《Shadow Author》


 Chapter 1 Co-Author

    ?A booming round of apuse shook the building. The cheers of hundreds of people filled the dark room. Everyone stood up from their seats as they waited for the guest of honor.


    Entering the stage was James, the author of the world-famous novel series Eminence.


    Everyone in the crowd was a huge fan of the novel that took the world by storm. The four-book series that was released connected with millions of readers.


    It was a fantasy story of a boy who went through each year of high school facing adversities while growing stronger. Along the way, he made countless friends, discovered who he was, upheld a sense of justice, changed the world, and fell in love.


    The action-packed story of the main character and his development through each year caused the readers to deeply connect with him.


    Young kids loved the adventure''s the main characters when on. Adolescent girls squealed and gushed over the romance. Grown adults understood the intense character development and hidden meanings. The novel was beloved by all.


    With the high of the novel''s release and its poprity, today marked the day that the author, James, would be making his first public appearance.


    A building was rented out and news outlets were swarming around.


    The crowd was patiently waiting for the time of the reveal when the lights in the room went dark and the live broadcasting system turned on.


    Immediately everyone rose from their chairs as pping and whistles deafened the room.


    A spotlight suddenly turned on and pointed to the right corner of the stage. Then from behind a curtain, the author James walked out.


    Waving his hand back and forth at the crowd, they went even wilder as he made his way toward the podium which was stationed in the middle of the stage.


    When the people saw him walk out the sound was magnified multiple times over and the people watching from home began to cheer themselves.


    The world was fixated and everyone held their breath when James arrived at the podium.


    The spotlight was magnificently highlighting James''s handsome face. He stood out like an angel and everyone worshiped him.


    Clearing his throat James began, "Hello everyone, I''d first like to thank you all for showing your unending support for Eminence. Without each and every single one of you, I wouldn''t be where I am today."


    "Now I am proud to announce that we''ve officially hit one billion sales!"


    At that, the crowd went wild once again. People were chanting James''s name, girls and boys alike were obsessed with his looks, and the news captured everything.


    The first of Eminence''s press conferences went without a hitch and love for the series grew even more with the reveal of James.


    However, there was one person who wasn''t matching the energy of the crowd. Back behind the stage where James had previouslye from was a young boy who looked to be around 16 years old.


    There was nothing particrly special about him. He had average looks, messy butvish hair, slight muscles, and tan skin.


    In his hands was a hard copy of the first Eminence book in the series, A New Beginning.


    Another eruption of cheers broke out from the stage and the boy let out a sigh.


    He put the book he was holding down on the ground and brought his arm up to his face to look at his smartwatch while standing up to leave.


    He opened the app he was all too familiar with and tapped the record button, "Eminence; The Last Stand. Chapter one¡­" As he spoke the words he said were copied and printed onto a nk digital paper.


    After an hour or so the press conference came to an end. James went ahead and answered all the press''s questions which room him an additional two hours.


    After everything was said and done his security escorted him to the limousine that was parked in front of the building.


    James quickly got in and told the driver to speed off.


    Thirty minutester he arrived in front of an apartmentplex.


    When he got out of the limo four security guards came up to him and guided him to the lobby of the building.


    The ce waspletely rented out and not a single resident was living there except for the workers and security of course.


    Once James got inside he went up to the receptionist, Alisa, and asked, "Is he here?"


    She smiled and replied, "Top floor."


    James understood and didn''t enquire anymore and instead moved towards the elevator.


    The security guards broke away from him and went to their stations while James walked in and tapped the button for the hundredth floor.


    The elevator quickly climbed the building and stopped once it reached its destination.


    A beep rang out and the doors opened revealing arge suite.


    Within the luxuriously decorated and insanely expensive room was a young boy who had his smartwatch held up to his mouth. The boy was looking out the window, seemingly staring off into space while he talked to himself.<novelnext></novelnext>


    If anyone else saw him they would have thought the boy was schizophrenic but James knew differently.


    "I''m back, when did you leave?"


    The boy didn''t respond but instead continued to talk into his watch.


    "The meeting went better than expected, by the end of the year it''s estimated we will make 20 billion dors."


    The boy didn''t react to James and continued with what he was doing.


    "¡­"


    "Didn''t you hear me, we will be billionaires?!"


    Finally, the boy dropped his arm and quit speaking. After a moment he turned his eyes from looking outside of the ss window to meet James''s.


    "We?"


    It was a cold and short reply.


    However, James didn''t seem to notice and answered, "Of course we! It was you and I both who wrote it."


    Silence filled the suite and when the boy didn''t respond James began to get angry.


    "It was the both of us, you can''t be the one to take all the credit!"


    The boy had a deadpan expression on his face and didn''t reply.


    "Okay sure, it was your idea and you wrote it but we agreed that we were a team."


    Digging deep into his pockets James pulled out a crumpled piece of paper.


    "You haven''t forgotten, have you?"


    On the tiny, wrinkly, notebook paper was a single sentence: I agree to make James the co-author of Eminence and in return, James will buy me lunch.


    Below it was the signature of the boy written in red Crayon.


    "¡­"


    "This is a legally binding contract!"


    The boy let out a sigh, "that was something I signed in middle school. Plus it is written in Crayon." The boy got up from the window edge that he was sitting on. "Eminence was something I wrote, it''s mine. You contributed absolutely nothing yet tried to take my fame. I''ve already contacted awyer. Tomorrow you should get the letter. That paper won''t hold up in court."


    James was dumbfounded. His best friend since elementary school was going to sue him?


    "W-what do you mean?"


    "It''s as I said, this has gone on long enough and today was thest straw. It should have been me up there on stage, not you."


    "Ah, if you were jealous about that, you can hold the next one. There is no need to be rash."


    "James, it''s toote. It should have never gotten this far in the first ce. I was too scared to go against you. I was scared that this would ruin our friendship. But now I see you didn''t view me as your friend but rather as a load of cash. I''m sorry but this is the end."


    The boy turned his back to James and looked out the window once again.


    James wanted to retort but suddenly the elevator door opened up from behind him and two security guards came out.


    "What''s the m-meaning of this? H-hey? Hey, you aren''t s-serious, right? Right?!"


    "Goodbye James."


    "No, no, you can''t do this! Hey, get your hands off me! Hey! Stop!"


    Trying to get the bodyguards off of him James struggled to get free.


    ''It can''t end like this, it isn''t fair!''


    Shrugging a guard off his shoulder James managed to break free. Seeing who he thought was his friend next to the window filled him with rage.


    Unable to control himself James ran at the boy. The guards were unable to reach him in time and James lowered his body before mming into the boy.


    The sound of the ss shattering filled James''s ears as he stood above the window watching his ex-friend fall.

 Chapter 2 Prologue

    ?''Huh?''


    It wasn''t supposed to be like that. Nothing I nned went to n. I had it all sorted out in my head but there was one variable I didn''t ount for¡­ murder.


    Opening my eyes a bright blinding light pierced the sky. I raised my hand to block out the sun''s rays.


    With the little shade my palm provided, more of my senses came back to me.


    Looking around I scanned the area.


    I was currentlyying out in an open field.


    The sun was beating down on me as it seemed to be noon. The grass was brushing against me. The cool breeze made the temperature perfect.


    Beautiful scenery surrounds me.


    Pushing myself up to a seated position I took a closer look. But all I could see was bright green grass. There was no sign of civilization and I was the only person.


    Just where on earth was I?


    Thest thing I remember was looking out the window of one of my penthouses.


    I was talking to a person I thought was my friend when suddenly a force rammed into me and¡­ I fell.


    Now I''m here. Wherever here is.


    Standing up I dusted the dirt off my clothes subconsciously. But then when I looked down at myself I became even more confused.


    I was wearing something I would normally never wear¡­ a school uniform.


    A blue and white uniform that included a pair of pants, a t-shirt, and an unbuttoned jacket.


    On the jacket was an emblem that was in the shape of a crown.


    How was it that I got these clothes and just how did I get here?


    I was deep in the city just moments ago. Was I kidnapped? No. That wouldn''t exin the falling I remember.


    I shuddered at the feeling, reminiscing about my weightless body burning against the friction of the air was terrifying.


    I did aplete 360 spin to see if my eyes could pick up on any structures but I was left disappointed.


    Just when I thought I''d have to pick a random direction a beeping sound went off.


    It was a sound I was all too familiar with. Looking down at my right arm was the smartwatch I was wearing just before¡­ the incident.


    I quickly unlocked the screen to see if I would have service and be able to use a GPS just rather than the screen I was used to when too many different pop-ups appeared.


    Name: Lucas


    Vitality: 3.4


    Strength: 3.8


    Speed: 3.2


    Resistance: 2.9


    Magic: 2.0


    Rank: 993


    Credits: -300,000<novelnext></novelnext>


    Gifts: Sharp Sword (Beginner-7)


    A status of sorts appeared on the screen and I looked over it in awe.


    "¡­ there''s no way¡­ it can''t be"


    But when I scrolled down further more and more evidence pointed to it.


    The time was 12:07, it was August 30th, 2045, and there was a message that read: student Lucas marked absent for Magic Theory.


    "¡­ fuck!"


    .


    Sweat dripped down my body as I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. It turns out that there was indeed a GPS in the smartwatch. I was currently running through the open field to try to make it back to ss.


    Thoughts were swirling through my mind and the more I made sense of them the worse they got.


    I was somehow sent to the world within Eminence. The fantasy novel that I wrote.


    I have no idea how this happened. Something must have changed when I fell. The only logical exnation I could think of even if it was absurd was that I transmigrated to this new world.


    The status system, the uniform, and the open field, all pointed toward that one possibility. I was now in a different world, a world of my creation.


    But the worst part of all was that I didn''t transmigrate into the body of the main character or even a side character but rather¡­ an extra.


    A person whose name wasn''t even mentioned, a number created to boost the main character, a nk face who had no purpose¡­ that was Lucas¡­ that is now me.


    .


    As I stood in front of the majestic school that towers over all thend, reality set it.


    My thoughts were all proven to be true. The school I designed through words was before my very eyes.


    A blue and white glorious school that looked more like a castle. It contained hundreds of rooms to learn all kinds of information. It had thousands of dormitory rooms for the students. It had numerous training fields of all kinds. This was the world''s greatest school to teach magic to aspiring students¡­ Griffin.


    Griffin was built 20 years ago when the world changed for the worst. In 2020 a strange phenomenon urred on earth. Monsters starteding out of portals, towers grew up and cut into the sky, and dungeons connected to other worlds.


    This wouldter be called The Great Change by all people. The world everyone knew and was used to had flipped like a switch.


    From 9:00 to 5:00 jobs went extinct, businesses copsed, nations fell, and the people began unlocking new abilities.


    We call them Gifts. No one knows where theye from. I didn''t even exin it in the novel¡­ rather I wasn''t able to.


    From the ashes of the destroyed world, humans came back to power with their gifts. They managed to take back much of the world but the damage had already been done.


    3 billion people died during The Great Change. The southern parts of the world were lost for good. Parts of Africa, the bottom tip of South America, all of Australia, most of Oceanian, and both of the poles.


    Humans had to take back thend from the monsters, conquer the towers, and clear the dungeons. Through these trials, humanity grew stronger and stronger.


    Ordinary weapons became useless yet the resources from the new world made up for it. The hide of monsters protected against natural events, the gifts of humans could destroy nations, ores from dungeons created unprecedented weapons, and rewards from towers created indestructible guilds.


    The stronger dominated the weak and the weak perished. It was a cruel way of life but the world was cruel in and of itself.


    With all these thoughts flowing through my mind and recalling everything I wrote over the years my body shook as I stood outside the door of the school.


    Pausing to take a deep breath, I attempted to calm my uncontroble nerves when I took my first step forwards.


    Climbing the stairs I opened the door of the school and entered, not daring to look back.

 Chapter 3 Introduction

    ?As soon as I opened the door to the school a voice reached out, "Lucas, where on earth did you go? You''rete to ss, hurry on up! You can''t keep skipping ss just because it''s magic theory!"


    Turning my body to the voice of an older man who was behind a reception desk was staring me down angrily.


    "Go on!"


    Taking heed of his words I moved in the direction of the ss I would be in.


    I had no idea who the receptionist was or even that there was one. I had never written about him. His name didn''t exist within Eminence.


    It seems that there were many different extras. Unfortunately, I was now one of them.


    I knew theyout of the school like the back of my hand, I mean I created it.


    Navigating the school without difficulty I arrived in front of a room I was all too familiar with.


    A sign was outside the door.


    "Mr. Vankay''s Magic Theory ss."


    Pushing the steel door open I entered the room.


    Standing there in the open my mind went nk.


    It was exactly as I had written. A college-like room where the teacher stood in the front of the ss and the students sat on levels that went further and further back down the room.


    "Mind is the most-"


    When I pushed open the door all eyesnded on me.


    Being stared at by everyone caused my heart to pound unrelentingly.


    "Lucas."


    Mr. Vankay had called out my name full of disdain.


    "Go and take your seat, this is your final warning the next time you skip my ss will be thest."


    I stared at the professor for a second when a buzz vibrated on my smart watch which caused my mind to connect back with my body.


    "Ah, y-yes, it won''t happen again."


    Coughing up an apology Mr. Vankay didn''t even bother to respond but continued with what he was saying.


    "Magic is a result of the mind and the mind is the most¡­"


    I blocked out what the teacher was saying and quickly yet carefully made my way toward one of the open seats in the far back.


    I had no idea if there were assigned seats or even if I had any friends who I regrly sat with. But I found a chair in the far back away from everyone and no one seemed to pay me any mind.


    "Whew."


    That was already hard enough as it was. I was definitely not suited for school life. Even back in the real world, I didn''t go to school. My parents were still alive but they gave me absolutely no attention. So long as I didn''t get them in trouble I was free to do whatever I wanted. Thus, I rarely went to school but instead spent my days writing away.


    The hardest part though was passing everyone to get to my seat. Although no one bothered to look at me I didn''t dare to look anyone in the eyes.


    These were the world''s greatest and most prominent students who would change the world. Not only that but the main character and many side characters were sitting in this very room, with me.<novelnext></novelnext>


    I gulped.


    My legs felt like they would give out. I was thankful that I was seated down at the moment or else I would have made a joke of myself.


    Sitting in the fourth row from the front was Noah. He was the main character''s self-proimed rival. Noah would make everything apetition between himself and the main character.


    Later down the road at the end of the first book in the series, Noah would be greatly defeated by the main character. Normally their fights would be neck and neck and even sometimes Noah would win. But this devastating loss would change Noah for the worst.


    As a result, it would mark the dark path he would take. Full of fury he would change the friendlypetitive fights into life-and-death battles.


    Noah would be one of the main characters'' greatest enemies.


    Sweat poured down my face as I realized just who I was in the same room with.


    Quickly turning my attention away from Noah I looked at another prominent character in the third row.


    Mia.


    She was the daughter of the leader''s greatest mercenary group in the world, Frontier.


    Frontier would go on to y an extremely important role in the novel and in turn, Mia would have a lot of screen time.


    Beside her was Liam the prince of Ennd. He has a huge crush on Mia. I couldn''t me him, every single one of the characters is beautiful. Mia was the spectacle of an hourss body.


    Liam would be a part of the main character''s group because of his background and support. However, he wouldn''t be all that important. He was mainly used in a way to de-escte situations and cause Mia to get worked up.


    Then in the second row was Evelyn, the daughter of the president of the United States. She had a cold demeanor and because of her father, everyone often stayed away from her.


    However, in reality, she was extremely lonely and whenever she tried to make friends it would always magically backfire and they would be too scared of her.


    Seeing Evelyn with my own eyes a couple of rows in front of me melted my heart.


    A person I wrote purely to be used as a joke and forced to be all alone. Now seeing her I regret everything I wrote.


    This was no longer a novel for people to enjoy but rather an entire world I was now a part of.


    In front of Evelyn in the first row were the three most important people in the entire novel.


    To the left was Willow. The main character''s eventual lover. She is one of the strongest people in the whole school.


    Her ordinary background is what would attract the main character to her.


    She was born to a single mother and grew up poor. However, fate was kind¡ª or I was and she managed to grow stronger day by day all on her own.


    Having no support and growing stronger through sheer strength brought the main character to care for her and they would develop feelings for each other.


    However, to the right of the main character holding his hand was Charlotte.


    The current girlfriend of the main character.


    It wouldn''t be revealed until the third book that Charlotte was the daughter of the main antagonist and the whole time her mission was to get close to the main character to discover his weaknesses.


    When she was revealed to be evil and destroyed much of the main character, Willow would then be there to help pick up the pieces, and their love would grow from then on.


    Then in between, the two were the protagonist and main character of Eminence. The one who would change the world, the one destined to stand above all others, my greatest creation, Elijah.

 Chapter 4 0

    ?Elijah had an Ability that no others did and a secret that could never get out.


    He was an Ability. His body, his mind, his blood, his soul, it was all a part of the Ability.


    What humanity knew and understood was that Gifts were powers randomly given out to strengthen. In reality, these Gifts were designed by an existence specifically for each person. From cruel Gifts to justified good Gifts everything was nned.


    This would be the story of the fifth and final story of the series. The one I had just begun writing before my demise.


    This was the being who not only created gifts but the monsters, dungeons, and towers.


    It was simply for his entertainment however things quickly grew out of control and he lost the ability to holdmand over these creations.


    Thus he was forced to create a supreme being¡­ Elijah.


    Rather than given an Ability he was created as one.


    Elijah''s purpose was to be a collection tank. He was made to reverse what the being had done.


    Elijah can steal and delete the Gifts, Abilities, and skills of others.


    His mission is to take every Gift in existence and delete them. Once this is achieved the world will revert to how it once was.


    No more monsters, no more dungeons, and no more towers.


    Elijah is the savior.


    As I stared at him and recalled his history he suddenly turned back and locked his eyes on mine.


    Terrified, I turned away and looked down at my desk.


    I could feel his eyes burning into my body but I didn''t dare look up out of fear.


    Then another buzz went off on my smart watch and I felt Elijah take his attention off of me.


    "That was close."


    Although Elijah was created with a great sense of justice and full of nobility in the end he would take everyone''s Gift.


    I didn''t want to be the first and for that reason alone I swore to myself to stay as far away as possible from him.


    But then I thought why would I care? Just what was my purpose for being inside the novel? Just what was my goal? To survive? Will there be an end? There''s no way I will be able to go back to the real world, my body is a pancake.


    Putting on hold what I wanted to do with my new life and what I should achieve, I looked at my smartwatch. Two buzzes went off and it seemed like I didn''t have many if any friends. So questioning what messages I got I unlocked the screen.


    [You''ve brought the first set of attention to your character]


    [+50 SP]


    [You''ve caused the main character to put attention on you]


    [+100 SP]


    Dumbstruck I read out the messages only to be confused beyond belief.


    What did the SP mean and why was I getting it? None of this was in the original novel. What was happening?


    Then as if to answer my questions another buzz happened.


    Quickly raising my watch I read it to myself.


    [Character Lucas''s name was never mentioned, his face was never described, and his achievements were never recognized. Make Lucas an important part of the novel.]


    Then before I could even make sense of what I read an app began to download on my smartwatch.


    I blocked all thoughts and patiently waited for it to finish downloading.


    Once it was finalized I tapped on it and a new screen appeared.<novelnext></novelnext>


    [Missions]


    [SP]


    [Stats]


    [Information]


    "Just what on earth is happening."


    Tapping on the first pop up a subset of data appeared.


    [Make Lucas an important part of the novel.]


    "Well, that''s obvious."


    Going back to the main screen I tapped on the second pop-up, SP.


    [SP: 2150]


    [Abilities (0/1)]


    [Gifts (1/3)]


    [Skills (0/5)]


    I tried tapping on each of the pop-ups but nothing happened. Thus, I was forced to go back to the main screen and hope that it would be exinedter.


    I tapped on the third pop-up.


    [Vitality: 3.4]


    [Strength: 3.8]


    [Speed: 3.2]


    [Resistance: 2.9]


    [Magic: 2.0]


    [Rank: 993]


    [Credits: -300,000]


    [Gifts: Sharp Sword (Beginner-7)]


    The status screen I had seen before was there. This was actually the most important thing so far that I got.


    Although I made status screens in the novel only the readers could see them. The reason I did this was to put power into perspective. However, now I could view my own. Not even Elijah could do something like this.


    At first nce it might not seem all that important but when training being able to see numbers increase would be extremely helpful. I would be able to determine if I was doing something right or wrong based on the points I got.


    Overjoyed, I went back and tapped on the fourth and final screen which finally exined everything to me.


    [Lucas must get his role in the series, so do whatever to aplish this goal. Be a murdering viin, be a side character who has his own growing trope, be the lover of another character, or be stronger than Elijah. Whatever you desire, do it and make your name known.]


    [SP: Special Points - These are points awarded for doing something that brings attention to Lucas. The bigger the achievement and the more people that know about it the more SP.]


    [SP can be used for anything. It can be used to strengthen stats, create abilities, create gifts, create skills, and influence the world.]


    [Lucas is awarded 2000 SP for beginning his adventure.]


    As I finished reading many of my questions were answered and any remaining ones I knew because of my role as the author.


    Excited about what these new powers would bring me I calmed my heart and a smile crept on my face.

 Chapter 5 1

    ?Recalling what I wrote about I filled in the missing nks of information.


    Abilities were the strongest powers that humans could get. I only remember specifically writing about twenty or so but said that there were one hundred in total.


    If I could get one that would put me up to the pinnacle of humanity and close to the power of Elijah.


    Gifts as I said were powers given out. Someone couldn''t have more than one gift but it wasn''t all that rare for Gifts to have subparts. For example, a swordsman''s gift might evolve and a subpart might include axes. Although it would be nowhere near as strong as the primary part.


    However, ording to the smartwatch, I could get up to three gifts and if I get lucky enough to have subparts¡­ my eyes glimmered with excitement.


    Moving on to skills. They were physical additions that improved the body. Unlike with gifts, people could obtain an infinite amount of these. However, that would take multiple lifetimes as only bypletely mastering to do something would it be a skill.


    In the history of Eminence, there was only one person who got six skills but he dedicated his entire life to doing so and passed away five years ago. The average was one or two skills.


    An example would be climbing where when it bes a skill a person would be able to climb up a vertical wall without any ledges with ease.


    The stats were pretty self-exnatory. However, it was incredibly difficult to raise them. The average nongifted person had 2.0 points in every category.


    The students at Griffin were the best of the best and they were all around 4.0 which was insane for teenagers.


    But it was clear that I was falling behind in that area as my stats were in the solid 3.0''s which would also exin my rank.


    Griffin calcted the ranks of every student. There were a total of 4000 students in the school. 1000 for each grade, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th.


    Being that I was in 9th grade and ranked 993 it was fair to say I was one of the weakest not only in the grade but the entire school.


    Although there was no entire school ranking it was rare for upperssmen to be weaker than lower-ss men. The lowest ranking 10th grader would probably be around in the four hundreds of 9th grade.


    Credits were the currency of Griffin. Real money could not be exchanged for credits. They can only be earned and spent.


    Obviously, as with Luc- my credits, I was in the negatives.


    Which meant I would have to do something world-changing in school or trade with other ssmates to get back in the positives.


    Finally was the leveling of Gifts.


    Every gift began at the beginner level. It would then go through the ranks of 10 to 1 before bing intermediate. This will continue to master rank and then to the absolute peak, Perfect.


    With each level, the gift became stronger and stronger.


    Currently, I have one gift for swordsmanship.


    Gifts: Sharp Sword (Beginner-7)]


    In terms of Gifts, I was also behind as most of my peers were at levels 5 and 6.


    I tapped on Sharp Sword to see if an exnation would describe the Gift but nothing happened.


    However, when I went back into the information pop up the answer was waiting for me.


    [Sharp Sword: Using magic you can refine the edge of a sword to make it sharper.]


    "¡­"


    It was a pretty terrible gift. In all honesty, I have no idea how Lucas managed to get into Griffin.


    Maybe I was some young master who bought his way into the school. But my thoughts were crushed when another pop-up appeared in the information section.


    [Lucas, is an orphan who lost his parents at birth. He has an average gift suited for bing a cksmith. He is in debt and has no friends.]


    Well, that felt like a punch in the gut.


    However, I learned that it seems like the information section answers a lot of questions no matter what they are.


    [Information can be used to answer a magnitude of questions and is rarely limited.]


    A confirmation notification appeared.


    Wanting to test its limits I thought in my head if there was a way to go back to the real world.


    [No.]


    "¡­fuck."


    mming my head down on the desk I cursed under my breath.


    It seems like there is no way to return, which means I''ll have to find some way to survive in this new world.


    "Lucas!"


    Caught off guard by the sudden mention of my name I looked up to see Mr, Vankay furiously staring at me.


    ? "Y-yes?"


    "Did you just swear in my ssroom?"


    Once again everyone turned their eyes to look at me.


    I hadpletely forgotten that Mr. Vankay had a hearing skill! His sister was born deaf so he spent much of his life researching magic about hearing and in turn, he developed a skill from it.


    That''s when he managed to discover a way to cure being deaf and he got himself a job at Griffin.


    How could I forget such an important thing? I mean I wrote it and now I was about to suffer the consequences.


    "A-ah, I''m sorry, professor it''s just¡­"


    "It''s just what?"


    Suddenly a light bulb went off in my head.


    I looked at the problem on the board; How does one calm their mind with magic?


    Then just as I suspected a pop-up appeared.


    "Well, what is it?!"


    Mr. Vankay was nearly fuming with rage.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "It''s boring."


    Silence. Complete and total silence.


    A buzz shook on my wrist.


    "Did I hear you correctly? Did you just call my ss boring?"


    He was now shaking with rage and it looked like he was going to pop a vein.


    "Do you have any idea how lenient I''ve been with you? I let youe inte, I let you skip sses, and I don''t take away as many points on your homework. But even then you are always at the bottom ranking of the ss. Now you dare to call me boring? I should have you expelled for this!"


    With Mr. Vankay shouting and all eyes locked on me, I took a deep breath and tried to steady my voice.


    "Professor, you''re misunderstanding. I didn''t mean to call you or your ss boring."


    "I along with everyone present heard you loud and clear, you said it''s boring!"


    "Professor, I mean the topics are boring, it''s all too easy that I don''t find any joy in it."


    "¡­ what?"


    "It''s as I say, I mean no disrespect towards you. I highly respect you, I just wish the content would be a little more¡­ challenging."


    "¡­"


    Another round of silence filled the room.


    "Brat, you sure are full of yourself! You think this stuff is all too easy yet you haven''t passed a single one of my tests!"


    Giggles broke out from some of the students but I quickly shut them down.


    "I purposely failed them."


    "Ha, kid, you are just digging a deeper grave for yourself. You entertained everyone here so take your losses and back down. I''ll let this go for today but you better change your attitude from now on out."


    "Then test me!"


    "I already told you it''s pointless, you are just going to embarrass yourself further."


    "Try me."


    "You really want to do this?"


    "Of course!"


    Oozing confidence I proudly waited on the teacher.


    "Fine, then answer the question on the board."


    Mr. Vankay looked smug although he said he didn''t want to embarrass me. I knew he was enjoying himself right now.


    "You reverse the flow of mana in your body then immediately cut it off. This will act as a shocking pulse to the brain. It will be a factory reset and your mind will be calm."


    The other students began openlyughing at me this time and some even pointed their fingers while clenching their stomachs.


    But the professor just stood there in a daze.


    .


    Mr. Vankay was extremely perplexed. The reason being was that knowledge on this subject was just released to the teachers a week ago. Not even the general public had any information on it.


    Due to Griffin being the greatest school they had the benefit of getting information early.


    So how did some boy know about it?


    Either what he said was true and he really is a genius or he somehow got a copy of his or another teacher''s portfolio.


    This was now a serious matter if Lucas really did steal someone''s notes not only would he be expelled but he could be facing jail time.


    Having to now uphold his duty Mr. Vankay started rapid-firing questions.


    "If mana gets built up in a vein and a person is at risk of having a heart attack how do you prevent it?"


    "There are many safe medical ways but being that this is a theory ss I assume you mean for the person to do it on their own. In that case, they should deplete all the mana in their body that way the block-up vanishes. However, in this scenario, the person will be depleted of mana so it is rmended to seek medical attention."


    Yet another perfect answer.


    "What if¡­"


    "Then¡­"


    "How about¡­"


    "Easy you just¡­"


    Mr. Vankay went back and forth with the child nonstop asking more and moreplex questions but every time the student gave back a perfect response.


    Someone he believed to be azy nitwit was proving to be one of the most talented students he ever had the pleasure of meeting.


    The students quickly realized that Lucas wasn''t making stuff up and their loudughter quickly became shocked silence.


    Giving one final test Mr. Vankay asked an 11th-grade final exam question.


    "How do you infuse mana into circuitry?"


    "It''s abination of mind, breath, and the manifestation of outward mana through expression."


    Mr. Vankay was without words. The boy hiding in the back of the ss who never passed a single test was on the level of a 12th grader if not higher.


    Before he could make sense of what just happened the bell rang signaling the end of ss.


    "Ah, you are all dismissed. Lucas, please stay behind. I want to have a chat with you."

 Chapter 6 1.1

    ?All the other students got up from their seats and quickly made their way out of the room. Not because of anything I did but because they wouldn''t dare bete for the next ss.


    Trios. One of the manybat sses but also the most popr. The reason being is how diverse it can be. In solos, it''s only yourself. In duos, you have to pick someone you arepatible with but you also have to take into ount the other team. With trios, there are many different options.


    Everyone could be in the same ss, there could be no tanks, and there could be two of one ss and one of another.


    After trios things got moreplicated again due to more counters being avable thus, trios were the favorite.


    However, none of that currently mattered to me. I was stuck in a staring contest with a highly respectable teacher.


    "How do you know all that stuff? It was just yesterday you were struggling with the homework."


    The professor didn''t seem to understand how I changed overnight. There was no good exnation I could give him. It wasn''t like I could say I have this magical device that gives me the answers.


    "I already mentioned that I purposely failed."


    "I don''t buy it. There''s no way you faked it. I saw the concentration and thought process you went through. You can''t fake that."


    "Mr. Vankay, if I could hide that I knew all the answers, don''t you think I could fake looking confused? How else would I have been able to answer your questions?"


    "That''s what I''m trying to get to the bottom of."


    The professor paused and took a deep breath before looking straight into my eyes.


    "Did you look at another teacher''s portfolio and get the answers?"


    I froze.


    I felt numb.


    A decision had to be made.


    Would I go with choice A or choice B?


    I looked down at my watch and recalled what the mission was, bing an important part of the novel.


    It never specified how, in fact, it even gave me the option to be a viin, I just had to make a name for myself.


    I was going with choice B.


    Tapping a button on my smartwatch I looked back up at the professor and met his eyes.


    "What did you just say?"


    He repeated himself and didn''t back down from my re.


    "Did you look at another teacher''s portfolio and get the answers?"


    "Why would you think that?"


    The professor threw his hands up.


    "How else would you be able to exin how you went from a stupid, uncaring,zy student to a genius who''s undermined?"


    "You don''t believe that I could have worked hard and dedicated countless hours to improving?"


    "I don''t! There''s no way you could have done that."


    "Then are you calling me a cheater?"


    "Yes!"


    We both froze after he said that. It seems that the professor answered spontaneously. He obviously didn''t choose his words carefully.


    "I see¡­"


    I answered without emotion.


    "Then I''ll take my leave."


    Turning around I left out the door and walked behind a nearby wall. It was then that I tapped another button on my watch. A smile crept on my face and I quickly picked up my pace to make it to my next ss.


    Whatever Mr. Vankay was thinking about was none of my business.


    Thankfully, I knew theyout of the school and took a shortcut through a janitor''s room to make it to the next ss just in the nick of time.


    I walked through the door just as the bell rang which marked the start of the ss.


    Looking around the new room, familiar details stood out to me. Just like before everything I wrote was alive in front of my eyes.


    "Lucas shut the door behind you and hurry up and get your equipment."


    That was the trios'' teacher Miss Smith.


    "Yes ma''am."


    I did as she instructed and shut the door. Just like Mr. Vankay''s, it was a steel door. However, this one was covered in ruins used to protect it.


    Although most of the first-year students weren''t all that strong it was better to be safe than sorry and have an ident happen.


    Therefore allbat sses had ruins on the doors to make sure nothing outside got destroyed.


    Walking over to the equipment wall I made my way toward the sword section.


    There was an entire wall dedicated to weapons of all kinds to suit any taste.<novelnext></novelnext>


    I passed the bows, the shields, the gauntlets, and the axes before arriving in front of the swords.


    There was only one left. I quickly snatched it and went over to a corner to wait.


    Luckily Griffin didn''t discriminate when it came to weapons. Each tool was made using the same materials and had the same qualities.


    So it didn''t make a difference that I grabbed thest sword and because of this, there weren''t any benefits of grabbing the first.


    In the corner, I took a seat and waited. Although I didn''t understand how to do anything I at least knew what to do.


    Being the author I knew that teams were based on rankings.


    The top 333 ranked students would all gather together to be randomly given their teammates.


    One person would always be left out. But this was a good thing. Rather than having one person do nothing but sit there, they would train with the professor.


    So it was actually better to be the odd one out.


    Of course, the top 333 weren''t included but that made it even better.


    Because the odd one out would always be of lower rank the teaching they got would boost them higher and in turn make the top 333 try harder.


    Although there were times people purposely dropped down to get help the chances of them randomly being the odd one out were extremely low.


    So most felt it was better to stay higher because by being in the top 333 you got to pick the format of your team.


    Starting with the 1st ranking students on down.


    They would pick the three sses they wanted for the day.


    Of course, there wasn''t an even amount so once it got to thete 200''s all the bow users were picked, forcing duplicates.


    So the 333rd person might end up being a team of all mages or something like that.


    But it was all still luck even if team 333 was all mages it might be the 333rd, 334th, and 335th rankers altogether then victory would practically be guaranteed.


    While I and the others patiently waited for the top dogs to pick their formats I looked down at my watch.


    A couple of buzzes went off when I was answering questions for Mr. Vankay.


    It seemed that being a show-off was the way to get stronger.


    Unlocking the screen, excitement filled my heart as I read about all the SP I gained.


    [You''ve caused the attention of a professor.]


    [+10 SP]


    [You''ve caused the attention of multiple side characters.]


    [+30 SP]


    [You''ve etched your name into the mind of the first of many.]


    [+100 SP]


    [Mr. Vankay will remember your name.]


    [+2 SP]


    "Wow!"


    I gained a bunch of SP and I didn''t even have to do all that much. All I did was read what the information told me.


    I opened the SP pop-up in the app to check my total.


    [SP: 2292]


    Satisfied with the low yet gradual increase in SP I turned off my watch just as thest person picked their format.


    Then a basket full of papers that had numbers on them went around the rankers and they drew numbers to see who was on whos team.


    After a couple of minutes of this people started calling out their teammates.


    "639"


    "396"


    "729"


    "1000"


    "481"


    "993"


    "¡­"


    Hearing my number I stood up and walked toward the person who called my name. However, once I saw who it was my heart dropped.


    Noah.

 Chapter 7 1.2

    ?As I stood next to the man who would eventually be responsible for the death of thousands my body unconsciously shook.


    Thankfully the third member appeared and took the pressure off of me having to start a conversation.


    "Yo, what''s up? Aye, Noah, I didn''t know I would be with you. This is gonna be easy, you better carry us!"


    The man who I had no recollection of slung his arm around Noah''s shoulder.


    "Yeah, yeah just make sure I don''t get hit."


    The two of them seemed pretty close but I don''t ever remember writing about someone who looked like 429. Nor do I remember having him be friends with someone like Noah.


    "Yo and who is this?"


    429 asked while pointing at me but then it seemed like a light bulb went off in his head.


    "Wait, aren''t you the one who called the professor boring?"


    "Ah, I wouldn''t say that."


    "No, no, it was definitely you. Yeah, you''re the crazy dude who called him boring. You got some real balls!"


    429 led Noah closer to me and he also swung his arm around my shoulder.


    He made it seem like the three of us were the best of buddies. I didn''t like it.


    "Oh yeah, by the way, I''m Billy but you can call me Bill and this here is Noah but you probably already knew that. Everyone knows Noah."


    "Yes, nice to meet both of you. My name is Lucas."


    With greetings out of the way, Noah told us the formation and n of attack.


    .


    When Noah reached into the basket to pull out a ticket and saw that it was Bill he was indifferent. Bill was a decent warrior and would serve as a good partner.


    But what Noah really worried about was his swordsman. He wanted someone fast and nimble who could take out the enemy''s support.


    When he reached his hand in and pulled the number he cursed his terrible luck.


    "993."


    He called out the number and waited for the piece of trash toe over.


    Noah''s n waspletely ruined. Without a good swordsman, his formation wouldpletely fail.


    Today Noah wanted to go for a risky move and do a dual swordsman single warrior formation. This would leave no supporters but he nned to overrun the enemy with strength.


    Noah and the warrior would attack together while the second swordsman would rush past and take out the support thene back and attack from behind.


    But when he saw the low number his ns were scrapped.


    Noah began to think of all kinds of ns when an arm went around his shoulders. He knew it was Bill''s. Bill was always a touchy-feely guy.


    Then Bill began talking to 993 but Noah didn''t pay any attention; he was forming a new n.


    Unfortunately, nothing good came to mind so he was forced to stick with the original n.


    Noah figured he would just cut his loss and make up for it tomorrow when he would hopefully get better teammates.


    With both of his teammates giving him their full attention, Noah exined how they would attack.


    Then the first battle began.


    It always started from the 1st ce ranker, Elijah.


    When Noah saw Elijah get into the arena with two supporters he got angry.


    Elijah was already unmatched in swordsmanship but with two additional supporters, it would be a clean sweep.


    That''s why Noah went with the two swordsmen and one warriorbo.


    If Noah''s team ever fought Elijah, Noah would have the advantage. He and Bill would double-team Elijah while the third would take out the support.


    It was a perfect n but it seemed likedy luck was not smiling because he was paired with someone ranked 993rd.<novelnext></novelnext>


    .


    As I listened to the n I thought it was decent. Noah was extremely strong and Billy was probably decent which meant I would have a clear path to taking out the people in the back.


    I liked the n because it didn''t put much pressure on me.


    The first battle began. It was the first-ce team vs the sixth.


    The first consisted of Elijah, 321, and 859. While the second was 6, 334, and 603.


    It was going to be a close match in terms of ranking. But none of that mattered when it came to Elijah.


    With the support of both his mages, he easily took down 334 and 603. Number 6 managed tost a while longer but eventually tired himself out.


    With the end of the first match, all other matches could begin. It was customary to watch the first fight.


    All the other teams then broke apart and spread out through the room while the one without a team went into the corner with the teacher.


    I followed behind Noah and we took our space in the center of the room.


    Because Elijah finished and moved out of the way it was clear for us to use. Plus no one would dare to take Noah''s spot.


    The team we were facing was fourth. The team included Mia, 742, and 748.


    It was going to be a close fight.


    Mia was a swordsman like myself and Noah. 742 was an archer and 748 was a mage.


    Our team was a perfect counter to theirs as long as I pulled my weight we should be able to win.


    Noah''s and Mia''s team''s squared up and after a countdown, the battle began.


    As soon as it started Noah shouted the n one final time.


    "Go 993, Bill you''re with me."


    Both Noah and Bill charged toward Mia. They were going to double-team her.


    With the only protection of the supporters busy, I made my move.


    Dashing past the shing of swords and axes I locked on to my first target, 748.


    If I take out the mage it will weaken Mia so Noah and Billy should be able to take her out.


    Being full of confidence I charged ahead.


    Passing the fight I moved towards the mage.


    But it wasn''t as simple as I thought as an arrow came flying at me.


    Knowing I had to dodge I swerved to the left. Unfortunately, it wasn''t quick enough and the arrow pierced my side.


    Since it was training and this was a school, real weapons weren''t allowed. However, that didn''t mean there was no way to regte damage.


    The floor of the room was made with sensors along with the magic that calcted and monitored the health of a student.


    Below everyone''s feet was a health bar that disyed how much health someone had left.


    With that single attack, my health bar went from green down past yellow and into red.


    "Tsk."


    One more hit and I would be eliminated. That was the difference in our skills.


    Preparing myself for more I raised my sword in front of my body to give myself a chance at cutting down an arrow.


    Just like I expected, another arrow came flying at me. I could see it clearly but it was moving at a quick pace. I had no way of dodging it and was forced to cut it down. But that''s what I was prepared to do.


    Right, when it was in range I swung my sword down to cut the arrow in half. However, rather than going as I expected my movement was too slow and I swung after the arrow had already hit me.


    Seeing it go through my chest I looked down at my feet as I watched the bar that was red empty. I was dead.

 Chapter 8 1.2.5

    ?"¡­"


    Sitting off to the side of the battle I was full of embarrassment.


    It seems that the skills Lucas had didn''t transfer over to me.


    I never had to wield a sword in my previous life. Nor had I ever learned any techniques to attack.


    I was not an athletic person. I hid in my room and wrote books all day. I did absolutely no exercise.


    Although Lucas''s body is well toned and his muscles have the instincts to block, my mind is unable to keep up.


    With the sh of my mind and body not cooperating, I was left a mess. In turn, 742 was easily able to defeat me.


    I contributed nothing to the team and got out in the first minute.


    Disappointed with myself, I watched the remainder of the fight. Luckily both Noah and Billy were able to pressure Mia enough for her to make a mistake.


    Putting too much weight on her left foot her bnce was disrupted and Noah quickly took advantage of the situation. He sliced his de down which crashed on Mia''s head instantly eliminating her.


    The two of them then went on to easily defeat the archer and mage without taking any more damage.


    With the battleplete Billy led Noah as they made their way over to me.


    I didn''t have the nerve to look them in the eye but Billy stood in front of me anyways.


    "Whew, that was a tough one. Mia sure is a lot stronger than she looks."


    Noah nodded his head to agree.


    "She''s decent."


    With their conversation ending, they turned their attention to me.


    Billy was the first to speak up.


    "You did alright, newbie, maybe next time try to keep them busy for a minute or so."


    I didn''t know if he was being sarcastic or not.


    "Uh, yeah, I''ll keep that in mind."


    "Great!"


    Billy punched my shoulder. It seems he wasn''t making fun of me.


    Noah didn''t bother to even speak to me and the two of them turned to head toward their friend groups.


    Being alone in the ss and embarrassed, I dropped to the floor to wait.


    There would only be one round during the first semester which meant I blew my chances for the day. I would have to wait till tomorrow when the next set of teams was picked.


    Unsatisfied with my performance I decided to make use of my special power to see if there was a way to get stronger.


    I was already one of the weakest and now that I learned I didn''t have the same abilities as Lucas I was even further behind.


    I had to have some sort of cheat to make me stronger or I''d end up getting kicked out.


    The actual knowledge to learn was only worth around 35 percent of the yearly grade. The other 65 percent wasbat.


    Griffin was an academy meant to guide the students into bing strong yers who could be incredibly powerful. It didn''t care about how smart someone was.


    The only reason the school had an education program was to give data. The school exined how to survive in certain conditions, how to be stronger, find the weaknesses of monsters, and more.


    But even without this knowledge, the graduates should be able to get through nearly any situation with pure strength.


    Of course, it would be much easier if they knew about that stuff which is why it was only worth 35% of the grade.


    Turning on my smartwatch I thought back to one of the first messages I got when I looked in the information section. It exined that SP was used to create abilities, gifts, skills, and even stats.


    Wanting to take advantage of my powers I asked for information about how much it would cost to create a new Gift.<novelnext></novelnext>


    [All Gifts range from 100 to 15000 SP]


    This was great news. I already had over 2000 SP which meant I could get another Gift and a better one at that.


    I wondered if I would be able to clearly outline the Gift and make it precisely as I wanted it.


    Immediately another message appeared.


    [All Gifts range from 100 to 15000 SP but that also means the power of the gift cannot exceed the value of SP.]


    Now I understand. The weaker the Gift the cheaper it was. This also meant I couldn''t create a Gift that made me immortal because it would probably cost more than 15000 SP.


    With these conditions in mind, I began thinking of the most suitable Gift for my current self.


    After a long while of debating between choices, I knew what I wanted.


    Because I lost all skills that Lucas had and I also knew of no techniques that corrted to other weapons I decided to go with a well-rounded Gift.


    [Weapon Comprehension: By using a weapon repeatedly you slowlyprehend how to use it.]


    [Do you wish to create this Gift for 1200 SP?]


    "Yes."


    Seeing the SP I had stockpiled shrink my heart ached but I knew it would all be worth it.


    Checking my status I looked at the new gift I acquired.


    [Vitality: 3.4]


    [Strength: 3.8]


    [Speed: 3.2]


    [Resistance: 2.9]


    [Magic: 2.0]


    [Rank: 993]


    [Credits: -300,000]


    [Gifts:


    Sharp Sword (Beginner-7)


    Weapon Comprehension (Beginner-10)]


    Having the new gift greatly improved my mood. I would be able to be much stronger this way.


    The only problem was that since it was a new Gift it started out at beginner rank 10 which was the lowest it could possibly be.


    I didn''t have the time to level up the Gift especially since I would have to fight again tomorrow.


    Plus leveling up a Gift could take years upon years to do and I didn''t have that option.


    Thus, I thought of another idea.


    [Would you like to level up Weapon Comprehension from Beginner-10 to Beginner-5?]


    "How much SP would it cost?"


    [520.]


    "Do it."


    I watched as even more SP was sucked away but in turn, I watched the level rise and I couldn''t help but form a smile on my face.


    Next time I will be ready.

 Chapter 9 1.3

    ?While I was busy tapping away on my smart watch the remaining battles slowly came to an end.


    Victors and losers were being dered every couple of minutes.


    Right, when I finished up, so did thest group. It was a lower-rank battle so it wasn''t worth watching.


    Once the teacher saw thest group finish she exined what we would be doing tomorrow.


    "Good job everyone, today''s battles were especially fun to watch. Tomorrow we will be doing the same thing so make sure to prepare in advance."


    Then the bell went off signaling the end of the ss period.


    "Hmm, next ss should be¡­ dungeon safety."


    I was fine with this as I should be able to use the information section to cheat as well. If it truly did work I would have a huge advantage over all the other students. I wouldn''t have to dedicate any time to study. This way I couldpletely focus on training.


    Following behind the mass of people we all began to head toward Mrs. Fischer''s ssroom.


    It didn''t take too long as the ssrooms were just down the hallway from each other. But it did take a while due to the traffic of a thousand students.


    Pushing into the room I made my way to a seat in the back and put my head down on the desk.


    I didn''t have too many ns prepared for this ss due to howid back the teacher was. Her philosophy was to pay attention if you want to survive.


    Mrs. Fischer was the one and only teacher who didn''t care if people skipped or slept through her ss. But the irony was that absolutely no one would miss her sses.


    Dungeons were extremely dangerous ces and they had all different kinds of environments and conditions. No two dungeons were the exact same.


    Because of this, every student gave their best to learn as much as they could. If they didn''t it could mean the difference between life and death.


    When everyone finished taking their seats and teacher came into the ssroom.


    Mrs. Fischer was by far the most beautiful teacher in the school. The reason being was that she was so young.


    At age 29 she managed to be a teacher at the world-famous Griffin school. It took Mr. Vankay nearly his whole life to find a cure for something the world thought to be incurable to get into the school. Yet Fischer had already been teaching for two years meaning she got epted at 27.


    This was a miraculous achievement. However, the reason she got epted at such a young age was due to a tragedy.


    At age 24 when she was going on her fourth dungeon exploration something unexinable happened; her dungeon mutated.


    Although it had been around 20 years since the world changed and magic came into the world many unknowns were still in existence.


    Humanity was still learning everything it could and much was revealed but just when they thought they knew everything the world threw something new at them.


    The first of its kind, a dungeon mutation. The beginner-3 transformed into an intermediate-7 dungeon.


    The scouting group that went ahead before the expedition team reported that it was a snowy, icy, frozenndscape with a yeti as the final boss. However, when the attacking team entered and the dungeon mutated it became a swamnd with a prehistoric alligator as the final boss.


    Completely unprepared, under-geared, and confused as to what happened, of the seventeen members, two made it out alive.


    The first was Mrs. Fischer and the second was a porter whose only job was to collect and hold the resources found in the dungeon.<novelnext></novelnext>


    In the end, the two of them managed to clear the dungeon, and through their trauma, the two fell in love and lived happily ever after. At least that''s what I wrote.


    Because she was able to survive such a surreal experience Mrs. Fischer was offered a job at Griffin to prepare the students for the absolute worst. She dly epted in the hope she could prevent any more unnecessary deaths.


    This then turned into her philosophy. She saw death and she knew what happened to those who weren''t prepared so if some bratty kids didn''t want to listen to her it would be their own fault.


    But every student knew of her past and they listened closely to every word she said. Although none of that would matter to me.


    I designed dungeons, I knew which dungeons would mutate, I knew everything there was to know, plus with the help of information, I had no reason to pay attention.


    Ready for a quick nap Iid my head down on the desk and closed my eyes but just as I was drifting off I heard something Ipletely forgot about.


    "Next week it will be this ss''s turn to explore a dungeon. If you are ever going to pay any attention to me these next couple of days would be the days to do so. I don''t want any deaths due to carelessness!"


    Shooting my head up, my drowsiness was wiped away.


    "Next week¡­"


    Looking down at my smart watch my heart began to pound. September 6th, 2045, on a Wednesday the first incident would happen which would begin Elijah''s story.


    It seems that the first adversity would being before I expected it.


    Although I transmigrated slightly into the new school year I hoped for a while longer to prepare.


    Knowing that this would change many of my ns I began to recall what happened when I wrote about it.


    On that cursed Wednesday, the students would be incredibly excited to go into their first dungeon. All the teachers had been preparing for it for months. Tens of scouts were sent in and the entire dungeon was mapped out.


    They knew the terrain, the environment, what and where the monsters were, as well as how to defeat the boss.


    It should have been a walk in the park and to take extra precautions five teachers would enter the dungeon as well. Each one would be in charge of two hundred students.


    It was a perfect way for the students to learn while guaranteeing that there would be no casualties. Sure some students might get hurt but that was inevitable. However, there shouldn''t be too many risks.


    What the teachers, scouts, and school didn''t know was that there was a condition for the dungeon.


    A dungeon condition could be anything but the simplest exnation was that it was a restriction.


    Both hard and easy dungeons could have a condition and there was no way to know about it without quite literally being blocked by it.


    Because of this, a dungeon can have a condition but because the clearing team never qualifies for it, there is no trouble.


    Some of the many conditions that humanity faced were a max of ten mages, no outside food, weapons that had to be made within the dungeon itself, and solo only.


    The dungeon that they would be facing had a ridiculous yet cruel condition. Normally it wouldn''t even be met which was why the school felt it was safe to let the students go in.


    The condition was a minimumbined age of 15,000. Because everyone in the grade was between the ages of 14 and 16 the way it worked out was 14,999. Which left room for a one-year-old to join.


    Stupidly the school would have all the students enter first before the teachers. So when the teachers nned to enter they would be blocked out. Due to this, the students would be all on their own. As a result, nearly one hundred students would lose their lives.

 Chapter 10 1.3.5

    ?With this knowledge of what will happen in the future, I knew I had to begin to prepare for the worst.


    But to make the best out of the situation that''s toe I need to get stronger. The only way to do this is through SP.


    I needed a way to get a ton of SP. Although I had a n on the back burner I didn''t want to use it yet.


    I needed to create a reputation to maximize the amount of SP I got. If only one or two people knew about it I wouldn''t get that much even if it was a big deal.


    With a n forming in my mind I knew what I had to do.


    Right as the teacher was in the middle of exining something I would make my move.


    "The dungeon we will be going into is a beginning-9 which means some of you will have to take extra precautions¡ª"


    Shoving my chair back I abruptly stood up. The sound echoed throughout the ss as waves of eyes turned to me.


    Ignoring the curious, uninterested, and annoyed looks of both my peers and teacher I slowly began to walk down the rows toward the teacher.


    Mrs. Fischer didn''t say anything but continued to stare at me as I interrupted the ss.


    When I reached the front of the ss where the teacher was I looked her dead in the eyes.


    "What a waste of time."


    With that turned and went straight for the door. A momentter I opened it and left walking out into the hallway.


    Soon after the door closed behind me and I went towards my next destination, the training center.


    .


    Back in the ssroom, everyone appeared to be in a state of shock. This included Evelyn who was close enough to hear the words that came out of Lucas''s mouth.


    This was the second time she was left in a state of awe from the boy and in a matter of hours at that.


    She didn''t even know he existed until today. Although the school year had been going on for close to a month she never made many contacts with the lower-ranked students.


    Well in reality none of the lower-ranked or any of the ranked students for that matter made contact with her.


    Any time she tried to make a friend or someone came up to introduce themselves to her something would always go poorly.


    Thest person she interacted with was a girl named Leyan who was ranked 871. The girl suddenly came up to her during their lunch break. She asked if she could sit with Evelyn and right as Evelyn was about to agree a bird flew overhead and pooped on her.


    The shock and embarrassment caused Leyan to run off crying and Evelyn was left all alone once again.


    With multiple situations simr to those happening whenever someone engaged with Evelyn people started specting that she was cursed.


    This led to all kinds of rumors forming and Evelyn was left more ostracized than she ever had been in her entire life.


    Now students even refused to sit near her in sses and people she teamed up with wouldn''t dare to speak to her.


    Her heart was bing colder with every passing interaction and Evelyn decided that the best course of action would be to focus on training.


    That''s exactly what she did for the past two and a half weeks. Every passing second she would be training with her weapon and studying the material of every ss. While her peers went out and had fun, went on dates, and created memories she would practice.


    Due to Evelyn spending so much time studying she became a much better student. She would be able to answer questions that teachers asked and participate more than she ever had in her life.


    She was on pace to be a favorite of all the teachers and serve as a role model. However, even then people didn''t approach her. In fact, it seemed to be getting worse. People would go out of their way to avoid her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    But this just caused her to study and train even harder. She figured that something was wrong with her and if she gave it her best people would then start to like her.


    In the scenario that this would happen Evelyn went out of her way to memorize everyone''s name in ordance with their number. This way she woulde off as more friendly and she would be able to start a conversation with them.


    None of the other students bothered to learn about everyone. There were a thousand people and it was just too much for them to learn everyone''s name let alone be friends with them.


    Thus, clicks started forming, and in turn the number of people who knew about each other lessened and lessened.


    Plus, all the higher-ranking people didn''t care or bother to interact with the lower-ranked people and most of them saw them as useless.


    Evelyn was different though, all she wanted was a friend, someone she could spend time with, and someone who would care about her.


    As her studying improved and her knowledge grew she thought that someone might ask her for help with the ss work. If that happened even if she was used as a tool she might be able to talk with someone and that''s all that mattered to her.


    However, her peers started seeing her as a stuck-up know-it-all who was untouchable. As a result her hard work to make friends backfired.


    Evelyn was left alone again and she had no idea what to do about it. Any n she made would result in someone running away from her.


    Slowlying to terms that she might truly be cursed she decided to enact the role she was given and be an ice princess.


    Her grades rose to an unprecedented high and when midterms came out she might even be able to move up a rank.


    So when she was in Mr. Vankay''s theory ss and a student with the name tag 993 came inte she knew exactly who it was. His name was Lucas and he was as unpopr as she was.


    Evelyn thought nothing of himing inte although it was unlike Lucas to make a scene. However when he called the topics that they were learning about boring something snapped in her.


    Who was he to insult such a profound discussion in theory by calling newly discovered information boring?


    Even with everything Evelyn had been studying so hard she knew absolutely nothing about the topic. She was excited about the ss and being able to learn something new but Lucas was ruining it when he cursed the teacher.


    She wanted to stand up and shout at him but she knew better. Since she wanted friends she learned a little bit about everyone.


    What she knew about Lucas was that he was failing most of his sses and barely getting throughbat. His ability allowed him to sharpen tools which were extremely useful for smithery.


    That was the only reason he was epted into Griffin because the teachers spected that they could make him into a great cksmith.


    So when someone who should be all about bronze was talking about brains she wanted to challenge his knowledge. Yet the professor seemed to be on the same page as he started quizzing Lucas. But contrary to her expectations he started answering questions she never heard of with what seemed to be perfect exnations.


    The teacher along with everyone else seemed to be as shocked as she was.


    How did he know about that? When did he study? She had so many questions that she had to physically restrain herself from going up to him. She was worried something bad might happen to him so to convince herself she figured it might just be a fluke. That Lucas had guessed or something.


    But just to be safe she kept a closer eye on him during the trio''s battle. She was half expecting him to break out insane battle skills but he ended up failing miserably. It was the worst disy of an attack she had ever seen. If someone had argued that it was Lucas''s first time holding a sword she would believe them.


    With her thoughts washed away, she went back to ignoring him and went to her favorite ss, Mrs. Fischer''s.


    But not even ten minutes into the period just went they received news that they would be entering a dungeon Lucas caused another scene. It was so unlike him that Evelyn was wondering if he was possessed.


    Unlike before when he outright called the teacher boring this time he just got up and left! He walked straight out the door while muttering what a waste of time it was!


    Evelyn was dumbfounded, the boy who couldn''t handle a weapon and was failing every ss, was calling the one ss that would prepare him for the mandatory dungeon useless. It was unheard of and in ridiculous!


    Obviously, Mrs. Fischer wouldn''t do anything about it and that was confirmed by her immediately going back to teaching the lesson but Lucas''s fate was sealed.


    There was no way he would make it out of the dungeon unharmed.

 Chapter 11 1.4

    ?As I shut the door to the ssroom and made my way to my destination a buzz shook my arm. A smile broke out on my face as I knew what it indicated.


    While walking I unlocked the screen to see the messages.


    [You''ve caused the attention of a professor.]


    [+10 SP]


    [Evelyn will remember your name.]


    [+5 SP]


    d that my n worked. It brought me closer to the grand reveal. Not only had I gotten some SP from walking about but now I was beginning to create a reputation.


    Just as I finished my self-analysis I reached my destination. It was arge room full of all kinds of equipment and weapons. However unlike the ssroom where the trios ss took ce the room was made especially and only for the 9th-grade ss.


    Each grade got its own training rooms and they got better each year. But the most significant part of it was the individual rooms.


    There were only a couple of these rooms so it was firste first served. Another reason I left the dungeon safety ss was for this reason. Staying there would have brought more harm than good.


    By leaving I got SP, and became known as someone who didn''t care about lessons, could train without interruptions, and wouldn''t have to waste time on information I already knew. It was a win, win, win, win!


    I quickly made my way into an individual training room and locked the door so that there would be any interruptions. These rooms were almost always in use and someone like the current me would never in a million years be able to gain ess. The reason being was that there was a monopoly.


    The strongest in the ss always got priority and they held the vacant rooms even if no one was ying to use them. By doing this they would force the weaker students to pay credits to use them.


    Although it was cruel, it was the way the world worked. The strong get stronger while the weak get weaker. If the weak wanted a chance they would have to go into debt to get ess.


    I don''t know how Lucas managed to spend three hundred thousand credits but I assumed a good bit of it was in the training room.


    I was pissed off at this because I was now in debt over something meaningless. If the previous Lucas was smart enough he could have gotten the rooms for free if he just skipped sses. It wasn''t like he wasn''t used to it because when I transmigrated I was in an open field when I should have been in ss.


    So the question was, just what was thest Lucas doing with all that free time?


    But I didn''t have time to find out the reasons. I had to be stronger and one of the fastest ways to do it was to train.


    Right after locking the door to the training room, a message appeared outside the door to anyone who might be strolling around that it was upied.


    But this message was practically useless because there was a setting that allowed the room to be blocked from the outside.


    Everyone always had this feature active because they wouldn''t want anyone watching them and possibly finding out about their weaknesses. Due to this the feature was actually automatically turned on. But instead of it being a good thing, this was bad for my ns.


    I turned to my left where a 3d screen was projected on the wall next to the door. Tapping on a couple of menus it took a while to find what I wanted. Once I found the button that made it so no one outside to look in I switched it from active to inactive.


    No change happened in the room due to the ss being one-way. This meant that I could see out but no one could see in. However, after disabling the feature the ss became two-way. This made no difference to my vision so I had to believe that the technology was working correctly and people could see me.


    With everything set up in the room, I had to do onest thing before I began and it was the most important piece as well as the reason I made the ss two ways.


    Tapping on my smartwatch I first unlocked it before checking on the amount of SP I had.


    [SP: 587]


    The amount was extremely low and it slightly terrified me because if something were to happen I wouldn''t have much to spend.


    But I became even more worried when I realized I would be spending practically all of it on my next creation.


    Leaving the SP sea toon I went into the information one to ask how much SP costs to create a skill.


    [Skills range from 10 to 2500 SP.]


    I was shocked by this discovery as it was much less broad than I anticipated. But the more I thought about it the more sense it made.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Cleaning skills were nowhere near as important as skills like Mr. Vankay''s hearing.


    Butlers and maids could develop cleaning skills and although they would be practical for serving their masterbat skills were much more respected.


    If the lowest amount of SP for a skill was ten, which would make sense for skills like cleaning, ones that were around two thousand SP had to be incredibly powerful.


    Also because skills weren''t as powerful as Gifts it made sense for them to cost less.


    With everything ready I began to imagine the type of skill I wanted to create. After having a rough idea I thought about it expecting to get a notification as I had with the Gift but instead, nothing happened.


    Confused by this, I asked if there was something different about creating a skill.


    [All skills range from 10 to 2500 SP. You cannot create a skill stronger or weaker than within the restrictions.]


    Realizing my mistake I must have envisioned a skill that was worth more than 2500 SP. So I began to add conditions and restrictions but even then no messages appeared.


    Now knowing that I was attempting to create something impossible I dumbed it down and made it as precise as possible. Only then did a message appear in front of me.


    [Mana Breath: By breathing in mana for a minute straight, magic will increase by 0.01]


    [Do you wish to create this Gift for 2500 SP?]


    Although this was exactly what I wanted, the cost was too high and I couldn''t afford it. So I began adding more conditions to get it closer to my price range.


    [Mana Breath: Only by being in a mana-rich environment and having lowered all-natural defenses will this skill take effect. By breathing in mana for a minute straight, magic will increase by 0.001]


    [Do you wish to create this skill for 1250 SP?]


    Unfortunately, even with this, it was too expensive. Worried that it wouldn''t be worth creating the skill I asked Information if there was anything I could do.


    [Gifts, skills, and stat points can be converted back into SP. However, there will be a 10% loss upon return and all knowledge and experience gained from Gifts and skills will be permanently lost.]


    Surprised by this new valuable bit of information I asked how much one stat point would return.


    [900 SP]


    I didn''t know if it was a good trade or not so I decided to also see how much I could get from my first Gift.


    [750 SP]


    Judging by the fact that the price was lower and that a Gift wouldn''t give more than a stat point I decided to go with thetter.


    [Are you sure you wish to revert Sharp Sword (Beginner-7) to 750 SP? Warning: all knowledge and skill will be permanently deleted!]


    "Yes."


    Immediately after my mind began to get fuzzy and hazy. Although I had never gotten drunk before, what I was going through felt like the best way to describe it.


    A few momentster when I gathered myself I checked the amount of SP I had.


    [SP: 1337]


    d that it worked, I went back to the mana breath skill.


    [Do you wish to create this skill for 1250 SP?]


    "Yes."


    Immediately after, the skill appeared on my status screen and I began to get to work.

 Chapter 12 1.4.5

    ?The thing about individual training rooms is that they have a high concentration on mana. The reason for this is that many cores power the rooms. But because they are powered like this it also means that they are incredibly expensive. That''s the reason there is only a certain amount and why there is a monopoly.


    Everyone wants to use the individual rooms so it''s a battle between the students for who gets to use them.


    Now that I had my skillplete and there was no one to stop me I was free to take full advantage of the gift I''d been given.


    Sitting down on the floor in the middle of the room I took a meditative stance. Once I feltfortable I took a deep breath and held it in for a full minute. Then I slowly and carefully let it out.


    After doing so a couple of times I looked down at my watch to check my progress.


    [Magic +0.005]


    Satisfied with the results I returned to my exercise and waited for the inevitable conflict that was soon toe.


    .


    Ranking 83rd, Oscar was seated in the second row listening to Mrs. Fischer and what would be needed for the dungeon. Oscar was usually half-assed in ss but he especially paid more attention in her ss. Not for the usual reason though. Unlike the other kids who want to learn how to survive dangerous and unknownnds, Oscar didn''t have these worries.


    Humanity is often grouped into four sets. The first is swordsmen. As the name describes swordsmen are people who use swords. They are nimble, well-trained soldiers who lead attacks. The second group is warriors. These are more often than not big burry people who wield axes. They charge in the front lines and cause big destruction. Their sole purpose is to cause chaos. The third group is archers. Although they are called archers not every one of the people who fall into this group uses a bow the majority however do. Some use crossbows, daggers,unch spears, and just anyone who attacks from range. The fourth and final group is the broadest, most powerful, battle-orienting mages. It hasn''t been officially recognized but people know that there are two categories of mages. In reality, there should be five groups but nobody seems to wee the change. The first set of mages is the battle type. These are referred to as casters. They are the ones who deal the most damage out of the entire group. They are the ones that cast fireballs and rain fire, or drown by flooding, and freeze in ice. Most casters can''t cast too many spells as they quickly be exhausted, however just one spell can change the oue of a war. The second part of mages is called supporters. These are the ones who hide in the back and stay out of the confrontation. Their role is to provide support for the troops by using buffs. Some also can debuff enemies but these mages are quite rare.


    Oscar was one of these support mages. There were many others like Oscar in Griffin but he stood out the most because of his special debuff. It allowed him topletely divide someone''s attack prowess by 50% and the most overpowered part of it was there was no limit on the number of people he could affect. If it was an army of a billion each and every enemy would only be able to release half of their total attacking power.


    Although this seems too good to be true, Oscar has a fatal w. One weakness that would ruin him if it got out. Luckily no one besides his family knows about it. That''s the reason Oscar was able to get so high in the ranking. No matter who he is teamed up with they have a 100 percent win rate if Oscar is on their team. Not even Elijah was able to defeat Oscar.


    Thus, the reason Oscar wasn''t all that concerned with the dungeon was because of two reasons. Firstly he was confident in his own abilities and the abilities of his peers. The second was the support mages were always in the back out of harm''s way. Oscar wouldn''t have any troubles and could hide in the back while providing buff and debuffs.


    So without having any worries on his mind the one and the only reason he continued toe to the dungeon safety ss was because of how hot Mrs. Fischer was. Deep down Oscar knew he never had a chance but he would constantly express his love and was even more obsessed than Liam.


    Oscar would get turned down by Mrs. Fischer practically every day but he still refused to give up.


    While zoning out and ogling the teacher Oscar was both shocked and surprised to see someone walk past him.


    This was extremely unusual for someone to leave the ss and that was especially so in Mrs. Fischer''s ss.


    Turning his boredom into interest Oscar watched the kid walk down the remaining rows and arrive in front of the teacher.


    Although Oscar was unable to hear what was spoken he could grasp that it was an insult.


    Mrs. Fischer didn''t seem to react but the boy ended up leaving the ssroom anyway. This left a sour taste in Oscar''s mouth. He desperately wanted to ask what the kid said but he restrained himself.


    He knew that Mrs. Fischer wouldn''t care if someone left but Oscar believed that she was just too kind to take any action. With these thoughts in his mind, he memorized the face of the kid who belittled his crush. He would deal out the punishment that Mrs. Fischer was unable to do.


    With his mind made up, he went back to watching her sway back and forth between the ss and the smart board.


    Oscar lost track of time while watching her and nothing she said stuck to his mind and the bell eventually rang.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Disappointed that he wouldn''t be able to see her till the next day, Oscar went up to Mrs. Fischer to do his ritual.


    "Hello, Mrs. Fischer! A wonderful ss as always though it''s a shame not everyone thinks that way."


    Mrs. Fischer, having already expected Oscar toe up to her, didn''t even have to turn to look at him before answering.


    "Thank you, Oscar, but it''s up to each person to discover what they deem important and if they have other responsibilities then it''s not my ce to force them. Plus if I did that they would be more inclined to purposely discard anything I say. So as long as just one person can take away what I said and learn from it, all my effort would have been worth it."


    Seeming her overflowing kindness Oscar''s theory that she was unable to punish students became a solid belief.


    "Don''t you worry Mrs. Fischer I''ll make sure that the student who left will be back next ss!"


    Hearing Oscar''s enthusiasm Mrs. Fischer turned to him and gave him a bright smile.


    "That is very noble of you but just make sure you don''t push him. Thest thing I would want is for him to despise me."


    Seeing this as a way to earn Mrs. Fischer''s favor Oscar vowed then and there to bring the kid back to ss no matter what it took.


    "I understand! You can count on me!"


    "Great, now you should hurry along or you will bete for your next ss."


    Annoyed that he would have to cut his conversation short with Mrs. Fischer, Oscar began to think of as many excuses he could muster to stay with her a couple of minutes more.


    "Ah, but I don''t have any more sses today, just training. I can be a littlete to it, I''ll just have to work extra hard!"


    After saying this he flexed his muscles to prove a point.


    "Haha, I''m d that you enjoy mypany but this time I have to leave early. My husband and I will be going out to eat. He managed to reserve a spot at a famous restaurant. We''ve been waiting for this day for months so you will have to excuse me."


    Having finished packing up all her supplies Mrs. Fischer left the room but not before telling Oscar to go and train.


    "Make sure you are in your best condition for next week when we go to the dungeon!"


    Then with a wave goodbye, she left Oscar there with his mind overflowing with thoughts.


    He was wishing that Mr. Fischer would drop dead or randomly have a heart attack or pass away in his sleep or even explode. Anything would work so long as he could get a chance at being with Mrs. Fischer.


    But then when she mentioned that they would be going to the dungeon all those dark thoughts were reced. He wasn''t paying all that much attention but he recalled hearing about a dungeon. So if what Mrs. Fischer had just said was true the two of them would get to be together.


    In addition due to Oscar being a supporter, he could stay in the back where the teachers would probably be. He figured that they would stay behind everyone to keep an eye out and if he was correct he might be able to get some alone time with her.


    Overjoyed with these thoughts he raced off toward the training room a bitte.

 Chapter 13 1.4.75

    ?After the bell rang signaling the end of the dungeon safety course many of the students beelined it toward the training room.


    Only a few students would have onest ss but the overwhelming majority were done for the day.


    Thus with sses out and free time avable practically everyone wanted to train to be stronger. Some ckers went straight back to their dorms but they wouldn''t contribute anything anyways.


    As the wave of students pushed open the doors to enter the room that was full of equipment the anarchy became organized.


    Everyone seemed to move with determination toward their spot. Some went to the bench, some went to do cardio, some began stretching, others grabbed weapons, and thest entered a private room.


    No one was paying too much attention to each other as they all had their own goals and worries.


    However, the small group that consisted of the best of the best was dumbfounded as they stared at one boy.


    The training room went from the highest number to the lowest. This meant that the lowest would have to walk past every room in order to reach theirs.


    So when all eighty-two students who nned on using individual rooms came up to the first room they would all have to pass it.


    But none of the students were moving because a miracle was urring.


    Sitting in the very first room was a young boy who many didn''t recognize.


    This wouldn''t be too out of the ordinary as some lower-ranking people might buy out a room for a day.


    However, the individual training rooms had something special about them that the school designed them. To have the students challenge themselves the rank of the person who was currently in the room would be disyed outside. This was done so that people could challenge that person to take the room.


    Unfortunately for the school, this n didn''t work too well as it seemed to deter people from being challenged because seeing a higher-ranked person and trying to challenge them would lead to a beating.


    Plus the strong wanted to keep the hierarchy and they abused the system to keep rooms for themselves. The strong would get stronger while the weak were forced to watch in envy.


    At least that''s what was supposed to happen. Instead, the number that was shining out brightly for all to see outside of the room was 993.


    The people who got their training rooms all agreed and set a couple of terms to make sure that they weren''t overturned.


    One of these such terms was that no one under rank 500 would be able to use the training room no matter how much they were willing to pay.


    The reason this rule was set in ce was that if there was a rich kid in lower ranks who could buy out a room he or she would be able to be strong fast.


    If this happened the person that the rich kid was buying from the south eventually became stronger than the one who was renting it out.


    This would affect the lineup of how the rooms worked.


    The reason individual training rooms were so important and sought after was that they had a high concentration of mana. The lower the number in the training room the higher amount of mana.


    So the number one training room had the most mana out of all the rooms. If this room was rented out then the person buying would slowly be the strongest person in the school.


    Thus the strongest people decided to keep themselves in the lead and make sure that never happened.


    So some of their rules were no that no one under rank 500 could rent a room and a room could only be rented out once a week.


    This would give them some extra pocket change and the ones who rented wouldn''t get too strong.


    This n worked perfectly so long as everyone followed the rules. Yet in front of them was not only someone below 500 but even one of the weakest in the ss.


    Just by spending one day in the room the kid who was ranked 993rd might be able to go as far as raise one hundred ranks.


    Everyone there knew that which was why they were so stunned. Who would dare to break the rules and challenge the authorities of the other higher rankers?


    The only reason the rules were still in ce was that the first-ced person didn''t break them.


    The first-ce ranker is the strongest and therefore if someone were to break the rules they would be in charge of the punishment.


    But if the first ce tanker decided to rent out his room every day because he was so strong no one would be able to stop him and the organization coulde crumbling down.


    So everything rested on the shoulders of the person who ranked first, Elijah.


    The student surrounding the individual room turned to look at Elijah to see what he would do in front of such tant disrespect.<novelnext></novelnext>


    But unexpectedly he just stood there carefully examining the person who was inside the room.


    Confused by this, some students began to ask him what he was going to do.


    "Elijah, someone broke the rules and let a ranker under 500 train, what are you going to do about it?"


    The others began to agree.


    "Yeah, this goes against everything we stand for, you can''t allow this to continue!"


    More and more began to voice their concerns when it came to the boy inside.


    "Can''t you just go in there and forcefully remove him? We can ask him who he bought the room from and make sure they never get ess again!"


    Nearly everyone agreed with this idea. If someone broke the rules they should get banned from ever being able to use an individual room.


    But even with all the shouting, Elijah kept his eyes locked on the boy without saying or doing anything.


    Getting fed up, someone eventually straight up asked Elijah for his n.


    "Elijah what are you going to do?!"


    Breaking his contact off the face of the one ranked 993rd Elijah turned to the person who just asked him a question.


    "What am I going to do? Nothing."


    "Huh?"


    Everyone was shocked at this revtion. If Elijah wasn''t going to do anything, what could they do?


    Worries went through their minds as they imagined the order they worked so hard to create woulde crashing down.


    Seeing the looks on everyone''s faces Elijah felt like he had to rify.


    "You misunderstand, the person inside the room was the one who left the dungeon safety ss early. He didn''t rent out the room. Rather he came here before anyone else could."


    Silence. No one imagined that a student might skip a ss just to get some extra time in the trading room.


    With this unexpected detail, the rankers were left with more worries. What if others began to do the same thing? The ranking would bepletely messed up.


    As if reading everyone''s mind Elijah ended everyone''s worries.


    "Don''t worry I''ll make sure nothing like this happens again. But what I don''t understand is why 993 did it."


    Everyone let out a breath they were holding but hearing Elijah''s question they couldn''t help but be curious.


    "What do you mean?"


    "993, he is purposefully letting us see him. That''s what I don''t understand."


    Still not getting an answer, another voiced out their confusion.


    "I don''t follow, what do you mean he is purposefully letting us see him?"


    Letting out a sigh Elijah exined the unusual behavior.


    "He purposefully disabled the one-way ss. He quite literally is telling us without words to look at him. 993 has to have some hidden agenda. Otherwise, he would have left it one way and taken advantage of this loophole of ours, and constantly skipped sses to get stronger. We would have been none the wiser. But instead of doing that he is openly revealing himself. But that''s not even the most confusing part!"


    "Then what is?"


    "Look at him, he''s not even training!"


    Now that Elijah pointed it out they only realized the obvious, 993 wasn''t training, in fact, he hadn''t moved a muscle since they arrived.


    "Why would someone with a n that could get them stronger without others realizing it, reveal that ability? On top of that, why would they not take advantage of the chance they had and make use of the room? There''s only one exnation that I cane up with, he is taunting us."

 Chapter 14 1.4.9

    ?With thement Elijah just made everyone became enraged and the more that they thought about it the more it seemed to be true.


    Who would go out of their way and risk angering all the top rankers to get a training room and do nothing in it?


    Even after this whole time that they were standing outside the room, the boy had refused to move an inch.


    He was just sitting there as if rxing in thefortable mana environment.


    With every passing second, the students got madder and madder. Even if someone nned out the whole thing it would at least be impressive if they were training. But to sit there and waste the room for someone who could be using it more efficiently, it''s a in insult.


    .


    Oscar was running through the hallway to make it to the training room. Even though he was a bitte since he wasn''t renting out the individual room he didn''t expect any problems.


    As long as there wasn''t a challenger he figured he would be able to sneak in and take the room.


    Due to there only being eighty-three individual training rooms and the person who had the eighty-third often had to face challengers to want to take the spot.


    This was a rule added by the school that allowed a challenger to at any time challenge someone who had an individual room. The owner had to ept and refuse or defeat would lead to the challenger gaining ess to the room.


    But there was also an added consequence for losing. The person who owned the room and lost would be unable to challenge any person for a week straight.


    If the challenger lost there would be no dire consequences from the school at least.


    Unfortunately, like many of the school''s rules, these rules were taken advantage of by the strong.


    If the eighty-third person lost someone higher up would immediately challenge the winner and beat them to a pulp. This would discourage them and others from challenging others. In addition, the room would be the winner''s ce.


    When this happened because the winner usually had a lower room with higher mana the eighty-third room would be rented out.


    If this happened it was normally the eighty-third person who bought back into the room they just lost. This would turn everything back to how it was.


    However, among the students there was a rule that if a higher-ranked person got a second room they had to sell it to the highest bidder.


    Under normal circumstances, the eighty-third would buy it back but every once and a while someone who had been saving up would win the room.


    Oscar didn''t really care if this happened because he was rich with credits. This is why he didn''t mind staying with Mrs. Fischer for a while longer.


    Finally arriving in front of the training room he pushed open the doors but his eyes immediately locked on to the gathering of students that were in front of his room.


    Oscar felt frustration fill his mind. Since he waste and unable to ept the challenge of someone that most likely meant someone took his room.


    This meant a higher-ranked person would take back the room and Oscar would have to pay up.


    It wasn''t the biggest deal in the world but it did annoy him.


    Walking up to where everyone was gathered he was surprised to see the number of people.


    If someone took a room from him, too many people would be willing to challenge the person.


    The reason being was that it was more beneficial to keep training rather than beat the neer and rent out the room for a few credits.


    Thus, it was only the eighties and some of the lower seventies who stood outside his room but now he saw all kinds of people and he even thought he heard Elijah''s voice.


    Confused by what was happening Oscar pushed past everyone to arrive in front of his room only to have his mouth drop open with shock.


    There, in front of him, seated looking like he was taking a nap, was the very student he swore to beat up and force back into Mrs. Fischer''s ss.


    Oscar thanked the heavens for the perfect opportunity to beat the kid senselessly.


    But then a sudden feeling of nervousness filled his mind. If a student walks out of a ss, takes someone else''s training room, and only sits there wouldn''t it be fair to assume they were incredibly stronger?


    Slowly Oscar lifted his head to see the rank disyed above the training room but when he saw it he couldn''t help but burst outughing.


    Illuminated for all to see was the number 993.


    Now Oscar was really ready to punch the kid''s face. Oscar started to think that the kid might even have a mental disability. Who would be stupid enough to provoke every high-ranking student?<novelnext></novelnext>


    Oscar''s only regret was that since the person was so low ranked Elijah would have to deal with them for breaking the rules. But that just meant Oscar would get his chance at ater time.


    But just as Oscar was thinking this even more luck shined down on him.


    "Oscar, do you want to challenge him?"


    The person who had asked the question was none other than Elijah.


    Having been given the opportunity and go-ahead to beat the boy, Oscar voiced his challenge by pulling up his smartwatch.


    "I Oscar ranked 83rd challenge student 993. The victor will be awarded ess to training room 83."


    Whenever a challenge was publicly dered a notification would ping throughout the school.


    Since the watches were connected with mana throughout the entire school a system of sorts was established so the challenge was immediately recognized.


    However, unlike what the system would say it voiced out an error.


    [83 is unable to challenge 993.]


    Dumbfounded Oscar had no idea what went wrong.


    "Why?"


    [83 is already the owner of training room D-83.]


    Now Oscar was even more confused. Checking the setting on this smartwatch he checked all the past challenges he took part in. Thest one was three days ago when he beat 102.


    This shook Oscar''s mind even more. There was no notification that he was challenged by 993.


    This meant that somehow there was a way to take someone else''s room without challenging them.


    "Uh, Elijah, I didn''t get a challenge from 993 so I''m unable to fight him. It says that I am still the owner."


    Hearing this Elijah went quiet. If there was no challenge then 993 should have never been able to use the training room. But then the more Elijah thought about it the more it made less sense.


    If 993 did challenge Oscar, then Oscar shouldn''t have been able to challenge 993 in the first ce because of the week''s suspension. However, Oscar said he was still the owner.


    "Oscar, try challenging me for my training room immediately."


    Oscar was confused by this request but he did as he was told.


    "I Oscar ranked 83rd challenge student Elijah. The victor will be awarded ess to training room 83."


    [Confirm or Deny.]


    This time the message that was supposed toe up came. Oscar quickly hit deny and told Elijah.


    "I can challenge you, but when I tried to challenge 993 I got an error."


    "¡­"


    Elijah, now knowing what happened, voiced a challenge himself.


    "I Elijah ranked 1st challenge student 993. The victor will be awarded ess to training room 83."


    [1 is unable to challenge 993.]


    "Why?"


    [83 is already the owner of training room D-83.]


    With thatst bit of confirmation, Elijah finally understood. 993 found a loophole.

 Chapter 15 1.4.99

    ?The reason both Elijah and Oscar were unable to challenge 993 was that 993 had never owned the room in the first ce.


    This also exined why Oscar was able to challenge 993 without immediately being denied ess because of the suspension.


    If 993 had challenged Oscar and Oscar didn''t show up then Oscar wouldn''t be able to challenge 993 back. However, Elijah would be able to challenge 993. But because the notification said that Oscar was still the owner their challenges were voided.


    The only logical exnation was that there was a loophole only 993 knew about. With this loophole, he can enter other people''s training rooms without permission and use them.


    Elijah had no idea if 993 knew about it or how he found it out but there was a way to do so.


    This was a huge problem, if the other students found out how to do it then they could enter the training room as well and mess everything up.


    With a huge threat in front of him, Elijah asked the system to call 993.


    The call rang a couple of times, Elijah was worried 993 might ignore him but eventually, he answered the call.


    .


    My arm was going numb due to the constant buzzing of notifications but I ignored them to the best of my ability. I had to keep my focus and not get distracted.


    Time continued to pass while I sat in a meditative state with my eyes closed, breathing every minute.


    But as I was expecting sometimeter a different vibration shook my arm.


    [Iing call from 1.]


    [ept or Deny?]


    I was still in the middle of finishing an exercise so I waited thest eighteen seconds before epting the call.


    "ept."


    I slowly opened my eyes, all around the room I could see the faces of people who were ranked from the single to double digits.


    It was quite the scenery and slightly nerve-racking but I made sure to hold my cool since I had the advantage.


    "Hello, Elijah."


    "¡­ 993."


    "Ah, you can call me Lucas, it''s my name after all."


    "¡­"


    "Why are you calling? You''re interrupting me."


    "You know why, I want to know how you did it!"


    "Did what?"


    "Got in someone''s room without challenging them!"


    "Oh, that."


    "Yeah, no one should be able to do it without the permission of the owner or bing the owner."


    "See, that''s where you are wrong. I''m surprised you haven''t figured it out already. I thought you were pretty bright but it seems I might be mistaken."


    "What did you just say?"


    "500,000 credits."


    "What?"


    "You want to know how I did it. I''ll tell you¡­ for 500,000 credits."


    "Are you insane? That''s-"


    "Would you like me to tell everyone about it? I''m sure you''ve at least figured out that your scheme will fail if any and everyone can enter the rooms."


    "¡­"


    "Not answering? Maybe I''ll sell the way to get into rooms? I wonder if I can make more than 500,000 credits?"


    "Just what are you getting at?"


    "I''ve clearly exined it 500,000 credits right now or I''ll tell everyone, you have sixty seconds."


    Closing my eyes I went ahead to do onest exercise while I waited for the response.


    Only five seconds passed before Elijah gave in, proving his desperation.


    "Okay, fine!"


    "So we have a deal?"


    "Yes, so tell me how you get it?"


    "So quick! Let''s form a contract first, we don''t want someone getting scammed, do we?"


    "You!"


    [I Lucas, ranked 993 will exin to Elijah how people get into training rooms without the permission of the owner and swear to never tell anyone else. In return Elijah will give Lucas 550,000 credits and allow Lucas to use any training room.]<novelnext></novelnext>


    [ept or deny?]


    I immediately tapped, epted and waited.


    "This is too much!"


    "Okay, okay, you''re right I''ll get rid of the part that lets me use training rooms."


    "Are you sure you want to do this?"


    "Hmm? What do you mean?"


    "Do you really think you will be able to get away with this?"


    "Are you threatening me?"


    "¡­"


    "You know what? You''re right! Let me fix it and I hope you don''t mind the¡­ additional costs."


    [ I Lucas, ranked 993 will exin to Elijah how people get into training rooms without the permission of the owner and swear to never tell anyone else. In return, Elijah will give Lucas 550,000 credits. Elijah will also be unable to harm Lucas for the next week. If either party breaks their side of the contract a fee of 250,000 credits will be deducted and a two-week suspension.]


    [ept or deny?]


    Once again I tapped on ept.


    "Look Elijah this is my final offer, ept it or by the end of the day, not even your training room will be safe."


    No response came but the dinging sound of the contract being epted confirmed his answer.


    "Now tell me!"


    "Okay, it''s simple, contrary to popr belief training rooms can''t be limited to one person. Do you understand the definition of owner? It''s the person who rules over the room but just because there is an owner doesn''t mean there can''t be members."


    "Exin."


    "You see, the reason I was able to enter the 83rd room without Oscar''s permission was that I had no intention of using the room.


    "So what does that mean?"


    "Do I have to spell it out? Owners can manage IF someone can use the room but they can''t manage WHO enters the room."


    "But these are individual rooms, if anyone can freely enter doesn''t that go against the very meaning of the rooms?"


    "Again, you misunderstand the meaning of individual. Only one individual can USE the room but it never says anything about entering the room to have a look around."


    "That''s still not logical!"


    "I know right? But that''s the way it is, if you don''t believe me enter the room. Oscar hasn''t permitted you but so long as you don''t n on using it to train you are free to do what you want."


    Elijah seemed skeptical but he eventually took a step forward and opened the door. He saw me sitting on the floor and let out a sign before walking in.


    Ending the call I stood up to greet him.


    "See, easy."


    "But!"


    "But what?"


    "Why is it that whenever someone tries to enter the room when someone is using it they get electrocuted?"


    "Didn''t you just answer your own question? Someone was USING it. Right now the owner isn''t using it so we are free to do as we please."


    "Then how do we stop people from getting inside?"


    "You can''t. However, once the owner starts training the electricity wille back and shock everyone inside until they leave."


    "So¡­ there''s nothing to worry about."


    "Ha, you are notpletely clueless! That''s correct although anyone can enter the rooms they can''t do anything in them so it''s pointless and they won''t grow stronger so your scheme is fine."


    "Then, you scammed me!"


    "Me? Scam you? No, we have a binding contract that you agreed to. Anything that happens after is on you."


    "I swear I''ll-"


    "You can''t touch me for the next week. By the way, I''ll take my credits now. That is unless you want to get suspended and miss out on the dungeon."


    "Tsk!"


    Another buzz shook my arm.


    "A pleasure doing business. I hope to do it again!"


    With that, I gave a deep bow and walked past all the other high-rankers.


    I didn''t dare to look any of them in the eyes. Although I made sure Elijah couldn''t harm me there was nothing stopping someone else froming after me.


    I pulled open the doors and left the training room to head back to the dorms, it was a long first day.

 Chapter 16 1.5

    ?Walking through the halls toward the dorm many thoughts swirled through my mind. Ideas on how to handle uing and future situations yed out.


    I knew I had to be prepared for any and everything. If I took one wrong step or messed with someone I shouldn''t I could ruin it all.


    As of right now, I had a huge advantage since I knew what would happen in the future. But with every change, I made something that would inadvertently be affected.


    It was the butterfly effect I was worried about. Due to the attention, I brought to the loophole with individual training rooms a part of another chapter would most definitely be changed.


    I let out a deep sigh as there was so much resting on my shoulders.


    As newer ns formed I continued on my walk and I eventually made it to my destination.


    Behind the main campus of the school where all the ssrooms were, was the dorms.


    There were two building connections by a single elevated channel. The building on the left was for the girls while the building on the right was for the boys.


    Heading to the right I arrived in front of a door that was locked and had a bunch of magic runes inscribed on it.


    I immediately pulled out my watch and tapped it on the t screen that was beside the door.


    There was enough space for the watch and as soon as the two made contact a clicking sound rang out and the door opened.


    The watch was used as a sort of identification card. Since it contained all our information it was the easiest way to identify who was who.


    Each watch was strapped on the arm of a student and they couldn''t be removed without the principal doing so.


    There were also a bunch of applications on the watches as well as restrictions.


    The apps were extremely important and made life much easier as some calcted training programs, study resources, and more such as the ability to talk with the system.


    The system is artificial intelligence made of magic that runs through the school. It was the same thing Elijah used to start the call with me.


    Although there were apps that helped us, the school made sure to monitor the watches closely.


    Restrictions were implemented to make sure there were no chances of cheating.


    I wasn''t too familiar with how it worked since I glossed over it in the book to make sure there were no loose ends. But it wouldn''t affect my ns so I had no intention of learning about it.


    Besides, it was now apparent that the app that randomly downloaded on my watch could bypass the system. Otherwise, a ping would have gone off and the technology department would be alerted.


    Since this hasn''t happened I knew I had free unrestrained ess to the app that included the ability to ask the information section for knowledge.


    As soon as my watch touched the screen my name and rank appeared. After confirming my identity the screen turned green and a clicking sound rang out.


    From there I opened the door and entered the building.


    The ground floor was decorated in a modern style. There were a bunch of windows and the building was overall very spacious. Had it been earlier in the day the sun would have lit up the home. However, it was quitete into the afternoon and therefore the LED lights were on.


    The first floor didn''t have any rooms and was used as a space for the students to meet and hang out. There was also an area off to the side for people to eat. Although most people ordered food for their rooms.


    Walking through the building I made my way to the elevator which was located in the center. Once I arrived I pressed the button and I didn''t have to wait long for the doors to open.


    -ding


    Entering the elevator there was nothing special about it. There was enough room for around five people to fit. Luckily no one else was riding and I could keep to myself.


    Turning my attention to the panel on the left side of the elevator there were a bunch of buttons corrting to the floors.


    Fortunately, my watch also told me which room was mine, or else I would have had to embarrassingly ask one of the staff.


    Pressing the fourth button I stood still while the elevator rose and eventually came to a stop.<novelnext></novelnext>


    -ding


    Once the doors opened up I ventured out to see a long hallway. Down the hall was a bunch of numbered rooms that increased in value.


    I only had to walk a couple of seconds past a few doors before I arrived in front of my room.


    It looked just like all the others from the outside; the only difference was the number etched into the door.


    "D8."


    Seeing that the number matched what was on my watch I looked for a way to get in. However, there was no ce to scan my watch like there was outside of the building.


    Nervously I decided to just open the door and wish for the best. If an rm rang out I would just have toe up with an excuse.


    Luckily my worries were for naught and there were no problems entering the room.


    This made me think there was some sort of scanner that identified who I was without needing to use my watch. That or every door was unlocked but I highly doubted it.


    Closing the door behind me I entered the pretty ordinary room. It was about 300 square feet and came with all the necessities. There was a single twin-sized bed, a bathroom that had a toilet, shower, and sink, along with a kitchen that included an oven and refrigerator.


    Overall I was fairly satisfied. If I had topare it back to earth I''d say it was an average four-star inn.


    Before getting myself situated I decided to take a quick shower.


    After doing so I exited the bathroom and took a closer look at the room. There were a couple of decorations that the previous Lucas left behind. I wasn''t all too interested in what they were but I figured I would take a look as it would give me some insight into the person I was now bing.


    Next to the bed was a nightstand that had the majority of the supplies thest Lucas had.


    Resting on top of it were a couple of textbooks that he had probably been studying. Unfortunately, they were of no use to me so I tossed them in the trash before continuing my search.


    Next to where the books were was a different book that had a soft cover. At first, I thought it was another textbook but I quickly discarded those thoughts when I opened the first page to see some handwriting. It was a journal.


    I wasn''t sure how I felt reading about someone else and their own personal thoughts. But I gave up when I realized that I was now that person. Reading the diary would only help me better understand who Lucas was.


    However, before I decided to see, I wanted to finish my search.


    The only other things on the nightstand were a clock and amp.


    Next, I opened one of the two drawers under the stand. In the first drawer, there was a wallet, pair of keys, video games, chapstick, and a ck box.


    I ignored the video games and grabbed the wallet to see if there was anything of interest. However, there was only a couple hundred ZAR which was the currency of this world.


    Along with the money was an old crinkled photo that was of a young boy next to his two parents. I was quickly able to deduce that the young boy was a younger version of Lucas or rather myself.


    The boy in the picture had short straight ck hair, sharp red eyes that seemed full of joy, a smiling face that was without worries, and a young structure that made me think the child was around five years old.


    Next to the child on the right side was his father. Like the boy, the father had ck hair however his was much shorter and wasn''t curly. He had a buzz cut. His eyes were bright green which reflected the color of the grass under him. He also had a smile on his face however upon looking closer there seemed to be a look of¡­ regret.


    On the left side of the boy was his mother. Unlike her husband and her son her beauty was unmatched. In fact if not for mom and dad being written on the back of the photo I would have never believed the woman to be the mother. She was far too beautiful.


    She had long dark brown curly hair that went down her back that nearly reached her waist. Her eyes were a mesmerizing blue that resembled a sapphire. As I stared into her eyes I got lost in them for a few seconds before I came to my senses.


    Her face was without ws, her body was that of a model''s, had she been on earth I had no doubt she would be famous.


    However, just like her husband the smile on her face had a deeper meaning it seemed¡­ sad.


    I examined the photo for a couple more seconds afterward but eventually put the wallet down where it once was.

 Chapter 17 1.5.1

    ?Next, I pocketed the chapstick before turning my attention to the ck box that was hiding in the corner. When I picked it up it felt incredibly light and I also realized just how small the box was. It looked to be about the size of a box that engagement rings came in.


    Unfortunately, when I went to open it I realized that it was locked. But when I was the size of the hole for a key I knew exactly what would unlock it.


    Grabbing the pair of keys I flipped to the smallest and held it up to the box, it was a perfect fit.


    Although I could have easily broken the box I decided to use the key since I had it.


    Putting the key in I turned it and with a click, it unlocked.


    I pulled out the key and then opened the box only to be filled with shock.


    The moment my eyes locked on to it my mind broke.


    "There''s no way¡­ impossible!"


    My hands began to shake as I held the box and I felt like my head was going to explode.


    Resting inside the box was a tiny white pill.


    The pill would look ordinary to any other person and it didn''t release any pressure that indicated how much of a treasure it was.


    But I knew. I knew just how world-toppling of a treasure it was.


    I was the author. I better than anyone knew the capabilities of the pill because I was the creator of it.


    But for that same reason, I was utterly dumbfounded. How in the world could Lucas have it?


    There was only supposed to be one in existence and it belonged to Elijah.


    Ignoring the fact that a second one can''t exist, how is it that nobody, and extra, could have it?


    It made absolutely no sense and for the life of me, I could wrap my mind around it.


    The white pill that released no pressure, looked ordinary and could be mistaken for an everyday pill, was the Talent Breaker.


    A terrifying pill that honestly should have never existed.


    This pill was one of the three things that made Elijah the main character.


    The first is his ability which allowed him to steal and use others'' gifts and skills.


    Then the second was this very pill that was now in my hands.


    The pill came into creation during the first book back when I was a novice writer. Back then I gave Elijah a bunch of game-breaking things that truly made him overpowered.


    But now that I look back on those days I can''t help but cringe. I don''t even understand how the readers found the first book entertaining. It was full of clich¨¦ scenes and plot armor.


    The Talent Breaker which should have been limited to one was consumed by Elijah before he came to Griffin.


    That was chapter two in the book and the worst time for Elijah. It was the day his parents were killed and his sister was kidnapped.


    In chapter one Elijah got his most powerful power, the third and final thing that made him the main character¡­ a system.


    A system that was the opposite of how the world worked. Instead of points and numbers to understand someone''s power the system worked through letters and ranks. [F] was the lowest and weakest rank while [SSS] was the absolute strongest.


    This system gave him rewards based on the merits that Elijahpleted. One of these rewards was the Talent Breaker.


    During the second chapter after his sister was kidnapped, he was issued a mission by the system to rescue his sister. After spending the entire chapter getting strong enough to do so the third chapter was all about him facing enemies and defeating them to save his sister. After nearly dying he manages to save her and is rewarded with the Talent breaker.


    Just recalling what happened makes me cringe. How could Elijah be strong enough to save his sister when only at the pinnacle of [F] rank? Then he nearly died? Yeah right, he had plot armor, there was no chance of him dying.


    I was truly a noob at writing back then. But because of it, Elijah got an overpowered item.


    The Talent Breaker is a pill that as stated in the name breaks the limit of talent.


    After consuming the pill the destiny of the person who had done so is forever changed. They are no longer restricted to [SSS] but rather can go higher to something humanity has never seen before [R] rank.


    That''s why I am currently shaking while holding this pill. If I consume it I will no longer be bound by the restrictions of humanity but instead can follow Elijah and be something greater.


    "Haa"


    I didn''t know what to do.


    Although power would be amazing I was actively searching for it. I just needed enough strength to survive this cruel world that I created. With my knowledge of the future, there would be no problem bing strong enough to survive until the end of the series.


    But what about after?


    Will there be more difficulties in the future?


    Ignoring the future, what will happen to me? What is my purpose?


    I was forcefully brought into this world. I don''t know why or how but based on the fact that my watch is telling me to be an important figure in the book there has to be some sort of reason.


    So many questions stormed through my mind.


    ''Should I just take the pill? If I do, should I be a hero? Elijah is already destined to be the hero of the world so what is my destiny?''


    While thinking this another set of questions came to my mind.


    ''Should I give the pill to someone else? Someone just as good-hearted as Elijah that way humanity will have more hope?''


    No matter what thoughts swirled in my mind there was one overarching question that terrified me.


    ''How will this affect the rest of the story?''


    The future I was once so confident in was not beingpletely changed and I haven''t even done too much to cause a butterfly effect. I only brought up a problem with training rooms that would have been foundter on.


    ''If I take the pill my role in the novel will change, if I give away the pill that person''s role will change. If I toss the pill in the trash what are the chances of someone finding it and a garbage man bing someone that could rival Elijah.''


    I shuttered at thatst thought. I couldn''t have an extra pill and if I gave it to a different main character it would change too much of the storyline.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Thus, with no other choice and no wanting to take the risk of someone finding out about the pill nor wanting to destroy something of such significance I rose the pill to my mouth plopped it in, and swallowed.


    -gulp


    One second.


    Two seconds.


    Three seconds.


    Nine seconds.


    Time continued to pass but I felt no changes in my body. This confused me because back in the novel after Elijah consumed the Talent Breaker he went through immense pain.


    Yet even after a full minute passed nothing happened. I was beginning to think something went wrong.


    I didn''t know if the pill was faulty or something so in order to rify I opened my smartwatch and tapped on the app which had recently self-downloaded. Then I tapped on the section titled information.


    ''Why didn''t I feel any pain after consuming Talent Breaker?''


    Immediately after asking, a response came.


    [Because your talent has already been broken.]


    "Huh?"


    What did it mean when it said my talent was already broken? Does that mean that my talent was already above what humanity deemed that pinnacle or had thest Lucas already consumed a Talent Breaker?


    Thankfully my questions were answered.


    [Lucas has consumed four Talent Breakers making his talent [Z] rank.]


    "W-what?!"


    "How is that possible?"


    Unfortunately, no answer came from my watch and I was left with even more questions than I originally had.


    ''How is it that five Talent Breakers existed in the world when I made sure to only create one? Not only that, how is it that someone like Lucas got four?!''


    My mind was seriously going into a stir as I desperately tried to understand the impossible situation.


    Eventually, after a long time passed I was forced to give up as there was no logic to what was happening.


    But then another terrifying thought crossed my mind.


    ''Are there more Talent Breakers?''


    [Yes.]


    Right after I asked, a notification appeared on my smartwatch and I could only read it in horror.


    ''How was it that something which should have been limited to one was now above six? This most definitely was not part of the series. Also if there are more than that means a garbage man can find a Talent Breaker.''


    I was truly going numb at these realizations so I asked another question in the hope that it wouldn''t be as bad as I thought.


    ''How many Talent Breakers are left?''


    [One.]


    ''One?''


    [Yes.]


    "Haa¡­"


    Letting out a breath of relief I was d that there wasn''t a bunch scattered all over that random people could find.


    But just as I was satisfied a devious thought appeared in my mind.


    ''Could information know where thest pill is?''


    [Yes.]


    My heart began to race.


    ''If I could get a fifth Talent Breaker just how much stronger could I be?''


    This thought haunted me but I first decided to see if I could locate the pill before I got ahead of myself.


    ''Where is thest Talent Breaker?''


    [Unknown.]


    I half expected this but it was still a disappointing discovery. Had I known where thest pill was, who knows how strong I could be?


    But then another thought crossed my mind. If I''ve already taken four Talent Breakers just how far has my talent risen?


    ''What are the ranks of talent?''


    [F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, SSS, R, Ex, X, Z, (Infinity)]


    ''Is that an infinity sign? Just what does that mean.''


    But I got no answer to my question which didn''t annoy me too much since there was a chance I would never reach it.


    When I looked back at the ranks I couldn''t help but smile as I saw that I could be stronger than any other human.


    Now all I had to do was not die.

 Chapter 18 1.5.2

    ?Seeing the ranks I could achieve I knew I could grow powerful but I wanted to put it into a more precise position. The way my smartwatch was stating my talent was the same way Elijah''s system ranked talent. The only problem is that it wasn''t the same as the real world which uses numbers.


    ''Disy all talent ranks in numbers rather than letters.''


    Right after I finished my request a buzz came from my arm and I looked with interest.


    [F: 0-3]


    [E: 3-10]


    [D: 10-25]


    [C: 25-50]


    [B: 50-75]


    [A: 75-100]


    [S: 100-200]


    [SS: 200-500]


    [SSS: 500-1000]


    [R: 1000-2000]


    [Ex: 2000-5000]


    [X: 5000-10000]


    [Z: 10000-100000]


    [(Infinity): 100000+]


    Seeing the numbers put into perspective just how big the world is. To be stronger one has to put in blood sweat and tears.


    This is especially so when I look at my magic and how it increased by 0.1. But that was within my expectations as I only spent an hour or so practicing.


    With everything done in the first drawer, I moved on to the second. I decided to leave the keys and box in the first drawer as they mighte in handyter on.


    Opening the second drawer I was once again left shocked just as I had been when I opened the first.


    Inside was a bunch of tools to use for bing a cksmith. There were hammers, chisels, picks, tongs, and more.


    I was overwhelmed by the number of tools and I was even more surprised that the wooden drawer could hold all the metal equipment without breaking.


    Unfortunately, because I converted my cksmithing gift into SP I had no use for all the tools. However, the good news was that I could probably get a good chunk of change since some of the tools looked to be high in quality.


    I decided to leave that matter for another time but it reminded me that I needed a way to make money.


    Thankfully I was able to get out of debt and even make some profit due to the deal I made with Elijah. However, credits only work within Griffin and I wouldn''t trade the credits back into Zar.


    With those thoughts in mind, I racked my brain for any way to make money. After a bit of thought, I found a solution, and a good one at that. If it all turned out like I expected I would make more money than I knew what to do with.


    With a n beginning to formte I decided to head over to the desk in the corner of the room. It was also thest ce I saw where some of Lucas''s belongings were.


    As I took a seat at the desk I took out a piece of paper and started recounting all the knowledge I knew about the novel. I wanted my n to seed without a hitch.


    It took two hours or so for me to formte all the ideas and pick the most effective but once I had it all written out in front of me I couldn''t help but smile.


    Written on the paper were a bunch of guilds, research factories, medical centers, hunter groups, and more who would be rising and falling during the next month.


    Although with all these groups written down there was onepany that was circled and had more information next to it.


    This was the group I was going to take advantage of to start my climb to bing rich.


    With most of my n outlined I decided to call it quits for the night. It was only around eight at night but I knew I was in for another long day tomorrow so I wanted as much rest as I could get.


    But before going to bed I looked around the desk for anything else that would clue me about the nature of the original Lucas. I only managed to find a gaming console, an open bag of snacks, and a bunch of school supplies.


    With my goalplete I moved towards the bed and fell asleep almost instantly.<novelnext></novelnext>


    .


    In the morning I was awoken by an rming from my smartwatch.


    Lazily I turned it off and checked the time.


    06:00


    Seeing how early it was I turned my head and buried it in my pillow trying to get some more rest.


    Unfortunately for me just as I was about to fall back into afortable slumber another rm rang.


    Annoyed, I quickly turned it off and tried to go back to sleep only for another rm to ring not five minutester.


    Now angry I threw the covers off and checked the rm app on my watch only to be dumbfounded.


    There were twelve rms set apart at five-minute intervals for the next hour.


    "It seems like the other Lucas was also not a morning person."


    I said groggily as I turned off the other ten rms and got out of bed.


    "Well, now that I''m up it''s better to start early."


    I quickly took a shower and hopped out but when I faced the mirror I froze.


    I hadpletely forgotten about it but I no longer looked like my past self¡­ I looked like Lucas.


    Pausing what I was going to do I stood in front of the mirror and yed around with my face.


    Just like in the photo from when I was younger I had straight ck hair however it was much longer as it came down past my eyes. Pushing some of the hair to the side I looked back at myself through the mirror.


    I had to suck in a breath as I couldn''t believe how handsome I looked. I didn''t care if I sounded narcissistic, I was inplete awe of myself.


    Compared to the earth me I had curly brown hair, greenish blue eyes, a nted jaw line, and an uneven nose.


    But as I stared into the person before me I saw no ws.


    Bright red eyes reminded me of a fresh apple, wine, and blood. A perfect nose that wasn''t too sharp or rounded and an amazing jawline that came together to make my appearance perfect.


    I nearly fell in love at the sight but when I realized that I was the one who looked that way I couldn''t help but feel satisfied.


    "My parents did a good job! Luckily I got more of my mom''s genes."


    Nodding my head up and down I gave a quick thanks for getting reincarnated into the body of someone so handsome.


    With these thoughts, I was surprised that I wasn''t being swarmed by all the girls. After all, my appearance was mountain toppling.


    But then I became worried that if I was so handsome that people starteding up to me it might be annoying in the future. If my looks cause beauty to fall in love I might have to fight a young master. Since I had a bunch of clich¨¦ scenes in the first book this wasn''t impossible.


    Just as I finished admiring my face I looked down at my body. I mindlessly washed everything in the shower but now that I was taking a closer look I realized I was quite ripped.


    Although I wasn''t a gym sharp whose biceps were the size of human heads I had a nice six-pack and well-defined muscles.


    "Well done Lucas!"


    I couldn''t help but be proud of Lucas for taking such good care of himself. Knowing I couldn''t waste his effort I made a mental note to train a little extra.


    Finally done examining myself I threw on one of the many school uniforms I had in the closet and left the dorm.


    .


    It didn''t take too long to make it back into the school and when I checked my watch it was only.


    06:48


    This meant I still had a little over an hour to kill. With this thought in mind, I figured I would make use of my previous statement and do a quick bit of exercise before sses began.

 Chapter 19 1.5.3

    ?Entering the training room I was surprised to notice a few presences. Although it wasn''t umon for students to use the facilities at all times of the day it was still early.


    I didn''t know any of the people as there were only a handful. But it made sense since the important students would have been in individual rooms.


    I ignored anyone I passed and made my way to the dumbbell section. Since it was my first time working out and I didn''t know previous Lucas''s capabilities I grabbed 10kg weights.


    I had never worked out before during my previous life and I didn''t know the correct way to do some of the other exercises so I figured I would just lift some weights.


    The extent of exercise I had done before was carrying groceries. Since that was the only reference I had I thought 10kg would be rtively moderate. But I waspletely wrong before I even tried to do a rep. I picked the weights off the shelf they rested on and almost fell back on my butt.


    I was fully prepared for at least some bit of resistance but when I grabbed the dumbbells they felt as light as a feather. It was so unexpected that the position I lined myself in to grab them ended up being detrimental.


    Because they were so light I nearly fell backward thankfully I was able to catch myself and save some of my dignity.


    I carefully did a quick look around me to check if anyone saw my inexperience but it seemed that all the other students were preupied with their own training.


    "Haa."


    I let out a sigh of relief, grateful that my reputation hadn''t plummeted anymore than it already had.


    Learning from my mistake I moved down the shelf to where the 35 kg dumbbells were located. Knowing that I should be prepared I carefully lifted them up and to my surprise, it was perfect, not too hard and not too easy.


    Satisfied I began my first ever exercise and began curling them.


    After about ten minutes both of my arms were exhausted. I hadn''t stopped for a single moment and now it felt like my arms had be jello.


    I didn''t know if what I was doing was right or not but the fact that I was tired had to mean I was doing something good.


    Uncertain about my efforts I put the weights back on the shelf and looked around for something else to do as I still had plenty of time.


    However, as I scanned the area all I saw wereplex machines that I had no clue how to use.


    Disheartened I decided to move to the corner of the room away from everyone else and do some core building that wouldn''t require machines.


    I did push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, nks, and a couple of other things I recalled from the earth. Such as six inches and superman exercises.


    After thirty minutes passed I went over the top treadmills where I nned on running for thest ten minutes which would still leave me enough time to freshen up and make it to the first-period ss.


    After turning on the treadmill I messed with the interface and started a kilometer countdown.


    My goal was to finish it within the ten-minute mark. My old self would have never been able to do this but I had confidence in my new body.


    Clicking the start button I began my run.


    .


    Inside an individual training room was a young girl. If one were to look closely at her one would realize just how beautiful she was.


    She had long blond hair that went down past her shoulders, a face without ws, amber-colored eyes, and a sort of aura around her that made her seem untouchable.


    Currently, sweat was dripping down her face as she was training in one of the best rooms.


    Charlotte had just finished her usual training set before sses began.


    Satisfied with her recent achievement of being able to deadlift 70kg Charlotte left her individual training room.


    As she walked back into the main section of the gym she ignored all the other students who were training. It made no difference to her what they were doing.


    However, before being able to leave the gym she passed by the treadmills near the exit.


    .


    At first, when I began running I was trying to go at a moderate pace to reach my target. But I quickly realized that I wasn''t even breaking a sweat. Apparently, in the past, Lucas was more athletic than I was originally aware of.


    Wanting to test my limits I increased the speed on the treadmill until I was running at a full-on sprint.


    I still had two-thirds of the way to go so I tried to keep up with the current speed for as long as I could.


    After running for two minutes I increased the speed once more now doubling the speed I first started at.


    The new speed was really fast and I had to keep my full concentration and maintain my bnce to keep up.


    Fortunately, there was only about a quarter left to go in the kilometer.


    Continuing to sprint at my current pace I realized that if I increased the speed just a little bit more I would be able to finish in under six minutes.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Wanting to achieve something I''ve never thought possible, I upped the speed slightly more.


    As the time on the timer rose the distance on the kilometer dropped twice as fast.


    Pushing myself to my utmost limit I closed my eyes and pushed my legs forward.


    Waiting for the beep to signify that I finished I threw one leg in front of the other but just as I was about to take another step the weight of my body slightly shifted.


    Normally this wouldn''t change anything and in fact, it happened a couple of times already in this exercise. However, I had my eyes closed to keep the sweat from burning them so when my body slightly moved to the right I was unable to bnce myself.


    Tripping over my legs I fell face-first on the tread of the treadmill.


    The safety measures went into action and everything paused but it was far toote.


    The tread was moving so fast that when I fell on it I was swept away and flung backward.


    "Aah!"


    I screamed out as I was tossed away like a ragdoll.


    Rolling on the floor I was about to m into the wall when I crashed into something stopping my momentum.


    Startled, I dizzily rubbed my eyes as I waited for the room to stop spinning.


    My whole body ached as I went from one hundred to zero in a matter of seconds.


    Just as my senses wereing back a shrieking voice shattered my eardrums.


    "What are you doing?!"


    Looking around I found myself on the floor of the gymying next to someone.


    "Huh?"


    Once my eyes focused on the person I was next to my heart dropped.


    ''I''m dead.''


    Not only had I crashed into this person but somehow amid our collision, our bodies got tangled together.


    Right now our legs were locked between us and the girl wasying on top of me staring daggers into my eyes.


    "Let go of me this instant!"


    Another ss-shattering screech was released from the girl as she tried to wiggle free only to cause her to fall and have her headnd on my chest.


    "Uhh, right."


    Trying to move my body from under her I quickly realized the problem.


    "Ehem, it''s just¡­ your pinning me down."


    As soon as the words finisheding out of my mouth I knew I messed up.


    The anger in her eyes increased as she roared.


    "Are you calling me fat?!"


    Trying to calm her down I went into damage control.


    "No, no that''s not it, if you could just turn to the left then¡ª"


    "So you are calling me fat!"


    Knowing that trouble wasing and that the girl was making everything worse I took matters into my own hands.


    "Forgive me for this."


    "Huh? What are you¡ª"


    Before she could finish I grabbed her from below the waist and turned our bodies to the left.


    After a quick roll, I was now on top of her.

 Chapter 20 1.5.4

    ?Looking down at the girl under me a view was forever etched into my mind.


    Due to the way we turned Charlotte''s shirt was dragged down and a light blue bra was on full disy. I could easily make out the curvature of the girl.


    Frozen my mind went nk and that''s when all hell broke loose.


    Themotion the two of us were causing both from my fall and Charlotte''s screams attracted a lot of attention.


    Fortunately, there were not a lot of students in the training room since it was so early in the morning. However, every student that was in the gym was now circled around the two of us.


    The scene before them was easy to understand. The two of us were tangled together, my hands were wrapped around the ass of the girl and her bra was exposed. It also didn''t help that the two of us were extremely sweaty from our intense training.


    The audience was dumbfounded and that''s when the usations began.


    "Oh my god, was Charlotte and the boy about to have sex?"


    Once the first voice rang out many more followed.


    "Are they exhibitionists?"


    "Isn''t Charlotte dating Elijah?"


    "Who is the boy daring enough to pursue her?"


    As even moremotion was caused a teacher finally came over to investigate and when he saw the position Charlotte was in his face immediately went red.


    Although I didn''t know if it was out of anger or embarrassment I sure wasn''t going to find out.


    Broken out of my stupor I let go of Charlotte''s butt, pulled up her shirt to cover her cleavage, and quickly untangled our legs that were in a¡­ daring position.


    Rolling myself over I got off of Charlotte and fell on the floor next to her.


    Fortunately, she still seemed to be dazed as she had yet to respond to the situation.


    Thankfully the teacher sent all the students away before turning his attention back to us.


    "Everyone out, until further notice the training room is closed. Now hurry up and get to ss!"


    Murmurs could be heard by the students as theyined but the conversation quickly turned to gossip and they began wondering about my identity.


    ''This is going to be a shit storm.''


    Once everyone left the teacher was about to open his mouth when Charlotte finally recovered.


    However, contrary to my expectation that she would try to kill me she instead began to¡­ cry.


    Hot tears were streaming down her flushed face as she raised her body into a cradled position and hid her head in her knees.


    Her silent cries and snifflespletely shattered my heart. I was the one who waspletely at fault.


    Although she was an evil and cruel person who wouldter harm many people right now she was still innocent and Ipletely destroyed her reputation.


    What happened here would without a doubt be spreading like wildfire throughout the academy.


    As much as I wanted to reassure andfort her I knew that would just make it worse.


    The poor teacher also had no idea how to handle the situation. Although sex wasn''t prohibited, students couldn''t just get active wherever they wanted.


    Knowing that this was above his capabilities the teacher left the two of us to call one of his peers.


    In my mind, I was cursing the teacher. It was now apparent that the teacher was embarrassed when he came over not angry. The fact that he was unable to deal with a pair of teenagers on a campus annoyed me. But the worst part was that I was now left alone with Charlotte.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Her body was now shaking as she continued to cry hurled up in a ball.


    I had no idea what to say or do.


    It was aplete ident on my part. However, if she hadn''t screamed so loud or if she calmed down quickly enough to break free we wouldn''t be in this situation.


    In my past life, I was a shut-in who didn''t interact with many people including girls. I was also very much a virgin so this experience also affected me¡­ in more ways than one.


    I wanted to tell her that it was my fault and that I would make it go away but I had no way to do that. Plus I was still terrified that her sadness would turn into anger. Now that the teacher was gone there was no chance of survival.


    As I was getting lost in my thoughts my wrist buzzed. Having a bad feeling I looked at my device.


    [You''ve caused the attention of a professor.]


    [+10 SP]


    [Charlotte will remember your name.]


    [+50 SP]


    [You''ve caused the attention of multiple students.]


    [+631 SP]


    [A great change in the novel has taken effect.]


    [+1000 SP]


    [A slight influence on characters has taken effect.]


    [+250 SP]


    [A huge distortion of the main character has taken effect.]


    [+5000 SP]


    The amount of SP I had just gained was astronomical but before I could understand what happened a buzz vibrated. This time it wasn''t any magic from the watch but rather a message.


    [+1 New Message]


    Tapping on the message, the bad feeling I had increased many times over.


    [Elijah: "Ur Dead."]


    Another buzz.


    [A huge distortion of the main character has taken effect.]


    [+5000 SP]


    "Fuck."


    Then to add insult to injury one final buzz shook my arm.


    [An irreversible alteration of the novel has taken effect.]


    [+10000 SP]


    [SP: 22043]

 Chapter 21 1. The Start

    ?As an ungodly amount of SP appeared on the screen a deep foreboding sensation filled my body.


    Although true that to grow stronger I had to change the way the novel yed out I didn''t n on taking it this far.


    This was supposed to be the beginning, the start, the world-building, and the character development stage of the novel.


    There was no reason to make many big changes in fact doing so would only hurt me.


    But now that n was thrown out the window,pletely shattered to remain as a dream.


    Instead of flowing with the novel and taking advantage of future events with the knowledge of being the author, I now doomed myself.


    To quote the notification I irreversibly altered the novel not to mention the countless changes that will affect the characters.


    Now all the future events I had memorized down to a tee were clouded in uncertainty. Although I had no way of knowing what exactly I changed it had to be something big that I got ten thousand SP.


    I wanted to cry knowing that all my ns might be useless but I held it together.


    Sure I might not know everything anymore and the characters might act a little differently but I managed to gain enough SP to set myself straight.


    The dangers hidden in the shadows will be more uncertain but I should have enough strength to survive¡­ I hope.


    "Shit."


    Cursing under my breath my goals and ns had to be readjusted so I began with the obvious. Getting out of the current situation.


    Looking over at the still-weeping Charlotte I couldn''t help but be annoyed that so much had changed over such a silly ident.


    ''Why didn''t she have to be walking behind me, at that time, in that specific spot? Why did I have to push myself toplete the kilometer when I could have finished slightlyter?''


    Feeling that the world was cursing me or that some destined path was being forced upon me I let out a deep sigh.


    "What are you sighing about? You ruined everything!"


    Hearing the shaky voice I looked over at Charlotte who still had trails of tears flowing down her face.


    Although puffy I could see the anger in her swollen red eyes.


    ''I guess it''s time to make the decision.''


    Looking at the golden hair colored girl I didn''t respond immediately.


    ''My path, which direction should I follow? Be the hero by using the knowledge at my disposal to save everyone I can. Or a viin through the same means, however, gathering a higher amount of SP?''


    Two choices wereid in front of me but neither of them was tempting. Being a hero didn''t exactly fit my nature and it seemed more exhausting. Plus Elijah was already set on this path.


    Yet the path of the viin was tempting but much more dangerous. If I were to ughter every student in the academy the amount of SP I would gain would rival a hundred thousand if not more.


    However, that would change everything about the novel with all the main characters dead and leave me all alone to deal with the monsters.


    I didn''t know if the SP I would gain would be enough to guarantee my survival or not so I decided to discard this path.


    This left me without a decision yet I had to pick something because my next words to Charlotte would pave the path for the rest of the novel.


    More time passed as thoughts flew through my head rapidly.


    Just as Charlotte was getting ufortable with my gaze and was about to speak up I answered her.


    Selfish¡­ was the path I would be taking. Neither good nor bad, full of justice or cruelty. I would instead be doing everything in my best interest. If that makes it worse or better for others it wouldn''t matter to me.


    This world and the people within it are my creation therefore I will live out my life the way I want it.


    "I ruined everything? No, no, it''s you who ruined everything! Absolutely everything ising crashing down all because of what? Your dignity wouldn''t allow you to shut your mouth and get off of me? Instead, you were yelling, attracting everyone over to us, and rather than turning to the left as I told you to do, you made it worse!"


    Letting out all of all my emotions I practically cursed out the tearful girl.


    The wet trails flowing down her face quickly cleared up as she became even redder in the face.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "You''re the idiot who doesn''t even know how to run on a treadmill. If you didn''t crash into me we wouldn''t be in this mess so it''s all your fault!"


    "Yeah, well why were you walking behind me there are so many other paths you could have taken to leave."


    "I would have if I''d known you''de flying out of nowhere!"


    I was definitely losing the argument.


    "It''s still your fault!"


    She scoffed.


    "Okay say it''s my fault why did you have to disgrace me like that in front of everyone?"


    This time her anger changed back into sadness as more tears threatened to fall.


    "You wouldn''t get off me! Plus I already apologized for that."


    "An apology doesn''t make up for touching me without my consent and showing my body to others!"


    "It was an ident!"


    Yep definitely losing.


    "Everyone is going to think I am a slut! Plus Elijah has probably already heard about it. He''s going to be thinking that I was trying to cheat on him. You ruined everything! I should just kill you now, I have nothing else left to lose."


    The air around her condensed and the hairs on my body stood up straight.


    "Wait! Not everything is ruined."


    Unfortunately, my voice seemed to fall on deaf ears as Charlotte already stood up and began circting mana through her body.


    Knowing I didn''t have much time left I finalized my future and revealed my knowledge.


    "I know Elijah''s weakness!"


    "Huh?"


    Thankfully the pressure Charlotte was releasing dropped and my life was no longer on the line.


    "Elijah''s weakness, I know it. I also know that you need it.


    "What¡ª"


    "I know who you are, daughter of the King of Shadows."


    "You¡ª"


    "You''re faking being Elijah''s boyfriend so that you can get closer to him and report back to your father."


    "I¡ª"


    "I can tell you his weakness, getting rid of all the steps in between. I know you secretly hate Elijah and can''t stand him. I know that you have toplete your mission because this is thest chance your father gave you after yourst mistake."


    "¡­"


    "I know. I know everything so for you everything is not ruined but for me it''s¡­


    ''Just the start.''


    ¡­the end."


    [A great change in the novel has taken effect.]


    [+1000 SP]

 Chapter 22 2. Lie

    ?Silence filled the already quiet building. Although I had no idea what Charlotte was thinking or how the effects of my actions will change the novel I already decided on the path I would follow.


    Much more time passed as Charlotte had yet to respond.


    Fortunately or unfortunately the teacher returned with another staff member before Charlotte was able to gather her thoughts.


    "These are the two, I''ll leave them to you to deal with."


    The teacher that found us was eager to leave as he left us in the hands of another teacher.


    "So do either of you have an exnation or will we need to go to the disciplinemittee?"


    Hearing the threat of the new teacher I didn''t care too much. I had my tracks covered and insurance if things were to go terribly wrong. It just depended on how Charlotte wanted to handle the situation.


    However, it seemed she was still lost in her thoughts.


    Seeing that neither of us responded to the teacher she let out a sigh.


    "I see, follow me, the two of you are being charged with public indecency therefore a trial will be held to determine your innocence."


    I rose to my feet and followed behind the teacher while Charlotte followed behind me seemingly empty-minded.


    The three of us moved through the academy allowing me to see many rooms I had yet to enter before ¡ª at least as my current self.


    While we walked we passed many other students who were roaming around in the hallways.


    They would stare, quickly walk past us, and then whisper.


    "So it''s true they were trying to have sex in the training room."


    "I heard that the girl already has a boyfriend and he is ranked number one in the year one ss."


    "Really? Just who is the boy that is daring enough to go after her."


    "I heard that he tried to take advantage of her."


    "I heard that when she saw the size of his¡­ thing she could never go back."


    "I heard that he ckmailed her and kidnapped her family."


    "I heard that he is secretly incredibly strong and managed to kill a dragon."


    As all kinds of rumors were being spread around the teacher continued to lead us in a certain direction and after ten minutes we arrived in front of a specific door.


    [Disciplinary Committee] was titled on the door.


    Pushing open the door the teacher led us into a spacious room that was already full.


    In the center of the room was arge conference table where tens of chairs were avable. However, most of them were already full as they all turned their attention toward us.


    The one person who sat at the end of the table stood up to speak.


    "Thank you Mrs. Waltz for escorting the students you are free to leave."


    Mrs. Waltz nodded and bowed before leaving.


    "My pleasure."


    As soon as the door shut and she left the man who was still standing turned his attention towards Charlotte and me.


    "Now, what to do with you two."


    I gulped. Although I knew I was in the clear it was still terrifying being surrounded by so many high-ranking officials of the academy. It also didn''t help that when the man in charge looked me in the eyes a shiver ran down the back of my neck.


    Neither Charlotte nor I responded to the man.


    "I suppose before we begin we should introduce ourselves. The two of you can refer to me as Mr. Griffin and my colleagues here beside me will be voting on guilt or innocence."


    Seeing that Charlotte and I were paying attention Mr. Griffin continued:


    "In order to ensure that we get to the bottom of the case I would like to ask that you both cooperate."


    Charlotte and I nodded.


    "Great, first in case you weren''t made aware the two of you are being charged with public indecency. If you plead guilty a fee of 500,000 credits will be deducted from your ounts and a two-week suspension will be issued. However¡­ If you plead innocent and are found guilty you will immediately be expelled. So, how do you plead?"


    "Innocent."


    "Innocent."


    "I see, then in such a case as this one where the credibility isn''t to be trusted, we would like to ask the two of you to be ced under a lie detection spell. Are you willing to do such things?"


    Immediately Charlotte responded.


    "I will."


    Mr. Griffin nodded.


    "And you young man?"


    "May I ask a question first?"


    Mr. Griffin narrowed his eyes.


    "Indeed."


    "Might I be reassured that the questions you ask are only rtive to the case?"


    Mr. Griffin smiled.


    "A smart one you are. Yes, you can rest assured that no one will ask any questions outside of the bounds of the usation."


    "Then I ept."


    "Very good."


    After we epted, Mr. Griffin muttered a spell under his breath and light enveloped the both of us.


    "The spell isplete, for identification purposes could the two of you state your names and ranks and then tell a lie to test the spell."


    Charlotte went first.


    "My name is Charlotte and I am ranked 3rd. Also, I love the ocean."


    For the first part, nothing happened but as soon as Charlotte said she loved the ocean her body turned red.


    "Thank you, Charlotte, now your turn young man."


    "My name is Lucas, I am ranked 993rd, and my favorite color is pink."


    Just like with what happened to Charlotte after I said my favorite color my body turned red.


    I didn''t feel any differently which meant the effects of the spell were only external.<novelnext></novelnext>


    However, I noticed although it was only for a brief moment the faces of all the administrators along with Charlotte changed when I said my rank.


    "Thank you Lucas now that we got that out of the way, how about we start from the beginning? Who wants to go first?"


    Charlotte continued to go first and recounted the events up until I crashed into her. During the whole exnation, her body didn''t change color. After reaching the point where I fell Mr. Griffin asked me to recount my point of view.


    I shared everything from wanting to challenge myself by increasing the speed up until the point that I tripped.


    "So it''s fair to say that you became too exhausted and tripped resulting in the collision?"


    "Well¡­ bing too tired is a bit of a stretch¡ª"


    "Mr. Lucas, I ask that you respond yes or no."


    "¡­ yes, that''s fair to say."


    Seeing that my body didn''t light up Mr. Griffin nodded and had Charlotte continue.


    Charlotte exined it as me crashing into her, sexually assaulting her, and ruining her reputation.


    Once she finished and her body didn''t light up red it was looking quite bad for me. I was also pissed that Charlotte was throwing me under the bus. She knew how important I was to her but she was still pushing me toward expulsion.


    As all eyes turned to me and some were dark.


    It seemed as if the trial changed from public indecency to an attempted assault.


    Once I was asked to recount my version I made sure to specify that it was an ident and misunderstanding and that I tried to do what was best in the worst situation.


    After we finished with our stories the council began to question us to break a hole in our stories to see if anyone was at fault.


    "Miss Charlotte, did you ever consent to Mr. Lucas''s advancements?"


    "No."


    "Mr. Lucas, did you at any point wish to do anything indecent to Miss Charlotte?"


    "No."


    My body turned red and I quickly exined myself.


    "Okay only after she was exposed but it was an automatic response and I would never forcefully push myself on her."


    Thankfully the red light didn''t return.


    Charlotte was staring daggers at me but the council seemed to ept my answer as being a horny teenage boy.


    "Mr. Lucas, was it your intention to lift Miss Charlotte''s shirt to reveal her bra."


    "No, I don''t even know how that happened."


    I was still safe.


    "Mr. Lucas, did you have any other intentions other than turning Mr. Charlotte when you grabbed her butt."


    "No."


    Safe.


    "Mr. Lucas, was it your intention to have Miss Charlotte embarrassed and possibly ruin her reputation by having her exposed to the other students in the training room?"


    "No, it was not."


    Clear.


    "Did you ever at any point have any malicious intentions towards Miss Charlotte?"


    "No."


    Red.


    "Not during the situation."


    Safe.


    "Does that mean you now have malicious intentions towards Miss Charlotte?"


    Everyone was looking closely at me.


    "Mr. Griffin I believe we agreed that the questions would only pertain to the event and what you are asking is outside of those bounds."


    "¡­ You are correct, my apologies."


    "Any more questions?"


    "No I think that''s all for you Mr. Lucas but I do have a few more for Miss Charlotte."


    "Miss Charlotte, did you at any point feel threatened by Mr. Lucas?"


    "Yes."


    Red.


    Mr. Griffin frowned.


    "Could you not protect yourself from Mr. Lucas at any point."


    "I could."


    "Did Mr. Lucas physically harm you?"


    "No."


    "Then why did you lie and say you felt threatened by him?"


    "Because it''s embarrassing."


    Nothing.


    "I see. This appears to be an unfortunate unavoidable event with no perpetrators. Both of you are cleared and no action will be taken. You are free to return to ss."


    Mr. Griffin didn''t even consult with the other councilors before letting us go free. I was happy but Charlotte clearly wasn''t.


    "But¡ª"


    "No, but''s Miss Charlotte the truth of the matter has been revealed the situation is now out of our hands. It''s unfortunate what happened today but such is life, you will get past this. A therapist will be made avable if you need, and bullying can be reported to the main office. Have a good rest of your day."


    With that, Mr. Griffin and the other officers got up and left.


    That was how I was found innocent of one of many cases brought against me.

 Chapter 23 3. Weakness

    ?The two of us were left alone in the room as it now seemed like a reurring thing.


    "Well, that went better than expected."


    Satisfied with the result and not having to do anything extra to guarantee my innocence I was happy.


    "For you."


    Charlotte seemed to still be upset about it. I couldn''t me her but legally we were in the clear. The problem was the other students we have to be cautious of.


    "Don''t lie, this isn''t the worst possible result for you either."


    "¡­"


    "So, what now?"


    "Shouldn''t I be the one asking you?"


    "Hmm, well with your reputation at pit bottom, unsure of your rtionship with Elijah, ¡ª not to mention that you despise him ¡ª and the fact that I can speed up your efforts by months if not years, I''d say you''re in the palm of my hand."


    "Fuck you."


    "We just went through a situation revolving around that maybe we should wait."


    I smiled at her and I could tell she was thinking of hundreds of scenarios of ways to kill me in her head.


    "What do you want?"


    "I''m d you asked because there are three conditions I have, if you agree to them I''ll give you what you want."


    "Fine, if they are within my capabilities I''ll make sure they are fulfilled."


    "Great, number one I want the ck Wild Lands."


    "How do you know that not even all the members of the Shadows know about it."


    Charlotte was more surprised than she was letting on. Barely anyone at all knew about the ck Wild Lands and everyone who did wouldn''t or rather couldn''t reveal it.


    "I told you already, I know everything there is to know about you."


    I could visibly see her shudder.


    "Stalker."


    "I am not a stalker!"


    I surprised myself with my reaction. Being called a stalker was more than just an insult¡­ it felt disrespectful on a fundamental level. I created Charlotte from the depths of my imagination. Every character, including her, is precious to me in their own way. To be called a lowly stalker hurts.


    "Hmm? Then don''t go around saying creepy stalker-like things. Anyways if you aren''t a stalker then why do you know everything about me?"


    "I¡ª"


    "Wait, don''t tell me¡­ you fell in love with me?"


    My jaw dropped


    "N¡ª"


    "Now I get it! It makes so much sense! Everything from you falling on me, trying to feel me up, and knowing about my background."


    "Listen¡ª"


    "Look I''m sorry to break your bubble but I don''t date stalkers."


    Now I was getting angry.


    "I am not a stalker!"


    This time I screamed it as I had to get my point across.


    Thankfully Charlotte relented.


    "Okay, okay, you aren''t a stalker, but you do love me."


    "No, I don''t love you either!"


    Red.


    ''Shit, shit, shit!''


    "Oh my god, you didn''t dispel the lie detection spell yet?"


    ''Fuck me!''


    I felt like dying, if I got struck down by lightning I wouldn''t even be angry.


    I quickly circted the mana within my body to cancel out the effects of Mr. Griffin''s spell. Since he was long gone and stopped supplying it with mana it was more than easy to break.


    Before I could attempt to exin myself Charlotte went on another rant.


    "I was just joking before but it''s really true, you do love me! How does that even happen? Isn''t this our first time interacting? You have to be a stalker but wait you never turned red when you denied it. That means you truly aren''t a stalker but then how did you develop feelings for me? Is it my looks? I know I''m above average but I didn''t know I could make someone fall in love with me just by existing."<novelnext></novelnext>


    As Charlotte began talking to herself aloud I felt a deep headacheing.


    I felt like cursing out Mr. Griffin and his stupid lie-detection spell. More than anything I was upset at myself for not realizing the spell was still active. This reminded me that I was still unfamiliar with the world I was sent to.


    While Charlotte continued on with more theories I was still beating myself up.


    ''I don''t romantically love Charlotte, it''s just love for my creation, that''s all. The easiest way to exin it is like the love one has for a pet. Yeah, that''s right. Just because one loves their pet doesn''t mean they want to make out with it. Although if it''s Charlotte¡ª''


    ''Shit stupid teenage hormones influencing my thoughts!''


    ''But she did feel really soft and her 38B bra¡ª''


    Shaking my head I cleared my mind of all impure thoughts.


    "You are misunderstanding!"


    "I''m misunderstanding? You are the one who practically confessed your love for me! Don''t even try to deny it, we both saw your body light up."


    I had absolutely no way of retorting and I couldn''t exactly say that she is some fictional made-up character.


    "Listen, will you give me the ck Wild Lands or not."


    "I''ll have to ask my father I can''t give it to you but I should be able to make it happen. What are the other two conditions?"


    "I want at least tier 4 immunity from the Shadows. Never order or ept a hit on me, don''t search for me, don''t follow me, I want to be left alone."


    "Tier 4 is too high, tier 3 is the best I can do."


    "Deal."


    In all honesty, I was expected to get tier 2 immunity so I was happy with the oue.


    "What''s the final condition?"


    "You."


    Charlotte''s face immediately went bright red and she began to stutter.


    "M-Me?"


    "Yes, with everything that happened it is actually perfect. You despise Elijah, Elijah despises me, everyone already thinks there is something between us, and I need time so¡ª"


    "I won''t sleep with you!"


    "Huh?"


    ''What is this girl going on about? When did I ever say I wanted to sleep with her?''


    "We both know I have toplete this mission even though it might take years. I can still do it without you. So don''t think I''ll roll over and let you use me."


    "Huh?"


    ''This is getting even more confusing, what is she on about?''


    "Kissing and touch if required is as far as I will go but I won''t sell myself off, I have my own pride."


    Her voice trailed off towards the end, her face was extremely red, and she couldn''t even look me in the eyes.


    ''I am not following at all, since when did the conversation turn to this?''


    "Charlotte?"


    She waited a minute before mumbling.


    "¡­Yes?"


    "What are you talking about?"


    "What do you mean? You just said that you wanted me."


    ''Ohh, now I understand.''


    I paused as I had to think this through.


    ''What I wanted was for Charlotte to serve as a deterrent for a limited amount of time. I need time to distribute all the SP I umted and get used to my abilities. Not to mention everything else I had yet to learn about the world. After all, I didn''t even know how to disperse Mr. Griffin''s spell. Plus with Charlotte being around I wouldn''t have anyone bother me since she is ranked three. Finally, I need her to get Elijah off my back. This message he sent is still giving me bad vibes.''


    As I thought about all these situations I just added another step and in theory, it didn''t change much. Having Charlotte be a fake girlfriend would do everything I already needed and it might even bring in even more benefits.


    Giving Charlotte my brightest smile I corrected myself.


    "You''re right, Charlotte, would you do me the honors of being my fake girlfriend?"


    After hearing me the only thought that went through Charlotte''s mind was, ''fake.''


    "I will agree to all conditions so long as you keep up your end of the deal, what is Elijah''s weakness?"


    I smiled.


    "Me."

 Chapter 24 4. Girlfriend

    ?.


    "What?"


    Charlotte was dumbfounded. How could this guy im to be Elijah''s weakness? Elijah was at the top of the ss for a reason. She had seen first hand Elijah''s power which is why she knew Lucas had no chance of ever beating him.


    Plus she was well aware that Lucas was ranked at the lowest of the low. She normally wouldn''t even acknowledge his existence if it weren''t for the situation and his overwhelming confidence.


    At first, she only heard him out since he knew things that no one should know, next it was out of curiosity about what he would ask from her, finally, she only epted out of desperation and because¡­ Lucas was good-looking.


    If anyone could hear her thought process they might think she is crazy, but the reality of it was that she had an obsession with pretty things. Lucas was much better than Elijah in terms of looks; the only thing that worried her was his strength.


    However, she had time and lots of it. She already epted the fact that her rtionship with Elijah was over.


    For the while that they were dating, she was able to learn a lot about Elijah but more specifically she knew what he disliked. What he hates the most is when others leave him.


    Although Charlotte didn''t know the full history of Elijah she knew that once he epts someone he will hold them close and won''t let them go. She knew he had some kind of trauma but he never exined it.


    As soon as the rumors would begin to spread that she was with someone else he would never be able to trust her again.


    Even after she was found innocent she knew deep down that there would always be a lingering amount of doubt. That doubt would slowly manifest and make her mission hundreds of times harder.


    This is why she didn''t really care for the oue of the trial since her bridge was already burnt. The only person she could rely on was Lucas.


    It''s indeed his fault that she was in this predicament in the first ce but as Mr. Griffin said the world is unfair. She now had to make do with what she had and that was the boy in front of her who was aplete mystery.


    Charlotte wasn''tpletely unobservant; she knew something must have happened for someone ranked so low to randomly one day challenge a teacher. Now that she came face to face with him and the aura he released was unnatural.


    He seemed so utterly confident as if the world was in the palm of his hand. But that wasn''t all, the way he talked and acted seemed as if he wasn''t really here. Charlotte didn''t know how to exin it but seemed as if Lucas was an observer outside the realm of the world who looked on with interest.


    This made her nervous because if she was right then when Lucas faces the consequences of his actions there would be nothing there and it would be the others that suffer.


    "I am his greatest weakness because no matter how much potential he has or how far he reaches I''ll always be two steps ahead."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Charlotte didn''t doubt Lucas because he talked as surely as the sun rising in the morning. Therefore she wanted to and some incentive and added a threat.


    "I''ll believe in you for now but if in a month I don''t see any improvement from you, I''ll kill you with my own hands."


    "That''s fair, but I''ll only need a week."


    Before leaving the conference room the two of them worked out the minute details. They mainly had to do with their rtionship as Charlotte set clear boundaries but Lucas also set a deadline for needing his conditions met.


    The ck Wild Lands was the second most important following the rtionship. Lucas requested to have it issued to him by the end of the week.


    The immunity wasn''t that big of a deal for Lucas at this moment in time. However the soon it got done the better, which is why Lucas gave Charlotte till the end of the month.


    Lucas didn''t have any enemies that would care enough to go out of their way to kill him, except Elijah but even then Elijah followed the path of justice and wouldn''t hire an evil group to do his bidding.


    Finally came the aspects of their rtionship. This is where Charlotte had the most to say as she didn''t want to be taken advantage of nor did she want to seem like a slut who would sell herself off to get benefits.


    She made it clear that there would be a limited amount of intimacy. The only reason Lucas could touch her was to do things like hold hands and hug. Kissing was only to maintain an outward expression that they were dating. Other than for those reasons neither of them should be touching the other, especially in private ces. Sex waspletely off the table.


    Lucas was more than fine with those conditions because it meant he could get everything he wanted without bing emotionally attached.


    Lucas focused more on how others viewed them as he asked for Charlotte to spend as much time as possible with him so that no one would jump at him. He also asked that she make it clear that they were dating to hopefully deter Elijah from taking action to ''rescue'' Charlotte.


    With all the conditionsid out Charlotte pulled out a Mana Contract. It seemed I was already benefiting from a rich girlfriend.


    It was a contract that put one''s ability to use mana on the line. If either party broke the contract mana would abandon them and since every person was made up of even the littlest amount of mana this would result in death.


    Signing the deal, the partnership between the two would soon shake the world.


    .

 Chapter 25 5. Spending Spree

    ?Feeling a bit of mental difort the contract soon dissipated into particles. In the back of my mind, I could feel a connection but the effects soon wore out. Even then I knew that the contract was still active so I wouldn''t dare to break it since I valued my life.


    Having achieved everything I wanted and more Charlotte and I decided to return to ss.


    However just as we left the room I told Charlotte I forgot something only to return a few secondster. She didn''t seem to mind.


    Fortunately, Mr. Vankay''s ss was already over since the amount of time toplete the trial and sign the contract took more than an hour.


    Knowing that the trio''s battle ss would begin soon Charlotte and I left the conference room and made our way toward the ss.


    While we were walking many students caught sight of us and began to whisper to themselves.


    This time though I ignored them as the matter was handled as far as I was concerned. The gossip of a bunch of schoolkids wouldn''t bother me.


    I didn''t know how Charlotte felt about it but I also didn''t care as I had much more important things to worry about.


    Once we entered the only person in the room was the teacher.


    "Miss Smith."


    Charlotte called out her name and walked up to her as they began to talk about battle formations and other simr things.


    I waspletely uninterested in what the two were talking about and even if I was I wouldn''t be able to make sense of anything.


    I chose to sit on the floor off to the side while I waited for ss to begin. There were still around fifteen minutes till the other students would start showing up.


    While I was minding my own business I could feel Miss Smith''s gaze fall on me a few times.


    ''It seems she knows too, gossip really does spread like wildfire.''


    I didn''t dare to look up at her when I felt her looking at me. She was a powerful warrior after all.


    Now that I had some free time I decided to use what time was avable to spend some of the vast amounts of SP I gathered.


    [Vitality: 3.4]


    [Strength: 3.8]


    [Speed: 3.2]


    [Resistance: 2.9]


    [Magic: 2.0]


    [Rank: 993]


    [Credits: 250,000]


    [Gifts: Weapon Comprehension (Beginner-5)]


    [Skills: Mana Breath]


    [SP: 23043]


    Looking at my status screen I began formting ns to spend the SP most effectively.


    My first course of action was to max out Mana Breath. Beforehand I had to add a bunch of restrictions to the skill so that I would be able to afford it. But now that I had a surplus of SP I wanted to upgrade it to the highest level.


    [Mana Breath: Only by being in a mana-rich environment and having lowered all-natural defenses will this skill take effect. By breathing in mana for a minute straight, magic will increase by 0.001]


    [Do you want to spend 1,250 SP to max Mana Breath?]


    ''Do it.''


    I watched as the amount of SP I had decreased, it hurt but I knew it was all worth it. Fortunately, after a minute I was proven right and the updated description of the skill was disyed.


    [Mana Breath: By breathing in mana for a minute straight, magic will increase by 0.01]


    Satisfied with the result I moved on to the other portion of my stats.


    [Gifts: Weapon Comprehension (Beginner-5)]


    Seeing the gift I willed for the option to upgrade it.


    [Would you like to level up Weapon Comprehension from Beginner-5 to Intermediate-10?]


    ''Yes.''


    [-1,080 SP]


    Feeling an influx of knowledge washing over me I grew eager to test out my capabilities but first I wanted to look at something new.


    Seeing that I still had over twenty thousand SP I decided to test if I would be able to get an ability.


    Previously I didn''t even bother looking at the cost requirements because more than likely the price would be astronomical. I would probably be depressed at the amount, try to save up, fail, and be depressed all over again.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Holding my breath I mentally asked for the cost of an ability.


    [Abilities range from 10000 to 50000 SP]


    Letting out the breath I was holding I became both happy and sad. Luckily I had enough SP to unlock an ability. However, the power of it would be less than mediocre and I would be spending a huge amount of points.


    Another thing that worried me was the restriction to only one ability. This meant that if in the future I got more SP and I wanted a better ability I would have to delete the first at a 10 percent loss.


    This put a bitter taste in my mouth.


    ''Should I spend the SP on a less-than-average ability and possibly have to spend the whole twenty thousand points? Or should I unlock more gifts and skills? What if I spent everything on upgrading Weapon Comprehension as I could probably get it mastered?''


    There were so many paths to follow and once I picked one there would be no going back due to the loss when deleting them being so high.


    I spent a few minutes contemting before deciding to first look at the possible abilities I could get.


    After all, seeing what twenty thousand SP could get me was too great of a temptation even if I didn''t go through with it.


    I used up thest few minutes of free time to formte a couple of abilities within my price range. However, once I saw them it became way too much for my mind.


    The first ability was [IceMan].


    [IceMan: Every one of your attacks will be infused with the element of ice. By infusing an attack with ice the resilience and strength of the attack will double.]


    [Do you wish to unlock IceMan for 20000 SP?]


    When I first thought of IceMan I added a slowness or paralyzing effect but the price was too great. Then I changed it to as I have it now with the only exception being offense and defense. Unfortunately, the ability was still too expensive which is why I had to limit it to doubling attacks only. This let me know that I would be able to add on to it once I got more SP so it was quite tempting. However, the other abilities were just too great whenpared to it.


    [Goblin: Rewards from dungeons and towers will be doubled.]


    [Do you wish to unlock Goblin for 20000 SP?]


    The ability was precise but far from simple. The rewards from dungeons and towers could be hit or miss. But the biggest problem was that I would actually have to beat them. With my current capabilities and knowledge, I would only be able to defeat one or two if I was lucky.


    It was way too great of a risk so I also passed this ability up even if it could be upgraded to the point that I would get five times the original amount.


    [Shout: So only as one''s Resistance was lower than yours you can influence their thoughts with your voice. EVOLVABLE]


    [Do you wish to unlock Shout for 12500 SP?]


    Due to the low price and that I could only influence people''s thoughts I gave up on this ability as well.


    [Astral: Immune to all physical attacks but be unable to move or counterattack while active.]


    [Do you wish to unlock Astral for 20000 SP?]


    This was one of the likeliest abilities for me to choose. It would give me protection to survive and in the future, I was sure that it would include magic attacks. But the problem was that magic attacks were the most prominent and I didn''t have the SP avable to upgrade it.


    Thest ability which was the most unique and versatile floated in front of me and I knew in that instant that it was the ability for me. One I was destined to have.


    [3rd Person POV: Allows the user to glimpse 1 hour into his or her future. EVOLVABLE]


    [Do you wish to unlock 3rd Person POV for 10000 SP?]


    Each additional hour to the ability costs 10000 SP which is why it is so cheap. I was more than happy to only have a single hour. If I ever thought I needed more time I could upgrade it but I had a feeling that one hour was enough.


    The ability was perfect for my goals as it could serve as both an offensive and defensive technique. If I was being attacked and looked into the future I would see the best possible way to defend but also counterattack.


    In addition, the ability would serve as an insurance policy for the knowledge of the future I already have. I could help with little details I might have forgotten as well as fill in the nks about the future I changed.


    But then as if that wasn''t enough the ability was evolvable!


    [If an ability is evolvable one or more hidden conditions must be met to level it up.]


    This was extremely unexpected and way too much. Previously there was only one other person in the novel who had an evolvable ability. Not even Elijah had the option to level up his gift.


    Happy that the ability would only cost me half of my total SP I immediately paid the price and unlocked it.


    Although there might have been a better path when spending the SP I had already made up my mind as the benefits from the ability were just too much!


    I watched as half my SP vanished but a smile never left my face as I was eagerly waiting for the ability toe into reality.


    [SP: 10,713]


    Soon enough the single avable slot was filled.


    [Abilities (1/1)]


    [Gifts (1/3)]


    [Skills (1/5)]

 Chapter 26 6. Ability

    ?With my actions being perfectly timed just as I finished unlocking everything I wanted, the students started pouring in.


    I already knew how the ss would be handled and since I learned everything I needed yesterday I decided to go over to the wall where all the weapons were.


    I passed by all the others to arrive in front of the swords. Randomly selecting one from the front I held it up and checked how it felt.


    With my improvement in Weapon Comprehension, it seemed that I not only knew of ways to use the sword but also on determining its quality.


    After swinging it back and forth I was satisfied enough. The quality definitely wasn''t low but I could tell that it was uneven. But that was to be expected, there were hundreds of swords avable for the students to practice with so they couldn''t all be perfect.


    Knowing it would take a few minutes for thest of the students to trickle in and for Miss Smith to pick the teams I went back to the wall I was resting against a few minutes ago.


    Putting the sword down next to me I sat with my back to the wall and closed my eyes.


    Although it would only be for a few minutes I decided to use Mana Breath while I was waiting.


    By training constantly I could continue to improve myself. Plus there wasn''t anything else to do in the meantime.


    However just as I activated the skill I could feel a presence sitting down next to me.


    I already knew who it was so I didn''t bother to cancel the skill or open my eyes.


    Thankfully the girl didn''t interrupt me and sat silently next to me. I did take notice that she barely left a small enough space for our shoulders not to touch.


    Three minutester and with an additional 0.03 magic added to my stats I finally opened my eyes as I knew something interesting would be happening.


    While I was using Mana Breath I also decided to test out 3rd Person POV and for the next hour, I found out things would be quite unpleasant for me.


    Just as I opened my eyes two students entered the ssroom. For the past few minutes, there was a constant stream of kids entering but these two were the only ones who caught my attention.


    Pushing open the steel door I saw the silhouette of a beautiful young girl who had pitch-ck hair, green-colored eyes, a cute face, and fair skin. Her short hair was straight and reached down to her shoulders.


    Beside her was a man I knew all too well. With dark brown hair that reached his eyebrows that were split off to the side and a slightly handsome but masculine face, he entered the room confidently.


    I instantly locked my eyes on his light blue ones that were looking at the girl next to him.


    The duo was none other than Willow and Elijah.


    Currently, Elijah must have said a joke because Willow was practically throwing herself at him whileughing.


    Their intimate moment was ruined when Elijah took his eyes off Willow and locked them on me.


    I broke contact immediately as a single nce from him caused me to shudder.


    I watched as Willow dropped her arms that were hung around Elijah''s shoulders while ring at me.


    Feeling that the two wanted nothing more than to devour me while I turned my attention to the glossy floor. It looked particrly skinny today.


    I put on some chapstick while trying to go unnoticed and the person next to me cursed under her breath. Although it was quiet I heard it easily.


    "Bitch."


    I nodded my head.


    ''She really is a bitch. Who goes after their friend''s ex-boyfriend the day they break up?''


    Though I didn''t dare to say anything aloud, not that I could anyway as I was quite literally the one who stole the girl from someone who already had a boyfriend.


    ''Ahhh, drama, this is why I never went to school and instead opted to write novels.''


    Unfortunately for me, the drama was just starting as Charlotte made a big mistake.


    Recalling the scene from my vision of the future Willow was somehow able to hear what Charlotte said and caused a hugemotion.


    "What did you just say skank?"


    ''Yep here we go.''


    Just as I had predicted Willow shouted from across the room directing her anger at the person next to me.


    ''Who are you calling a skank? Skank.''


    "Who are you calling a skank? Skank."


    ''The one who cheats on her boyfriend with a nobody in a public space for some twisted form of ecstasy.''<novelnext></novelnext>


    "The one who cheats on her boyfriend with a nobody in a public space for some twisted form of ecstasy."


    I knew each of their sentences before they even spoke it thanks to my ability, but even then I knew there was no way to stop theing shitstorm.


    "I didn''t cheat, we were found innocent! Yet you''re throwing yourself at my boyfriend!"


    ''Ex-boyfriend,e on I''m sitting right next to you.''


    But I didn''t say anything. I knew better than to throw myself into a catfight.


    "If he''s still your boyfriend then why are you still with that loser? Are you trying to go after both?"


    ''Loser? Ouch.''


    "No, and Lucas is not a loser!"


    ''You tell her Charlotte!''


    "Oh, so you still want to date Elijah?"


    "¡­"


    "See! You really are a skank! Vermin should stick with vermin!"


    "Fuck you, Willow!"


    ''Now for the crescendo.''


    Just as Willow and Charlotte were about to fight, Elijah decided to step in.


    ''Although I made him a highly intelligent character, he does some really stupid things.''


    "Girls we should calm down before¡ª"


    "Shut up Elijah!"


    "Shut up Elijah!"


    Both the girls whipped their heads to yell at Elijah causing him to raise his hands and back off.


    ''Yeah, you did so much to fix the situation.''


    Having their vigor reenergized the two went back to arguing.


    "Did you even like Elijah? How heartless do you have to be to cheat on someone? Just break up."


    "I told you I didn''t cheat!"


    "Then why are you still with him!"


    Willow pointed right where I was sitting and everyone''s eyes locked on me.


    ''Sigh, this girl is so troublesome.''


    Knowing what I had to do I turned my body to face Charlotte and just as she was about to retort I took action.


    "Because¡ª"


    Tilting her head I pushed our lips together shutting her up.


    Gasps could be heard and jaws dropped open.


    I didn''t care what the others thought as I raised my hand to hold Charlotte''s cheek and deepen the kiss.


    I didn''t open my mouth out of fear of future retaliation from Charlotte and because I knew I would be bad at it. After all, this was my first kiss.


    Once it started getting hard to breathe I broke the kiss and used the hand I had raised to pull Charlotte into an embrace.


    After I had her head buried in my chest I turned my head to look Elijah right in the eyes.


    "She''s mine."

 Chapter 27 7. Mess

    ?With rugged breath, I huffed and puffed as I tried to get the tiniest amount of oxygen into my lungs.


    Currently, my body felt as if it had been hit by a truck. I knew the bruises would swell and stay for many days to follow.


    ''Fuck me!''


    Raising my sword to parry I barely got it up in time to save myself.


    ''Curse teenage romance drama!''


    As my opponent''s sword shed with mine the force of their attack far outweighed mine and I was thrown backward.


    Rolling on the ground my lungs felt as if they were on fire and my body was begging for me to give up. Even then I rose to my feet and held my sword in front of me ready for the next attack.


    ''Shitty future-seeing ability, I am not a masochist!''


    Hardly having any time to prepare Willow''s rapier swiftly came striking down at my body.


    .


    [One day ago]


    .


    Willow stood next to Elijah as she alongside all her other ssmates and watched as the dirtbagid his nasty lips on the entitled bitch.


    At aplete loss for words, Willow was left gobsmacked unsure of what to do.


    The others seemed to be in a simr train of thought as it seemed like the whole room froze over in ice.


    Then they heard the low dominating voice of the culprit.


    "She''s mine."


    It finally clicked in everyone''s head what happened.


    Willow was the first to react as she called out their lustful acts to shame Charlotte.


    Some of the boys nearby were both awed at the courageous act of the young man as they took notes. While others grew furious at the realization that their idol and beauty Charlotte was taken away from them.


    Some of the girls nearby grew red in the face. It was unclear if it was from secondhand embarrassment or an unbelievable fantasy of theirs ying out in real life.


    Evelyn was one of these girls as her cold outwardly expression melted and her thoughts ran wild.


    Thest of the batch was either jealous that their boyfriends wouldn''t do anything as romantic, or pissed off on behalf of Willow.


    Fortunately or unfortunately only slightly after all hell broke loose Miss Smith finally intervened.


    Although she had been watching the whole time Miss Smith was hoping that the situation would resolve itself. However, rather than getting better it just kept getting worse and worse.


    At first, it only slightly annoyed her but now she was furious.


    A little bit of drama and some name-calling never hurt anyone in Miss Smith''s eyes but there was a time and ce for it.


    Her ss was not the ce for it to be happening.


    "Stop."


    Thenplete silence.


    All the chaos that was about to erupt, including anger, jealousy, and admiration was vanquished. Fear quickly took its ce in the hearts and minds of the students.


    Their bodies shook with nerves as their instincts screamed to run away. Yet not one student could bring themselves to move a hair''s length.


    The thick killing intent from Miss Smith could practically betched onto as the intangible force surrounded them drowning them in a sea of horror.


    But just as quickly as the force came it vanished.


    The result caused everyone to copse to the ground while the weak-minded fell unconscious and the lucky ones only pissed themselves.


    To the utter embarrassment of the students, they were wiped out by a fifth of a second of Miss Smith''s rage.


    With the thoughts of Lucas''s and Charlotte''s actions being nullified, Miss Smith was more than satisfied. Now she just had to wait for some of them to wake up and¡­ clean themselves.


    Just as she was about to send a message for a nurse toe and check on the kids she caught a glimpse of someone out of the corner of her eye.


    The sole silhouette of a young man who miraculously was still standing.


    As soon as her eyesnded on him she knew instantly who it was and couldn''t help but be impressed.


    "Mr. Elijah you''ve really outdone yourself."


    Elijah didn''t respond or rather he couldn''t as the only thing holding him up was his will to never surrender.


    Miss Smith only smiled.


    "It''s okay you made it though, you can rx now."


    That was all the confirmation Elijah needed as he immediately fell down while his vision went dark.


    After that Miss Smith contacted the nurse to check up on the conditions of the students.


    Meanwhile if one were to take notice of a second presence where no one was looking they would realize that there was a second and third person who was holding on through their sheer will.


    In his arms, he held a young girl who was quivering uncontrobly. Her arms were tightly wrapped around the boy clutching onto him as if he would disappear forever.


    The boy could feel the pain as she desperately held on to him trying to alleviate some of it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Although he knew of her pain he didn''t resonate with it as he carefully lifted his hands cing one on the back of her head to pull her in and having the second rub her back.


    "You''re okay."


    However, the reassurance didn''t seem to do much as the girl continued to silently struggle in anguish.


    Unfortunately, there was nothing more the boy could do so he allowed her to grab at him while he only gently rubbed her back.


    As seconds passed the converging of the girl slowly began to dissipate as she rxed.


    After a full minute, the shuddering of the girl ended leaving her drenched in sweattched tightly to the boy leaving no gap in between them.


    "You did so well."


    Lucas whispered praise in her ear before drowsiness overcame the girl causing her to peacefully fall asleep in his arms.


    Letting out a deep sigh the boy neither copsed nor lost consciousness as he too enjoyed the peacefulness of the moment.


    If one were to take notice of him from the beginning they would notice that never once had the boy had any reaction to the killing intent that Miss Smith released.


    It was as if it never affected him ¡ª or rather couldn''t.


    Perhaps when one truly dies and believes themselves to be within a fake world, the looming possibility of death bes dulled.


    After a few minutes, the nurse came in to handle the fiasco. All the students who required medical attention were taken away while those who needed a fresh pair of clothes were given some privacy.


    While making the rounds the nurse learned of the extent of Miss Smith''s discipline as every student was out cold. Some just needed a nudge while others would be out for hours if not days.


    She sighed at the action, not because of the effects it might have on the students but rather the paperwork she would have to deal with.


    After handling most of the kids the nurse arrived at the back of the ssroom.


    Only two students were remaining and as she made her way closer to them the only thoughts in her head were of how one of the students got some special privileges.


    Hovering over the duo the nurse was about to reach down and separated them when all of a sudden a head shot up to look her dead in the eyes.


    Momentarily stunned, the nurse froze standing in front of the boy who was ring at her.


    "Young man, are you still awake?"


    The boy only nodded his head.


    A moment passed before she was able to respond.


    "I see."


    It was only now that the nurse took ount of the situation the boy was in.


    "Do you need any help?"


    "I don''t but¡­ she does."


    "I understand."


    Slowly the boy unwrapped himself from the clutches of the girl. The nurse made a special note of how gentle the boy was with her.


    It took longer than expected for him to finish as it seemed even while unconscious the girl was refusing to let go.


    Finally, after a few minutes had passed just as it seemed the boy would be free the girl''s body began to shake uncontrobly.


    The nurse was instantly alerted to this effect as she saw the symptoms of a panic attack beginning.


    Quickly she told the boy to take hold of the girl once more.


    "Don''t let her go!


    "Why?"


    "She''s shaking, it seems as if there is some trauma bothering her right now and you''re the anchor supporting her."


    Understanding the seriousness of the situation the boy brought the girl back into his embrace and her body stopped shaking nearly instantly.


    The nurse sighed in relief.


    "Anne really went overboard this time."


    "This time?"


    "Yeah, she loses control sometimes when trying to release her power¡­ it''s a shame, she''s so young too."


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "I- it''s not my ce to tell."


    Clearing her throat the nurse changed the course of the conversation.


    "The both of you will have toe with me. It seems the girl needs medical attention and since you seem to be making things easier on her I''ll have to ask you to stay."


    "It''s fine, I figured as much."


    A minuteter a stretcher came by to take the duo away just like what happened with all the other unconscious students.


    That marked the end of the future Lucas was aware of.


    .

 Chapter 28 8. Sleeping Beauty

    ?Stifling my urge toin I resorted to sighing deeply.


    "What are you sighing about when you have a beautiful girlying next to you?"


    Looking to the left my face was mere inches away from the golden-colored hair.


    Charlotte had woken up a few minutes ago and she was facing the opposite direction having her back to me.


    "That''s not the reason, it''s because a professor at Griffin of all ces is unable to control herself."


    "Humph, so you''re saying I''m not beautiful?"


    "Are you a child?"


    "¡­"


    "Okay, yes, you are very pretty."


    "Hehe, I know."


    "Did you get head trauma?"


    This finally caused Charlotte to turn over and face me.


    She had an angry expression on her face and looked ready to throw a punch.


    Not allowing her to do what she wanted I reached my arms out and pulled her body down onto mine.


    "Let me go."


    "If you really wanted to get free I wouldn''t be able to stop you."


    "You ruined the moment."


    "Just ept the hug."


    "Fine."


    ''This girl.''


    Afterying together in silence for a few minutes Charlotte repositioned herself so that she was against my side and rested her head on my shoulder.


    "Are you feeling better?"


    "Yeah."


    "You''re not lying are you."


    "No."


    "Then I can leave?"


    Barely moving my body an inch I was instantly locked down.


    "Stay¡­ please."


    "Okay, I won''t go anywhere."


    "Good."


    "So how are you really feeling?"


    It took a few seconds before Charlotte let up.


    "My head is buzzing and my body is really sore."


    "Then you should get some more sleep."


    "But¡­"


    "But what?"


    "¡­ then you will leave."


    "I already told you I won''t."


    "You''re lying."


    "I''m not."


    "You are."


    I let out another sigh fully knowing I was developing a bad habit.


    "What if I promise I won''t leave."


    She paused.


    "How can I believe you?"


    "I never let you go before."


    "You tried!"


    "You remember that? Well, after the nurse told me not to, I didn''t."


    ? "My point exactly."


    "You have trust issues."


    "You''re one to talk."


    "Doesn''t mean I''m wrong."


    "How about this, if you tell me how Miss Smith''s killing intent didn''t affect you I''ll believe you."


    "You want me to exin myself in order to prove myself for something you want?"


    "Yes!"


    "You''re so spoiled."


    "Well, you know who raised me."


    "Fine, I''ll tell you. When you go through something dark and I mean really dark, something like a wisp of killing intent means nothing."


    "What was it?"


    "That wasn''t part of the deal."


    "Humph."


    "What are you mad about, I told you, now trust me and get some sleep."


    Repositioning herself for the third time Charlotte gotfortable and whispered something inaudible to me.


    "That''s not what I was mad about."


    Nearly immediately after closing her eyes Charlotte was deep within the dream realm and I was left to silence in the room.


    "You cane in now."


    Pushing open the door the nurse from before came into the room.


    "I was waiting a long time."


    "I''m sure she knew of your presence and even now she does."


    "Yet she kept me waiting."


    I wasn''tpletely sure of Charlotte''s capabilities but I was more than positive that if I could sense the nurse she could too.


    That meant Charlotte was far more concerned with keeping me near her than sucking up to the nurse.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "She did."


    Although we were talking as if Charlotte wasn''tying on top of me I wasn''t concerned about being disrespectful. Unlike someone with a powerful background, I couldn''t mess with one of the faculty members ¡ª at least not without proper preparations.


    Wanting to take the lead in the conversation I started with the first question.


    "Why did youe?"


    "To check up on my patient."


    "Yeah right, you and I both know she only needs some rest. What do you want?"


    "Then I''ll get right to it, how did you not suffer any injuries? Not even the first-ced student could do something like that."


    "Again, we both heard what I told Charlotte so I''ll ask once more, what do you want?"


    "I don''t believe it! There''s no way someone like you could do what others couldn''t."


    That annoyed me.


    "What do you mean by ''someone like me''?"


    "Someone who''s ranked 993rd."


    I narrowed my eyes.


    "Are you discriminating based on rank?"


    I didn''t want to create any more problems for the time being but if someone was going to push and insult me I wouldn''t take it without pushing back.


    Luckily this seemed to click with something in the nurse''s head as she carefully thought about her next words. That meant she wasn''t as dumb as thest person who tried to use me.


    "There''s something up with you and it''s not right."


    "So?"


    "I will find out what it is!"


    "Good luck detective."


    The conversation didn''t go in the direction I wanted it to and the nurse seemed to have some underlying objective that she failed to articte.


    Although weird, the situation with the nurse was the least of my concerns.


    Recounting thest few days I knew I had to deal with the fallout of Miss Smith''s unpredictability, the eventual effects of my letter, and the dungeon from Charlotte, and prepare myself for future events.


    With a te full of important topics I couldn''t bear to waste time on superficial things.


    Yet as I thought this while watching the nurse leave I didn''t dare to break my promise. Therefore enjoying thefort of the person next to me I continued to train with Mana Breath.


    Many hours passed by with the only interruption being a meal. All this time Charlotte continued to sleep and it didn''t seem like she would be waking up any time soon.


    When the second meal came and the natural light began to fade I began to get annoyed. It was true that I swore I wouldn''t leave Charlotte but I didn''t have hours to spare.


    Unfortunately, my worries were not cleared as the sunpletely set and Charlotte had yet to so much as stir.


    When one of the other nurses came into the room to tell me that visitor hours were up I was quite pissed.


    Technically since I hadn''t received any injuries and Charlotte was stable there was no reason for me to stay with her ¡ª at least for the night.


    Thankfully the nurse allowed me five extra minutes before I had to leave.


    After starting a timer and telling me to be quick she left the room.


    "You heard her, I have to leave, there''s nothing I can do about it."


    "¡­"


    "Stop pretending like you''re sleeping."


    "¡­"


    "Fine sleeping beauty if you want to be like this maybe I should give you another kiss."


    That woke her up.


    Shooting up like a rocket Charlotte practically leaped off my chest. Although she tried to hide her face by turning away, I knew she was bright red.


    "¡­ I''m awake."


    "Yes, I can see that. Now it''s time for me to go; I kept my promise."


    "¡­"


    "Are you too embarrassed to say goodbye even after I spent the whole day with you?"


    "¡­"


    "Okay."


    Pushing off the nkets I climbed off the medical bed. Giving onest nce at Charlotte who still had her head turned, I took my first step toward leaving the room.


    But that was the instant when Charlotte sprung forward flying out of the bed to wrap her arms around me from behind.


    "Hey."


    She whispered quietly as she tried to sink into me.


    "Yeah?"


    I whispered back.


    "D-did y-you?"


    "Did I do what?"


    "Did you really- did you really mean it?"


    "Mean wh¡ª"


    "You know what! That thing you said in ss!"


    "How am I¡ª"


    "Yes or no, be honest while I still trust you¡­did you mean it?"


    "Are you prepared for my answer?"


    "I- I- I don''t know."


    I smiled.


    Withically perfect timing the timer that the nurse set went off.


    "When you are ready, to be honest with yourself you can ask again. Goodbye and get some real sleep."


    "You knew?"


    "Good night Charlotte."


    When I left the room I gave a thankful nod to the nurse before making my way to the exit.


    Along the way I caught the head nurse (who was the one that took Charlotte and me) ring at me.


    Ignoring the provocation I left the medical bay and opened the door to the outside world.


    Breathing in a deep breath of fresh oxygen I smiled in contentment.


    ''Did that girl really think she could trick me when I have Mana Breath? I knew the instant when her breathing changed and she woke up hours ago. But I guess she was right because I would have left if she opened her eyes.''


    Knowing I was in for a long week and now down a day I made my way toward the dorms to get some real rest.

 Chapter 29 9. Fantasy

    ?Using my smartwatch to buzz in I opened the door to my dorm room.


    It was just as I had left it.


    Closing the door behind me I decided to take a quick shower before going to sleep.


    When I entered the bathroom I turned on the water before checking myself out in the mirror.


    I was still inplete awe of how I could have such a great look.


    Throughout the day I took some extra time to examine the faces of all the other students I came across.


    Part of me thought that the standard of beauty was much higher in this new world. Although that was true to some extent, I was still out of the ordinary.


    There were still students who had crooked noses, greasy hair, poor jawlines, and unusually developed bodies. That was mostly due to all of them still being in puberty.


    Taking a closer look at myself I couldn''t find any such ws. Plus I also had a well-defined body. Given those facts, I arrogantly gave myself a ten out of ten.


    When taking into ount everyone else in the school I tried topare their looks to mine.


    Thinking back, I realized that pretty much every high-ranking student had above-average looks.


    This made me question if power was equal to beauty. If my thoughts were right I wondered how I would look when I was ranked at the top.


    Another thing I noticed was that every named important character in the novel had a greater appearance than those of high rankers.


    The girls were straight-up fairies while the men were perfect sculptures.


    Willow and Charlotte were both gorgeous.


    Although surprisingly there was one who looked even better.


    Yet it wasn''t in terms of beauty because all three of them were equal. Rather it was based on preference, specifically body characteristics.


    Golden and ck hair didn''t pop as much as the other color in my eyes. In addition, their bodies were very different.


    Charlotte was quite a bit shorter than me and well¡­ only had a good ass.


    Willow on the other hand was too toned for me. I prefer fair, silky-skinned girls. Also, her mountains were exactly that, mountains. I didn''t know if there was a letter in the alphabet that could give them justice. If I knew imnts existed in this world I would call her out but in some way I imagine them to be real.


    Others may like Charlotte''s and Willow''s builds but to me, they favored or werecking in some sections.


    The other girl though was perfect all around. She had perfect-sized boobs and a plump ass. Big enough to grip onto, small enough not to get in the way, and they fit the exact figure of my dream girl.


    While my thoughts went crazy from hormones the water had been running the whole time.


    Soon enough the heat from the water caused the mirror I was enchanted with to fog over.


    Realizing I had been lost in my thoughts I took a quick steamy shower and went to bed.


    The next day I woke up bright and early. Learning from my mistakes I decided not to go to the gym. Instead, I opted to continue to make use of Mana Breath.


    An hourter when sses would begin I got dressed and made my way over.


    After leaving the dorms I walked through the hallways absent-minded until I reached Mr. Vankay''s Magic Theory ss.


    Entering the room there were only a few students who had arrived before me. Mr. Vankay himself wasn''t in the room yet which made me happy.


    Making my way toward the back of the ss I took a seat in the same spot I had previously.


    Once I was settled I closed my eyes and started using Mana Breath again.


    Twenty minutester the ssroom was filling up and someone sat down next to me.


    "You are here?"


    "Yeah, you were right, all I needed was some sleep."


    "That''s good."


    Of course, the person was none other than Charlotte.


    "Hey, why do you sit so far back?"


    "So people don''t disturb me."


    "Am I disturbing you?"


    "Actually yes."


    Talking affected my breathing pattern which makes it so that I can''t use Mana Breath.


    "Really?"


    Looking over at the girl she seemed disappointed.


    I let out a sigh.


    "It''s fine."


    ''There are only around ten minutes left till the lesson starts so it''s not that big of a deal, only annoying.''


    But then Charlotte started gathering her things.


    "I can leave."


    "I said it''s fine."


    "You also said that I''m bothering you."


    "Now I''m telling you to stay."


    Charlotte paused and looked into my eyes for a few seconds. When I didn''t show any emotion she put her stuff back down and took a seat.


    "¡­ okay."


    Turning my head away after a minute passed in silence I decided to go back to using Mana Breath.


    ''It''s awkward now.''


    However just as I was about to begin Charlotte spoke up:


    "Sorry."


    "You don''t have to apologize, I should be the one for what I said."


    "No, that''s not it. What I''m trying to say is, sorry for everything I put you through. From lying to the council and making a big deal in Miss Smith''s ss to tricking you into staying with me."


    ncing into Charlotte''s eyes I could make out her feelings to be sincere. She was truly lowering herself to apologize to me.


    Giving her the same respect I said:<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I ept your apology, just know that due to the deal connecting us, I''ll never leave you."


    Charlotte seemed to be happy with this but then her smile faded away.


    "Actually I wanted to talk to you about that, I was thinking-"


    "Good morning everyone!"


    Cutting Charlotte off was Mr. Vankay as he entered the ssroom and immediately went into today''s lesson.


    Telling Charlotte that she would have to finishter I leaned back and shut my eyes.


    Since Mr. Vankay''s ss waspletely useless to me I decided I would make the most of it and focus on using Mana Breath.


    While his voice faded away in my mind I blocked everything out so I wouldn''t lose concentration.


    Sometimeter I felt a nudgee from my side.


    Opening my eyes I looked over at Charlotte.


    "Yeah?"


    She started fidgeting.


    "Uh, do you know this?"


    Looking down at her notebook I saw a magic-based question.


    [What is Aura?]


    "Why do you think I would know the answer? Why not just ask Mr. Vankay?"


    "I could, but aren''t you the one who said you already knew everything and that it was boring?"


    "That''s true¡­ it''s the manifestation of mana condensed by one''s own will."


    "Then how would one go about doing that?"


    "So that''s why you''re asking."


    "What do you mean?"


    "It''s obvious, you''re trying to use aura."


    "And what if I am?"


    I looked into Charlotte''s eyes trying to understand her determination.


    What I saw was someone who desired power.


    "I''d say you''re crazy."


    "And if I am?"


    "Look, aura is something only a master ss swordsman can utilize, are you there yet?"


    "No, but I''m close."


    "Hmm."


    "So will you help me?"


    "Just because I know what aura is, why do you think I''ll be able to teach it to you? They are very different things."


    "Because you''re strong!"


    "Strong? Me?"


    "Yes, for some reason you''re hiding your capabilities but I can tell that you are strong, really strong. Stronger than me!"


    ''Is she blind? I can''t even use a sword!''


    "But I''m not."


    She smiled.


    "Yes, yes, you''re not."


    Then she winked.


    ''What warped idea does this girl have of me?''


    "I can''t help you because I can''t use aura."


    Charlotte looked disappointed.


    "Oh, I see."


    "But."


    "But what?"


    "I can get someone else to help you."


    "Really? Who?"


    Now she looked excited.


    "Who it is doesn''t matter, what does, is I can make it happen."


    "Thank you!"


    "Don''t thank me yet, in return, I need a favor."


    She looked skeptical.


    "What is it?"


    "It''s a secret for now but there is no need to worry, it''s nothing extreme."


    "It''s nothing bad is it?"


    "No, you can trust me."


    "Okay¡­ we have a deal."


    "Great!"

 Chapter 30 10. Decisions

    ?The rest of Mr. Vankay''s ss flew by without a hitch.


    After agreeing to help Charlotte I went back to using Mana Breath until it was time for the second period.


    Once the bell rang signaling the end of ss I waited for Charlotte to pack up before we left hand in hand.


    While walking toward the door to leave I had a short stare-off with Mr. Vankay. It was only for a couple of seconds before I then turned my head to leave.


    ''Your reckoning ising.''


    In the hallway, Charlotte and I made our way back to Miss Smith''s ss.


    We made some quick small talk but it was nothing too relevant.


    When we entered her room a couple of minutester it was deadly silent. A few students managed to beat us there but rather than the usualmotion it was too quiet.


    ''They''re afraid.''


    It was a fair deduction to make since nearly all of them were hospitalized.


    There would now be a constant innate fear within the students whenever anything was associated with Miss Smith.


    It would make teaching a bit harder but it might serve as a good wake-up call. I was more than sure that some of the students believed that they were untouchable.


    But when a simple mind attack hit them and they couldn''t even remain standing up, that had to spark something in them.


    Whether it was good or bad will only be determined in the future.


    They will either grow to be stronger from the event or drown in pitiful fear of the unknown.


    Nheless, I knew my path.


    Having Charlotte follow behind me the two of us took a seat on the floor up against one of the walls. We sat in a different ce from yesterday due to it already being upied.


    Not wanting to interrupt the space I decided to follow the others and not make any noise as I immediately went back to using Mana Breath.


    Five or so minutes passed like this as thest of the students arrived.


    Once the bell rang signaling the start of ss Miss Smith came out of her office which was hidden away in a corner.


    As soon as her presence was made known a tremor ran through everyone''s bodies.


    While I was seated minding my own business I suddenly felt Charlotte take hold of my hand.


    Knowing that time was up I canceled Mana Breath and waited for how Miss Smith was going to handle the situation.


    "Listen up everyone."


    Of course, everyone''s focus was already on Miss Smith and with it being so quiet her voice echoed throughout the room.


    "What happened yesterday was not something I am proud of, and for that, I''d like to apologize."


    From what I could tell she seemed to be sincere in her apology but none of the kids appeared to be willing to forgive her.


    "That being said, it should serve as a reminder that the world is vast and full of dangerous things. There won''t always be adults around to protect you."


    Seeing that everyone was still giving her their full attention Miss Smith continued:


    "Griffin was created to nurture the youths and being a faculty member I swore to uphold that responsibility. Which is why from this point forward duals will no longer be staged artificially."


    Now, this caused an uproar!


    "You can''t be serious!"


    "That''s too dangerous, there are safety mechanisms for a reason!"


    "You don''t expect us to actually go at each other?!"


    "What if someone gets hurt? What if someone dies?!!"


    "Yeah!"


    "This is unfair!"


    "There''s no way the administration agreed to this!"


    As minutes passed while the children voiced out theirints, Miss Smith stood silently.


    It seemed that she wasn''t going to do the same thing asst time to calm everyone down.


    Yet she did.


    "Stop."


    That''s all it took, and this time it was a whisper!<novelnext></novelnext>


    Thankfully she only went halfway. It only took one word for everyone to shut up and there was no release of killing intent.


    Some of them prepared for the worst and dropped to the ground covering their heads. Others got shbacks of reliving that fear which caused them all sorts of problems.


    It was more than clear there was some deep-rooted trauma.


    Meanwhile, I remained seated as I didn''t even react to Miss Smith''s words. In fact, I was far from registering anything that wasing out of her mouth.


    I decided to make use of 3rd Person POV.


    Since the first time I used it, I learned quite a lot about it.


    First of all, there was around a 24-hour cooldown due to the ability pressing a lot of stress on my mind.


    Second, after using the ability I was instantly transferred all the information from that hour. There was no time spent sorting through it or taking time to learn it, just straightprehension.


    Third ¡ª and I couldn''t confirm this yet ¡ª it seemed that what I saw within the glimpse couldn''t be altered. However, this was only my second time using it so I would have to test my hypothesis.


    Anyway with the ability ending not even after a second passed I knew everything that would happen for the next 60 minutes.


    Unfortunately what I saw was not very fun.


    I let out a deep sigh.


    Once everyone calmed down Miss Smith went on to clear up any confusion and provide answers to any of the questions the students asked.


    Apparently, the administration was the one who pushed for the students to fight without the simtion.


    Also, it was made clear that any injuries received in battle were the fault of the ones harmed.


    This was a very strict point that was made aware so that the poorer and lower ss students wouldn''t face any problems if they harmed someone of higher status.


    However, Miss Smith didn''t fail to mention that killing was to remain prohibited and that there would be new staff membersing to watch over the battles if something got out of hand.


    But even then if someone really wanted and could get away with it, death might follow.


    Because of this many students weren''t willing to endanger their lives for some practice. Therefore Miss Smith announced that since it was still early enough in the year and due to unforeseen circumstances anyone who wanted could drop the ss without facing any punishments.


    Yet Miss Smith warned that each person thinks their decision over carefully because after today the punishment would be reinstated and those who quit will not be able to join back.


    Silence once again befell the room yet this time it wasn''t out of fear but rather the students needing to decide the path they wanted to take.


    Those who stayed would without a doubt grow stronger due to being in realbat but that coulde at a price. Thus everyone had to choose how much they were willing to pay.


    "There''s no way I''d take such a risk when my family will provide constant resources to develop my growth, I''m out."


    "Me too."


    "Yeah, it''s just not worth it."


    Those who began going through the pros and cons started splitting into two groups.


    "I don''t care what the risk is so long as I can get stronger I''ll do it!"


    "I don''t have anyone to support me, if I don''t get stronger I''ll be left behind, I''m not leaving."


    Each person came up with their conclusion and those who wanted to leave were free to do so as they exited the ssroom not bothering to turn back.


    As more and more people left some decided to follow as they were sheeped into chasing after the crowd.


    By the end of it, the thousand students were reduced to a minuscule one hundred eighty.


    ''So this is all?''


    Still seated on the floor I nced over all the characters who didn''t give up.


    Looking to my side Charlotte was still next to me.


    Elijah stood proudly in the center.


    Willow stood beside him.


    Evelyn was alone yet she remained.


    Mia, Noah, Liam, and even Billy from the first trio match were scattered around the ssroom.


    Of the others, there were still a few named characters while the others were mostly high-rankers.


    Miss Smith finalized the headcount and nodded satisfied:


    "Those of you who remain have made your decision. I hope you won''te to regret it."

 Chapter 31 11. Sacrifice

    ?Once it was made clear that everyone left didn''t have any ns of leaving Miss Smith started setting us up.


    Charlotte and I went out separate ways as I went to find a suitable sword.


    After grabbing a sword off the racks I made my way toward Miss Smith so that teams could be made.


    With the number of people limited, rankings messed up, and fewer members of each ss, Miss Smith decided to pick the teams for a while until we got back into the groove of things.


    Therefore while she called out three numbers at a time I waited patiently for my turn.


    "43, 9, and 993."


    Once everyone heard my number they all turned to look at me.


    Nearly everyone below the 300''s left because they believed themselves to be too weak to survive.


    Although there were a few lower-ranked people who stayed, the next lowest was 602. This meant there was more than a three hundred space gap between skill levels.


    When I made my way toward my team they didn''t bother to hide their disappointment.


    "Why are we the ones who got the trash? He is just a burden!"


    "He''spletely useless, why did he even stay?"


    "What did I do to get this unlucky?"


    Once I finally arrived near them they didn''t stop but instead increased to threats.


    "Hey, you better not pull us down."


    "Yeah, you do know this isn''t a simtion anymore, a stab will really stab you?"


    I just smiled at them:


    "Yes I''m aware and you don''t have to worry about me, I can handle myself."


    They looked at each other.


    "Pfff."


    "Haha, sure buddy, just hide in the back, we will handle this."


    While they were busy making fun of me Miss Smith finished making the teams and started putting us against each other.


    "43, 9, and 993 vs 102, 602, and 2."


    As soon as my teammates heard who we were going up against all the color in their faces dropped.


    "Shit, why is my luck so bad? Did I get cursed?"


    "Why do we have to go up against a monster like Willow?"


    "Man we are so fucked."


    "The other two aren''t a problem but Willow can take all three of us out all on her own."


    "If only we didn''t have to worry about her."


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "Are you thinking what I''m thinking?"


    "If you are thinking what I''m thinking then yes."


    The two of them gave each other a look before turning to include me in their conversation.


    "Hey, 993, buddy, what''s your name?"


    Already knowing what was happening I followed along like a puppet.


    "My name is Lucas."


    "Lucas, why don''t you do us a favor?"


    The one who asked slung his arm around my shoulder and got real close to me.


    Acting ignorant I responded:


    "Yeah! What do you need?"


    Hearing my energetic response the second brat ced his arm on the other side of my shoulder.


    "Well you see, Willow and you seemed to have a conflict. I''m sure she is pretty pissed off right?"


    I nodded while having a gloomy face:


    "Yeah, I can''t believe I got paired against her! She will try to kill me!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    The response I gave was just what the two were hoping for, giving each other another look from above my head as they went in to finish it.


    "Listen, I bet you also want to get revenge against her, if you follow our n we can beat them."


    Looking shocked I rose my eyebrows:


    "Really? You can beat her?"


    "Of course, that is as long as you stick to the n."


    "What is it?"


    Knowing I was in the palm of their hand the other kid exined it:


    "Since Willow already has beef with you we just need you to distract her for a little bit. While that happens the two of us (he pointed at the other brat) will quickly take care of their two then rush back to triple team Willow."


    As I listened to the n I made sure to express how worried I was.


    "B-but how am I supposed to handle Willow? You said it yourself, I''m just a burden."


    Their intentions were almost revealed when one of their faces almost crumbled but they were quickly able to recover.


    "Hey now, you know I didn''t mean it like that."


    Seeing that twin one was in trouble, twin two came in for the rescue.


    "Yeah that babble mouth doesn''t know what he is talking about, in fact, you have the most important job."


    While one red at two I acted as if to fall for the trap.


    "Me? Having the most important part?"


    Needing to finish it fast, they decided to build up my confidence.


    "Yes! Without you distracting Willow we have no shot at winning."


    "He''s right everything will rest on your shoulders."


    Showing that I was about to ept, I gave onest opposition to see how they would ovee it.


    "What if I go for 602 then the two of you can take on thest two?"


    They both shook their heads.


    "That won''t work, unfortunately, we aren''t confident enough in our skills to take out 102 without being stopped by Willow."


    Satisfied with their answer of ming themselves rather than saying I could be too weak to take 602, I agreed.


    "¡­ okay, just hurry back, I don''t know how long I will be able to keep her upied."


    They cheered:


    "Of course, now we have a fighting chance!"


    "Yes, thank you Lucas, without you we would be lost!"


    While we worked out thest few inconsistencies our match was finally called.


    As the three of us made our way to the stage I quickly pulled up my smartwatch and sent a message to Willow.


    Unfortunately, I wasn''t fast enough and Miss Smith called me out to put it away.


    Wanting to be cooperative I shut it down with just enough time to press [send].


    Miss Smith stood before us and rified the rules before we began.


    "Remember this is no longer a simtion where when you get hit you take damage like in a game but you actually get harmed. Also, Mr. nkski and I will be watching over this battle, if there is even the slightest chance of someone dying we will immediately take action to prevent it. Does everyone understand?"


    We all replied at once:


    "Yes!"


    Miss Smith nodded:


    "Great, then separate yourselves and we will begin."


    As our group broke away from the others and moved to the other side of the ssroom the two twins gave me a thumbs up and the countdown from Miss Smith began.


    "Ready."


    I positioned my sword in front of me.


    "Set."


    I took a deep breath and recounted how the battle would go.


    "Fight!"

 Chapter 32 12. Aura

    ?The moment I heard "fight" I sprung into action to y my part.


    "Willow is a bitch!"


    Screaming as loud as I could I was sure that anyone in the hallway would be able to hear me even through the soundproofing and metal door.


    Those who were in the ssroom including the teacher, assistants, peers, and Willow herself found themselves hearing my cuss at full st.


    As the shock spread, the battle that really hadn''t begun came to a halt. My two other teammates looked back at me in a mix of pity and awe. They knew I signed my death sentence. While the opposing team stopped to turn to the recipient of my promation.


    Willow, who originally had set footwork that was prepared to go on the attack, was frozen. With all eyes on her, it was impossible to imagine what she was thinking due to her hair covering her face.


    Yet amid this stunned battlefield where nothing was urring, the boy who was responsible suddenly ducked.


    The action waspletely random and unwarranted but half a secondter it all became clear.


    Lodged deep in the wall behind the boy right at his eye level was a needle of sorts. But this needle was not an ordinary needle, it was a hairpin. A hairpin that belonged to Willow.


    As everyone stared at the cracked wall where the pin was lodged a deep foreboding feeling overcame them.


    They all knew it and I knew it too, Willow was pissed!


    As my teammates came out of their stupor they focused their attention on Willow only to see her disappear. The next thing they heard was the shing of swords.


    Having my de already raised and in position when Willow vanished from my eyesight I knew I had to grip the sword and hold on tightly.


    Before I knew it an insane weight was pushing down on my de threatening to snap it in half.


    Without thinking I rolled on the ground to my left only for it to be followed by an explosion.


    The ground beneath where I once stood was transformed into a crater where a small sword was embedded.


    Yet I didn''t have any time to experience what I witnessed because I knew I had to perform my next action which was to vertically sh.


    While my poor excuse of a battle was beginning with Willow my teammates finally went into action and charged at the other two enemies.


    With rugged breath, I huffed and puffed as I tried to get the tiniest amount of oxygen into my lungs.


    Currently, my body felt as if it had been hit by a truck. I knew the bruises would swell and stay for many days to follow.


    ''Fuck me!''


    Raising my sword to parry I barely got it up in time to save myself.


    ''Curse teenage romance drama!''


    As my opponent''s sword shed with mine the force of their attack far outweighed mine and I was thrown backward.


    Rolling on the ground my lungs felt as if they were on fire and my body was begging for me to give up. Even then I rose to my feet and held my sword in front of me ready for the next attack.


    ''Shitty future-seeing ability, I am not a masochist!''


    Hardly having any time to prepare Willow''s rapier swiftly came striking down at my body.


    [Present day]


    Knowing that there was no feasible way of escape I tripped myself to allow gravity to deal with the attack ¡ª after all, it''s the reason I''m in this mess.


    Falling t on my ass with my legs spread apart, the tip of Willow''s dended right in between them.


    Fearing for my special thing I scurried backward to create some space.


    Unfortunately, Willow was just too fast and before I could toss myself into safety I was hit.


    A sharp pain filled my mind as I saw a red ssh.


    Knowing that I was still in danger I took advantage of the time in between attacks to roll and rise to my feet.


    Yet before I could even inspect my injury the glint of metal shined in the corner of my eyes.


    Throwing up my sword to sh with the rapier another small explosion was released.


    Sliding back as the bottoms of my shoes burnt from friction on the floor I attempted to catch my breath.


    ''This is not good.''<novelnext></novelnext>


    Even though I knew of each attacking it was still nearly impossible to survive it.


    Willow''s strength, speed, and adaptability were insane whenpared to mine.


    With each sh of our weapons, it felt like I was hitting a metal wall where the force of my attack would strike back at me and vibrate through my own body.


    Thankfully my master-levelprehension of the sword could make it so that I take the least bit of damage from each exchange.


    Ordinarily I would have every advantage to defeat Willow. I knew every move she would make before she even knew what she was doing. Plus my understanding of the sword was most likely greater.


    The problem though was that my knowledge was not achieved through experience but rather the CP I spent.


    The worst part of all was that if I had practiced yesterday as I nned instead of taking care of Charlotte I would be much better off.


    This meant I waspletely and utterly fucked!


    Breaking out of my thoughts I dropped to my knees in a pitiful attempt to not get hit.


    Thankfully it worked as I still had my head attached to my body.


    Yet while on the ground hundreds of strains of ck hairs fluttered down next to me.


    It seemed that Willow gave me a free-of-charge haircut.


    Although I knew it wasing it pained me to know that I now had a bald spot.


    But I threw this thought out as fast as it came because it was now time for my counterattack.


    Still, on the ground, I raised my sword vertically in an attempt to impale Willow.


    When she saw that my de wasing right for her Willow''s mind went into overdrive.


    Due to the awkward position she was in she wouldn''t be able to retract her sword in time to block which left her with the only option of dodging.


    Throwing her head back the length of my sword followed up her body mere centimeters from cutting her.


    The act managed to save her as only the tip of her chin was scratched.


    After the exchange Willow leaped back four times creating a great deal of distance.


    Slowly she put up her fingers to her chin to touch the spot where she was hit. When she felt some pain radiate through her body she quickly pulled back her hand.


    When she looked down at the finger that touched the wound she saw a droplet of red.


    At that moment the battle came to a halt.


    My two teammates who had just finished taking care of Willow''s teammates and were preparing to back me up stopped in their tracks.


    While I was breathing heavily and using the hilt of my sword to keep myself standing upright, I felt a wave of ragee from Willow.


    Yet there was much I could do as my side was sliced open and blood was trailing down my leg to create a puddle on the ground.


    My vision was wavering due to blood loss and my body ached all over. But even in my rough condition, I knew I still had onest move to pull off.


    Sucking in a deep breath I slowly and carefully pulled the sword up out of the ground. This caused me to wobble a bit due to losing my support yet I held strong. Once again I raised my sword and angled it out in front of me to point right at Willow.


    Seeing my provocation stance yet another wave of fury was released by Willow into the surroundings.


    The Mana shook and quaked all around us as it went into a frenzy.


    However, just as quickly as it became erotic it stopped.


    Then a split secondter it was forcefully swept away and vacuumed right into Willow''s rapier.


    Once the mana finished gathering a blue hue enveloped Willow''s sword.


    Then an explosion of force roared out as an unnatural phenomenon urred.


    The power behind it was nothing to mess with and a feeling of dread sunk into my heart.


    It was Aura. Willow was using Aura!

 Chapter 33 13. Defense

    ?As the Mana chaotically surged around the room untiling under Willow''s control my heart rate dangerously increased.


    Although I saw what happened when I glimpsed into the future, facing it in real life couldn''tpare.


    The pure power within the attack was not something I could deal with. A single brushing against the aura would at best kill me, and at worst¡­ there would be nothing left.


    Shuddering at the realization I was way over my head I sent my thoughts into overdrive as I tried toe up with a solution.


    Unfortunately, my luck ran out as this moment marked the end of the time I could see into the future.


    Of the hour I got half of it was spent on waiting for teams to get picked and such rather than the actual battle.


    Which is why I cursed my stupidity for using the ability too early and leaving me stranded in this terrible situation.


    Luckily I knew enough up until this point to be able to survive but now I was trenching through unknown waters.


    While I had been going through my thoughts Willow finalized her preparations and released her attack.


    As Willow''s aura enveloped her rapier once it got to its peak state she made a diagonal cut in the air.


    A momentter the mana and aura burst out and a visible sh materializeding straight at me.


    The blue energy grew more powerful and deadly as it charged at me with the intent to remove me from existence.


    Staring at this wave of power two options crossed my mind: I could use 3rd Person POV one more time to see how I get out of the situation and deal with the consequencester or spend some of the CP I had stored up on a defensive gift.


    The former was too much of a risk as using the same ability on the same day, only an hourter at that could potentially do irreversible damage. Plus there was no guarantee that the ability would save my life as what I see in the future might just be my death.


    Leaving only thedder I knew I had toe up with a defensive gift that would allow me to survive the attack while also being in my price range, and hopefully not making me go broke.


    Yet I didn''t have the option to optimize how I wanted the gift to be created as the blue wave was now practically on top of me.


    This meant I had exactly one chance to get it right. If the gift I made was too weak all my effort would be for naught and I would end up dead. However, if the price was even a single CP higher than I had stored the gift wouldn''t be created and I''d face the same fate.


    Therefore I had to get it perfect and pray for the best as even if the gift were to bankrupt me I would at least still be alive to recuperate my losses.


    But even in that situation, my greed was too much as instead ofing up with a feasible gift I left it to chance.


    ''Create a defensive gift that will allow me to stop the aura attack and make it now, no matter the price!''


    A split secondter I felt a vibration on my wrist ¡ª that or I was shaking so badly due to the iing attack.


    The next thing I knew the attack arrived in front of me.


    Staring at imminent death right before my face, I wasn''t afraid. I knew death all too well and when the time came I would embrace it. Yet that time wasn''t now.


    Having the gift finalized something clicked in my mind; I knew how to survive.


    Whispering in an almost inaudible voice I called forth the aspect of my new power.


    "Break."


    Then as if I had been blind my whole life my eyes opened and I understood.


    The wave of aura that was a hair''s length away from evaporating me shattered into millions of pieces. Imitating a cracked mirror the mana that held together the attack broke apart and returned to its normal state. All the power and force behind it vanished leaving nothing but a gush of wind to blow past me.


    Unable to take even a second to realize my aplishment, my thoughts turned chaotic.


    The world around me transformed from color into ck and white. Where empty space all around me was white and minuscule ck specs filled it.


    These tiny dots swayed peacefully within this new world where there was a perfect sense of harmony.<novelnext></novelnext>


    It was so simple and beautiful that it was hypnotizing.


    Then suddenly within this perfect moment, a ssh of color fell from the sky.


    It sped up until crashing into the ground and spreading out to fill in the space.


    Wanting to investigate, I made my way over to the puddle of the rainbow. As the color sat on the floor taking away from the white I realized that the ck spots refused to go anywhere near the color as if it was cancer.


    Then all at once thousands of droplets of color came crashing down from the sky. They wiped away the white and filled the nk world which caused the ck spots to flee in search of safety.


    While the storm of color continued it quickly began forming abstract forms and shapes until before I knew it I had returned back to reality.


    The color that was making something turned out to be the very scene I was looking at through my eyes.


    In front of me was Willow who had a shocked look on her face, to my left were my teammates who were frozen staring right at me a few feet from Willow, and to my right were a bunch of teachers who were looking right at me wide-eyed.


    Then I looked down at myself; I looked at my hands as I slowly moved them about, my clothes as they stuck to my sweaty body, and my sword whichy on the ground shattered.


    Unable to make any sense of what just happened I whispered:


    "What, was that?"


    Then as if everyone else had the same question ¡ª although for a different reason ¡ª Willow shouted:


    "What the fuck! How did you stop my attack?"


    Pushing the questions I had to the back of my mind I looked up at Willow and answered.


    "I didn''t."


    She looked even more confused.


    "Then how di-"


    "You must not have mastered your attack yet because it failed at thest second. It wasn''t that I stopped it, just that you couldn''tplete it."


    "There''s no way, I had full control-"


    "Don''t be too disappointed in yourself, using aura in your first year at your age is quite the aplishment. But being about to attack with it is a whole other deal, don''t worry you will get better."


    "But-"


    Thankfully it seemed that my reasoning was solid because Miss Smith cut Willow off.


    "Lucas is right Willow, being able to use aura at your level is already a grand achievement but using it to attack¡­ that''s just unprecedented, especially while being a first year."


    "That doesn''t make any sense! I had full control until thest second and then it just stopped! It''s impossible! He did something!"


    Willow was getting angrier and angrier by the second as she pointed her finger at me usingly.


    But Miss Smith still didn''t believe her.


    "Look Miss Willow I know you want to save face after your attack failed and since he¡­ used some derogatorynguage but this needs to end here. What''s impossible is for someone of Lucas''s standard to not only stop an aura-infused attack but also render itpletely void."


    After Miss Smith''s degrading understanding of my capabilities Willow begrudgingly epted the result.


    Miss Smith concluded our battle by counting it as our team''s win due to Willow''s failed attack and we still had all three members active.


    In the end, I managed to remain under the radar due to my masterful skills in gaslighting.

 Chapter 34 14. Crossroad

    ?With the battle concluded Willow''s two other teammates ¡ª who were unconscious ¡ª got medical assistance while mine ran up to me giving praise.


    "Dude, how did you survive Willow''s attacks?"


    "Yeah and how terrifying was thatst attack of hers? I almost pissed myself and I wasn''t even the one who the attack was directed at!"


    "Just how lucky are you? I thought for sure that it was the end for you!"


    As they bombarded me with questions I quickly tried to answer them.


    "My luck is just really good, some of the times Willow was off bnce and I narrowly managed to survive. Other times I just ran and zigzagged in random directions praying that nothing would happen."


    While hearing my exnation their high thoughts of me decreased but they were still much more friendly.


    "Dude you are braver than me, thank you for keeping Willow distracted so that we coulde out with the win!"


    "Yeah honestly I thought we were fucked from the get-go but you really saved the day!"


    Hearing their praises I gave a nervous chuckle while rubbing the back of my neck.


    "Thanks, guys but it was nothing too special."


    Yet they didn''t allow me to downy my actions.


    "Nonsense you''re definitely the MVP of this match!"


    "He''s right because of you we didn''t lose our winning streak. How about we buy you a meal as thanks?"


    I was momentarily stunned by their gratitude but I recovered in time to give a response.


    "I''d like that."


    They gave each other a look before they shared a smile.


    "Great, how about we exchange information so that we can n the time and date."


    Giving them everything they need to stay in contact they gave me a pat on the back before leaving to hang out with their other friends.


    Looking down at my phone I looked at their information and I couldn''t help but show a light smile.


    [43 - Quin Ferance]


    [9 - Akira Sasaki]


    I had officially just made my first friends.


    Being that I already had my smartwatch open I switched gears and looked over the new defense gift I bought.


    [Null: Allows the user to dismantle and disintegrate any magic-infused attack.]


    Reading the description I was in awe at the multiple possibilities the gift could bring me.


    The gift was nothing like I had expected but when I read over it a second time I realized how specialized it was to fit the conditions I set.


    What I was expecting was a super strong bubble to appear and block the attack or maybe my skin to turn into a sturdy mineral and not leave a scratch. Perhaps something that would reflect the attack or make it so that I would avoid it. But instead, I got somethingpletely overpowered.


    What I had asked for was to: create a defensive gift that will allow me to stop the aura attack.


    The gift was obviously defensive which met the first condition. Then I asked that it stop the attack, not deflect or absorb. This is why I was able to shatter the attack in a split second andpletely stop it from doing any damage whatsoever. Finally, it fulfilled thest step by limiting the gift to affect only the aura attacks. This rtes because the gift can only work against magic-infused attacks meaning it''s useless against physical ones.


    Once I understood how detailed the gift was I made a mental note to be exact with my wishes or else I might end up with something I don''t want.


    Thankfully everything yed out preferably; I survived the attack, got a powerful new gift, got a defensive gift, made two new friends, didn''t attract any unwanted attention, dissed Willow and got away with it, and won my first-ever trios battle, didn''t bankrupt myself, and finished my part of the deal with Charlotte.


    All and all today had been a highly profitable day and it was only just beginning.


    While returning to the wall next to Charlotte I nced at the amount of SP I had remaining.


    [SP: 7,513]


    Overly satisfied I tried to take my seat but I winced in pain.


    Now that everything was over and I was still in one piece my adrenaline dropped causing me to remember that I was still injured.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Looking down at my wound my side was still bleeding ¡ª although not as bad ¡ª and I was a little lightheaded. However, the worst part was my clothes which werepletely ruined due to the red stains and torn parts.


    Still standing I looked down at Charlotte only to have her meet my gaze. I couldn''t understand the emotion hidden behind her eyes but she seemed upset.


    I let out a sigh at the iing trouble this girl would inevitably cause.


    "Would you like to escort me to the infirmary?"


    She paused for a moment before nodding and rising to her feet.


    "I''ll have to let Miss Smith know first since I haven''t had my battle yet."


    "Okay."


    While Charlotte went off to exin herself I started making my way toward the exit with the expectation that she would soon catch up. Plus I didn''t have all day to wait due to my body bing heavier with each passing second.


    Once I made my way through the ss and out the door I began walking down the hallway only to be caught off guard when I turned the first corner.


    "Willow?"


    Unexpectedly Willow was hiding behind the corner with her head buried in her knees.


    Hearing someone''s voice Willow looked up with tears in her eyes only to realize who it was. Once she saw that it was me she quickly wiped the tears away and sprung to her feet.


    "This is all your fault!"


    "Huh?"


    I was immediately caught off guard by her usation.


    "If it was for you none of this would have happened!"


    ''Fuck, fuck, fuck!''


    "What do you mean?"


    ''Why now?''


    "Don''t pretend like you don''t know, you are the one who-"


    I knew exactly what was happening and it was the worst possible timing because:


    ''Another fucking crossroad.''


    "- messed up my friendship with Charlotte-"


    ''Think, think Lucas, think. She is going to give me two choices, either mend our rtionship or make it worse and both are going to result in an alteration within the novel.''


    "- ruined how Elijah looks at me-"


    ''Which is worse? Right now the best course of action is to keep the novel progressing as it should because I have everything under control and enough SP.''


    "- caused me to lose my winning streak -"


    ''This is just like what happened with the Charlotte arc.''


    "- so it''s all your fault!"


    ''I''m out of time.''


    I originally asked Willow what she meant when she said it was all my fault in order to keep her busy while thinking of a way out of the situation but I couldn''t find one.


    So I was now left with the redeeming myself and befriended Willow arc that would most definitely affect the rest of the book. Or continue to be the asshole who ruins everything which would result in her fixating on me, also affecting the book while causing me to be on the lookout for her antics.


    ''Both are terrible! Why do the girls I''m not interested in keep popping up? I''m not into having a harem or archenemy!''


    "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?"


    Since I had been quiet this whole time Willow finally asked the big question.


    ''Once again I have to decide which path I will go down.''

 Chapter 35 15. Caregiver

    ?As two options wereid before me where I could either reveal some secrets and tell a few lies to increase my favor with one of the main characters or destroy any bridges that might connect us I was stumped.


    It was still too early to have someone as strong and with great potential be an enemy of mine so I didn''t necessarily want to hurt Willow but I sure as hell wasn''t going to get all buddy-buddy with her.


    Therefore I chose a third option.


    I let out a sigh before responding to Willow who was impatiently awaiting my answer.


    "First of all, I''m not the one who ruined your ''friendship'' with Charlotte. You''re the one who fell for the rumors and chased after her boyfriend. Second, you say that I messed up your rtionship with Elijah when I literally haven''t done a thing to get in between your rtionship. Third, what does it matter if you keep your winning streak or not? Plus it was Miss Smith and your own fault for not winning."


    Laying everything out I meticulously and logically answered all her questions. I didn''t try to take the me and fix any of her problems nor did I put everything on her.


    But after hearing my answers it seemed she wasn''t satisfied in the least.


    "So what if I like Elijah, I never did anything while Charlotte and he were together only afterward. Plus she was the one who broke his heart and that''s all your fault for doing something so indecent!"


    Hearing her poor excuse of self-preservation I once again truthfully exined what happened to leave no room for misinterpretation.


    "There''s nothing wrong with liking Elijah but the problem was timing. Only an hour after their breakup you tried to get together with him. Therefore he isn''t going to look at you with affection but rather in a form to use you as a way to get back at Charlotte."


    "No way! He wouldn''t do that!"


    "Didn''t he already? You said your rtionship with him was messed up."


    "¡­"


    "Look I don''t know what happened between you two and I don''t care but if you care for him you should go back to being friends. Comfort him through his breakup, get to know him better, and be his support but don''t forget to be affectionate. At some point, he will realize how important you are to him and then you two should start dating for real."


    "Are you a matchmaker?"


    ''This is literally what I wrote for you to do in the original novel.''


    "As for what happened between Charlotte and I was nothing. But when someone gets abandoned they tend totch on to anything they can get a grip of even if it makes everything worse."


    By this point, Willow seemed to calm down and just wanted to know the truth.


    "Did nothing happen between you two?"


    "Nothing."


    "Then that means¡­"


    "That means you swiped her boyfriend away when she was innocent."


    "Oh, my god¡­"


    "Then before she could even exin herself you manipte Elijah into dumping her."


    "No, that''s not¡­"


    "Finally you end it off by bullying her."


    "¡­"


    Looking at Willow''s defeated expression I knew I aplished my mission. Now I just had to change her direction away from me.


    "But even though you did all those terrible things there''s still a way to fix some of your mistakes while still getting what you want."


    Looking skeptical yet full of hope Willow asked:


    "How?"


    "Send this to everyone."


    Using my smartwatch I attached a video recording and sent it to Willow.


    When she felt a buzz on her wrist she looked down at my message.


    "What''s this?"


    "Proof."


    "Proof of what?"


    "You''ll know when you watch it, just remember to make sure everyone can see it, and as for Elijah, he will just need time."


    Walking past Willow I raised my hand to give a farewell before continuing on my way.


    Once I finally reached the infirmary my condition had decreased dramatically.


    I was shaking uncontrobly, pale as a ghost, and could barely keep my eyes open.


    Pushing open the door I trudged into the room and flopped down on the nearest bed I could find.


    Someone must have heard mymotion as a few secondster a nurse came rushing to my aid.


    "What happened?"


    As she looked over my body her eyes widened in surprise. My clothes were torn all over, scrapes covered my face, and blood stained my chest down to my legs.


    It looked like I had gone through hell.


    "Love, childish love."


    Then I closed my eyes to get some much-needed rest.


    A few hourster I awoke to a bright white room with a bunch of wires being attached to me.<novelnext></novelnext>


    I let out a sigh.


    ''How much time did I lose?''


    "You''re awake."


    Looking toward the voice I saw none other than the golden-haired Charlotte.


    She was sitting in a chair a few feet away from the bed but once she saw that I was conscious she made her way over to me.


    "I am."


    I gave her an acknowledging nod before beginning to tear off all the wires and pulling out all the needles.


    "Are you okay?"


    Her voice quaked a bit when she asked.


    "I''m fine."


    I replied simply as I finished pulling off thest wire and sat up.


    Just as I was about to get out of bed I heard a snuffle and paused.


    ''Don''t tell me.''


    Looking up at the girl she was staring at me with a tear streaming down her face.


    ''More tears.''


    "Wha-"


    Before I could even ask what was wrong she threw herself at me and wrapped her arms around my back.


    Hot tears fell on my shoulder as she buried her head in my neck.


    It took me a second to recover but I raised my hand and started rubbing the top of her head in an attempt to calm her down.


    "Why are you crying?"


    But she didn''t answer me as she only kept weeping harder.


    A solid five minutes passed before she managed to catch her breath.


    After herst year fell I asked again:


    "Why are you crying?"


    This time it seemed that my words got through to her and she froze.


    I wanted to ask another question but before I could she quickly pulled back and red at me with red puffy eyes.


    The feelings she was expressing were quite clear, anger.


    ''Why are you mad?''


    I couldn''t even begin to think of a reason but my thoughts were soon stopped and thrown out the window as Charlotte did somethingpletely unexpected.


    While still showing anger she pushed herself back towards me but this time she connected our lips.


    An explosion of emotion filled my body as her soft lips touched mine yet before I could control myself Charlotte took charge.


    Still connecting our lips she pushed me back down on the bed and climbed up on top of me.


    Cradling the girl all her weight pressed down on me which caused me to wince in pain and break away from the kiss.


    Feeling my body stiffen up Charlotte quickly backed away to sit straight up still on myp.


    "I''m sorry!"


    She voiced out quickly, seemingly full of regret.


    "No it''s fine, it''s just my side."


    Hearing that I didn''t stop because I felt ufortable but rather from pain Charlotte''s smile returned.


    However, after processing what I just said her smile faded away and she began apologizing once again.


    "I''m sorry, I forgot!"


    "It''s okay, you don''t have to apologize."


    "But-"


    She cut herself off.


    "Okay."


    I smiled back at her and she quickly became red in the face.


    Now that some time passed it became awkward.


    Charlotte was the first to break the silence.


    "I like you."

 Chapter 36 16. I Like You

    ?My head went numb.


    ''I like you.''


    Repeating what the girl said over and over in my head my ears began to ring.


    ''I like you.''


    But I could even begin to process what she meant Charlotte went on a rant.


    "I know you said to wait to find out how I truly feel but I know how I felt even back then, I was just too scared to say it out loud."


    ''¡­''


    "I know it''s really soon but I felt us click as soon as we met. At first I thought it was just because of your pretty face and that it was my hormones going crazy. That''s why I tried to throw you under the bus during the trial."


    ''¡­!''


    "But even after I did that you handled the situation perfectly and made the best of it to get me to make a pact with you. Then you said about bing a fake couple and my heart skipped a beat but I had no idea what was happening to me. I mean I had a boyfriend -- though I hated him -- yet I was having feelings for someone like you."


    ''What''s that supposed to mean.''


    "Then I realized how wrong I was, you aren''t this weak and pathetic man that you outwardly express-


    ''Ouch.''


    "- but rather a strong and powerful person that no one in this school canpare to. It''s as if you have us all in the palm of your hand. Once I realized this I didn''t know how to feel but after seeing what you did for me with Willow I now know that you have my best interest at heart-


    ''I don''t.''


    "-which is why I''ll give myself up to you."


    ''Huh?''


    Charlotte then caught her breath before going right back into her monologue.


    "I know I''m fucked up in the head but that''s what happens when you don''t have a mother figure and your father is the number one crime lord who doesn''t show any emotion. I know that if someone shows even the least bit of interest in me I be attached to them. I know that I''m desperate to be with someone strong enough in the hopes that they will protect me. I know what I''m doing makes no sense and that I''m probably going to get hurt but will you please keep me by your side? I swear I won''t drag you down and I will let you do whatever you want just please don''t throw me away like everyone else."


    The raw and pure emotion I felt from her gaze, voice, and bodynguage was too true to be made up so I knew at that moment Charlotte was beingpletely transparent with me.


    I might have been the first-ever person that she has opened herself up to and I felt blessed by this trust.


    Her misconception of me was way off in fact it wasn''t even in the same ballpark yet I epted.


    "Okay, if you surrender yourself to me I''ll protect you from the world."


    Hearing that I agreed more tears fell from the girl''s already swollen eyes.


    "Thank you!"


    Her gratitude was unmeasurable as a beautiful smile filled her face.


    Yet while this wondrous moment urred outwardly within my mind dark sinister thoughts erupted.


    ''Everything went exactly to n.''


    Meanwhile, my wrist buzzed, and the screen of my smartwatch was flooded with notifications yet I ignored them as I had to finish thest part of the scene.


    Raising my hand I wiped away the tears from under Charlotte''s eyes while her bright smile continued to dazzle me.


    "Crazy girl, stop crying so much."


    Sheughed.


    "I can''t help it, I''m too happy."


    I tooughed and she slowly started calming down.


    That''s when she whispered:


    "Thank you."


    I nodded back knowing the hidden meaning behind the message. She was thanking me for putting myself in harm''s way to show her aura.


    If one were to look at my chat history with Charlotte one would see that the message I sent her before the battle against Willow said:


    [Watch this battle closely because I''ll fulfill my part of the requirement.]<novelnext></novelnext>


    A moment passed between us in silence yet this time it was peaceful.


    Finally, I decided it was time to ask some questions.


    "How did your battle go? Don''t tell me you skipped out on it."


    She sighed.


    "I tried, Miss Smith let me go to the infirmary but by the time I made my way over you were already out and someone was taking care of you. I wanted to stay but they said I wouldn''t be of much help so I went back to finish the match as fast as possible. That way I could stay with you the rest of the time it took you to wake up."


    "Then I can take that as you won?"


    "Of course, I wiped the floor with them."


    "That''s my girl."


    She froze then the next thing I knew her lips were back on mine.


    This time though I didn''t have any ns of stopping it.


    If Charlotte was paying any attention she would realize that she was once again putting pressure on my wound but I wasn''t stopping her. The reason was that it had long since healed.


    Everything was nned.


    Except for the one thing I couldn''t control.


    All the while our make-out session was taking ce things, were getting heated. So with Charlotte still on top of me, it didn''t take long for her to realize that something was pressing up against her.


    She broke our lips apart and whispered:


    "Is that-"


    "Yes."


    She turned an even brighter shade of red that I thought was impossible.


    Then her breathing got harder and she made eye contact with me still only a few inches away.


    It looked as if she was ready to go all the way but when she felt it twitch while still being under her she practicallyunched out of the bed like a cat who was just sprayed with water.


    I couldn''t contain myughter and the mood was instantly ruined.


    Charlotte was still as red as ever.


    "Umm I''m d you are feeling better, I''m going to go now, bye!"


    Spitting out her words at a speed rappers would be envious of Charlotte scampered out of the room.


    Long after she left I continued tough but myughter turned from that of joy to maniacal.


    ''You were right about one thing, everyone is in the palms of my hands.''


    Throwing off the nkets I crawled out of bed just to realize that I only had a pair of underwear on.


    Had Charlotte known this she might have turned into a tomato!


    Luckily there was a fresh new uniform folded in the corner which I picked up and threw on.


    Checking my smartwatch I looked at the time to see that I lost a few hours yet there was still some time to make up for the day.


    Satisfied with yet another part of the day going beyond expectations I made preparations for the future.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Let me know how you''d feel about R18 scenes:


    1. No to thempletely.


    2. Skip over details but mention that they happened.


    3. Include some details but nothing too extreme (like this chapter was).


    4. Smut

 Chapter 37 17. Secret

    ?While leaving the infirmary I realized that all of my sses were over for the day leaving my schedulepletely open.


    This left me with two no, three options: turn Griffin inside out, shatter the economy, or be a sword master.


    Either of the decisions I made would have evesting effects and cause irreversible damage.


    As I thought through the choices I could make I realized that there was only one option that would have the most meaningful impact.


    That was to be a sword master.


    The other two could wait for the time being. Although they had to be taken care of soon.


    However, the most pressing matter was my strength. I was far too weak.


    I need to be able to keep up with the others ¡ª especially Elijah ¡ª otherwise I would be leaving everything up to chance and that wasn''t a risk I wanted to take.


    I need to prove myself, keep myself alive, survive, and uphold the deal I made with Charlotte.


    The ns I had for her were something she most undoubtedly regret agreeing to, but nheless, I wouldn''t go back on my word.


    With my mind made up I moved towards a specific room where my future was at stake.


    Passing the training center where some students were working out or using the individual rooms I continued on my way.


    Once I finally arrived at the ce I wanted I opened the metal door to enter a specific teacher''s room.


    "Miss smith."


    Calling out the trio''s teacher''s name I stood patiently in the middle of the room while I waited for her toe out of her office in the corner.


    I didn''t have to wait too long before the young woman made her way over to me. This allowed me to have a good chance to look at her. All the times before I had been preupied but now that it was just the two of us I realized how good she looked.


    Miss Smith had ming red hair that dropped down past her shoulders, amber eyes, a mature face, a bust second only to Willow, and an extremely muscr body.


    Her physique made sense due to all the training she went through as she had to live up to her title. After all, this was Griffin, home to the best of the best.


    "Lucas¡­ what can I do for you?"


    Her tone indicated that she was annoyed but she didn''t seem to be pissed off which was a good thing.


    Taking advantage of her good behavior I decided to get straight to the point and not cut any corners.


    "I have a favor to ask and in return, I''ll provide you with some priceless information, what do you say?"


    She narrowed her eyes.


    "That''s quite direct, what''s this so-called priceless information of yours?"


    I held up my hand.


    "Now, now, Miss Smith, let''s not get too far ahead of ourselves, you didn''t think I''d just give up my leverage without any guarantees?"


    She sighed realizing that I was not stupid enough to give her what she wanted right off the bat.


    "I suppose not, so what''s this favor you need?"


    Now that we were in business I went straight into my request without showing the least bit of fear.


    "I need you to train me."


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "Pfff, you want me-


    She pointed to herself.


    "-to train you?"


    She ended by pointing at me and cracking up.


    Internally I was pretty annoyed but it was a reaction I expected, after all when you don''t reveal your strength people tend to underestimate you.


    Externally though I smiled through herughter as I waited for her to calm herself down.<novelnext></novelnext>


    A few minutester she did.


    "Ah, I''m sorry forughing but really what did you expect?"


    Then she broke out into moreughter.


    Having enough of her charades I interrupted her joyous moment with some dark knowledge.


    "Your sister, I know where she is."


    ''Please don''t kill me.''


    I was right to be fearful because her smile dropped the instant I mentioned her family member.


    Slowly a horrendous aura and mind-shattering killing intent began enveloping my body.


    "What did you just say?"


    Her cold detached words shook my body.


    But even through all this torment I didn''t back down, staring Miss Smith straight in the eyes, I replied:


    "You heard me."


    It was then that the outward aura she was manifesting took the physical shape of a snake and it began slithering up my body until it had me wrapped around it.


    Under this weight I knew at any point Miss Smith could crush me and I would die without having any chance of defending myself.


    Instinctively I knew Null would have no effect which meant I was standing on death''s door.


    As the snake finished coiling up me it finished bying right up to my face and opened itsrge mouth. Two enormous fangs revealed themselves as the mouth opened even wider, threatening to swallow me whole.


    Restricted by the snake I couldn''t move even if I wanted to, thus my fate was left up to whether or not Miss Smith could control herself.


    But I did not care for fate, I only relied on myself.


    Therefore while my head was inside the snake''s mouth and I was only a centimeter away from being decapitated my wrist rang.


    [Your five-minute timer is up.]


    As if being freed from a trance the snake dissipated into thin air and Miss Smith immediately apologized.


    "I''m so sorry."


    Seeing her bowed in front of me at a ny-degree angle I almost wanted to smile, unfortunately my body wasn''t quite ready to listen to me yet.


    However, I did manage to croak out an eptance.


    "No worries."


    Thankfully my voice didn''t crack and my fa?ade was still intact.


    ''Thankfully my n worked and the rm was able to knock some sense into her or I''d be dead.''


    Hearing that I forgave her Miss Smith stood back up vertically and calmed her mind.


    "Again I am sorry for my shameful behavior, this is the second time I''ve lost control of myself. But don''t worry it won''t happen again, I am ready to hear you out."


    ''Perfect.''


    It was a rough start and a rocky ending but I got to the point where I needed to be.


    "I''ll start with my request then I''ll tell you what you want to hear. But first and this should be obvious everything said between us should remain confidential."


    Miss Smith nodded.


    "Go ahead, you have my honor as both a warrior and a Griffin faculty member that nothing you tell me will reach another person''s ears."


    ''Assuranceplete.''


    I didn''t need to use a mana contract with Miss Smith for a multitude of reasons. First, I didn''t ¡ª couldn''t ¡ª buy one due to the extreme prices. Second, they weren''t a guarantee and it would have been disrespectful to ask her to sign one. Third, by swearing upon her warrior code I knew I didn''t have to worry about anything.


    It wasn''t like with mana contracts where she would die if she broke it but rather it was based on her pride and what she stood for. Even the worst scum of the earth wouldn''t break the warrior code.

 Chapter 38 18. Laps

    ?Having the full extent of Miss Smith''s attention I began my proposition.


    "As I''ve already said, I need an instructor. Although it''s nothing like what you are thinking. You see I happened toe across a¡­ technique. This technique will allow me to reach highs I''ve never thought possible. However, the only problem is that this technique doesn''t improve my senses or engrave reaction times into my body. The only thing I know how to do is swing the sword but even that I am poor at."


    While I tried my best to make it seem like I happened upon a miracle to disguise that I am a master swordsman I just had to pray that Miss Smith would be too preupied with the knowledge of the whereabouts of her sister than the logistics of my reasoning.


    "So what you are getting at is, that you have the power but no way to wield it?"


    "Exactly!"


    "I see, in that case, I wouldn''t have to help you develop a fighting style but rather make sure you aren''t doing something incorrectly and you will handle the rest on your own."


    "That''s precisely what I am asking for. You don''t have to reveal any of your secrets to me ore up with some forbidden mysterious technique to quickly improve my prowess. I only ask that your services be that of a guide."


    Miss Smith went over all that said in her head one more time before deciding that it was a more than favorable deal.


    In all honesty, she was expecting me to hold the deal above her head and take as much as possible but the deal was actually more in her favor.


    In fact, the more that she thought about it the weirder it seemed. Any otherbat teacher in Griffin would be fine with serving as a guide but for some reason, I came to her and I was even offering a reward.


    But before Miss Smith could get lost in her thoughts and hypotheses I interrupted her.


    "Do we have a deal? The sooner you ept it, the sooner I can tell you what you want to hear."


    Thankfully my word brought her out of her stupor and she quickly agreed.


    "Alright, we have a deal!"


    She stretched out her arm offering a handshake and I dly epted it.


    Once she retracted her hand she instantly got back down to business.


    "Now tell me, where is she?"


    "Right, well you see it''s a little hard to exin."


    "You better not be thinking of a way to get out of this deal and you better pray that you weren''t lying to me!"


    Before Miss Smith went on another tan page with her aura I quickly began exining myself.


    "No, no, I''ll uphold my end of the deal. It''s just that I think it would be easiest to show you where she is rather than tell you."


    This caught her attraction andpletely stopped any chance of me dying.


    "You know where she''s at right now? Is she nearby? Have you made contact with her?"


    "Whoa, slow down!"


    She took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart.


    "Okay, I''m ready."


    "To answer your first question, yes, I know where she is exactly but again I''ll have to take you there. As for the second, she is only a couple of hours away. Though I haven''t been able to make contact with her."


    Miss Smith was nodding along with every answer of mine until thest one.


    "Then how do I know that you are actually talking about my sister? You could be making this whole thing up."


    "Right, I thought you would ask that. As for proof, would the name Nihil Witch ring any bells?"


    "¡­ so you do know her."


    I grew a huge smile at the fact that she didn''t cause a ruckus likest time.


    "Of course, I wouldn''t lie about something like this."


    "¡­ I understand. When can I meet her?"


    "Hmm, two days from now works for me, how about you?"


    "That soon?!"


    "Well I hate wasting time, plus I have some other¡­ responsibilities to take care of while we are out."


    "I hope they won''t get in the way of me meeting my sister."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "You don''t have to worry, nothing will stop you from meeting her."


    She looked directly into my eyes for a few moments seemingly trying to get any information out of me but once she realized it was pointless she sighed and epted.


    "So be it, then in two days I''ll be ready."


    "Perfect!"


    Being that it was the end of our conversation Miss Smith turned to go back to her office but I soon voiced out aint.


    "Where do you think you are going?"


    She stopped dead in her tracks and slowly turned back to face me.


    ''Fuck, I forgot for a second that she was my elder.''


    I quickly backtracked.


    "Uh, what I meant to say was that there is still some time left in the day, so would you be willing to start training me?"


    She remained silent and I started believing that I had just royally screwed myself.


    However, rather than being angry a devilish smile soon broke out on her face.


    "You''re right, there is some time left in the day. What better time is there to train than during the night? Let''s get right into it."


    I was right I truly fucked myself over.


    "First things first, you''re weak, way too weak. When I was watching your previous fight against Willow each sh of yours even if it was to your advantage still resulted in your loss. Simply put, ady has more muscles than you."


    As I was being roasted into oblivion I, unfortunately, couldn''t help but agree with Miss Smith''s assumption.


    Not only were my stats way lower whenpared to my peers but I looked the part too.


    However, this didn''t make much sense to me because being that I was originally going to be a cksmith I should have had some well-defined muscles.


    Unfortunately, I didn''t have the time or ability to think about those kinds of thoughts because Miss Smith immediately went into drill sergeant mode.


    "Do 50 push-ups then run from the end of the room to the other and repeat."


    ''Yeah, I''m dead.''


    Dragging myself to one end I immediately started my hellish training with the first of many push-ups.


    Two hourster after Ipleted ten sets Miss Smith finally spoke some words but once I heard them I wished I could go deaf.


    "Now add 50 sit-ups."


    ''She''s going to kill me.''


    Two sets of this training were more exercise than I had done in my entire past life!


    Another hourter after incorporating the sit-ups Miss Smith finally allowed me to take a break.


    Hearing those sweet words I copsed to the ground in pain. My surroundings were spinning, my ears were ringing, and I couldn''t catch my breath for the life of me.


    I knew I had to do something at that moment otherwise I would end up unconscious.


    Knowing that my breath was the most important thing to get under control I instantly thought of Mana Breath. If I could get the breathing exercise started then my body would in turn calm down.


    Desperate I tried and tried over again in the hopes of getting a single breath right and after a while, I finally managed.


    Then once I took in my first whiff of mana my exhaustion began to dissipate.


    This greatly surprised me because I had been solely using the skill to increase my mana but who knew it could also be used to re energize myself?


    Five minutester and with an additional 0.05 mana I felt good as new.


    Slowly I pushed myself up from the ground and looked over at Miss Smith only to see her dumbfounded.


    ''Don''t tell me she could see that I was using a skill.''


    "What the hell was that?"

 Chapter 39 19. Trick

    ?As Miss Smith was staring daggers at me I rushed to think of any possible excuse but nothing came to mind.


    There was no way I''d be able to y it off. After all, I went from barely being able to stand to being full of energy.


    At first, I only used it because if I didn''t I would lose precious time. But now that I''m thinking back on it, doing so was a major blunder.


    This was a huge shoring that happened because, for a split second, I was too tired and weak. Mentally abusing myself I made a note to be more careful when performing actions I should be capable of.


    While still awaiting an answer I gave up hope and exined some of the power behind Mana Breath.


    "It''s a skill of mine."


    "That''s impossible! For someone of your age and experience, you''d have had to have been training every day since the moment of your birth, and even then it''s still unbelievable."


    I just gave her a simple smile because for once I had no way of exining myself.


    "Well, then you can say you just witnessed the impossible."


    Miss Smith continued to stare at me dumbfounded. It probably didn''t help that I wasn''t giving much of a reaction and downying the significance of such a thing.


    However I didn''t have a choice, there was no backpedaling, and I was already caught.


    "I refuse to believe such a thing! For years since I was a toddler I''ve been training to develop a skill so there''s no way youpleted one before me!"


    ''Ah, I see now, it''s jealousy.''


    Seeing Miss Smith''s childish reaction a new thought popped into my mind.


    Basing her personality on what I''ve seen and witnessed so far in addition to what I wrote about her a whole new path opened.


    ''What if I don''t hide anything?''


    An ordinarily horrible idea began to sprout in my head but this wasn''t an ordinary circumstance.


    ''Of course, I need to have some reassurances set in ce but for now, the information I have on her sister should serve as enough for the time being.''


    My thoughts were buzzing as multiple scenarios and resolutions yed out.


    In the end no matter how much I thought about it and analyzed the possible oues I was left with two basic choices.


    ''Tell her or don''t.''


    One would forever change my life either for the good or worse while the other would leave me where I am.


    It was a gamble.


    But I liked my odds.


    And most of all, it would be fun.


    Havinge to a solution I startedying everything out ¡ª of course except how I got my powers.


    Acting as if I dropped a fa?ade I dropped my head and shook it as if I was disappointed with something.


    "I can''t believe it took you this long to figure it out, and even now I have to exin myself, really you''ve disappointed me."


    Hearing my out-of-character tone Miss Smith''s thoughts changed from those of disbelief to annoyance.


    "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    "Think! After everything I''ve shown you, do I have to spell it out?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Listen here, kid-"


    "Enough of this it''s obvious you''re not going to get it."


    "If you don''t-"


    "Firstly this is the second time I''ve used the skill around you. I attempted to get your focus when I used it in ss but you didn''t seem to take note of it. I even went out of my way to make it so that it was only you, Charlotte, and I in the room but that also failed. Therefore I had to resort to desperate measures and use it right now!"


    Without leaving any time for her to retort I continued:


    "Secondly there''s no way you actually believe in your heart of hearts that Willow''s aura attack failed! Your sensitivity to mana is much higher than mine so it should havee as a shock to you that a perfectly functional attack failed at thest second before hitting its target."


    Putting the nail in the coffin I finished out my monologue with:


    "Thirdly Ie to you with information that no one else knows about. Then mention a secret technique of mine and you still don''t connect the dots together?!"


    I sighed.


    "I thought you were better than this but it seems I thought wrong."


    Having finished with all that I needed to say I turned and slowly started walking away towards the door to leave.


    ''Please work.''


    I kept walking.


    ''Please, please, work.''


    I was getting super close to the door.


    ''Come on, work, work, work!''


    I was now touching the door.


    ''Shit, shit, shit!''


    Slowly I was putting my weight on the steel door to open it while going at a snail''s pace.


    ''Damn it, fucking shit, stupid ass gamble I''m never-''


    "Wait!"


    Hearing those oh-so-sweet wordse from behind me I dropped my hand lightning-quick and paused. However, I made sure not to turn around so that way I wouldn''t reveal my expression.


    "I''m sorry it took me so long to realize who you are, please forgive me!"


    Those honey-covered golden words felt like a melody to my ears.


    ''I did it! I really did it! At this rate, I should unlock an S-rank misinterpretation skill!''


    Knowing that I had seeded I calmed my raging heart and dropped my smile to return to my indifferent alias. As soon as I was sure Miss Smith wouldn''t pick up on anything I turned back around to face her.


    However,pletely unexpectedly she was down on one knee bowing.


    ''Oh fuck.''


    "My lord, please forgive this ipetent servant."


    ''What did I just get myself sucked into?''

 Chapter 40 20. Lord

    ?Stupefied I tried to make sense of what was happening.


    Currently, Miss Smith, a teacher at Griffin, an extremely strong warrior, and seemingly straightforward character was kneeling before me, calling me lord.


    This was not what I had nned in the slightest.


    My end goal was simply for Miss Smith to think that I was stronger than I really was.


    Then after revealing some of my secrets it would be easier to make use of her. I wouldn''t have to hide everything and by having everything out on the table she would be able to tell me ways to improve them.


    Plus what I was truly after wasn''t exercising because I could do that in my own time but rather swordsmanship.


    However, it seems that my n backfired because instead of having Miss Smith on my side she was offering her servitude.


    This normally wouldn''t be that big of a deal. In fact, it could be seen as a huge sess as rather than getting a backer I got a free helper.


    The only problem with this scenario was that I wasn''t this so-called ''lord.''


    That meant some other student or maybe even teacher was the true ''lord'' and I just stole their position.


    Then bringing in the fact that this mysterious ''lord'' managed to get someone as powerful as Miss Smith to serve them revealed just how powerful they were.


    But that wasn''t even the worst part of it! What truly terrified me was that I had absolutely no idea who this ''lord'' was nor that they existed in the first ce.


    I never wrote anything about a hidden ''lord'' who had unfounded power to put teachers under him or her.


    ''Fuck! Why must everything be soplicated?''


    Changing my mindset into that of some all-powerful lord I cleared my throat and tried to get as much information as possible.


    "It''s alright, I''ll forgive you this one time, but-"


    Before I could evene up with an imaginary threat Miss Smith mmed her head into the ground and praised me ¡ª or rather the lord.


    "Oh merciful lord I thank you for sparing this pathetic ant''s life."


    ''Oh no, this isn''t good.''


    Still needing to make sense of this mess I tried to get Miss Smith to answer some questions.


    "Yes, of course, you are lucky that this merciful lord is in a good mood today! But by ignoring me for so long Imand you to praise my glory! Specifically, all the great things I''ve done and the type of person I am."


    Miss Smith thinking that nothing was wrong went right into givingpliments and exining everything about the lord.


    "Forgive my impudence for not recognizing-"


    Getting annoyed by her over-apologetic tendencies I cut her off feigning to be angry.


    "Enough of that! Answer me!"


    "Yes, my lord! Your graciousness is the leader of The Untouchables!"


    "The Untouchables?"


    "Indeed! A group that does not exist within this ne of existence that consists of beings that cannot be killed and solely serve you to maintain bnce!"


    ''Immortals?''


    "And what is this bnce that we must protect?"


    Miss Smith, who believed that she was being questioned about her loyalty, began to sweat and exin herself meticulously.


    "That''s of course mana!"


    "Yes, yes, mana, but what exactly must we keep it bnced with?"


    "Aether!"


    ''Aether?''<novelnext></novelnext>


    My wrist buzzed but I ignored it.


    "What is Aether?"


    At this point, something felt off for Miss Smith. Up until this point she thought she was being blessed with the privilege of meeting a lord but if he didn''t even know what Aether was then that meant the person in front of her wasn''t who he imed to be.


    Picking up on Miss Smith''s feeling by the fact that she stopped kneeling and stood up I realized my blunder. But before I could try to salvage that conversation Miss Smith took the lead.


    "Forgive me for this but since you''re my lord I''m sure that you can give a better exnation as to what Aether is."


    ''Shit.''


    That was an incredibly smart reply from her because she is testing whether or not I know what Aether is while still downying herself in the instant she is wrong.


    "Ha, you are right I do know better! But I think this is as far as you need to go with your praise. Why don''t we get back to what we were doing?"


    Trying to change the conversation I ended with my questions for the time being but it seemed that Miss Smith wasn''t willing to let it go so easily.


    "Okay I understand, but first my lord I didn''t catch your name."


    "It''s Lucas¡­"


    "No, not your alias, your true name."


    ''True name? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?''


    "Ah well, you see¡­"


    Knowing that I had gotten myself into quite a sticky situation where my life was on the line I tried to think of a way to escape.


    I couldn''t back down because Miss Smith had just revealed that she was part of a secret force and it wouldn''t be long before she realized I wasn''t part of it, and when that happened I would be dead.


    I was also out of lies as myck of knowledge made any future attempts at fitting in seem suspicious.


    Therefore I took advantage of everything I knew so far and started filling in some holes to create the perfect backstory.


    Yet while I was desperately racking my brain Miss Smith continued to add more to my te while throwing shade.


    "Oh and now that I''m thinking about it, why should we keep training? After all, you are so much stronger than me, what could I possibly teach you?"


    ''Oh no, she''s not even calling me lord anymore!''


    I continued to remain silent as I tried to wrap everything that I had together to make it make sense.


    Finally, a few secondster I came up with something good enough.


    I sighed as if giving up but also brought Miss Smith''s attention to focus on me.


    "You figured it out."


    Miss Smith had a bright smile on her face and she reached toward her side to pull out her sword.


    Yet just before she touched the hilt of her sword I began exining myself.


    "Congrattions you passed!"


    She paused.


    "Huh?"


    "You managed to deduce that I wasn''t actually the lord you were referring to!"


    She left her hand hovering just above the top of her sword still skeptical.


    "Then who are you?"

 Chapter 41 21. Lies

    ?Now it was all or nothing, I had to leave no holes and connect everything with some perfectly logical context in order to survive.


    "I''m someone just like you. I''m only a servant to the lord. However, I was sent to test you, and you passed!"


    "There''s no way you expect me to believe that, right?"


    I sighed again.


    "No, I guess not, then allow me to start from the beginning."


    She nodded.


    "As I already said, simr to you I am just a servant. But you already knew that right?"


    She remained silent.


    "I mean it was obvious because you saw me bleed when fighting against Willow which means that I''m not one of the immortals, also meaning I''m not the lord."


    Now she responds.


    "Yeah, of course, I knew that, but still who are you?"


    ''She''s falling for it!''


    But it was still just the start and there was no way she trusted me fully but thankfully I still had more excuses.


    Using my knowledge from being the author I also knew for a fact that Miss Smith couldn''t be a direct member of The Untouchables.


    This was for a multitude of reasons. First I never wrote about her being immortal from some faraway ce.


    Although it''s now quite apparent to me that some things are out of my understanding, one thing that remains factual is the background of a character which cannot be altered.


    Secondly, even if she was part of this group in another novel I wrote, that she was harmed which means that even in the future she isn''t immortal.


    Finally, "Let me continue, you said it yourself that you were only a servant to the lord meaning you aren''t immortal and just like me a regr human being."


    This finally cleared up one of the problems where she believed me to be the lord. Now it was clear that I was in the same position as her, merely a ve.


    "Okay, I can believe that we are in the same position but you have yet to exin who you truly are."


    ''Yes! Part one was a sess! Now it alles down to this.''


    "Right, well you see I am like you but it''s just that I am in a slightly higher position where I have directmunication with the lord."


    She narrowed her eyes while I continued.


    "He didn''t reveal anything about himself which is why I don''t know his true name but he sent me here to get in contact with you specifically."


    Miss Smith still wasn''t buying it but she also wasn''tpletely unreasonable. What I was saying made sense because she didn''t know the name of the lord. Which is why she continued to try to figure out the truth of the matter.


    But this also meant I could have picked any random name and been saved from going through this hardship.


    "Why would he do that?"


    ''Now for the final blow.''


    "You see he saw how much potential I had and he decided to send me to grow under your guidance."


    "He did?"


    ''Now just to wrap everything up and I''ll be home free.''


    "Yes, he recognized your talents and decided that I would be a good fit under you."


    She started to blush.


    "Really?"


    But then she caught herself and asked another question.


    "Although I''m not disagreeing that I would be a great teacher if you had so much potential, why wouldn''t he just teach you himself?"


    ''No problem I can work with this.''


    "That''s because the lord is an extremely busy man. I shouldn''t be saying this but he and the others have something big in the works."


    ''Using context clues I was able to deduce that there were other lords so I made sure to incorporate that into my story while also sprinkling in some lies.''


    "What is it that they are nning?"


    "That- that not even I was privileged to."


    She thought for a second.


    "Makes sense."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Now at this point, I knew I could probably get away free but I hadn''t finished my original goal so I kept pushing my luck even though it was a huge gamble.


    "Now although the lord saw great potential in me before I could be of any use he needs me to get stronger, and this is where youe in."


    "To guide and train you?"


    "Correct! He gave me a mission to be as strong as possible in the shortest amount of time so that I could be of help to him. Specifically what he wished is that I will be able to defeat you."


    At this point, I needed to make it so that Miss Smith wouldn''t go around asking questions or try to get involved more than she needed to. With this in mind, I tried to up y myself.


    "Defeat me? Then does that mean¡­"


    "Yes, unfortunately, his ns are so grand that you won''t be able to support him at your current strength. However, fret not because she has ced you as the greatest guide to support me."


    Hearing my bittersweet words Miss Smith seemed wounded by the fact she wouldn''t be of any help essentially making her useless all because she was too weak.


    But before she could hate herself too much I made sure to add in some benefits.


    "Yet our lord is extremely generous! By agreeing to teach me all that you know he will reward you for your efforts!"


    Her eyes sparkled.


    "Reward me?"


    "Of course! After all, how do you think I came about getting the information as to where your sister is?"


    This caused her mouth to drop open in shock and everything started making sense in her mind.


    It was at this moment that she bought up everything I said and truly believed me to be who I imed to be.


    This was also perfect for me because it allowed me to be more open with her and leave out any possible impossibilities to be gifts from the lord.


    Meanwhile, I would still be able to milk Miss Smith dry of everything she knows including some of the secret moves I wouldn''t have been able to get previously.


    Having everything sorted and connected perfectly in a web of lies my gamble paid off more than I could have ever hoped it could.


    It was now Miss Smith who took the lead by believing everything I said to be true as she wanted to get right to work.


    "Then we should get back to training. We need you to get strong for both of our sakes!"


    Completely agreeing with her I was about to get right back into it when I recalled the whole reason I got into this mess.


    "Miss Smith, I forgot to exin my skill to you!"


    Remembering our early conversation Miss Smith was shocked and asked about it for a second time.


    "Yes, can you tell me all about that now?"


    This was also something I had to do because I needed to keep up with the act that I had great potential.


    If I came up with this great lie and then progressed at a snail''s pace Miss Smith would get suspicious again. Therefore showing her my skill will prove that I''m above others simr in age.


    But even then I didn''t have to worry too much since I already consumed multiple Talent Breakers making my potential otherworldly.


    "Yeah, it''s a skill that allows me to slowly recuperate mana within my body which in turn is restorative."


    I lied about the facts of the skill dumbing it down to something that only allows me to slowly return expended mana rather than its true role which is to quickly add more mana overall.


    However, the part about it helping out my tired body was true even if it recently found it out.


    "Ah, I see."


    But there was a reason I brought this topic back up.


    "But you see because of this it makes things like building muscle much easier. Which is why I was hoping we could get right into sword arts. That way I can get stronger on my own time by making use of the gym."


    Miss Smith paused to think and the more she did the more reasonable it sounded. After all, the mission was to make me as strong as possible in the shortest amount of time.


    Thus, if I were to train on my own with simple things like working out she could focus all her time on teaching me the ways of the sword.


    Miss Smith waspletely on board with the idea which was perfect for me. The reason was that I needed a way to get out of doing thoseps and be a sword master in a short period of time.


    Yet although she had made up her mind on the subject she never revealed it to me and instead asked a strange question.


    "Are you sure you will be able to train in the gym?"


    Confused as to where she was going with this I answered:


    "Yeah, why?"


    She smiled.


    "I figured you''d be too busy having your way with some girl."

 Chapter 42 22. Aether

    ?"¡­"


    I was too shocked to respond with any reasoning. Was she making a joke, being serious, or hinting at something more?


    But a secondter right before it got to the point it would have be awkward she broke out intoughter.


    "Oh my, you should see your face right now!"


    Now knowing that it was a joke I fakedughing to fit in.


    "Ha, you sure got me."


    But I don''t think she even heard my response as she keptughing to the point it started getting hard for her to breathe.


    ''Is it really that funny?''


    After having to catch herself and take some deep breaths I thought it was finally over but Miss Smith took one look at me and broke out intoughter once again.


    By this point, I was getting fed up. It felt more like she wasughing at me rather than with me.


    While I patiently yet annoyed waited for Miss Smith to conduct herself I couldn''t do anything more than stand there.


    Finally, after what felt like a whole minute ofughter Miss Smith calmed down.


    In an attempt to put this light-hearted situation behind us, I asked to get back into training.


    "Why don''t we-"


    But before I could finish Miss Smith, who was done gathering herself, looked me dead in the eyes deadpan.


    ''Uh¡­''


    "Don''t hurt her."


    As soon as she spoke I understood what she was getting at.


    Staring right back at Miss Smith I didn''t falter as I answered to reassure her.


    "I wouldn''t dare."


    Hearing my confident answer and seeing that I wasn''t breaking under the pressure she finally broke away and sighed.


    "Look, I don''t know how much she told you but she hasn''t exactly had it easy in life."


    Knowing that now wasn''t the time to talk I gave Miss Smith my full attention and listened to what she had to say.


    Seeing my mature response she couldn''t help but show a smile before getting right into it.


    "Her life growing up wasn''t all sunshine and rainbows. Her family¡­ Well, let''s just say they do things a little differently. Anyways, that resulted in some dark trauma she is still dealing with. So just be sure to be patient, listen to her, and most importantly don''t make things worse."


    Speaking up I reaffirmed my position.


    "Miss Smith you don''t have to worry, I won''t let anyone else hurt her."


    She nodded, epting my response.


    ''Well, we both revealed a weakness. Miss Smith cares for Charlotte more than I originally thought and I shared that there was someone I would protect no matter the cost.''


    Once our conversation came to a close the mood in the room once again changed. One might think we were bipr with how many emotional topics were brought up but now that everything was said it was time to get back to work.


    Miss Smith who now knew to give it her all to train me into my best possible shape began preparations.


    While she wandered off most likely to grab a sword for me I decided to make use of the few free minutes I had.


    Pulling up my wrist to look at my smartwatch there was one specific notification I wanted to check out.


    Looking through all the notifications I had been ignoring I scrolled past them in search of thetest one.


    Finally, after going through the long list I arrived at it and began reading.


    [An insurmountable achievement! The user has discovered the existence of Aether! An unprecedented change has taken effect.]


    [+ 1 Aether]


    Reading the message I couldn''t help but be excited. The moment I felt my watch buzz after Miss Smith mentioned Aether I began having high hopes and it turns out I was right in my prediction, I now unlocked Aether!<novelnext></novelnext>


    Wanting to take a closer look at it I pulled up my stats.


    [Vitality: 3.8]


    [Strength: 3.9]


    [Speed: 3.3]


    [Resistance: 2.9]


    [Magic: 5.8]


    [Aether: 2]


    [Rank: 993]


    [Credits: 250,000]


    [Abilities: 3rd Person POV]


    [Gifts: Weapon Comprehension (Intermediate-10), Null]


    [Skills: Mana Breath]


    My smile grew at the noticeable improvement in some of my stats but as I scanned over them two things popped out to me.


    First of all, for some reason, I had two points in Aether when I should only have had one.


    The second was that there wasn''t any way to level up Null.


    I had actually made note of the irregrity the first time I unlocked the gift but I didn''t have time back then to look at it so I pushed it to the back of my mind.


    In fact, I first thought it might have been a consequence of having the gift pick itself but now that things weren''t adding up I knew there had to be a bigger story.


    Therefore I tapped on Null to read its description and see if anything changed and what I saw shocked me to my core.


    [Null: Allows the user to dismantle and disintegrate any Mana-based attack by countering it with Aether.]


    The gift I randomly had created in the heat of the moment turned out to be a gift that required Aether to use in the first ce.


    Now that I understood that it made sense that I had two points in Aether since I needed some to be able to use the skill.


    But then the next question was how did I unlock and use it without even knowing of its existence as I do now.


    However, that''s when I recalled the strange vision I had, and things started to make sense again.


    Although I still have no idea what the vision meant, one thing that I was sure of was that it had to do with Aether.


    Realizing that everything was revolving around this mysterious energy I tapped on Aether and waited for a description to appear in the hopes that some of my questions would be answered.


    [Aether: A taboo unnatural force that exists beyond the region of the universe. It is made up of nothing and creates nothing as its sole purpose is to destroy.]


    Reading what was shown a shiver ran down my body as I realized I was far too in over my head.


    Something that is taboo is something that shouldn''t exist in the first ce. Yet this power that should have been unattainable somehow ended up in my hands.


    Not to mention that ording to what is written it''s a force that isn''t from this universe!


    This opened up multiple questions such as whether there are other universes and who or what are within them.


    This was way too much for me to be thinking about for the time being and I didn''t want to have a debate with myself on the existence of extraterrestrial life.


    One thing I did however understand was that Aether is the counter to Mana.


    This was a whole other topic I would have to research but at least I now knew how Null worked.


    I didn''t know how to feel about the gift but being that it used a force that''s purpose was to destroy couldn''t be a good thing.


    Having all these questions stuck in my head with no answers I pushed on by wanting to learn more. Therefore I tapped on the description of Mana to see if it was at all like I believed it to be.


    [Mana: An intentional natural force that permeates the universe. Anyone and anything can have Mana and it''s the life force all things are created from.]


    Seeing the simrities and differences between the two up close I knew that the alreadyplicated world I was sent to just got that much worse.

 Chapter 43 23. Sword

    ?Before I was able to learn anything more about the new aspects that appeared before me I was interrupted by the steps of Miss Smith.


    Knowing that my time was up I closed my status panel and lowered my arm waiting in anticipation for the training I would soon be receiving.


    Once Miss Smith finally made it over to me she handed me a sword.


    I grabbed hold of the sword haphazardly not paying any attention to it as my focus was still split on Aether and needing to get stronger.


    But then I heard Miss Smith scoff and I focused my full attention on her.


    When she saw my confused face she simply pointed at the sword which was still in my hand.


    Following her line of sight, I looked down at the de and when I realized how magnificent it was my mouth dropped open in shock.


    "What is this?"


    Now that I actually showed some interest in the sword Miss Smith began exining herself.


    "Well if I''m going to have a disciple they might as well have a good sword."


    I couldn''t help but agree more with Miss Smith. She waspletely right, I needed a sword, and a good one at that.


    As I inspected the de a few things stood out to me.


    First, it was a pure ck de as dark as the night sky.


    It was apparent that the sword was crafted from a mysterious ck metal that seemed to absorb all light that touched it.


    In addition, the hilt was intricately carved, with two sharp points extending out from either side, giving it a wicked appearance.


    However, the most surprising part was that there was a round ball at the bottom of the sword.


    Where the pommel was located on the sword was a sphere that remained firm as it was held in ce by the grip which came out under the ball.


    The design was unlike anything I had ever seen before.


    Never once did I mention in the novel that Miss Smith was in possession of such an exquisite weapon.


    This whole time I was obsessing over the sword Miss Smith remained silent to allow me to look it over.


    Now that I finished I had many questions to ask.


    "Where did you get something like this?"


    Miss Smith didn''t show any reaction when I asked but she quickly changed the subject.


    "Is it really all that important where I got it? What matters now is that it''s in your hands."


    "That''s true."


    Although I wanted to know more and I was intrigued as to the history behind the de I wasn''t going to bite the hand that fed me. Therefore I dropped the topic and began asking questions about the de specifically.


    "Can you tell me a bit about it? Like why it''s all ck and what this ball is at the end?"


    Miss Smith who was more than happy to share the power behind the sword began to exin some of its abilities.


    "Of course I can, you see this sword was crafted to be a weapon of great beauty and deadly efficiency. In terms of its abilities, this sword could be capable of slicing through nearly any material with ease, the reason being that it''s imbued with enchantments."


    ''Enchantments? If what she is saying is true then that means this sword is no less than C rank!''


    Now that things are starting to get interesting and the fact that the sword might be even greater than I first thought I need to know more about it.


    "Is it true that it''s enchanted?"


    "I wouldn''t lie about something like this."


    To prove her point Miss Smith took the sword back from me and ran two of her fingers up the de.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The moment she released some mana when doing so the de lit up and all kinds of encrypted ruins appeared.


    Stunned by what I saw, Miss Smith exined what each rune did. In total there were six ruins however only four of them glowed when Miss Smith was using them.


    "Before I share what each one does I should first mention that you most likely wouldn''t be able to use even one."


    Hearing these words I thought there might be some conditions needed such as being worthy or something cringe.


    "Why''s that?"


    "Well, you need to be at least E rank to use the first one."


    "Oh."


    ''I was wrong, it''s just that I''m too weak.''


    "But there is no need to be sad because with me as your teacher you will E rank in no time."


    Appreciating Miss Smith''s attempt to cheer me up I smiled and agreed with her because it would only be a matter of time before I unlocked the power to wield the weapon.


    But then I started thinking about it and when I recalled that there were six runes and only four lit up for her I had a hypothesis.


    "Miss Smith, could it be that each rank starting at E and going up to S is equivalent to unlocking a rune?"


    She nodded.


    "That''s correct, I''m surprised you figured it out so fast, the sword is extremely powerful and if its wielder isn''t strong enough to pull out its full potential it will block you until you can."


    Learning that bit of information was extremely helpful because it meant that I could continue to use the de up until I became S-ranked. Therefore I wouldn''t have to go out and buy a new sword every time I ranked up.


    With these thoughts in mind, I realized just how much of a blessing it was and Miss Smith wasn''t even finished exining all that it can do!


    "So what does each rune do?"


    "Right, the first is a sharpness feature which increases cutting easily. It allows them to cut something or someone quicker many times over."


    Hearing the description of the first rune I didn''t think it was all that impressive. Sure the ability would be of great help but I figured there would be better things out there. Thankfully there were more runes.


    "The second is a weight maniption rune. So long as you infuse mana into the sword you can increase its weight and strike someone with hundreds if not thousands of kilograms. In addition, you can also release the pent-up mana and make the sword weigh less than a feather!"


    ''Now this is what you call an enchantment!''


    "The third rune is an aura rune! This means that even if someone isn''t at the rank of sword master they can still use aura! The best part about this rune is that no matter what, it won''t cost the user any mana to supply the sword with aura, it generates its own on its own!"


    ''Holy shit is that overpowered!''


    "Unfortunately it''s not as strong as you might be thinking. Although the sword supplies itself with Aura that also means that the aura cannot leave the sword. This means you would have to use your aura to cast out long-range attacks as Willow did. Yet up close it''s the perfect weapon!"


    Knowing that there was a restriction saddened me but if it was how I originally thought the sword wouldn''t even be fair.


    "The fourth rune allows the user to change the form of the weapon. Although it must stand to its roots. That means it can''t change into something like a bow or scythe. However, it can be longer like a spear or shorter like a dagger which allows it to be flexible in all kinds of situations."


    This was another great addition to the weapon and I was more than satisfied with it.


    "The fifth rune allows the sword to be controlled by one''s will. That means that so long as you have the mana to support it you''d never have to wield the weapon again."


    Now that was one hell of an enchantment.


    If what I was understanding was correct then I could have the sword levitate and attack from all angles while I either stay safe in the back far from the battle or distract and have the sworde in for a sneak attack.


    As many possibilities appeared when I allowed this rune I couldn''t help but wait to hear what thest one did. I mean it had to be something special since only an S ranker could use it and it was thest of many great enchants.


    "As for the sixth and final rune, I have no idea what it does."

 Chapter 44 24. Nightfall

    ?"Huh."


    I couldn''t believe it this whole time Miss Smith had been hyping up the sword and now that we reached the grand finale she was practically cucking me?


    "Unfortunately it''s true, no one of S rank has ever wielded this sword and I don''t know exactly what to ask someone because I have a feeling that they won''t be willing to return it."


    What Miss Smith said made sense if someone as strong as an S ranker got their grubby little mitts on the sword when it only has five runes I bet they would keep it not to mention the all-powerful sixth.


    Now that we were done with the runes I wanted to hear about the metal that made up the sword because its pure ck color was extremely unique and fitting for someone of my character.


    "I understand, it''s a bit disappointing I''m not going to lie. Anyways, what I''ve really been curious about is its color! It''s almost as if I can feel the ck resonating with me."


    Sheughed.


    "Ha, I knew this would be the perfect weapon for you! This sword is a relic that''s not of this world, it''s from a tower!"


    My mind practically exploded when Miss Smith said that it was from a tower!


    Towers like monsters and dungeons suddenly appeared one day and changed the world.


    However, unlike dungeons, towers were few throughout, unbeatable, and hundreds of times more dangerous.


    There were a set amount of floors within each tower and clearing just one of them provided world-altering rewards.


    By this logic, it madeplete sense that the sword came from the tower due to all the powerful abilities it has.


    I desperately wanted to ask Miss Smith how she managed to not only survive but clear one of the floors of a tower.


    At Miss Smith''s current level, it would be impossible to get out of one alive.


    Yet I held myself back because there was obviously some sort of dark past to how the sword came to be in my hands.


    "That''s incredible! No wonder it''s so strong!"


    Miss Smith just smiled, understanding my excitement.


    "The reason it''s ck is that it''s made of an unknown metal found in another world. Although I don''t know any of the specifics behind it I can tell you the sword''s name."


    Now this shocked me, things kept getting better and better the more I learned about the de.


    "It has a name?"


    Swords that are said to be named are rumored to be unlike any de of its kind.


    There was once a legend of an F-rank named sword and the man who wielded it managed to cut down a B-rank monster! Although it was nothing more than a legend, the pure thought of having a sword simr to it made me eager.


    "It''s true, however before I tell you its name there is something that I must exin that is of great importance."


    Being surprised by the sudden serious expression Miss Smith wore, I nodded giving her my attention.


    "What is it?"


    She pointed to the ball at the bottom of the sword.


    "You might be wondering why I am willing to part with such a sword, am I right?"


    ''She was right, I couldn''t take her word that she would give it to her first disciple without any consequences. After all, nothing is free.''


    "Are you finally going to share?"


    "Yes, you see this sword has a special condition set in ce. By seeding in the trial the sword will grant you its full power."


    I nodded understanding but still had a question.


    "What happens if you fail?"


    She smiled bitterly.


    "Then like me, you can only withdraw around 40 percent of its true power and if someone else ever seeds to defeat the trial they will take full control over the weapon."


    ''Things are getting fun now!''


    Looking down at the ball at the bottom of the hilt I originally thought it might serve as a counterweight or as a decorative element but who knew it held such unfounded power?


    "So all I have to do is win and I can have full authority over the de no questions asked."


    "That''s correct, however, if you fail, well you should know that the consequences won''t be minor."


    I looked Miss Smith up and down then I started to connect some pieces and form a bit of a picture.


    First off it was clear Miss Smith isn''t up to her full strength. In the novel, I wrote that Miss Smith was an A ranker but now the sword revealed that she was only a B ranker.


    This made things moreplicated as it seemed that failure could result in the loss of rank or maybe even an impediment that blocks future growth.


    Thetter would be the most detrimental to me as my potential was my greatest aspect.


    Another thing to take note of is that Miss Smith wasn''t mentioning any of the misfortunes thate about when failing or what the trial would be like in order to prepare me which means one of two things.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Either she wants me to fail which is unlikely because she should still believe that I am part of the secret organization or there is a restriction of sorts preventing her from sharing.


    The second option ¡ª which is the likeliest ¡ª is the worst as it would mean that the sword is strong enough to hinder a B ranker outside of its own domain.


    With these bits of information, it was clear that whatever challenge I would have to face would be quite difficult.


    "I''m prepared for the worst, either way, I won''t back down."


    Hearing how determined I was Miss Smith didn''t bother to argue or persuade me to change my mind as she simply handed over the weapon.


    "To begin your test simply call out the name of the sword."


    "And that is¡­?"


    "Its name is Nightfall."


    ''What a suitable name.''


    Readying myself I whispered its name:


    "Nightfall¡­"


    Then my vision went dark.


    .


    Waking up in a new world that was full of darkness I sighed in disappointment.


    ''Fake.''


    Thinking that this would be something incredulous I immediately became disappointed and bored as I waited for something more to happen.


    Suddenly within thepounds of the darkness, a voice that seems to being from everywhere and nowhere at the same time up spoke up:


    "Do you dare to seek my power?"


    I answered the thing''s call full of confidence.


    "I do and I will obtain it."


    The voice didn''t seem to care for my optimistic response.


    Rather it continued on as if it waspletely devoid of emotion.


    "I am the one they call Nightfall. If you are toplete that trial I have prepared I will grant you ess to my full authority. However, if you are to fail 1/3 of your total prowess will be extracted and a curse will befall you."


    I absentmindedly asked:


    "And what is this curse?"


    Its deep cold voice that sent chills down my spine answered and what it said made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.


    "Eternal servitude."


    ''That''s a nice way of saying I''ll be its ve.''


    Now that I understood what Miss Smith had to deal with I was determined to defeat it. Not because I cared for her but rather because I didn''t want to end up in her shoes.


    "I see, in that case, when do we start?"


    The voice was silent for a moment before answering:


    "It already has."


    Hearing those words the darkness seemed to swallow the voice, amplifying its eeriness. It was as if the voice was a part of or an extension of the darkness.


    Being locked in this confounding space with such an entity I couldn''t help but smile.


    "What must I do to seed?"


    As if my joy manifested outwardly the voice spoke up speaking as if it was just a hollow vessel.


    "Survive in this emptiness."


    After that, I lost all my senses and it felt as if I was slipping out of reality.


    All that was left was an endless void of nothingness.


    Being in this new realm I couldn''t help but burst outughing after having contained it for so long.


    However, not only was I unable to tell if I wasughing, I didn''t know if I still had a body, to begin with.


    But there was one thing I was sure of:


    ''I was told I would have to go through a grand tribtion but this¡­ this is nothing.''

 Chapter 45 25. Void

    ?Within the empty nothingness rather than facing fear I was extremely rxed not having the least bit of dread.


    What should have ¡ª for any sane person ¡ª been a nightmare to go through didn''t faze me in the slightest.


    To begin with it was clear that the purpose of the trial was to test one''s determination.


    All one had to do was simply survive in the void for an extended period of time and one would gain full ess to the sword''s authority.


    So long as one had the willpower to keep going one would step closer to seeding.


    Though it wasn''t nearly as easy as one might think.


    In a ce void of all existence where nothing, not even yourself is valid, the person must not give up.


    Worst of all, there was no countdown indicating how much time was left or how much time passed.


    Soon I, like others, would lose the sense of time and when that happens things would get much more difficult. Hours might feel like years while years could pass in a second.


    This was the most terrifying part because one might give up when there is only a second left or they might lose themselves in the void and never recover.


    Nheless where there was nothing I continued to smile like a maniac ¡ª though it wasn''t literally because I didn''t have a body.


    The reason I was so carefree was because of two points that made the trial too easy in my eyes.


    First of all this empty, barren, void unlike in appearance was not a cage ¡ª for me at least.


    In this reality where escape is futile and having a strong mind is key I didn''t have to abide by the natural rules.


    This was due to one specific thing the voice either overlooked or didn''t realize existed.


    Aether!


    The force that''s sole existence is to destroy!


    In a ce where nothing exists, would a substance that feeds off destroying things be able to exist? The answer¡­ yes.


    Because that very nothingness is something for Aether to annihte.


    The question as to whether it''s possible to destroy something that doesn''t exist could be tested at this moment.


    However, I wanted to avoid this cheat that was entirely open for me to take advantage of.


    I didn''t need to make use of my power to shatter this ce when I could defeat it by abiding by the rules present.


    As easy as it would be to simply call upon Aether to annihte this realm and take control of the sword in my mind there was no reason to.


    Either way, the same end would be achieved but if I followed the rules set in ce I would at least be able to prove to myself that nothing will be able to stop me from achieving my goals.


    Therefore throwing out the free escape card I made myself at home within the boundless abyss.


    This is where my second point of interest came into y as I still didn''t have a single worry.


    The cause of my difference resonated with the fact that this ce felt like home.


    Although fake it reminded me of the destends I already traveled through.


    The moment I died before I transmigrated into my new body the process wasn''t instantaneous.


    Rather it was an extremely prolonged experience that enfolded over a long period.


    During that time I was in a state of absentminded existence where I had no body, had no senses, and had no purpose only waiting as time continued.


    That ce was the true cage where those trapped within would never face anything ever again therefore this fake ce that makes up a trial was nothing more than a sweet reminder of the hell I already went through.


    I survived hours, days, years, centuries, and eons in the real void where the only proof of life that I had were my memories.


    Memories of my existence that Itched on to and reyed in my mind desperately trying to hold on to them and not forget.


    That was the true test of willpower therefore this miniature joke of that real ce couldn''t shake me in the least.<novelnext></novelnext>


    I knew who I was, I knew my purpose, I knew the reason why I was in such a ce, and most importantly I knew I would seed.


    Thus, I closed my eyes ¡ª metaphorically ¡ª and waited out however much time it would take before I seeded.


    .


    Meanwhile, Miss Smith sat down next to my body which was frozen in ce, devoid of any emotion.


    Only the constant breathing would serve as a reminder that I still contained the essence of life.


    "I''m sorry, I wish you didn''t have to go through such a terrifying experience but I had no choice. I can only pray that you don''t fall victim like me and instead ovee the nightmare."


    Miss Smith took onest look at my body before taking a meditative position to train as she knew it would be a while before I either seeded or failed.


    But before she focused all her intentions on recovering her lost power she quietly whispered:


    "Please set us free."


    .


    Within the void, I remained motionless enjoying the tranquility.


    I didn''t allow for any worries to upy my mind or any thoughts to flow through as I purely rested my mind and waited for time to pass.


    It was long past the point that I lost track of time but I knew it had been at least a week since I first started.


    One thing that I was sure of was that time was flowing differently in this realm. It wasn''t because I could sense it or anything profound like that but rather because if the challenge took too long my body in the real world would start to deteriorate.


    I knew I wouldn''t lose too much time because if I died in the real world when trying toplete the trial it would be totally pointless.


    Therefore I rxed and breathed, and although I needed to keep things on schedule, gaining strength from the sword would more than make up for the time lost.


    So time continued to pass when nothing happened, the days turned into months, and even then I didn''t waver in my determination.


    After I was more than certain a year passed away I started up my mind for the first time and began having thoughts.


    As the years passed I reviewed everything I managed to aplish since I arrived in the new world.


    As I thought back on it I realized that I hadn''t really done too much.


    Sure it hadn''t even been a full week since I first transmigrated but I still had so much to do.


    What terrified me more than the current circumstance I was stuck in was the future I''d have to prepare for upon my return.


    I was moving too slowly.


    It took a decade but by then I managed to formte the perfect n to get everything I wanted to be done as fast and as efficiently as possible.


    Where there was no ce for error I knew the way I would move once I seeded thusly I returned to my state of mediation.


    Another decade flew by as I enjoyed the peacefulness.


    Then I returned to work as I started forming ns outside the scope of my current ones. Things that weren''t needed or required but would help out in the long run.


    Then I started thinking about people and ces that I need to meet and visit. Specifically, things about them that would allow me to win them over in my favor.


    I thought about all the ways to manipte them, have them favor me, befriend them, sympathize with them, ally with them, and make them loyal to me. Whether it was by giving them what they want, helping them out, using power to control them, or breaking their minds.


    Anyway, that would get me what I wanted I thought of, and just like that, half a century passed.


    Once I had everything I wanted to n out and ounted for I switched between reliving through memories and rxing.


    During that period Ipletely lost all sense of time. I had a feeling that I''d been in the ce for a century. Whether that was true or not I had no idea.


    I counted to a million a couple of times when I was bored and that was my only way to judge how long it had been.


    Then out of nowhere during a seemingly ordinary day when nothing was happening, the voice returned.

 Chapter 46 26. Angel

    ?"I''m surprised."


    Those simple two words echoed throughout the empty void and rang in my ears as anguage I had heard in a long time resonated with me.


    "You''ve sessfully defeated that trial I set forth to test one''s willpower. Therefore I will grant you the ability to wield my full power and I will free all those who came before you."


    Once the voice finished speaking the abyss began to crumble anyway and light filled the darkness for the first time.


    While the world was deteriorating my soul began to merge back with my body as my senses slowly returned.


    Eventually, the world of ck became that of glorious white and I knew I would awaken at any second.


    During this time I regained nearplete control of my body. So I decided to take charge and bend the rules in my favor.


    "Stop."


    My voice which I had long forgotten existed reverberated through the whitends.


    As soon as I spoke up the fading realm halted in ce. It was only a second away from disappearing into true nothingness as there would never be another trial yet I forced it to stop.


    Aether and mana weaved around my body and spread outward to create a small pocket where the world could keep existing.


    Meanwhile all around the small space, everything turned white.


    It was then that I finally got some recognition from the being that put me through such a tasteless tribute.


    "What do you think you are doing?!"


    For the first time since I met the voice, it finally eximed with some emotion behind its words.


    I smiled brightly to match the outside glow while I began to move about in the pocket still in a different world.


    My body felt extremely weird as I hadn''t had one for so long and the fact that I wasn''t back in the real world caused some dy and sluggishness in my actions.


    "We haven''t had a proper conversation yet. Did you think that after Ipleted what you wanted of me I wouldn''t ask for something in return?"


    Although I clearly stated my purpose for prolonging my stay the voice seemed far more concerned with me returning as soon as possible.


    "How can you do such a thing? Creating a new world within my world is impossible! This is my domain, you need to leave!"


    I didn''t have time for someone or something that couldn''t keep up.


    "Impossibilities serve to be broken."


    "Impudence!"


    "Enough."


    Cutting the voice back from arguing I released all the Aether I could, to break away at the white nothingness that swallowed the ck.


    While the Aether crept into the white I pulled on my power to find the mastermind.


    Doing this didn''t take long as the moment ''it'' felt something off ''it'' went to investigate and that''s the moment I took action.


    ''Gotcha.''


    As soon as ''it'' arrived before the wisp of Aether I released, I had the Aether take form as a second bubble.


    This other bubble captured ''it'' within the Aether which served as a prison where if ''it'' tried to escape by making contact with the Aether ''it'' would be gravely wounded.


    Once I knew I had it locked away I pulled back the trace of Aether from within the white back into the small space I created.


    After the bubble entered my space I had the Aether fade away to expose the mastermind behind the trial.


    This caused the bubble topletely vanish and what stood before me was nothing like I could have ever predicted.


    Laying on the ground was a beautiful girl, one that I couldn''t even begin to describe with words.


    She had long, flowing hair the color of white to match the outside realm and purple eyes that sparkled like diamonds in the sun.


    Her skin looked as smooth as silk and seemed to glow with an inner light.


    She was tall and slender, with curves in all the right ces, and a perfect representative of a goddess.


    Her sheer presence was both mesmerizing and enchanting enough topletely break my train of thought.<novelnext></novelnext>


    She was truly the envy of models everywhere and iparable to any person who I''d once thought to be wless.


    But what truly set her apart were the ck angel wings that adorned her back. They were ck in color to contrast her snow-white hair.


    The wings were feathered as they exponentially added to her overall perfection.


    Yet that wasn''t enough as if trying to eternally captivate my heart the girl was¡­ naked.


    Fortunately or unfortunately her most precious parts were censored in my eyes.


    I didn''t know if I would be able to recover or ever look at another female the same if I could see her entirely so I was thankful that not everything was revealed.


    Though it worried me that something was strong enough to resist Aether and manipte my vision.


    However, I saw more than enough for my imagination to fill in the nks and end any chance of me having a real rtionship as the goddess was the only thing I could think about.


    Protecting myself from the chance of being bewitched I turned myself around and closed my eyes.


    Yet even then I couldn''t get her figure out of my mind and behind my closed eyelids I could still see her image as if it was engraved into me.


    I had ounted for many things during my time alone but one thing I didn''t take into consideration was the embodiment of perfection appearing.


    But I wouldn''t lose so easily therefore I calmed my rapidly beating heart, thought sad thoughts, and attempted to numb my body of emotion before turning back around to face ''it.''


    Looking at the angel on the ground which had yet to try to free itself my mind wavered but I held strong and started asking some of the questions I''d been preparing.


    "Are you¡­ Nightfall?"


    Hearing its name mentioned, the being raised its head to look directly into my eyes.


    At that moment I practically lost all hope when looking into its eyes. I became hypnotized as the two of us searched for deeper meaning.


    Behind her clear beautiful sparkling eyes, I couldn''t sense any emotion. It was as if I was looking at a doll.


    Wanting to understand more I held myself together and continued making eye contact searching for any proof that the creature wasn''t beyond repair.


    Finally, deeply hidden in the depths of her locked-away feelings I could see a slight spark.


    I had no idea what it meant or represented but being that there was still something remaining of its soul I knew I could figure it out.


    Then as if we both found the secrets that we were so desperately trying to hide, the two of us broke contact at the same time.


    Then ''it'' spoke:


    "I am."


    As another part of the girl was revealed to me its sweet melodious voice threatened to break down all the walls I set up.


    I shiver ran down my back from the sweet, pure, soothing, peaceful, and angelic voice.


    I could only nod in response as I didn''t trust myself to be able to talk back without choking over my words.


    The girl who was stillying on the floor raised herself up showing even more of her body which had been previously covered by her silver hair.


    ''Fuck.''


    My mind was truly scrambled.


    "Why haven''t you left?"


    The voice I once thought to be unholy in nature and empty in meaning was now crisp, clear, and without harshness in tone.


    It was aplete change that I also wasn''t prepared for. I expected some monstrosity abomination to be the owner, not some delicate broken girl.


    Clearing my throat I whispered:


    "I had some questions."


    The girl tilted her head.


    "Then ask them and please leave once I''ve satisfied your curiosity."


    Understanding that she didn''t want me to stay and also realizing that I was quickly running out of Aether to supply the safe space I crouched down to her level and began asking away.

 Chapter 47 27. Back

    ?Being in an even closer proxy to the girl my mind was shaking with every passing second.


    If I could think clearly I would be specting if there was some sort of outward influence affecting my train of thought however nothing of the sort crossed my mind.


    "How long was I in there?"


    "A century."


    The voice of the girl was still sweet even if her reply was short.


    When I managed to make sense of what she said I figured that the timeline made sense.


    After going through such an experience once it was easier to understand the second time.


    "How long has passed in the real world."


    "Real?"


    I frowned.


    "How long has it been outside?"


    "Ten hours."


    Using some basic math I deduced that one hour was equal to ten years.


    "What are you exactly?"


    "¡­"


    Given that she wasn''t able to respond it answered more questions than if she had.


    "I see, I have onest question to ask before I leave."


    The girl remained still as she waited for me to ask the question. I didn''t know if that was due to her not wanting to show emotion that would result from me leaving so soon or because if she talks less I''d leave faster.


    I figured both but more of thetter since she gave such short answers to my questions.


    "Do you want to be free?"


    After I asked my final question the girl didn''t move or show any reaction, she also didn''t bother to respond. However, when I asked I made sure to look deep into her eye, and once she heard what I said the small me flickered.


    Having all my questions answered for the time being I was more than ready to return to my reality. Plus I was on myst strand of Aether as the even-sized room the two of us were in had shrunk considerably.


    Being forced closer to the girl due to the ever-diminishing room getting smaller all I would have to do is move a centimeter closer and we would be touching.


    Yet for some reason when I thought about reaching out and touching her, rm bells started ringing in my head.


    Therefore, being satisfied withing close enough that I could hear her breathing, see her fully, and smell her sweet fragrance I gave up on the idea of holding on to her.


    I didn''t know why but I felt like the moment I indulged myself I would never be able to live without her or let her leave me.


    Therefore with onest look of longing, I canceled my supply of Aether and the world vanished.


    .


    Returning after so long one might expect that I value more things or take less stuff for granted however I didn''t have any of those thoughts.


    As I opened my eyes the first thing that weed me was Miss Smith as she quickly stood up to meet me.


    It took a while to readjust to my surroundings and remember that I was still in the ssroom.


    Once my thoughts started flowing I stretched my body as the whole time I was gone my body was stationary while standing up straight.


    Miss Smith only watched from a short distance as I moved my arms around before cracking my neck.


    Once I got the blood moving through my body  I stopped and turned my attention to Miss Smith.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Yet she didn''t say anything and just stared at me as if she half expected me to be a ghost.


    I smiled.


    "I''m back."


    It took a second for my words to register in her mind but once she finally understood tears started dripping down her face.


    ''The curse.''


    I knew the reason she was crying, after all, I had a whole century to think about it. Miss Smith''s reason for showing me the sword in the first ce probably wasn''t due to her own volition.


    Nightfall grows in strength by absorbing the power of those who cannotplete the trial. That was more than apparent to me and it also meant that the girl was feeding off the power.


    Therefore, in order for the sword to grow stronger it needs more participants to attempt the trial. That''s why after one fails they are cursed to help the sword find a suitable candidate to be sacrificed.


    This was knowledge I was able to deduce while in the void as I didn''t even have to ask Nightfall about it. Though I''m sure that even if I wanted to, my mind would be too distracted.


    I didn''t know how to feel about the girl but there was one thing that I was sure of¡­ she was dangerous.


    While I was thinking to myself Miss Smith finishedposing herself and wiped away thest trace of any tears.


    "Am-Am I free?"


    Breaking free from my thoughts I smiled back at her.


    "You are."


    Miss Smith''s emotion couldn''t be captured with words as she endlessly gave me thanks.


    "Thank you, thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me. I''ve been under that curse for so long, I thought I would never be free."


    I simply kept smiling as I didn''t care nor want to expend useless energy on entertaining her.


    There was no need for me to be a hero as what the two of us went through was beneficial.


    I freed her from a curse she couldn''t escape and in turn, I unlocked the full power of Nightfall ¡ª a sword I never would have known existed or got my hands on had it not been for her.


    Therefore I didn''t respond to her gratitude but instead turned my attention back to the sword.


    Although I was far too weak to make use of even the first rune, I wanted to inspect the change that urred to the ball at the bottom of it.


    Flipping the sword over the ball didn''t look to be any different than it once was. It didn''t seem like there was any change at all.


    Slightly disappointed by the revtion due to the sword''s uniqueness stemming from the fact that it had a ball in the first ce I decided to touch the ball thinking that a connection might have to be made for something to happen.


    My thoughts were right on the mark as the second after the tip of my finger touched the ball everything started happening all at once.


    First, the ordinarily ck ball shed all kinds of colors as if a rainbow explosion took ce within it. Then all the mana that I had built up in my body was sucked away in an instant leaving me exhausted. Finally, a painful burning sensation filled my mind as I looked down at the top of my right hand where a mark was appearing.


    My wrist also buzzed but I didn''t have time for it.


    Drained of mana and fatigued I didn''t have the mental capacity to understand what was happening which is why I only stood there gritting my teeth as the mark became clearer with each passing second.


    The mark that was forcefully engraving itself on me was more painful than I expected and took over a minute to finish.


    Once it was finally done I was ruggedly breathing as I stared down at my hand where a symbol made itself known.


    It was a half-crest moon.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You can now vote for the book!

 Chapter 48 28. True Effects Of Mana Breath

    ?Mesmerized by the mark Ipletely forgot about the pain as I examined the location that it appeared on my hand.


    Overall, it was quite small in size as it was only around 2.5 cm long and 1.75 cm wide. It was perfectly centered in the middle of my hand and looked exactly like how a tattoo would.


    Though unlike a tattoo it wasn''t created from ink rather some mysterious force that most likely made it permanent.


    The half-crested moon was filled in and was ck in color.


    I knew almost immediately what caused it. Turning my attention back to the sword I looked at the ball only to realize that it returned to its original color shade. Had I not seen it myself it would be impossible to know that a rainbow coulde out of it.


    Uncertain about the reasoning behind what happened I focused on the things I did know.


    The ball absorbs the mana of the person who touches it ¨C although it might just be for me since I officially became the sword''s owner. Then it creates a rainbow and forces a mark on me.


    Based on this information I deduced that the rainbow and mark were highly likely to be one-time things. If I had to guess it was probably the sword bonding with me.


    After all, it wasn''t too far-fetched to think this way since the sword is capable of S-rank attacks. Plus it came from a tower meaning that there are a lot of unknowns about it.


    From my spection, I believed that the sword and I are now connected together through the symbol on my hand. I also suspected that for the sword to get stronger it needs to take in the mana from its master.


    Since the sword had been cursing people in an attempt to get more people to challenge it. That way when they fail it can absorb part of their power now that it''s free it''s in need of a constant supply.


    That supply will now have toe from me, that is if I want it to get stronger ¨C which I most definitely do.


    Satisfied with all that I got I looked over the sword onest time as I would have to test out the de while getting stronger before I would be able to unlock more of its secrets.


    Finished with Nightfall I wanted to return to my original n that kept getting pushed aside¡­ bing a sword master.


    Now that I had a de to match the power I could expend I just needed to be capable of using it.


    It would be like giving a baby a nuclear bomb. They would have the ability to end the world yet they wouldn''t be able to move to press theunch button.


    In this case, I was the baby. I knew this but it wouldn''t be long before that changed.


    The first step to bing this stronger person was to make use of a skill I already mastered.


    Before I wanted to interact with Miss Smith and start training there was one thing I needed to start taking advantage of that I hadn''t been doing before.


    Mana Breath.


    An already overpowered skill just based on its description but the secrets it hides are what truly make it remarkable.


    A bonus I found out before I went through the trial was that it was able to restore my condition.


    When I started thinking about it the more sense the bonus made. Since all things are made up of Mana, adding more Mana into one''s body would of course restore the body to its formal stance and improve it.


    I was actually disappointed in myself for not realizing it sooner. Although it''s public information that one can use mana to heal themselves and be stronger I never thought to use it in battle.<novelnext></novelnext>


    It''s clear that there are few or none that can do the same as me otherwise humanity would be hundreds of times stronger.


    If one could constantly supply themselves with mana while in battle they would never run out of mana to either attack or defend while also being able to keep their peak condition.


    That would be incredibly overpowered which is why something like that is nearly impossible to do.


    There were a multitude of reasons for this.


    First ordinary people no matter their rank, wouldn''t be able to create enough mana to refill what they expend. This is especially so when inbat and their attention is split.


    Therefore since someone cannot naturally restore their mana in a short time there are alternative options but even they are not great.


    One would have to use a relic, artifact, or another sort of device that would forcefully supply them with mana.


    In theory, this would work yet the world is cruel as it''s an impossibility.


    Although such devices exist that could supply the user with mana they are only capable of holding so much.


    Take for instance the individual training rooms. They are literal rooms that contain mana. Having something on your body that''s able to hold an extreme amount of mana doesn''t exist.


    It would go against the natural order of the world where everything ¡ª even mana ¡ª has mass.


    This bes even worse the higher the person is ranked. Due to mana supply artifacts having to be so small the stronger one is the more mana they have. In turn requiring them to use more, which means that artifacts would be negligible at best.


    However, for weaker and lower-ranked people the artifact would be useful.


    But even then those artifacts are extremely expressive and if one had the money to spend on them the cash would be better used to increase their power rather than improve their current position.


    As a result of these problems, mana is used to recover before and after a battle, not during.


    Yet for me, I could do it.


    Since Mana Breath was a skill it meant that I wouldn''t have to spend insane amounts of money on artifacts, I didn''t have to get a monstrous building to contain it, and it was a breathing technique so I could incorporate it into my battle strategy.


    So with this highly possible theory that could put me over all others, I would just have to master it.


    After all, it''s easier said than done to breathe constantly in a specific way during a life-or-death battle.


    That wasn''t something one could do even if they had a lifetime to train. The skill would have to be engraved into their very bones and be an innate part of their life.


    The simplest of mistakes would cancel the skill and mess up the whole strategy I would have prepared. That meant that I had to basically use the skill during every moment of every day, even while sleeping, otherwise I wouldn''t be able to incorporate it.


    Ordinarily, I would give up on this n as it would take far too much time even if it would pay off in the future.


    However, this was no ordinary time as fortunately, I had just lived through an entire century and I just so happened to have a lot of extra time to use the skill.

 Chapter 49 29. Training

    ?All those times I was rxing or thinking of a n I was mentally using Mana Breath.


    Since I had used it so much beforehand I had the technique memorized which is why even if I didn''t have a mouth or body to actually breathe with, I could count the seconds and after a couple of decades it became natural.


    Unfortunately, all that time I was using Mana Breath it didn''t transfer to the real world. Had it, I would be the weakest ranker with the highest amount of Mana.


    If I had used it for the entire century I''d have over half a million Mana putting me far pasted Z rank!


    Yet the world is cruel and my Mana didn''t even go up a single decimal.


    However, I did manage to master the skill during that time which is more than I could have ever hoped for.


    It was an unexpected gain that I took advantage of in a poor situation.


    Therefore, recalling all the hard work I''ve done over the years I began using Mana Breath.


    The moment I did the first set of breaths it felt so natural like I had just found something I''d lost.


    Going through the whole thing I waited a minute and when I got a notification that my Mana went up by 0.001 I smiled as I knew my strength would increase many times faster.


    Now that I had everything prepared it was finally time to do what I had first set my mind on.


    "Miss Smith?"


    Hearing my voice Miss Smith stood up in front of me. All the while I was busy she was patiently waiting for us to begin and now that I was ready she already had her hand on her scabbard.


    "We have three hours before sses start. Why don''t we see how much you can learn in that time?"


    I nodded.


    Still breathing with Mana Breath I calmed my mind devoid of any extra emotions and raised Nightfall in front of me waiting for Miss Smith to make the first move.


    "Here Ie!"


    As soon I heard her I lowered my center of mass and took a fighting stance as I prepared for any iing attack.


    Staring at Miss Smith I watched her closely to see where I should defend from.


    Yet while I had my eyes locked onto her figure it only took a split second for her to vanish from my sight.


    In that scenario I would have been surprised however I was already sent flying and didn''t have time to think about such things.


    Rolling around on the ground I eventually caught myself and quickly stood back up in the hopes that I would be able to defend against the iing attack.


    Unfortunately, that wouldn''t even partiallye true as the moment I stood on my two feet I was knocked backward before I could even ready myself.


    Flipping in the air I waited before I crashed down into the hard floor before attempting to use my hands, feet, and sword to stop me from sliding even further away.


    Thankfully, that tactic worked and I was quickly able to stop the momentum I had been building up from Miss Smith''s attack.


    Kneeling down on the floor my senses werepletely messed up as all the rolling I did caused my brain to get dizzy.


    As the world was spinning I tried to focus my attention on a smear on the floor to try to get it to stop but that wasn''t working and through the swirls, I saw I sh before I was sent flying for the third time.


    Once Inded I was not feeling good or confident in my abilities.


    Since I hadn''t made use of 3rd Person POV as I had done with Willow I had no idea when or where Miss Smith''s next attack woulde from.


    This made me feel so incredibly weak as I couldn''t even survive a single sh without the help of an ability.


    Luckily all this time I didn''t get the wind knocked out of me and with a minute just passing the skill activated. As a small yet significant amount of Mana entered my body I felt my stiff muscles rx and my mind be even sharper.


    Therefore before I even knew if an attack wasing or not I threw myself to the left and spun around using the built-up speed to rise to my feet.


    Once I was up I didn''t make the same mistake asst time as I instantly held Nightfall horizontally so that I could block most attacks.


    My quick thinking seemed to work as for the first time in this battle ¡ª if you could even call it that ¡ª I felt my sword make contact with something.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Nheless, the force behind the attack was far too strong and I was sent sliding backward.


    As my feet dragged on the floor by the time I wasing to a stop my bnce was so far off that I fell on my buttpletely and utterly defeated.


    ''Well, that was horrible.''


    Still sitting on the ground I waited until Miss Smith walked up to me.


    "You are weaker now than you were when you fought Willow yesterday! How does one get worse?"


    I signed.


    "I don''t want to use any tricks to fight against you. I want to get stronger on my own without having to rely on anything else."


    What I said was true. I didn''t want to rely on my ability as it would only give me an hour window to win. Even then my victory wouldn''t be guaranteed and if I didn''t get it done in that time I would bepletely defenseless.


    That''s why I wanted to learn everything I could about the sword.


    Hearing my response Miss Smith grew a smile on her face.


    "Do you truly want to learn all you can about the way of the sword?"


    I didn''t even have to think about that question before answering:


    "Yes!"


    She nodded.


    "Okay, we will start with the very basics then, although I don''t know how you managed to get into Griffin in the first ce with your poor skills."


    "A certain group helped me."


    She fell silent before starting up again.


    "First things first let''s analyze what happened during our short sh and see where you went right and wrong."


    "Okay."


    "Before I answer for you, don''t you try. The best way to get better is to learn from your mistakes."


    I paused to think back to the battle and y through the entire event marking all the bad things I did.


    After a couple of minutes, I had far more things I did wrong than good.


    Once I had it analyzed I began exining:


    "From the start, I should have been prepared for an attack rather than waiting for you to make the first move and then react to it."


    She nodded seemingly agreeing.


    "The first time I got back on my feet I should have done something simr to what I did the second time."


    She nodded her head up and down.


    "Umm, I should have found a way to break out of thebo so that way you wouldn''t be able to hit me every time."


    This time she didn''t have much of a response but still seemed to agree.


    "And uh, that''s about all."


    Miss Smith fell into deep thought before finally speaking up.


    "Okay, now that I have a bit of understanding of how far developed you are I cane up with the best n to get you stronger."

 Chapter 50 30. Training (2)

    ?Now, this was something I was excited about! Having a n set forth would make things much easier as I would be able to see firsthand how far I came and what things I need to spend more time on.


    "Your analysis was a bitcking but you still got a few good points."


    ''Well, that''s not too bad for something I''ve only done once.''


    "You were right about your first point where you should have expected an attack at any time but you were a bit off with your thinking."


    I waited for her to borate.


    "Of course, at any point in time, you should expect to be put in imminent danger but you aren''t at that point yet so you should focus on what you are capable of."


    "I don''t understand, if I shouldn''t be expecting an attack at any moment then what should I be doing?"


    "See you''re not wrong but if you expend all your energy on constantly stressing about and checking your surroundings for an attacker you will be too mentally drained for when one does appear."


    "Then what should I do?"


    "Wait for an attacker to make themselves known and then react."


    "Wait? But isn''t that what I did against you?"


    "Yes and no."


    Now I was even more confused but thankfully Miss Smith exined herself.


    "You were correct in watching me, however you did it all wrong. You kept all your attention on my body when you should have focused on one specific thing and even then you were still incorrect."


    "How so?"


    "You''re so focused on looking at any part of me moving that you wasted too much energy. You should have focused on one thing such as my arm, leg, hip, or eyes. Then when one of them moves you know the rest of my body will follow behind."


    "That makes sense but how do I know which thing to focus on?"


    She smiled brightly.


    "Now you are getting it! Even that thinking can be wrong. For example, if you only focus on my eyes I can throw you off with the angle of my attack or if you only look at my legs I might be close enough that I only have to swing my sword to cut off your head."


    "If there are so many things and none of them are reliable how do you best expect an attack?"


    "That''s the question even some of my rank struggles with but you can limit the number of choices based on the situation."


    "How?!"


    "Well now that you know to focus on one key part instead of everything you just have to decide what part is the most important."


    "How do I figure out which is the most important?"


    "Often you don''t know, but I''ll give you a scenario when you do."


    I was eagerly waiting for her to tell me.


    "If someone had their sword drawn, take for example the stance you used to go against me just now the best ce to watch is the top of your sword."


    "The tip?"


    "Yes, there is no reason to watch their legs, arms, or head if the sword is pointed at you. All you have to do is watch the tip of the sword and the enemy will follow behind it."


    As I thought about what Miss Smith said I realized how much sense it made. Why would I care about the person when their weapon is the thing that can harm me?


    As if I was enlightened by a divine revtion a whole new path opened up before my eyes where countering my enemies might be possible!


    But I didn''t get too caught up in my thoughts as a problem presented itself.


    "What if the person hadn''t drawn their sword yet as you did? Then what do I look out for?"


    This was the big question. If they didn''t have a weapon drawn there would be no way of following it to defend.


    Miss Smith''s smile grew even brighter at my question as she realized how seriously I was taking it.


    "Great question! If your opponent doesn''t draw a weapon and they are too fast that you aren''t able to see it then in that case the best thing to do is¡­"


    "Is what?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Nothing."


    "Nothing?"


    "Yep, because you''d already be dead."


    "¡­"


    Sheughed.


    "I know it sounds harsh but it''s true. If they draw their sword and you don''t even realize it you''re most likely already dead."


    I frowned if what Miss Smith was saying was true then it was almost impossible to counter someone with a lightning-fast quick draw.


    "However, it''s not the end if someone hadn''t drawn their sword."


    I looked up at her expectantly.


    "You could try to provoke them into drawing their sword, you could create some distance that way they are forced to pull out their weapon, or you would just have to overpower them with raw strength."


    The first two options were viable for me but thest one was not as I was far too weak to do such a thing.


    Learning about this new bit of information I already felt like I was growing stronger even if it wasn''t physically.


    Therefore I knew I made the right decision in having Miss Smith be my mentor feather than any of the otherbat teachers.


    Once Ipletely made sense of what Miss Smith was trying to say she moved on to my second point.


    "You were right about making the most out of any situation when you get the upper hand. However, that type of sensees with experience. You did well your second time."


    Taking what she said as apliment I made a mental note of it before she ended with the final point of my analysis.


    "You were semi-right with what you said about breaking free from constant attacks. Although it''s safest to get out of a confrontation that you are losing and restart it''s not always best."


    "What do you mean?"


    This confused me since if I wasn''t in a good position to win wouldn''t it be best to set up a way I could?


    "Well amid battle it''s extremely hard to shift the flow of it and sometimes the environment doesn''t allow for it to happen."


    "So then don''t create space?"


    "If you are getting pushed back by your opponent retreating and restarting that fight won''t do much. If they had the upper hand, to begin with, they would most likely keep it."


    "What about if it was a sneak attack?"


    She smiled, enjoying the questions I asked.


    "That could be a rare case when making space would be a good thing but you also have to realize that your opponent won''t allow you to do it easily."


    "Then what should I do?"


    "Push through it."


    "Push?"


    "Yes, have you ever heard the saying offense is the best defense?"


    "I have."


    "Well, it''s true. If you are going up against an opponent that''s beating you and you don''t have the chance to escape, just push forward."


    "But isn''t that dangerous."


    Sheughed and as soon as I thought over my question I realized how stupid it was.


    "Kid, any fight you get in could be life-threatening if you are scared you aren''t cut out to be a swordsman."


    Knowing I couldn''t show any form of hesitation I looked Miss Smith dead in the eyes and said:


    "I''m not scared."

 Chapter 51 31. In Search Of A Bath

    ?Seeing the determination in my eyes, Miss Smith believed me and stoppedughing.


    "Good, you need to have that kind of mindset if you want to survive in this world."


    I understand where she wasing from as I knew all the evil that would being our way.


    Changing the subject back to my analysis Miss Smith continued to exin thest bits.


    "Although there is a higher chance of losing your life when you throw yourself into your enemy there is also a higher chance of survival."


    "Because you disregard your own safety?"


    "Exactly, if you already know you are going to die, why not try to take them down with you? And who knows maybe just maybe you will be able to live through it."


    Taking in everything Miss Smith said I learned more than could have ever hoped to. After all, knowledge was power.


    "I have one more question."


    Miss Smith seemed surprised but smiled nheless.


    "Oh, what is it?"


    "The second point when I mentioned, where making the best of each situation was important?"


    "Yes, what about it?"


    "Well can you help me with it? As you know I have a skill that allows me to restore part of the energy I expend. So if I had a way to make use of it I could catch my enemies off guard."


    Miss Smith seemed to agree with my thought process as she fell silent for a few moments.


    "Okay, I don''t know how much help I can be since your skill is so individualized but I can teach you all the counterattacks I know and maybe one of them will fit your style?"


    "That would be great!"


    Getting help in that specific area would be a huge boost to my prowess. The reason being is that if my opponent believed to have defeated me I could spring up once Mana Breath wasplete and surprise them.


    "However, I think we should put that on the back burner."


    "Why is that?"


    I was curious as to why Miss Smith wouldn''t want to focus on something that could be my greatest point of strength.


    "Well, will your current skillsst long enough to be able to make use of your skill?"


    "¡­"


    She was right, although it stung, if I couldn''t survive the first minute I would have no way of making use of Mana Breath in the first ce.


    Miss Smith smiled and raised her sword to point at me.


    "Alright, enough talk let''s get back to it!"


    Suddenly with our conversationing to an end, I raised Nightfall to prepare for our next battle.


    .


    Laying face down on the floor I stared up at the ceiling. During the past three hours I had seen so much of it even when I closed my eyes I knew of every little mark.


    While I was dazed from being knocked down on my ass for the gazillionth time Miss Smith calmly walked toward me.


    "Did I even make you sweat?"


    Sheughed beforeing to a stop and towing over me.


    "I had a lot of fun beating you up."


    I sighed during thest couple of hours Miss Smith and I went back and forth until I was knocked down. Then she would exin my shorings and tell me where I went wrong.


    This continued for the remaining three hours we had left and during that time I felt morefortable around her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I bet you did, but it won''t be like this for long so you better enjoy it while you can."


    She smiled before outstretching a hand.


    I grabbed it and in one fell swoop Miss Smith pulled me up to my feet.


    ''She''s so strong.''


    I had to be honest with myself, although she was much higher in rankpared to me I never expected her stamina to be so high. It was as if she was a machine that would never stop running.


    "Alright, that''s enough for today. I need thesest twenty minutes to make preparations for my sses."


    "I understand, thank you for your guidance."


    With a final goodbye, I was more than happy to get out of there.


    It was true that after each sh we had I got better but it still wasn''t fun to be knocked down so many times. Not to mention I was drenched in sweat and sore beyond belief.


    While leaving the ssroom I began having thoughts of how great it would be to take a hot steaming bath.


    I made my way through the empty hallways and eventually left the building before heading toward my dorm room.


    Moving to the right where the boy''s rooms were I ced my watch on the scanner and waited for the runes to check it.


    After five seconds an error popped up.


    This confused me as it was something that had never happened before.


    [You cannot sign in between midnight at 7 in the morning]


    Reading the message I realized my mistake. It was still before 7 which meant I couldn''t sign in until then. However, by that time sses would start and I would be pointless to try to get in.


    I cursed myself for forgetting such a thing.


    I specifically added that restriction to the novel for a scer on where Elijah would be out toote and unable to get back in time. Therefore he spent the night with a girl.


    ''A damn romantic scene is fucking me over.''


    The restrictions also served as a way to make sure all the students weren''t staying outte. For if they missed the check-in time they would have to find lodging somewhere else.


    Most would just sleep outside and learn their lesson but this screwed me over.


    It wasn''t like I was outte partying, rather I was training to be strong and for that, I was being punished by not being granted ess to my room.


    ''So unfair!''


    By this point, I had been awake for 24 hours, had an extremely long day (literally and metaphorically), and spent thest couple of hours pushing my body beyond its limits.


    All I wanted to do was take a calm and rxing shower before having to sit through more boring sses.


    As a result, I didn''t second guess pulling out my watch and sending a message to a certain girl.


    [Can Ie over?]


    I figured there was a chance she was still sleeping so I began walking over to a nearby tree to rx.


    It was apparently the designated spot to stay if you get locked out because there were already two other boysying under it.


    Thankfully the campus was secure enough and protected from the outside world so no one had to worry about leaving themselves defenseless. Otherwise, the academy wouldn''t be allowed to lock us out.


    However, after taking my fifth step a buzz shook my arm.


    A smile appeared on my face as I realized I would in fact be getting that bath because there would be no one else that would take that short of time to respond.


    Pulling it up I read the message:


    [B21]

 Chapter 52 32. Surprise

    ?Seeing the message I knew exactly what it meant¡­ that was her room number.


    While I was staring at it a second message popped up.


    [I already put you down as a visitor so you can scan in.]


    My smile widened even more as I turned on my heels and made my way over to the female dooms.


    It only took around a minute to cross over as the two buildings were side by side.


    Seeing a simr scanner outside the building that matched the one in front of the boys I ced my smartwatch on it.


    A secondter the screen turned green and the doors opened allowing me to enter.


    Making my way inside I looked around the ground floor.


    It was a near duplicate of the boys as it too was decorated in a modern style.


    There were a bunch of windows and the building was overall very spacious.


    On the floor, there were a few other students who were the early birds chilling out and talking with their friends before sses started.


    There were also a couple of them ordering breakfast. Seeing that action and smelling how fragrant it was I desperately wanted to get something to eat. However, I held myself back because I knew Charlotte was waiting for me.


    Pushing through the building I made my way to the elevator. Along the way a few girls side-eyed me but none of them spoke up.


    That told me a lot about how often boyse over.


    Arriving in front of the elevator I pressed the up button and waited for it toe down.


    Thankfully it didn''t take long but when I was about to go in a stampede of girls rushed out.


    Dashing to the side I narrowly dodged the fifteen-plus girls that somehow managed to squeeze into an elevator that only holds five people at max.


    As they poured out they seemed far too preupied with chatting andughing to notice my presence.


    Once thest one was walking out I tried to sneak in from behind them.


    It wasn''t that I was trying to hide from them, I just didn''t want to bring any unnecessary attention to myself.


    It seemed that my n worked and I got into the elevator without any problems.


    However, when I looked over at the panel on the left side where a bunch of buttons were, I heard a shrieking sound.


    Startled by the suddenly high-pitched voice I turned my attention away from the panel before being able to press a button.


    "It''s him!"


    Looking at the hoard of girls one of them caught my attention as she had her hand extended and pointed her finger at me.


    All the other girls quickly turned around to see what was happening and it only took a split second for them to understand.


    While I was still in a daze fourteen more squeals shattered my eardrums.


    "It is him!"


    "The pretty boy!"


    "He''s even hotter up close!"


    "Hey say the line!"


    "Yeah, yeah, say it!"


    They all violently shook their heads up and down as they bounced in ce looking me over like I was some kind of famous pop star.


    As they all stared at me expectantly I had no clue what it was that they wanted me to say.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Uhh¡­"


    Hearing my confusion the first girl who pointed me out spoke up.


    "You''re Charlotte''s boyfriend, right? The one who kissed her in front of everyone and marked her as yours? That was so dreamy!"


    "Yeah so hot!"


    "I wish my boyfriend would do something like that!"


    "Say it!"


    "Say it!"


    "Say it!"


    Now that I knew what they were talking about I calmed down because I knew there wasn''t a problem but then I started to get nervous at the fact that there were a bunch of girls swarming me for something so insignificant.


    Therefore before I could get caught up in something I knew I wouldn''t be able to escape from I stealthily raised my hand and pushed a button.


    Thankfully they didn''t notice and I was able to distract them by giving them what they wanted.


    Lowering my voice I spoke up:


    "She''s mine."


    "Ah!"


    Right after I repeated my infamous quote they all started swooning over me.


    Luckily the doors to the elevator started closing before they could take up any more of my time.


    However, they didn''t seem satisfied as more than one started rushing to get at me.


    Terrified at a bunch of squealing, high school girls fanning over me I started spamming the close button praying I could get away safely.


    A few of them tried reaching their hands inside to grab at me but they gave up in the nick of time before the doors closed on them.


    Being alone and free from the ear-piercing sounds I let out a sigh of relief.


    However, after doing so I realized my mistake.


    All this time I had been subconsciously using Mana Breath and when I purposely released some air it canceled the skill.


    Remembering that my way of breathing was now reced with Mana Breath I had to spend a couple of seconds using the technique before things sorted themselves out.


    Once I was calm I realized that I was spending more time than I should have been since the elevator started up.


    Turning my attention to the panel I immediately saw my mistake.


    In my haste to escape the girls, I identally pressed the button for the top floor rather than the one I intended.


    Annoyed by my stupidity I pressed the button for the right floor but in the amount of time it took me to realize what happened, the elevator had already passed that floor. This meant that it would continue up all the way to the top before returning down to the correct floor.


    I wanted to sigh again but I learned from my first mistake and decided to patiently wait it out.


    After all, it wasn''t like going to the top floor would make too much of a difference. At least that''s what I thought until the doors opened.


    Standing there was thest person I ever wanted to see.


    ''Fuck.''


    Giving the brightest smile I could muster, I greeted the girl.


    "Hello, Evelyn."

 Chapter 53 33. Dealing With A Curse

    ?While I stood there in the elevator Evelyn had yet to enter and just looked at me nkly uncaring of my greeting.


    ''Maybe she will stand there too long and the elevator will close on her.''


    I didn''t dare to press the close doors button as Evelyn would most definitely notice my movement and it was overall a rude thing to do.


    ''Maybe she just wants to wait until the elevator is empty so she will let me go down alone?''


    Although I knew she had no intention of entering the elevator it was still awkward as the two of us stared at each other.


    After more than a minute passed and the doors still hadn''t closed I knew something was up. It was theoretically impossible for them to stay open that long unless they were broke.


    Knowing I had to do something about it otherwise, we would be stuck there. I decided the best course of action would be to press the button to close the doors.


    Clearing my throat I spoke up first to make it seem like I was the problem and not her:


    "Ahem, I''ll be going first then."


    After telling her that I raised my hand and pressed the close door button.


    However, after ten seconds things were getting even more awkward and the doors hadn''t so much as budged.


    Without saying anything I raised my hand back up and pressed the button again on the off chance that the first time I pressed it the button didn''t register.


    Unfortunately, that wasn''t the case and the doors still didn''t close after another ten seconds passed.


    Fed up I started spam pressing the button begging for the doors to close as I had already embarrassed myself beyond repair.


    While mming my finger into the button I heard Evelyn let out a light sigh before taking a step forward and entering the elevator.


    The moment after she was entirely inside the doors finally began closing.


    Looking dumbly at the now-closing doors I too sighed.


    Meanwhile, Evelyn positioned herself in the back corner of the elevator opposite me.


    "What floor?"


    Evelyn looked up at me and coldly responded:


    "First."


    I nodded before pressing the button for the ground floor. This time I double-checked that only two buttons were lit up and that they were the right ones.


    Knowing that I just had to survive the next minute I shrunk back to my corner and waited till the elevator came to a stop.


    However, it seemed that the world wouldn''t let me go free so easily.


    Before we could even drop down one floor the elevator came to a stop.


    I was about to curse out thinking that the elevator broke but instead it stopped because there were a bunch of people who wanted toe in.


    As the doors opened two people stood outside.


    There were two girls and they were absentmindedly talking to each other without taking in their surroundings therefore they entered the elevator without second guessing themselves.<novelnext></novelnext>


    However, once they were inside and the doors closed they finally broke the conversation, most likely it was due to them needing to press the button for the correct floor.


    The moment they scanned the small space they instantly realized their mistake.


    They didn''t seem to take note of my presence however once they saw the camping out in the corner they froze.


    Knowing that I had to defuse the situation otherwise, the two girls would end up digging a grave for themselves I asked:


    "Which floor do you want to get off?"


    Seeing that I gave them a way out rather than responding they squeezed over my side of the elevator.


    Then the two of them practically forced me out of the way and they went in between me and the panel.


    Having to decide between moving out of the way or facing another council meeting for sexual harassment I quickly picked the right option.


    Dodging the two girls I moved to the middle of the elevator and allowed them to have the corner.


    Once there they pressed the button to get off at the nearest floor.


    I was thankful for this because it meant they would soon be gone and I could move back to where I once was.


    Yet my wishes didn''te true and the world had a different n in mind.


    Onceing to a stop at the next floor the doors opened wide. However, before the two girls could do much as take a step forward to leave, another horde of at least five girls pushed their way inside.


    At this point, I figured death would be a greater mercy as the elevator that should only be capable of holding five people at max was now one off from being double its standard.


    As the five new girls entered they blocked off any path of escape for the first two.


    Although unlike the first two, this group noticed Evelyn almost immediately. Yet their brains seemed to not be working at the time because rather than turning around and leaving they decided to pile up in the panel side corner.


    I couldn''t exin what was going on inside their heads because if they had the least bit of knowledge about anything they would wait for the elevator to empty before entering.


    That way they wouldn''t have to deal with or be in the samepacted space as Evelyn and they would be doing the poor innocent elevator a favor as it couldn''t possibly continuously hold up the weight of more than five people on so many asions.


    Yet these brain-dead idiots didn''t think it through and tried to hide in the back corner where the two girls already were.


    Unfortunately, their efforts didn''t pay off as there simply wasn''t enough room.


    No matter how close they got to each other the elevator simply couldn''t fit the many people on that side as some would be forced to the other.


    That left three girls who couldn''t make it in the corner which meant the only other ce they could fit was in the middle ¡ª where I was ¡ª or the opposite side near Evelyn.


    They quickly made up their minds on the position that would be best.


    Therefore as three girls started squeezing in between me and the other four I was left with another choice to decide from.


    Either be shoulder and shoulder with Evelyn or have a bunch of girls pressed into me.


    Now one option would be like heaven while the other would be unsatisfactory. Thus, I raised my hands up to the three girls. That way before they could throw themselves at me, I moved to stand side by side next to Evelyn.

 Chapter 54 34. Dealing With A Curse (2)

    ?As my shoulder brushed up against Evelyn''s my breath got stuck in my throat and didn''t dare to release it for fear of retaliation.


    I didn''t care that I messed up Mana Breath for the second time because living was far more important than getting slightly stronger.


    Trying my best to make the situation seem like it wasn''t as big of a deal as it truly was I blocked out Evelyn from my mind.


    Looking over at the three other girls they finally found a space to squeeze into which left no additional space besides being in front of Evelyn.


    Once everyone was inside the original two girls were even more desperate to escape so they again pressed the button to get off at the next floor.


    The group of five didn''t voice out the floor they wanted to get off which made me think that they too were fine with getting off on the next floor.


    Yet I couldn''t help but think for a second time how stupid they were. If they also didn''t want to be stuck in the elevator, then why did they get on in the first ce?


    Unfortunately, my question would never be answered as the doors closed and we moved down to the next floor.


    ''Two more, I just have to survive two more.''


    Two floors below our next stop would be the level where Charlotte''s room is located and once we get there I''d be free.


    However, once we came to a stop on the next floor two more girls entered before anyone could get on.


    Once the doors shut behind them they too realized their mistake.


    As a result, rather than being shoulder to shoulder with Evelyn I was now halfway pressed against her and another unlucky girl was forced to stand in front of her.


    By this point, there wasn''t a centimeter of free space as every person was making contact with at least one other person.


    Once the elevator started up again the button for the next floor was pressed again and I was now only one stop away from being home free.


    In my mind, I was praying that there wouldn''t be any more people and all of them would leave but as if I was cursed things turned out for the worst.


    Once we came to a stop rather than a bunch more girlsing inside like I expected there was only one person.


    However, this one singr person made everything so much worse.


    The reason being was that the person was a boy. Simr to me he must have been leaving his girlfriend''s room and wanted to take the elevator down to get to ss.


    Normally one more person added wouldn''t ount for too much space as there would be just enough room to fit him ¡ª although I would be on top of Evelyn by the point ¡ª how his man wasn''t normal.


    He was obese!


    He had to be at least 200 kg and 165 cm!


    This man who was in his teenage years and in an athleticallypetitive school somehow let himself get so big that he looked more like a round ball than a person.


    Therefore not only by having him join us would we far exceed the weight capacity and endangered all of us but his size took up three spaces someone of my size could.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Simply put if he walked in we would be fucked.


    And it seemed like the world was in the mood to fuck me over and over again because the man had no self-awareness as he took two huge steps and entered the elevator.


    Doing so he practically pushed away any nearby girl as they were parted like the Red Sea.


    This resulted in them all being pushed up against each other and him.


    Then as expected no young girl would want to be nearby and touch such a person in a tight space so they all tried to make as much room as they could between themselves and him.


    All these factors resulted in a terrible oue for me as I waspletely pressed against Evelyn.


    In the far corner of the elevator which was crowded and stuffy, with people pressed up against each other in a tight space Evelyn and I were trapped.


    As we were forced to stand directly next to each other pressing our bodies against one another my mind was filled with dangerous thoughts.


    I couldn''t help but pray for the elevator to start up again so that we could leave as fast as possible.


    However, due to our positioning, I had to turn my back to the doors and panel to face Evelyn in order to take up the least amount of space possible.


    Unfortunately, by doing so I had no idea when the elevator would start up again and by facing Evelyn it meant that our bodies were pressed so close to each other that we fit perfectly into each other''s embrace.


    I tried my absolute best to avoid eye contact and keep my hands to myself, but the close quarters made it impossible to ignore her presence.


    The two of us were so close together that the tension building between us was almost palpable.


    By this point, I was breathing heavily being in such proximity to the girl that I knew she could feel it on her neck which made things even worse in my mind.


    Although Evelyn hadn''t said a word the entire time we''d been in each other''s embrace and didn''tin once I could feel her heartbeat racing ¡ª or mine was so loud that I got it confused with hers.


    Unfortunately, my question as to whose heart was beating faster was answered as a person behind me pushed hard into my back which caused me to press up against Evelyn even harder.


    When that happened I learned that her heartbeat was actually beating even faster than mine. The reason I knew this was because her breasts were so far pressed into my body that it was impossible to mistake.


    Worst of all due to all the contact we were making which indirectly caused some parts of our bodies to rub against each other I could feel two hard points stab into me.


    The moment I felt them I almost lost all reasoning but I held myself back.


    Even though we both had our school uniforms on I could still feel them through the clothing which proved how close together we were.


    Evelyn was well aware of what was happening to her body so she tried to move away from me.


    But this just made things worse as when Evelyn shifted most likely in an attempt to create a small amount of space between us it backfired greatly.

 Chapter 55 35. Dealing With A Curse (3)

    ?Originally I would be grateful for that tiny amount of space that was created as it allowed Evelyn to reposition herself. However, things did not go to n.


    In her attempt to move away, she ended up turning on her side which was all fine and dandy until the gap she created was filled.


    Due to pushing me back to create some space, there was now less for the person behind me which resulted in them pushing back themselves.


    This couldn''t have happened at a worse time as when Evelyn was sideways and I got pushed it ended up with Evelyn having to face backward.


    As a result, one problem was cleared up but another one was made worse.


    Thankfully I didn''t have to worry about her nipples anymore, however our position became terrible.


    Now that she was facing away from me, had her back to the doors, and was pushed up against the walls of the elevator it meant that I was pressed up against her ass.


    This was already bad enough but with my thoughts going wild from her breasts being rubbed against me I was already hard.


    "Ah."


    ''Fuck.''


    Of course, the first time Evelyn opened her mouth to voice something out it just had to be a light moan.


    Thankfully due to themotion all around us, no one was able to hear her yet it didn''t make our situation any better.


    I was painfully aware that she could feel my dick up against her ass cheek but there was nothing I could do.


    If she was the one feeling the most embarrassed before I was now outranking her.


    I desperately wanted to get out of the situation but there was nothing I could do as making another bit of movement would just end up making things worse.


    Luckily at this point, I finally felt the elevator begin to drop.


    I was so close to being free as the next stop would be mine. However, I was half expecting there to be more people behind the door so I didn''t get my hopes up too high.


    While we were dropping down to the next floor Evelyn decided that it would be a good time to move around.


    I wanted to curse this stupid girl as all her squirming around was the reason we were in such a predicament.


    But I didn''t bother to open my mouth and I just let her do what she wanted.


    Unfortunately, we were too close together for her to create enough room for her to really move or even turn around which meant that she was simply going back and forth.


    This made things so much moreplicated for me as every little bit she moved I could feel it all the while my dick was following along.


    After she shook her ass I had to put a stop to her antics before I was in deep trouble.


    Therefore I shoved my hands on the wall next to her and dropped my head down to speak to her.


    Having my heade down over hers I whispered into her ears:<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Stop moving so much."


    I didn''t want anyone to hear what I was saying so I made sure to talk in a low voice but it seemed my n went the opposite of how I intended it to go.


    The moment I spoke up Evelyn''s entire body shuddered and it just so happened that thest little bit of movementbined with everything else she had been doing resulted in my dick shifting over.


    This was a good thing as it was no longer pointed up against her cheek however it became worse when I realized the direction it shifted.


    Rather than sliding to the left which would leave it near her hips, it moved to the right which positioned me directly under her special space.


    It also didn''t help that our bodies were practically made for each other because she was at the perfect height where my dick could pultrude under her.


    Things became a hundred times harder when I realized that my thing was directly under her thing separated by ayer of clothing.


    At this point, there was no hope for me as all my thoughts were impure.


    One good thing dide about as Evelyn was too shocked and frozen in ce to move.


    Yet not one good thing coulde true without something far worse happening. Just as the elevator was slowing down to stop on the next floor a loud snapping sound rang out.


    I had just enough time to curse under my breath before the whole elevator came to an abrupt stop.


    It seemed that the safety mechanism kicked in which stopped the elevator dead in its tracks.


    Now this safety measure was made under the assumption that the people inside it would be following the rules and not exceeding the weight limit.


    Unlikely for us we''re probably over double the rmended weight.


    This meant that our abrupt stop coupled with all our weights, the emergency break couldn''t support all of us and we began free falling.


    To add insult to injury, my and Evelyn''s unsavory position didn''t make things any better.


    When we came to a sudden stop the momentum caused her body to drop down a little which meant that my thing wasn''t just pressed up against hers but rather wedged in there.


    Then when we started free falling my arms which were still pressed up against the walls of the elevator instinctively wanted totch onto something. Of course, the nearest thing just so happened to be Evelyn.


    That''s when my mind went into overload and my senses were overwhelmed by the chaos.


    The elevator was plummeting at such a high speed, that the lights began to flicker and the emergency rm red making everyone that much more anxious.


    The people inside were screaming and grasping onto the walls and each other ¡ª even the fatty. It was clear by their faces that they were contorted in fear, uncaring of their surroundings solely searching for a way to survive.


    One girl was frantically pressing the emergency call button, while another was trying to pry open the elevator doors to no avail.


    Meanwhile, the heat inside the elevator was rising and the air was thick with the smell of burning metal. It was clear that the elevator was scraping against the outside structure most likely creating sparks.


    Some people began crying, while others were praying as they were unsure if they would live through such a terrible event.

 Chapter 56 36. Dealing With A Curse (4)

    ?Dropping down at ever-rising speeds I cursed my luck.


    Although I was more than capable of surviving it didn''t make the situation seem any less extreme.


    I knew that all the others would be fine as they were stronger than me but due to our numbers there would be a bunch sustaining injuries and they wouldn''t be light.


    The only thing that I was concerned about was the elevator breaking apart. If that happened the scrapes of metal would be able to cut through everyone''s, including my defense.


    Surviving the fall was the easy part; what came afterward would determine if any lost their lives.


    I also made sure to note that I was as far away as possible from the fatty as thest thing I wanted to happen was to be crushed to death under his weight.


    That would be a terribly embarrassing way to go out.


    While we were falling the speed was increasing so fast that all of us started floating up into the air.


    This made things much easier for me however I wasn''t so sure about the others.


    Yet that didn''t pertain to me because if they can''t save themselves why should I go out of my way to do it for them?


    Plus it was their fault for ignoring the limit of people allowed inside. They had to deal with their own consequences and if some of them died because of it¡­ well, we were better off without them.


    Rising ever higher into the air I still kept Evelyn close to me. Although she was thest person I had to worry about, I couldn''t resist holding onto her for just a little longer.


    Plus serving as her hero ¡ª even if she didn''t need it ¡ª would hopefully make up for some of this shit she had to put up with.


    Yet my time came to an end when we reached the apex between the highest height we would reach and the imminent crash.


    When there was only a fraction of a second less before the elevator hit the bottom and we were mmed up against the ceiling of the elevator I pulled out Nightfall.


    .


    [30 minutes ago]


    "Miss Smith, I need a break."


    Without hearing her response I sat down on the groundying Nightfall beside me.


    I had been training for far too long without stopping once.


    The physical and mental pain I had was so draining that I found it difficult to stand up straight.


    All I wanted to do was clean myself off and get some long-overdue sleep.


    But I knew that I couldn''t get any shut-eye as there was only a short amount of time before sses started up for the day.


    I originally thought about skipping Mr. Vankay''s ss but I threw that idea out as I could still get in trouble and I needed to keep up pretenses until I got what I wanted.


    "That''s fine, I need to start preparing for my sses anyways."


    Hearing that I was finally free I almost wanted to shout but I knew Miss Smith would put me through hell for doing so.


    However, even though I didn''t express myself out loud she still somehow understood my emotions and an evil smile filled her face.


    "You know after all your peers dropped my trios ss there just so happened to still be an odd number of people."


    There was no way of me knowing this beforehand as I left to go to the nurse before all the teams finished.


    But I still didn''t know why Miss Smith was telling me such a thing because it didn''t make a differ-


    ''Fuck.''


    Miss Smith''s smile was even wider when she saw the look of understanding stered all over my face.


    "Guess who is going to be picked today?"


    I let out a groan of frustration.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Sure I wanted to get stronger and I knew I had to keep pushing myself but the amount of training I was doing was inhumane!


    Since there was an odd amount of students that meant that thest person left out would get special training with Miss Smith.


    This was amon way of doing things and I hadpletely forgotten about it as I never expected I would get picked for it.


    Yet now it seemed that she would be rigging the groups so that I''m left out and forced to spend additional time with her training.


    Just thinking about it made me exhausted all over again and I dropped down they t on my back.


    When doing so I just so happened to brush my hand over Nightfall.


    I didn''t think twice about such an action until Miss Smith gasped in shock.


    Raising my head I looked over at her to see what got her so worked up.


    "Your sword!"


    I was confused by her response.


    "My sword?"


    Pointing at where itid just a second ago she said:


    "It''s gone!"


    Full of disbelief I turned my head to the side where I knew Nightfall was ced and sure enough¡­ it was gone.


    A mix of emotions filled in my heart as I didn''t want to believe that after all my hard work at attaining the sword, it would just vanish.


    However, the moment I wished that the sword would reappear¡­ it did!


    This stunned both Miss Smith and me as we couldn''t trust our eyes to believe that a sword could vanish into thin air and then reappear.


    Getting over my stupor I began rationally thinking things through.


    That''s when I came up with the idea that I could summon the sword at will.


    Focusing my thoughts on having the sword go to wherever it went the first time it disappeared I wanted something to happen.


    Unfortunately, there was no change and I was beginning to think that there was a mistake but that''s when I remembered that I touched the sword before Miss Smith said that it faded away.


    Therefore I reached out my hand and grabbed onto the sword before thinking the same thoughts and my wish came true! I watched as a real sword evaporated into particles before being sucked up into the marking on the back of my hand.


    Seeing such a thing happen I could help but get ecstatic at the idea that I could freely manipte the existence of my sword.


    Wanting to make sure that I wasn''t dreaming I wished for the sword toe back and in the next second Nightfall materialized in my hand.


    Dumbfounded by such an overpowered ability my ns started rapidly changing on the spot.


    Being able to summon a weapon at any time was so much of a cheat that I almost couldn''t believe it to be true.


    Griffin prohibited any of the students from carrying weapons outside of battle orientation sses.


    This was a safety measure everyone had to abide by however it meant that when things started getting dangerous the students were harmless and eventually we were given permission to wield our weapons.


    However, that wouldn''t be until a bunch of students lost their lives.


    I didn''t want to be a part of those statics so being able to be armed without anyone knowing it was a huge advantage plus in the world outside of the academy, having a sword hidden that was impossible to detect would be lifesaving in more ways than one.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    I saw that the feedback for the elevator scenario wasn''t well received so sorry about that. I already have it typed up so it will finish tomorrow and hopefully some of the action will make up for the boringness. I appreciate any and all forms of criticism so I can better myself as an author worthy of your time.

 Chapter 57 37. Carnage

    ?[Present time]


    Wishing for the sword to materialize it only took a fraction of a second for it to appear in my hands. Then before the second coulde to pass I dug the sword deep into the walls of the elevator.


    The next bit of time that came to pass was extremely hectic.


    I felt my stomach drop and I instinctively closed my eyes to brace for impact.


    It was then the elevator jolted to a sudden stop, throwing everyone inside to the floor all at once.


    Panic immediately set in for those who were unable to protect themselves as more screams started filling the small space.


    The lights flickered once before going outpletely, which left the elevator in absolute darkness. Luckily the emergency lights started flickering on and off with each passing second.


    The moment it smashed into the ground floor an explosion rang out dealing considerable damage.


    ss, metal, and debris flew everywhere as it cut, stabbed, and pierced any of the nearby passengers. The machine that once served as a means of transportation was instantly turned into a death trap. The ride would without a doubt be thest for some of them.


    Even those outside of the elevator who were waiting on the ground floor or standing nearby the entrance waiting for it to arrive were not spared from the destruction.


    Friends who were chatting with each other, grabbing a bite to eat, or leaving to head to their first ss were killed without remorse from the tragic event.


    For those who were trapped inside things went far worse than I had expected.


    Theyer of people who were unlucky enough to fall down first looked like they went through a blender.


    Pultruding bits of scrapes impaled and killed the lucky ones while the others were ttened by the impact.


    Others were crushed, injured, and killed as most of the students were unable to protect themselves like I expected them to be able to do.


    Meanwhile, I on the other hand survived without so much as a scratch. All in all, it was quite anticlimactic, the moment we got to the apex height I stabbed my sword into the corner of the top of the wall.


    That meant when everyone else dropped down and sustained the most injuries I was perfectly fine hanging by the sword near the ceiling.


    Nightfall did its job perfectly as it remained gauged in the wall without moving a hair which allowed me to hold onto its handle with one hand while holding up Evelyn with the other.


    As we dangled from the top we looked down on the destruction caused by the impact.


    The entire bottom bit looked like it exploded outwards. It was as if it had been crushed by an immense force from a hydraulic press which resulted in the bits of it bursting out and creating a thin, t, disc.


    The blood of my peers was sttered everywhere and their corpses filled the bottom to create a scene out of a horror movie.


    The room was in total and utter chaos. Bodies were scattered everywhere and blood was pooling on the floor.


    The metallic smell of blood filled the room as blood somehow managed to spray on Evelyn and me even though we were so high up.<novelnext></novelnext>


    I could hear the crying and screaming of the people outside the crash site but I didn''t hear anythinging from the people below.


    This surprised me as I didn''t expect all of them to die but it seemed that the oue was unavoidable. If they didn''t have the strength to protect themselves from such a pathetic danger they would have no chance of surviving what was toe.


    However, my expectations were revitalized when I heard the groans of someone down below.


    "Oh, there''s a survivor?"


    I voiced out my curiosity to Evelyn in an attempt to take notice of her emotions during such a moment.


    "That''s all?"


    The response she gave was up to par with my expectations and I couldn''t help but reveal a slight smile.


    "Why don''t we see?"


    Recalling Nightfall Evelyn and I dropped down into the carnage.


    It was at this time that I finally let go of her and broke away from her body after being so close for a long period of time.


    Landing on a dead body some more blood shot up to cover my uniform and drench my shoes.


    Evelynnded gracefully nearby also on top of a body however she didn''t get a single drop of additional blood on her.


    Thanks to the years I spent mastering Mana Breath and it was incredibly easy to tell who was breathing and who wasn''t. Although it wasn''t too hard to tell in the first ce because half of them had deadly wounds that only took one look to realize that they were long gone.


    Passing over the bodies I didn''t feel any bit of sadness, remorse, or care for them. After all, they were already gone. There was no point in caring for a bit of dposing flesh.


    Using my senses to search for the survivor I looked over some of the people I passed. I saw that the first two girls who joined us seemed to get it the worst.


    They were ttening and had chunks of metal all through their bodies due to them being stuck in the corner which has the most amount of projectiles whenpared to being in the center.


    I saw other girls who had ligaments cut off, metal poles protruding through their chests, and heads that were cracked open.


    Finally, after passing five confirmed dead people, I arrived in front of one that was still breathing however, it wasn''t the original person I was expecting.


    Her method and form of breathing werepletely different from what I heard when I was hanging from the ceiling.


    "Here''s one, though she won''t be for too much longer."


    Dropping down to my knee whichnded in a puddle of blood I lowered my head to hers to listen to her breathing.


    It was extremely light and I could barely make it out.

 Chapter 58 38. Fatty

    ?The girl was clearly on her deathbed.


    It was then that I heard footsteps and Evelyn made her way over to us.


    "How long does she have left?"


    Looking at how her vibrant body was now frail and weak coupled with the extreme blood loss I knew she would die in a matter of minutes.


    "I''d say a minute or so, I don''t know? This is my first time determining how long someone has to live."


    Evelyn nodded beforeing to a stop next to the girl.


    "Is she the only one?"


    "No, there''s at least one more."


    "Then why are you focusing your time on her when she''s going to die anyways?"


    I looked up at Evelyn and I saw that there were no emotions behind her eyes as if she blocked out her ability to feel.


    Ordinarily, I would have dropped the subject there and did what she said as it was the most logical thing to do but I wanted to learn more about Evelyn.


    "What''s her name?"


    After asking I turned my attention back to the girl dying.


    Her breaths became shallow gasps, each one being shorter and morebored than thest.


    The girl''s eyes fluttered open onest time, her gaze locking on to me. She tried to speak, but no words came out, only a soft sigh as her chest stilled.


    Yet I could tell what she was saying behind her eyes.


    There was a mix of anger and fear.


    ''I''m scared and you don''t even care.''


    At least that''s the impression I got and truthfully she was right. All the while she was in agony Evelyn and I were talking as if we were taking a stroll in the park.


    However, to me, there was no difference between the two.


    The room fell silent, then I moved my head to look at Evelyn as I waited for her to answer my question.


    Her face scrunched but nheless, she gave me her name.


    "Quin, her name is Quin."


    "I see."


    Giving my attention back to Quin I gave her a final goodbye by whispering only something she could hear.


    "Do better in your next life."


    The girl''s eyes shot open for the final time and dulled as her spirit slipped away.


    Sighing I stood up to continue my examination for survivors leaving the girl''s body behind to be one with the surrounding death.


    When I pushed myself up more of my clothes got covered in blood and one leg was practically dyed red but it made no difference to me besides smelling bad.


    "Come on."


    Urging Evelyn to follow me I made my way through the other students where it was clear that they were long dead. That was until I came across the person who was still alive and I had heard breathing originally.


    To my great surprise, the one who managed to survive the ordeal just so happened to be the one that caused it.


    Coming to a stop I hovered over the somewhat still-alive fatty.


    "Is he the one?"


    Iughed.


    "Isn''t it ironic?"


    She didn''t reply.


    Kneeling down just as I had done with the girl I began to examine the man.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Like the girl, his breathing was shallow however it was clear that he still had some fighting spirit left in him.


    While getting closer to the man I realized that he was in critical condition.


    A metal pipe was protruding from his thigh, and blood oozed out from around it, staining the floor beneath him.


    In addition, his gut had been ripped open, and his intestines spilled out onto the ground beside him.


    His eyes were wide with pain and fear as he reached out with a shaking hand, pleading for help. It was clear that without medical attention he would pass away.


    Unfortunately for him I wasn''t a doctor and couldn''t do him service.


    Ignoring the man''s quaking hand that was now reaching out as if he was trying to grab something out of thin air I checked to see if I could do anything.


    Following the trail of guts, I saw how the man managed to survive the initial fall. Under him were two more crushed girls whose dead bodies cushioned the fall. In addition, I''m sure theyers of fat absorbed some of it.


    Seeing as a hand was stretched out from under him I could only imagine how their remains might look.


    ''I was right, that is a terrible way to go out.''


    Knowing that there was no way I''d be able to help him I asked Evelyn if she could do something.


    "Do you have any medical knowledge or should I just shove everything back inside him and hope for the best?"


    She scoffed.


    "I''m not touching him."


    "Fair enough."


    Pulling up the sleeves of my shirt I grabbed a handful of what I could only guess to be his intestines before shoving them back into the gaping hole that they came from.


    They were a weird texture as the blood covering them made them slimy. I also made note of how hot they were which after I thought about it seemed like something that would be obvious.


    Anyways, I had no idea if I would be making things worse but either way, there was only a slim chance of him surviving in the first ce.


    Therefore I gathered up everything I could and stuffed them back inside of him as if he was a turkey.


    By the time I was done everything inside of him was tangled and out of ce but at least he didn''t look as disgusting.


    Satisfied with my surgical skills I looked over at Evelyn to see if she approved but she ended up staring nkly at me.


    "Hey, I did the best I could."


    "I didn''t say anything."


    I sighed before turning my attention over the metal pipe that was sticking out of his leg.


    "The one thing I do know is if something gets lodged inside you shouldn''t pull it out because it''s the only thing stopping the blood from pouring out."


    "Right."


    "Then why are you grabbing hold of it?"


    A devilish smile appeared on her face before she yanked on the pipe which caused it to move the whole way through his leg and out the other side.


    Had the man been unconscious before it was clear that he was now awake due to the loud screaming filling what was left of the elevator.


    I didn''t have to ask Evelyn why she did it because I already knew that it would be in the best interest of the fatty.


    While the man continued to cuss us out until he started to lose his voice I asked Evelyn another question.


    "What''s his name?"


    She just stared back at me.


    "Come on, I should at least know the name of the person I''m saving."


    She continued to stare.


    "Okay, if you answer my question I''ll answer one of yours, deal?"

 Chapter 59 39. Paul

    ?"His name is Paul."


    A huge smile covered my face as I stood back up and towered over the man.


    "Hey fatty, I know you can hear me. I want to make a deal with you."


    Evelyn tried to stop me but I gave her a look and she became quiet as she decided to wait for me to finish my business.


    Paul seemed unable to respond but I could clearly make out his eyes which were staring daggers at me.


    "Listen here Paul, move your eyes up and down for yes and side to side for no, got it?"


    It took a couple of seconds as it seemed that Paul was still quite upset but eventually he came around and moved his eyes up and down.


    "Great, well then, I have an offer for you, are you ready to hear it out?"


    His eyes went up and down.


    "Perfect, wait here."


    It was then that he violently started moving his eyes from side to side but I ignored him as I moved closer to Evelyn.


    "You didn''t expect me to pick him over you did you?"


    She didn''t respond.


    "Anyways, it''s your turn to ask."


    Taking a couple of seconds to scan my face Evelyn tried to gather as much information as possible but my poker face was unlike any other.


    "Why are you so calm?"


    Hearing her question I paused for a moment before breaking out intoughter.


    She just looked at me while awaiting an answer as I desperately tried to catch my breath and restart Mana Breath again.


    "Of all the questions you could have asked, that''s the one you picked?"


    She looked at me quizzically.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Nah, it''s nothing, alright I''ll answer your question. I assume you want to know why I didn''t have much of a reaction to the gory mess?"


    "Yes."


    "Well it''s simple, there''s no reason to."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Why should I care what happened to them, it doesn''t pertain to me. If half the world were to vanish from existence in the next second I wouldn''t feel a thing."


    "You''re a sociopath."


    "You''re not any better yourself missy."


    "I never said I was."


    A moment passed in silence but it was pleasant as the two of us were trying to learn more about each other.


    "How about another round?"


    I suggested that we do the same where each time we answer a question we get to ask one back.


    "Sure."


    "Okay, my turn, what''s Paul''s gift?"


    Silence.


    "How do you know he has a gift and what makes you think I know it?"


    "Oh no, that''s not how these work, remember, you have to answer me before you get to ask something."


    She grumbled before answering:


    "Mana Density."


    I continued to look at her expecting her to further exin but that''s when I realized my mistake.


    "You never specified what you wanted to know about his gift so I just told you its name."<novelnext></novelnext>


    I raised my hands up to surrender.


    "You got me, ask away."


    "Why did you think I knew Paul''s gift?"


    I smiled. These were the kinds of questions I was hoping she would ask.


    "Easy, because you know everyone''s gift, except for one."


    ''I made sure not to mention anything more and even threw in a carrot.''


    Her eyes widened in shock but her expression remained emotionless.


    It was clear that she wasn''t going to say anything more so I asked my next question.


    "My turn, will you tell me about Mana Density?"


    "As the name suggests it allows Paul to manipte the density of the mana he umtes."


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "Come on, you gotta give more than that."


    She sighed.


    "He''s not actually obese it''s just that he stores his mana within his skin. I''m not sure why he chooses to use it in a way to increase his weight rather than be muscr but you should stop calling him fat because all that weight you see is mana."


    ''Thank you, Evelyn, without you things would have taken much longer than they needed to.''


    "Hey, I''m not the only one at fault. If I recall correctly just a minute ago you were disgusted by the idea of even touching him."


    "That''s not-"


    "Your turn"


    Her eyebrows furrowed and I knew she was agitated by her words being misinterpreted.


    ''Cute.''


    Was it weird that I was so unbothered by the massacre that surrounded me and more interested in messing with the girl in front of me? Maybe but I had my own goals to aplish and no one, not even dead bodies, would be able to stop me.


    ''However, it''s time to end this, I can''t let my meat shield- Paul bleed out.''


    "Who''s Gift don''t I know about? And for the record, I didn''t mean-"


    "Mine."


    "Huh?"


    "Mine."


    "But-"


    "Sharp Sword, you believe that to be my gift but you are wrong."


    Taking a nce at Evelyn I could tell that she waspletely dumbfounded but that wasn''t any of my concern anymore.


    Walking away from Evelyn I made my way over to the fatty and crouched down beside him.


    His condition looked much worse as he was extremely pale and covered in sweat.


    "Hey, buddy it''s time for us to make a deal so don''t die on me yet."


    His eyes locked on to me and it seems that they lost the me they once had as he realized that if something or someone didn''te to the aid soon he wouldn''t make it.


    "It''s simple really, I save your life, you give it back to me, and I''ll help you with your¡­ problem."


    At first, there was no reaction but after mentioning that I would not only save him but solve the problem where his mana forcefully enters his skin to create fat they trembled.


    "Well, what''s your answer?"


    His eyes moved up and down many times more than necessary proving to me how desperate he was.


    ''Are looks that important? Well, I guess I wouldn''t know because I got lucky with my appearance. Either way, this shows just how important self-esteem is because when it''s as low as his, he doesn''t think twice about bing a ve for the rest of his life.''

 Chapter 60 40. Friends?

    ?Having a dying man literally at my feet with his only hope of survival depending on me I felt a range of emotions.


    However out of everything I was feeling there was one emotion that stood above them all, empowerment.


    All my life, mainly based on my previous one I was always hiding, specifically when it came to matter evolving James. Then when I finally wanted to fight for myself I ended up getting killed.


    I haven''t forgotten that moment and every second I''ve spent in this new world has been directed so that I would never have to go through something like that again.


    Now I was finally taking my first real step of action.


    Paul was not some random run of the mil obese man like I had originally thought. It was only after I learned of his name that I called who he was. However, I couldn''t be sure because the Paul that Elijah metter in the novel was an extremely muscr man who was described as looking like a Greek god.


    Remembering that description of him I figured that they were two different people with the same name but if there was even a slight chance of him being the person I believed him to be I couldn''t give up the chance.


    Therefore I used one stone to kill two birds. I got to have some fun with Evelyn improving our rtionship and found out that Paul was the man I expected him to be because of his gift.


    Later in the novel when Elijah was stealing the gifts of people hees across Paul who managed to fend for himself for quite a while which was unheard of due to Elijah''s power at that time.


    Yet the reason he was able to do so was that his gift made him an unstoppable tank. As Paul conquered the ranks he became able to better manipte the density of his mana to the point he could change the tiniest amount.


    For example right before he would get hit with an attack he could move all the mana stored within his body to that one spot and receive next to no damage. But what truly made him frightening to his opponents was that he could do the same when attacking.


    He could put all his mana at the tip of his finger and vaporize someone from existence.


    These twobinations used together meant that he couldn''t get hurt and if a single part of his body touched you at any point you would die.


    If I didn''t have Aether which served as a counter to him I would also be terrified of his potential.


    Nheless, I nned to have him under my wing that way there would be zero chance of having to fight against him and I would have a powerful bodyguard.


    "Great, now hold on there is another thing I have to take care of first."


    Likest time Paul moved his eyes every which way in an attempt to get me to stay but I once again left him behind to chat with Evelyn for a second.


    Although I doubted Paul would betray me even if I was being rude once he was up and running I was sure he would forgive me. However, I wouldn''t be taking such chances as I learned my lesson to never trust anyone.


    Walking over to Evelyn I gave her the brightest smile I could muster.


    "Hey, want to make another deal"


    She looked skeptical but agreed to hear me out.


    "Let''s hear it."


    "If you give me the Mana Contract you have in your possession I''ll be your friend."


    She immediately dropped her head and a frown filled her face.


    "I-"


    "Let me make myself clear first, I still want to be your friend no matter your answer."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "But-"


    "The curse is nonsense, what happened here today to those people happened because it''s what fate had in store for them. It had nothing to do with you."


    ''I lied, it is someone''s fault, mine.''


    "If-"


    "I don''t care, there is nothing bad that will happen to me, do you want to know why?"


    She didn''t respond.


    I too didn''t respond as I looked at her expectantly, when she realized how childish I was being she opened her mouth and I immediately cut her off


    "Ye-"


    "I can see the future. Remember how I told you that I was the only person you didn''t know the gift of, I was telling the truth. I can truly see the future."


    ''Although it''s a stretch as I can only see an hour ahead once a day, she doesn''t need to know that.''


    "That-"


    "That means that even if you are cursed and something bad happens to any person you interact with, I at least will be able to avoid it."


    That was also a bit of a stretch because the curse might be able to bypass my ability and there might be other conditions at hand but it was logical enough for Evelyn to believe it.


    There was a long period of silence after that point and I knew better than to disrupt her thoughts as this might be the first time she may finally have someone to talk to and befortable around.


    Minutes passed as the only sounds came from Paul who was breathing ruggedly and squirming around in pain but neither of us focused on him as I waited for Evelyn to make up her mind.


    Finally, she looked up right into my eyes and said:


    "I have a question to ask first."


    This wasn''t the answer I was expecting but I was more than willing to answer anything she might be curious about.


    "Do I ept?"


    I paused for a second trying to understand what she meant and when I realized it I couldn''t help butugh.


    "What are youughing at?"


    But I blocked her out and continued tough at her question.


    Once I finally got it out of my system I had a huge smile on my face and said:


    "You ept of course!"

 Chapter 61 41. E Rank

    ?There were two directions I could have gone when answering her question. I already knew she was testing me but I need to pick the right choice.


    If I said something along the lines of ''How can I know the future of someone who hasn''t made up their mind?'' She might have already had a decision made and then she would know that I couldn''t see into the future.


    Although the easiest thing to do would be to use my ability, I didn''t want to use it for such a trivial thing when I believed that it would be better usedter in the day.


    Therefore I told her that she epted because she was going either way. There was zero chance that she would deny my offer because... she is lonely.


    To some, it might seem like I picked that answer for her by iming that I knew the future but in reality the moment I asked her she was already going to ept. That''s the benefit of knowing your own creation and what they are feeling.


    "Okay."


    Her answer was short but I knew that her true feelings were much greater which is why it''s unfortunate that she doesn''t reveal them.


    "Okay, now my dearest friend, would you mind giving me your Mana Contract?"


    She sighed before one of the rings on her finger lit up and the scroll appeared.


    "How did you know I had it in the first ce?"


    "Because you and I are the same, always prepared for everything."


    "Then why didn''t you bring your own-"


    "Why would I need to when you''re here?"


    "¡­"


    "Anyways thanks for this."


    Reaching out my hand I snagged the scroll away from her before she had a chance to change her mind.


    Knowing that I didn''t have much time left I went back over to Paul.


    While walking I made up the conditions of the contract that way he would only have to sign it.


    I made it short, simple, and without any loopholes.


    [I Lucas rank 993 swears to save the life of Paul rank 471 and remove the mana in his fat in return Paul will serve Lucas.]


    Kneeling down beside Paul I realized I might have waited too long as he was barely breathing and his eyes were shut.


    "It''s time to make your choice, sign or die."


    cing the scroll on Paul''s body I waited patiently for him to make up his mind.


    Luckily the Mana Contract could be signed with one''s thoughts so long as they were in contact with it otherwise I would be screwed.


    Thankfully I didn''t have to wait long as after cing the contract on him it soon turned into particles before I sustained a bit of mental strain.


    Knowing that it was a sess I immediately wanted to get to work before Paul passed on to his next life.


    Therefore I stood back up and summoned Nightfall.


    "Looks like this is the end of our little adventure."


    Evelyn started walking toward me.


    "So soon?"


    I smiled.


    "Don''t worry the two of us will have more fun in the future."


    Arriving in front of me Evelyn stared into my eyes carefully.


    "Lucas, you are an interesting person, thank you."


    I nodded before raising up Nightfall.


    ''There''s a lot more that we will have to talk about but for now, my energy needs to shift over to my new ve.''<novelnext></novelnext>


    Steading myself I closed my eyes and began making use of some of the points I''d been stockpiling.


    ''I didn''t want to do something like this tillter but now it''s an emergency.


    [SP: 9413]


    Knowing my stats I knew I had to break into at least the middle of E-rank to be capable of dealing enough damage to blow a hole through the wall.


    Ideally, I''d prefer to get stronger by my own means especially now that I have Miss Smith on my side to guide me.


    That way I would be able to get stronger quickly at my lowest rank so that I could save as much SP as possible.


    Yet circumstances changed and I couldn''t let this opportunity slip away.


    Draining arge amount of SP I leveled all my skills to be at 6 points so that I was sure I could get us out.


    [Vitality: 3.9 -> 6.0]


    [Strength: 3.9 -> 6.0]


    [Speed: 3.4 -> 6.0]


    [Resistance: 2.9 -> 6.0]


    [Magic: 6.1]


    [Aether: 2]


    [Rank: 993]


    [Credits: 250,000]


    [Abilities: 3rd Person POV]


    [Gifts: Weapon Comprehension (Intermediate-10), Null]


    [Skills: Mana Breath]


    [SP: 8828]


    Looking at the amount of SP the skills needed to absorb in order to level up pained my heart but the feeling of strength that soon overwhelmed my body made it worth it.


    A total of 585 SP was spent solely to increase my level and although I was upset that I had to do so, the feeling of getting stronger was addicting.


    Straining my muscles I gripped onto Nightfall and faced where the doors were located.


    Unfortunately, the debris was too much for an ordinary person to move which is why I needed to level up.


    Standing in front of where the doors were supposed to be and where bits of torn metal were ripped apart I made my stance.


    Pointing out Nightfall to face the wall I calmed my mind of all thoughts and sucked in a deep breath as I prepared to unleash an attack.


    Once I was ready Mana began to rapidly deplete from my reserves and a ghostly white light filled the room.


    ''First rune: Sharpness.''


    Using the ability granted by the de that I just unlocked I called forth the first rune.


    Immediately after, I synthesized Weapon Comprehension with the rune and my mana before making a circle to face the wall.


    Nightfall was engulfed in white yet after I released the attack everything went dark.


    A secondter an explosion rang out blowing me backward right into Evelyn.


    Thankfully she was kind enough to catch me so that I would go flying back any further andnd on a dead body.


    Once I recovered my senses I looked up to where I attacked in awe as I saw that I hadn''t just cut out a hole as I expected but rather Ipletely blew through it.


    For all intents and purposes, I had just gone from someone who couldn''t even match the strength of my peers to having the strength to annihte a wall.

 Chapter 62 42. Gone

    ?Looking at the crumbled wall that let in fresh rays of sunlight I was incredibly happy.


    I was thankful that it didn''t take too much SP to make it to E rank but I became depressed at the realization of how much it would take to level up high.


    The amount of SP needed to rise from 3.0 to 4.0pared to 5.0 to 6.0 was extremely high.


    That meant that going up one point at a higher rank like S rank would cost over a thousand SP.


    Being that I had topletely alter the way of the novel to gain over a thousand points was not something I was confident in being able to do multiple times.


    I either had to find a better way to get SP or level up myself and save the SP for times of emergencies.


    But one thing I was sure of was that I couldn''t keep up with the intake and I had no ns to spend any more SP on stats when I could save them for skills or gifts.


    "How long do you n on relying on me?"


    Being brought back to reality I realized that my legs weren''t supporting my body. That''s when I remembered that I was knocked back due to the impact of the explosion.


    Looking up I saw Evelyn''s face right next to mine as she held up my limb body while I sluggishlyid on her.


    "But you''re so soft."


    I got no reaction.


    I sighed before making use of my legs to stand back up.


    "Now what?"


    "Good question, being that no one has rushed to our aid after such amotion something must have happened which prevented them from doing so."


    "Then we''re alone?"


    "Don''t sound so sad about it."


    Walking up to the hole I carved out I wanted to try to make sense of what was happening.


    When I exited the elevator after being in it for so long the first thing that I was appreciative of was all the free space.


    I was no longer confined to the small space. Even after the incident, there wasn''t any more room as parts of the machine and all the dead bodies took up a lot of space.


    As the rising sun shone into the room illuminating it a sh of red filled my vision for a split second before I went back to looking around at all the destruction.


    There were fewer dead bodies than I imagined but that made me even more curious as to why no one wasing to our rescue.


    "Well, what do you see?"


    Looking back at the opening from the elevator Evelyn made her way out to join me.


    "It wasn''t as bad as I thought it would be."


    Evelyn looked down at one of the decapitated heads before looking right back up at me.


    I shrugged.


    In all reality I expected the entire room to be destroyed but it was only the area around where the elevator was located that sustained the brunt of it.


    The resting area and cafe were rtively unharmed and I didn''t see any bodies littering the floor.<novelnext></novelnext>


    That meant that many people escaped and still there were no teachers or administrators who made their way over.


    To be fair the whole thing happened in under a span of five minutes however this was a fantasy world where magic existed which meant that for those dedicated it would take less than a minute to make it to a crisis.


    This annoyed me as it became clear that something or someone was preventing us from getting help.


    I took a step forward but then looked back into the wreckage of where we came from and where Paul was stuck. I knew I didn''t have the capabilities to save him myself but I made the deal nheless because I believed there to be someone waiting for us outside who would help him.


    After all, I never mentioned that I specifically would be the one to help him just that he would be saved. Plus finding a nurse to care for him would technically be saving him.


    "Let''s go see what''s going on."


    Walking outside of the girl''s dormitory Evelyn followed behind me.


    When we made it outside there was still nobody I could sense. It was as if everyone besides Evelyn and I had vanished from the face of the earth.


    I looked back at Evelyn but she didn''t seem to know anything more than I did.


    "Maybe they are in the school?"


    I nodded, perhaps something extreme did happen and everyone was too distracted toe looking for us, or maybe they thought there were no survivors.


    While we made our way toward the school I looked at my red smartwatch to check the time.


    [7:39]


    It was clear that sses would have already begun if things were following the schedule but I had a feeling they weren''t


    It took us a couple of minutes to enter the building and walk through the halls. Along the way we didn''t run into a single person nor could I make out or hear anyone nearby.


    "Shall we go to Mr. Vankay''s ss first?"


    Evelyn seemed to agree however once we arrived there was no one to be found.


    The room was entirely empty and there didn''t seem to be any proof of human existence and there were no students or teachers to be found.


    "Now what?"


    ''Good question.''


    There wasn''t much more we could do other than look all around the ce and hope to happen upon someone else.


    "There''s onest ce we can check."


    ? Traveling back through the halls the two of us moved toward the administrative office where I had the trial with Charlotte.


    I figured that if there would be any clues as to where everyone went it would be in that room.


    While we were walking I looked out one of the windows and admired the rising run. It was particrly beautiful as a captivating red hue filled the sky.


    After some time we came to a stop outside the door.


    I looked back at Evelyn onest time before pushing open the door.

 Chapter 63 43. Red Mist

    ?Pushing open the door I was immediately enveloped in red.


    Red, red, red.


    Everywhere I looked I saw red.


    Turning back to see if Evelyn was seeing the same thing I was, I realized that she vanished. There was no one behind me.


    Before I could even react or try to make out what was happening the red started surrounding me.


    At first, it started light as if the red was just passing by and attaching itself to me, however it quickly became more than that.


    The red that was able to cover the whole room began rushing toward me till it felt like I was in the eye of a tornado.


    I was trapped covered on all sides by the red which restricted all my senses.


    Once I couldn''t even make out the room I was in or where the door was to leave. I knew the red wasn''t a good thing.


    Yet there was nothing I could do to stop it as when I tried putting my hand through it I could feel anything of substance.


    Therefore I retracted my arm but to my bewilderment, my hand was gone!


    Whatever I put into the red, devoured and left nothing behind.


    Bending my arm to take a look at the damage I saw blood, flesh, and bone.


    The red had perfectly severed my hand to my arm.


    I could make out both my radius and ulna, the blood vessels, and all the meat that made up my body.


    It was a unique experience to see that part of yourself and I didn''t particrly like it. I rather have my insides be inside.


    What confused me the most though was that I didn''t feel any pain when it removed my hand.


    I didn''t know if it was some medical reason where if it does it fast enough my pain receptors wouldn''t be able to pick anything up.


    But one thing was for sure, and that was that I didn''t want it to happen again.


    Unfortunately for me just as that belief crossed my mind the red copsed.


    Being devoured by it, I clenched my eyes closed and waited for my death as I knew I was incapable of defeating such a thing.


    However, after a couple of seconds passed and I didn''t feel dead I slowly opened my eyes.


    But the moment I did so I wished I hadn''t.


    I had opened my eyes toe face to face with¡­ a monster.


    A monster that was currently feeding on me!


    The red mist was prating my nose, mouth, and ears as the face of the entity looked directly at me while I felt my mind scramble.


    Finally awake from the nightmare I moved the same hand I lost a second ago a centimeter and opened my eyes wide.<novelnext></novelnext>


    When the creature saw that my eyelids burst open it quickly retreated but that didn''t make me feel any less safe.


    Taking this as an opportunity I tried to gather as much information as I could by studying my surroundings.


    A pounding headache made it extremely hard to focus on anything but I was at least able to deduce that I was back in the elevator.


    I didn''t know how or why but I wasn''t really in a position to find out. I knew I had to deal with what I had if I wanted to survive.


    The headache caused my vision to be blurry and unfocused as it felt like the whole room was spinning and distorted.


    It also didn''t help that only every few seconds would a sh of red light brighten up the room. The rest of the time I was left in the pitch-ck dark.


    Between these shes, I could make out the bodies of the girlsying around me.


    My sense of reality was truly messed up and I couldn''t make out the real from the fake but I figured the easiest way to deal with it was to treat everything as if it was real and deal with the consequencester when¡­ if I survived.


    Between another sh, I realized that my time was up as the monster began moving again.


    The abomination was a being made up of the same red mist that attacked me in the administration office.


    I knew it wasn''t a coincidence but the migraine was preventing me from being able to connect the dots.


    In fact, it was incredibly difficult to make the smallest and leastplex thoughts.


    Had I ever been drunk I expected it to be something like what I was currently going through.


    The monster didn''t care for what I was going through as a dark red mist seeped into my vision through cracks in the walls and under the floor.


    It swirled around and pulsated, growing thicker by the second.


    An eerie presence suddenly made it self-evident as I could finally tell that I was in danger.


    All this time I hadn''t felt any form of killing intent or belief that my life was on the line but as if a dam was holding it back all those feelings exploded outward.


    For the first time since my death, I felt true horror.


    What made things worse was that a malevolent intelligence was lurking within the mist causing me to question everything I knew to be true.


    My bodypletely froze up as the aura the monster was releasing was tens of not hundreds of times more potent than Miss Smith''s.


    In this case, I felt as if it was the end, against such a powerful force there was no chance of winning.


    I knew I had to ept my fate and that I would die.


    ''Wait.''


    ''Fate? When have I ever epted my fate? No, no, I refused to believe that something is controlling my every action. I define what will or will not happen to me.''


    Using thest bit of mental energy I had before I surrendered myself into madness I called forth my ability.


    ''Third Person POV.''

 Chapter 64 44. Red Mist (2)

    ?Zapped forward into the future I watched on in an astral form from the sky down onto my future self.


    By now I was used to it as I had used the ability a couple of times before however I never got over the feeling of being there to watch myself and not have a physical body.


    It was something I became used to but could never fullyprehend.


    Anyways I floated around at the top of the elevator as I watched what happened to my future self.


    Although I live out the whole hour of the ability, not even a microsecond passes in the real world during that time.


    That too is something I cannot wrap my head around but it''s not something I need to understand. What I need to make note of is everything that happens during that time so that I can react to it in the real world.


    One thing I did notice though was that the future me is extremely capable. It was as if an AI program was showing me the best possible way to make use of that time.


    I first realized this when I used it to see what would happen when I fought against Willow.


    Ordinary the same me wouldn''t be able to dodge even one attack let alone enough to form a counterattack ande out on top.


    Yet that time when I watched from above I saw myself do things I was sure would be impossible.


    I reacted in split-second scenarios and always managed toe out with the upper hand after each attempt.


    Seeing myself do such a thing while in the astral form, I believed it to be an impossibility. I remember thinking to myself that my body was incapable of moving in such a way.


    However, the moment the hour passed and I returned it was as if a new program had been imnted in me which allowed me to do exactly what I witnessed.


    This made me realize that there were more secrets to the ability that I didn''t understand.


    Yet when I realized the same thing about Mana Breath with how it can energize my body I started to wonder if every skill, gift, and ability had a secret.


    Unfortunately, I didn''t have SP to waste on a hypothesis that I was curious about.


    Therefore I ept the gift that kept gifting and incorporated everything that I learned from using the ability.


    Thus I watched on for the rest of the hour and once the time was up I was left in shock about how such a dire situation turned into a huge benefit.


    .


    A glimmer of light shed in my eye, one would have had to pay extremely close attention to realize what happened.


    Even the current me didn''t know such a thing happened or that the sh happened every time that I used the ability.


    Knowing how the events of the next hour would y out and that I was more than capable of fulfilling the requirements I rxed at such an important juncture.


    In the passing of a second, a went from a terrified, broken-minded weakling to a confident master that acted as if I held the world in the palm of my hand.


    Doing the same thing the future me did, I first looked at the source of the red mist.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Because of the headache and the fact that the room was spinning, I originally believed it to being from everywhere.


    In reality, the source of the monster was right in front of me.


    ''Evelyn.''


    The creature that sustained the red mist was none other than Evelyn.


    I would have realized it sooner if the most hadn''t been feeding on my mind and my ability to think clearly was ruined.


    However, since I used the ability the fog which covered my mind vanished along with the headache.


    I wasn''t entirely sure how this came to be but I wouldn''t refuse such treatment.


    Looking over at the unconscious girl on the floor I watched as a thick red mist started seeping out of her body, filling the room with an eerie haze.


    The pressure being released by the monster intensified to over a thousand times what Miss Smith was able to produce.


    However, unlikest time I didn''t falter and kept my mind stronger.


    I knew that I had no reason to worry because all the monster was doing was bluffing.


    Although it took the astral me a long time to figure it out the future me seemed to know almost immediately that the creature wasn''t a threat.


    In fact, I also believed that the future me seemed disappointed by such a discovery. Which is why I was confused by some of its early actions.


    The being I thought would devour me seemed insignificant to the future me. So when I started walking towards it I thought the ability broke and I was doomed.


    But I was wrong, so wrong.


    Therefore following in the footsteps already given to me I allowed the monster to fully power up.


    When the aura it was releasing got so strong to the point I couldn''t breathe I smirked before sucking in a huge breath.


    Completely shattering what was supposed to happen where I pass out from the thoughts of dying I instead fought against the instinct.


    Every part of my body was screaming to give up but I knew better, I knew the future!


    Breathing normally as if the monster didn''t exist I rose to my feet and carefully looked around the room.


    With my mind clear it was easy to make out what happened.


    I first pulled up my status panel to double-check that I was correct and when I saw that I was still E rank I knew that everything was now under my control.

 Chapter 65 45. Red Mist (3)

    ?Everything that happened that was false urred the moment I stepped outside of the elevator.


    I didn''t exactly know how it worked but it was clear to me that the red mist is able to manipte the memories a person has.


    It a terrifying ability that causes one to fall into despair as they are unable to tell reality from their imagination.


    I too would have fallen for it''s tricked but thankfully the ability was able to save me and prevent my mind from falling to the monster''s temptations.


    I realizedter on that when I woke and realized that the monster was feeding on me it was actually imnting thoughts into my mind and changing the way I felt about things.


    The purpose of the monster is to feed on the person while they believe that they are somewhere else none the wise that they are slowly dying.


    To do this the creature alters the way the person feels and believes.


    Thinking back on the situation I realized that it had a huge influence on what I was doing.


    First it took me till my final moments to decide to use Third Person POV. I''d used it in far simpler less dangerous times before but for some reason I felt like saving on to it when there was no reason to do so.


    Another thing I now know was influenced were my thoughts on being the only person left.


    The moment I left the elevator I didn''t think twice about Paul had I gone back in there I probably would have realized what was happening sooner.


    Instead I decided to explore the whole school even going to specific rooms. This was done so that I spent more time there rather than trying to get back that way the monster could continue to feed.


    I can only assume that when I entered the administrative room my mind subconsciously believed that something was midst which is why I broke free from the nightmare.


    Had I ered any other room I probably would have kept looking which proved that I still had some mental strength to ovee the monster.


    The reason for this was most likely due the fact that I''d spent a whole century isted, witnessed many people die in front of me, and die in my own world before being transmigrated into a new one.


    Although I was iparably weak to the monster those hardships allowed me to survive although just barely.


    There were other smaller concerns that I should have taken notice of like being more aware that it would be impossible for everyone to vanish as well as the flickering red.


    There were so many clues that my mind was trying to send me to help me out but even then I couldn''t understand them.


    For example the very moment I left the elevator everything turned red, then the sky was red, and even my watch was red when I knew it wasn''t.


    I was disappointed in my self for not checking these things but the biggest disappointment was Evelyn herself.


    Then and even know I can''t believe that it wasn''t Evelyn who was walking with me.


    Her character felt all too real and if I didn''t know everything was made up I would still believe that she was standing there outside the administrative room waiting while I was trapped inside.


    Shaking my head of these thought I prepared for what need toe in the next few minutes.


    Due to my ability to protect my mind from the mental games of the monster I knew it was no longer a threat.


    The aura it was releasing was purely artificial as it somehow still had a connection to my mind and made me believe that it was strong than it really was.


    For me now that I knew the truth the monster was nothing more than red mist.


    At least that''s what I wanted to believe.


    Instead things would be taking a sharp turn as I would have to face one of the few regrets I made in both of my lives.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Standing up straight I waited for the monster to make it next move as I prepared my mind for what was toe.


    I knew what would ur because of knowing the future but it didn''t make things any less difficult.


    Slowly the mist came up to me before stopping at my feet. Then a huge amount of red began to leave Evelyn''s body as it started materializing in front of me.


    ''Here we go.''


    In a matter of seconds a huge amount of red mist gathered to create a humanoid figure.


    Forming right in front of me I watched as the mist developed arms, legs, and a face.


    Once it wasplete I looked over the being while trying my best to remain calm.


    <What are you?>


    The voice of the mist vibrated throughout the entirety of the elevator.


    "That''s a shame."


    The first thing I said to the monster was to tell it that I was disappointed by its actions. I didn''t ask what or why it was doing what it was doing nor did I ask to be saved instead I insulted the entity.


    The monster turned its head vertically as if that was a way to better identify who I was.


    <How can such a weakling ovee my mental attacks?>


    "That''s a long story that I don''t want to go into right now. How about we focus on what''s important?"


    <On what''s important?>


    "Yes, like what gives you the right to mess with my head?"


    <Oh?>


    "You''ve also worsened the state of my meat shiel- I mean subordinate."


    Locking my eyes on Paul I saw that he was unconscious yet there was mist flowing into him.


    I could sense that he was still breathing so I was thankful for that. But I didn''t know how long I was out for which meant that he could have lost too much blood.


    I knew I need to wrap things up so that he could get some medical assistance. Plus I was tired with dealing with so much nonsense.


    <Yes, his mind was quite easy to break. Though his memories¡ª>


    "Okay let''s get this over with."


    <Hmm, although I might not be able to take over your mind what makes you think you can stop me?>


    "Me? When did I ever say I was the one who was going to defeat you?"


    <?>


    Calling forth Nightfall the sword appeared in my hand in a split second and before the mist could retreat I swung across and cut the monster in half.

 Chapter 66 46. Red Mist (4)

    ?Slicing through the red mist the creature split in half and began breaking apart as it lost its appearance of being a person.


    I watched this scene closely as I knew the monster would struggle but ultimately it would result in nothing.


    As the two sections tried to merge the voice of the mist voiced out inughter.


    <Did you think a sword could harm something like me?>


    I didn''t respond as the monster would soon realize that it already lost.


    Although it was true that it would be fundamentally impossible for a sword to cut through air, Nightfall was different.


    It was clear that the mist was underestimating me but that was also partially due to how I disyed myself.


    I made it seem like we were at a standstill where it was unable to harm me due to my strong mental fortitude. While I couldn''t as it was quite literally a fog that didn''t have a physicalponent to it.


    That''s why the mist thought nothing more of me cutting it.


    There was a chance it could have retreated before I cut it so I made sure to mention Paul that way the mist would think I was acting out of anger.


    In reality, the moment Nightfall so much as touched the mist the game was over.


    While waiting the mist started connecting itself together to rebuild the body it formed however it seemed to be taking a bit of time as when it was nearlypleted with one part another would break away.


    The mist would create a hand and then its leg would break away causing the whole body to copse. Then it would start building itself up before something simr happened.


    "Have you noticed?"


    Hearing my words the mist gave up on returning to its humanoid form and remained bodiless.


    <What did you do to me?>


    I smiled.


    "Are you ready?"


    "Ready for w- >


    Suddenly a strong suction force began pulling in the mist. The cause of this force was none other than Nightfall.


    ''She got it.''


    Now I knew that things werepletely in my control as there was zero chance of anything honing wrong.


    Beforehand had the mist wanted to kill Paul it could have but now its fate was set in stone.


    Watching as the mist that once filled the entire room slowly began losing its presence I felt relieved that everything would soon be over.


    "I''ll see you on the other side."


    <No!>


    Finally, as thest bit of red was locked away in the sword I looked around the room onest time.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Paul was still on his deathbed and Evelyn was lying unconscious on the floor.


    I could have gone over to the wall and blown a hole through it as I had done in the memories but I knew now that the red mist was gone the others would arrive in a matter of seconds.


    That left me with three options: injure myself to fit in with the others, go over to Paul and say I was trying to help him, or, do the same but with Evelyn.


    Ideally, I''d go over to Evelyn but I knew she was strong and would be fine on her own. Although just thinking about some of the stuff she had to go through weighed on my conscience.


    Had I wanted to hide my strength and remain hidden I would have blended in with the others but I didn''t have that choice as in order to go stronger I had to be at the forefront of every grand event to gain the highest amount of SP imaginable.


    Therefore I made my way over and crouched down next to Paul before whispering:


    "I''ll be fulfilling the first part of our deal so you better be ready when Iplete thest part."


    I didn''t know if Paul could hear me or not but it didn''t matter as the next second the wall which was covered with debris was forcefully torn down.


    As rays of sunshine flooded into the room and the figures of Mr. Griffin and a few other administrators stood looking into the room I dropped my raised shoulders and rxed.


    "Help! He needs medical attention!"


    Screaming for help, someone from behind the line of people blocking the entrance rushed forward and pushed past them.


    The moment the nurse caught a glimpse of the horror that was the scene she froze up for a second but it was only a moment before she locked her eyes on me and the personying next to me.


    She looked around at the bodies of all the other students as she tried her best to avoid them as she made her way over to me.


    Even in this case, I wanted to have a bit of fun.


    "They are all dead! Hurry, he''s not going to make it much longer!"


    Hearing my words the nurse had two options. Continue moving at a slow speed by stepping only where there was space between bodies or stepping on them to make it as quick as possible.


    She chose thetter as with each step blood sttered and the sounds of the bodies she stepped on rattled through the walls.


    It was clear that the nurse was experienced because if it required her to harm the bodies of the dead she would willingly do it to save the life of one of the living.


    I was satisfied with how she conducted herself and the nurse made it to the two of us in no time.


    Dropping down next to me she looked over Paul''s body and her face scrunched up.


    There was a gaping hole in his side, he was covered in blood, and she couldn''t make out his breathing.


    Pushing past me to check if his heart was still beating I was forced to stand up to give her room.


    When she ced her fingers on his neck her face turned gloomy but she soon felt a faint pulse and she immediately got to work.


    Meanwhile, I locked my eyes on Mr. Griffin who finally began giving out orders to those beside him.


    ''Things are going to be much more interesting.''

 Chapter 67 47. Conclusion

    ?In the end, the event wrapped up easily with Mr. Griffin taking charge and shouldering most of the responsibility.


    It ended with the situation beingbeled the Dorm Tragedy where eighteen were confirmed dead and over thirty injured.


    The nurse that came over to help Paul ended up taking him away to monitor his health. Thankfully he managed to pull through and survive everything that happened.


    However, he isn''t free yet as his injuries were quite extensive. His condition turned critical when they were transporting him to the infirmary.


    As a result, he fell into aa and the nurses were unable to tell when he would wake up.


    As for Evelyn she had light injuries and was in dire need of rest.


    There was no threat to her life but she was extremely disoriented when she awoke and they had to sedate her in order to calm her down and prevent her from harming herself.


    As for the other students who got caught up in the destruction I didn''t bother to check up on them as their lives were of no importance to what I was trying to achieve.


    Charlotte texted me to make sure I was okay because she heard the explosion when the elevator crashed.


    Unfortunately due to the elevator being broken down and the debris filling the bottom floor, the teachers asked that the students remain in their dorm rooms.


    Since Charlotte was stuck upstairs and unable toe down I could only reassure her that I was fine.


    News about the incident spread quickly throughout the school and the fact that people died from such a thing caused it to spread like wildfire.


    I had to tell Charlotte close to a hundred times over that I was healthy and that I was just lucky to not get hurt.


    She seemed to calm down after I exined it but I didn''t have any more time to chat with her as soon after Mr. Griffin came up with some of the other administrators to get my perspective on what happened.


    Due to Evelyn and I being the sole survivors he wanted to hear about it from us but Evelyn was currently unavable as she was knocked out from the medication.


    I agreed to exin my stance and that''s how I ended up in the administrative room for the second time under trial.


    Mr. Griffin already ced the lie detection spell on me and was about to ask his first question.


    "Do you know what caused the elevator to copse?"


    I nodded.


    "The max capacity of people allowed was exceeded and the weight was too much for the machine to handle."


    He remained silent before one of the professors asked a follow-up question.


    "Are you positive that was the only reason?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "That there wasn''t any outside force. Take for example a part being faulty or something breaking which might have caused the elevator to crash?"


    "If you are asking if it was a manufacturing error I''d have to say no, the elevator simply couldn''t support all of us."


    Once the professor was reassured that the problem resulted from the students he let out a sigh of relief.


    I could only assume that he had some part in engineering the elevator so my testimony would put him in the clear.


    After this Mr. Griffin began asking the questions again.


    "At what point did you get on the elevator?"


    "I was the first to get on."


    "Then that means you were there the entire time from start to finish?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "That''s correct."


    "I see."


    I was rtively calm as I knew nothing was my fault but I did what to keep the red mist a secret if possible which is why I wanted the trial to end as soon as it could.


    "Can you list out the order in which the students entered?"


    "I can but I don''t know their names. You would have to give me a picture so I can identify them."


    Mr. Griffin nodded as he called for one of the other people in the room to go get them.


    Surprisingly it only took a few moments before a stack of images was ced in front of me.


    I was easily able tobel who entered when and at what time thanks to the pictures.


    The administrators looked over the photos before taking note of the information I provided so far.


    Then some other member spoke up and started grilling me about how I handled the situation.


    "If you were the first person to get on the elevator why didn''t you stop any of the other people from joiningter?"


    I stared nkly at the woman who asked it.


    "Well, I wasn''t particrly interested in telling a group of girls that they aren''t allowed to get on the elevator in their own dormitory."


    "If even doing could have saved their lives?"


    Now all eyes fell on me as I had to make my stance clear. I could simply say that I didn''t care about this which would cause them to look at me with disgust but they wouldn''t suspect me of anything.


    However, I didn''t want to share some of my feelings unnecessarily so I decided to go the ignorant route.


    "How was I supposed to know the elevator would break down? Do you expect me to know the future?"


    "No, but-"


    "Plus, just before I got on the elevator a group of over fifteen girls came out of it which is why I didn''t think too much of the weight limit being exceeded."


    Hearing my response Mr. Griffin cut the woman short from asking another question to determine if what I was saying was the truth.


    "Are you positive that there was such arge group of girls who came out prior to you entering?"


    "I''m not red am I?"


    Shifting the me elsewhere Mr. Griffin wanted to focus on the new lead yet before he allowed me to leave he had onest question.


    "Do you know anything about a red mist?"


    ''Fuck.''


    I knew I needed to choose my next couple of words carefully.


    "What do you mean by a red mist?"


    Mr. Griffin shrugged.


    "I''m not so sure myself but during the brief moment Evelyn was conscious she was muttering about the red mist."

 Chapter 68 48. Trial V2

    ?Thankfully it seemed that Mr. Griffin was only asking because he was curious and not because he knew something.


    That meant I could keep the situation under wraps andbel it the babbling of a person who went through a traumatic experience.


    "Red mist, do you really think that I wouldn''t have noticed such a phenomenon? I''m afraid Evelyn must have been imagining things."


    Mr. Griffin rubbed his chin.


    "I suppose, but one can never be too sure. Are you positive you never saw anything that could be rted to this red mist?"


    ''Give up, damn it.''


    I was trying my absolute best not to lie and alert the professors that there was more going on than what they originally imagined but it was getting harder and harder.


    Mr. Griffin was not making it easier by clearly asking a specific question to get an even more detailed answer.


    However, I was prepared and knew that there were workarounds.


    So far I managed to keep the red mist hidden by not giving a definite answer and attacking the credibility of the user.


    Yet thisst question was tricky as if I so much as mentioned its existence there would be no chance of getting away free.


    Mulling over his question to give off the impression that I was thinking of every little thing that might be interpreted as red mist I came to my own conclusion.


    "I''m afraid there is no recollection of the existence of red mist existing in this world within my memories. If what Evelyn is saying is true perhaps it only pertains to her."


    Mr. Griffin listened to my answer carefully and double-checked that I didn''t light up red before sighing and motioning for me to leave the room.


    He didn''t bother asking any questions about the immediate tragedy as he felt that it would be too hard on a student which is why Mr. Griffin wanted to focus on the facts that caused the incident.


    Hearing my ount of people dying was both meaningless and unnecessary as it wouldn''t give more information and would only serve to make me relive such a sad event.


    Had he known I didn''t feel anything for the deceased he might have been able to catch me off guard and get some information about the red mist but it seemed that for once I got lucky.


    Opening the door to leave I stopped as I thought about asking if Mr. Griffin got my letter but I thought better of myself as I knew he would be more preupied with the tragedy than focusing on some small mishap.


    Therefore I am still a free man having gone through two trials in the same week.


    Although this one wasn''t as bad as thest one as there wasn''t any reason I would face consequences because for all intents and purposes that elevator falling was a freak ident.


    As long as I covered everything up there would be no problems denying the existence of the red mist.


    Before I walked too far away and forgot about it I made such to regte my mana and break the lie detection spell. I didn''t want to make the same mistake I made before and make a fool of myself.


    Afterward, while walking through the hall I congratted myself on my well-thought-up response. By saying that the red mist didn''t exist in his world I was technically telling the truth.


    The mist was currently locked away in Nightfall which in itself contains a different reality.


    I also wasn''t lying when I said the red mist has something to do with Evelyn but just not in the way Mr. Griffin believed.


    He should be thinking that it was a figment of her imagination while in truth it was her who was the host of the mist in the first ce.


    Leaving the school I walked outside near the dorms. The girl''s dorm was shut downpletely as there were medical staff and workers taking care of and clearing up the ce.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Since the incident was so serious sses were suspended for the day which was a surprise to me but then I remembered that this was only the first of many tragedies and soon it would be a daily urrence.


    Therefore I took advantage of the free time I had and made my way back to my dorm room.


    Thankfully I could finally get in as it was muchter in the morning when the doors were open and I could sign in with my smartwatch.


    Doing so I entered the male dormitory and looked around at all the people huddled on the first floor.


    Due to sses being out and the female dormitory being locked, tons of girls were staying on the ground floor resting as the teachers allowed them to take shelter there.


    However, they were not permitted to enter any of the boy''s rooms which left them bored out of their minds as they were stuck waiting for the girl''s building to get cleaned up.


    In truth I expected most of them to go into the city and stay there for the day but for them, it didn''t seem eptable to go out and have fun during a time of mourning when so many passed away.


    I, on the other hand, couldn''t care less but I had other ns that required my immediate attention so I didn''t have a reason to leave the campus.


    Plus I intended on leaving the next day with Miss Smith either way so it wasn''t like I had to wait long.


    Walking up to the elevator which would take me to my room there were two guards of some sort standing outside of it.


    "Excuse me, are we allowed to use it?"


    One of the guards looked down at me with a confused expression.


    "Yeah you are free to do so it''s just that everyone has been taking the stairs because of¡­ well you know."


    I didn''t really want to walk up multiple floors because some people were superstitious that the elevator was cursed so I double checked that I could use it.


    "I see, but we don''t have to take the stairs, do we?"


    The guards looked at each other.


    "Well no."


    "Then can I go up?"


    They nodded and moved out of the way.


    As the doors opened and I walked in and as the doors were about to shut I stopped them and pecked my head outside.


    "By the way, why are you two here?"


    The guards turned back to look and me and answered simply:


    "To make sure the weight limit is never exceeded."


    "Ah, okay, thanks."


    Taking a step back into the elevator I allowed the doors to close and pressed the button for my floor.

 Chapter 69 49. Visiting The White

    ?Riding up the elevator, I patiently waited for it toe to a stop. The ride wasckluster and uneventful but I never expected there to be anything of significance in the first ce.


    When it came to a stop and the doors opened I quickly made my way out and moved toward my room.


    Once there I went inside and the very first thing I did was rush into the bathroom to take the shower which I had been so desperately searching for before the incident.


    Turning on the water I immediately rxed as I allowed the hot water to pour down my body.


    It felt so good to finally wash away the built-up sweat and dried blood.


    While cleaning myself I thought back to how everything that happened in the past couple of hours all resulted because I wanted to take a shower.


    Had I just gone to ss the way I was or beente by waiting for my dormitory to open the tragedy there was a chance the tragedy might not have happened.


    But then again I could never be too sure as it might have happened either way but I knew sooner orter something simr would have urred when I met with Evelyn.


    Some catastrophic event was bound to happen when we met so I was fine with the way our meeting yed out.


    Those who died were not of any importance if they couldn''t save themselves so having a little more than a dozen people perish was fine by me.


    If we had met at a more popted ce and far more people died I would have been annoyed so overall I was happy with the oue as it was something that had toe.


    Finishing up in the shower I watched as thest of the red water flowed down the drain.


    Climbing out I dried myself off and went back into the living quarters to grab a new uniform since myst was covered in blood stains.


    Putting it on I then copsed onto my bed andid on my back staring up at the ceiling.


    Although I wanted to get some much-needed rest and get some shut-eye after all that happened there was still one more uncounted thing I had to take care of.


    This would also be a strenuous task which meant I couldn''t let my mentality drop as I prepared myself and then called forth Nightfall.


    Having the sword materialize in my hand I held it up and examined it against the background of my ceiling.


    I was still enchanted by its beauty but I knew it wasn''t time to get distracted.


    I had to finish what I started with the red mist.


    Calming my mind I made my intentions clear as I called forth my will to influence Nightfall.


    Closing my eyes I relinquished any thoughts as I allowed my wish to guide me.


    Then a momentter I opened my eyes and all I could see was white.


    I was back within the realm of Nightfall.


    Instantly I called forth Aether to surround my body and protect me from the vast emptiness.


    Unfortunately, I knew my time was short as the white already started impeding on the Aether as it was forcing it to shrink.<novelnext></novelnext>


    One thing I was disappointed in was being unable to level up the amount of Aether I had with SP.


    In order to reach a higher rank one would have to level up all aspects of their skills to a certain level, it couldn''t just be a single one.


    That is why it came as a surprise when I could reach E rank even though the amount of Aether I had didn''t reflect it.


    But then once I started thinking about why that was, it made sense. Since other people who are unable or haven''t unlocked Aether, yet are still able to level up it most likely meant it wasn''t a necessity.


    Therefore it made sense that I could continue to level up otherwise I would be at a disadvantage if I had to improve the amount of Aether I had just to rank up.


    But then another shock came to me when I learned that I was unable to upgrade Aether with SP in the first ce.


    If I could I would have expended an exorbitant amount of SP to increase the amount as the status point as it was already incredibly powerful.


    Although, I didn''t have any time to think about it when I was in the elevator because of the situation I now realized how much of a problem it was.


    Being unable to improve the amount of Aether I currently had was a huge obstacle that I needed to ovee.


    But I didn''t have the leisure of thinking about a solution for the time being as I had to make do with what I got.


    Thus I made sure to move quickly and efficiently as I had to make the most of the time I had left before I ran out of Aether.


    Being in the white I once again closed my eyes and envisioned myselfing into contact with the physical body of Nightfall.


    In the passing second, I then opened my eyes and she was there standing before me as beautiful as ever.


    ''It worked.''


    To be honest I wasn''t sure if I would be able to freely move about in the world like I had done so when entering it but it turned out I could.


    Looking at Nightfall in the eyes I saw the same dull look that she expresses outwardly.


    As much as I wanted to go up to her I restrained myself as I needed to deal with the red mist.


    I took my eyes off hers and did my best to ignore her naked body that she for some reason refused to cover.


    "It''s not like you can see anything anyways."


    "But I can imagine it."


    "Not my problem."


    That was true, it wasn''t like there was anyone around that would be creeping on her.


    Although I wanted to keep up the small talk with her I needed to get down to business as the Aether was already starting to diminish.


    "Where is the curse?"

 Chapter 70 50. Visiting The White (2)

    ?"Is that what we are calling it?"


    Her melodious voice almost caused my walls to copse and exin everything to her but I stopped in time.


    "Tell me, where is it?"


    I felt her gazend on me but I knew better than to look back up at her.


    Thankfully she didn''t take too long before snapping her finger.


    Hearing the sound I looked up and the next second the red mist appeared.


    But it wasn''t like it was before where the mist seemed threatening enough to devour the whole world instead it was reduced to its human form.


    Even now I could see the white damaging the body of the mist as it tried to remove the foreign object.


    In a way it was simr to me in the sense we were both impeding in a different world.


    [You''re here.]


    "I am. Have you been well? Do you like this little ce of mine?"


    [Your taunts are meaningless.]


    "Oh, you still have your pride even though you are in the palm of my hand¡­ literally."


    [¡­]


    I sighed as I felt some of the white brush up against me before redistributing the Aether around my body.


    "Let''s get down to business, you have two options."


    [I will not be controlled by a mere human.]


    "Right, well, option one is I leave you here, get some must-deserved sleep, forget everything I know about you, and when I wake up in the morning I doubt you would still be able to fend off the white."


    The mist did not seem to like the first option as it tried to attack me by shooting out a condensed wisp of red.


    Thankfully Nightfall came to my rescue as just before the attack reached me the space in front of the wisp folded in on itself and shattered along with the red.


    Although the mist knew the attack wouldn''t be able to harm me if it hadnded on my body, Aether would have automatically destroyed the attack as that was its nature.


    If that had happened my time in the realm would have been reduced greatly.


    It was a risk that the mist took because losing the slightest amount of its life force would result in a sooner death.


    "Are you done?"


    [¡­ What is the second option.]


    I knew that the mist was desperate to survive after sending out the attack and that it knew if it didn''t do something soon it would really die.


    "Ah, I''m d you asked, it''s a good one."


    [Say it already you scoundrel.]


    "You and I join hands together."


    [?]


    "Here is my proposal, I allow you to exist within this world and in return you allow me to call upon your power."


    [No, I''d rather die. I won''t have someonemand me!]


    "Before you are so quick with your decision let me exin it a little more and I am sure you will understand that the deal is favorable for the both of us."<novelnext></novelnext>


    [I highly doubt it.]


    "Listen I will list out all the benefits this deal grants you then I will do the same for myself."


    [Go on.]


    By this point, too much time had passed and I had to call back some of the Aether protecting my arms to reinforce other parts.


    As my hands were quickly swallowed up by the white now that nothing was protecting them I watched as they disappeared from this reality.


    Once my body was entirely covered in white I would return back to the real world and be kicked out.


    That meant I needed to move faster.


    "First I save your life, second I give you a home where you can exist without having to be bound to a human, third I will grant you the options of feeding on the minds of your victims, which will allow you to grow stronger."


    [¡­]


    "It''s a good deal is it not? I give you the perfect environment where nothing can harm or stipte you all the while you are free to grow stronger. If anything you should be thanking me."


    [Why is that?]


    "I''m giving you the same benefits that you had with Evelyn however now you won''t have to go through so much to get a single soul and if a variable like me were to pop up that could kill you you''d be safe staying here."


    The mist fell silent for a bit of time to think it over.


    Unfortunately, I didn''t have enough time to be wasting which meant I had toy down on my back and remove the Aether covering my legs.


    After allowing him to think for a minute I interrupted his thoughts and exined how I would benefit from our cooperation.


    "By joining hands with me I in turn would be able to call upon your ability by using Nightfall as the mediator."


    [Her?]


    "Yes and no, what I mean is the sword part of her, not that part her."


    [The sword?]


    "It''s not something I have time to exin, you just have to know that anytime you want to take the life of an enemy with your permission I will be able to call forth your ability."


    [So what you are saying is that I get to stay safe in here and live out a utopian life and anytime I want to get stronger I offer you my power to defeat an enemy and in return, I grow stronger.]


    "Exactly, a perfect deal is it not? Then by doing this and you allowing me to use your power it will in turn make me stronger. Thus, the stronger you grow the stronger I grow."


    What was left of my body started fading away into the white and I gave the mist a look that told it that it needed to make a decision soon.


    [You swear those are the only terms of our agreement.]


    "I swear on my mana."


    [Then let''s do it.]


    Looking over at Nightfall I burdened her with dealing with the mist.


    "Sorry to put this on you Nightfall but as you can see, I''m out of time, but I have faith that you can do what needs to be done."


    She didn''t respond but it wasn''t like she needed to because she was going to do what I wanted whether she wanted to or not.


    I gave her onest smile before my body was devoured by the white and I was taken away.


    Opening my eyes I stared up at the ceiling of my room and let out a sigh before closing my eyes one more time and drifting off to sleep.

 Chapter 71 51. School Store

    ?Waking from my deep and restful sleep. I stretched my arms and legs, feeling the satisfying sensation of my muscles waking up.


    I then opened my eyes and was greeted by darkness as the sun had yet to peak through the curtains.


    I then took in a deep breath and exhaled, feeling a sense of calmness and contentment wash over me.


    I could tell it was a good sleep because I felt refreshed and rejuvenated.


    After being awake for more than twenty-four hours getting a good night''s rest was extremely beneficial.


    Rising from my bed I made my way to the bathroom, ready to start the day.


    For the first time in a while, I was actually excited about what would be happening in theing days. Now that it was the weekend and sses were officially out and I was free to go out andplete some of my ns.


    After washing my face and fixing my bed head I left the bathroom and checked my smartwatch to see what time it was.


    ? [6:39]


    It was still fairly early which was honestly a good thing for me as I needed to prepare for the uing adventure.


    Plus I figured Miss Smith was still asleep or busy getting ready to leave at this time.


    Therefore I decided to make use of the time avable and sort everything out.


    The first thing I did was walk over to my desk and pull out the book which had all the information about the world written down on it when I first transmigrated.


    I skipped to the part about the ck Wild Lands as I would need all the information I could get about the dungeon.


    I recalled most of what happened but I still wanted to go over my notes and refresh my mind as one little mistake could cost me my life.


    I then spent the next hour memorizing everything I wrote and filling in any of the nks in my memory.


    Once I was finished I stretched and decided to start packing for the trip.


    I would need at least a day''s worth of food if not more, clothing suited for the environment, a means of shelter, and any other gear that mighte in handy.


    With this in mind, I left my room and the dormitory as I made my way to the school''s store.


    It was a separate building designated for the students to be able to spend their credits on supplies.


    Beforehand I would have never dared to go near such a building as I was heavily in debt but thanks to Elijah I now had more than enough credits to buy anything I wished.


    Making my way to the store I walked through the campus enjoying myself alone.<novelnext></novelnext>


    All around me, there were couples walking hand in hand orrge groups of friends running andughing.


    Looking at their actions I didn''t feel much as I had long since decided on the path of solitude.


    But the one person whom I wouldn''t mind apanying me, unfortunately, wouldn''t be able to make it.


    Then as I started thinking about how I didn''t have all that many friends, to be honest, I didn''t care as they would only hold me back.


    What I wanted was to surround myself with people who would grow stronger over time and have them around me as an assurance if my life was ever in danger.


    Thest thing I wanted was weaklings following me around and having to go out of my way to preserve their lives.


    As hypocritical as it sounds I wanted to be the one leeching off others and not have them stuck on me.


    In the end, I made it to the store and changed my thoughts to those of searching for what I needed rather than unimportant topics.


    Pushing open the doors I wanted to make the trip as short as possible to make it back in time for Miss Smith but when everything inside was revealed to me I realized that my wish wouldn''t being true.


    The store waspletely different from what I imagined it would be and was unlike anything on earth.


    I had to stop at the entrance and stare at it in awe as it seemed like when passing through the doors I would enter a new world.


    The store was a massive building that seemed to stretch on forever. Its shelves and disys were overflowing with all manner of items, from glittering gemstones and shimmering potions to powerful weapons and artifacts.


    The walls were lined with books, and each one appeared to be filled with endless knowledge and secrets as they lit up with mana when my eyesnded on them.


    Everywhere I looked, there were people busily shopping, their faces full of excitement as they moved through each of the aisles.


    They seemed as if they were eager to get whatever they needed as quickly as possible as if the store would soon be closed forever.


    I was stunned inplete disbelief and shock.


    Conversations flooded the ce as the sounds of students talking about the new items, gawking over things they wished they could afford, and finalizing their purchases made my senses go haywire.


    Yet despite the frenzied pace of the store, there was another group of people who mildly made their way through it buying the cheapest items and putting back things they wanted for things that they needed.


    Overall the store incorporated everyone and everything as it contained food, hygiene products, weapons, artifacts, and any other good one would need.


    I had a smile on my face as I took my first step into the ce. I decided then and there that I wouldn''t just be shopping for things I could use in the dungeon but rather anything that could improve my life.


    For the first time in my life when I had an exorbitant amount of money that was my own, I was going to go on a spending spree.

 Chapter 72 52. School Store (2)

    ?Walking through the aisles full of wondrous items I hadn''t even known were avable to students this early on I was overwhelmed.


    I specifically noticed one section of the store that shouldn''t have opened until the second novel was released. That meant that something or someone ¡ª most likely myself ¡ª was having a grand influence on the timeline.


    Unfortunately for me, there were just far too many things and even if I spent the entire day there I doubted I would see everything.


    What was worse was that I only had a max of around two hours to do my shopping and most of that time would be spent getting things I would need for the dungeon.


    That meant I had very little time to spend looking for things that would benefit me regrly.


    Therefore I started by trying toplete the goal of getting all that I needed to survive the ck Wild Lands.


    Moving through the sections I came upon all kinds of interesting objects and essories.


    The first aisle was lined with shelves filled with electronics and gadgets. I naturally paused to admire thetest smartphones andptops.


    Once I saw that there was nothing better than my smartwatch I gave up on the row before moving on to the next aisle which was filled with household items.


    This was one of the ces I needed to be as there were quite a few things here that would help me out.


    Thus, I moved down the aisle and picked out everything I thought woulde in handy.


    Coming across utensils first, I picked out a handful of forks, spoons, and knives. Then I arrived in the pots and pans area which I quickly passed as I knew for the specific dungeon I was challenging, cooking my own food wouldn''t be possible.


    After passing through the aisle and walking past all kinds of stuff I came to the end and was silently disappointed that I didn''t find all that I had been looking for.


    However, the moment I turned to the next aisle my disappointment vanished and a smile filled my face ¡ª there was another aisle dedicated to household goods.


    Rushing up I passed everything yet there was still nothing I needed, then when I went to the next aisle what met me in the front was the ce I was looking for ¡ª the camping section.


    Happy to have found it so fast I slowly made my way through it. There I found a suitable tent that would hold a single person and survive through all conditions. Whether there be high winds, ayer of snow, a hot desert, or a flooded swap the tent guaranteed a level offort.


    Although the purchase was expensive I didn''t think twice about it as having even the tiniest bit of shelter could save my life.


    While in the same aisle, I found a few other things that would help me out such as kindling and matches.


    Once I was done I went back on my adventure of mapping out the store.


    As I continued I came across aisles filled with clothing, toys, books, and even furniture. Overall I was amazed by the sheer variety of products avable.


    While passing these rows I did stop at one which was the clothing section as I wanted to see if they might have something that would reduce the dangers of the environment.


    Once I got to the end I figured they didn''t have such a thing but then I came across the winter coat area.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Seeing that they had a simr item I passed the coats and thankfully they had what I wanted.


    It was none other than the swimming section. Happy to have found the area I passed by the swimming trucks, swimming shirts, one-piece bikinis, and two-piece bikinis before stopping.


    In front of me was a diving suit that promised to provide up to two hours of thermal heating and have a basic protection enchantment.


    The suit was perfect as I quickly found one in my size before leaving to buy anything else I might need.


    As I reached the back of the store, I stumbled upon an aisle filled with food items.


    I had already bought everything else of importance so now I just needed arge supply of food to hold me over a day or two.


    Unlike most of the other aisles where the items were all ced on shelves, the food section waspletely open.


    Having everything revealed to me all at once I wondered if I''d ever be able to make up my mind.


    Immediately I was hit with the smell of fresh baked bread and pastries wafted through the air.


    Yet although that was all I could smell I could see areas designated for meats, fish, candy, fruits, vegetables, desserts, drinks, and more.


    Making my way to each station I looked at the hundreds of options made avable for beef alone, there were at least a hundred different ways it could be made.


    What surprised me the most about the store was that a student could buy the ingredients alone and make them back at their dorm or pay a little extra and have them made right there in front of them.


    For someone like me who was decent at making food but nowhere near the level of making a good steak out of buffalo that came from a monster in a dungeon, having that option was a blessing.


    I had no idea if there would be any difference in cooking the food since it came from a monster made up of manapared to that of an ordinary animal from earth but I didn''t want to test it after spending a lot of credits.


    Therefore at each station, I bought anything that wouldst and not spoil quickly such as beef jerky, bread, and a fruit or two.


    After I was done I was about to leave the area when I thought about needing something to drink.


    I didn''t want to carry around a bunch of water bottles so I picked out one decent-sized cup that had a lid and a few purifying tablets.


    Once I was set I started making my way to the register where I would pay for everything I bought when something sparkled out of the corner of my eye.


    Moving toward it I entered one of the aisles I passed without much thought as it didn''t have anything that would help me.


    But now that I was standing in front of the item I knew I had to have it.


    Picking it up off the shelf I then continued on my way and stood in line behind a couple of students as I waited my turn to pay for the stuff.

 Chapter 73 53. Spatial Ring

    ?It took a couple of minutes for everyone in front of me to finish paying for what they wanted before it was my turn.


    Stepping up I began cing all the items I wanted to purchase on therge tform like those ahead of me had done.


    The tform was slightly raised above the ground and of a decent size as it seemed like it could support anything in the store.


    cing the utensils on the tform first it lit up with a sh and then a number appeared beneath the tform under my feet.


    I hadn''t seen it before but now that it was being used there was a small screen where I stood that disyed the total cost of the item.


    Overall I was quite impressed with the design. The tform was big enough to allow for an item to be scanned. Then the cost would be disyed below the student''s feet so that no one other than them could see.


    Liking the idea I began cing all my items on the tform. There were the supplies, the tent, the dive suit, the food, and other things I found interesting resting on top of it.


    However, I soon realized that there wouldn''t be enough space for everything. Although the tform was big it wasn''t big enough to hold everything.


    Finding a w I was slightly disappointed as it meant I had to rearrange how I ced everything so that it would fit on the tform.


    However, I realized that I was the one doing it wrong and that there was no w.


    The moment I picked something up to move it I noticed that the price on the floor didn''t drop.


    That meant that the cost of the item had already been secured and it didn''t matter if I left the item on the tform or not.


    Knowing this I started removing everything from the tform since it had already registered that I was paying for it.


    While taking thest of the stuff off and putting on the items I had yet to scan, a thought crossed my mind as to how to remove an item that one didn''t want after it had already been scanned.


    Although I had everything I wanted if I wanted to put something back or couldn''t afford it I wondered how one might go about fixing it.


    Testing a hypothesis I grabbed a random idea and put it back on the tform after it had already been credited.


    When I saw that the total amount decreased I knew I had found the answer.


    Putting the item back on the tform the number rose another time and by this point, I had everything scanned that I wanted.


    Just having to pay for everything I looked around for a ce to do so. Luckily I had watched the people in front of me so I knew where to pay. Had I not seen them I would have been left in a pickle.


    Doing as others had, I rested my smartwatch on the tform and I was immediately notified if I wanted to ept the purchase or not.


    [Confirm payment of 132,500 credits]<novelnext></novelnext>


    I pressed ept and watched as the total amount of credits I had depleted by arge amount.


    In all honesty, I did not care too much about the cost. The items I bought seemed fair in price and it wasn''t like I had an attachment to them as I had when I spent SP.


    SP was incredibly difficult to gather and gettingrge amounts stemmed from altering the novel while credits could be provided for the simplest of things.


    Plus the credits weren''t mine in the first ce, they were Elijah''s and it felt extra good knowing I was spending the money I scammed from him to benefit my life.


    With everythingplete, I gathered my things and left the store to head back to my dorm.


    Once I got there I ced everything on the floor of the room and began sorting through them while testing out some of the items.


    I made the tent first and although I didn''t stake it into the ground it still held up well. The size was perfect as I had just enough room to squirm about but would still be cozy.


    Once I was finished with the tent I tore it down and went through everything else I bought.


    I removed some of the coverings and wrappers that gave ayer of protection to the food and held the utensils in ce.


    Then I tried on the dive suit to make sure it fit and boy did it. The suit was tight on my skin but allowed me to move around without any problems. Plus it outlined my toned body.


    Wanting to test it out I went to the bathroom and turned on a cold shower. Once it was freezing to the touch I hopped inside expecting to feel at least a bit of chill but I was pleasantly surprised that the suit blocked all of it out.


    Although the shower could only get so cold and I only spent around five minutes in it I was happy with the result. I just hoped that it would survive the harsh environment of the ck Wild Lands.


    Drying off and walking back into the quarters of the room where all the supplies wereid out I went through everything and organized it.


    Once I double checked that I had everything I needed I pulled out the one treasure that I boughtst second.


    It was an item that cost me the most as it was a staggering 100,000 credits alone but I knew it was worth it as once I saw one in real life I had to get my hands on it.


    It was none other than a¡­ spatial ring.


    Like Evelyn, I now had one of my own where I could store anything I wanted inside.


    Looking at the random assortment of thingsying on the floor of my room I put the ring on my finger and infused a tiny amount of mana into it.


    ? I watched as a white wisp of mana followed through it before my mind was connected to it.


    Once it was set I aimed it at the pile and in the next second the messy floor was clear, all the items had vanished.

 Chapter 74 54. Failed Goodbye

    ?Standing alone in my room a slight smile crept onto my face.


    ''It''s definitely worth the cost!''


    The spatial ring was not something I had intended to buy but when I saw it sitting by its lonesome on the shelf I knew it was something I needed in my arsenal.


    Having such a thing would make my life far easier as I could carry around more things that I hadn''t been able to do before. Plus the things I could store in it added another advantage as I could hold Zar or weapons.


    Although the ring was a weaker less effective Nightfall space and I would always rely on her it was still reassuring that I could pull out a dagger or shield or bow had an asion arrived that required one of them.


    Unfortunately, I didn''t buy such weapons yet and therefore all I could keep inside of it was the materials I previously purchased.


    Taking a closer look at the ring as I held my finger up to my face while I examined the intricate details that made it up.


    The ring seemed to be an exquisite masterpiece as it was crafted with meticulous attention to detail.


    Although I didn''t know for sure something in my bones was telling me that whoever created the ring made one of a kind.


    It was covered in a dazzling array of silver as the entirety of the piece was made of such metal.


    The ring was expertly and stunningly designed so that it sparkles and shimmers with every movement.


    The centerpiece of the ring contained arge, colorless marble that was wlessly clear and perfectly symmetrical.


    Had it not been an enchanted item and had so many uses I would have used it as a wedding ring.


    The silver in the band of the ring was carefully polished to a mirror-like shine and the band itself was a work of art.


    ? There was an engraving with a pattern of lines and shapes that seemed to randomly move about yet had a clear path that I was unable to make out.


    Overall, it was clear that every aspect of the ring was crafted with the utmost care and precision. That meant that all the details justified its sky-high price.


    The ring was not just a piece of jewelry like I had imed it could have been, but rather a magical object embodying the true art of craftsmanship.


    Lowering my hand I had everything packed, mapped out, and set for the adventure toe.


    That meant all I had to do was rify what I needed to do with Charlotte and pick up Miss Smith.


    The former took precedence as without Charlotte all of my ns would fall through. Plus I hadn''t been developing a rtionship with her just to get nothing back in return.


    Thus I left my room, pulled out my watch and sent Charlotte a text simr to the one I had set before.


    [Is the girl''s building open? If so, can Ie over?]


    In the amount of time it took me to take the elevator down, give a nod to the guards, and leave the boy''s dormitory I got a response back from her.


    [Yes.]


    [omw]<novelnext></novelnext>


    Standing outside the once-ruined structure I couldn''t make out any damage but I knew most of it urred inside.


    cing my watch on the sign-in machine it took a second before it turned green and told me I could enter.


    Walking through the doors I did a quick scan and looked around to see if there was any resemnce to the destruction.


    I was pleasantly surprised that I hadn''t been able to tell anything was off.


    The flooring, ceiling, and walls had been redone to match its surroundings and I watched as girls walked around the ce without worry.


    One thing though did serve as a reminder of what happened because, like the boy''s dorm, two guards were standing in front of the elevator.


    However, there was an out-of-order sign in front of it which made sense.


    Although magic was a wonderful thing and could fix up a broken room it couldn''t create a new elevator from scratch.


    I had a feeling it would take a couple of days and it wouldn''t be until after the weekend that people would be able to ride it ¡ª if they ever decided to.


    Looking to the left there was a sign pointing to the stairs and I gave up any hope of getting out of it.


    Climbing up them I scowled at my efforts as I had a deep hatred for stairs.


    Nheless, I made it up to the floor where Charlotte resided, though it had taken me three times as long as it would have taken had I been able to use the nonexistent elevator.


    Pushing through the doors that led to the floor I was greeted by a long hall with a bunch of doors that led to their own rooms.


    I walked a decent way before stopping in front of a door that matched the hundreds of others. The only difference with this one was that it had B21 etched into it.


    I knocked on the door and then took a step back as I waited for Charlotte toe and greet me.


    Immediately I heard some shuffling ur behind the door then a momentter it opened up to reveal a barely dressed Charlotte.


    "Uh¡­"


    But before I could say anything she dragged me inside and locked the door behind me.


    "I uh¡­"


    Once again I tried to find my voice but I was quickly shut up by Charlotte''s lips closing on mine.


    Caught off guard by the sudden burst of affection I didn''t even realize that we somehow ended up on her bed.


    In the mess of it, she somehow moved us across her room and knocked me down on the bed as she climbed on top of me.


    It was at this point I got a closer look at her and noticed the poor towel that was giving its all to cover her precious ces.

 Chapter 75 55. As One

    ?My breathing was already rugged as my body seemed unwilling to listen to me.


    My mind was full of unsavory thoughts and it didn''t help that Charlotte was doing everything in her power not to let me escape.


    Any time I tried to open my mouth to retort she took it as an invitation to kiss me.


    The kisses were not light either as her tongue forcefully interlocked with mine blocking out any thoughts I had of escape.


    All I could do was melt into the bed and ept her advances as I knew today would be the day I became a man.


    ***


    Charlotte awoke the day after the elevator incident.


    Her heart was heavy as she was forced to recall the pain from her past when she heard about what happened to Lucas.


    As she sat up in bed, visions of the past slowly returned. Immediately, the pain was sharp and unrelenting, memories flooded back like a tsunami, each one more painful than thest.


    She was back, back in that horrible ce, that smelled of rancid blood where the screams of friends and family echoed through the halls causing her to shiver unrelentingly.


    The twisted wreckage of her destroyed safe house yed back in her mind like a movie.


    Charlotte tried to close her eyes tightly, hoping to shut out the vivid images, but they were etched in her mind.


    The thought of never being able to have a normal life filled her with a deep sense of despair.


    How could she ever forget the pain, the loss, the helplessness?


    In front of her, she watched as her people were ughtered without remorse.


    She recalled the haunting scene of her nanny ¡ª whom she loved more than her parents ¡ª crawling toward her while dragging the top part of her body which was detached from the bottom.


    Charlotte could vividly remember how her nanny stretched out her hand as she wanted to hold on to the little girl onest time but s she couldn''t as her wounds caught up to her and he left the waking world.


    It was a cruel fate, one that would stay in her heart for the rest of her days.


    Finally, as the nightmare ended Charlotte sat there, tears streaming down her face, as she tried to block out that darkness.


    But for now, all she could do was grieve, and hope no such thing would happen again.


    It was then at that moment a light buzz shook from in her pocket.


    She was startled by the sudden noise but then she remembered that she set a specific sound for one of the people in her contacts.


    Reaching into her pocket she pulled out her phone and stared at the message on the screen.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Reading the message over and over her racing heart calmed and she was brought back to reality.


    Looking around her room Charlotte remembered where she was and wiped away some of the wetness in her eyes.


    Knowing she had to respond quickly she gave a short message before whispering an almost inaudible:


    "Thank you."


    Then a secondter while still having her phone turned towards her face the screen turned dark which served as a mirror.


    In the reflection, she could see her awful condition.


    Her golden hair was a mess as it stuck out every which way, her eyes were puffy red, and she didn''t have any of her makeup applied.


    It was then that she got a response from the person who messaged her saying that he would being over immediately, like right now.


    Paralyzed with fear Charlotte stared at the message and then broke free as she threw her phone and rushed into the bathroom to take a shower in hopes of at least getting rid of her bedhead.


    When she got out she used one of the products she bought at the store which instantly dried her hair while still keeping it healthy.


    Unfortunately, she knew she didn''t have time to curl it like she usually did because Lucas would be arriving any second.


    Praying that it would take him a bit longer and that some variable would ur that would force him to waste a few minutes she started applying some makeup.


    Just as she finished applying her lipstick she heard a knock at the door and her heart dropped.


    Charlotte still believed that she wasn''t in any condition to face him but she had to ept that she was out of time and even if she had all the time in the world she didn''t know if she would ever be ready to face him.


    The reason was that she was sure that she wanted to go all the way with him.


    Rushing into her living room Charlotte wanted to throw on one of her uniforms but they were all hanging up in her closet and grabbing them would have taken even longer and she didn''t want to make Lucas wait any longer.


    Looking down at herself she saw the small towel wrapped tightly around her body. It barely went down far enough past her thighs and rested just above her breasts allowing just enough cleavage.


    A weary smile filled her face as she didn''t know if her clothing ¨C orck of it ¨C would be a turn-on.


    Sucking in a breath Charlotte prepared herself as she opened the door for Lucas to enter. The moment her eyes locked onto his, her heart felt like it would break free from her chest.


    She paused for a short moment as the boy tried to voice out something but her resolve was weakening with each passing and it didn''t help that if someone were toe walking down the hall they would get a full view of her.


    Dragging the boy inside to hide her embarrassment she heard Lucas try to mumble something but she knew if she didn''t take action right then and there she wouldn''t have the strength to start it up again.


    Mentally preparing herself for what was toe Charlotte raised herself up to the height of the boy and kissed him on the lips.

 Chapter 76 56. Flesh (R:18)

    ?¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Authors note:


    Nothing that happens in this chapter will have any influence on the story if you wish to skip it you can do so.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Dragging Lucas back to her bed Charlotte took charge as she demonstrated the full extent of her affection.


    She was unrelenting with her kisses as she swore nothing would prevent her from doing what she wanted to aplish.


    In her mind, Lucas had done so much and showed he was willing to stick it out for the long run to maintain their rtionship. To her, it didn''t matter if everything resulted from a deal or if Lucas was using her all she wanted to do was keep him with her.


    The only way she saw fit to repay him and keep him attached was to go after his heart or at the very least his¡­ dick.


    She knew he wouldn''t break his promise and would help her handle Elijah but Charlotte wanted more than that.


    Her most genuine and deepest desire stemmed from the trauma she faced as a child. When she was reminded of the pain, she experienced in the past she knew she wouldn''t be able to live through something simr.


    She needed someone to swoop in and save her, she needed a hero, she needed someone who would be there for her no matter what, she needed someone who would protect her from the world, just as Lucas promised to do.


    Charlotte was more than willing to give up her body if it meant she would be saved along with those she cared about.


    If it meant giving herself up to the strongest person that came into her life, she would dly do so as her mind was far too damaged.


    Thus, she kissed Lucas and kissed him with all she had as if she was desperate because she was.


    She wanted to be dependent on him because she was incapable of protecting herself.


    Charlotte would do anything and everything to keep Lucas with her. She wouldn''t allow him to leave her whether it be through maniption, lies, deceit, or sex she would keep him enchanted with her.


    Yet those thoughts of hers crumbled the moment Lucas kissed her back and her emotions ran wild as she submitted herself to him.


    *


    As their lips met, a shiver ran down her spine, igniting a fiery passion deep within her.


    Charlotte was still on top and took the lead as she grinded her hips, riding on top of his already hard cock.


    The towel provided little to no cover as it slid up from under her in the mess of their make-out session.


    A light gasp came from her mouth as her pussy rested on the hard fabric of Lucas''s school uniform.


    She could feel it rub up against her as the scratchy material tingled with every movement they made.


    It was then that Lucas reached out his hands and grasped tightly on her ass.


    Unknowingly a squeal leaked out of her mouth which caused her to question the type of girl she was.


    Yet she was unable to think as her body reacted on its own and forced her to clench due to the sudden act.


    As a result, her legs and thighs squeezed against Lucas''s, and her pussy tightened over the fabric causing some of it to rise into her special ce.


    The feeling was that of when she got a camel toe but somehow more sexual.


    Rxing her body Charlotte broke the kiss and moved to get closer to Lucas as she practicallyid down on him.


    She managed to free herself from devouring the clothing as it was a real concern of hers due to how wet she was.


    Had Charlotte remained in that position any longer she was sure that it would have been sucked up into her as she was already craving Lucas''s meat.


    During the second where Charlotte made herself morefortable by rearranging herself, Lucas grew impatient.


    Although the shortest amount of time had passed Charlotte saw a dark look in his eyes. What reflected from them was that of a lion ready to devour its meal.


    Charlotte gulped, but she knew what she got herself into.


    Despite being nervous she was not intimidated by Lucas and trusted him with everything.


    Reconnecting their kiss, his rough yet gentle touch sent a wave of electric current through her body, leaving her craving for more.


    His lips were like that of a sweet fruit and she never wanted to leave them, forcing them together until it became hard to breathe.


    But the moment they regained their momentum they returned to kissing as the steamy warmth of their breaths mingled together.


    Somehow their bodies entwined in a tight embrace and the towel which served as the onlyyer of protection to cover Charlotte was tossed on the ground.


    The bright room illuminated the entirety of Charlotte''s body and when Lucas suddenly stopped in his advances to take a good look at her, Charlotte''s mind went numb.


    All she could do was remain motionless as she stared at the beautiful face of the man she wanted to bed with while he examined every part of her.


    Saying she had a blush was an understatement as she was sure her face wasparable to that of a lobster.


    Unable to stand him looking at her any longer due to embarrassment she whispered a plea:


    "Please."


    Lucas immediately got the message as he flipped the two of them causing Charlotte to be the one at the bottom.


    Her tits bounced up and down from the quick action and Lucas took full note of it.


    As if mesmerized by the two plump breasts his eyes locked onto her hard nipples.


    They were already fully erect reaching out toward him as if begging to be used.


    Lucas didn''t need an invitation as his hot mouthnded on one of her breasts sucking in with a force that rivaled that of a vacuum.


    Charlotte moaned as his hands roamed over her curves, eliciting a pleasurable response that only made her desire him more.


    He soon found his way to her nipple as Lucas swirled his wet tongue around it giving an otherworldly sensation to Charlotte.


    The pleasure that she had never thought to exist exploded in her mind and it intensified a hundred times over when Lucas gently bit down on it.


    Shocking herself Charlotte let out a moan that reverberated through her room.


    Lucas interpreted that as an indication to go further, he then took her second nipple in his finger and lightly pinched it while still sucking on the other and running his tongue around it.


    Sensation after sensation of unremarkable joy flooded Charlotte''s mind, and she quickly fell victim to Lucas''s every wish.


    As he pulled back his head to free her now swollen left tit, he gave out an order:


    "Take off my clothes."


    As if under a hypnotizing spell Charlotte wed at Lucas''s shirt and stretched the poor thing as it raised above his head before being thrown to the other side of the room.


    While it was still in the air Charlotte reached her petite hands into the waistband of Lucas''s underwear before pulling it down along with his pants.


    Augh came from his mouth.


    "An eager one are we?"


    Charlotte could only plead with Lucas through her eyes as he did the rest and tossed thest of his clothing on the ground.


    Charlotte meanwhile was captivated by the giant rod that twitched before her eyes.


    Her breath got caught in her mouth as she forgot how to breathe for a second.


    ''T-that''s going inside of me? I-It won''t fit! I''ll break!''


    The fully hard and erect penis was there before her eyes and she could clearly make out its size but she still refused to ept it.


    Lucas, who seemingly caught wind of Charlotte''s hesitation, asked if she was all right:


    "You know you don''t have to push yourself if you don''t want to. We''ve already done plenty so you don''t have to feel like¡ª"


    "No, I want to! It- it''s just that I was surprised, that''s all."


    "Are you sure because¡ª"


    "I''m sure, I trust you."


    Lucas''s eyes locked onto Charlotte''s, and it seemed as if time itself came to a stop in her mind as she felt like for the first time Lucas was truly looking at her¡­ the real her, the one who was vulnerable and naked before himying out everything for his taking.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Soon a look of determination took root in his eyes, and he nodded:


    "Do-do you perhaps have any condoms?"


    Charlotte, who was taken aback by the sudden shift in seriousness, couldn''t help butugh.


    A confused expression filled Lucas''s face which only caused Charlotte tough even harder.


    Once she managed to recover and the mood had been sullied she responded:


    "Those old things, no one uses them anymore when we have magic that can take care of it."


    A look of astonishment soon reced the confusion on Lucas''s face and Charlotte once again broke intoughter.


    However, it was quickly drowned out when Lucas pushed her down and locked his lips onto hers preventing her from giggling.


    Soon the mood returned to how it once was and with every kiss, every touch, their connection grew stronger, and they became lost in a world of pure bliss.


    The intensity of their desire was palpable, as they surrendered themselves to their deepest desires.


    It was then that Charlotte gave Lucas the look that told him she was ready¡­ ready to ept all of him.


    Lucas kept his eyes locked onto hers as he used his free hand to guide his stick to Charlotte''s entrance.


    A new overwhelming sensation filled both of them as Lucas could feel the wet and slippery gate at his tip while Charlotte could feel something extremely big pushing against her most precious ce.


    While keeping contact Lucas lined himself up and went to thrust the entirety of his rod into her.


    Immediately terror filled Charlotte''s face as she was not expecting the direct and forceful breach.


    Luckily for her Lucas''s aim had been slightly off due to his eyes being focused elsewhere coupled with Charlotte''s hole being extremely tight and wet his dick slid off the mouth of her pussy unable to enter.


    Before he could go for a second attempt Charlotte stopped him.


    "What?"


    A look of confusion filled his face and then it shifted to guilt as if he was scared that he almost didn''t do something that she wasn''tfortable with.


    However, Charlotte cleared up the misunderstanding and exined:


    "Just, just be gentle. It- it''s my first time¡­ so¡­"


    But to her surprise, Lucas sighed with relief when he heard her.


    At first, the only thought that crossed her mind was that she was d she remained pure. Because if Lucas was that happy she was still a virgin she didn''t want to know how he would have reacted if she wasn''t.


    Yet the thought of hers vanished as quickly as it formed when Lucas shared why he was so happy.


    "That''s a relief. I was afraid I might disappoint you because¡­ you see, I''m also a virgin. In all honesty, I have no idea what I''m doing."


    A smile grew on Charlotte''s face when she heard that and understood that the two of each other would be taking one another''s virginities.


    "It''s okay, we can go slow and figure it out together."


    Lucas nodded before lining himself up for the second time.


    "I''m going now, tell me if it hurts too much."


    Charlotte had given a slight nod before she sucked in a cool breath.


    This time Lucas fully guided his dick in and made sure to take his time while watching the expression on Charlotte''s face.


    Almost instantly she let out her breath, clenched up by death gripping the bed sheets, and contorted her face in pain.


    Lucas felt a little resistance at the start but once he tore through her hymen his dick slipped inside.


    He continued to move slowly as the head of his penis was soon entirely inside the warm heaven.


    Charlotte continued to hold onto the sheets, but she could feel Lucas''s gentle gaze which helped her calm down, albeit just a little.


    Soon all of Lucas was inside her and the two were feeling very different emotions.


    Lucas was feeling a sense of euphoria as the walls pushed down on his dick from all sides. He could feel just how tight she was as it seemed like she was trying to strangle him.


    But he pushed past that as he pulled back and thrust his cock deep into her soaking vagina.


    He was surprised by how wet she was even after the few hups. In a way, it felt like his dick was enjoying its own slip-and-slide.


    With each thrust, he dug further into her and it wasn''t long before she was able to take all of him.


    Meanwhile, Charlotte was in quite a bit of pain when it started.


    She knew that Lucas''s dick was big but when she felt it inside of her it was a whole different thing.


    The size of it seemed to grow bigger while inside of her and she had the passing thought that he might actually end up breaking her.


    It also didn''t help that with each thrust he went deeper into her and at one point she swore he hit the entrance of her womb.


    More than once he struck her cervix and it seemed to be urring more and more the longer they went on.


    It didn''t help her case that she was flooding down there making it easier for him.


    As they continued the pain Charlotte faced, started to shift and be something new, something more.


    She didn''t realize when that switch happened but when it did it came fast and before she even realized what was happening she started moaning his name.


    "Lucas, Lucas, Lucas."


    Her breath was rugged and unclear as if she was drunk in pleasure.


    The pain was gone and reced with a desire Charlotte never wanted to end.


    She could now feel it, his hot rod that felt like it was burning inside of her as it forged its way deeper.


    Overwhelmed by the new feeling she never experienced before another change took ce.


    It was a change in her body that she was unfamiliar with.


    It felt like something was building threatening to break free from her, she wanted to fall captive to her desires.


    Fully surrendering herself she spoke clearly for the first time and gave amand to Lucas:


    "Harder Lucas, fuck me harder."


    He didn''t need to be told twice as the sounds of their intercourse were drowned out by Charlotte''s loud moans of pleasure.


    Both of them felt that they were close.


    Charlotte spread her legs even wider to let Lucas in and have him hit her deepest ces.


    The feeling she had felt that wasing for some time finally reached its crescendo as she lost control of herself.


    Arching her back, she tightened down on Lucas''s dick trying to suck everything out of him and orgasmed.


    While her body quaked uncontrobly, she soon felt his cock heat up to an unbelievable degree before she felt something seep deep inside of her.


    Lucas had released his load inside of her.


    Charlotte''s senses were too overloaded to notice Lucas pulling out and plopping down next to her on the bed.


    What she felt in thosest few seconds was a feeling that she would never forget.


    Still feeling the hot mess inside of her, a smile grew on her face as she felt proud of capturing the boy she liked.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Please give feedback on this chapter:


    This is my first time writing something like this so tell me if it''s good or bad or if you want more or to cut it outpletely.

 Chapter 77 [Bonus ]57. Let’s Go

    ?***


    I helped Charlotte clean up her room sometime after we had finished our¡­ session.


    The smellmented as it served as a reminder while the stains that covered her bed proved what we just did wasn''t a dream.


    But now that everything was over I checked the time and gasped.


    [9:48]


    It was muchter than I expected it to be and I figured that Miss Smith was stuck waiting on me.


    Although it felt a little weird to get right into after banging her I needed to get rifications of the dungeon.


    "Hey, about the ck Wild Lands."


    Charlotte, who was now fully clothed and sitting on the edge of the bed turned to look at me.


    "Is that what you say to a girl after you take their first time away?"


    Unfortunately, I didn''t quite have the emotional capacity to connect with her as my sole goal revolved around bing stronger.


    One step closer to the goal would result from conquering the dungeon which is why I was far more preupied with it.


    "I''m sorry, it''s just- it''s just I don''t really know what to say."


    A smile crept onto her mouth as she let out a cute giggle before crawling over to me on the other side of the bed.


    "I''m just teasing, what do you want to know?"


    Resting her head on the back of my shoulder, she pressed her weight up against me and rxed.


    "You talked with your dad and got it all figured out right?"


    She fell silent for a few seconds before answering.


    "Yeah, I talked with him, and he agreed to attempt to defeat it but¡­"


    Thinking that there would be bad news to follow I questioned:


    "But what?"


    She sighed.


    "He said he wanted to make sure you stayed safe in the dungeon since I told him you were an important part of aplishing my mission. I thought if I praised you a bit he would be more willing to give it up but my n backfired."


    Hearing this made me think something went horribly wrong.


    "How so?"


    Leaning her head up against mine, she answered:


    "He wanted to send a few shadows with you in case you ever got in over your head. When I tried to talk him out of it, he used my words back at me. I am sorry."


    A thoughtful expression filled my face as I thought over the change.


    "How many?"


    "Five."


    "What rank?"


    "All E but the leader is a peak E-ranker who might even be a D-ranker while challenging it with you."


    "Hmm."


    Thinking it over the stiption wasn''t as bad as I thought it would be. There would be two paths I could choose from when it came to dealing with them.


    I could leave them to do their jobs and ignore their existence as I defeated the dungeon or could get rid of them.


    The former would be the smartest thing to do, but there was one problem with that n.


    Inside the ck Wild Lands, there is a special event that only I know about as the author and I would prefer that no one else learns about it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    This left me with thetter as I would have to find some way to ditch or remove them so that I was free to carry out what I wanted to do.


    The problem with trying to lose them would be that they were of the same rank as me so it would be harder said than done. Plus they were trained shadows so I expected that it would be impossible to lose them.


    That left me with only one choice. I had to get rid of them.


    Fighting against even one shadow of equal rank to mine was a death sentence let alone five.


    But all hope was not lost because there was a way I could get rid of them without even having to lift a finger.


    As a n began to formte in my mind, I smiled as I turned around toe face to face with Charlotte.


    "There''s no need to apologize, in fact; it might be a good thing, but I do have one question."


    Relief filled Charlotte''s face as she learned that she did ruin things for me.


    "What is it?"


    A devilish smile reflected in Charlotte''s eyes.


    "How mad would your dad be if he lost a few shadows?"


    *


    Rushing down the stairs I moved as quickly as my legs could carry me toward Miss Smith''s ssroom.


    I had just finished my conversation with Charlotte involving ways of dealing with the dungeon and the pesky shadows.


    With everything set up including the coordinates of the portal, how the shadows would contact me, and what to do I was set.


    What I learned from her was of little benefit due to all the knowledge I already had but it was still good to get as much as possible because anything could happen.


    It was better to be over-prepared than under.


    When I finally made it to Miss Smith''s room and busted through the doors, I saw her meditating in the middle of her ssroom.


    I let out a sigh of relief, but it was eerily quiet when I arrived.


    In a way, it reminded me of the hardships I faced when training with her.


    Since it was the weekend, no one else was with her which meant I was the one stuck disturbing her.


    Clearing my throat, I called for her attention.


    "Miss Smith, I am here, are you ready to go?"


    There was no response.


    "Miss Smith?"


    Still nothing.


    Starting to get concerned I took a step forward.


    "Miss Smith, are you listening? It''s time for us to leave."


    Yet there wasn''t a response.


    There wasn''t any indication that she heard what I said or even registered it for that matter.


    Walking closer to her I stopped a few feet away as I tried to get a good look.


    I was starting to suspect that something was up with her but since she was meditating I also didn''t want to touch her because it might disrupt whatever she was doing.


    If it had to get with her strength, stopping her might do more harm than good.


    But that thought was put to the test when blood started to trickle down her nose.


    "Miss Smith!"

 Chapter 78 [Bonus ]58. Maniac

    ?Shouting the teacher''s name, I worried for her health as her condition seemed to get worse with each passing second.


    The slight trickle of blood was now pouring down her face as if it was a facet turned up to the max.


    When herplexion began to deteriorate, my concern was amplified many times over.


    Her skin turned deathly pale, and I could sense that she was in extreme pain.


    The worst of all though was that there was nothing I could do to help her.


    If I were to disrupt her even by clogging her nose to prevent blood from spilling out it might cost her life.


    In such a dire situation, I had no idea what to do.


    The thought crossed my mind to get help but I didn''t know how long it would take to find someone since it was the weekend and most of the staff were spending their time in the city.


    I would be lucky if I managed toe across someone before Miss Smith dried up from blood loss.


    Even if I got lucky and did find someone there wasn''t any guarantee they would be able to help her.


    Most likely they would end up being as useless as I was.


    Unsure of what to do I pulled up to watch and scrolled through my contacts in the hopes ofing across someone who might be able to do something.


    Unfortunately, I didn''t have such a person listed.


    Pacing back and forth I racked my mind with ways that I could help her.


    The first thought that crossed my mind was that I could spend SP to create a gift that might be able to save her.


    But then I started thinking if it would really be worth it. After all, it wasn''t like Miss Smith was irreceable.


    She is indeed a powerful warrior and great teacher but there are others in the school and although losing someone of her standard would hurt the school they would still be able to recover.


    Then I remembered the fact that she was somehow connected to a group of immortals. That elevated her status as she could serve as a link connecting me to them.


    But in the end, while thinking it through logically I concluded that it wouldn''t be worth creating a gift suited to saving her.


    The imaginary gift would probably be extremely expensive and be tailored toward Miss Smith''s specific issue, meaning that it would be useless to me unless I went through something simr in the future.


    The odds of something like that happening were too low and I didn''t want to lose out on a percentage of SP to delete it right after using it one time.


    That left my emotional attachment to Miss Smith and if I would be willing to sacrifice all that solely to save her.


    While thinking it over I leaned in one direction but before I concluded what I was going to do with her a sudden shockwave sent me flying.


    Spinning through the air my instincts kicked in and Nightfall materialized before I even touched the ground.


    Once Inded, I immediately went into action before I even had time to look around. I activated Null and allowed Aether to swarm around me protectively.


    Fortified, I scanned the area looking for any signs of the attacker.


    After a few minutes passed and there wasn''t so much as a sound or trace of anyone else being in the room I lowered my guard.


    I still kept Nightfall in my hands, but I dispelled the Aether as I didn''t want to run out of it before the battle even began.


    Slowly I crept my way closer to Miss Smith while I continued to look in every direction and scan any ce someone could be hiding.


    Once I made it to her, I began to question if I was attacked in the first ce.


    After all, what kind of assassin would go after me with such a weak attack and then leave me be while Miss Smith was sitting there defenseless?


    When I finally dropped my sword, I turned my head to look at Miss Smith to check if she was still bleeding, and to my surprise, she was glowing.


    Momentarily stunned I stared at the illuminated skin that was shining brightly over her body.<novelnext></novelnext>


    While looking I could have sworn it got brighter but I was still on edge and too preupied with trying to figure out what was happening that I didn''t think much about it.


    However, when her body got so bright that it was getting hard to see I focused all my attention on her as I started to see some smoke rising from her.


    Hearing a sizzling sound the next second, I was shocked by what urred but then my eyes widened and I turned around to sprint away as quickly as I could.


    Giving it my all I pushed myself making full use of my improved speed as I dashed toward the steel door before mming it shut.


    Crouching down I rested my back on the cold door and protected my head by covering it with my hands while I waited.


    ''One.''


    ''Two.''


    ''Three.''


    ''Four.''


    ''¡­''


    ''...''


    ''...''


    ''Eighteen.''


    ''Come on already-''


    Suddenly, a deafening explosion ripped through the air, tearing me away from my thoughts.


    I flinched as debris pelted against the closed door.


    Thankfully it held strong, and nothing broke through to harm me but that didn''t mean I was safe.


    I remained crouched behind the door, waiting for any sign of danger to pass as I couldn''t help but wonder what happened inside.


    I didn''t have to wait long before my question was answered as a powerful force soon mmed against the door ripping it off its hinges and causing me to dodge to safety.


    Quickly turning my head to lock on to the cause of the explosion, my eyes met those of Miss Smith.


    A crazed look shed in her eyes as she seemed to be truly happy with the result.


    I gulped as I made a mental note to never do any science experiments with her.


    Like a mad scientist after an explosion, her hair stood up on end and her face was ckened with soot.


    She looked dazed and disoriented, but her eyes revealed the truth as she examined her body in a frenzy.


    "Sess!"


    My mouth dropped open.


    ''You call that a sess?''


    Looking at a bald spot that came about from the strains of her hair being burnt away I wondered what made the crazy teacher so happy.


    Clearing my throat, I made my presence known for the second time as I tried to get answers.


    "Umm, Miss Smith, what exactly did you seed in doing?"


    Seeing her pupil sprawled out on the ground looking at her with terror the teacher revealed a bright smile.


    "I got my powers back! I''m an A-ranker again!"

 Chapter 79 59. City

    ?Staring at the disheveled woman, I had a look of disbelief stered on my face.


    "Wait really? How?"


    Overly excited by her grand achievement Miss Smith absentmindedly told me all about the method she used to grow stronger.


    "I can''t believe it myself, but it''s true and all I had to do was make a simple potion. Who knew dryad oak, thunder-in-a-bottle, souls mes, and pixie dust could make such a thing!"


    Eagerly I listened to the ingredients Miss Smith mentions as I actually believed for a second that she somehow stumbled upon her own magical concoction that can increase one''s rank.


    Instead, she mentioned exorbitantly priced items and shared the recipe for an old and outdated potion.


    Although it was unknown to most, for me the author, the recipe held no value as I knew of potions that hadn''t yet existed.


    But that didn''t mean the potion was bad in fact for its price it was quite good. The problem though is that a single ingredient could cost over a million Zar!


    For someone as poor as me I couldn''t even dream of affording such a potion.


    Giving up on trying to get anything else out of Miss Smith I let her have her moment as she examined the effects of the potion.


    She looked over her skin which was now wless and smooth opposite to how it had been before the explosion.


    In a way, it was fair to say the explosion itself removed any impurities both internally and externally.


    When she was done checking herself over she moved on to test her prowess.


    She walked through the open doorway since the door was hanging on for dear life at an angle off to the side away from her ssroom.


    I was forced to follow behind like apdog and watch because she was my ticket to getting off the campus and I didn''t dare to interrupt her.


    Forgetting all about the difficult decision, I might have had to make a few minutes ago. I threw it out of my mind.


    There was no reason to think back on the past, all that mattered was that Miss Smith was alive and kicking and my ns would only be prolonged by a bit as a result.


    Feeling that I was given a taste of karma for keeping Miss Smith waiting, I took a seat on the ckened floor and let Miss Smith do what she needed to do.


    Despite the destruction, she seemed to be in a state of manic excitement, as she bypassed all the ruin to pick up a sword off one of her shelves.


    Swinging it around back and forth a couple of times she seemed satisfied and walked back to the center of the room.


    This was the spot where she was sitting when she exploded and thus, received the most amount of damage.


    On the floor, I could clearly make out where the explosion originated. In the center, there was a scorched ck outline of someone sitting cross-legged.


    Knowing that the mark would be there for a long time I let out a sigh and watched the show.


    Although the room was aplete disaster, with ss on the floor, equipment all about and smoke rising from the wreckage Miss Smith elegantly swung her sword.


    I watched closely, paying attention to every movement of hers as she danced with grace.


    Masterfully she moved around while somehow avoiding anything that could disrupt her flow.


    Her sword moved in random directions yet for some reason there was no randomness in it as I could sense with the little amount of knowledge I knew that it was a deadly attack.


    Captivated, I lost myself in her movements as time flew by while the student and teacher learned more of her power.


    Miss Smith saw that she was faster, stronger, and more durable while I saw a technique that would guide me toward making my ownter in the future.


    *


    Currently, Miss Smith and I were speeding through the full streets of the city weaving in and out of traffic as I regretted ever telling her my secret.


    After she finished her dance Miss Smith sent a message for someone toe in and clean up her room as it was thankfully a service the academy provided. If not she would have been in serious trouble.


    Then she went back into her office for a few minutes beforeing out looking as good as new.


    I was shocked for a second at how someone with literal chunks of their hair burnt away coulde out looking perfectly normal but then I realized the world I was in.


    Once we were set to go Miss Smith led me out to the front of the school where she parked her car.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Some teachers lived on campus while others were crazy enough to refuse the free services andmuted to school, Miss Smith was one of those teachers.


    I had no idea what I expected her to drive but when I saw a bright red sports car that matched her fiery hair I knew I was in for an unforgettable experience.


    Boy was I right, Miss Smith kept it calm when taking the backroads that led to the city but the moment she saw the skyscraper that pierced into the sky something in her snapped.


    That was why we were currently flying down the highway going well over the speed limit as she merged betweennes, uncaring about the other drivers.


    Miss Smith gripped the steering wheel with an inhuman intensity as her eyes locked on the road ahead.


    As if she was ying a game, she used skills born of countless hours spent navigating the chaotic streets of the metropolis.


    The sound of honking horns and screeching tires followed behind us but she didn''t seem to hear it or care for that matter.


    Sitting in the passenger seat, my heart was pounding out of my chest.


    There were two reasons for this.


    First I had never experienced anything like this before ¡ª the speed, the danger, and the sheer exhration of it all.


    The second was that I was scared shitless. A dark empty void without anything and mind-controlling invincible mist couldn''tpare to the terror I felt when being around the crazy woman.


    One thing I knew though was that at our speed if we were to crash it would be an instant death for me.


    My resistance stat was far too low to survive a head-on collision and no matter how much Mana or Aether I had I couldn''t save myself from bing a pancake.


    I already went through such an experience, and I didn''t want to face it again for the second time.


    Clenching the Grab Handle of the car till my knuckles turned white I switched between the feeling of awe and wonder to terror and fright.


    Every time the car darted between two other vehicles, I instinctively closed my eyes, but after I couldn''t help peeking out at the world shing past.


    As the car moved down the street, I watched as towering skyscrapers whizzed past us.


    Exhrated I stared out the window as storefronts, neon lights, and shing billboards filled every space.


    The city seemed to stretch out before my eyes as an endless, vast, andplexndscape revealed itself.


    The futuristic metropolitan city struck the skyline while the busy streets were abyrinth of curving highways, elevated walkways, and infinite paths.


    Walking all along them were hundreds if not thousands of people going about their day.


    The buildings themselves were a marvel of engineering as each one seemed to be a unique masterpiece.


    The conventional architecture had to have been built by a man of legendary status for no ordinary being could replicate the design.


    In a way the city was alive. There were sounds of life from the roaring of cars to the buzzing of drones overhead.


    Everywhere, people moved with purpose, whether their faces were captivated by smart devices that flickered on and off or they were taking a stroll with their family enjoying the wonderful weather.


    Public transport systems were made avable to all as they were verypatible with the streets.


    In addition, it came as a shock for me that robotic drones were flying around delivering packages and performing other tasks.


    The city itself was kept fresh and clean as hundreds of signs served as reminders to the people telling them to toss away their garbage.


    And of the few scraps that fell on the ground either a good citizen would pick it up and carry it with them till they came across a ce they could dispose of it or one of the drones would swoop down and grab it.


    Overall the ce was straight out of a novel ¡ª literally ¡ª as it seemed like a fantasy or a dream that such a ce could exist in such a cruel world.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    This chapter was released on thest day of the Fantasy Carnival and marked the grand achievement of 100,000 words.


    A special thanks to all those who''ve stuck with the novel and continue to read it. This is just the beginning!

 Chapter 80 60. Mattresses

    ?Speeding through the city, we eventually started slowing down and came to a stop outside of a¡­ mattress store.


    Stepping out of the car, I looked up at the two-story building. There wasn''t anything special about it that immediately caught my attention which made me even more confused.


    The design was elegant to meet the standards of the city but overall it was modern.


    From outside the store I looked through the numerousrge windows into the showroom.


    I could see the bustling scene of people inside, looking over the various mattresses on disy.


    Confused, I looked over at Miss Smith but she was already making her way toward the entrance.


    "Uh, Miss Smith, what exactly are we doing here?"


    I didn''t get a response from her as she opened the door and walked inside leaving me behind.


    Sighing I knew there was nothing I could do to stop or reason with the crazy warrior so I followed in her footsteps as I entered the building.


    Upon entering the store, I was greeted by the sight of a vast selection of high-quality mattresses.


    The entire space was open, with afortable atmosphere amodating to anyone who might require soft bedding.


    Scanning over the different options I was a bit surprised by all the choices as I didn''t expect there to be many differences.


    To me, a mattress was a mattress. Some were hard while others were soft, and all that mattered was that they existed for people to sleep on.


    Passing the spring and foam mattresses to more advanced mana-based ones, I tried keeping up with Miss Smith.


    She seemed to be making a beeline toward the back of the store, so I did my best to catch up all the while passing therge assortment of bed sizes.


    Finally, when I caught up to her, I tried asking some more questions. What I really wanted to know was why we were in such a ce when we had more pressing matters to attend to.


    "Miss Smith, can you please tell me what we are doing here?"


    No response.


    "Miss Smith if you didn''t know I have something important I need to take care of and-"


    I was cut off by the sound of Miss Smith pushing through the employee-only door.


    Watching it swing shut behind her I looked up at the bright words that told all others to keep out.


    Giving up trying to make sense of what Miss Smith was trying to aplish I pushed the door open and walked through.


    Crossing over I entered the storage room as the door shut behind me.


    Looking around there were plenty of shelves full of boxes stacked to the ceiling.


    Walking up to one of them I looked at the box and there was a mattress design imprinted on it.


    ''It''s just like any other storage room. Why would Miss Smith be so concerned with entering such a ce? Unless¡­''


    Grabbing the box and carefully taking it from its ce on the shelf I ced it on the ground next to me.


    Looking at the box I couldn''t make out anything special about it but that didn''t stop me from testing my hypothesis.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Tearing through the tape, I undid the top of it before reaching ayer of protective foam.


    Pushing the foam to the side, I slide my hands over something solid.


    Grabbing hold of it, I pulled the object out of the box while spilling the contents of the foam onto the floor.


    When it was finally free and visible to my eyes a tremor ran through my body.


    Frozen by the discovery I looked around the room at the hundreds of identical boxes that filled the countless shelves.


    But then I heard the sound of footstepsing from where Miss Smith went and panicked.


    Packing up the box as fast as possible I carefully put the item back into its ce before scrambling to put all the foam back inside.


    When the steps started getting closer I rushed even faster packaging the box back up.


    When the item was finally secured and the box was closed shut the steps were just around the corner of one of the shelves.


    Moving faster than I had ever moved before I squeezed the box back into its ce before turning around in the nick of time to see an extremely short man.


    Momentarily stunned by his appearance I stared at the strange creature while forgetting I had just stumbled upon something that I should have never seen.


    "Boy what are you still doing here and what are you doing so close to my shipments? Hasn''t anyone taught you that curiosity killed the cat?"


    I opened my mouth to speak only to close it a secondter as I still couldn''t believe my eyes.


    A devious smile crept onto the short rugged man''s face.


    "What, haven''t you seen a dwarf before?"


    *


    "I''m sorry."


    Apologizing to the dwarf Miss Smith stood behind me looking disappointed.


    After the mythological creature almost caught me snooping around, he led me to another apartment that stemmed from the storage room.


    Inside Miss Smith was sitting ¡ª if you could call it that ¡ª on a chair that could only hope to support a toddler while speaking to a being that matched the height of the one next to me.


    Her chair was so low to the ground that Miss Smith''s knees were higher than her waistline and if one were to look at her from far away they might mistake that she was squatting down not sitting.


    When we got inside my escort, Noznuil, started exining how he caught me trying to take a look at one of their boxes. But then he proudly announced that he arrived before I did anything and had to drag me here since I couldn''t stop staring at him.


    I didn''t bother correcting him since it was somewhat true, except for the dragging part, but I let him have his glory since I knew the characteristics of the dwarfs plus I wanted the subject to stay as far away as possible from the fact that I was looking around.


    In the end, Miss Smith made me apologize which caused Noznuil to smirk.


    Once everything was settled I was then introduced to the second dwarf, Koggorlig, who seemed much more mature than his counterpart.


    After that Miss Smith and Koggorlig continued their conversation while Noznuil and I stood awkwardly off to the side.

 Chapter 81 61. Dwarfs

    ?Looking down at the small creature next to me I couldn''t help but be awed by their existence.


    Within Eminence, a dwarf is a short and stocky humanoid-type monster.


    They are known for their incredible strength, skill in mining, high intelligence, and expert craftsmanship.


    On average they stand just over four feet tall. Their builds are extremely muscr and ruggedpared to that of a bodybuilder mixed with a hillbilly.


    Their skin is rough and calloused, a result of years spent working in the mines and forging weapons and armor.


    They each grow thick beards to cover their face as a way to flex their achievements.


    Being that they are all men it means they are unique creatures that can produce asexually without ever needing a partner.


    Although they had many impressive qualities, I didn''t really care about them because there were two separate reasons why I couldn''t take my eyes off them.


    The first was they were the first fictional creature I came across since transmigrating into my own novel.


    Any doubt I once had waspletely wiped away as next to me was a living breathing creature that existed within my imagination.


    Something that I printed on a piece of paper was now an entity that existed in this new world, and I was stilling to grasp that conclusion.


    But the second and biggest reason why their appearance startled me was because of where they originated.


    Knowing they were a monster not as an adjective to describe them but literally made it all that much more unbelievable.


    Every monster that now existed on this version of the earth came from either a dungeon or tower; it wasn''t like they just showed up one day.


    This meant that the two dwarfs before me were actual monsters that broke free from a dungeon that overflowed and limated into human society.


    That was the most impressive thing about them.


    Sure other monsters existed, reproduced, set up civilizations, and became powerhouses like the elves, fairies, pixies, spirits, and others but they weren''t like the dwarfs.


    Unlike the others who kept to themselves and created their own worlds, the dwarfs didn''t.


    The dwarfs joined humanity on equal footing as the two mutually assisted each other to more than double their overall prowess.


    Of course, there were always exceptions. The dwarfs were monsters after all and there were times they needed to be treated that way. The same could be said for humans, however.


    More often than not though the two got along and made up for each other''s ws.


    Had the other monsters had the same mindset as the dwarfs then maybe just maybe we would have a chance in the future.


    "Stop staring at me boy, I know I''m the pinnacle of attractiveness but even I get tired of being ogled."


    Another thing about the dwarfs, they are a prideful, mischievous, and fierce species.


    Falling in line with their characteristics, Ipliment the creature in hopes of getting a better look at him¡­ for research purposes.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I''m sorry, it''s just I''ve never seen such a handsome dwarf as yourself and I can''t keep my eyes off you, but I understand if you don''t want that."


    Taking the bait Noznuil cleared his throat:


    "Ehm, well in that case I suppose I could allow you to take a daze at my dazing figure."


    ? Smiling brightly I acted as if the monster had given me his most precious treasure.


    "Really?! You are too kind!"


    He started to blush.


    "Well, of course, I am the kindest dwarf you will ever meet!"


    Standing proudly at his four-foot height the dwarf turned to face me and raised his head to the sky allowing me to get a closer look.


    The first thing I noticed was his eyes which were a deep brown, within them, I could make out a hint of mischief.


    The next thing I took note of was how wrinkled his face was, one could have easily mistaken him for being over a hundred years old but the truth about the species was that their lifespans were shorter than those of humans.


    If I had to guess, Noznuil was no more than thirty.


    Moving past that though I studied his beard which was the most important thing to a dwarf, well second to that of their creations.


    The beard of a dwarf told a lot about them. They would only be allowed to start growing one after they made their first functioning creation.


    After that, the way of identifying one''s standing came from how many strands deviated from the main beard through bands.


    Many dwarfs rarely ever got to tie a band on their beards because doing so meant that they created an invention that benefited the entirety of their species.


    Noznuil was one of these such dwarfs but the one behind me who was still chatting with Miss Smith was something if not a god to the dwarfs because he had seven bands!


    Seven! Had I not been in an unfamiliar ce, unknowing of the rtionship they have with Miss Smith I might have been sucking up the creature trying to get him to join me.


    But I held myself back¡­ for now.


    Keeping my attention on Noznuil I continued making out all I could as I didn''t know the next time I woulde face to face with such a magical creature.


    Looking over the sturdy leather and metal armor, I couldn''t help but be surprised at how many runes covered it.


    It was clear that I was ignorant as to how powerful the dwarfs were because from what was only visible I counted thirteen different runes each unique in their own way.


    ''Damn, and I thought Nightfall had a lot, with only five.''


    On the belt of the monster, was arge hammer that''s head was almost asrge as mine.


    But I knew their skill in smithing was legendary, and they had to have bodies suited to support their lifestyle so although they didn''t look all that dangerous I was sure that the two of them were strong¡­ very strong.

 Chapter 82 62. Workshop

    ?Finished with my examination of the dwarf I thanked Noznuil.


    "You are even more handsome than I thought, thank you!"


    Enjoying the praise the dwarf somehow lifted his head higher than I thought possible.


    "That is true, my beauty is unparalleled. You should be grateful I allowed you to gaze upon me."


    I nodded.


    "Of course, I won''t forget this gift you''ve bestowed me."


    A smirk appeared on Noznuil''s face.


    "Good."


    Since I had nothing else to say or do with Noznuil that atmosphere once again turned awkward.


    The two of us stood off to the side picking up on bits and pieces of Miss Smith''s and Koggorlig''s conversation.


    I didn''t have context so everything they said went over my head and even if I tried I didn''t think I''d be able to gain anything from what they were talking about.


    Noznuil seemed to catch on that the two of us were third wheeling.


    A sparkle glittered in his eyes and he whipped his head around to look up at me.


    "Hey human, want to take a look around our workshop?"


    Surprised by this sudden suggestion I realized that I had just been offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.


    "Really?! You''d allow someone like me to take a look at your glorious creations?"


    Giving the dwarf the reaction he wanted a huge smile blossomed on his face.


    "Well, you have a good eye since you realized how handsome I am unlike some of the others."


    A scowl appeared for a second but it was quickly wiped away before he continued.


    "I figured that you would appreciate how much work and effort we put into our experiments, so follow me I''ll show you around."


    Acting as if I would follow behind him without needing any more exnation the Dwarf started walking away.


    Taking onest nce at Miss Smith I lingered back for a second before making up my mind and chasing after the monster.


    The chance to see a dwarfs workshop was truly something miraculous as I knew just how secretive they were and protective of their creations.


    It only took me three steps to reach the dwarf and walk side by side with him.


    Although Noznuil told me that he thought I would respect their work I believed his true goal was just to impress me and get a favorable reaction in order to inte his ego.


    However, I didn''t care if I had to act a little to see something special, and if Noznuil had the kind of stuff that I expected him to have I didn''t think I would have to act at all.


    Leaving the two behind we left the small cubic room that served as a meeting space Noznuil pushed back a curtain that hid all the dwarf''s secrets behind it.


    Right after him I ducked down a bit to fit and pushed the curtain the rest of the way open.


    Greeted by darkness Noznuil pped his hands once and a bright light immediately illuminated the room.


    Overwhelming my senses I couldn''t help but drop my mouth open in shock.


    Rows of sturdy workbenches line the walls, where tforms and tables were designated for unfinished projects.


    Cluttered all over the floor were an assortment of tools and materials.<novelnext></novelnext>


    There were tools ranging from saws, drills, hammers, and chisels to magical equipment that I didn''t even know existed let alone what it was called.


    On the shelves and cabs, there was an array of materials and supplies. Ores such as iron, copper, silver, gold, and diamond were freshly mined andid out.


    Lumber cut, split, whole, and refined filled arge space on the ground.


    Hardware like paints, keys, locks, nuts, screws, washers, hinges,tches, handles, wires, chains, and belts were littered all over next to half-done contraptions.


    Parts that made uprge scaled projects were packed away to the side or set to be worked on in the future.


    The workshop as a whole was somethingrge-scale that I believed could exist on earth ¡ª although it would be unusual to have so much random stuff in one ce. It also didn''t help that there were quite a few mana-run machines and materials that only existed in the fantasy world.


    Gathering myself I ignored Noznuil as I stepped forth and began exploring the ce.


    In one corner I sawrge wooden war weapons. There were catapults, battering rams, ballistae, and more.


    Wheels wereying on the ground and there was what looked like arge wooden spoon and a crossbow that would fit the catapult and ballista respectively.


    Nearby, a series of racks held many weapons, from long-ranged bows to short-ranged daggers. They all had intricate designs and etchings with at least one rune per whole; others had more.


    Further on, I spotted a vast set of armor, ranging from light leather vests to heavy te mail.


    Some had headwear while others didn''t.


    Some were meant to prevent light cuts and give the defender high agility while others were incredibly heavy and didn''t leave a single space open to attack.


    Like the weapons, they were all polished and covered in protective runes.


    As I continued to explore the workshop, I took note of many strange machines and contraptions.


    I had no idea what their purpose was but the overarching theme of the workce seemed to be designated toward war so I figured that they too had something to do with it.


    ''It seems like the higher-ups are already aware of the iing hell, or they are just producing military-grade weapons for the sake of having them in case war breaks out.''


    Having finished the tour I came to a stop and turned to look at Noznuil making sure to give him the greatest smile I could muster.


    "Truly having seen everything now I can say it''s beyond anything I could have ever imagined!"


    Noznuil reflected my smile and patted his chest proudly.


    "Of course, it''s impossible for someone to imagine what I create! Everything I do is made perfectly without any ws!"


    Giving ast bit of praise as thanks for letting the dwarf show me around I said:


    "You and Koggorlig have blown my mind."


    Thinking that the dwarf would like my answer, I was surprised when he looked angry.


    "What do you mean by mine and Koggorlig''s work? Everything you see before you are mine and mine alone!"


    Once again left dumbfounded I did a quick scan of the shop and asked for rification.


    "You mean to say all of this is your doing?"


    Overbearing the dwarf haughty confirmed my suspicions.


    "Exactly, this is all my work, mine, Koggorlig didn''t help me even once¡­ except for that one time¡­ but it''s still mine!"


    Amazed I then asked:


    "So then where does Koggorlig work?"

 Chapter 83 [Bonus ]63. Workshop (2)

    ?Noznuil frowned; it was clear that whenever any topic was brought up that involved Koggorlig he would get unhappy.


    Perhaps that was a bit of jealousy hidden deep within the prideful Dwarf but I couldn''t me the guy.


    Koggorlig had seven bands which put him at the top of the pecking chain and someone like Noznuil ¡ª who didn''t even have one band ¡ª was bound to feel even the slightest bit of jealousy.


    Hidden behind my expression of concern for Noznuil''s difort I was overjoyed.


    ''I can make use of that. Just imagine a dwarf forging countless treasures covered in runes for my own benefit.''


    Knowing this knowledge, I grew satisfied at the unannounced pit stop from Miss Smith.


    "Koggorlig''s work is very¡­ concise to what others are looking for so he does his business elsewhere."


    Understanding that the dwarf didn''t want to put Koggorlig above himself I understood his wording.


    After all, it wouldn''t make sense for someone of Koggorlig''s standing to be working in a shop in the city making simple weapons.


    Most likely this was Noznuil''s shop, and Koggorlig was merely using it as a meetup space to chat with Miss Smith.


    I figured after the two were done he would be on his way out to use his power on more important things.


    Although the war machines were impressive and something I couldn''t hope to achieve, all Noznuil was doing was mass-producing them. It was dwarfs like Koggorlig who made the blueprints for them.


    Rectifying the situation, I changed the topic.


    "I see, it''s a shame I can''t see Koggorlig''s work but I am happy that I got to at least see the work of the better of the two."


    Noznuil tilted his head in confusion.


    "What do you mean by the better of the two? I know I am the greatest manufacturer in all of the city but-"


    I quickly cut him off, although the dwarfs were an extremely prideful species ¡ª Noznuil especially so ¡ª they also highly respect those who deserve it.


    If they didn''t, their kingdom would fall due to the sin of pride but they are still logical enough to understand that there are those better than them.


    They won''t admit it but they also won''t nder those who outrank them because it''s all for the better of their people.


    Those with bands earned them by making grand contributions if they were then put down, who would ever publish their works?


    If they didn''t do so the dwarfs would be an extremely independent group and strive for their own sess rather than for the benefit of everyone.


    Plus without working together and setting upworks even if one was the smartest dwarf of all time they would be nothing without materials.


    Therefore, they had a set structure for how the dwarfs governed each other.


    "Exactly you are the greatest! How many of these machines have you made alone this year?"


    Noznuil stopped himself to think about it.


    "Over three hundred."


    "See if you can make three- wait three hundred? Damn, yeah then, if you can make three hundred now and there is still¡­ what¡­three months till the new year, you might be able to make four hundred!"


    The egotistic dwarf agreed with my calctions and grew prideful once again.


    "Of course, I can make four hundred in a single year! Who do you take me for?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Although Noznuil was eximing that he could easily do such a thing I saw a glimmer of pain sh in his eyes and I could have sworn a few more wrinkles appeared on his face.


    ''Oops, I might have identally caused him to work overtime.''


    "You''re right! Who else could make four hundred in a year?"


    Getting hyped up the dwarf responded:


    "No one!"


    Knowing that I was now getting somewhere I put the final nail in the coffin.


    "Then what does that make you?"


    "The greatest!"


    "Who''s the greatest?"


    "I am!"


    Noznuil shouted his promation at the end, and a huge smile covered my face.


    I had sessfully shifted the conversation in every direction to get what I wanted all the while making Noznuil feel like he was better than he really was.


    I got some information on Koggorlig, found out how productive the dwarfs were, and greatly improved the rtionship between myself and the monster.


    Unfortunately, I knew it was far too soon to make a move in recruiting the dwarf, but I had at least set the foundation if I ever wanted to make use of it.


    Although Noznuil was average at best, it actually worked out better for me.


    If he was some grand expert, I would never have any chance at getting him on my side.


    First I wouldn''t be able to give him anything worthwhile and second I doubted that the higher-ups of dwarfen society would allow someone like that to work for a human.


    What I wanted was someone of my own, and that meant anything they made wouldn''t go towards supporting all the other dwarfs but me and me alone.


    That''s why I needed someone that wouldn''t bring any consequences early on.


    Another reason why Noznuil was perfect was that he was easy to manipte.


    He was an extremely prideful dwarf and so long as I boosted his ego as I had just done, then I was sure he would give it his all to produce the best item.


    Then because I was sure of this belief, it made the final point all that much more important¡­ myself.


    I knew the future. I knew of secrets the founding dwarfs kept hidden, and I even knew of things that didn''t exist.


    That meant all I needed was a somewhat capable dwarf to make everything for me.


    My job was to give them the design and materials and they would do the rest.


    I believed Noznuil to be the perfect fit for all the aforementioned reasons and because of his response towards Koggorlig.


    I figured that if I gave him the chance to create something no one has ever attempted before he would dly do it for recognition over any mary gain.

 Chapter 84 64. On The Road Again

    ?Having finished our conversation and fully explored the shop, Noznuil and I decided to head back to the meeting room.


    Neither of us was aware if Miss Smith and Koggorlig had finished but we had nothing better to do.


    Plus now that our rtionship was closer I believed it wouldn''t be as awkward to stand there.


    When we made it, back Noznuil went in first and I followed behind while crouching.


    After I had entered, I closed the curtain behind me and turned around to look for Miss Smith.


    Thankfully she was still there and I didn''t have to wait or search for her.


    Their meeting seemed to be over because Miss Smith looked up at me and asked:


    "Did you see everything you wanted to?"


    I nodded and showed a slight smile.


    "I did, what Noznuil had back there was truly remarkable!"


    She nodded before standing up from her tiny chair.


    Turning her attention back to Koggorlig she bowed.


    "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. I am d that we came to a decision. I hope the next time we see each other the world will be a much different ce."


    Koggorlig appreciated the respectful response and gave his farewell.


    "It is always a joy to chat with you, enjoy the rest of your time in this deste city."


    Although it seemed like Koggorlig had good intentions it was clear that he had some mixed feelings about the city.


    Also, the fact that he called it a deste ce didn''t escape my mind.


    If I thought the ce to be an impressive metropolitan city, I couldn''t help but wonder about the kinds of things the dwarf had seen over the years.


    Koggorlig turned to Noznuil and asked:


    "Could you escort our dear guests out? I need to make preparations to leave."


    Noznuil grumbled but followed the order given to him by his senior.


    Standing behind us, Noznuil allowed Miss Smith and I to go first.


    Although we were stated to be guests, it was clear that Koggorlig didn''t fully trust us and the reason probably had to do with the stuff in the boxes.


    epting this notion Miss Smith led the way and I walked a step behind her while Noznuil walked at his own pace a few feet away.


    Leaving the room and passing through the storage area we were just about toe to a stop outside the door that employees only but Miss Smith suddenly stopped.


    Confused, I paused and looked over at her but she shed away before reappearing in the same ce less than a secondter.


    Had I not been directly looking at her I wouldn''t have noticed she moved.


    I wanted to ask what was up, but she started moving again and opened the door motioning for me to leave.


    Following her instruction, I turned back around and gave a wave to the little dwarf that had only managed to cross half the distance of the room.


    He responded with the same gesture, and I left the area walking back into the storefront.


    Miss Smith was a second behind me and immediately started walking toward her car.


    I was still a little confused but I kept up with her as we passed all the types of mattresses before eventually leaving the building.


    Once we were outside, I asked what happened but Miss Smith ignored me and got in her car.<novelnext></novelnext>


    I sighed before entering the passenger side.


    Closing the door behind me, I looked over at her expectantly.


    Then without saying anything, Miss Smith opened her hand.


    Trying my absolute hardest to not show any emotion I stared down at a tiny piece of foam.


    ''Fuck.''


    I tried opening my mouth to speak.


    "I-"


    However, Miss Smith squeezed her hand shut on the foam before opening it up again.


    On her palm was a pile of ash and before I could react she moved her head close to it before blowing the dust all over me.


    Unable to keep up with what was happening, my mouth hung open.


    Miss Smith didn''t seem to care for my mix of emotions and started up the car before speeding away.


    Looking down at the bit of ash that was stuck to my uniform I sighed and shrunk away into the seat wishing I could turn invisible.


    After about five minutes or so Miss Smith finally spoke up:


    "Where are we going?"


    Still messed up with the previous incident I didn''t fully register what she was asking and retorted back:


    "How am I supposed to know? You are the one driving!"


    Miss Smith still had her eyes on the road and stayed silent until it became awkward.


    I was about to apologize for my outburst when Miss Smith rified.


    "Where am I supposed to go to find my sister?"


    Now understanding what she met I felt worse for how I acted but the past was in the past and I gave her the coordinates.


    I watched as she plugged them into her car''s GPS and when a map came up showing the path to get there she frowned.


    "In the mountains?"


    "Yeah, what did you think, she would just be chilling at a coffee shop all nonchntly?"


    She didn''t respond and for the rest of the drive, thus neither of us spoke.


    It didn''t help that the drive was more than three hours and we could only get so close before we would have to go on foot.


    The ce where her sister rested was not a ce inhabited by humans and therefore there weren''t any roads leading up to it.


    When we eventually came to a stop at the mountain base Miss Smith and I simultaneously exited the car.


    A fresh wave of cool air brushed against my face.


    Looking up at therge mountain where I couldn''t even see the top I became depressed at the realization that it would be a long adventure.


    Miss Smith didn''t say anything and took the first step forward.


    I sighed and braced myself for the long climb ¨C maybe after the experience I mighte to like stairs.

 Chapter 85 65. To The Top

    ?Traveling up the mountains was much harder than I originally anticipated and I expected it to be bad.


    Thankfully I had Miss Smith there to keep me alive otherwise I''d long be a digested predator''s shit.


    Along the way, we came across an assortment of dangerous wild animals and even some monsters.


    I felt confident in myself when we first started our adventure.


    I managed to take out a mountain lion, fend off some crazy birds, and avoid getting bitten by poisonous snakes.


    But the strength of the creatures quickly increased the higher we rose.


    In a way, it felt like a game where each level would get harder after one passes thest.


    Right now we were on one of the final levels nearing the apex of the mountain.


    Currently, I was crouched down behind a tree trying to hide my presence to the best of my ability.


    I was really beginning to like the idea of getting an invisibility gift but my thoughts were hindered when arge explosion urred on the other side of the tree.


    Hearing crackling sounds I looked up and all the color in my face drowned.


    Rising to my feet I began running as fast as I could.


    All the while, the snapping and breaking sounds were getting louder.


    Off in the distance, more explosions shook thend, and I was incredibly thankful that it wasn''t cold enough for snow to form.


    Dealing with an avnche wasn''t something I wanted to experience.


    However, I didn''t have time to imagine fake scenarios when a literal tree was about to crash down on me.


    Finally giving in the tree crackled for thest time before splitting at the base and aiming to fall directly on me.


    Knowing better than to try to outrun the tree I turned away from the angle that it was falling in an attempt to dodge.


    Seeing a shadow cast down over me my heart skipped a beat but I managed to get out of the way just in the nick of time.


    Although I escaped the brunt of the impact, I didn''t get away scot-free. The tree bounced on the ground making it shake and create a cloud of dust and debris.


    Multiple branches also cut into my skin as I wasn''t able to fully avoid them.


    Groaning, I picked myself up and struggled to get free from the weight of the branchesying on top of me.


    When I finally got out covered in scrapes and scratches I looked back at the enormous tree thaty beside me.


    ''Why is it that every time I almost die it results in me getting turned into a pancake?''


    Alive but not well I looked around to see if Miss Smith was still busy.


    That''s when anotherrge explosion urred right in front of me sending dirt, dust, and small rocks right at me.


    Unable to dodge, I gritted my teeth and called upon Aether to swarm around me.


    When the shrapnel came into contact with the Aether, it was immediately broken down and dissolved into nothingness.


    With the confrontation finally over, I canceled the Aether and waited for the dust to clear.


    When it did, I saw a remarkable scene of a bloodied Miss Smith standing tall over a wolf.


    The wolf was very much dead as its head was crushed under the force of Miss Smith''s foot.<novelnext></novelnext>


    However, she wasn''t without her own injuries.


    ? The two of us matched as our clothing was disheveled, torn, and ripped to pieces while blood streamed down from small cuts.


    Overall we weren''t in a bad situation, but the wounds were adding up.


    From each battle with a monster, numerous small cuts appeared and hampered both Miss Smith''s and my prowess.


    Looking up I could only smirk as the tip of the mountain finally became visible.


    "Shall we keep going?"


    Miss Smith nodded while wiping away the blood on the grass.


    "Let''s go."


    *


    Defeating many more beasts and multiple more monsters that grew in strength the two of us made it to the tree line.


    Seeing the open space ahead Miss Smith and I decided to take a short break before we left the cover of the trees.


    Sitting down in an open clearing, I made sure to stay as far away as possible from any of the trees¡­ just in case.


    Miss Smith, however, slid down one of the trees and rested her back against it trying her best to catch her breath.


    Since we were so high up it wasmon for the two of us to be short on breath.


    The little amount of oxygen was proving to be a huge problem.


    It was harder for the two of us since we weren''t used to the terrain yet the monsters who had lived on the mountain for years were in perfect condition.


    It also didn''t help that Miss Smith was struggling more than she should have been.


    I thought that being a high ranker she wouldn''t have much of a problem and although that was true when it came to battling she was having trouble breathing.


    Apparently, it didn''t matter how strong one became physically or mentally they were still human and couldn''t survive without oxygen.


    I on the other hand was fairing decently wellpared to Miss Smith.


    I had a slight advantage because Mana Breath constantly refueled my body.


    However, the technique was much harder to pull off. Since it has a set breathing pattern it doesn''t matter how much oxygen I breathe in so long as I fulfill the requirements.


    This would be a good thing because it is harder to breathe but the problem was that there was so little oxygen that the short breaths were more wasteful than beneficial.


    That meant I would have to suck in twice as hard to first meet the timing of the skill and second to actually be able to breathe after doing so.


    That threw off my timing a couple of times, but I was still grateful, nheless.


    The real problem was all the running we had to do. It was already hard enough to keep Mana Breath active but throwing in trying to survive the dangers of the mountain, things became much harder.


    Overall Miss Smith and I were equally tired.


    Looking over at her breathing heavily I looked up the mountain.


    ''We''re so close.''


    But just as I was thinking that a loud screeching sound reverberated across the rockynds and a dark shadow appeared above us blocking out the sun.

 Chapter 86 66. To The Top (2)

    ?The quakingnds coupled with the iing apocalypse did not sit well with me.


    Apparently, neither was Miss Smith because she immediately shot up and took a defensive stance.


    I, on the other hand, knew that whatever wasing wasn''t something we would be able to handle.


    Rather than fighting back, it would be more beneficial for us to try and escape.


    Pushing myself up I rose to my feet still extremely tired.


    "Miss Smith, I think we should dive deeper into the forest. That way we can look for better cover and take some time to rx. We would be able to make it through in our current state."


    She looked back at me before looking up at the giant shadow.


    We didn''t have much time left because whatever it was kept getting closer and closer.


    "Miss Smith, you need to make a decision; run for it or retreat."


    She stayed silent and with each passing second the monster got closer and closer.


    "Miss Smith!"


    Shouting her name I finally got some response from her as lowered her head before dashing passed me down the hill.


    ''Fuck!''


    Not wanting to be left behind I kicked it into overdrive and raced as fast as I could after her.


    The problem though was that under no circumstances could an E-ranker catch up to an A-ranker.


    As she vanished from my line of sight, I knew I was on my own.


    I didn''t know if it was intentional or not but I had to somehow make my way down dodging all the terrain while staying out of the presence of the enormous creatureing my way.


    I didn''t know what the shadow was but it was getting closer by the second and by this point I started hearing screeching sounds.


    When the shadow covered and passed me blocking out any chance I had at getting away free I stopped my advancement and buckled down inside a nearby bush.


    I didn''t trust hiding behind or on the branches of a tree so I looked for the closest bush and got inside.


    I gathered more cuts but ignored them as I had a more pressing matter and there were already so many that it didn''t make much of a difference.


    While hiding I curled up into a ball and hoped that nothing bad would happen.


    As I waited for something to happen the sounds got louder and closer until it was right on top of me.


    Looking up through a crack in the leaves, I wanted to gaze at the monster, but I was utterly shocked at what I saw.


    Rather than a gigantic monster that was big enough to block out the sun, what I saw was far, far worse.


    It was thousands or maybe even millions of small birds flying so close together that it looked like it was one massive entity.


    The scream that shook the mountain was actually hundreds of screams all at once that were built on top of each other.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The flock that flew through the sky came down from over the top of the mountain and got lower and lower as it made its way to the tree line.


    Once they got into the forest the group began to swarm all around in search of food.


    As if a tsunami crashed into thend the birds moved through it devouring everything that breathed.


    I heard the sounds of wolves howling in pain, bears growling in fear, beast whimpering in fear, and monsters being torn apart.


    It didn''t matter what level of strength the enemies were to the birds as their numbers made up for it and when thousands attacked no one had a chance.


    While the swarm got closer to me a stampede of beasts and monsters ran past where I was hiding as they tried to escape in iing death.


    It wasn''t until I could actually see the birds in the lead making their way toward me that I began to give up hope. I was far weaker than the monsters in the mountain, and they couldn''tst a minute so how could someone like me manage to survive?


    Bracing myself for the end I summoned Nightfall and called upon all the Aether I had built up.


    Calling upon the first rune to activate the sword appeared to get even sharper as if it could cut through anything.


    But that still didn''t reassure me as although I might be able to take out a hundred at most the rest would quickly deal with me.


    Being as prepared as I could in the face of a catastrophe I clenched onto Nightfall and raised the de in front of my body while making myself take up as little space as possible.


    The de glowed and hummed while releasing glorious white energy.


    Wanting to calm myself, I waited for the horde to finally make its way to me.


    When the first bird moved past me I got a good look at its figure and the way it looked caused me to shudder.


    In a way, it looked like a prehistoric bird-like dinosaur. It was only 1 to 2 feet big but its wingspan was nearly double that.


    Although it was around the size of a crow it was still terrifying.


    It had a long, bony tail with spikes protruding out and its wings were covered in feathers.


    The monster was a dark gray color that had sharp, curved ws, and a beak that was long and slender, with sharp teeth in its jaws.


    It hadrge eyes that seemed to be able to lock onto anything even at an extreme height.


    It was not something I would be interested in fighting by itself but I was sure I would easily be able to defeat it.


    However, when there were as many as I saw in front of me I had to ept reality.


    As the first bird passed me so hundreds followed and it didn''t take long for them to find where I was hiding.


    A screech came from one who spotted me and then tens more dived right at the bush.


    Ready for the fight I waited for the impact and soon after the first bird mmed into Nightfall causing it to split open and cover me in blood.


    Yet that was just the start and afterward, I didn''t have a single second of peace as hundreds more swooped down trying to take a bite of me.

 Chapter 87 67. To The Top (3)

    Holding strong I took each hit without much care. I knew there would be no escape but taking down a few birds with me wouldn''t be terrible.


    Thinking about it, dying to a dinosaur-like creature wouldn''t be such a bad way of going out.


    After all, it''s much more badass saying that I was eaten alive rather than being ttened into a pancake.


    As the screeching of another bird disrupted my thought process I infused more mana into Nightfall.


    Keeping the rune active for a prolonged period of time ate away at my mana reserves.


    Thankfully I had mana breath which refilled a small portion of it every minute.


    But after three refills and over a hundred kills on my end I was out of Aether and my mana was quickly following behind.


    Once thest bit of Aether dissipated things became much worse much faster.


    The cuts and scrapes added up with the bites and tears of the monsters were weakening my body.


    It was so bad that I began having trouble holding up the de but I knew it was my only retort to the event so I didn''t dare to drop it.


    Blood was flowing constantly and the once green brush looked as if a truckload of red paint had dyed it.


    It got to the point that I couldn''t discern whose blood was whose. In the end mine and the bird''s blood became one as it puddled around me.


    When the fourth refill came things turned from worse to terrible as the birds finally considered me a threat.


    Many other monsters were being attacked by the majority of the swarm but with each death more and more wereing after me.


    When the swarm passed by me and I was engulfed in the middle of it rather than splitting the swarm in half like I had been doing, the monsters changed their approach.


    My method of splitting through them like the Red Sea fell apart the moment I felt a sharp pain in my back.


    Unable to look back due to having to concentrate on what was happening in front of me. I could only conclude that they would now be attacking from behind me.


    ? This was extremely problematic as my sole chance of survival was nullified and I had to now find some way of defending myself from all sides.


    Launching myself out of the bush I rolled on my back and crashed into the ground as the pain doubled.


    But thankfully the added weight was gone meaning that I managed to knock the assassin bird off but not without sustaining an injury.


    As soon as I was out in the open the tide shifted from being in the bird''s favor to overwhelming being in their favor.


    Instantly I was attacked from all sides and angles as birds swooped down from the air, from the right and left, and even from the ground as some crawled on the floor trying to bite at my heels.


    Knowing there was no way out due to my mana beingpletely empty and Aether long used up I got ready to ept my death by closing my eyes.


    ''I''ll do better next time.''


    Then the monstrous birds crashed into me swallowing me up ready to devour me down to my bones.


    Yet just as the foremost bird was about to chop off my face with its mouth wide open showing off its dangerous teeth something unique happened.


    "It''s done."


    What I thought was an angel speaking out stuck with me as those two words reverberated within my mind.


    Being taken away from the present world I was weed back into the realm of Nightfall''s.


    Looking over at the beautiful girl I couldn''t help but show a grand smile.


    Yet the girl only stared back emotionless as the next second the white world was enveloped in a glorious red hue as I was hurled out back to reality.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Understanding that my contingency n had seeded my heart thumped with excitement and I opened my eyes ready to unleash the new power.


    *


    "Damn it."


    Miss Smith cursed as she rushed down the mountain dodging all the brush.


    ''Hold on just a bit longer.''


    Moving as fast as she could Miss Smith made full use of her reacquired power.


    Being an A-ranker once again was huge for her as she finally got back the abilities that had been locked away by the curse.


    She was incredibly thankful that Lucas managed to conquer the trial and im ownership of Nightfall because it meant the curse ced on her would weaken.


    Eventually, it wouldpletely fade away but she was so excited with the idea of getting her power back that Miss Smith forcefully broke the connection.


    She knew that there would be a few repercussions however the aspect of regaining what was sealed away was far too tempting.


    The problem though was that she was currently suffering from some of the side effects as although she had the power of an A-ranker her body had yet to catch up.


    That meant if she wasn''t careful she could overexert herself to the point she would destroy her own body.


    In any other situation going through such a procedure wouldn''t be a problem because Miss Smith was a teacher and a highly prominent school. There wouldn''t be many chances where she would have to go all out and it would be extremely rare for something to threaten her.


    That''s why she decided to go through with it and break through.


    Yet as she looked over her shoulder and saw a terrifying wave of monsters running after her she began cursing her bad luck.


    Worst of all though was what was behind the horde. A swarm of Terror Raptors.


    Alone they were nothing but an annoyance but when in a pack their numbers could threaten the lives of multiple A-rankers.


    When too many Terror Raptors formed together there were a few instances when S-rankers had to be deployed to thin down their numbers.


    Miss Smith knew firsthand how horrible they were which was why she started running the moment she understood what was happening.


    ''Please don''t die on me!''


    Although the brat she had been teaching got all her nerves at times she was still partnered with him and if the higher-ups learned of his death she knew it would fall under her responsibility.


    That''s why she moved towards their only way of surviving the ordeal, her car.


    In the trunk, she kept many enchanted weapons to deal with all kinds of problems. Never had she thought she would need to use one so soon though.


    If she could just make it to the car in time she could save their lives but her legs were burning with each step she took.


    Plus it didn''t help that she was more than aware that Lucas would be in a tough position.


    That''s why she prayed she could make it in time.


    But just as she got to the base of the mountain a foreboding feeling sent shivers down her spine.


    Stopping for a second she looked back up at the top of the mountain and frowned.


    "Just what on earth is that kid?!"

 Chapter 88 68. History

    *


    Unveiling my newfound strength I opened my eyes to release the tension that had been building up within my body.


    Feeling reenergized I couldn''t help but smirk.


    I knew now that I wouldn''t be dying today.


    But the threat wasn''t over which meant I still had to act.


    My ordinarily crimson eyes came to life as a bright red amber illuminated them seemingly causing a me to appear.


    My vision remained the same but those who glimpsed into them froze over in fear.


    Instantaneously the swarm of birds that were about to feed on me stopped mid-air and fell to the ground unable to remain in the air.


    Cowering on the floor the birds began to writhe in pain as they shook uncontrobly.


    Yet this was just the beginning as a secondter I felt a connection form that had been slowly developing all this time.


    Like a mana contract and Nightfall a new force put pressure on my mind as I felt a new entity reveal itself to me.


    Reeling in power I called upon that source and that''s when a real change happened.


    Rather than power being produced solely from my eyes, the red mist began to leak out of my body.


    As if I was just a mold for containing the mist it quickly freed itself. Slipping out the cracks of my skin the force made itself known to the world.


    The red mist continued to build up and resonate with my body until arge portion of it filled the forest.


    All birds swept up in the mist dropped to the ground, while any of the few surviving monsters had their eyes dim before they too copsed.


    After a single minute, the hectic war came to an end and the once calm and silent forest reemerged.


    The few thousand birds that passed me continued to move down the hill but having more than third quarts of their numbers mowed down they began to disperse.


    Those further away that had yet to react to me and get in range of the mist realized how deadly it was and avoided it at all costs.


    Together the remaining birds gathered in the air barely casting a small shadow before flying off leaving the mountain behind.


    Once they were gone I looked around at the carnage and began tough.


    "Ha, haha!"


    Iughed andughed wholeheartedly overwhelmed by emotion.


    "That''s it Nightfall, you really exceeded my expectations!"


    Unable to control myself I threw my head back andughed to the point that tears began to form in the corner of my eyes.


    When I was finally done I dropped my head still having a terrifying smile on my face.


    "Ah, how good it feels to turn past mistakes into fuel for future sess."


    All this while the red mist continued toyer throughout the forest as if it was an all-natural fog epassing everything within it.


    But from the mist, a shadow of a figure began to rise from under my feet.


    I watched as the person formed while I raised my head to match its own.


    [Are you ready to acknowledge me?]


    In front of me stood a mysterious person shrouded in red hiding all its features.


    "Must I?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    The figure took a single step forward and closed the distance between us until its forehead was a mere centimeter from touching mine.


    [Yes.]


    I sighed.


    "Go ahead, it''s all in the past anyways."


    After saying that the figure leaned forward and our heads touched connecting our two worlds together.


    At this point, the veil that was bidding the futures of the figure broke away and the identity of the person was revealed to me.


    When it backed away and allowed me to get a good look at it I wasn''t surprised by what I saw. After all, deep inside my heart I already knew the truth of the matter.


    Staring back at me was none other than¡­ myself. However, it was a much different vision of me.


    The boy who had red wrapped around his body was me from my past life.


    It had the same body, the same face, and the same aura I gave off back when I wasn''t in my novel.


    The person standing before me was the same person I was before I transmigrated.


    But there was a fact that couldn''t be ignored.


    "A copy?"


    Questioning it I nced into the eyes of the mimic.


    [Yes and no.]


    Confused by the answer I was about to ask for an exnation but the mist answered first.


    [I am merely a fragment of what remained from your body.]


    "Does that mean-"


    [Yes, you really died that day.]


    I frowned and lowered my head.


    I had an inclination that there wouldn''t be a way back but being told directly that my body was killed truly sealed any hope I had of getting back.


    But I knew I had to get over it, my past life might be over but there was still much I needed to do in the new one.


    Pushing aside my feelings I went back to trying to find out new information from the copy.


    "You are the curse I made for Evelyn."


    [I am, however my creation was much moreplex than you can even begin to imagine.]


    "What do you mean?"


    [I am sure you''ve noticed it already but this world, this novel, this work of yours, it is not some fantasy, it''s real.]


    I stayed silent.


    ? [You can deny it as much as you want, but the truth of the matter is that this world is real, the people inside of it are real, and the experiences you''ve gone through are all real. There''s nothing fake about it.]


    I opened my mouth and closed it, but for some reason, I couldn''t find a suitable response to give.


    The mist saw that I was giving nothing away so it changed the course of our conversation.


    [Enough about that isn''t it about time I exined myself?]

 Chapter 89 69. History (2)

    I sighed.


    The truth was that I already knew most of not everything.


    "Go ahead."


    [Allow me to formally introduce myself, I am the personification of the curse you created to haunt Evelyn.]


    "The imaginative unrealistic curse that makes it so she can''t get friends and anyone who interacts with her faces a tragedy of sorts."


    [Exactly, though in your case I never would have thought that I would have to appear to threaten you.]


    "But that''s just because you didn''t know who I was."


    If the figure was capable of expressing emotion this would have been the moment there would have been a reaction.


    [Who would have known that the very creator of my host woulde in contact with her and hold her in such high regard that he feels love?]


    "Ironic isn''t it?"


    [Yes, I could have never expected such an oue.]


    Gaining clues from the conversation I pieced together one of the puzzle parts.


    "Your¡­ influence over others grows based on how much they are influenced by Evelyn."


    [Excellent! Even though you didn''t program the figure you were still able to deduce it so fast!]


    "That''s why little things only happen to people who try to get closer to her while extreme things happen to people who are already close."


    [Now you got it! Take for instance that one time a girl came up to Evelyn and while they were talking a bird shit on her head, that was all me.]


    "Then the moment I got close enough to her, you felt that our connection was so strong that you couldn''t do anything to drive me away. Instead, you had to do something life-changing."


    [The elevator incident.]


    "The elevator incident."


    A pause in our conversation took ce but the other version of me quickly moved on.


    [You should ask all your questions now, the one you call your teacher is making her way back.]


    Knowing that I didn''t have all the time in the world I finished with my understanding of the curse.


    "The reason you had toe out yourself to try to take over my mind was that I had such strong feelings for her right?"


    [That''s correct.]


    "And the more someone feels for her the more extreme things you do?"


    [Yes, yes.]


    "Then that means from the very start Evelyn was doomed because no one would be willing to get close enough to her."


    At this realization, the red me began tough ¡ª although it was hallowed.


    [You figured it out! There were more than a few people who could deal with getting tripped, getting soaked by a puddle near the road, getting crapped on, and other embarrassing things. However when it started getting dangerous none of them stood around long enough to continue the rtionship.]


    "I was the exception."


    [Not only were you an exception but you were overall an irregr.]


    "An irregr?"


    [That''s right because you didn''t have to go through each level as the others did while slowly falling into insanity. Instead, you skipped directly to the end and even surpassed it.]


    "Because of the feelings I have for her."


    [They are unnatural, what you feel for her is something indescribable, calling it love is an injustice.]<novelnext></novelnext>


    "That''s why you had to reveal yourself to me and that in turn led to where we are today."


    [That is my history.]


    "I am curious about one thing though?"


    [Let me guess, what Nightfall did?]


    "Yes, I had an assumption that she would be able to connect you to her world but I guess it really turned out to be true."


    [I don''t even understand it myself but she found a way to connect me to the sword.]


    "I see¡­ well then that means my end of the bargain was upheld."


    [That- that''s true, it''s as you said I now have a ce outside the bounds of this world where I can remain safe while actively getting stronger.]


    "Now it''s your turn to uphold your end of the deal."


    For the first time since our conversation began, the mist seemed to acknowledge me as the figure nodded before moving toward me.


    [I will grant you unrestricted ess to my powers but you must alsoe to understand the implications surrounding them.]


    "What do you mean?"


    The copy of me took another step forward and arrived in front of me while voicing:


    [You wille to know in due time. The power to manipte minds should not be taken lightly.]


    With that the red me took a final step forward and vanished from my sight as arge swirl of red was absorbed into the sword.


    All around me stilly the mist that continued to build up and envelop the surroundings.


    A fair share of the forest was covered in a fog-like substance while thousands of birdsy on the ground.


    Crouching down I looked at one of the monstrous birds.


    Although it looked to be dead I could see its chest slowly rising and falling.


    As if in aa-like stance the bird and the hundreds of others like it remained motionless on the ground.


    "The power to manipte minds huh?"


    My wrist buzzed.


    "Why don''t we give it a try?"


    Waving away some of the red that covered the bird I extended my hand and picked up the creature.


    It was much heavier than I imagined and scarier looking now that I was up close to it.


    Holding the bird in my arms I stood back up while bringing it close to my chest.


    "Hey little buddy, how would you like to be my pet?"


    Running my fingers over the unconscious bird I began petting it on the head while ruffling its feathers.


    "But of course, we can''t have you getting lonely, so how about we invite your friends?"


    Taking a quick scan of the area I engraved the scene into my mind and called up the full force of the curse.


    ''You said I have your full unrestricted use of power so let''s give it a shot.''


    Calling forth the ability given to me I activated the curse''s power.


    "Puppeteer."

 Chapter 90 70. Mind Control

    Just as had been so when I unlocked the ability to use Aether I knew what to call out when using the curse''s power.


    "Puppeteer."


    Immediately after saying the word a change in the surroundings began.


    The red foggy substance transformed into smoke as it moved around with a passion.


    Rather thanying on the ground building up, it was as if the mist hade to life.


    It moved with a goal as I watched the red seep into the nostrils and mouths of the hundreds of birds.


    When they breathed in the mist it didn''t take long for a change to ur.


    The first to be affected was the bird in my hands as I felt it squirm around.


    Then the others that were grounded began to recover.


    When they came out of theira or awoke from a deep sleep the birds started tussling around trying to make sense of what happened.


    It was clear that they were disoriented but after a minute they began to crawl and walk on the ground.


    Looking down at the creature in my hands it looked back up at me to reflect my image.


    I smiled as I came to understand what I stumbled upon.


    The bird''s eyes matched mine as a red glint sparkled deep inside of it.


    Feeling a strong connection to the bird unlike anything I had ever experienced before I gave out a mentalmand:


    ''Fly!''


    Immediately the bird began to shuffle in my arms until its wings were free.


    Then it slowly rose them up and down as a current was established.


    Using my hands to push up the bird I tossed it into the air.


    A sudden burst of energy exploded around me as the bird responded by spreading its wings to catch the air.


    Watching it soar higher and higher into the sky I couldn''t help but be amazed.


    I could only watch in awe as it circled around where I stood a few feet into the air above me.


    Its feather glistened in the sunlight, while the bird let out a piercing cry, signaling its counterparts to join it.


    All around me the hundreds of birds all at once started pping their wings while slowly lifting themselves into the sky.


    While they continued to ascend, the bird I released scanned the terrain, with its sharp eyes.


    The others rose to meet it as they effortlessly twisted and turned in the air, as the wind carried them wherever they desired.


    At that moment I had created, formed, and became the owner of a new swarm of Terror Birds.


    Creating another scene of chaos it didn''t take long before a new slightly smaller shadow blocked out the sun.


    However, this time rather than feeling fear I was euphoric and intoxicated by the power I now had in my grasp.


    "I see what you mean now, if I can control thousands of murderous dinosaur birds that cause A-rankers to run, what else can I control?"


    It was a question I wouldn''t get an answer to but I was excited to test the limits of my ability.


    Yet before I could there was a mission I had toplete and calling upon a subset of the power I checked how close I was to the target.


    The mes that still covered my eyes burnt with a higher intensity until my visionpletely shifted.


    Once everything went ck a secondter I was looking down on the world from above.<novelnext></novelnext>


    As if I was looking down from the heavens, the world appeared small and insignificant.


    I could make out every little detail thanks to the enhanced vision of the Terror Bird.


    Overwhelmed by the sight I took a few moments to get adjusted.


    Being about to see all around me in a much wider field of range made things ufortable but also helpful.


    Looking side to side and straight ahead at the same time was not something I was ustomed to but it didn''t take long to figure out.


    Making use of my newfound sight Imanded the bird to break free from the pack so that I could get a full view of the surroundings.


    Once the bird was high enough and I could make out everything I began scanning up and down the mountain.


    Almost immediately I caught sight of Miss Smith making her way up. She was moving incredibly fast while carrying somethingrge on her back.


    I made note of her position in regard to mine and deduced that I had at most a few seconds before she arrived.


    Turning my attention back to the top of the mountain I looked in between every crevice and crack until I finally found what I was looking for.


    Still, a ways ahead of where I stood was a cave carved into the mountainside.


    Knowing that I had found where we needed to go I relinquished control of the bird.


    Just likest time my vision darkened before lighting up again showing me in the middle of a forest.


    While I was slowly getting used to being back in my own body Miss Smith came to an abrupt stop next to me.


    Without looking at her I could tell that she wasn''t in the best condition.


    Her breathing was incredibly rigged and I could make out that she was quivering which most likely resulted from her pushing herself more than she could.


    "Your back."


    Trying to buy time as I slowly blinked my eyes I started up a conversation with her.


    After all, I was still pissed off that she left me to die.


    "Where are the Terror Birds?"


    ''So that''s what they are called, I''ll have to look up information about them when we make it back to the city.''


    I pointed up at the sky.


    Turning her head to follow Miss Smith squinted as she tried to make them out.


    By now they were quite a ways away as I gave out amand to flee the area.


    This meant the shadow was long gone making it much harder to see where they were especially so because I had them flying toward the sun.


    Once Miss Smith made them out she quickly took out whatever was slung around her shoulders and ced it on the ground.


    "What''s that?"


    Miss Smith didn''t respond but the most probable reason was that she was still out of breath.


    What she ended up dropping to the ground was some kind of long case.


    When she opened it up I immediately understood what it was because it was something that should have never been added to the novel.


    Something that I wrote about but cut outter before publishing due to the absurdity of it.


    A gun¡­ specifically¡­ a sniper rifle.

 Chapter 91 71. Baby Nuke

    Shocked beyond belief I stared at the high-tech weapon that shouldn''t have existed.


    When I first wrote the rough draft of Eminence I included guns and other high-end firearms that were evident in the current age.


    However, before serializing the series I ended up removing thempletely as it wasn''t something I wasn''t.


    I made the emphasis on magic so having technology-based weaponry made no sense.


    That''s why I was so confused as to why Miss Smith was currently pulling one out right in front of me.


    Wanting to make sure that the sniper wasn''t what I thought it was I asked Miss Smith for rification.


    "What''s that?"


    Miss Smith continued to pull out parts and set up the gun on the ground while she voiced out a simple answer.


    "Something that will eradicate those damn birds."


    "Oh."


    There wasn''t anything else I could say or do to prevent her from firing which meant I had to take action myself.


    I couldn''t be having my new pets get killed right after I worked so hard to get them so I had to think of something quick.


    While Miss Smith pulled out the scope andid the gun on its stand my mind was racing for ways to save them.


    I already had them flying toward the sun and Miss Smith didn''t seem bothered by it so that wasn''t helpful.


    By this point, I began to regret pointing them out to her.


    The realization that I might be the one responsible for their deaths began to haunt me as I gave the only suitablemand that I could.


    ''Scatter!''


    Instantly the small ck dot off in the distance began to fade away as the birds moved away from each other.


    I hoped that if they got far enough away from each other Miss Smith would have a harder time hitting them.


    However, Miss Smith didn''t stop even after the birds were no longer visible.


    "Will you still be able to hit them from here?"


    "No."


    "Then why-"


    "I don''t need to hit them, I just got to get close?"


    ? "What does-"


    "Watch."


    After that Miss Smith was finally set up and she loaded a shot into the chamber beforeying down prone on the ground.


    I watched nervously as she took the butt of the gun and rested it on her shoulder while lining up her sights.


    ''What does she mean by close¡­ wait, don''t tell me.''


    As soon as I understood that she wasn''t nning to snipe them down but rather blow them to smithereens I sent out moremands.


    ''DIVE!''


    I prayed that Miss Smith lost track of them and that she would just shoot at theirst known location but I doubt that would happen.


    I could only hope that the birds would put enough distance between them and the soon-to-be explosion.


    If they dropped down far enough they might be able to get out of the st zone.


    I couldn''t see with my own eyes what was happening but Miss Smith was now looking down the scope lining up her shot.<novelnext></novelnext>


    My heart raced as I hoped they would all survive but that''s when Miss Smith finally shot.


    "Die motherfuckers"


    As a loud explosion shook the area I could only watch in horror as arge and fast beam split through the sky.


    It blew through clouds and tore the sound barrier before arriving where the birds once were and exploding with a terrible force.


    The shock wave was visible as a rush of energy soon came back at us causing trees to be uprooted, debris to fly, and me to be knocked back a few meters.


    When I looked around at the destruction caused by the aftershock I was terrified at what would have happened to anything caught up in the explosion.


    Once I recovered I watched from a distance as arge mushroom cloud formed in the sky.


    In a way, it seemed as if I''d just watched a single personunch a miniature nuke.


    Realizing that the world was much more dangerous and full of unknowns than I had originally thought I couldn''t help butpare myself to the weapon.


    I knew I would have zero chance of surviving something like that so knowing how weak I truly was didn''t leave a good taste in my mouth.


    The explosion was still roaring off when Miss Smith started taking apart the rifle.


    I walked up to her brushing off some of the dirt that covered me.


    "Well, that''s one way of getting rid of them."


    Miss Smith paused and turned to look at me.


    "You might think it''s overkill but for what those terrors have done it was more than deserved, do not underestimate them."


    I raised my hands defensively.


    "Oh, I know."


    Then I pointed at the pile of dead ones that I ughtered while hiding in the bush.


    "They are quite formidable."


    She looked at the masses of dead birds before sighing to finish taking apart the gun.


    Once she was done she looked up at me expectantly.


    "How far are we?"


    I smiled.


    "Close¡­ super close."


    Thanks to the scouting I did with the puppet birds I knew how far away the cave was and the direct path to it.


    Therefore it didn''t take the two of us long to reach our destination. Coupled with the fact that the Terror Birds had wreaked havoc in the area we didn''t have any trouble.


    All the monsters were either hiding away, devoured, or fleeing.


    Since Miss Smith and I had gone through so much already it was nice to not face any trouble.


    In the end, we made it safely to the base of the cave entrance where beyond would be the final resting ce of Miss Smith''s sister.


    "Are you ready?"


    I asked this question before we made our way in to get an idea as to what her mental state was like but instead of responding she took a step forward and entered the dark.


    I sighed.


    ''I was even going to give you a warning.''

 Chapter 92 72. A Death, A Thief, A Sister

    Following behind her, the two of us entered the cave where Miss Smith would learn of a painful fact.


    As we ventured deeper into the cave, the darkness enveloped us like a thick nket, making it impossible to see even my own hand in front of me.


    Ordinarily I would have never entered such a creepy ce, but I knew that there wasn''t any danger, so it was just a matter of having the right mindset.


    We continued to move on and the dampness in the air chilled me to the bone. It didn''t help that the sounds of droplets hitting the ground echoed ominously throughout the cavern.


    As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I began to make out the jagged formations of stctites and stgmites that surrounded the two of us.


    They seemed to be joined together, forming twisted columns that looked almost organic, like they were alive and growing.


    The rocks shimmered in the dim light, revealing a rainbow of colors from all the minerals.


    The rocks were razor-sharp jutting out from the walls and floor.


    Then suddenly the ground became slicker, and I had to be careful not to slip on the wet rocks.


    The air was thick with the musty scent of earth and decay, and the ground beneath my feet was slick with moisture.


    At some point, we started descending, but I didn''t want to risk an injury, so I summoned antern that I had stored away in the spatial ring.


    With visible light, our silhouettes cast eerie shadows on the cave walls.


    As we drew closer to the end, I cast a dim glow that barely illuminated the surrounding area.


    From what I could make out, we had to go down ayer of carved-out stairs.


    It was obviously man-made, as the stairs were too perfect to be made by nature.


    "Looks like you will find your answers down there."


    Miss Smith turned back to look at me before nodding and taking the first step down.


    I quickly followed behind her, as I too wanted to see whaty in the depths.


    With each step we took approaching the back of the cave, my heart raced with a mix of fear and curiosity.


    When we finally descended to the bottom a wide room was revealed.


    Thentern couldn''t light up the whole ce but I instantly knew that we made it.


    Swinging the light around the ce resembled exactly as I had described in the novel.


    But that almost meant I knew what was hiding here.


    This time I took the lead as I silently began walking in front of Miss Smith.


    She trailed behind me and it didn''t take too long until a dark shadow was outlined.


    And then, in the farthest corner, I saw it ¡ª a human skeleton.


    The bones were bleached white by time and the elements. Its empty eye sockets seemed to stare straight through me.


    I gulped loudly, alerting Miss Smith.


    ''The Nihil Witch.''<novelnext></novelnext>


    When the light passed over the corpse, Miss Smith froze up right next to me.


    I could tell hundreds of thoughts a second was passing through her mind.


    Leaving her be I moved forward and crouched down next to the dposed body.


    "The one who challenged the world, lost everything, and died with nothing, your sister."


    I took a closer look at the bones, realizing that there was nothing special about them.


    In the end, a human is a human and in death, we are all the same.


    "Your sister was something back in the day, being an S-ranker at twenty-five. I even heard rumors that she could be the first SSS ranker, but it''s a shame she couldn''t break free from her fate."


    Reaching out my hand, I tore off a talisman that was still wrapped around her neck.


    Besides worn-out and torn clothing that seemed as if it would turn to dust with the slightest of touches, the amulet was the only thing to survive.


    It was remarkable that the thing seemed to go against time as it was without a scratch while the rest of the body seemed as if it had been dead for a hundred years.


    Pulling the jewelry closer to my body, I looked it over studying the design before standing back up and turning to Miss Smith.


    She remained still as if unable to move from where she stood, only staring emotionless at the pile of bones.


    Moving forward, I blocked the way of Miss Smith and ced myself in front of her line of sight to the body.


    Grabbing her hand which was at her side, I raised it up and opened her palm before nting the amulet on it.


    "A keepsake of sorts, I''m sure your sister would have wanted you to have it."


    Finished with everything on my end I left thentern behind before pulling out a second and climbing the staircase.


    Leaving Miss Smith behind to her own vices, I gave her an opportunity to mourn her beloved sister.


    Once I had reached thest step and began ascending the cave to leave, a cruel smile covered my face as the exact same talisman that I had just handed Miss Smith appeared in my hands.


    Whenpared to the one that was now with Miss Smith, no one would be able to notice any differences. That was, unless they were to sense the amount of mana stored within the one in my possession.


    Back before this whole expedition began I had already made countless preparations and although it was rough, my end goal ended up being a sess.


    With some of the materials I gathered from the school store coupled with my knowledge, it was surprisingly easy to duplicate the jewelry.


    After all, it wasn''t all that detailed, but I knew I had to get it exact, otherwise, Miss Smith would have known something was off.


    Thankfully she was too stunned to go for the amulet first and I was able to switch them out without her noticing.


    I knew a sh of mana would appear when summoning an item from a spatial ring, which was why when I first took out thentern I also grabbed the copy.


    Thus, when I brought the original close to my chest, I quickly swapped the two and shoved the real one into my shirt.


    Miss Smith''s poor mental state was the only reason I was able to pull off something so devious, and although I felt bad that she wouldn''t be getting what her sister left for her I knew the item would be much better in my hands.


    After all, I am the one who created it and brought it into the world. Miss Smith''s sister was only the recipient of it, but now the amulet is in its owner''s hands.


    Exiting the cave, I sent the magic item andntern back into my ring before taking a seat next to the entrance to wait for Miss Smith.

 Chapter 93 73. Evolved Power!

    While I was waiting for Miss Smith to finish up her business in the cave there were a couple of things I wanted to check up on.


    The first thing I wanted to know was what happened to the Terror Birds and if any of them survived.


    Yet before I did that I wanted to fully understand the meaning behind the power gifted to me from the curse.


    Pulling back my sleeve I looked down at my watch and checked up on some of the notifications I got.


    [An existential influence has been absorbed.]


    [Puppeteer: Any living being below you in rank will instantly be your puppet when theye in contact with the curse. Any being at or above your rank whoes in contact with the curse will slowly be influenced over time. [Vision], [Swap (locked)], [...]]


    [Vision: A subset of [Puppeteer] which allows the puppetmaster to see through the eyes of its puppets.]


    [An unprecedented change has taken ce!]


    [+ 5000 SP]


    Having the full definition there wasn''t all that much more that I didn''t already know but seeing an addition to the power I became surprised.


    The only reason that I could think that it appeared was that the power was evolved!


    When I first decided to buy a gift there were a couple of them that could be evolved. Although I didn''t buy any of them it was still something interesting that I wanted to test out.


    But now that I am seeing subparts of main power, they most likely stem from evolution.


    Noticing that, I realized how much more powerful evolved skills could be.


    ''From now on I need to make sure I get more evolved stuff.''


    Knowing everything I needed to know about the curse''s power I activated the skill while making use of [Vision] so that I could locate the Terror Birds.


    As my vision turned dark I smiled because that meant at least one bird survived otherwise nothing would have happened.


    When light reflected in my eyes a secondter I scanned the area to understand where they were and how many of them remained.


    The first thing I noticed was that they were no longer flying. Looking around I saw that they were still high up which meant that they were resting in a tree.


    Looking at every branch that covered the tree I saw hundreds of ck dots.


    When my eyes finally adapted to the bird''s sight, everything became clear and I let out a sigh of relief.


    Nearly all the Terror Birds had survived the attack and were currently taking shelter at the base of the mountain on a tree.


    Commanding the bird to take flight I had it circle the area for a second.


    All I wanted to do was get an understanding of their surroundings however when I did so I became surprised.


    There wasn''t just one tree full of birds, instead there were multiple.


    A single tree could hold close to a thousand and from what I could see there were more than a dozen trees full of birds.


    That meant the numbers were much higher than I expected.


    It was hard to understand how many I had under my control when they were flying so high in the air and asleep on the ground. But now that I could get a round answer I became overwhelmed by the power that the curse has.


    There was nearly no mental strain on my mind yet I had more than ten thousand souls bound to me.


    Yet Paul''s alone was practically equal to theirs.


    This is what surprised me the most. The problem though was that I had no way of finding out the reason.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Pushing this idea to the back of my mind I noted that I should ask the curse the next time I visit Nightfall''s domain.


    Having the Terror Birdnd back on the branch it originated from I canceled the power and my vision went dark.


    I got all the information I needed to get therefore there was no reason to remain connected to them.


    When my vision returned to me, Miss Smith still hadn''te out of the cave.


    Figuring I would have a bit of wait I decided it would be best tomemorate the Nihil Witch. After all, I had just stolen her precious relic.


    Leaning my head back against the wall of the cave entrance I thought back to what I wrote about Miss Smith''s sister.


    .


    Miss Smith''s parents were both mid-level rankers as her mother was B-rank while her father was C-rank.


    Although her father was of a lower rank he had a high position in the military as he was a general whose wits gained him many achievements.


    Her mother worked as an adventurer for a guild and made quite a name for herself.


    The two of them were well known and had arge amount of influence over the human race however that wouldn''t be enough as only a couple of yearster they had their first child.


    A beautiful baby daughter whose power was unprecedented as her Ability could grant her immense power.


    Yet it came at a high cost.


    That''s how she got her nickname¡­ the Nihil Witch¡­ the Witch of Nothing.


    From the moment she was born, she began showing signs that something was different about her. It didn''t take long for her dad to use some of his connections in the military to find out what it was.


    When they discovered what it was, her loving father realized his mistake far toote.


    The government ended up taking the child away to raise her as a powerhouse.


    After that day the father and mother were left heartbroken and betrayed as they lost their one and only daughter.


    To make up for the hole in their hearts they had their second daughter sometimeter.


    Terrified that the government would also seize control of her, the family fled.


    However, while the baby was growing up it didn''t show any of the same symptoms that the first did.


    This was both a blessing and a curse for the parents as they knew the government wouldn''t care for her but their hearts also hurt as they knew she would never be anything like their first daughter.


    As Miss Smith was raised she was always second in the shadow of her sister whom she never met.


    This left many scars on her and when the government finally found where they were hiding Miss Smith willingly went with them.


    Her parents were dismayed by this but she couldn''t remain in such a toxic environment.


    Later she would learn that her parents were too heartbroken over the decision and they ended up taking their lives.


    However the help Miss Smith thought she would get never came as the government soon realized that the girl was nothing like her older sister.


    Leaving the girl to fend for herself Miss Smith lived a turbulent life as she slowly made a name for herself before bing a teacher at the renowned university Griffin.


    Miss Smith lived her life never knowing anything about her sister other than she had monstrous talent


    That was until one day a young boy who had no talent came up to her and offered her a deal whereby she could meet her sister if she did what he asked.

 Chapter 94 74. The Nihil Witch

    Although Miss Smith did not live the greatest of lives and went through many painful years of existence it was nothing inparison to her sister.


    The moment she was taken away from her parents she lost any feelings of touch involving love.


    Those who handled her treated her as an experiment and an experiment is what she became as countless tests were done on her.


    It was a traumatic experience to go through at such a young age.


    After all, the girl was only a toddler still in her single digits of age.


    Yet she was forcefully taken away from her loving environment and removed from her parent''s life.


    What she knew became reced with pain and misery as she suffered with every passing second.


    The test that was performed on the girl should have never been done to any human yet the resistance that her body had made it possible for them to test her limits.


    Although she was young she was still extremely powerful. The only thing the researchers had to worry about was breaking her mind as it would long deteriorate before her body ever would.


    However, being isted it was hard to keep the girl''s mental health strong.


    Yet this was both good and bad as they needed her mind to be weak enough that they could influence and manipte her. But they just had to be such not to break her.


    Many years passed like this until she became a teenager. That was the day she received her first mission.


    A ve to the government and bound to them there was nothing she could do to resist them.


    By that point, she was the youngest person to ever be an A-ranker.


    Setting a record that was thought to be impossible the value of the girl rose tremendously.


    ? Those simr to her in age were at best D-rank and even then those people would be considered geniuses.


    When she was sent on her first mission it was an overwhelming victory for her as her enemies couldn''t defend themselves against such a force.


    Her Ability was far too strong for anyone to counter and it caused her poprity to rise.


    When the public got a hold of the fact that there was such a young woman who was incredibly powerful and was working for her country, patriotism rose drastically.


    Yet had they known what the girl was going through their thoughts on her actions might have been much different or maybe not.


    In the span of five years, she rose to the toppleting every mission assigned to her even ones that were suicidal.


    During herst year in the living world, she reached S-rank a whole decade younger than the ones simr in power to her.


    However, those at S-rank hold unmatched power that some consider being above human.


    So when a broken and damaged girl has the power to destroy the world where nothing she loved remained, all hell broke loose.


    Whatever restraint the government had over her was lost the moment she was strong enough to break free.


    However contrary to what some might think she didn''t exact revenge but rather calmly vanished from the face of the earth.


    Had I not interfered and revealed her location it would''ve taken years before her corpse was discovered.


    In the end, her fate was already sealed.


    The reason she didn''t attack anyone and why she disappeared was to live out thest of her life In blissful peace.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Where there was no pain, torture, or helplessness she survived in the wilderness surviving on its resources until the end of her days.


    From the beginning to the very end she was left with nothing thus the name Nihil was bestowed upon her.


    The witch aspect came from her unwarranted power and the fact that she was isted from all those who loved her.


    Her story was heart-wrenching and full of misery where nothing good came of her life had the government never discovered her powers her life would have been much different.


    Yet perhaps it was her Ability that was the true nail in the coffin.


    It allowed her to sacrifice her life force for mana; a powerful force that came at a great cost.


    Every time she used it the less time she had to live.


    Being that the government sent her on countless missions where the odds of survival were minimal it wasn''t a surprise that she would end up dead soon orter.


    That''s why they made her the perfect tool that wouldplete anything others were too scared to do. Then when her time ran out they would just discard her without remorse.


    Yet no matter how much of a ve she was to them she still managed to go out on her terms.


    She spent the rest of her life on a deste mountaintop surrounded by numerous powerful monsters.


    Truly her story was not to be taken lightly as she went through something that no one should have ever had to do.


    However, what makes her story so terrible is the fact that once her record was released to the public there was no outrage or care for her.


    The government knew perfectly well how much time she had left so by the time the leak happened the Nihil Witch was long dead.


    The people ignored the tant abuse and cruelty of the matter and subjected the girl to an honorable death by chalking it up for the better good of humanity.


    No matter what they did everything was in the past and if she hadn''t done those impossible missions humanity wouldn''t be where it is today.


    After all, we are one of the weakest creatures and any leeway we make is incredibly significant.


    Sacrificing one girl for millions was worth it in the mind of the general public.


    So like that the legacy of the Nihil Witch was made.


    .


    I let out a sigh of pity for the girl as I finished reminiscing about what I wrote.


    Had I known that the insignificant words I wrote would have such an effect on someone else I might not have done it.


    But it was toote to be thinking like that as I had my own troubles to worry about.


    If there was going to be more history revolving around the Nihil Witch it would have toe from Miss Smith as I was finished with the character.


    Speaking of Miss Smith I finally heard her footsteps echoing throughout the cave as she got closer.


    Rising to my feet I stood outside the entrance waiting for her arrival so that I could move on to the next step of my n.


    It was time to conquer a dungeon!

 Chapter 95 75. Shadows

    When Miss Smith came out of the cave I was surprised to see arge duffel bag strung over her shoulders.


    "What''s that?"


    Miss Smith looked at me funny.


    "My sister?"


    It took me a second to realize what she meant and when I did my mouth almost dropped open in shock.


    ''She''s taking the remains? Isn''t there a saying to not disturb the dead? Well, it''s not like I can talk.''


    Recalling what happened in the elevator where I willingly stepped on the bodies of the dead there wasn''t anything I could say to Miss Smith without being a hypocrite.


    "Let''s go."


    Miss Smith seemed in the mood to leave as quickly as possible and I was in the same boat as nearly half the day had passed and I had yet to start the dungeon.


    "Okay."


    The trip down was anticlimactic where most of the monsters were still hiding.


    That was the best-case scenario as I wasn''t in the mood to fight anymore and I didn''t think Miss Smith was either.


    When we made it back down to her car an hourter she threw the bag and the sniper in the truck while I hopped into the passenger seat.


    When Miss Smith got in the driver''s seat and turned on the car she peeled out of the parking spot and began speeding down the road.


    I wasn''t sure if I should start up a conversation with her due to her just finding out that her sister was dead but I needed some reassurance.


    Coughing lightly to get her attention I asked:


    "So concerning our deal?"


    Miss Smith kept her eyes locked on the road ahead but still responded.


    "You held up your end of the bargain, for that I am grateful."


    I smiled upon hearing that.


    "Then does that mean you will continue to train me and teach me everything you know?"


    She fell silent for a second before answering.


    "You don''t have to worry about that, I will keep the promise I made to you. I n on turning you into a force to be reckoned with."


    Hearing this I was incredibly happy because everything turned out better than I expected it to.


    "That''s great-"


    "However I will have to take some time off for a while to deal with¡­ her. That means you will be on your own for some time but don''t fret because I swear here and now before the next school year starts up I will make a student who can stand proudly in the top ten."


    Hearing Miss Smith make such a grand promation I couldn''t help but get a little excited for the future.


    That fact that she would be gone was a bit disappointing as I would have to make do with myself while training but I understood.


    With everything that is known about the Nihil Witch, I am sure there are a lot of thoughts going through Miss Smith''s head.


    Clearing them up should be a priority of hers otherwise it might affect how she does at the academy.


    "I understand, until that timees I hope that you cane to learn more about your sister."


    Miss Smith side-eyed me and asked:


    "You seem to know a lot about her."


    I only smiled before reclining the seat and closing my eyes.


    "It does seem that way doesn''t it."


    Miss Smith didn''t push any further and I didn''t reveal anything more. It was up to her to decide how to remember her sister.


    Whether that would be like everyone else, a jealous sister, or if she coulde to love her I didn''t know but it wasn''t my ce to find out.


    Using the society of Immortals as a cover I was free to reveal some of my knowledge to her without her asking anything more.


    That was something I liked about Miss Smith.


    Diving into my dreams I decided to get some sleep on the drive back to the city because for some reason I had a feeling that I wouldn''t be getting any more any time soon.


    .


    When we entered the city Miss Smith dropped me off along one of the streets before speeding off.


    She had her own things to take care of and I had my own.


    I didn''t know when I would see her next but I was sure that when that happened she would be a much different person.


    Watching the fiery red car disappear in the distance I sighed to myself.


    ''It''s time.''


    A momentter an all-ck SUV pulled up and the door opened revealing an angry voice.


    "Hop in kid we are already behind schedule."


    Following themand, I took a step forward and climbed into the vehicle.


    As soon as I shut the door behind me and before I could take a seat the SUV started driving away.


    elerating at a high speed all of a sudden caused me to stumble back and fall into an empty car seat.


    Hearingughter I turned my head toe face to face with four individuals dressed in ck.


    ''The shadows.''


    Moving through the city as we headed toward the dungeon I got acquainted with the rankers that would be monitoring me.


    I could immediately tell that they were a ragtag group of mercenaries.


    Each member had a distinct personality, each with unique quirks and characteristics.


    Of the four shadows, three were men, and only one was a woman.


    The first man ¡ª the one who is driving ¡ª is a middle-aged, rough-looking, bearded individual who exudes masculinity and acts burly.


    Looking at his figure I was reminded of the dwarfs that I recently met. However, there was a clear distinction between the two as the man was far taller than any dwarf.


    From what I could tell he is a brute and will do whatever it takes to get the job done.


    The second man is much younger, most likely in histe twenties and appears to be full of gloom.


    He''s a monochromatic character that reminds me of goth people.


    During the trip, he didn''t talk much but when he does speak, his words are few and full of bitterness.


    The third man is theplete opposite of the second as he is a carefree individual who always has a cigarette in his mouth.


    He doesn''t seem to care about anyone or anything and is always looking for the next thrill.


    He was the most talkative of the bunch trying to share stories of all the adventures he went on.


    From them, I could tell that he was a bit of a wildcard. Who discards his own well-being to take an enemy down.


    Finally, there''s the woman, who is super hyper and egotistical.


    She was the most weing and the one who tried to probe me for information the most.


    She wanted to be a part of everything and know everything that was happening.


    I didn''t get much from her as she seemed interested in me.


    Thankfully the third man filled most of the time sharing his countless adventures so that I didn''t have to respond to her.


    When we finally made it to the dungeon I was d that I got a little although important feel for the group.


    I didn''t know what to expect the moment I got in the SUV but I sure didn''t expect them to be kind and joyful ¡ª except the second.


    Exiting the vehicle we all stepped out of the vehicle and made an appearance in front of the dungeon.


    "Are you ready kid? This is your first dungeon right?"


    Asking was none other than the girl who seemed to have good intentions but was still searching for answers from me.


    Giving her what she wanted I responded in kind.


    "Yes, this will be the first time I defeat a dungeon."


    "O'' ho, we got a confident one!"


    From behind me, I heard theughter of the driver.


    Being face to face with the dungeon I didn''t bother to turn back as I was examining every bit of it.


    "Well, I have you guys to rely on if things go bad. That''s your purpose for being he right?"


    I made sure not to put any deep emotion into my question but I still subtly hinted that they shouldn''t get in my way.


    Surpassing the one to respond to me was the gloomy man who was now talking for the second time ever since I met him.


    "Indeed, but that also depends on us being able to handle whatever goes wrong. We could all end up dead wouldn''t that be depressing."


    The way the man said it so emotionlessly made the four of us look at him like he was crazy.


    Piping up the joyful man said:


    "Well, that''s not a good way to end our conversation before entering a dungeon. So I''ll say this good luck, everyone, and kid, you got this!"


    Although his statement wasn''t all that reassuring I smiled at him nheless.


    "Let''s go."


    Walking forward the five of us entered the dungeon but it was unclear how many woulde out alive at the end.

 Chapter 96 76. Dungeon

    The exit of the dungeon itself was magnificent to me.


    Before we entered I made sure to study every aspect of it as there were always secrets hidden within the depths of the unknown.


    My belief of that turned out to be correct as the portal itself revealed many intricacies.


    A dungeon portal is a magical gateway that appears when a dungeon begins to open.


    These portals arerge, dark, and ominous, with a swirling vortex of energy at their center.


    The portal itself is framed by stone-like formations that are made of indestructible material.


    Yet carved within this stone are ancient and unexinable characters that clearly say something.


    Researchers,nguage enthusiasts, and experts all across the globe have studied and tried to find meaning in them to no avail.


    Yet to me ¡ª the creator of them ¡ª understanding the meaning behind them was incredibly easy.


    Reading the symbols and seemingly random lines I learned all I need to know about the dungeon before even entering it.


    It took a second to get used to and the background noise didn''t help but the biggest facts were revealed to me and that was all that I needed.


    Near the portal, I took my eyes off the patterns and studied the actual energy that made it up.


    There was a faint, otherworldly glow emanating from it, casting an eerie light on everything around it.


    Its color was deep green and the color reflected off the surface of the ground shing back at my eyes.


    The air around the portal crackled with energy, and an overwhelming force could be felt hidden deep inside of it.


    As the five of us approached the portal, I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.


    The energying from the portal was almost suffocating, and worst of all it felt as if I was physically being pulled towards it.


    The closer I got the stronger the sensation became until it felt like I was standing in the center of a hurricane.


    When we finally stepped through the portal it was like stepping into another world.


    My senses were distorted and my mind went nk for a split second but the chatting of the shadows brought me back to reality.


    "Kid, are you good?"


    Responding to the joyful man I said:


    "Yeah, I''m good now."


    Saying that the girl came up behind me and added:


    "You will get used to it."


    The depressed shadow was quick to cut in:


    "If you survive."


    Then after that four whispers of good luck rang in my ears and the figures of the shadows vanished from my line of sight.


    "Good luck kid!"


    "Don''t die, I don''t want to deal with your body!"


    "Survive so that we can go on more adventures in the future!"


    "If you go down, at least take me with you!"


    Being left alone in the middle of the dungeon I didn''t feel any anguish.


    The reason was that I was more than prepared and I knew that the shadows were still nearby.


    They weren''t supposed to interfere unless something went wrong which meant they were just a surveince team.


    It was annoying because it meant I couldn''t go all out but I didn''t think I would have a reason to at least not in the beginning.


    Summoning Nightfall the sword began to materialize in my hand as I started moving in a random direction.


    The specific path I needed to move towards wasn''t outlined and I had no idea where to begin so it didn''t matter which way I moved.


    The moment we crossed the portal and the world unveiled wended on a t patch ofnd.


    I didn''t know where I was in respect in the center but I had a feeling I was quite a ways away from it.


    Being that the dungeon was quite literally called the ck Wild Lands I was expecting all kinds of terrains. But the fact that we came through and we were in an openndscape had to be lucky.


    Appearing in an overgrown jungle, in the water, or a desert would have been terrible.


    But unfortunately for me however safe the ins would be it was not the ce I wanted to stay.


    What I needed to find was the swamp portion of the dungeon.


    While running I looked around and took in the surroundings.


    The first thing I did was try to locate the positions of the shadows however I quickly gave up on it.


    Although I was fairly sure that I could beat them in battle their stealth skills were too high.


    Giving up on that I began studying the structure of the dungeon.


    Feeling the long des of grass rub up against the ankles of my feet I couldn''t distinguish the difference between them and real ones outside of the dungeon.


    Plus the sun that was high in the sky and beaming down on me seeped away my energy and caused me to sweat just like the one in the real world.


    Having these eerily simr sensations coupled with the information I knew about Nightfall having her realm. I began to question if the stuff in the dungeon was truly fake.


    Rather the portals might be just that as they connect to separate worlds.


    But that kind of thinking was far too extreme for the current situation I was in.


    I didn''t have time to specte as I came across my first-ever monster living inside a dungeon.


    It was some sort of rhino-like creature that was huge and had a long pultruding horn sticking out the top of its head.


    Laying prone I dropped to the ground before the monster was able to notice my presence.


    The grass was just tall enough to hide my figure but I had an inclination that the monster would find me sooner orter.


    Still having Nightfall in my hands I mentally prepared myself for the fight as I used up a good bit of my mana to activate the first rune.


    Believing the sword was now strong enough to cut through the monster''s tough hide I jumped out from where I was hiding and charged at the monster when it had my back to me.


    ''Die!''

 Chapter 97 77. Rhino

    ?


    Prepared to hunt my first monster within a dungeon Iunched myself from behind cover and attacked the enemy.


    Coming up behind it before it could notice my presence I shed with Nightfall at its rear end.


    Drawing blood I followed up the attack with another before falling back.


    Hearing the monster roar out in anger thest ce I wanted to be was directly behind it.


    At a slight distance, I watched as the rhino kicked its hind legs in fury.


    Seeing that I knew I made the right move to retreat.


    When the monster didn''t feel any connection with anything it slowly turned its body around to face where it thought I was.


    However, the moment the rhino started moving I did the same and moved just outside of its vision.


    The monster was far too big to cover all sides of itself so hiding out of its sight was extremely easy.


    When the rhino faced the direction that it was first attacked it snorted angrily and mmed its hoof on the ground.


    Ignoring the intimidating faction of the monster I made my second attack.


    Like thest, I came up behind it and dealt multiple shes before retreating.


    Doing the same time over and over it didn''t take too long for the beast to fall into exhaustion.


    Seeing the rhino copse down on the ground I went in for the kill.


    Coming up behind it like I had done so many times before I looked at the hundreds of wounds that covered its rear.


    Blood stained its back as the creature was slowly bleeding out and losing hope.


    Appearing behind the monster I walked alongside it until I came up just behind its neck.


    In ast-ditch effort, the rhino whipped its head in my direction in an attempt to pierce me with its horn.


    Unfortunately, I was just out of range and the attack failed.


    Putting the monster out of its misery I embedded some Aether into Nightfall and struck down on its nape.


    Slicing through it cleanly the bones split like butter and the head fell off its body.


    Seeing the decapitated rhino I realized it was a bitter-sweet victory.


    It was true that I defeated my first monster but the way I went about it wasn''t done in a direct confrontation.


    If it had, things might not have gone to n.


    Although it was the most honorable kill, a kill was still a kill.


    Walking over to the nearby head of the rhino I crouched down and carved out the horn.


    Using Nightfall with the sharpness rune activated, the butchering wasn''t difficult.


    When the horn was finally free of the corpse I sent it into my spatial ring before continuing my journey.


    ''The first of many.''


    While traversing through the open field I ran into many more unique and different monsters.


    Some posed challenges while others fell easily like the rhino.


    While pulling out the ws of a lion-like monster and tossing them into the spatial ring I scanned the distance and saw a difference in the terrain.


    All this time it had been open fields with tall grass but some distance away I spotted something rising into the sky.


    Believing it to be a forest of sorts I made that my next destination.


    When I was done taking the valuable parts of the lion''s corpse I started my adventure toward the tree.


    Fortunately, I didn''t run into any more monsters while I was moving and I reached the forest in the shortest amount of time possible.


    Coming to a stop outside of it I made note of how one terrain changed into another.


    Surprisingly there was no meshing or connection between the two.


    Instead one simply ended and the other began.


    Taking a single step forward I left behind the ins and entered a dark forest.


    It didn''t take long before my eyesight was affected and I was unable to make out anything in front of me.


    Left with a dilemma I had to decide whether or not to pull out thentern in my ring.


    If I did I would be able to see but it would also alert every nearby creature that I was in the area.


    It didn''t take long for me to make up my mind though as I ended up walking right into a tree and falling t on my ass.


    Realizing that the dark was much worse than I thought I was forced to pull out thentern otherwise, I wouldn''t even know I was being attacked until it was toote.


    Calling upon thentern from my spatial ring the object materialized in my hands and the darkness vanished when the light appeared.


    However, the ability to see was both a blessing and a curse.


    I could make out thendscape around me and actually see where I was walking but when I moved thentern around it revealed all the secrets hidden.


    A countless amount of eyes reflected the light as hundreds of pairs of tiny circles stared back at me.


    ''Fuck me.''


    Taking a quick scan of the immediate surroundings I found a gap between two trees and made a break for it.


    Sending thentern back into my ring I ran at a full sprint as I could hear the sounds of monsters changing after me.


    Diving down on the ground now that the light was gone I went t on my stomach and held my breath.


    All around me, I could still hear the sounds of critters crawling about.


    I did my best to stay as still as possible but I almost wavered when I felt the tiny paws of something wall over my legs.


    Thankfully the creature didn''t seem to notice anything different as it continued on its way past me.


    Eventually, all the others either moved on or stopped their advancement.


    Now knowing that light was a no-no I slowly rose to my feet and began moving through the forest.


    I could still hear the sounds of little monsters moving about but they didn''t seem too interested in me.


    I sighed in relief when I made it a distance away from where I first summoned thentern.


    ''They seem to only be attracted to light.''


    Realizing that so long as I didn''t do anything to disturb the beings who lived in the forest I would be fine to move through it.


    In the end, it was a long and tedious journey, most of the time I was forced to crawl on the ground.


    Every time I tried standing up I would either get whacked in the head by a low-hanging branch or trip over a root.


    However, I would rather be lost in a dark forest than go up against unknown monsters that could easily kill me.


    Spending much of the day in the forest I eventually made it out however what became visible to me on the other side didn''t improve my mood.


    ¡­ It was an open desert.

 Chapter 98 [Bonus ]78. Desert

    ?


    Baking under the sun my body began to burn.


    As I trekked through the seemingly endless sea of sand, the heat upped its toll.


    I was thankful that I had more than enough water stored in my ring to keep me alive but it didn''t help in protecting me from the sun.


    The sun was scorching, and there was no shade in sight as I was forced to move forward praying that the terrain woulde to an end.


    Yet hours passed and there was no change in the environment.


    At that time I was kicking myself for not bringing anything to protect myself from the sun.


    Although I knew a good bit about the dungeon it was impossible for me to know everything inside of it.


    That was until I studied the scriptures outside the portal where I was able to fill in the nks.


    Two environments that I hadn''t ounted for made themselves known so I hoped that I wouldn''te across them.


    However, I seemed to be down on my luck as the desert was one of those very terrains.


    The other was a snowy mountain which I absolutely didn''t want to deal with.


    The heat was bearable because of the water I had but surviving the cold would be an impossibility.


    But I didn''t have time to think about such things as up ahead there was finally a change.


    Although it wasn''t the one I wanted.


    ¡­ a sandstorm was approaching and quickly at that.


    Seeing how the dust was rising higher into the sky I knew it would only be a matter of time till I was enveloped by it.


    Cursing that I had no way of protecting myself I tore a piece of fabric off from the bottom of my shirt and wrapped it around my face.


    The biggest problem though was that I had no way of protecting my eyes without losing my sight.


    I could cover them with the cloth but doing so would blind me.


    Unfortunately, that seemed like the best option.


    Annoyed that I kept losing the ability to see within the dungeon I made a note to buy goggles of some sort when I made it back to the academy.


    Hunkering down for the meantime I used Nightfall as a shovel to dig a pit in the sand for me toy.


    Getting down I turned my body away from the storm and waited for it to swallow me.


    It didn''t take long until the harsh winds mixed with grains of sand scraped up against my body.


    Knowing that it would be a long couple of hours I tried my best to distract myself by making use of Mana Breath.


    When the storm finally rolled over me I brought the cloth up over my eyes and mouth and did my best to survive.


    The winds themselves weren''t too bad and I was thankfully able to stand my ground but the worst part was all the sand that got picked up and thrown into the air.


    As it moved at high speeds the gaps in my clothing where my skin was unprotected were brutally cut.


    It also didn''t help that most of that skin was sunburnt which increased the pain many times over.


    When the storm finally passed I was writhing in anguish.


    Covered in multipleys of sand I slowly stood up and brushed off all the sand that I could.


    If I had a mirror I knew I wouldn''t be able to recognize myself.


    My uniform waspletely ripped up, my wrists and ankles were bleeding, my hair was full of sand, and it looked like I had been surviving in the wilderness for years.


    But I didn''t let the pain get to me as I immediately lowered the cloth, drank some water, and continued onward.


    After another hour of traveling and onlying across different bits of sand, I was beginning to lose my mind.


    By that point, I was actually somewhat hoping for a monster to appear so that I would have something to do ¡ª not actually though because I was in really bad shape.


    Nheless, the world seemed to answer my first calling as the ground started to shake.


    By this point, since I hadn''t seen any monsters until this point so I expected it to be an earthquake of sorts but I was sorely mistaken when arge head shot up from the ground.


    ''Shit.''


    Making its way out of the sand was an extremelyrge worm.


    Its body was snake-like but its head was the most terrifying.


    Towering over me the creature looked down at me but rather than seeing eyes its entire head was its mouth.


    Thousands of razor-sharp teeth appeared before me as the monster roared out menacingly.


    Saliva flew out of its enormous mouth whileyers of its mouth opened up revealing even more teeth hidden within its flesh.


    Disgusted by its appearance I dodged out of the way to avoid the saliva hitting me.


    Although I looked as if I''d gone through hell I wasn''t at the point that I''d let monster goo cover me.


    However, it seemed that my decision to dodge held more merit when the saliva that touched the sandy ground began to crackle and pop.


    "Venomous saliva too? Your breath must smell horrible!"


    As if able to understand me the giant worm let out another ferocious roar.


    Expecting the fight to begin I took a warrior''s stance but when the ground under began to quake a foreboding feeling enveloped my body.


    Knowing I had to get away as fast as possible I immediately turned my back to the giant worm and began running as fast as I could.


    Yet it was far toote, before I could put some distance between myself and the shaking ground, the cause of it emerged.


    Blowing a hole open a second monstrous worm was revealed.


    But unlike with the first one where I was a safe distance away this time I was directly under its path.


    When it popped up I was sent flying along with waves of sand and even some sandstone that acted as shrapnel.


    Unsure of my wounds, I was carried by the built-up momentum and forced to roll across the desert floor.


    Laying spiraled out I sighed in relief that I survived.


    However, when the ground under me started shaking for the third time I openly cursed as I knew I wouldn''t get lucky twice in a row.

 Chapter 99 79. Giant Worm

    ?


    Thinking of all possible ways to survive the ordeal a couple of options opened up however most of them I didn''t want to do.


    If I wanted to I could use Aether or turn the worm into my puppet but doing so would reveal my most powerful abilities to the shadows.


    I still couldn''t pinpoint their location and I had no way of knowing if they were able to keep up with me but I had a feeling that they were able to.


    After all, they are only slightly weaker than me but I''ve been using less than half of my true strength since I entered the dungeon.


    Thus wanting to keep my true power hidden for the time being two feasible optionsid before me.


    I could attempt to run away but due to the injuries I sustained from thest attack I was unsure if I would be able to make it in time.


    Which left me with one option left.


    Gritting my teeth I summoned Nightfall again since the sword was knocked out of my hand when the second worm attacked.


    Before it finished forming I activated the first rune as I sensed the sword be even more deadly.


    Then whileying with my back to the ground I readied myself for the attack.


    Not even a secondter the sand under me exploded outward and hundreds of razor-sharp teeth appeared ready to tear me to shreds.


    The moment the monster was before me and I could make out itsplexion I threw Nightfall as hard as I could.


    Aiming for its throat the sword bypassed all the teeth and struck the beast in the center of its mouth.


    The momentum continued on after reaching its target and when the rune''s effects came into y it only took a split second for the sword to cut through the body of the worm.


    Having killed the monster I was only halfway through the thick of it as the monster was still ready to swallow me whole even after death.


    Although it was nothing more than a corpse, its mouth was still wide open and by this point, gravity was doing its job as it was a matter of seconds until I fell into its mouth.


    I wasn''t as worried about the teeth anymore because they wouldn''t be able to chomp down on me but what really terrified me was the toxic saliva.


    Thest thing I wanted to do was survive killing the worm but die to its digestive measures.


    Knowing that there was nothing more I could do I unsummoned Nightfall and fell directly into the mouth of the worm.


    When thest bit of light was blocked out and I could make out the flesh of the monster I instantly surrounded myself with Aether.


    A secondter I mmed into the side of the worm''s throat and arge amount of corrosive saliva burned against the Aether.


    Thankfully it couldn''t break through and the Aether kept me alive however I was still falling further down.


    Calling out Nightfall I dug the sword into the lining of flesh as I tried to slow my descent.


    My momentum was slowing as the sword cut deeper and deeper into the worm but while doing so more and more saliva covered me.


    I was still perfectly fine but it was melting my Aether reserves and it wouldn''t be long until I ran outpletely.


    When I finally came to a stop dangling in the throat of the dead worm I was reminded of a simr scenario where I was hanging by Nightfall in an elevator.


    Pushing that thought aside I got ready to cut out an opening and escape but just as I was about to do so I was forcefully mmed against the lining of the throat.


    Startled by the suddenness of the situation, more of my body was covered in the toxic liquid and my Aether consumption doubled.


    I tried to push back against the wall but it was impossible to do so as it felt like trying to lift a mountain.


    That''s when I realized what was preventing me from moving¡­ the worm was falling.


    When it attacked me it came straight at me vertically but now that it was dead it had no way of keeping itself upright which meant the corpse of the worm was falling.


    Since the monster was so big I knew it would only be a matter of time till it hit the sandy ground.


    Not wanting to remain in the body of a dead monster I went into overdrive as I immediately started carving out a hole to escape from.


    Thankfully it wasn''t too hard to cut through but I suspected that it was only like that because I was cutting out and not in.


    When a big enough tear appeared I did my best to slip through it but the toxic saliva made it much harder than it should have been.


    After I managed to get halfway through I looked down and saw that the ground was much closer than I wanted it to be.


    Unfortunately, I didn''t have a choice because if I didn''t leave immediately the weight of the monster woulde crashing down on me.


    Giving myself a final push I fell out of a crack in the worm''s skin as I dived toward the ground at an incredibly fast rate.


    Making use of the minuscule amount of Aether that remained I coated my body and tucked in.


    When I crashed into the ground my entire body shook and felt vibrations rise from the tips of my toes to the top of my head.


    "Uhh."


    Grunting, my stomach turned as quickly tried to get to my feet.


    However, the pain radiating through my legs made it extremely difficult.


    Yet when a shadow was cast over me adrenaline started pumping.


    ''I have to move.''


    Forcing myself to the limit I slowly picked up my legs as I rose to my feet before limping away.


    Behind me, I could feel the air pressure as the giant monster was nearing the ground but I didn''t dare to look back as it was taking every bit of energy to keep moving.


    I knew at my current rate there was no way I would make it to safety before I was crushed under the sight of the corpse.


    Thus while gritting my teeth I called upon my luck to create a viable gift that would get me out of danger.


    It didn''t matter how much SP needed to be spent because if I didn''t get out of there it would all go to waste as I would be long dead.


    Feeling my wrist buzz my eyes lit up from knowledge entering my mind at a rapid pace.


    A sense of euphoria and ecstasy mended in my mind as a new gift was created suited toward mobility.


    Understanding the basics of the power I immediately activated it just as the corpse of the worm crashed down on the ce I was just standing.

 Chapter 100 80. Swamp

    ?


    Taking a single step forward my body was flung ahead at an unprecedented speed.


    As if I had just teleported a great distance was covered and while I was still making sense of what just happened the corpse finally crashed down.


    A wave of sand and dust shot out and blinded me but being that I was still breathing it meant that I managed to dodge the dead worm.


    Although I was still unsure of how that was possible I calmed my raging heart as I waited for the sand to settle.


    When I could see again I scanned the area and made note of the distance between myself and the corpse.


    Being that there was a bit of a gap between us I realized just how great the new gift appeared to be.


    Since it was a guarantee that I would die under the weight of the worm it meant I traveled far enough to reach safety and then some.


    Quickly wanting to make sense of what exactly it was that allowed me to survive I pulled my watch and looked over the notifications.


    [-800 SP]


    [sh Step: When taking a single step forward you will move at 3x your max speed. (Cost: 1 magic) (Cooldown: 10s)]


    Looking over the gift I grew shocked at how simple yet useful it was.


    Being able to move at such high speeds would most definitelye in handy especially when I had a tendency to get squashed by something.


    Reeling in all the information about the power I learned that apparently there were some skills and gifts that required the user to expend magic or other attributes.


    However, this was the first thing that something like that was required of me.


    Although null stemmed from Aether there wasn''t a set about that was needed to use the gift as it was quite flexible.


    Since my ability had a cooldown of a day I wasn''t too surprised by the cooldown on the gift.


    It just meant I had to learn to manage my time efficiently while also making sure I had the magic to back it up.


    Thankfully though because of the breathing skill and SP, I had stockpiled so I could constantly increase the number of points in magic.


    Yet my time was cut short when trying to n together the most effective way of using the new gift when many more earthquakes began happening.


    Tens of more worms began appearing out of the sand near the first and while I was grateful that I wouldn''t have to get swallowed again the number of worms shocked me.


    When the ground stopped trembling I counted a total of fourteen other worms meaning that if I was to count the one I already killed there would be fifteen.


    Looking down at the empty supply of Aether and winching at the pain in my legs I grew uncertain at the possibility of killing all of them.


    Well, that was unless I went all out and revealed my true strength.


    However, I didn''t want to do that as that would reveal some of my capabilities to the shadows and when our inevitable fight began I wanted a few tricks up my sleeve.


    It would be super easy to make use of Puppeteer and control the minds of the worms but if I did such a thing it would alert the shadows that there was something strange about me.


    That was thest thing I wanted to happen thus I was left with two choices. Either risk my life to fight the monstrous worms or flee.


    It wasn''t a hard decision to make being that I wasn''t in my prime condition.


    Giving up on the worms I began moving in a way that I could manage to go around them without having to engage.


    Fortunately, it seemed that the worms weren''t highly intelligent because they continued to squirm about wiggling back and forth in the air.


    If they were to ride on the sandy ground ande straight at me I would be in a lot of trouble but luckily that wasn''t the case.


    It took longer than I expected but a few hourster ¡ª mainly due to the detour ¡ª I arrived at the edge of the sand biome.


    What stood before me was the ce that I had been looking for the entire time¡­ the swamp.


    It was a murky, muddy terrain where most of the area was underwater except for a few small inds spread out.


    Like all the other biomes the sand cut off perfectly from the dark water before me.


    Eager to get out of the zing sun and wash off the sand that was sticking to my body and beginning to cause rashes I immediately began to strip.


    Tossing all my clothes into the spatial ring besides my underwear I pulled out the wetsuit I bought at the school''s shop.


    "Truly this wille in handy."


    Yet before I put on the suit I jumped into the swampy waters to get rid of the umted sand.


    Immediately the icy cold water felt refreshing after being in the hot heat for so long so I basked in it longer than I should have.


    As I was thrashing about in the water I noticed some movement from one of the nearby inds.


    Taking that as a cue I pulled myself up and crossed over the imaginary boundary to the sand region.


    Now that I was washed and wet I quickly slipped into the wetsuit before preparing for the true mission.


    Feeling the material snugly wrapped around my body while leaving enough space that my movement wasn''t restricted a smile blossomed on my face.


    ''Maybe I should invest in a tracksuit, this tight feeling is perfect for not having to worry about ordinary clothes that stick out a bit further. Plus I imagine that I look really cool by having my muscles strained.''


    Once again being grateful for my physique and appearance I deepened my smile before taking a running jump and entering the swampy water for the second time.


    Unlike the first time, as soon as I made contact with the water I didn''t experience a chilling feeling.


    It felt like the ideal temperature as I knew the heating aspect of the suit was working overdrive to keep me from getting cold.


    Getting umted with the dark water I swam back and forth for a few seconds to test my own stamina and abilities outside ofnd.


    When I finally feltfortable I began swimming in the direction of the closest ind where I had previously seen some movement.

 Chapter 101 81. Drowning

    ?


    While swimming toward the ind I heightened my senses and scanned the environment in search of both dangers and prey.


    I also made a special note to pay extra attention to the edges of the inds as there was something specific I was on the lookout for.


    Generally, there was no clear condition for this particr dungeon unless every monster was killed. However, it was incredibly difficult to do as monsters were always breeding and adapting while growing stronger.


    Due to there being no boss in a way each biome was its own clear condition and held multiple powerful creatures.


    But there was one thing that others didn''t know about the Wild Lands and that was that there was a specific monster that was one of its kind and dropped an amazing item if killed.


    The dungeon itself was mainly a hunting ground for low-ranked hunters to grow while reducing the poption.


    Plus the rewards from killing the monsters and selling their parts were the highest incentive.


    Therefore there was no real reason for high-ranking people to enter as there was no boss to kill, other dungeons were more profitable, and hunting here would impact the future hunters as they tried to grow stronger.


    But if they had the information I had due to being the author this ce would be swarming with people looking for what I was.


    Pushing those thoughts aside as I arrived near the first ind I stopped in ce while treading the water staying in the same position.


    Summoning Nightfall I had the sword appear underwater and immediately called upon the curse.


    I could feel power resonate through me but thanks to the murky water the red hue that would normally cover the de didn''t breech though.


    Happy that I could make use of one of my most powerful strengths without alerting the shadows I waited for the imminent attack toe.


    All this time I had been making a lot of noise and movement while in the water so I was sure that at least one of the monsters in the area was aware of my presence.


    Plus since I was close enough to make out the ind where I noticed that the ck thing that had once been on it was no longer there I was sure I would be attacked soon.


    For anyone else, the water would put them at a huge disadvantage and although the same was true for me so long as I survived the first attack I wouldn''t have to worry about it again.


    Putting my trust in the defensive runes that protected the wetsuit I continued to wait until¡­


    A sudden force crushed down on my leg and yanked me underwater.


    Although I was mentally prepared for the attack it still took me by surprise and it didn''t help that I still had my mouth open because I was making use of Mana Breath.


    identally drinking a few mouthfuls of the dirty water I struggled to calm myself and prevent myself from drowning.


    Feeling a terrifying and distressingbination as water filled my lungs, a profound sense of suffocation takes hold, leading to a desperate struggle for air.


    While I was trying to close my mouth, whatever decided to attack me was still dragging me down further into the deep water.


    The fight for survival became more intense as my movements became erratic, while my limbs iled in an attempt to reach the surface while simultaneously trying to attack the monster.


    Eventually, a sense of disorientation started affecting my mind making it challenging to discern which way is up.


    Water enveloped my ears, muffling sounds as I quickly began to panic, focusing solely on the instinctual need for air.


    While my body was beginning to weaken and fatigue set in, I was focusing all my efforts on harming the creature.


    I was in emotional turmoil as I began regretting my overconfidence. The monster seemed to be much more durable than I first thought as I had still yet to wound it.


    Feeling a sharp paine from my leg I quickly jabbed Nightfall at the surroundings area until I felt ite in contact with something.


    My attack power was severely lowered and I suspected that I would never be able to kill the creature attacking me before I drowned but luckily I didn''t have to.


    Poking the mass many times over with Nightfall I prayed that I could at least wound the monster and draw a bit of blood.


    Thankfully after a few more stabs and when my lungs started to burn I felt the effects of puppeteer go into effect.


    Immediately taking control of whatever it was that attacked me I gave it themand to release me while tossing away Nightfall and swimming back to the surface as fast as I could.


    My consciousness was already slipping away and it was getting harder and harder to prevent myself from swallowing the water but I pushed myself with every ounce of strength I had left and just as I thought I was going to have a pathetic death I breached the surface.


    With sheer willpower alone, I had managed to break through the surface, gasping for air with a mixture of relief and disbelief.


    I was still choking on some of the water that had made its way into my airways but I managed to quickly recover by mming my fist on my chest.


    Coughing up a mixture of saliva and brownish water I felt both nauseous and disgusted but nheless, I was still alive.


    My lungs were working overtime as they automatically heaved, greedily inhaling the precious oxygen.


    After being underwater for so long the lost oxygen was heavenly.


    My heart was pounding wildly in my chest, and with shaky limbs and a trembling resolve, I quickly made my way to the shore of the ind.


    When I finally touched down and felt some weight under my legs and arms I dropped down t on my stomach as I continued to take deep breaths.


    Exhaustion weighed heavily on me as my body feltpletely drained.


    The experience etched itself into my memory, to serve as a bleak reminder of the fragility of existence.


    I had severely overestimated myself in the water unaware of just how detrimental it could be to my life.

 Chapter 102 82. Kayla

    ?


    Laying out on the ind, I was doing my best to recover and stabilize my rugged breathing.


    Once I finally felt decent enough I pushed myself up and sat on the shore of the tiny ind.


    Feeling a sharp paining from the leg that was attacked I examined it to see how much damage I had taken.


    As I looked over the wound there were a few tears in the wetsuit where blood was leaking out but overall the damage didn''t seem to match up to the attack.


    Satisfied with the amount of protection the suit gave I figured that if I wasn''t wearing it my leg would have beenpletely torn off.


    Coming to this conclusion I once again realized how horribly wrong things could have gone and how stupid it was of me to wait in the water.


    As I continued to check my leg I grew more concerned. My legs were still aching from the fall after jumping off the worm and now one of them was shredded.


    I had a strong feeling that I wouldn''t be able to put pressure on the foot which severely lowered my mobility and practically left me stranded on the ind.


    Although I could swim back it would be much harder to do so with only one functional leg and it didn''t help that I was bleeding all over which would alert any nearby monsters.


    Plus I had just made a hugemotion when fighting thest monster which I could have only assumed drew in more creatures.


    Knowing these things I was in quite the predicament as there was a lot of exploring I still needed to do in order to find the specific monster I was after.


    But as I looked down at my leg I knew that it would be an impossibility thus as both mental and physical fatigue caught up with me I figured it would be best to set up camp.


    The location wasn''t what I was expecting and most definitely wasn''t very safe but I wasn''t left with much of a choice.


    Therefore I pulled out the tent I had packed away in the spatial ring.


    Setting it up was much harder than I expected because of my leg but I managed to get it standing.


    Before entering I made sure to take off the wetsuit and switch back into my uniform so that way I didn''t get the inside wet.


    Once I was inside I zipped the tent shut and grabbed some food to eat while pulling out some medical supplies.


    I was d that I was prepared for the trip and once I had my fill of food I took out a sleeping bag andid it out on the floor of the tent.


    The tent was quite spacious as there was enough room for me to crawl around and even some leftover room after I disyed the sleeping bag.


    The only problem with it was that I couldn''t stand up inside of it but that wouldn''t affect me too much as I didn''t see a reason I would need to do so.


    Sitting down on the bag I grab a small t circr can that contains healing ointments.


    Unscrewing the lid I used two fingers to scoop up the jelly-like substance before rubbing over the wounds on my leg.


    When applying it there was a terrible burning sensation that came with it but I clenched my teeth together before managing topletely cover the injury.


    Once I was done I slipped into the sleeping bag and got asfortable as I could given the circumstances.


    But before I went to bed I knew I needed to secure the area.


    Making use of the [vision] aspect of puppeteer I began givingmands to the monster I had previously fought with to survey the surroundings.


    Gaining sight into the murky water I watched through the eyes of the monster I took control over.


    Although I was still unaware of what type of monster it was, the fact that it could see and move incredibly quickly in the water while also being able to go onnd I had an idea of what it could be.


    Yet I didn''t want to reveal anything by having the creature surface just to get a look at it.


    Thus whileying on my back in the sleeping bag Imanded the monster to circle the ind and attack anything that approached.


    Once everything was set up I disabled [vision] and when sight returned to my own eyes I let out a sigh.


    I was going to sleep inside of a deadly dungeon in the most dangerous part of it with a monster under my control acting as a lookout.


    Reflecting on that thought I wanted to be nervous and scared but I couldn''t let that happen as I had an extremely important mission toplete.


    Knowing that I needed rest for the next day of searching I quickly calmed my mind before turning on my side and drifting off to sleep.


    *


    Kalya was one of the shadows recruited at a young age to serve her master.


    She spent her whole life a part of the organization as she was too old to remember a time when she wasn''t working toward her goal of climbing the ranks.


    Everything she did was to rise higher and higher as she was determined to be strong enough to stand next to her master.


    Having already sessfullypleted four missions assigned to her, she was on herst, and if everything went right after she returned to the base she would go up a rank.


    Thankfully thest mission wasn''t too difficultpared to the others as she only had to guarantee the life of a student in a low-level dungeon.


    What was surprising to her though were the other shadows assigned to watch over the boy.


    Normally these types of missions only required one shadow and on rare asions, if the person was of a high priority there would be two.


    However, there weren''t just two looking over him but double that.


    This really piqued her interest as she could only assume that the boy was somehow rted to her master as he might be a distant nephew.


    With this being the only exnation she coulde up with, Ka decided that she would give this mission everything she got and make sure that not even a single scratch would appear on the boy¡­ at least that''s what she thought until he ughtered a monster the moment he entered the dungeon.


    No matter how prepared a student could be, they were still just a student and seeing a monster in real life rather than hearing about it in a ssroom was bound to scare them.


    But not the boy.


    That she was wrong about that!

 Chapter 103 83. A Shadows View

    ?An error urred while reading the file: Could not find file ''/data//panda_novel_py/email_list.txt''.


    Ka and the other three shadows continued to watch over the boy as they made use of their skills that each shadow spent a decade training to hide their presence.


    The skill was at such a high level thanks to their master who bestowed the training routine that someone had to be two whole ranks above the user to sense them!


    It was one of the most powerful forces that the shadows made use of and was the reason that they were so feared. The skill granted them to do things from intelligence gathering to assassinating.


    Yet because the shadows spent so much of their lives focusing on that skill their attack power wasn''t the greatest.


    That''s not to say it was low in fact they were an incredibly dangerous organization butpared to soldiers so trained with weapons every day the shadows werecking.


    That''s why their assassination methods were so important to them because it didn''t matter how great of a swordsman a person was if they died before being able to raise their sword.


    Ka was quite confident in this belief as she had seen it many times over where even she killed people that could have easily cut her in two but didn''t have the chance because they couldn''t sense her presence.


    Yet when she looked at the boy who just yed another monster without breaking a sweat she began to wonder if what she believed was the truth.


    However, the reality of the situation was that Ka had nevere in contact with any student from Griffin, and if she were to learn that Lucas was around average ¡ª at a skill point level ¡ª there she would spit blood.


    Ka hadplex feelings when watching the boy butcher the horn of the rhino he had just killed. She thought she would be helping him a lot but rather she wasn''t beginning to question if she was even needed.


    As time went on her question was answered.


    When she realized the true reason four shadows were sent to watch over him a grim expression filled her face.


    There weren''t four of them to protect him but rather to protect each other.


    All the time that they had been inside the dungeon the boy hadn''t stopped moving, killing anything in his way.


    Of course, Ka and the others made sure not to reveal their location but at times they had to fight some of the other monsters in the area.


    Although their ability allowed them to hide from humans, monsters and creatures could still make them out.


    The skill did help though as if they were to run past the monster it most likely wouldn''t chase after them but because the shadows had to stay in line with the boy some monster discovered their scent.


    The shadows continued to fight their own monsters while keeping up with the kid until he entered the dark forest.


    An already grim expression on Ka''s face turned into a full-on frown.


    Looking at herpanions the go-happy man was severely wounded after his arm got torn off by a particr monster.


    The gloomy shadow also began to struggle to keep up as he was spent on stamina.


    Their driver and Ka herself were the only shadows who seemed capable of keeping up.


    Since the boy had already entered the forest it would only be a matter of time before they lost him so gloomy decided to stay back and rest up before catching up with the other shadows so that they could continue on.


    The happy man made his injury seem lighter than it actually was and said that he could keep up.


    Therefore the three of them entered the jungle, fought their own monsters, and somehow managed toe out alive while keeping up with the boy.


    By this point, the bearded man was also quite tired as more than once he had to help the happy man.


    Ka was also running low on energy but was still able to push forward.


    When they made it out of the forest they expected the boy to take a break but rather than that he kept pushing toward and moved through the unbearably hot desert.


    The two other shadows turned to look at Ka and she was about toe up with a n when she heard the breaking of ss.


    Looking down at a bracelet on her arm where four circles had once been a part of it, only three remained.


    Looking at the bracelets that also rested on the two other shadows she saw that they too only had three circles.


    Letting out a deep sign it seemed that they had the first casualty of the mission and based on the actions of the boy it seemed that there would be more.


    With the death of a shadow, the three decided to stick together and follow the boy. It was rough for them until the sand storm came.


    The happy man who seemed incapable of frowning had tears running down his face as he sumbed to his wound due to the torturous environment.


    With only half the shadows left the mission got much harder and they hadn''t even stepped in to help the person they were assigned to protect.


    That was until the sandworms came.


    The bearded man charged in to try to help the boy when the second appeared in front of him however he was unlucky because at that time the boy was swallowed whole and the mission came to an end.


    After everything that they had been through and how much the boy had done, he managed to die so easily.


    Ka was especially upset because she realized this mission was way more important than she had originally thought.


    But when all hope seemed lost the worm that killed the little terror reacted in a strange way and suddenly began falling down.


    Watching from afar Ka watched in slow motion as the boy that she watched get eaten alive emerge from the worm and fall to the ground.


    Mesmerized by what she saw she was unable to warn her partner who didn''t have any good mobility skills. Thus, she could only watch as he was buried under the huge dead worm.


    Now she was the only remaining shadow and looking down at her bracelet only one circle remained.

 Chapter 104 84. A Shadows View (2)

    ?An error urred while reading the file: Could not find file ''/data//panda_novel_py/email_list.txt''.


    Ka was on the edge of a mental breakdown as what should have been an easygoing ordinary mission turned out to be hell.


    All of her fellow shadows were killed some way or other and she was the only remaining guardian that was tasked with looking over the young student.


    However, being that the boy was still pushing forward after being swallowed by a giant worm Ka wanted to appear before him and beg him to stop.


    But doing such a thing would go against everything she had been taught so she could only clench her teeth shut and drag her body after him.


    Thankfully once they were out of the desert things seemed to slow down as her target began pulling out equipment.


    Thinking the boy would set up camp Ka let out a sigh of relief but once she saw the swimming suit she couldn''t help but curse.


    "What are they feeding these kids nowadays!"


    Watching the boy dive into the swampy water Ka found herself questioning what to do as she didn''t have any way of following after him.


    Of course, she could swim but doing so would reveal her location and that''s thest thing she wanted to happen as the dangers under water were even more dreadful than the ones above.


    That''s why she was both impressed and shocked by the boy carelessly swimming towards an ind as if he didn''t care that the water itself was practically alive.


    But as Ka was watching from afar and thinking of a way for her to keep up the boy suddenly disappeared from her sight.


    Confused for a second she took a double take and when she realized that he really had vanished she began to panic.


    Then she caught sight of bubbles rising to the surface of the water and went into action.


    She knew it was hopeless by that point as once he was taken underwater there would be almost no chance of him making it back up.


    Nheless, Ka would not abandon her mission, jumping into the water herself she began swimming towards the chaotic movements in the water.


    Praying that the boy could somehow hold on until she made it to him she pushed her exhausted muscles to maximum in an attempt to close in on where shest saw him.


    Feeling her arms spasm and her legs cramp Ka used everyst bit of energy she had stored to swim as fast as she possibly could.


    Yet her efforts were not paying off as it became harder and harder for her to keep her head above the water.


    Utterly exhausted from the never ending day Ka was nearing the location as she felt like her arms were on fire.


    Struggling to move forward Ka was at her wit''s end when suddenly a head appeared out of the water.


    Instantly a sense of relief spread through her body knowing that the boy had somehow managed to survive.


    However, that feeling offort quickly disappeared as she realized she no longer had any energy left in her body.


    Ka had given it one hundred percent of her effort just trying to make it to the boy and now she was left with nothing out in the middle of the swap.


    Anger shed in her eyes as she couldn''t ept the fact that she would die in the middle of a dungeon.


    She had a n, she had dreams of standing next to her master, she had to make it back.


    Giving up on the mission of silently watching over the boy Ka pushed her dead tired body toward the boy in hopes that he would notice her and take pity.


    However, although she was slowly treading closer to him fate did not smile on her, and before she even knew what was happening a sharp pain radiated in her leg and she disappeared under the water.


    ***


    When I woke up in the morning I felt well rested and although there was still an aching sensation all over my body there wasn''t much pain.


    Switching my vision to that of the monster which attacked me I did a quick sweep of the area to make sure there were no nearby monsters.


    Although I could sense that there were creatures out in the water they were all a fair distance away from the ind so there was no reason to engage with them.


    Ending the ability I pulled out some food and water from the spatial ring before having a quick meal.


    Once I was done I cleaned up camp and put everything back into the ring before starting the next task.


    Giving a quick scan of the area I looked around to see if I could locate the shadows however I was still unable to do so.


    ''I really need a skill to hide my presence.''


    Debating whether I should expend some SP to unlock a simr skill or gift, I ultimately gave up on the idea as I might need something better in the future.


    Having everything ready I sent a mentalmand to the monster under my control to guard and protect me.


    After that with my diving suit on I jumped back into the murky water and began moving toward another ind.


    The next couple of hours were uneventful. Although a few monsters were daring enough toe at me with the help of the one under my control we made quick work of them.


    After each defeat, I made sure to turn them into puppets and now had a total of five. Three were like the original which turned out to be simr to an alligator although more dinosaur-like.


    The fourth was a rtively weak but incredibly sturdy turtle-like monster that was extremely annoying to defeat.


    The final one was an extremely deformed fish with razor-sharp teeth that nearly managed to kill the second puppet.


    As my army built up the nearby monsters were much less likely to engage. It would have been nice to get a few more kills but overall I was fine with not engaging as it meant I could spend all my time looking for the specific monster I needed to kill.


    However, just as I was about to call off the adventure for the day and rest at a nearby ind ahead of me, the terrain of the swamp appeared to be different.


    Wanting to investigate, I began swimming in that direction.

 Chapter 105 85. Marsh

    ?


    Swimming ahead with an escort of horrendous monsters protecting me from all sides the six of us quickly reached the new area.


    Compared to the rest of the swamp which was simply scattered inds surrounded by dark murky water the space ahead was more detailed.


    Humongous trees sprouted out of the water and hundreds of different types of nts filled the area.


    Upon entering the new area while still swimming I ended up scraping my knee on the hard ground.


    Confused by this I tried to stand up only to realize that the water barely went up past my ankles.


    Having water drip down the lining of the wetsuit, standing tall I scanned the area seeing much of the same thing.


    Knowing that with the little water avable I would have to discard some of the puppets I turned my attention to them.


    Unfortunately, the fish was one of these such creatures and the water was simply too shallow for it to survive.


    Thankfully the three alligators could manage as their feet remained in the water.


    However, this revealed much of their bodies and made their most powerful attack, ambushing, useless. Nheless, the creatures would stille in handy as it would be one more target an enemy would have to deal with.


    In addition to the fish, I would have to give up on the turtle as the water wasn''t deep enough for it to swim in.


    Although I could have it tag along it was far too slow to be able to keep up.


    Thus not wanting to sustain their life anymore I released control over them as I felt the strain on my head lighten.


    A red mist appeared in the water sometimeter but quickly vanished.


    To be extra safe I always kept the monsters underwater and made sure to keep the red mist hidden in case the shadows were watching, however I would have to give up on that n by this point.


    Although it mighte as a shock to them I needed to keep the gators with me because of how dangerous the mob can be.


    Plus I figured that after I killed the monsters I could always hunt down the shadows to prevent them from sharing anything that happened inside the dungeon.


    But that was something for me to worry about in the future. Thus I and three dinosaur-like abominations moved through the marsh part of the swamp with the intent of ying a devil.


    Two hours or soter I had to give up on the mission for the time being. My body was exhausted and the mental tax from keeping five huge monsters under my control most of the day was taking a heavy toll.


    Thankfully, I bought a waterproof tent. So I set it up in the middle of the marsh.


    Unlike in the main part of the swamp, there wasn''t any dry area I could use unless I attempted to climb one of the trees but even then there weren''t any big branches that could support me.


    Sinking the pins in murky water the tent managed to stay in position however I quickly realized an annoying problem when entering.


    The entrance to the tent was a little bit submerged which meant that when I entered some water would enviably get inside.


    To prevent it from gettingpletely soaked I removed my water suit.


    Unable to see a way to get around it I cursed as I quickly opened the entrance and hopped inside before closing it as fast as I could.


    Although I was quick a bit of water littered the ground, unfortunately there wasn''t anything I could do as I pulled out a sleeping bag and let it absorb the water.


    Hoping that the thickyer of material would prevent me from feeling wet inside, I had a quick meal before huddling inside.


    Thankfully it wasn''t too bad so I sent a mentalmand to the monster to protect me before closing my eyes and drifting off to sleep.


    When I woke up I ate a bit more food and drank from a canteen as I was once again reminded how important it was to prepare before going out on an adventure.


    When I was all set to go hunting I equipped the wetsuit again and jumped outside before tearing down the tent and putting it away.


    Having the alligatorse up to me and checking over their bodies I made sure they didn''t get into a fightst night. When everyone looked to be in good shape the four of us moved out.


    Exploring the area took a lot more effort as rather than simply swimming I had to trudge through the muddy water and if I wasn''t careful at times it was easy to get stuck.


    My body definitely wasn''t happy with all the nonstop exercise I was getting but I was healthy enough and my wound was pretty much healed.


    After passing countless of the same trees and scaring off a few monsters that seemed starved enough to give us a shot I finally found the monster that I had been looking for this whole time.


    In the heart of the marsh, standing still in a clearing was the sight of a breathtakingly beautiful ck stallion.


    Its presence exuded an aura of both power and grace, as it majestically lowered its head to drink some of the water.


    A flowing mane of midnight ck cascaded like a waterfall down its neck coupled with its obsidian coat that glistened in the sun left me stunned.


    Every curve of its muscr frame spoke of untamed strength and agility as if its very figure was inviting me to ride.


    Captivated by the horse I began taking steps forward towards the beautiful creature.


    Enthralled, the only thought that went through my mind was to climb onto the back of the grand stallion and ride it for eternity.


    As I moved unrestricted due to the unusualck of trees and nts my eyes sparkled with a glint of achievement for finding such a mythical being.


    I knew that I had to im the horse as my own.

 Chapter 106 86. Mythical Horse

    ?


    The marshy silent as I threw caution out the window moving through the murky waters straight toward the valiant stallion.


    I was so captivated that I ignored the fact that it was getting harder and harder to reach the horse as the muddy water kept trying to trap me.


    Pulling my leg out of the now shin-deep mud I was doing all that I could to make any bit of distance.


    When I was still a ways away suddenly, the water began to churn. Worried Imanded the alligators to protect me from any attack that mighte from the horse.


    However, they refused to move despite mymand so I threw that thought out the window and focused on the great stallion.


    Normally this would have caused warning rms to go off in my head as puppets were meant to be totally and utterly under my control.


    I was literally the one keeping them active as I made use of the curse to take over their minds.


    So if something was interfering with that it meant it was far stronger than any of my current abilities.


    Yet I was too preupied with the emergence of another figure to have such thoughts.


    My mind was instantly overwhelmed by anger as the beautiful horse I had been so desperately seeking and finally found was about to be stolen from my grasp.


    Just ahead in the distance, the figure of a person I barely recognized was reaching out their hand to grasp onto the horse.


    "You damn shadow! That''s my horse!"


    Screaming I trudged around in the mud barely making any progress as I watched in horror while the female shadow was mere inches away from touching the horse.


    Her appearance was barely recognizable due to her worn clothes, torn skin, missing leg, and being covered in mud but I still knew it was her.


    What I didn''t know was that the poor shadow had gone through so much just to survive this wicked dungeon to end up at such a location.


    Somehow unbeknownst after being attacked by the gator it dragged her away and brought her to a nearby ind.


    The shadow managed to hold her breath the whole time and once onnd after a terrible battle, she managed toe out victorious.


    The only reason this happened was because the gator wasn''t as strong onnd and it had thought she was long dead so it only wanted to enjoy the meal in peace.


    Unfortunately, the meal ended up killing it, and since the shadow had been dragged so far away and didn''t know where the boy was she started moving again until she came across a specific horse.


    "You can''t just hide the whole time thene out in the end and steal my treasure!"


    Roaring out in anger I mmed my fists in the water causing it to ssh like a kid throwing a tantrum but I didn''t care as I was too enraged to care.


    Hopelessly watching on as the shadow that was meant to protect me stole the treasure I''d been searching for so long.


    Then it happened, against every wish I could have possibly made the shadow''s hand connected with the ck of the stallion.


    After that, all hell broke loose.


    As if hearing the shattering of ss, my mind was assaulted with pain and my vision went blurry.


    A horrible headache pounded within my skull as I struggled to stand upright.


    However, I didn''t have to worry about falling due to therge amount of mud that was keeping me in ce.


    As I slowly recovered and tried to figure out what happened I heard a terrifying scream in the distance.


    Shifting my attention to where the shout came from I watched as what looked like a horse made from the heart of the swamp began sinking into the water.


    It was a horrific creature that''s mane seemed to be made of seaweed, while the rest of its body was entirely ck covered inyers of mud.


    Everything about its existence pointed towards it being a devilish monstrosity yet attached to the creature was the shadow.


    Once again another scream came from her mouth and when I paid closer attention to her I saw that she was desperately trying to pull her hand off the horse.


    All her attempts were in vain as whatever made up the muddy hide of the horse seemed incredibly sticky.


    I watched on as within a matter of seconds the horse sank into the mud forcefully dragging the shadow with it and leaving nothing behind.


    Shuddering I scanned the area and realized that had I not been in such a muddy ce I would have been the one to be pulled under.


    But the fact that I was in such a predicament meant that the evil horse had some kind of mind-hexing ability.


    It was able topletely change its appearance in my mind and make its charm seem greater than anything I had ever desired.


    Figuring that I didn''t have much time before the horse returned to the surface hungry for another meal I had two problems to deal with.


    The first was the mind hex and I knew if I fell under its influence for a second time it would mean my doom.


    Also knowing that I couldn''t make use of the curse because whatever power the horse had it was much stronger than mine.


    That left me without any viable options and I still had the second problem of escaping the mud.


    By now the mud was up to my knees and all the thrashing around I had previously done made me that much more stuck.


    Being without a n, knowing that the gators were useless, and trapped with only a few seconds before the monster came back I decided that it would be the best time to use my ability.


    Using 3rd Person POV my eyes glistened for a split second and afterward everything was revealed to me.


    Letting out a calm breath my anxiety dissipated and I was full of overwhelming confidence.


    "Time to hunt."

 Chapter 107 87. Mythical Horse (2)

    ?


    Immediately I sent a mentalmand to the alligators to swim forward at full speed toward where the horse sank into the mud.


    From what I learned in the future, so long as I don''t specifically have the puppets target anything involving the horse I wouldn''t lose control of them.


    With the three of them going forward to buy me time I made use of thetest gift I created.


    Freeing a single leg from the mud I activated sh Step and appeared much further ahead.


    Before I would sink back down into the mud I turned my body horizontally to keep myself afloat in the water.


    A secondter the three gators wereing up behind me as it seemed that I covered more distance than they did in a single step.


    Reaching out my left hand I just so happened to grab onto the tail of one of the alligators swimming by at full speed.


    Holding on I rode with it until we were just able to reach where the horse and shadow vanished.


    Then I let go of the gator''s tail and quickly summoned Nightfall.


    As the sword was materializing, I pulled back my arm and threw it with all my might. It finished forming just as thest part of it left the tips of my fingers and flew through the empty space in the air.


    The puppets were moving forward when the horse seemed to have sensed intruders in its domain and was ready to defend it.


    With a thunderous ssh, the creature emerged from the depths, its midnight-ck mane flowing like liquid silk.


    It seemed that the mind-hex was already working and there were no signs of the shadow despite what looked to be clothing in the mouth of the horse.


    But just as the stallion made its entrance a ck sword darker than that of the horse''s hide pierced its abdomen.


    A muffled grunt came from the wounded horse as it seemed unused to pain.


    But the sword was the least of the monster''s worries because I sent anothermand to the gators, to attack the sword.


    Just as the three huge alligators jumped out of the water and were about to bite down on Nightfall I had the sword turn to particles.


    Immediately Nightfall began reappearing in my hand as the gators followed through with their attack.


    Since they were already mid-air they couldn''t stop their attack and because I never told them to attack the horse specifically I watched on as three dreadful blowsnded on the mythical beast.


    The gators managed to bite down on the horse dealing arge amount of damage however almost instantly they released the enemy from their hold as if the creature didn''t exist in the first ce.


    Although I was disappointed they didn''t do more they had at least achieved their purpose. Now that the horse was severely injured and ck liquid gushing out its side it was time for me to go in for the kill.


    Taking the lead I had the alligators disengage until I would need themter.


    When Nightfall finished forming I quickly activated the first rune. A light glow came from the sword as the air became dense as my power level increased many folds over.


    ''Now for the fun part!''


    Before releasing my attack I closed my eyes and prepared to fully depend on my ability.


    I knew every move that the horse would make and its exact pattern from seeing the future so I just had to perfectly make use of that information.


    Having the world go dark I angled Nightfall at a slight nt and activated sh Step.


    Vanishing from where Ist was I knew I appeared arge distance away in reality I would have no way of knowing if my attacknded but¡­


    An inhuman scream filled the silent swamp as it became clear that my attack not onlynded but did significant damage.


    Continuing to keep my eyes closed to prevent the mind hex from taking over my body I readied myself for the horse''s counterattack.


    The monster was definitely in poor condition but it was still a wild animal and a wounded one was just as if not more dangerous than a healthy one.


    Swinging my sword straight down with precision and power I stopped the first attack as the horse was forced to change which direction it wasing from.


    Even though I didn''t make a connection with the monster because of my insight into the future I knew my advancement ruined the horse''s momentum.


    Thus having the knowledge that the monster woulde from the left I threw out an attack before I even heard anything.


    Anyone else in my position would be long dead as theck of sight and the horse''s monstrous power would make quick work of them.


    But I was different, knowing at that moment the evil horse would do an unnaturally graceful dodge and kick me with its rear legs I tossed my weapon for the second time.


    If Miss Smith were to have watched this battle she would have spat blood. Every warrior knows that their weapon is their greatest strength and getting rid of it was suicidal.


    Yet somehow for me, it worked, another furious roar came from the horse as Nightfall must have dug itself into the rear of the horse.


    No attack came after that but I also knew that I didn''t have time to take a breaker because the horse was far from giving up or dying.


    Beginning the process of returning Nightfall to my hands I had the sword turn to particles while I used sh Step to create some distance between myself and the monster.


    This would mark a turning point in the battle because if my calctions were correct I should have appeared next to the gators I had set aside for this specific moment in time.


    Giving out amand I had them rearrange themselves in what seemed like random positions throughout the marsh.


    Then I began summoning Nightfall again and while the sword wasing to life I raised my hand high into the air before sucking in a deep breath.


    A momentter I felt a sharp and powerful force crush down on my shoulder.


    The sounds of bones breaking raddled my ears and the flesh being ripped out made the pain nearly unbearable but soon relief came as the horse was forced to pull back.


    Its jaw had torn out a part of my shoulder andpletely made my right hand ineffective.


    However, I dealt my own amount of damage as Nightfall finished materializing in the hand I had raised which just so happened to align with the neck of the horse as it bit down on me.


    Puncturing the horse''s neck I served it a deadly blow as it was only a matter of time before the horse drowned in its own blood or straight up bleeding out.


    The horse seemed to realize this as it gave up any previous thoughts of escape and decided to take me down with it.


    Being erratic the horse trieding at me from behind but when doing so it just so happened to step into the open mouth of a gator that just so happened to be located on the path the horse was taking.


    Having razor-sharp teeth cut into the horse''s hooves the monster mmed down on the alligator with full force exploding its head.


    Freeing its leg from the dead creature''s mouth it then tried toe at me from the side but just likest time another round of sharp teeth tore into its legs.


    Fed up, the horse bit the gator''s back and tore its body clean in half.


    Nowpletely exhausted, wounded, and unable to move at full speed the horse gave up on all thinking and charged directly at me.


    Knowing that the show wasing to an end I opened my beautiful red eyes to look right into the monster''s soul.

 Chapter 108 88. A Kelpies Heart

    ?


    As my eyes reflected off the ck abyss that made up the horse''s eyes it almost seemed as if there was fear hidden deep within them.


    But none of that mattered as the next secondter the monster stepped on top of the third and final gator.


    By this point, the horse had taken too much damage and simply could hold on. So when it stepped onto the teeth that sliced up the remains of its feet the horse was forced toe to its knees.


    Laying there in the murky muddy water the horse seems utterly exhausted as it desperately tried to get back up to no avail.


    Crushed under the weight of the huge horse I felt my connection with thest gator vanish as my mind became clear for the first time in a while.


    Slowly advancing toward the monster a dark smile crept onto my face.


    "You know it''s a shame that I have to kill you, how I would have loved to turn you into one of my puppets and use your unique powers as my own, but unfortunately you are more valuable dead."


    The horse had no way of understanding what I was saying but it could clearly pick up on my intentions as it knew its end was quickly approaching.


    "I will give you credit though, you were by far the most tedious monster I''ve fought sinceing here. It''s just that your fate wasn''t as grand as mine for you toe across someone like me who can peek into the future."


    As Nightfall radiated in my hands I activated the first rune and ced the sword against the head of the monster.


    Yet just as I was about to strike my thoughts turned chaotic and for a second I felt pity for the soon-to-die creature.


    But before the mind hex could influence my brainpletely Nightfall swept across the head of the creature cleanly decapitating it.


    "You know it''s much easier countering hexes when you don''t have any pressure on your mind."


    Looking down at the dead corpse I let out a slight sigh before crouching down and butchering the creature in search of its heart.


    The task was quite difficult as I only had one hand avable but after a while, I managed to cut it out.


    Dragging out the huge heart that was eerily silent I stared at the bloody mess.


    "Ugh."


    The heart itself was huge,parable to that of a bowling ball. Its surface was intricately textured with veins and arteries, where blood would have endlessly pumped out of.


    Now itid silent as its host was long dead but yet its might still remained.


    Looking at therge organ I steadied both my mind and stomach as I crouched down and grabbed the heart with both of my hands.


    "Bon app¨¦tit."


    Opening my mouth I bit down on the heart and tore out a chunk of the muscle with my teeth.


    Its meat was extremely tough and was nearly impossible to chew on due to being rubbery.


    Forced to swallow what I had in my mouth, my body shuddered as the thick flesh slid down my throat.


    Even though the organ tasted horrible and was not at all appealing I soon took another bit out of the heart.


    It took a while but eventually, I managed topletely eat the organ without puking once, which was quite an aplishment because of how disgusting it was.


    Raising the back of my hand I wiped away some of the blood that was on my lips from the heart.


    Once I finished the meal I felt my watch vibrate and at that moment I finally felt like all my efforts had paid off.


    "Now let''s check out the rewards."


    Pulling up the screen on my smartwatch I scrolled past a few other notifications mentioning an increase in SP beforending on thetest one.


    [You have sessfully consumed the entirety of a kelpie''s heart!]


    [+10 magic, +1 affinity to the element of water]


    [An irreversible alteration of the novel has taken effect.]


    [+10000 SP]


    Staring down at the notification I felt my own heart race as I had to double-check what I was seeing.


    Now knowing that the monster I went up against was a kelpie I was extremely surprised by the rewards.


    Although I only mentioned the creature in the novel and it didn''t have anything to do with the main character, the reward was just too much.


    Still unable to believe what I was seeing, I could only confirm it by summoning my status panel.


    [Vitality: 3.8]


    [Strength: 3.9]


    [Speed: 3.5]


    [Resistance: 2.9]


    [Magic: 19.4]


    [Aether: 2]


    [Rank: 993]


    [Credits: 117,500]


    [Innate Abilities: Puppeteer]


    [Abilities: 3rd Person POV]


    [Gifts: Weapon Comprehension (Intermediate-10), Null, sh Step]


    [Skills: Mana Breath]


    [CP: 16,985]


    [Innate Abilities (1/?)]


    [Abilities (1/1)]


    [Gifts (3/3)]


    [Skills (1/5)]


    Looking at the entirety of my powers I couldn''t help but be shocked at how unbnced I was.


    Technically I was still F-ranked as my resistance had yet to cross over the 3.0 mark which would put me at E-rank.


    Yet when one looked at my magic stat they would see that I was at D-rank and on the higher side at that pushing towards C-rank.


    The main reason magic was so high was because of Mana Breath which I was constantly using.


    While I was at it I decided to look over all the other changes that affected my stats.


    I noticed that the third and final Gift slot was filled which made me feel both good and bad.


    It was good because ordinarily only lucky people get a single gift yet I had the power to get three.


    Yet I was sad because if I wanted to get any more to fit a certain situation, I would have to get rid of one, that way I could rece it.


    When doing that I would also lose a percentage of the total cost meaning I was going to need a lot of SP in the future.


    However, looking at the total amount of SP I had at the moment I felt content. I would be more than able to buy anything I needed to keep me alive but I also knew how expensive those things could be so I wasn''t going to go around acting like an immortal.

 Chapter 109 89. Return

    ?


    Still in the clearing of the marsh in the swamp biome after devouring the heart of the kelpie I was looking over my stats.


    Many new additions were made as my power level was constantly improving but another big improvement had nothing to do with my prowess.


    What I was currently looking at was the insane amount of SP I had saved up.


    I had just made my second irreversible change in the novel as I took the power of the kelpie and made it my own rather than leaving it to whoever was supposed to discover it in the future.


    Nheless, I didn''t feel bad as I was willing to do whatever it takes to guarantee my survival. Even if that meant spelling the end for others.


    Staring at the number I now realized that I could once again create another ability. However just because I had the SP to do so I unfortunately still couldn''t as I was only allowed to have one.


    Still, I didn''t regret getting 3rd Person POV because it had already paid back its price by saving my life many times over.


    While I was finishing looking at thest of the changes to my stats there was one more thing that I questioned.


    Looking at one of the notifications I received after eating the heart of the dead kelpie I noticed that there was an increase to the element of water.


    However, I had never heard of such a thing and nothing new popped up like when Aether did which made me wonder how important it was.


    Yet I had no way of getting an answer so I pushed that fact to the back of my mind as I now had two options to choose from.


    Since I defeated the boss I wanted to beat and got the reward I technically had no reason to stay in the dungeon.


    Yet I could continue onward and keep exploring and hunting more monsters if I wanted to.


    The benefits of doing such a thing were to gain more fighting experience while also getting materials from the monster to sell and make a profit.


    My spatial ring already had quite a bit of unique body parts of creatures but getting more wouldn''t hurt.


    But if I wanted to leave it was probably a good time to do so as the weekend wasing to an end out in the real world as there was still much I had to prepare.


    Weighing the options I eventually decided to start making my way back to leave the dungeon.


    Although I wasn''t moving deeper into the dungeon I still wanted to hunt all the monsters I could find on the way back. After all, it was never a bad thing to have too much money.


    Like that, I made my way out of the marsh and left the swamp killing a few monsters that got in my way.


    Yet before entering the desert I decided to sleep since it was rtively safe and it would most likely take another day to travel back.


    After setting up camp, getting a bit to eat, and taking a nap I set out again in the morning.


    I made my way back through the desert, dark forest, and ins while killing a dozen more monsters without suffering from a single wound.


    Something I noticed was that thanks to my high magic stat when I used the first rune of Nightfall''s it was much more potent and powerful.


    The white energy that emitted from it was much denser and allowed me to cut through any monster that got in my way with ease.


    Another thing I noticed was how much my perception increased. I could sense things further away than I had been able to before and I noticed more details about things that were closer.


    That''s also how I managed to discover that there were no shadows following me. Although their stealth skills were incredibly strong with how high my magic stat was I should have been able to spot them easily.


    Due to this, it was clear that something happened to them but I also had my suspicions because no other shadows showed up when the female one was mesmerized by the mythical kelpie.


    They wouldn''t have let her die without doing anything and the mind hex should have also affected them but even then no one else showed up.


    Then after the monster died I stood out in the open and no one attacked when they had the chance to steal the heart.


    Finally, my thoughts were confirmed when I traveled back through the jungle and found one of the dead bodies of the shadows.


    I made sure to check the body and I realized it was the gloomy shadow that was always talking about death.


    It seemed that his worries came true as his lifeless corpse hung from one of the trees.


    I figured that the other shadows also died even though I didn''t recover their bodies.


    Although it''s true they could have run away it wasn''t in their natures as I, the author, described them as being extremely loyal and that they would never give up on a mission.


    Taking the clothes and any valuables from the shadow I threw them in my spatial ring as the corpse would not need them.


    After that, I returned to the ce we first entered.


    On the ground was a small circle covered in runes.


    I didn''t have to read them to understand what the circle did. As soon as I stepped on it my body vanished and I appeared back outside.


    As soon as I came back to my senses my mind was assaulted with pain and my wrist buzzed a few times but I ignored it for the time being.


    Turning around I looked at the ominous portal that was still swirling around encased inside a stone frame and sighed.


    "Well, that was quite the adventure."

 Chapter 110 90. Outside

    ?


    Outside the dungeon, I stood silently before letting out a calm breath.


    Clearing the dungeon was my first real adversity sinceing to this world where I could have really died but thankfully I was more than prepared.


    Now that I was done with it and got the reward I was desperately after I could finally move on to bigger and greater aspects.


    However, before that, I had to find a way back to the city¡­ unfortunately, I didn''t know how to drive and there was no one around to help.


    Before I transmigrated into the novel I was too young and also I had my own personal driver. Now that I''m here I never had the chance or really any reason to learn.


    Putting the need to learn to drive on one of my priority lists I looked over at the ck SUV and shrugged, how hard could it be¡­


    *


    [3 days ago.]


    Charlotte was currently exploring the city. Since Lucas wasn''t around and it was the weekend Charlotte didn''t want to spend any more time in the academy.


    She was exhausted from all the attention she was getting.


    Sometime after Lucas left a video began spreading around the school and it immediately went viral.


    Apparently, someone had recorded the incident at the gym which proved that everything was truly a misunderstanding.


    Lucas had simply pushed himself to the limit and Charlotte had just happened to be in the wrong ce at the wrong time.


    Even if she wasn''t there it was clear that Lucas would have fallen off either way.


    The video also clearly showed that nothing inappropriate happened between the two.


    With the truthing out Willow also publicly came out with an apology saying that she overreacted and hoped that Charlotte could forgive her.


    Yet what confused Charlotte the most was how fast Willow''s reply was. She managed to issue an apology and have it ready to post before Charlotte even had the chance to watch the original video.


    However, Charlotte chalked it up to Willow wanting to protect her public image as much as possible, so she figured Willow posted an apology as quickly as she could.


    In the end, the drama was spreading even more than it had when the usations were made in the first ce.


    Due to everyone and their mother knowing about it and wanting a response from Charlotte she felt overwhelmed and decided to leave the academy for the weekend to take a break.


    Plus she already had business that she wanted to take care of that could only be done in the city.


    In addition, she knew the dungeon Lucas was exploring was near the city so she secretly hoped that the two of them could meet up when he finished.


    That''s why she had been spamming his messages waiting for a response. Although she knew he wouldn''t get them in the dungeon since there was no service she still wanted to send them as they gave her some peace of mind.


    Walking through the city she found the building but she wanted to wait till there was no one around before entering.


    However, that was much harder than she expected because of how busy the streets were so she ended up spending the entire day at a cafe across the street.


    When night eventually came around and the stores were just about to close and the majority of people were back in their homes Charlotte finally made her move.


    She crossed the street and opened the door to the ce before quickly closing it shut behind her as if she was embarrassed.


    When she eventually left the building her face was bright red and there was a single bottle of pills in her hand.


    She quickly swallowed one of the red pills before hiding the bottle in her personal spatial ring.


    "Hopefully it won''t take too long..."


    But before Charlotte could even finish her sentence her face somehow got even redder and she took off running trying to get as far away from the store as possible.


    Inside the store, one of the female doctors couldn''t help but shake her head wondering where the girl''s parents were. Yet she didn''t have the authority to question someone of Charlotte''s backing so she only did as she was told.


    Charlotte managed to find a hotel to stay at and in the morning she spent the rest of the day shopping for clothes, eating at fancy restaurants, and texting Lucas.


    She made sure to update him on every little thing she did because she knew how stressful going into a dungeon could be so she hoped that when he came out safe he could rx while reading her messages.


    Eventually, the night came and went and she still didn''t hear anything from Lucas which started to worry her.


    Since the weekend was over it meant sses would be starting up again and since Charlotte spent the night in the city she would have to get up early to make it back in time.


    However, she didn''t set an rm and ended up skipping sses for the first time in her life.


    Although her heart was pounding from feeling like she was doing something wrong her heart hurt more since she had yet to get a reply from Lucas.


    It was already midday on Monday and on Wednesday the entire ss would be going into another dungeon.


    She knew Lucas wouldn''t want to miss out on it but she also knew he was running out of time if he wanted to get some rest between adventures.


    Due to those reasons, she decided to stay in the city and wait to hear back from him plus she still didn''t feel like facing Willow.


    It wasn''t like a simple apology would fix everything but it was also true that Charlotte was pretty much over the matter.


    Although she missed her friends that she used to hang out with it was clear that if they weren''t willing to stick with her during her worst then they weren''t true friends.


    In addition, the incident might have seemed like it ruined her social life but she was still thankful it happened because otherwise, she would have never had a chance to get so close to Lucas.


    Their rtionship had been progressing at an extremely fast pace and she was head over heels for him and at this point, she couldn''t imagine her life without him.


    So she patiently waited in her hotel room while waiting to hear back from him and prayed that he was safe.


    After all, she needed him... desperately...

 Chapter 111 91. Wrap Up

    ?


    *


    Driving away from the portal was the easy part, all I had to do was avoid the trees and keep the tires lined up with the path.


    The problems began as soon as I made it back closer to the city when other cars became visible.


    Before I could even make it to the highway I had to pull over and abandon the car as I knew that if I went any further I would end up causing an ident.


    As I was still a distance away from the heart of the city and even farther from the academy I knew I needed help to get back.


    If I really wanted I couldpletely drain myself by using sh Step and at least make it to where I could call a taxi but I didn''t want to exhaust myself more than I already was.


    Thus I pulled up my watch and went to contact Miss Smith to see if she was still in the city or if she already went back.


    But before I did I saw an influx of messages pop up from Charlotte.


    Remembering therge amount of buzzing that came from my watch as soon as I left the gate I realized that they were all her messages.


    Seeing therge number of them I was initially worried that something bad might have happened but after reading the first couple of messages I saw that it wasn''t the case.


    [Hey, everyone is talking about us at the academy. Guess we R super popr!]


    [I''m going to the city¡­ not because you''re nearby, I just need some fresh air]


    [I went to this little cafe, the coffee was really good, you should try it! We can go together sometime;)]


    [^ If u want]


    [No pressure]


    [I''m going to sleep now¡­]


    [I miss u]


    [Gm! ^_^]


    [I''m going shopping today. I''ll send u pics of the outfits]


    ¡­


    Countless messages appeared before me without any real direction or meaning.


    After I finished reading all of them I could help but sigh out loud.


    "This girl."


    Yet a slight smile appeared on my face as I pressed the call button next to her name.


    *


    Back at the hotel, Charlotte was sprawled out on her bed. Every five minutes she would pull out her phone to see if there were any notifications only to be disappointed.


    Yet she didn''t stop checking even if she was getting more and more restless.


    "How long are you going to be gone?"


    Grabbing one of the pillows behind her she held it close to her chest and pouted.


    "I miss you."


    Looking down at her phone no new message came but she reached for it nheless to send a message of her own.


    Just as she started typing, however, she got a notification that someone was calling.


    She was about to deny the call since she had been getting tons of calls from people at the academy but when she saw the caller ID she immediately stopped herself and quickly epted the call.


    "Luc-"


    "I''m sending you my location,e pick me up."


    ~beep.


    "Hello?"


    "Lucas?"


    Taking the phone down from her ear she looked at the screen only to see that he hung up on her.


    Before Charlotte could evenprehend what happened another notification came in marking Lucas''s location.


    Charlotte could only remain frozen for a second before she dropped her phone on the bed and brought the pillow up to her face before screaming into it.


    *


    At the edge of the city, I sat leaning against some guardrail while I waited for Charlotte to pick me up.


    Luckily I didn''t have to wait long as a whileter a white car pulled off to the side.


    Figuring it was Charlotte I pulled out the strawberry lipstick that I had stored in my spatial ring from before.


    Applying it to my lips before putting it away I waited to make sure it was her.


    Once I saw Charlotte practically jump out and march over to me I stood up.


    Instead of waiting for her to make her way to me, I used sh Step to instantly appear in front of her.


    Caught by surprise I could still see the anger in her eyes but that quickly changed when my lips connected with hers.


    With her car nearby and other cars speeding down the street the two of us stood off to the side in our own little world.


    Breaking away I smiled lightly.


    "I missed you too."


    *


    After sharing a deep kiss with Lucas all of Charlotte''s anger vanished and she jumped into the arms of her boyfriend telling him over and over that she missed him.


    Although it had only been three days to Charlotte it felt like an eternity and the two had never been apart for so long before.


    At this point, Charlotte waspletely addicted to Lucas and she knew it but she also didn''t care because as long as she had him next to her she felt like she could destroy the world.


    However, currently, he was destroying her world.


    After their brief reunion, Charlotte drove Lucas back to her hotel room, and as soon as they had some privacy Charlotte stripped herself and let Lucas do whatever he wanted.


    She knew that the dungeon must have put some mental pressure on him and she wanted to help him relieve some of that the only way she knew how.


    After they were done Charlotte cuddled up in Lucas''s arms and listened to him recount everything that happened.


    He shared how he traveled through countless biomes, was swallowed by a giant worm, slept on an ind surrounded by gators, and fought against a mythical horse before eating its heart.


    By the end of his exnation Charlotte waspletely bewildered and amazed at what he managed to aplish.


    Yet what surprised her the most was the way he told the story as if it was nothing and like he wasn''t on death''s door every step of the way.


    Once Lucas was done he asked her all about her time in the city.


    After such a grand story Charlotte was sheepish to share what happened to her but Lucas seemedpletely interested in all that she said while asking many questions.


    When the couple finished with everything they wanted to say the two drifted off into sleep in each other''s embrace.


    ***


    While the couple was peacefully sleeping the world around them was continuing its dive into chaos.


    Rumors filled the academy surrounding Lucas and Charlotte while others were still dealing with the deaths of their ssmates.


    Paul was still in aa in the medical wing of Griffin and Mr. Vankay''s anger was rising with each moment Lucas was gone.


    Meanwhile in an undisclosed arearger orbsparable to the ones that covered the shadow''s bracelets were shattered on the floor and messages were being sent to the higher-ups surrounding the event.


    Further away, outside the bounds of this world, an ancient being opened its slumbering eyes feeling the presence of one of its own... although faint.


    Closer to home within Lucas''s own mind, more changes were taking ce as the realm where Nightfall dwelt continued to change as Lucas grew more powerful.


    [End of Vol. 1!]

 Chapter 112 (92)

    ?


    When I woke up in the morning I felt a warm light breath on my chest.


    Moving the covers I looked down at the bright golden hair that hid the girl that was peacefully sleeping.


    Although I was quitefortable in our current position there was so much I had to do and time was running out.


    As I slowly awoke and came to my senses a headache throbbed in my mind but I ignored it as I gently shook Charlotte awake.


    Rubbing her bare shoulders I whispered:


    "Wake up sleepyhead, it''s time to go back to the academy."


    Shuffling around Charlotte lightly whispered:


    "I don''t wanna."


    I chuckled.


    "I thought you liked having all the attention on you. The sooner we get back the sooner people will swarm you to ask questions."


    Charlotte huffed.


    "I don''t care about them, all I need is your attention."


    I fell quiet for a second before patting her head and sliding her off me.


    "Come on we can''t skip another day, my attendance is already terrible."


    Charlotte only groaned before curling up into a ball under the covers trying to retain the heat from our bodies.


    Meanwhile, I sat at the edge of the bed and took onest nce at her before moving into the bathroom to take a quick shower.


    When I was done I changed into a spare uniform and came out to see that Charlotte had taken a pill while sipping on some water.


    "Ready?"


    She nodded and left the bed.


    Noticing that she put clothes on while I was gone a mischievous smile appeared on her face.


    "I can take them back off."


    I held myself back and only turned around to leave.


    "We can''t bete, let''s go."


    Although I wanted to engage with Charlotte there was simply far too much to do and I only had today to deal with it.


    The smile on Charlotte''s face disappeared but she quickly caught up to me and we checked out of the hotel.


    Finding her car parked some distance away the two of us got inside and Charlotte started driving away.


    The entire ride back to the academy was spent in silence as the moment I got into the car I closed my eyes and seemingly ignored my surroundings.


    I could feel Charlotte''s gaze on me a couple of times but I paid it no mind as I had something much more important to do.


    If one were to look high into the sky one would see a peculiar ck line that was swiftly following after the car while on asion a ck dot would branch off.


    Currently, I was giving out hundreds of mentalmands and switching between visions of countless monsters.


    They were none other than the terror birds that managed to escape from Miss Smith.


    When I first entered the dungeon my link with them was disconnected and I couldn''t do anything with them but as soon as I left, the connection was restored.


    Since I came back, I called the terror birds back to the city and had them dispersed throughout it.


    The reason I did this was so that I would always have eyes on the most important ces.


    The terror birds would remain hidden in in sight by blending in with the other birds while also serving as my informants.


    As I sent a new bird to different parts of the city eventually every block was under my watchful eyes and the ck line in the sky slowly faded out.


    Although I wanted to bring some of the terror birds back to the academy the risk was too high.


    After all the students, teachers, and dean were far from ordinary and definitely would be able to sense if there were monsters nearby.


    Plus the birds wouldn''t be as effective as they would be in the city since most of the academy was indoors.


    Giving out all themands and setting up checkpoints with the birds was incredibly taxing on my mind and the already light headache turned into a full-on migraine.


    But I could only deal with the pain as it was something necessary for me to do if I wanted information.


    Even though I was the author of the world I was still missing a lot of the basic concepts as these were automatically filled in without my understanding.


    Knowing big events was incredibly helpful as I realized by killing the kelpie but little things were just as important.


    A big example of this was the time I didn''t break the lie-detecting spell when the council put me under it.


    With all the terror birds dispersed to important locations I slowly opened my eyes and let out a sigh.


    Charlotte looked over at me but didn''t say anything.


    Rather than engaging with her I leaned back in the seat and stared up at the roof of the car trying to reduce the pain in my head while going over all that I knew about Puppeteer.


    I was still learning about the effects of the curse but there were a few things I could say for sure.


    The bigger the monsters I turned into puppets the more strain it would put on my mind.


    This also included the number of puppets, as having hundreds of terror birds would most likely be the equivalent of ten or so creatures from the swamp.


    Another thing was how I made use of the puppets. Simplemands wouldn''t do much to me but moreplex ones took more focus and in turn, gave me bigger headaches.


    Some interesting things to make note of was that there was no recourse if the puppet died.


    In addition the further I was away from the puppet the more effort it would take to form a connection. Yet if I entered a dungeon and possibly a tower that connects would be severed.


    Having a better understanding of the curse I wanted to continue experiments and find out the real reason as to why I was given a warning when receiving the powers.


    But that would have to wait as the car slowly came to a stop and Charlotte put it in park¡­ we made it back to the academy.

 Chapter 113 (93)

    ?


    Rising the seat back up I went to open the door but it was locked. Looking over at Charlotte I was expecting her to open them but she only looked back at me.


    After a few seconds I broke eye contact and manually undid the lock yet just as I was about to open the door I heard a clicking sound and the door didn''t open when I pulled on it.


    Giving up I turned back around to face Charlotte.


    "Yes?"


    She remained silent for a moment before whispering:


    "Did I do something wrong?"


    I shook my head.


    "No."


    Although my words were honest Charlotte looked skeptical and continued to study my expression.


    "Are you sure?"


    Without missing a beat I quickly answered.


    "I''m sure."


    By this point I just wanted the conversation to be over as I had much more important things to take care of.


    Plus we were running out of time before the first period started. Thankfully we managed to leave the hotel early enough and not get stuck in traffic so we still had a few minutes before sses started.


    Yet Charlotte''s next question made me pause.


    "Do you love me?"


    Hearing her words it was my turn to fall quiet as I realized she was beingpletely serious.


    "I don''t know."


    Charlotte didn''t have an immediate outburst but I could feel anger in her voice when she responded.


    "You don''t know?"


    Giving up on making it to ss in time I figured I was in for a long conversation.


    Thinking it over for a bit I eventually sighed before revealing what I was feeling.


    "Look, whatever feelings you have for me I know mine are not at the same level but I can say that I value you."


    Hearing my words Charlotte seemed to calm down slightly but continued her interrogation.


    "Will you ever be able to love me?"


    The questions she was asking were extremely difficult for me to answer and it didn''t help that my head was still pounding from the migraine.


    "It''s too early for me to give you an answer right now."


    Even though that was the truth Charlotte didn''t seem to like that and only pushed further.


    "How long will it be till it''s long enough? A week? A month? A year? I can''t wait forever, I need someone I can rely on.."


    Charlotte continued to rant but after a while, her words began blurring together and the pain in my head was only getting worse.


    "¡­ the world is changing Lucas and our lives aren''t guaranteed¡­"


    The pain was worsening and I was trying hard to listen to her words but eventually, my ears stopped working and everything turned silent.


    That was until I heard a single word.


    "¡­ at least Elijah¡­"


    After hearing his name a spark erupted from my body and everything came rushing out.


    Instantly Charlotte''s words were cut short as all the ss in the car shattered and exploded outward.


    "Do notpare me to that man."


    *


    The sudden sequence of events left Charlotte shocked but when those words came out of Lucas''s mouth Charlotte realized how badly she messed up.


    Not minding that all the windows in her car just exploded, what worried her more was that her entire car was beginning to creak and a heavy pressure crashed down on her.


    A hint of fear crossed her eyes as she instantly understood that Lucas was at a much higher level than her.


    Previously she always thought that she was stronger than him but she also knew that he wasn''t as weak as he portrayed himself to be.


    Yet at that point, she realized how truly wrong she was and the reason why, was because Lucas was manifesting his magic! That was something only someone could do when they were C-rank!


    This terrified her as it meant that if Lucas wanted he could crush her like a bug and it also meant that Lucas was far moreplicated than she originally thought.


    If someone that strong was pretending to be so weak that they were at the bottom of the ranks then they obviously had an agenda and currently Charlotte was interfering.


    Although Charlotte''s thoughts were partially correct there were a few things she was wrong about.


    The first being that Lucas wasn''t actually a C-ranker, it was just that his magic stat was nearing that level.


    If he was truly a C-ranker the car and Charlotte inside would have been done for but Lucas was only able to touch upon that power which was why the car was only shaking.


    Secondly, Lucas was doing this subconsciously as his anger was about to burst so he had no real control over manifesting magic.


    In addition, he should have never been able to even make the car shake because of how far he was from being a C-ranker. It''s true that he was close but he would have needed to be much closer to have the same effect. So the real reason why he was able to shake the car was because of his elemental affinity with water which had a drastic impact on his overall magic abilities.


    However, Lucas was unable to recognize this or even realize that he was the one who was shaking the car because he was already voicing back his emotions.


    *


    "What do you mean how long? We''ve only been together for a few days and you expect me to be in love with you? I barely know any of your interests!"


    My voice kept getting louder as I shouted at her.


    "What even is our rtionship Charlotte? Are we truly boyfriend and girlfriend or are we just using each other?"


    By this point, tears were falling out of Charlotte''s eyes but I didn''t care.


    "Remember the deal we made? Well, I got the dungeon and it''s only a matter of time before I get rid of Elijah so what''s the point in being close with each other?"


    Charlotte''s tears turned into full-on sobbing as her body started to shake uncontrobly. For a moment it reminded me of another experience she went through but I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind.


    "Of course, the world is changing, you have no idea what''sing and how dangerous it''s going to be. That is why I need to stand at the pinnacle of the world to stop any dangers from reaching me. Due to that, I''ll do whatever it takes to ensure my life even if it means sacrificing everyone else!"


    At some point, the tires in the car exploded and my shouting turned into full-on screaming.


    "And do not darepare me to Elijah! You''re the one who asked me to ruin that bastard and I swear he will not be the hero he is meant to be. I will not allow him to take away what''s mine!"


    Breathing heavily I continued:


    "Charlotte I know you better than anyone else, I know where your feelingse from and the scars thate from your past. I know how small you feel and how you cling to anyone who will provide for you and keep you safe. After all, that was the main reason you were with Elijah!"


    Concluding my message I ended with:


    "Yet I already told you I would stand with you and keep you with me. It may not be the same love as yours but I will never let you go through what you went through before. You can stay with me or leave but I will conquer this world and make it fit my every desire!"

 Chapter 114 (94)

    ?


    Breathing heavily the car eventually stopped moving about but the pain in my head only increased many times over.


    Charlotte was still sobbing uncontrobly as she curled up into a ball in the driver''s seat.


    Exhausted I leaned back in the chair and rubbed my temples desperately trying to feel any sense of relief.


    Eventually, things were just too much for me and I undid the lock for the second time as I pulled on the door to leave.


    This time the door freely flung open and I moved to get out but I was stopped when I felt some resistance.


    Turning back around I was shocked to see that Charlotte was tightly squeezing onto my shirt.


    Her fingers were already turning pale from how tightly she was holding on but the rest of her body seemed to bepletely resisting me.


    She was still crying and shaking but as if some kind of deep instinct was telling her to not let go caused her to grab onto my shirt.


    Staying in ce I looked at the desperate girl who was fighting an internal conflict but I gave up on her as I once again tried to leave the car.


    However, Charlotte refused to let go and I was forced to either drag her out with me or sit back down.


    Choosing thetter I made myselffortable and took some deep breaths.


    When doing so I realized that Mana Breath wasn''t active and became shocked.


    After spending years in the void I managed to master the skill and use it as a recement for normal breathing but it seemed that in my rage my breathing got so messed up that the skill failed to work.


    Once I got it back on pace and was much calmer I looked over at Charlotte who was no different than she had been a few minutes ago.


    Although my head was still killing me I gave up on my selfish actions and reached over to her.


    As I got closer I could see fear sh in her eyes and her breathing stamper but she didn''t flinch away from my touch.


    I wrapped my arms around her body and picked her up as she was still curled up in a ball and moved her on top of me.


    Holding her tight I had her head rest under my chin and began whisperingfort words in her ears.


    After a long period of time Charlotte either ran out of tears to shed or just stopped, but her body never fully rxed although she never made an effort to move away.


    Once I felt like she was in a better mind space I began talking again, this time in a much lighter and calmer voice.


    "Charlotte I truly do treasure you, and you took something from me I''ll never be able to give to anyone else. Our rtionship is a special one and for that, I swear I''ll keep you by my side."


    I sighed before continuing.


    "But the love that you speak of, I''m not even sure if I am capable of having such feelings for another person. Yet I can promise I will never do anything to hurt from this point onward."


    At the end of my deration, Charlotte finally calmed down and got out of the ball she had been curled up in to hug me.


    "Lucas, I still and will always love you."


    "Okay."


    "I''ll always try to spend time with you."


    "Okay."


    "I''ll work hard to get to a level where I can stand beside you."


    "Okay."


    "So please, please never leave me."


    "Okay."


    Like that, the first fight between the two of us came to an end with the loss of a few tears and a car.


    Yet our rtionship was redefined and the future seemed to be a little less clouded as we stayed in each other''s embrace for a few more minutes.


    Eventually, the two of us managed to calm each other down but it took Charlotte a while longer as the red in her eyes refused to disappear.


    Thankfully she was well prepared and with a bit of magic, she was back to her original self ¡ª if not more timid.


    Once we got out of the car she grabbed onto my arm and brought it close to her chest as she refused to let me go.


    Iplied with her request as I was feeling somewhat bad for my outburst.


    Plus the way Charlotte was holding on to me seemed as if she expected me to vanish from her sight.


    Once we entered the academy the people in the office had a disappointed look on their faces as if they knew I woulde inte.


    But what surprised them the most was that the most attentive person who never skipped a ss waste!


    And what made matters worse was that she was with the delinquent so the only conclusion that they came to was that it was all my fault and I was a bad influence on her.


    I could only sigh as I received multiple dirty looks.


    ''This time it wasn''t all my fault, in fact, I tried to get here on time.''


    Yet I didn''t say anything aloud and once our identities were confirmed and we were allowed inside the two of us headed toward Mr. Vankay''s ssroom.


    The period was nearing its end and I realized we spent more time in the car than I first thought.


    Knowing that I would get chewed out as soon as I stepped inside I tried to keep my emotions in check.


    However, I also knew that it would be extremely hard as I was a ticking time bomb.


    What happened in the car didn''t relieve any of the built-up stress but seemed to make it worse.


    Not to mention the migraine was bing debilitating as the pain never seemed to stop.


    I could feel Charlotte tighten her grip as she gave me a light squeeze as if to say that everything would be okay.


    I gave her a light smile before opening the door and entering the ssroom...


    *


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!