and the world would soon fall into chaos. Someone needed real experience for them to increase their skill and talent proficiency. They needed to learn not only by swinging the same motion every day because the proficiency would eventually stuck when it reached the limit. ''It''s not like this is an RPG world where someone could get stronger by killing mobs and getting XPs. There''s so much more than a simple thing as that.'' Once their proficiencies wouldn''t go up anymore, then it was time for them to look for another method to increase them, or increased the intensity of their current methods, just like exercising ¡ª If you felt like 10 push-ups per day were not enough, then increase it to 30 push-ups per day. ''But that won''t be enough. Doing a repetitive activity isn''t the way to be strong in this world. Creativity and innovation are. Just as how it works for technology advancements and magic research.'' Zio looked at his palm with a sense of pride. He felt like he already had everything in his palm because he got reawakened as rank potential Enhanced thanks to thedy luck. But that would soon disappear as soon as he absorbed the disfigured human symbol. [Error! Error! Curse¡­ You have received a curse ''Broken Soul''] Chapter 132 What Was He Doing In The Past? ? [Curse: Broken Soul] Your soul has been shattered into 8 pieces and there is only a piece of soul residing in you. Effect: ? [Amnesia] Your memories before June 8 2030 are erased until you recover two pieces of eight souls. ? [Unstable] You are vulnerable to any sort of mental attack. Your Mental stat is limited to rank. Recover four soul pieces to undo this curse effect. ? [Weak] All stats except hidden stats are limited to rank. Recover six soul pieces to undo this curse effect. ? [Defier Of The God] Your blessing [???] has been demoted to [irvoyance] under the skill category. Recover and fix your soul to undo this curse effect. Soul pieces recovered: 1 ¡ù Hint: Your soul shards are scattered across multiple realms, and there are two shards in the Earth realm. How shocked Zio was when he read the curse description. That was an utter bullshit of a curse. Howe there were curses inside the curse? This wasn''t a math form! ''This is bullshit¡­ what the hell? Howe there are four other curses inside a curse?! I''ve never heard of it before!'' He reread the curse descriptions, trying to find if this was an error because that was what it literally said on the notifications when he absorb the mana symbol. He also received the same ''error'' notification when he tried to use Retrocognition in his room. The worst part was that he gained nothing from Retrocognition and was left in a half-conscious state. He was conscious for a few days but couldn''t move his body. Luckily, when Ember suddenly appeared and was reaching for him. He regained the control over his body. Zio had no idea what caused him to be petrified and then freed. If¡­ If Ember didn''te¡­only God knows what would happen to him¡­ ''Losing memories from Amnesia curse. Weak mind from Unstable curse. Stats restriction from Weak curse. And¡­'' His gaze lingered on thest curse''s description. ''My irvoyance skill was a blessing¡­?'' Then his eyes fixated on the curse''s name. ''Defier Of The God. I''m guessing it must have something to do with messing with the Supreme Beings. Just¡­ what had this sonuvab*tch been doing in the past?!'' He pulled his own hair out of frustration. He thought at first Zio Varrez was just an ordinary extra and nothing more but¡­ he actually had aplex history such as these?! If only he knew about his circumstances. Furthermore, the mystery wasn''t only about the boy''s identity but many things were different from what he knew such as Ember Crimson, an unknown powerful person who appeared in the great desert, etc. There were just many things that didn''t align with the story he once knew, even though he hadn''t changed much of the main plot¡­ or maybe he was? ''What are the chances that everything was caused by Zio Varrez that I didn''t even remember and was aware of?'' Obviously, it would be higher than 50%, right? ¡­ He was back in the real world after establishing his magic core within his Soul Core. The process was simple, he just needed to channel his mana toward the materialized magic core within the Core realm until it was satisfied. When he was done, his magic core had now been established, ensuring him to easily utilize his main stats which was magic. It just meant that he would be more skilled to draw or use his mana efficiently like the wizards. After returning to the real world, he immediately wrote about his curse before he forget. It was amon practice among the Enhanced to write down the curse they got on a paper because once they closed the screen, they couldn''t open it again, Although, just like what he had experienced inside his Soul Core. He could check his curse within the Soul Core but he wasn''t sure if he could get inside the Core realm again. He was aware that once an Enhanced had entered their Soul Core for the first time, they could do it again. The problem was he didn''t know how to enter the Core realm as he never wrote it. The novel was mainly focusing on the protagonist, Lux. He could enter his Core realm through the Odyssey system. Now, what about Zio? He didn''t have things such as the Odyssey system. The way for him to enter the Core realm was to ask for guidance for someone who had opened their Soul Core. But that would be risky. Alternatively, he could just pray and hope he entered his Core realm once again. Looking at the paper, he thought: ''I can''t help but think that it was the original Zio Varrez who caused all of these changes. Considering his irvoyance level at that time¡­'' His words trailed off, seemingly remembering something. Then as he found something was amiss, he sped his hands together. ''Wait! It doesn''t make sense¡­ The Amnesia curse said that I can''t remember anything prior to June 8, 2030. And the Defier of The God curse said my irvoyance was demoted to a skill.'' ''Then, howe did the young Zio I saw in the memory has the irvoyance as a skill and not a blessing?'' ''The date doesn''t match at all!'' Just when did he get the Broken Soul curse?! ''Hah¡­ this is giving me a headache¡­'' Putting the unsolved problem away, he sat in a meditation position on the floor. As he concentrated, he could feel his surroundings. His senses were heightened as though he had ascended into a higher dimension. After a while, he opened his eyes. They were glowing for a moment as though a shlight. His body produced hot steam and sweat, shrouding his torso. With a long sigh, Zio rose to his feet and walked toward the nearby stand mirror. The handsome face with jet-ck hair and eyes greeted him with a smile. The person on the other side seemed to copy everything he did, starting from brushing his hair with a hand, shing a smile, and taking off the shirt. Underneath, his athletic build was on full disy. Standing at 175 cm tall, his body was well-proportioned and sculpted with lean muscles. What''s amazing was he achieved that body within six months. Well, his build wasn''t as toned as this a few hours ago. This change was because he had established his magic core, causing his appearance to morph. His facial features had be even more strikingly handsome. ''Good thing Ember has returned to the academy or else she might fall for me.'' Woah! We''ve got a narcissist right here! Anyhow, what was left in his house was a preserved breakfast and a note from Ember. The breakfast didn''t go cold because Ember kept it warm with her me on the note beneath the te. The note was just her saying thank you and telling him to eat the breakfast she had made, guaranteeing she didn''t put anything in it. Zio stared at the breakfast on the table after taking a shower and putting on new clothes. It was an omurice, garnished with additional ketchup drizzled on top making a shape of a cat. ''Hmm¡­ Shannon must have told her about my favorite food.'' As his stomach rumbled, asking for fuel to refill his energy, he indulged in the omurice, savoring every bit of it to the fullest. The te was clear and empty, indicating how hungry he was. "It''s actually better than Shannon''s omurice." Standing up, he went to his room on the second floor. He rummaged through his room, hoping to find a clue about his forgotten past but found nothing. Disappointed. He looked under his bed yet also found nothing. It was shocking there wasn''t anything under the bed even though there should be at least one guidance, heavenly script there as every man should have. ''What an odd fellow. First, he never spent his monthly allowance. And now this¡­ Well, let''s see what can I find with irvoyance.'' And yet, he found nothing. Zio Varrez didn''t keep a single copy of the heavenly guidance script! ''Wow¡­ I can''t believe it. I thought as the one who got the Defier of The God curse would be someone with impure thoughts but surprisingly he was a virgin, maybe.'' Without anything left to do in his house, he headed for the academy. On his way, he witnessed the gloominess that had shrouded the city''s atmosphere. The usually bustling city with people walking on the sidewalks or hanging out in the restaurants and vehicles ruling the highway had be quiet. The people he met on his way to the academy could be counted by fingers. Public transportation seemingly stopped its service today. The restaurants and malls too. The whole atmosphere was like a holiday. It was just that it was not a happy holiday or a winter holiday. But it was a dreary holiday. The only ce that was crowded with people in the city was the medical centers. As Zio passed by a medical center building near the southern gate of Academy Ind, he recalled that Lux in the novel was treated there after the night of the Voice Impact. ''Yeah. Let''s score a friendly achievement with the protagonist.'' With newfound motivation, he strayed from his initial destination and headed toward the medical center. Chapter 133 Taking Advantage ? What greeted him inside a medical center was despair. The room was filled with desperation and fear. People crowded the lobby with a gloomy atmosphere, most of them had grimaced expressions. Unconscious victimsy across the left wing, and the seats around were moved away for more space. The Meds and Heroes were busy checking on the unconscious victims and calming down the confused masses ¡ª the ones who had woken up from the Voice Impact. "It''s okay everyone. Don''t panic!" It was a blonde-haired man, probably an Enhanced because he could amplify his voice so it would work as though he used a speaker to speak, resounding clearly in the room. "How are we supposed to not panic in this situation?! An eye monster appeared in the sky, and its voice caused millions of people to fall unconscious, some even died?! What the hell is that thing?! What is Omega doing?!" The group of civilians protested. Their faces expressed a mix of fear and hope. "You all will be safe, trust me!" "Safe?! What proof can you give us if we will be safe?" Jin smirked at the group''s desperate question. He lifted his hand, pointing outside. The crowd curiously followed his hand. At first, they were confused. Then sometimeter, they realized the direction Jin pointed at was where the Western Region ¡ª Omega HQ, Lunaria Tower, and Enhanced Zone were located. Noticing the crowd''s expressions brightened, Jin smiled as he sped his hands together, gathering their attention. "The Omega and Lunaria have called all countries leaders for the emergency meeting." He took a moment to pause so it would somehow fascinate the crowd. "We refer to it as a Global Meeting!" Zio smiled as soon as he heard him controlling the crowd. ''What a snake. He really deserved his title as a Commander. If only he didn''t betray humanity.'' He walked past him and the crowd with closed eyes, trying to locate Lux with his Pathfinding. But his concentration was soon broken by someone''s voice calling his name and tapping his shoulder. Turning around, he found Jin standing in front of him, smiling widely. His eyes shed with recognition as he finished taking an observation on Zio. "Hey, kid! We meet again!" Zio returned his smile. "Oh, it''s you¡­ uhh¡­" "Jin. My name is Jin." "Yes. Jin. Haha, sorry, I''m not good at remembering names." Zio scratched his head as he lied. "It''s fine." Jin took in Zio''s appearance once again, seemingly looking for something. His face disyed a curiosity. Zio noticed his expression and asked him a question. "Is there something wrong?" "Ah, sorry. I''m just remembering about yourst sh to the demonic human back then. I was curious where you got that sword, it seems like it''s a high-ranked weapon knowing it can cut the demonic human in one swing." Zio narrowed his eyes upon hearing him. ''Hmm¡­ is he interested in the sword or¡­'' As he was in his thought, Jin continued. "Can I see your sword? I''m a sword enthusiast and I''m so curious about the sword you used to kill the demonic human. I''m sure it''s a high-rank quality!" Zio raised his hand and shook his head slowly, indicating that he disagreed with Jin. He guessed that it was just bait thrown by Jin so he could get more from him. "Haha, sorry. I don''t have it right now." Surprised, Jin crossed his arms in front of his chest, his head was tilting slightly as though in thinking. "You don''t have it? Did you sell the sword? If so, can you tell me to whom you sell it to?" "No. I never sell things, especially my belongings to other people." Jin raised an eyebrow at his statement. Before he could say anything, Zio continued talking. "Anyway, I don''t have the sword because it was already broken the moment we returned to the Earth that day." "Broken? How¡­?" Zio shook his head slowly. Right now, he was fully immersed in his acting to hide the truth from Jin. He knew exactly what Jin''s personality was even if he wasn''t the owner of the Avatar Mask now. Telling him the truth was never a correct choice. "Well, I''m not sure. It just broke into pieces when I returned to the real world. I''m guessing it had to do something with the artifact skill." He especially pronounced the word ''artifact'' with intensity, trying to get Jin''s interest in the subject. Upon hearing Zio say the sword was an artifact instead of a normal sword, he hammered his palm with the fist of his other hand. Thus, he had his full attention on Zio. "I knew it!" he eximed. "I knew that was not just a simple sword. Too bad it has terrible durability despite showcasing a delicate outer appearance and sharpness." Jin sighed, seemingly unmotivated to continue the conversation. Behind him, the crowd was handled by hispanions ¡ª the other heroes. Unlike him, the two heroes couldn''t manage what Jin could do. They couldn''t contain the crowd''s protest and fear anymore. One of them approached Jin who was talking with Zio. While they were talking to each other, Zio took in his surroundings without his skill, trying to spot Lux. After making sure that Lux wasn''t in the lobby, he closed his eyes and used Pathfinding to locate him instead. A momentter, two images were projected inside his mind. One was the image of a patient room. He could see a white-haired boy sitting on a chair facing toward the window, chewing on the fruits. The other image was showing the corridor situation. It particrly highlighted the room number where Lux was probably treated. Unlike civilians or low-ranked Enhanceds who were treated in the lobby. Lux as an Octagram Student was treated in a patient room. It was just a privilege of being a student of Octagram Academy. Sessfully locating Lux with his Pathfinding, Zio opened his eyes again and found that Jin was about to finish his talk with hispanion. After waiting for some time, Jin finally talked to him. "It''s nice to talk to you, kid. But, I''m afraid I must go. As you can see, my friend here can''t handle the crowd right there. They need my help." Zio chuckled. Soon after, he waved his hand dismissively. "Right. They look like they are in need of a hero to calm their ass down. Good luck appeasing the crowd." Jin and his friend returned to appease the crowd. Zio observed them for a while before he decided to head for the room where Lux was upying. Arriving in front of the room, he knocked on the door and called his name. Immediately, the door was opened in full swing, revealing the excited-looking face of a white-haired boy behind the door. "Zio!" Zio was surprised by how quick Lux was in opening the door. It was as though Lux waited in front of the door, expecting someone to knock on his door, and then quickly opened it. But, that wasn''t the case. Lux was just bored. The moment a familiar voice was entering his hearing, he quickly reacted. "Is it okay for a patient to be full of vigor like that?" Zio asked teasingly. Lux chuckled, hitting Zio on the shoulder yfully. "It''spletely fine! I''m just waiting for the doctor for the dischargement. By the way, how do you know I was here?" Zio grinned. "Well, I wonder about that¡­" He simultaneously used his appraisal of irvoyance while he was speaking to Lux. It required a solid focus to be able to do that, and Zio just did it. A few momentster, a screen appeared in his vision. Name: Lux Virtus (¡á) Age: 18 Race: Human [Stats] Strength: D- Agility: D- Intelligence: D Stamina: D- Magic: E+ Charisma: B Luck: A [Hidden Stats] Perception: B Mental: A Potential: SSS Health: D-] "What do you think?" The moment the information about Lux was extracted, Lux noticed he was being appraised. His eyes perked up. He stared at Zio dumbfoundedly. "Oh. Wow. You have an amazing skill¡­" Lux said surprisedly. His eyes, though, were not looking at Zio but at the empty air as though he was seeing things in his vision. In Lux''s vision, an information screen about the skill Zio had used on him was floating, and a female voice was reciting the description of the skill written on the screen. ''This is why I don''t want to use my skill against him. This lucky bastard is babysitted by his personal Odyssey system. Once someone used a skill against him, the Odyssey would analyze it and gives him a brief exnation of how the skill is working.'' Despite knowing the disadvantage he had after revealing his irvoyance to Lux, Zio didn''t falter. He was grinning all the time. By the time Lux noticed his grin, he tilted his head. "Uhh, is there something wrong?" "Hmm, well, if I must say. Can you tell me how my skill works?" Chapter 134 Global Meeting I ? Octagram Ind Western Region¡­ Exactly when the sun reached its peak point, Global Meeting would be held by Omega and Lunaria. It was still nine in the morning, yet around 20 countries'' leaders had already gathered inside the meeting hall belonging to Omega. This showed how dire the situation the Voice Impact had brought upon the world was. As a leader of Omega, Kyle Nuvorius had so many things to prepare for the Global Meeting. Luckily, the representative of the Lunaria Tower would be there to help himter. Kyle was a ranked Enhanced, also being in the top 100 of the heroes ranking. He stood in front of the mirror, styling his ebony-ck hair to match his dress. Appearance-wise, he looked like a young man in his 20s with a striking face that would easily melt down thedy''s hearts. But he was actually over 50 years old. Although, technically, a 50-year-old Enhanced was equal to a 20-year-old ordinary human. So it was not wrong for ordinary people to see him as a young rich man if they did not know him. But the question was were there even someone who did not recognize the leader of the Hero Association Omega? There might be. After all, the world was vast. Knock¡ª! The knocking sounds of the door made him turn his attention toward the direction of the noises. Following the knocking sounds was the vibrant and melodious voice of someone behind the door ¡ª the culprit that made the noises by knocking on the door. "Kyle! It''s me!" Kyle recognized the voice as soon as he heard it. That jovial tone of voice was ringing annoyingly yet soothingly in his ears. "Come in, Evelyn." Striding into the room was a young woman with long blue hair that cascaded her back, down to her waist. Her smile beamed a radiant light as she caught Kyle observing her. "Why are you always have that expression every time you meet people? Have you ever thought that your cautious nature might offend someone?" Kyle shrugged at her words. "This is the reason why I was chosen as the Association''s leader." "They must be desperate to choose someone like you as a leader." Evelyn pulled the part under her eyes while sticking her tongue out yfully. It was not the first time they acted like that when seeing each other. So it wouldn''t matter to Kyle now as it would in the past. Between them, it was Kyle who matured early, probably because he got more responsibility to burden. Kyle responded with a sigh to her childish behavior. "I''ve already gained resistance to your insult. You can''t agitate me anymore, Evelyn." He smiled proudly. Evelyn clicked her tongue. "Tch! You''re not fun anymore, Kyle." "You know that but you keep on pestering me. Sometimes, I wonder if many great wizards had to sacrifice something in their brains for their ''research'' in magic." Gasping, Evelyn was surprised when she heard Kyle say that. "So you do acknowledge me as a great wizard?" Evelyn teased him again, yfully elbowing Kyle with a smug face. "I mean, are you not one? Considering you already possess the 8th mana circle. Isn''t that like a ''borderline'' realm simr to us, the Enhanced, when we''re going through from the rank first stage to the second stage? Also, the 9th mana circle is a borderline realm simr to rank second stage to the rank or 10th mana circle, right?" Suddenly, two res burst out from Evelyn''s index finger as her hand made a pistol sign. "Bang! Bang! 100 points for you!" Those res wereunched in Kyle''s direction, almost hitting his face if he didn''t have the rank Enhanced''s reflex and experience. The res were bouncing between the room''s floor, wall, and ceilings until the spell duration ran out and the res dissipated into a thin air. Kyle, as always, could only sigh and shake his head in disbelief, just forgiving every act Evelyn had done. Not that he would let her go if those res were to break valuables furniture in the room. "Anyway, Evelyn?" Abruptly stopping her evil chuckle, Evelyn raised an eyebrow at Kyle. "Yes?" "What are you doing here? Where is your grandfather¡­" Kyle paused for a while. "I mean, the Celestial?" "He won''te. That''s why I''m here!" Extending her hand forward, Evelyn made a peace sign. Her smile was bright. Realizing what she meant by that, Kyle brought his palm onto his face. "Oh. Great! Now, while you are here, why don''t you help me prepare for the Global Meeting, hmm?" Different from what Kyle initially expected, Evelyn agreed to help him with the preparation. It was the first time he actually saw her like this, so the surprise was evident. "I mean, it is the Celestial''s order. If I don''t do what he told me to do, then I will suffer from house prison for a half year! You know how devastating it was for a wizard to be locked up in a room unless they have to do their magic research, right?!" "Yes, yes. I understand. Now, why don''t you take a seat and get started on the preparation?" Kyle was already seated at his work desk. He gestured for Evelyn to take a seat at the empty work desk beside him and get started on their work. Three or maybe two hours were not a long time, after all. Evelyn settled on her work desk beside Kyle. Together, they carried out their tasks to prepare for the Global Meeting. A lot of preparation would be needed for a big event such as the Global Meeting where 80 countries'' leaders were gathered in one ce, discussing the solution for the world-level problem such as the catastrophe, the dragon incident, and now the Voice Impact. They were too immersed in their work that they didn''t realize two hours had passed since they started. Knock¡ª! A knocking sound resounded in the room, interrupting the two souls who were focused on their work. Following it was a man''s voice saying: "Mr. Kyle. The Global Meeting will be started soon, and the 10 guild leaders are waiting for you in the usual ce." Kyle nodded. "I see." Then he looked at Evelyn at a very crucial time! He managed to steal a nce at her while she was taking off herrge blue wizard hat and the blue cloak covering her delicate skin. Noticing his gaze at her, Evelyn attempted a smug smile and said: "It''s rude to stare at ady''s body like that. Also, sorry, I''m not into an old man!" Kyle sneered. "Says someone whose age is older than me but acting like a kid." They had a ''friendly'' banter for 5 minutes before they eventually reconciled and prepared themselves to meet the countries'' leaders. But before that, Kyle had to attend to the 10 guild leaders'' needs first. Meeting with the 10 guild leaders was like taking a walk in the park, he had done it every week. But, today''s meeting with them was not a casual meeting where he was only visiting and having a conversation with the guild leaders. This is the 10 guilds conference. Thest time they did this was after the dragon incident, it was like 15 years ago. Pushing the great door open, Kyle was greeted by the majestic view of the round table. All of the seats were already upied by the 10 guild leaders. Sorting them out from the highest to the lowest, then it would be like this: 1. Nova 2. Golden Thread 3. Chrysalis 4. Obelisk 5. Haven Grande 6. Pierro 7. Yggdrasil 8. Shinigami 9. Annex Ultra 10. Keepers Kyle inspected the guild leaders'' expressions. Among them, there was only one person who always caught his attention because of their ridiculous appearance. He looked at someone wearing a full-face ck mask and visor. After observing the person''s mask for a while, he noticed something was different with the mask. "Neychta. Did you forget to change your mask or something?" The light crystal in the middle of the mask visor lit up a purplish color. Neychat leaned forward, resting her hands on the table. "Is there something wrong with my mask?" "Uhh¡­ never mind." Kyle strode into the room and walked toward the empty seat beside Nova''s guild master, Andi Nova, and Golden Thread''s guild master, Lynn Aurum. After taking a sit on the chair, Kyle sped his hands together, trying to get everyone''s attention. "Well? Shall we start this conference right away or is there anyone who wants to make a statement or ask a question?" Kyle''s piercing gaze observed the 10 leaders. They were all wearing t faces, seemingly not interested to say anything, and just wanted to start the conference already as the time before Global Meeting was just an hour away. "No one?" After confirming no one seemed to want to talk, Kyle snapped his fingers and in an instant they found themselves standing on the vast green field. With a smirk on his face widened, Kyle leaned forward and said: "Then, let''s begin the third 10 Guild Conference!" Chapter 135 Global Meeting II ? "Haa¡­" The warm sun kissed Kyle''s skin as he leaned back on thefortable sun lounger. He had changed in his formal attire for a more rxed beach-style outfit, embracing the carefree atmosphere. The sound of waves crashing against the shore provided a soothing backdrop, creating the perfect ambiance for a rxing day by the beach. With a contented smile on his face, Kyle closed his eyes and allowed himself to fully immerse himself in the tranquility of the moment. He could feel the gentle breeze ying with his hair, the sand beneath his feet, and theughter of the 10 leaders enjoying their time in the sun. Actually, it was only nine of the leaders seemed to enjoy this oh-so-called conference. Neychta, still in her stylish all-ck suit, was not happy with the situation. She had expected something more intense and serious because of how the meeting was called, not an hour''s holiday such as this. It was to be expected she did not know about this since her guild was the youngest among the top 10 guilds. Despite being the youngest organization, Chrysalis quickly made its way to the top within 5 years. She brought her hand on her full-face mask, sweeping the dust and water sshing across the visor. Burst¡ª! As she stared nkly at the vast sea, toward the horizon line that seemed to set the clear blue sky and the deep blue ocean apart, a burst of water sshed on her mask, drenching her in salt water. "Come on, Neychta. Why are you still in your working suit?" The Obelisk''s Guildmaster said as soon as he deliberately flung a blob of water at Neychta. Following him, the other leaders did the same thing. "Hey! Stop it! You boomers are gonna break my mask!" That was a rare moment for the 10 leaders who were always cautious of each other having a good time together. But that was merely a facade. They were all wearing masks, and Neychta knew that. She knew that they were just being friendly because of the situation. She would never forget just how many times she almost lost her life because of those bastards. Well, at least she got Lynn Aurum. She noticed Lynn was smiling warmly in the distance. Just as how Neychta regarded Nuria as her guardian and grandmother, she regarded Lynn as her big sister. She was the one who always helped her when Chrysalis Guild was just a drop in the ocean. Time went quickly. 40 minutes passed by in a blink of an eye. At the end of the stress relief activity under the guise of the conference, the leaders gathered around Kyle. What their vision caught in the next second was the majestic round table room. They had safely stepped foot on Earth again. "That was a superb experience!" The jade-colored hair woman eximed, her hands stretched into the sky. "I wish the ocean here is as safe as in that ce." She was given the name Jade because of her striking hair color. Her tawny skinplimented her hair color as well as her light green eyes that gave off a fresh mint aura. Referring to the emblem ¡ª which the world tree design was embedded on it ¡ª printed on her cape, it was clear which guild she belonged to. That''s right! She was the Yggdrasil Guildmaster! The person beside her sighed. He had light blonde hair that almost looked tinum blonde when hit by the cold light. His skin was as pale as a corpse. Nevertheless, he looked perfectly healthy. "I don''t want to admit it but I must agree with you this time, Jade." Jade nced at him, her eyes slightly widened. "Oh ho ho. It would be great if you do that every time I made a statement, Dn¡ª I mean, Haven Grande Guildmaster," she said, a tone of sarcasm sounding clear. Breaking the two leaders'' banters, Kyle pped his hands, seeking the guild leaders'' attention. "Thank you, everyone, foring! As much as I wanted to stay in that ce, I still have a duty as the Association leader," his word came to slow, quietly ncing from person to person. "There''s still the Global Meeting in 10 minutes. As the Enhanced representatives, you all are obliged to attend to it." Smiling, he strode toward the great door that seemed to be simr to a vault door, whether it was the massive size or the thickness that was further reinforced by magic no one could ever hope to break. "I''ll be expecting yourpany at the Global Meeting," said Kyle, waving his hand before he turned left as soon as he passed the door and disappeared. Everyone began to leave the round table room one by one, leaving Neychta alone with her Nova Watch. She typed something on the holo keyboard excitedly, seemingly to have an online chat with someone. When she was done, her shadow suddenly moved as though it had its own life. Emerging from her shadow was ck Raven, dressed nicely in a ck suit covered by a robe, just as how a shadow should be. Following him were two people. They emerged from the shadow despite not having the ability to do so. It was all thanks to ck Raven and the mastery of his own power. One of them was a guy with a small build. Nothing special to be made a note from him except for therge round sses hiding his snake-like yellow eyes. Goose. The other one, despite having a charming face and overall appearance, had to have a weird fashion sense. He looked like an enigmatic noble who came from the 19th century. "I''m so d to hear you want to volunteer to be my aide today, Crow." Crow nodded with a slight smile, removing the monocle from his eyes. "I am the one who should be d to be here. Thank you for allowing me to be your attendant at the Global Meeting." He disyed a gentle smile to Neychta, Goose, and Raven. But, deep down in his heart, he was smiling like a little devil. ''I''ll make this Global Meeting progresses even faster than in the original script.'' *** In less than a minute, the sun would soon reach its peak point. In a spacious room ¡ª a meeting hall, in fact ¡ª hundreds of people were gathered. Sunlight flooded through tall windows, illuminating the polished marble floors and elegant chandeliers. At the center of the hall stood an elevated stage for hologram disys. Row upon rows of plush seats encircled the stage, each upholstered in rich velvet, inviting the attendees to settle in. borate banners, representing diverse nations and organizations, hung proudly from the rafters, symbolizing the global scope of the gathering. 92 seats, 92 upants. The nations and organizations were settling on their seat, while their aides stood behind them. Kyle and Evelyn were seated next to each other because they were the host of this Global Meeting. Meanwhile, Neychta''s seat was mped between the two strong nations. To her left side was the representative of Ennd, and to her right was the representative of Turkey. ''Damn! The pressure... it''s so intense. It makes my skin crawl with excitement!'' Crow thought as he observed the meeting hall. He nced at Goose standing beside him. Surprisingly, Goose remained calm, not a single sweat spotted. His snake-like eyes carefully examined the hall structures and designs. After that, he decided to examine the hundreds of people who were present there. ''As expected from Doctor Specter, King of Network, and Vice Leader of Utopia.'' Following Goose, Crow did the same inspection of his surroundings. The hall, the people, the expansive decorations along the wall and ceiling. He took every piece of information he acquired into his brain database and made sure it would not be forgotten for at least until the meeting ended. It would be better if he could remember it permanently, though. As he swept his gaze over the hall, he abruptly stopped on Evelyn, the representative of Lunaria Tower. The reason was that he noticed the unique and beautiful pattern of her eyes. It was as though her eyes reflected the aurora even though they were inside a building. Noticing Crow''s gaze was on her for a minute now, Evelyn turned to see the person. Once their eyes made contact, she flinched and her eyes widened in a wee surprise. As though noticing something from Crow, Evelyn gave him a knowing smile. At that moment, Crow raised his eyebrow and quickly averted his gaze somewhere. ''What was that smile earlier?'' He continued to inspect other people and stopped on an individual who was seated in the chair, a representative of Keepers Guild. A middle-aged man who dressed elegantly, carrying a sense of intellect person due to his round sses and hairstyle. Crow recognized him very well. The Guildmaster of Keepers Guild, Alexander Galonn. ''The betrayer of humanity. After this meeting, he will seek the demonic human and make a contract with the demon because of his greed for power.'' Chapter 136 Global Meeting III

Chapter 136 Global Meeting III

A few hours before Crow stepped his foot on the great meeting hall¡­ Crow was in his original form, as Zio Varrez, an Octagram student who held so many secrets and kept them for himself. He stood before his friend with a dumbfounded expression due to the shock Zio had given him. Lux Virtus. The ''Lux'' in his name was a Latin word meaning ''Light'', while ''Virtus'' meant ''Virtue''. His name already described his appearance. Just like a light, everything about him was white ¡ª white hair, white-pale skin, white outfit ¡ª with a little bit of gold in his eyes. Meanwhile, his surname defined his character. He was a man of virtuous qualities. This was the fact everyone knew about him. Where in reality, he wasn''t so much a virtuous character. He had killed people without discrimination ¡ª he ughtered men, women, and even children ¡ª making him a cold-blooded murderer. But that was nothing more than history. A regretful history Lux wanted to forget while hoping no one except his mentor found out about his dark past, especially the person before him. Zio Varrez was the first person he found unique. Their first meeting was some months ago during the entrance exam, where he caught the mysterious swirling energy around him. It was so mysterious and eerie that even the Odyssey System which imed to know everything couldn''t identify the mysterious energy. Even until now, that mysterious energy seemed to remain or maybe increased since thest time he saw him. Lux was surprised when he heard Zio talking to him, but it was not him who he talked to, but the Odyssey System. "Can you tell me how my skill work?" That was what he said. Lux did not realize that the question was not for him until Zio rified. "Can you get the Odyssey up to answer my question?" It was at that moment Lux''s mind seemed to blow. How did he know about the Odyssey System?! Even the system itself was confused when it was asked by Lux after they helped Zio with his problem. At the current time¡­ While Zio was attending the Global Meeting with his other identity, Lux was heading for the academy after being discharged from the hospital. On his way, he couldn''t stop asking the same question over and over to the Odyssey System. "How did he know about you?" Unlucky, the only response he got from the system was a reminder that he already spent all of his daily questions. Thus, making him unable to get the answer he wanted. Although, the system''s answer would be the same every time he asked his question. The system had no idea there was someone other than Lux ¡ª his host ¡ª who knew about its existence. Luckily, Lux knew when to give up. "Haa¡­ Whatever. As long as the system deemed him as ''safe'', then I could let this pass¡­" *** Crow''s gaze stopped on a middle-aged man dressed in elegance, carrying a sense of intelligent person. That was Alexander Galonn, the Guildmaster of Keepers Guild. His frown deepened as he recalled the story. ''Alexander Galonn. The betrayer of humanity. After this meeting, he will seek the demonic human and make a contract with the demon because of his greed for power.'' Despite knowing the piece of information about Alexander Galonn, Crow didn''t brashly make a move to eliminate him right away. That was a foolish thing he could do. Crow made a mental note about the man and throw his gaze from him, inspecting everyone in the hall. Since it was a meeting where the leaders who became the foundation of the new world gathered, he just seemed could not stop staring at the strong Enhanced individuals swarming the room. He recognized all of them. Although, only a few of them was one that he knew from the writing ¡ª his own writing. The rest wereing from the additional information gathering he had done these past six months. Among the hundreds of leaders'' aides, only three of them could fully snatch his attention from the rest. The first of the three was one of the aides apanying the representative of Japan. Youko Kiguchi. He was ranked 104th in the global ranking. And the twin aides from Indonesia''s representative. Nathanael and Natalia. They were ranked 198th and 199th respectively in the global ranking. By the time he finished observing everything, the majestic door swung open with a loud bang! The sudden interruption made the discussion halt as everyone looked at the culprit who disrupted the meeting. "Hey, kid. Why didn''t you include me in this meeting?" Standing at the doorway was a prominent figure. He exuded a majestic aura as though he was an emperor. The blue and white glow seemed to spark around his majestic form as he strode into the room, stepping between Kyle and Evelyn. "Thunder Emperor¡­" As soon as his name was spoken, the room was drowned in his pressure. Everyone could feel how strong the old man was just by experiencing the red pressure of his energy. At first, they felt suffocated because of the pressure. But as they adapted, they all were thinking about the same thing. rank. They all imagined, what would it be like if it was them who reached that rank. Sighing, Kyle continued: "Thunder Emperor. Have you read the message I sent you a few hours ago?" Thunder Emperor stared at him dumbfoundedly. Looking at his face, Kyle knew the old man wasn''t reading any of it. He started to regret his decision to not send a human messenger to deliver the news to the Thunder Emperor. He face mmed himself knowing it was his mistake and not the old man''s. "I''m sorry, Thunder Emperor. I should have sent you a human messenger." Thunder Emperor folded his arm in front of his chest. "What do you mean by that?" With a sigh, Kyle informed him about the message he had sent to the top 10 heroes as simply as possible, fast enough so the meeting could continue. In his message, Kyle had informed the top 10 heroes to attend the meeting through the Holo-vision. Unlike the top 10 guild leaders and 80 countries leaders who were obliged to attend the meeting physically, the top 10 heroes were free to choose whether to join or not. At the very least, Kyle received 3 positive responses from them, telling him that they would join the meeting through Holo-vision. Those three were Nuria Crimson (rank 4), Kamael Nielsen (rank 7), and Olsen Vangoch (rank 9). In addition, now they had a rank 1 hero attending the meeting physically. "You should have been right there if you read my message," said Kyle, his hand gesturing at the hologram disy in the center. The hologram in the center disyed three holographic figures staring at the Thunder Emperor with a grin. Noticing their grin, he grinned back as he straightened himself and stared back at them. Somehow, the intensity of their stares spread across the room as though the holographic figures were present in the room. "Ha!" Nuria''s holographic moved. She looked like she was taking a sit on the other side. "It is nice to meet you after the whole rank thing, Thunder Emperor," said Nuria. Her voice was audible even though she was just a hologram. This showed how much technology had advanced in this world. "Nuria Crimson. Hero of Octagram," Thunder Emperor''s words trailed off. "Sometimes, I wonder why did you stop to be the strongest." Nuria chuckled. "I''ve reached my limit. Rather than doing something useless knowing I''ve hit the unbroken wall, it''s better to nurture the young generation to be the next pir of the world." Thunder Emperor raised his eyebrow, seemingly finding it weird about her statement. "Hitting the wall? Have you tried the elixir those brats have created?" said him as his gaze fall on Andi Nova and Neyctha. "I was unlucky," she shrugged. As Thunder Emperor was about to make ament, Kyle stopped him. He daringly reminded Thunder Emperor that he was in the middle of the meeting. Feeling as though he was challenged, Thunder Emperor released a significant amount of his pressure on Kyle. To his surprise, the handsome and charming leader was unflinching. Grinning, Thunder Emperor reimed his aura after seeing the resolute in the handsome leader''s eyes. "Interesting. No wonder they chose you as the leader." Shaking his head, Kyle snapped his finger. In an instant, a chair emerged out of thin air behind Thunder Emperor. Smiling, Thunder Emperor slid down to sit on the chair that almost looked like a throne. "Much better." Evelyn leaned in to whisper in Kyle''s ear. "Are you okay?" "Yeah, don''t worry about me." As though nothing happened, the Global Meeting continued as it should. During the meeting, Crow just couldn''t help but stare at Evelyn ¡ª more urately at her eyes. And every time Evelyn noticed his gaze, again and again, she just smiled knowingly at him. The first day of the meeting was supposed to be fruitless. Many of the leaders were against the idea to elevate the Earth to the next level. Not until they got solid proof of whatever the creature had appeared on the night of the new year said was true. But, when the first day''s meeting was about to end. Evelyn gazed at Crow with a wide smile, and he knew that the moment he caught her smile, he was fucked up. Chapter 137 Global Meeting IV

Chapter 137 Global Meeting IV

The moment he caught the smile on her face, he realized he was fucked up. Not literary, but you know the deal. Evelyn, a wizard with a bright personality ¡ª which was rare among them. She brought with her a positive aura enlightening one''s mood. Somehow, some people found her personality annoying. She was known for being too personal, and everyone hated that trait of her. Despite that, Evelyn was a great young wizard who had reached the 8th mana circle at merely a young age. If she was 28 this year, then two years ago ¡ª the year when she evolved to the next level ¡ª she was only 26. Wizards, unfortunately, had the average human lifespan but slightly better. Most of the time, the wizard''s average age of death was 90 years if nothing exciting happened in their life. Only research, and research. Though, they could live up to a hundred years if they could nurture their mana well. Back to the present. After the meeting tension slowly dissipated in the room. After everyone had given their opinions about the Voice Impact. At a time when everyone expected the meeting was about to end. Evelyn ¡ª who had been a listener from the start ¡ª raised her hand, finally voicing her aspiration. While she did so, only a few people noticed how she smiled and took a nce at one of Neychta''s aides, Crow. "As everyone knows, I''m the representative of Lunaria Tower, recing the Celestial who was busy with his research." She began with a brief introduction. Everyone nodded almost simultaneously. None of them seemed to be discontent with how the Lunaria Tower master or the Celestial acted, such as throwing his responsibility to the other just because he had research going on. Because they all knew how important the wizard research was. Both for the wizardmunity and the advancement of the world. Without caring much about people''s response, she continued: "A few months ago, there was a beacon of light that originated from D-Point Ruin. I was tasked to investigate what caused the ruin and thend to be disappeared from the map, leaving only arge hole God knows how deep it is." The leaders waited expectantly for the wizard to continue. They were all curious about that incident. Truthfully, because the investigation wasn''t published publicly, almost everyone in this meeting had forgotten about the event. As soon as being reminded of it, some of them started to make a thread, linking the Beacon of Light event to the recent Impact Voice event. "I¡­ We have found out what probably caused the disappearance of the ruin after a bit of investigation through the mana currenting out from the hole and asking the Octagram Academy Explorer Club''s members some questions." Nuria''s ears twitched as she heard her academy was being mentioned. ncing and noticing Nuria''s subtle reaction, Evelyn continued. No one seemed to want to stop her due to how curious they were about the incident. "It is said that the Ruin''s copse is due to the mana system preserving the Ruin being destroyed, or solved¡­" A bit of uncertainty in her words. "Mana system?" One of the leaders attending the meeting asked. "The core system. Simr to the hunting field''s origin. It manifested to this world because the system was created in that ce, and once its fuel ¡ª mana was drained, it would transform back to how it was before the manifestation." "So the ruins are surfacing to this world because they have those systems? And once those systems are destroyed, the ruin will copse?" Evelyn nodded. "Yes. That is the theory we came up with after all those deductions from the investigation." After hearing the theory, Nuria''s hologram leaned forward on her chair. "Am I right to guess that one of my students destroyed¡ª solved the mana system in the D-Point Ruin?" A wide smile formed on Evelyn''s face. "Yes." Excitement rushed through Nuria''s veins as she heard the reply. "Do you know who it was?" "Of course!" She eximed cheerfully while her eyes nced at Crow. Except for Crow himself, no one seemed to notice she was ncing at him. ''There''s no way I was found out, right?'' he thought after bing the target of Evelyn''s nce a few times by now. ''I mean, it was me who told her about what caused the copse a month after the event. But, that''s when I''m using my original form.'' ''I can''t help but be paranoid by how she keeps stealing nces at me as though she knows something.'' He let out a silent drawn-out sigh. ''I hope I''m just imagining things.'' "Can you tell me who it was?" Nuria''s clear and alluring voice pulled him out of his thought. Smirking, Evelyn mmed his hands on the desk before her, then pointed forward at Nuria''s hologram with an exaggerated motion. "That''s what I want to discuss in this meeting!" Everyone was surprised by her word. By the meaning of her word. Kyle who sat beside her shifted in his chair as he leaned on the desk, facing to his left where he could see Evelyn''s cute face. "Is that the topic you told me you wanted to bring to the meeting when you helped with the paperwork?" Giving Kyle a brief nce, she replied to him with a ''yes'' nod before refocusing her attention on the leaders. "Since today''s meeting can''t seem to reach an agreement, anyway. We, the Lunaria Tower want this first-day meeting to not be fruitless and just waste our precious time for this." Almost everyone felt attacked by her words but also confused at the same time. They just couldn''t guess what this wizard was thinking. Staring at Nuria purposefully, Evelyn said: "As the next in line Lunaria Tower Celestial, I, Evelyn Aquatile, want to seek approval from the Headmaster of Octagram Academy to let me nurture the student in question for his magic learning education in the second semester, personally." As soon as she stated those words, no one could contain their shock. It was rare to find an ordinary wizard to have an interest in teaching Enhanced about magic. Not unless they were paid a huge amount of money. To be noticed by the next in line Celestial or Master of Lunaria Tower was something else entirely! Not only they would be a master of magic. They also would be able to wield and cast every tier of magic without restriction, as an Enhanced. It was a 1 in 10000000000 chance! ''Damn lucky for whoever that student is!'' This was what everyone probably thinking right now. Noises began to fill and stir the atmosphere of the meeting room once again. In that very atmosphere, Crow yet caught Evelyn ncing at him. When their eyes met, she gave him a knowing look and winked. He raised his eyebrow. Confused. "May I know what the student''s name is?" Everyone waited expectantly to know who the lucky student was. In every second Evelyn had left the absence of her voice to the question, curiosity crawled up their skins. Then as she was satisfied watching people''s eagerness after leaving them hanging on a cliff, the name of the lucky student was voicing out from her lip. "Zio Varrez." Murmurs and whispers reverberated faintly in the room. No one had an idea who that was. No one except the headmaster, Nuria Crimson, and two other people. Nuria frowned as she recalled the student''s name. It was the name that her granddaughter sometimes told her about. ording to what his granddaughter told her, Zio Varrez was an individual with a lot of potentials. But, if he was one, why did his first assessment was ranked 911th? Either there was a mistake, or the student was purposely hiding his abilities. Thetter sounded stupid. So she thought it was a mistake from the academy. She made a mental note to check on the entrance exam ranking assessmentter. "Zio Varrez. He''s currently iming the 666th spot in the freshman ranking¡­" "I''m aware of that." Nuria raised her eyebrow. "Why do you want to nurture him?" Evelyn chuckled, "You should know why." With a shrug, she continued. "His talent in magic is extraordinary. The highest I''ve ever found among the Enhanced! He might be bing the first hybrid superhuman in the world, with a system and extraordinary talent in magic that surpasses even those 6th mana circle wizards." Gasps. Everyone gasped almost simultaneously at the emphasized word ''Hybrid Superhuman''. ''Am I that extraordinary?'' Crow, the student in question who was in disguise, thought to himself. At that moment, his eyes glided toward Neyhta, noticing her fingers deeply buried into the metal desk. He also noticed how her body was trembling, not sure if that was because of excitement or fear. He bent and whispered into her ear. "Are you okay, Guildmaster?" Neychta flinched as a soft whisper brushed her ear. Turning around, she found Crow staring at her with a questioning face. "No. Nothing." Crow frowned, while Goose let out a sigh. The uncertainty in her words made Crow think there was definitely something wrong that made her like that. ''Anyway¡­'' His gaze fell on Evelyn who was excitedly discussing the issue she brought upon the meeting with Nuria. ''I''m starting to think whether my Luck stat is really rank or not¡­'' Chapter 138 Foreign Dream

Chapter 138 Foreign Dream

After a long, extended Global Meeting draining his energy, mentally, Crow shifted to his original form. Zio Varrez. He found his body embraced by thefy of his dorm bed, already feeling sleepy. Before he fell into the dream world, he told his sword, Retro, not to support him with her cleansing energy. He wanted to confirm something. His irvoyance. He wanted to know if the dream, or more urately, the nightmare he had experienced was caused by his skill. With that in mind, he slowly drifted into the dream world. But his consciousness still lingered around. His physical body wasying on top of the bed defenseless, only to be basked in the moonlight filtered by the window ss of his room. Lux, or precisely the Odyssey, told him he needed to be in a state of stillness and peace ¡ª something akin to Lucid Dreaming ¡ª to have the irvoyance''s Sight to be triggered. Recalling that particr part, he did what he was supposed to do. And finally¡­ He let his consciousness fade away, unleashing it into the dream world, hoping what the Odyssey informed him to be the truth. *** A man stood alone in the middle of the burning city. The tall buildings and skyscrapers copsed and were destroyed, and the fire zed through the city. The streets were filled with red blood from the corpses thaty on the streets. Dark smoke bellowed in the sky, creating an eerie and tragic atmosphere. Hysterical screams flooded the city, and a loud and deep roar echoed through the sky. Standing amid all the chaos, the man stood unflinching as though he was already ustomed to what was going on. Roar¡ª! An ear-deafening roar resounded from behind. The man instinctively turned back and saw a huge creature. A pair of horns protruded from its forehead, stretching forward and then twisted, making a spiral. The creature was red-skinned. Its yellow irises with void-ck sclera red at him. When the line of its mouth formed a smirk, which slowly opened and was reced by a wide evil smile, a pair of fangs in each side of its teeth protruding, stretching upward reaching its big nose. A demon. That creature was definitely a demon. But why? Why was there a demon here, in the city? The demon roared, its voice carried a terror and could possibly cause a mental attack on anyone who heard it. Anyone¡­ except for the man whose features were hidden under his ck robe. The demon closed the distance between itself and the man, raising its axe high in the sky, already feeling like it would emerge as the victor. The demon swung its axe diagonally, targeting him. But he stayed still, not even ncing at the danger approaching. He seemed like he was in a state of trance. Eyes closed. Breathing steady. But, the axe that was supposed to decimate the man easily hadn''t yet killed him. The man was still with his eyes closed. Meanwhile, the demon had stopped moving as though something had frozen it in ce, in an awkward pose with its monstrous-size hands stretched forward, gripping the bloody axe. Thud¡ª! It suddenly dropped its weapon from its seemingly strong grip. Those with keen eyes would notice the very thin yet strong strings chained the creature tightly, almost buried deep within its tough skin. The strings tightened. The demon''s body was suppressed by the chain of strings binding him. In almost immediate motion, the strings passed through its body and disappeared. Soon after that, the demon suddenly turned into pieces of chopped meat. By the time the demon became the not feasible piece of meat, the man finally opened his eyes. Hearing something through the wind, he turned around before another man of the same robe could evennd his feet on the ground after beingunched somewhere God only knows. "Aye boss, you ''right?" said the neer, referring to the first man in robe as ''Boss''. Although the neer''s robe had a simr design, color, and the emblem of the White Chrysanthemum embedded on the back of the robe. His hood was on the unique side, it was not your usual in-looking hood. It was designed after an owl face ¡ª the hood''s pointy edge was bent downward. "What you doin''? Oh! Did you know that I woulde so you let me finish that bastard?! Boss~" Boss stared at him silently. Then in the next few seconds, he finally opened his mouth. "You''ve arrived." His voice sounded gentle yet empty at the same time. It was as though he had lost reason for life. Full of regret. He wanted to end his life but he could not. "Where are the other members?" Boss spoke again. The mysterious guy nodded while pointing behind. "They''re over there, ready to go!" He wasn''t exactly sure where the Neer was pointing, but Boss patted Neer''s shoulder as he walked past him. "Let''s go then, we don''t have much time. Lead the way." "Aye aye, boss~" After some walking deep into the burnt city, they finally arrived in front of the mall ruin. The view surrounding them wasn''t a pleasant one either. As far as their eyes could see, their eyes only caught the sight of what was left from once the mighty, towering buildings and skyscrapers. Without caring about the potential danger that might lurk inside the building, they stepped inside the mall ruin. Once inside, Boss took in his surroundings. It was a mess, the building¡ª the ruin was a total mess. Of course! If the ce was organized and undamaged, then it wouldn''t be called a ruin. Concrete floor scattered everywhere, broken and perforated. The roof above the lobby copsed, creating a conventional path connecting the first level with the second level. ''A five-stories mall,'' Boss remarked. Looking ahead, toward the rubble connecting the lower and upper levels, he watched as four people sitting there. Their eyes fixated on the two men recently entering the ruin. Four people sitting on the rubble connecting the two floors, including Boss and Neer beside him, it would be six people. They casually stared at each other. Except for Boss. His eyes solemnly observe each of the individuals on the rubble. A white-haired guy stood at the far left, tying his long hair into a ponytail. In front of him, a broadsword was shoved inside the building carcasses beneath him, creating a disy as though it was an Excalibur. Next to him, sat a woman wearing round sses yfully throwing and catching the sks containing a purple liquid and a yellow liquid. She looked like a scientist, wearing a whiteb coat and such. The other two were ying a prank on each other, their features were simr, a twin, perhaps. They were youngpared to the others upying this ce, more or less 19 years old. Their eyes resembled an emerald. The twin was of different gender, with the boy looking cuter than the girl who appeared to be a tomboy. Though, both had short violet hair. "It looks like everyone is here," Boss said, a hint of satisfaction was carried in his words. Hearing how his voice echoed in the air, they looked in Boss''s direction with concern on their face. Among them, it was Scientist who wore the most concerned expression directed at Boss. "Boss, are you sure you''re gonna be okay?" "What do you mean? Of course, I''m okay. I will." "Your face says otherwise though. You are so pale. You look like you''re about to copse anytime soon¡­" Scientist''s voice was low and soothing, like the sound of a mother caring for her children. "She is right. Maybe we can postpone this mission for a while, you should rest first," said the white-haired man after finishing tying his long hair. Boss sighed, expressing his rejection by shaking his head slowly. "No. We don''t have much time left. We can''t dy this any longer to save this already hopeless world." "Hmm¡­" The white-haired man thought for a moment before asking Boss a question, "Anyway, Boss. Are you sure the ''thing'' we''re after is the key to saving this world?" Boss nodded once. His eyes reflected his resolution. "I''m a hundred percent sure." "Huu¡­ Well, a hundred percent. Alright!" Neer said, breaking his long silence sinceing to this ce. "I''m worried that you might lose yourself after losing that person, but it looks like you get yourself back just like the old days," Scientist woman said with a sigh, standing up from the rubble. The twin just gave Boss an excited nod. He nodded back at them. They were having a great ancient civilization way ofmunication when words weren''t a thing. "Anyway, if you don''t mind me asking this¡­" The Neer beside him spoke up as he walked toward the rubble to join the other four. "What are we really looking for? Whatever it was, I was hoping this whole demon thing can be stopped." Boss smiled. "It is the artifact of the old god, an item capable to turn back time." Upon hearing what Boss said, everyone was surprised and they blurted the same word at the same time. "Turn back time?!" Chapter 139 Man Without Name

Chapter 139 Man Without Name

A man dressed in ck robes stood in front of the remains of a mid-sized shop. Somehow, its windows were safe from destruction, unlike the building itself, reflecting his image. At first, his face appeared devoid of emotion, but now it seemed brighter, as though he had discovered a newfound sense of purpose in life. His odd eyes stared at his own reflection, and it stared back at him with intensity. A few secondster, his eyes rxed. His long, unkempt hair danced in the wind as he pulled the hood. His hair color was like two separate worlds ¡ª one half was white, while the other half was ck ¡ª much like his eyes, although the light was absent in one of them. "Boss!" Boss. He was called ''Boss'' by hisrades because none knew his name even though the groups had been together for years. It was not like the others didn''t care about his name. But, they had given up on guessing his blurred and censored name. Speaking his name out loud and clear still resulted in blurred, or sometimes bing a shrill shriek in people''s ears. Meanwhile, writing his name with perfect writing and calligraph resulted in ugly, unreadable text in people''s eyes. The system didn''t let them hear or read his name. The world deliberately isted his identity from people. The world removed all living creatures'' senses when it came to Boss'' identity. Although, they could still see his appearance just fine. How painful it must be when no one could learn your name. In the end, they just called him ''Boss'' because he was the leader of the group. Turning around, he found hisrades gathered behind him. Among them, only Neer wore a mask. It was a in white mask which identally decorated by the crack stretched out from its eye socket to the top, pasting the crack with transparent duct tape. They were all wearing beautifully tailored and stylish dark robes. On the left chest side, adjacent to the heart, and on the back side of the robe, a pattern of Chrysanthemum was embedded. It was sewn using white thread for the most part, yellow thread for the stamens located in the middle, and green thread for the leaves. The pattern on the back side wasrger than the one on the front chest. Walking past them, Boss pulled the ck fabric connected to the robe, covering half of his face. "Let''s go." The sky hung in darkness, not due to the absence of the sun. The sun and the moon were doing their job as intended. Sadly, malevolent magic had shrouded the earth''s expanse, blocking the beauty of the moon in the night, and the bright star in the day. The world had descended into an eternal night. No one knew. No one cared anymore about the natural cycle of day and night. It had been like that since the demons'' first invasion and upation. As the demons spread their influence, the sky grew progressively darker, casting a somber veil over thend. Wars raged ceaselessly across the world, and the countless deaths of the earth''s inhabitants seemed immeasurable. More urately, no one could be bothered to write the census. With each newnd imed by the demons, humanity''sst refuge dwindled to a single stronghold, besieged by sorrow and fear. While the majority of humanity resigned themselves to their fate, awaiting their inevitable demise within the safety of their final stronghold. A small group defied the demon''s army, despite their resistance goingrgely unappreciated by their kind. The mere mention of their name, the ''Spectres,'' struck fear into the hearts of both demons and humans alike, for they were feared by both sides. ¡­ Standing on the high cliff, a boy with dark violet hair scanned the vast open desert area. His green emerald eyes glowed despite the darkness of the world. In his hand was a sniper rifle about the same size as him. Surprisingly, he held it as though it was made of light material such as wood. "Targets found! 10 o''clock direction from your current position!" ¡ª Kill them all. "Aye, aye, Boss!" Putting himself on the ground, his sniper was ced in a convenient position to hit targets kilometers away from his position. It should be impossible to shoot a target farther than two or three kilometers, but his attributes made it possible. "One, two, three¡­ 11 targets locked!" the boy said, grinning. As he ced his finger in front of the trigger, arge amount of mana gathered at the rifle''s muzzle, creating a sphere made of mana. Bang¡ª! A gunshot echoed in the air. The mana sphere in front of the muzzle was released. While flying toward its target, the mana was reshaped, and condensed into a magic bullet that glowed white-blue light in the darkness. Toward reaching half of the distance uponunch, the bullet dispersed into pieces of magic bullets, their speed increasing so that the bullets would reach and kill the 11 locked targets in 5 seconds. ¡ª Bullseye! Listening to a cheering and excited voiceing from hismunication tools, Boss smiled. "Good job, Nate!" ¡ª Hehe! Thanks, Bwoss~ Arriving at the marked location on the map, where the 11 creatures were guarding the ce, Boss and hisrades entered the great ruins in the desert. "Fuaaaa¡­ It''s so hot¡­" The man in the owl robe hood loosened the ck cloth and removed the hood that covered his face. The wind washed away the sweat that was pouring down his forehead, and his messy ck hair was blown by the strong gust, making him hold the mask on his face. Kring¡ª! Boss'' ears twitched as he heard a bell-like sound ring out in the air. He scanned the round vicinity in search of the sound''s origin, which turned out the sound came from the earring worn by Neer. Looking at it, Boss was astonished by how beautifully crafted the earring was. It was a crescent and little stars-shaped earring, even though the metals were already rusty, one could tell that the star ornaments were previously blue. Unfortunately, his observation of the beautiful earring would soon be broken by the voice of his otherrades. "Everyone,e here!" someone shouted. Once this low, pleasant voice entered their hearings, they turned in the direction of the voice at the same time. If any of them noticed how synchronized their motion was, they made sure not to mention the little detail. What they found in their line of sight was a female scientist or alchemist. She was crouching on the part of ruins looking like an altar. The tform was slightly elevated, creating a small circr stone stage where a stone, much like a tomb, filled with carvings and murals rested atop. Gathering around the altar ruins, Neer carefully examined the carvings on the stone, not wanting to trigger traps that might be installed around the stone. "A human¡ª no. A titan, numbers, monsters, machines, and..." Fixing his eyes on the somewhat looked like a watch pocket, Neer narrowed his eyes. A momentter, he snapped his finger as he recognized the obvious carving. "A watch," he said. "What does it mean?" The white-haired man asked. He was the most clueless of the four. Usually, that was what people called the ''all brawn, no brain''. His strong body, broad shoulders, and well-trained muscles made him a reliable person when it came to physical activities. However, it was advised not toe to him for solving a puzzle, ever. Taking another look at the altar, Neer said: "If my guess is correct. It tells a story about the history of an ancient God, a God who can manipte space and time, maybe?" Surprised, the female alchemist said, "Is it the same as I thought?" A smirk yed on Neer''s face. "Chronos." Both of them snapped their fingers at the same time. Pulling his conventional device around his wrist close to the murals and carvings on the stone, he took some pictures and sent them to one of hisrades. "Via. Take a look at these." ¡ª Oh, what is this? "We found this in the ruins. My guess is that this is rted to Chronos. Can you confirm it?" ¡ª OH!! CHRONOS?!! IT WILL BE DONE IN A FLASH! ¡­ After receiving the report from Via about the carvings which were indeed about the old god, Chronos, the four of them continued their search for Chronos''s artifact that could turn back time. They found the entrance leading to the underground ruins. It was a spiral staircase leading underground, they didn''t know how long it took them to descend the stairs. The ce was dark, cold, and damp, the only source of light wasing from Boss who used light magic even though he wasn''t a wizard. "Just how deep is this underground? I''m sure we''ve spent over an hour descending these stairs!" The white-haired man snapped. "If you want to know, why don''t you just jump straight down there, Albus?" Neer said, his finger pointing down at the void beneath them. "Shut up, dude!!!" Neer''s smirk widened. It was always fun to tease the muscle guy. Chapter 140 Endless Tunnel and Unknown Monster

Chapter 140 Endless Tunnel and Unknown Monster

"How long are we here already?" Albus asked, already feeling bored from climbing down the stairs. The man walking in front of him nced at him over his shoulder, his face covered by the mask. Due to theck of light, Albus could not see the man''s eyes through the eye socket. It was dark. An endless void of darkness. "Three hours, twenty-seven minutes, and eleven seconds," Neer replied. Pulling his gaze away from the ''void'', Albus looked into another void in the center of the spiral stairways. "And strangely, I don''t feel tired." "It''s fifteen seconds now." Albus nced at Neer, his eyes frowned. "Not needed. But, thanks, I guess." Shrugging his shoulder, followed by a smirk, Neer stared down at the void for a moment before looking at Albus again and said: "Remember when I said you could just jump to reach the bottom?" Albus raised his eyebrow, his mouth tightly closed. "By this height, I think you can do that now," Neer continued, with a grin stered on his face. Upon hearing what Neer had said, Albus mirrored his grin as he peeked at the void with great interest. "Just remember that if I die from this. I''ll haunt you eternally!" Neer chuckled. "Be my guest." Boss and Scientist stopped in their tracks, noticing Neer and Albus were not following behind. Looking up, Scientist shouted, but not too loud. "Are you sure it''s safe?" "Who knows?" Neer responded tly. Soon after, Albus took a deep breath. Without wasting more time, he jumped into the void confidently. Swoosh¡ª! Boss and Scientist could hear a voice of his drop trailing in the air. After what felt like ten seconds, a loud thud sound apanied by a slight tremor took ce. The next second was silent. Everyone on the stairways was waiting for Albus to make a noise. Then, curse words of ''fvck'' and ''sh!t'' resounded in the damped ce. A few seconds after hearing Albus'' cursing, the three of them followed after him. In almost synchronized motion, they jumped into the void. Theynded smoothly as the wind currents beneath the ground helped their fall. "You should have used them on my fall too, Boss." Albus sighed dejectedly. Ignoring his remark, they continued to explore the underground tunnel. There was nothing much to see there. No eye-catching details, or more like, nothing could catch the group''s attention along the wall. The carving, though intricate, had no value. It was just random lines, as though w marks. If it was something special, Neer would have stopped to examine them, but he did not. Although, if there was something in the tunnel that made the group feel gratitude and grab attention was the fact the tunnel only had a straight path. No branch path. Which was good. Their long journey in the tunnel was not in silence. The banters between Albus and Neer made the journey feel alive. The asional frustrated grunt from Scientist. And the neverending sphere light spell from Boss illuminated the tunnel. Despite walking for another three hours, they didn''t feel exhausted nor their limbs screamed, begging to stop. Theck of signal andmunication with the twin who was on the surface as they walked further deep into the tunnel, made them feel trapped in another dimension. Eventually, the sound of running water resounded faintly ahead of the road. They hastened their paces as soon as their ears received a signal ¡ª a contact with the voice. The sign of life. The water. The exit of this long tunnel! The closer they were to the source, the more audible the voice sounded to their ears. They could see a sh of light ahead of the road. It gradually expanded until their visions sumbed to the white light. "Finally!" Finally, they escaped the endless tunnel. Finally, they managed to save their sanity. Finally, they could save the world. Just a few steps closer. A few¡­ "Fo¡­ od¡­" Sadly, it was not a pool of water that greeted them, nor it was a waterfall, a fountain, or even a tiny puddle of liquid. What greeted them was something they did not expect. Boss, Scientist, and Albus nced at Neer simultaneously. He was supposed to be the reckoner of the group. He was supposed to know about this. But, why didn''t he tell them? Neer shrugged and shook his head. He, too, did not expect there would be the ''thing'' standing tall before them. Standing before them was a ''thing'', a grotesque and unsettling sight ¡ª an abhorrent creatureposed entirely of liquid. It took the form of a massive blob of water, towering over the group at a staggering four meters in height, resembling a giant in size. The creature''s liquid body had a humanoid shape, resembling that of a human skeleton or, more specifically, a giant''s skeletal structure. Besides that, it also had six hands. While the hands were fairly thinner than those of a giant, the palms and soles were gigantic. However, its unsettling form didn''t end just there. This type of elemental creature should have no face, but this one was different. This one had a face, but it was not exactly a face. It was just¡­ a flesh skull ¡ª an amalgamation of flesh forming a skull-like structure, reminiscent of human flesh contorted into a macabre semnce of a face. The details of this fleshy skull only added to the eerie and disturbing aura surrounding the creature. "Fle¡­ssh¡­" "It can talk?!" Boss frowned. "Telepathy." The creature had used telepathy to speak directly into their heads because it had neither a mouth nor vocal cords. If it had one, imagine how disturbing it would be to see organs drowned inside its liquid body. "Unknown creature. I never thought that there was still a creature like this one in this dark age," Scientist remarked. Wordlessly, Boss pulled the dagger from its sheath, releasing arge amount of mana into his weapon. It was after his weapon was imbued with mana, creating an artificial and temporary magic weapon, that he spoke. "This one doesn''t seem friendly to us." Following him, the other three also drew their weapons simultaneously. Albus drew his greatsword from its sheath slung around his back. "Hah, finally, some action!" "I don''t think weapons can work..." said Scientist as she observed the creature. "Then use your alchemy things, Jade!" "I will." Scientist swung her hand in the air, motioning a sweeping gesture over the empty space. Suddenly, sks filled with various liquid colors appeared out of thin air. "My wind alone is enough to blow that lump of water away." A burst of wind suddenly emanated from Neer''s body, swirling around him violently. After a while, the vortex dissipated and reappeared into fiercer ck winds. The creature''s roaring noise rang inside their heads, making them flinch and thus distracted for a moment. The blob water monster shot a jet of water from its body. Dozens of water bullets burst out from its liquid body at a speed ordinary humans could not keep up with. Fortunately, each of the group members was not just your-ordinary human. With their inhuman speeds, they dodged the water bullets effortlessly. Unharmed. Holding the sword with both hands in front of him, Albus emitted a cold air around him, making the lower part of the creature''s liquid form freeze because of the direct contact with the negative temperature spread across beneath their feet. Using that opportunity, Neer cast a ferocious swirling ck wind at the creature, shattering the frozen part. Crash¡ª! Three of the creature''s frozen left hands were shattered into pieces. Ice pebbles scattered throughout the damp floor. "Easy!" Albus dered proudly, while Neer only let out a sigh. "It''s not done yet!" Scientist yelled behind them, her own weapon ¡ª alchemical concoctions ¡ª ready at hand. Jade tossed the sks filled with green liquid at the creature''s flesh skull face. The sk smashed as soon as it hit the fleshy skull of the creature. The content inside the sh sttered over the disturbing fleshy skull face. Nothing happened for at least three seconds. But in the next second, the concoction proved its effectiveness by melting its disgusting face. White-hot steam began to shroud its flesh skull. Lastly, Boss walked toward the creature, sticking his dagger into its liquid body. At that moment, the creature''s liquid form moved erratically as though it was about to erupt. Sure enough, as soon as it stopped moving, its entire liquid body erupted like a volcano, a fountain, or whatever it was, leaving a mid-sized puddle on the floor. The creature was dead. They pulled empty jugs out of thin air and filled them with the water from the puddle. The remnant of the creature''s liquid body looked clear and clean enough as a puddle, so they thought it was safe to drink from it. To ensure safety, Boss used his power to sterilize the water, making it possible to be drunk without worrying about getting poisoned. Just as they were about to take a gulp. Hundreds or more of those same creatures, but smaller in size, suddenly appeared out of nowhere. "Great! We could make this ce be drowned in their corpse!" Chapter 141 Snake In The Grass

Chapter 141 Snake In The Grass

"Fuck!" The battle against hundreds of unknown creatures had finished. The side that came out as the winner was the Spectres. The unknown creatures had been eradicated in just one battle. Thanks to that, the underground ruin was now clear of them. However, the battle had left the Spectres crippled. They lost two of their members. The Scientist, Jade, and the Brute, Albus. "We should go, Boss." "Those things did not even leave their corpses alone." "..." Neer stared at Boss, no one knew what his expression looked like behind the mask. Was he sad? Was he sad that he lost hisrades? No one knew. Meanwhile, Boss got into his knee, searching for any remains hisrade had left, but there were none. Everything was devoured and got melted inside the creatures'' liquid form. Their bodies, their weapons, everything. They did not survive. Boss gritted his teeth, promising their souls that he would definitelyplete this quest and return to the past. Clenching his fist tightly, he rose to his feet, his gaze shed with raging determination. Turning around, Boss nodded at Neer, and Neer nodded back. "Let''s go." Boss tapped Neer''s shoulder as he walked past him. Neer stood still, unmoving. He did not immediately follow after Boss. Instead, he nced at the area where Boss'' palm contacted his shoulder, rubbing it off with his hand. Then as he was done, his gaze fixed on the earring hung on his right ear, finding himself smiling unconsciously behind his mask. But, rather than a warm smile, it was more like a cold, dark smile. "Are youing or not?" As Boss called him, he shook away the thoughts in his mind. Returning to his usual cheery and carefree self, Neer shouted cheerfully, making his voice echo throughout the isted underground room. "Wait for me, Boss!" They walked silently, putting their guards up as they finally reached an underground cave. The size of the cave was massive, with the ceiling up high and stctites hanging menacingly. Around him were rubbles and remains of what seemed to be a majestic pce. Despite the mess of this ancient ruin, one building ¡ª a broken structure of once a great clock tower ¡ª stood out the most from the rest. In one nce, even someone with Intelligence could tell that the broken clock tower at the other side of the cave was their supposed destination of this ruin. The ce where they could find a strong artifact that could turn back time. However, they needed to cross the great bridge connecting two teaus of the cave. Thend was separated by a great valley more or less 500 meters wide. "Don''t you think it''s weird?" Neer spoke suddenly. "What is?" "I mean. Howe a ce like this exists under the desert? More importantly, just how far are we from the surface?" Boss shrugged. "Who knows?" Stopping at the start line of the bridge, they observed the path ahead. The bridge, just like the other structures of this underground cave ruin, was not in its prime shape. There were so many broken parts of the bridge, as well as debris scattered throughout the path. "Hmm. I have a bad feeling about crossing this bridge¡­" said Neer abruptly. Looking at him, Boss said: "Did you see something?" Neer narrowed his eyes as he inspected the bridge and the great valley stretched out before his eyes. "I''m not sure¡­ It doesn''t work. Just like how I can''t see the danger of the unknown creatures back then." Boss closed his eyes, bit by bit leaking his mana outside consciously. "There must be something here blocking your sight." "Maybe¡­" With utmost care, they ventured to cross the bridge. Their gaze never stopped to look for the danger that might lurk around. Maybe there was another unidentified creature creeping under the bridge? Or a colossal monster emerged from the deep of the valley? Fortunately, the danger they expected never came. Even so, they didn''t let their guard down. Not until they reach the other side of the bridge. "For some reason, I felt disappointed because there was no surprise even though it would be a perfect ce for that." Boss could only shake his head upon hearing Neerined about the wrong part. Arriving in front of the broken structure of what seemingly a clock tower, Boss ced his hand on the ground. He drew out his mana from the core gradually, consuming a total of 200 mana units with a consistent consumption of 10 mana units per second. Adhering to that information, Boss surveyed the area for a solid 20 seconds using his surveying skill. "You know, Boss, why didn''t you use your skill earlier when we were about to cross the bridge?" Unmoving from his position, Boss replied: "I was preserving my mana for the worst." "Preserving? Really? For the worst?" Neer said. "You have like a huge pool of mana! How much is it again?! 8888 mana units! With a fvcking 2.5% mana regen per 30 seconds!" Neer sighed, then continued. "30 seconds after you use this skill, your mana will be at full capacity again." "No. There''s a dy before the core could regenerate the mana lost. And it won''t regenerate until your body cooled down." "Oh! Thanks for the lecture, boss!" Neer rolled his eyes. "So, what did you get from the survey?" "Jackpot¡­" Boss replied, his voice sounding a bit shaky. After the death of theirrades, the situation between the two of them had gone awry. Neer wouldn''t usually act like that to Boss. The same happened to Boss, he was usually quiet and calm. But somehow after the unfortunate incidents, he became restless and paranoid. If we tried to look at a more positive perspective. Maybe they were just excited because they were so close to their goals. The artifact. An ancient artifact of the old God, in fact. Boss stepped away from his initial position, entering the ruined clock tower. Looking at him entering the tower, Neer made a moment to take off the earring on his right ear. He inspected it for a while before crushing it with his palm. As soon as the earring was broken, Neer stumbled forward, memories were flooding his mind. His face was in constant change of expression within 10 seconds of reliving the memories. As thest memory finished being yed in his head, Neer took off his mask, throwing it on the ground. "Haa¡­ I''m just doing my job¡­" he said as his gaze fixated on the ceiling of the cave. ¡­ Stepping his foot inside the tower, Boss strode deeper into the building until he found a stairway leading to the top floor. There was an elevator for sure, but it was out of service due to there was no electricity to revive the dead building. Once he arrived at the top floor of the tower, he walked toward the elevated floor, only to stop in front of the hourss mark carved on the small board under the great clock formed from a pool of bluish energy. Stretching his hand forward, he seeped in his mana on the mark. Soon after, it glowed a radiant blue light along the mark''s lines. The light then separated itself from the board, floating in the air. Its hourss form gradually turned into a symbol of ''infinity'' but vertical. But, it was not long until it rotated, bing the ''infinity'' sign. As the light disappeared, a badge ¡ª a watch pocket of some sort ¡ª revealed itself,nding on Boss'' palm smoothly. A wide, wishful smile stered on Boss'' face the moment his skin touched the artifact''s cold material. "Finally¡ª?!" He couldn''t finish his word. Not when he felt a sudden ticklish feeling around his chest. ncing downward, he found a de nketed with fresh blood, his blood, sticking out from his chest. "Guhak!" Suddenly, his mouth was covered with fresh blood after one cough. In the part where the de sticking out, piercing his heart, a stream of blood already nketed his body with red color. ncing over his shoulder, his eyes widened as he caught Neer standing behind, his hand stretched out, stabbing Boss in the chest with his sword. Another hand was holding another sword. Without the mask on, Boss could finally see what his face looked like. "You¡­ Why¡­" "Not so fast, Sabit." Boss'' eyes widened again. Never once in his life did he think he would finally hear his name called by someone else. Unfortunately, it wasing from his grim reaper. Not giving Boss a chance to counterattack, Neer shoved another sword in his hand in the exact same ce as the previous stab, adding more burden and power to crush Boss'' heart, as well as his core. "Kuh¡­!" Boss chuckled before the light left his eyes. Before the me in his heart went out. Before he could attain his goal. Thud¡ª! His body dropped like a ragdoll, nowying lifeless on the ground. Sheathing his swords, Neer stole the artifact from Boss'' hand. After inspecting the artifact, he shoved it into his coat pocket behind the robe. "Don''t hate me for this, Sabit. I''m just doing my job as the Keeper. I can''t risk the whole timeline for your goal." Turning around, he ran a hand through his jet-ck hair. Pulling out a hand mirror, the ck-void eyes stared back at him. without guilt and remorse, he shed a smile innocently. Storing the hand mirror back to the spatial storage, his hand reached for the artifact in his pocket. He looked at it solemnly. Neer nced over his shoulder, looking at Boss'' corpse lying on the ground. "I can''t risk the whole timeline for your goal¡­ but I can do it for my goal." Chapter 142 Waking Up

Chapter 142 Waking Up

''Master¡­'' It had been 12 hours since Zio had fallen asleep. Reina, the ego of the artifact, nced at her master lying on the soft bed. Her face was filled with worry about her master''s condition. ''It''s so rare for Master to sleep for more than 5 hours. He must be exhausted himself from yesterday." Shifting her attention away, Reina now looked at the tablet in her hands. A video was yed. A tutorial video. Nothing she could do anyway. Her master had said not to cover or disturb his slumberst night, and she did it. But, finding Zio still asleep even after 12 hours made Reina restless. She was experiencing an internal conflict. Should she help her master to wake up or let him be? Zio was probably just exhausted. Very, very out of energy. But, what if something happened to him in his slumber? Reina shook the bad thoughts away. She did not want anything to happen to her master. Sighing a heavy breath, Reina fixed her eyes upon the tablet screen in her hands, watching a cartoon movie out of it. Unbeknownst to her, another six hours was added to her master''s sleeping period. 18 hours. Zio had slept for 18 hours and still showed no sign of waking up. The sun was on its way to bury itself in the horizon line. The skies were about to be painted in an orange hue as the sun kept making its way to set. Reina became anxious. She wanted to do something to wake her master up from his long slumber, but she couldn''t. Her master was just having a long slumber. His pulse and heartbeat were as normal as usual, meaning he was not in a critical condition. Unless Zio was in a critical condition, there was nothing much Reina could do. As the boredom started to fall upon her, Reina turned off the tablet and put it on the table. Getting up, she walked toward the window, trying her best to peek from the gap but failed miserably. She thought for a moment. Soon after, she pushed thefy stool under the window, standing on top of it afterward. With the support of the stool, Reina was now able to see what was beyond the window. From there, she watched the birds flying in the sky. From there, she observed the countless grove trees behind the dorm. From there, she caught a glimpse of the familiar faces. She found her gaze unconsciously drawn toward the five people talking to each other, enjoying thest week of their winter holiday. "Aren''t they the people Master often refers to as the main characters? I''m not sure why Master does that but, in my life, Master is the main character!" Without her knowledge, Reina had spoken too loud for one of them to immediately turn his gaze toward the window. When she did notice, their eyes met for a short moment before Reina removed herself from the window. "Oh¡­ Did he see me¡­" *** "Hah¡­ Finally, the break ising to an end!" Seo Yeong-Ha shouted excitedly. Beside her, Lumi responded: "There might be an extended holiday. Knowing the current situation and what happened two days ago." Seo Yeong-Ha gave her a side deadpan look. "Ohe on, Lumi! Must you need to break the mood like this?" "Yeah, Lumi. You''re always so serious," Leonardo followed up. Realizing what she did was a mistake, Lumi immediately apologized to them. "Ah, sorry¡­" She apologized despite having a frown directed at the two of them. She could not believe that Leo was siding with Seo Yeong-Ha. ''Could the rumor be true? That they''re dating¡­'' Lumi said inwardly, a hint of disappointment visible on her face. The five students were hanging out. They talked about anything and everything. Sometimes it was about academics. Sometimes it was about a recent event, the Voice Impact. And sometimes about the dungeons and monsters. "By the way, does anyone know what happened to Zio Varrez?" Suddenly, one of them, Ayano, blurted out someone''s name, making their ears twitch at the same time upon recognizing how familiar the name was to them. "Is something wrong with him?" Lux was the first one to respond. As he said that, he suddenly recalled the event of yesterday''s meeting with Zio at the medical center, finding himself frowning at the memory. "I''m not sure how he usually behaves but¡­" Ayano''s gaze fell on Lumi. "A few days before the new year. I found him acting weirdly¡­" "Can you borate?" Lumi asked. Ayano found it hard to talk and gossip about someone without their permission but, the matter this time seemed to ovee that feeling due to how curious she was. "That night, when everyone was inside the cafeteria celebrating, I saw Zio lurking outside the building. Back then, he was crawling on the road. Like a predator. Lust? I''m not sure. He looked like he was interacting with someone but I don''t see anyone around him." She paused, letting the story seep in. "When I asked him, he said that he wanted to taste the snow," She eyed everyone''s reaction, noticing they had solemn expressions. "Umm¡­ that''s it." As soon as Ayano concluded her story, Seo Yeong-Ha sneered. "Bah! That rat must have hit his head hard! Serve him right!" Lux, Lumi, and Ayano frowned at Seo Yeong-Ha''s remark. Feeling overwhelmed by their stares, she reluctantly apologized. "H-hey¡­ Don''t look at me like that. I was joking, man¡­" she defended. "Fine! Sorry¡­ As much as I hate him, I admit my words are too harsh." Shaking her head, Lumi spoke about what she knew about Zio''s condition. At first, she was reluctant to tell them but, she felt it was necessary to do it, so no one would think badly of Zio. "He has a severe mental illness," Lumi stated as a matter of fact. "Mental illness?" "Yes. A hallucination." Lux crossed his hands on his chest, his eyes staring at Lumi intensely. "How do you know if he has it?" he asked. Lumi sighed, taking candy out of her storage cube. "This is a Serenity Candy," she said. "Candy with a calming effect on one''s mind. But, it only works on someone with a special circumstance,monly a mental health problem." "I have¡ª" "ustrophobia," Leo said, cutting her words. Lumi nodded at him, a warm smile on her face. "Yes. I always eat Serenity Candy every time I''m under pressure." Her gaze found Lux. "I had to consume this for two weeks to rx my mind after I was confined inside that ce." Hearing the story, Lux lowered his head. "I''m sorry. If only I was faster¡­" "No, no!" Lumi waved her hand dismissively. "I''m thankful for your help, and Zio. If it was not for you guys, I don''t think I will be here now." Leonardo''s eyes perked up, his ears twitching as curiosity get the best of him. "Wait. Wait. What are we talking about right now?" He looked at Lumi right in the eyes. "You get confined? When and where?" "The D-Point Ruin incident, right?" Seo Yeong-Ha guessed abruptly. Lumi nodded. "Yes. Someone abducted me while a conflict outside the entrance gate urred, he trapped me inside a small space for no reason¡­ I just¡­ don''t understand what was going on back then. Why''d he do that?" Leonardo grabbed Lumi''s wrist, his eyes full of concern. "Why didn''t you tell me about this? Who was it? The one that trapped you there?" As the atmosphere became heavier as they talked about the past incident, Lux looked away from the rest. Coincidentally, his gaze abruptly stopped at the window of the 5th-floor room when he heard a noise, catching someone peeking from there. It was just a glimpse, but he was sure it was a little girl with short blonde hair who was peeking from there. There was no way he could be wrong. But the uncertainty still hit him. ''Why is there a little girl in the academy?'' *** It had been 24 hours and Zio still had not woken up. Reina could only watch as his master experienced a deep slumber. "Master. When will you wake up? It''s been 24 hours¡­" With utmost attention, she ced her small palm on Zio''s forehead. He was warm. Alive and well. But¡­ "Why won''t he wake up?" She sat beside Zio, waiting for him to wake up. After an hour, she suddenly felt the connection of their souls was cut off. Panicking, he checked for her master''s condition. "Master? Master?!" She could not feel the connection of the ego with the master''s soul. Filled with anxiety, Reina released her reserve mana. When she was about to connect the mana line with Zio, the soul connection returned. Soon after, Zio opened his eyes. "Uhh¡­ Reina?" he said. "Why are you sitting on top of me?" With tears swelling in her eyes, Reina went for a tight hug around his face. "Huaa! Master!! You''re alive!" "Reina?!" She cried out loud in the middle of the night. Luckily no one would be able to hear her crying voice as she already filtered it, learning from her mistake this afternoon. Chapter 143 Timeline

Chapter 143 Timeline

"Not so fast, Sabit." Boss'' eyes widened again. Never once in his life did he think he would finally hear his name called by someone else. Unfortunately, it wasing from his grim reaper. Not giving Boss a chance to counterattack, Neer shoved another sword in his hand in the exact same ce as the previous stab, adding more burden and power to crush Boss'' heart, as well as his core. "Kuh¡­!" Boss chuckled before the light left his eyes. Before the me in his heart went out. Before he could attain his goal. Thud¡ª! His body dropped like a ragdoll, nowying lifeless on the ground. Sheathing his swords, Neer stole the artifact from Boss'' hand. After inspecting the artifact, he shoved it into his coat pocket behind the robe. "Don''t hate me for this, Sabit. I''m just doing my job as the Keeper. I can''t risk the whole timeline for your goal." Turning around, he ran a hand through his jet-ck hair. Pulling out a hand mirror, the ck-void eyes stared back at him. without guilt and remorse, he shed a smile innocently. Storing the hand mirror back to the spatial storage, his hand reached for the artifact in his pocket. He looked at it solemnly. Neer nced over his shoulder, looking at Boss'' corpse lying on the ground. "I can''t risk the whole timeline for your goal¡­ but I can do it for my goal." *** In his eyes, everything was dark. Complete blindness. This happened abruptly after Neer ¡ª a person in the dream who looked like a copy of himself but older ¡ª said something like this, "I can''t risk the whole timeline for your goal¡­ but I can and will risk it for my goal." Exactly after he spoke the word ''goal'' his vision went numb. Although the vision was blind, his hearing was still working. At that moment, he heard the man saying something in the viewless dream. It was the sentence that immediately jutted him out of his dream world. "And for you who already bes the ''Destroyer''. You best do your job right this time!" With that, the dream mmed shut, kicking Zio out of his dream world, immediately with wide eyes staring at a little girl''s crying face on top of him as soon as he regained consciousness in the real world. "Uhh¡­ Reina?" he said. "Why are you sitting on top of me?" He caught the tears swelling in her eyes. ''Is she¡­ crying?'' Without notice, the little girl hugged his face tight. "Huaa!!! Master! You''re alive!" "Reina?!!" He deliberately spoke through the struggle of releasing himself from her. In his mind, he thought: ''And why do you surprised that I am alive?!!'' Some time passed, and Reina finally calmed down while Zio recollected his mind about the dream. ''It is one of memory like thest time I experienced my irvoyance level up. But¡­'' But it waspletely different. If back then it was seeing the past then this time, could it be the future? It could be that because the setting was in the ruined world, and the twist of the main character of the dream caught him off guard. He thought the man named Sabit was the main character of the dream. But it was Neer ¡ª one he assumed was his future self ¡ª all along. ''It must be precognition, right? It must be that as it is one of the aspects of irvoyance in general!'' ording to the Odyssey system, the passive skill of irvoyance was sudden memory recall. The w of this passive skill was that it could happen at any time, though mostly, it urred when the user''s mind was unupied by thoughts. It meant that the chances of getting the sight in the dream were higher but notmon. Stress level and other aspects were included to trigger the passive skill. The Memory Recall could either be the past or the future. There were no announcements in the sudden recall to tell him whether he was reliving the past or the future. He could only depend on his observation and deduction skills. ''One thing for sure is that the recalls I experienced are not of this timeline¡­'' He recalled what the Odyssey had said to him a few days ago through Lux. The Odyssey said that what Zio saw through them aren''t from their timeline so he needed to be smart about it. If he was to follow them blindly or be too reliant on his skill, it would eventually lead him to his doom. ''Now that I think about it. The Me in that dream was saying something about the timeline.'' ''Though, I could say that some of the memory might hold important information that I don''t include in the novel¡­ Like this boy''s and Ember''s backstory.'' ''I don''t know how much the difference between each timeline has exactly but I think this world timeline past event is going the same line with the Memory Recall I experienced a few months ago. But it''s different from the novel timeline which doesn''t have Ember in there.'' He tried to recall the event of the long dream and found several clues and keywords that might be useful. Timeline, Keeper, Destroyer, Spectres, and Old God Chrono were seeming to be the most important out of the other clues and keywords he collected from the dream. ''All of this starting to make sense of the difference that happened in this world and in the novel¡­'' Zio let out a softugh. Then he found himself staring at his reflection in the mirror. Somehow, his ck eyes seemed to increase their density, making them look much darker than before. Also, his hair. It was so dark that maybe no one could not see much of it in the darkness. ''Now what I need is getting my locked memories back. My past life as the Author and this boy''s memory that someone deliberately hid as though to erase the whole existence of Zio Varrez.'' ''To do so, I must recover a soul shard that somehow had been broken apart. I am not sure about this soul thing. I have not mentioned it once in the novel. Well, whatever, not everything is about the novel anymore¡­ because now I know that this world, or specifically this timeline, will be different from the story I had written.'' ''But, wait a minute. I feel like there is something wrong¡­'' He lifted his face, breaking himself from his thoughts. As he took in his surroundings, he realized that it was still night. The moon still hanging in the starless skies above Octagram City, and the window of his room was still wide open. But despite the same night atmosphere, he felt his stomach fight against him. It was screaming loudly asking to be fed. Finding his gaze falling on the crying Reina, Zio reached out for her, gently calming her down as she ruffled her hair out of habit. "Master! Can you not mess up with Reina''s hair?! Reina is crying right now, don''t make Reina angry!" He pulled his hands, raising them on guard. "Haha¡­" In a second, The Crying Reina was no more. It had been reced by The Angry Reina. "By the way, Reina, can I ask you something?" Reina gave him a sideway nce, clearly looking offended by the previous hair ruffling. "What?" Her mouth turned into a pout after letting out a single, short word of themonly used English word! "How long was I asleep?" Hearing the question, her eyes began to swell with tears again. Breaking down, she said something through the sniffles. "Huaa!! Master!!" She went for the warm hug of her master, again. It felt like she was abusing the current situation, though. The opportunist. "You are sleeping for 24 hours! It makes me worry because you usually slept no longer than 5 hours!" Zio''s ears twitched. "That exined why my stomach is dering war on me¡­" After filling his stomach, Zio left his room, looking for fresh air outside the building. The dorm had not implemented the regtion to forbid students from leaving their dorm unnoticed, at least not yet. Because of that, getting out of the dorm building through the front door could be done confidently. Once outside, he took a stroll around the quiet campus area, not sure about his destination. He just wanted to feel the breeze. The chill that was brushed his skin. Making every touch result in shuddering out of coldness. Without his knowledge, he found himself walking beside the beautiful pond. His reflection was reflected clearly on the surface. For some reason, he felt familiar with this ce. Because that was true. This was the ce where he murdered the demon that infiltrated the academy. The low-rank demon, Julron. As he relished his time beside the beautiful pond, both hands were ying with the water, a sudden noise of bushes instinctively put him on guard. Turning around to look at the direction in which the noises wereing, he narrowed his eyes, trying to make out the features of a humanoid silhouette. With his irvoyance, it was an easy job to identify whoever that silhouette was without looking at their face because the information provided by irvoyance was in the form of a status screen simr to the yer status screen in RPGs. Reading through the name the screen hadid out for him, Zio was left with his mouth agape open. His voice wouldn''te out. "Zio Varrez." Eventually, the voice wasing from the silhouette, regarding him. It was a sweet and alluring voice, making everyone who heard it might certainly felt safe and rxed. Chapter 144 Two Words Demon

Chapter 144 Two Words Demon

"Zio Varrez." His attention was taken away by the sweet and alluring voiceing behind him. Turning around, Zio found a girl whose beauty was otherworldly emerge from the darkness of the groves. Activating his irvoyance, Zio was able to get the girl''s identity. But, it was at that moment that he was left shocked. ''They''re finally getting bold. Those demons,'' he said inwardly. The girl was a demon. Her origin name was Berthrith Innor, while her human name was Lyra Naki. The demon had overall physical stats, Magic in , Charisma in
, and luck in . Meanwhile, her hidden stats were . , , (Order: Perception, Mental, Potential, and Health). ''For a demon who has two words in her name, her stats are quite low. But eh, I shouldn''t havepared them with humans though. Even if it is written as , the actual strength could be on or .'' ''But this is irvoyance we''re talking about. Just like what the Odyssey told me, irvoyance has a perfectly urate appraisal ability. It can''t be intercepted by any means, and no one can detect it when they are being the target except for those who I allowed.'' ''This exined why Shannon could tell whether I was using it or not earlier in the day, and Ember, whose attention immediately turned to me back in the tower before the sh dungeon. I, or precisely Zio Varrez must have been allowed those two so they can tell whether I''m using appraisal on them or not.'' Noticing the demon standing before him, he shook the thoughts from his mind and turned his attention to her. ''Anyway, let''s see what this demon wants with me.'' Before he struck up a conversation with her, Zio tapped his soul inwardly, calling for Reina to protect him with her energy in case she sensed something ominous invading his mind. Knowing the [Unstable] curse, he couldn''t be more cautious and decided to take an early measure if things went southter on. "Hello! You are Zio Varrez, right?" Lyra tilted her head sideways, acting cute and sweet in the hope it could somehow attract her target''s attention. In her mind, every human male was weak in this kind of cute girl act things. ''They all are nothing but a horny pig. It''s so easy doing this. On top of that, I don''t need to use my charm magic.'' Too bad her opponent was Zio Varrez. Zio cringed as soon as he noticed the demon intentionally trying to act cute. He could read her bodynguage like an open book. ''This demon thinks she''s an anime girl.'' Putting the cringe aside, he admitted his identity as Zio Varrez. "Yes, I am. Who are you?" Her face lit brightly. "I am Lyra Naki! Nice to meet you!" She sped her hands tightly on her chest ¡ª a small one. Her eyes were as round as a tennis ball. Her scleras shed into a dark color, her blue irises shed into a red color, and her circr pupils turned vertical slit like a cat or snake for a split second before all of them returned to normal. ''Is she a greenhorn or something? Even Julron who only had one word in his name was better at hiding his excitement than her.'' Sighing, Zio asked. "So, Lyra. Is there something you want to talk to me? Also, how do you know I''m here? You didn''t stalk me, did you? It would be a shame for a cute girl like you to do that kind of thing." "C-cute?! Me?!" The demon deliberately yelled in surprise, but Zio could easily read her like an open book that she was acting. ''Great! He''s already fallen to my charm!'' she thought. Meanwhile, Zio had a different thought about this. ''It feels like I''m the demon, tricking this greenhorn¡­'' Putting up a fake smile as naturally as possible, Zio confirmed the fake statement. "Is there another girl around here?" This time, it was the demon who had fallen to his charm. Her face flushed red, cupping her cheeks with both hands shyly. ''Oh my Demon! Is it this easy to charm this handsome human? I guess it''s just my beauty that is unbearable for them!'' she thought. Oh¡­ How the table has turned¡­ "So, what brings you here to me tonight, Lyra?" "Oh, I¡­ I coincidentally saw you headed into the groves. Curious. I followed you here." "You stalked me then?" "N-no! I was just following you!" Zio chuckled. "Fine. You were following me. Anyway, why don''t you take a sit first?" As she slid down next to him, their casual talk continued. After some small cliche talk, she told him the actual reason why she was seeking him was because of the uing event of her club. The Tea Ceremony Club''s Tea Party Event, which would be held in London next month. It was at that moment Zio learned, or rather, remembered who Lyra Naki was. ording to his memory of the novel, Lyra Naki was a demon who caused the mess at the Tea Party Event along with the Zoneless Viins. In the novel, she made an appearance as a demon at that party while the event was plunged into chaos by the Viin''s interruption, making her gain a bestowal of the origin name ¡ª evolved from two words name to three words. Later in the story, she was defeated by Lux and became hispanion. But, only a fool recruited a demon to their team. When the demon army invaded Earth through the countless portal in the skies, Lux was betrayed by two of his demonpanions. The three words demon, Berthrith Innor Ol''ga. And five words demon, Dorgras Algranol Alron Mogmon Sath. ''That''s what happened in the novel¡­ But, since Aster Ustrina is dead in this world, and I don''t catch much viin activity around the world, there is a little chance the Tea Party Event would ur.'' He nced at Lyra for a moment. ''It could be instigated by her and the demonic humans instead, though.'' Chapter 145 Preparation For Global Alliance

Chapter 145 Preparation For Global Alliance

"I suggest that we should take an early measure to prepare for the invaders!" "I object to that! We are still not sure what that thing is. It could be someone doing a global-scale prank!" "Are you serious?! A prank?! Who in this world is even capable of doing that?!" "Since the appearance of magic 40 years ago, I''d say nothing is impossible." "Didn''t you guys hear that they are the demon, the creatures those demonic humans serve?" One of the leaders stared at War Goddess hologram in the center of the room. His eyes were full of skepticism. "Unless War Goddess Nuria could provide us with solid proof that they''re the real demon, my answer will be no." ¡­ The fifth day of the Global Meeting resulted in nothing just like the previous days. There were no significant changes between the faction that supported the creation of the Global Alliance and those who were not. Most of those who supported the creation of the Alliance came from weaker countries that didn''t have many great heroes serving under them. On the other hand, the stronger countries such as the USA, Ennd, Germany, and China were not convinced to create an alliance for several reasons: power, authority, pride, and so on, except for France and Japan who supported the idea. With today''s meeting being dismissed, all of the country leaders were returned to their safe houses facility provided by the Hero Association Omega, leaving only the 10 guild leaders together with their attendants and 3 top heroes alone inside the meeting room. Without the country leaders attending the meeting room, they started another discussion about Enhanced business. "What is your reason for not telling them the truth, Octagram Headmaster?" "It is just like I said earlier. Even though I said they''re the Demons, the proof of their existence is close to zero. I doubt those leaders will believe what they see even if I show them the demon corpse in the academy." "At least we¡ª" Before Kyle could finish his words, he was cut off by Nuria. "No matter how good and detail we exin it to them, they will look for another reason so they can deny the alliance creation." The guild leaders went silent at Nuria''s words. They knew exactly how stubborn those big countries were. Although Hero Association and Wizard Circle were much stronger than them because the top heroes were tied to Hero Association rather than to their countries. For the record, they were not forced to tie themselves to the Hero Association. In fact, they were the ones who tied themselves to the Hero Association. Because of that, the Hero Association and Wizard Circle were much stronger than them. And since they established their base on Octagram Ind, it had made Octagram the world''s powerhouse, or central power. Let''s take the example of Thunder Emperor whose originally a citizen of the USA. If his home country required his assistance, they needed to contact him through the Hero Association since Thunder Emperor had tied his bond with Hero Association Omega ¡ª serving Omega as their unit. Even though the two powerhouses ¡ª Omega and Lunaria ¡ª were indeed powerful. They wanted the meeting and the premise of the Alliance to have a good bond between the countries, not one that was built because they forced them to agree. A good fundamental was required to create a global-scale alliance! As the silence was prolonged, Nuria took a moment to scan the surrounding. Then as her gaze locked with a blue-eyed man in Victorian noble clothing, she smiled. The two stared at each other as though they weremunicating with their eyes. After a while, they nodded at each other. "But, if you are really determined about this, I suggest looking for the elves and dwarves," said Nuria. "Elves and dwarves?" the Obelisk Guildmaster, Noah, joined. "What do they have to do with this whole thing?" Everyone looked at Noah, giving him a look as though it was saying ''Are you dumb?''. "What? Why is everyone looking at me like that?" he said defensively. Kyle sighed. Ignoring Noah, he looked at Nuria instead. "Octagram Headmaster. You are aware that they are very seclusive. It''s been 30 years since they arrived on Earth, but after the treaty had been agreed, they have been hiding themselves in this world and no one knows where they are right now." At this point, Evelyn who had been quiet from the beginning of the meeting finally voiced her thought. "Ah. The Wizard Circle might be able to contact the elves through the trace of magic they left. But, the dwarves'' whereabouts are unknown." Kyle nodded at Evelyn, thanking her. Then his gaze locked on Nuria again. "Can we bring the elves only for this matter?" Shifting on her chair, Nuria leaned forward, a sweet smile formed on her face. "Sure. But, if you want to stomp on them ¡ª not giving them a chance to make a reason. It would be better if we gather all fantasy races in next week''s meeting." "What do you mean by all fantasy races? Aren''t there only an elf and dwarf on Earth?" Nuria smirked. "Are you sure?" Kyle fell silent. Although his gaze was unbroken from looking at Nuria. Noticing his silence, Nuria pulled her body and leaned on her chair. "Well¡­" Her voice trailed off. It was making everyone nervous and anticipating what would she say next. Their eyes locked on the particr hologram of a beautifuldy with flowing hair down to her waist. "I guess it was only the Octagram heroes who knows about their existence." Kyle sighed, releasing the nervousness that had built up. "Do you mind sharing it with everyone here, Octagram Headmaster?" Nuria chuckled, hiding her mouth with her hand. "Why, of course. I''ll do anything if it concerned the future of the young generation." With that, Nuria told them about the fantasy races that lived on Earth with them. Other than the elves and dwarves, there were vampires, beast people, fairies, gnomes, brownies, and halflings. "Wow. Looks like our Earth has be a fantasy world¡­" Noah mumbled. "You just realized that?" Haven Grande Guildmaster, Dn, replied. Kyle pped his hand, his eyes scanned everyone in the meeting room and, once again, stopped at Nuria''s hologram in the center. "Okay, that''s a lot of least evil races, I guess? I mean they are the races that are possible to negotiate with, right?" Nuria nodded. "Great¡­ But, does anyone knows where they are?" No answer. Everyone in the room just gave each other a nce. Kyle sighed, again and again, that he might be sick of doing so. "I guess no one¡ª" "I know where they live." Before Kyle could finish his words, someone cut him off. All of the eyes nownded on a particr person. He was dressed like a 19th-century nobleman. His blue eyes scanned all the faces that looked at them silently, judging him. "I know where all of those races live in this world." The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!