《I've Transmigrated Into the Villain In My Favourite Game!》 Chapter 1 - I Become Thomas Filmore I wake up as a ghost. Actually, I don''t know what I am. All I know is, I''m floating in the air and I''m translucent. Beneath me is a crowd of students all dressed in blazers with a flower insignia, and at their centre are two boys. One has spiky red hair and sharp eyes, and the other has straight black hair and a refined-looking face. I recognise this scene, it''s from my favourite game: Rising Hero. "I challenge you to a duel, peasant!" The boy with the refined-looking face says. It''s Thomas Filmore, the main villain for half the game. The other boy, the one with the spiky red hair, is Rex Cranz¡ªthe titular hero. He looks at Thomas determinedly, and says in a strong voice, "If you want to fight me that badly, fine! It''s time someone put a stop to you!" They glare at each other, and Thomas says, "We''ll fight a week from now. Out in the field! You better be there!" "I will," Rex says. They go their separate ways and the crowd dissipates. I''ve got to say, this is a pretty weird dream. I used to play Rising Hero almost religiously, but it''s been ages since then. It starts in a prestigious school for warriors and mages called the Ward Academy. The main character, Rex Cranz, joins in the last year as a transfer student, gets in a bunch of adventures, and then finally ends up saving the world from an evil god. It was the first game I ever bought, and I loved it like no other, but it''s been more than several years since I even touched it. What a nostalgic sight. My translucent form suddenly descends, and I go through several students, picking up speed and hurtling through the air until my body collides with Thomas Filmore''s. The world goes white, and suddenly I open my eyes again. "What the¡­?" I look down at my hands. I''m in Thomas Filmore''s body for some reason. "Thomas, are you okay?" The blonde girl beside me asks simperingly. She''s short and has pigtails, and I recognise her. Her name is Perri Faye and she''s one of Thomas'' many suck-ups who will abandon him when he loses to Rex Cranz in a week. It''s a great fight and a great scene, but I flex my hands, my thoughts far away from that now. Why am I in Thomas'' body? I touch my face, and the warmth of flesh surprises me. Next, I pinch my thigh, and it hurts. I frown. Well, that''s not supposed to happen. I''ve been in lucid dreams before, and I''ve never been able to cause myself pain. "Thomas?" I look at Perri. She''s batting her eyelashes at me as she accentuates her worried expression. She looks remarkably detailed and stable for a dream. My dreams always shift a lot. Perri leans closer, and she doesn''t seem like she''ll stop, so I say, "I''m fine. I''ll talk to you later." I walk away, leaving her behind. I don''t know where, anywhere without people for now. I walk through the corridors, find an empty classroom, and take a seat behind one of the desks. What¡­ the hell is going on? Have I transmigrated to a different world? Does that stuff really happen? For a moment, the thought of it makes something inside me jump in joy. I remember my life on Earth, it wasn''t horrible, but neither was it amazing. My family never had enough money, and then my parents died young, so all I remember is waking up, going to school, working, sleeping¡ªand repeat ad infinitum. My meals were bland, and I never had time to hang out with friends. When I finally graduated from school, all I did was get more jobs. An infinite life of grey, an unending tedium. I can''t even remember what I specifically did yesterday because I''ve turned my brain off at this point. My body goes through the motions and it lives my non-existent life for me. It''s the thought of that that brings me back to reality. A gaming console and Rising Hero are the first things I ever bought when I first got any semblance of disposable income. It was once my only refuge against that inescapable monotony. Even if all signs point to this not being a dream, it must be something akin to that. I''ll wake up in a bit, and the world will turn grey again.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. I don''t want to give myself false hope, especially with a notion this stupid. I know a surefire way to end this abnormal dream; never once have I gone to sleep in a dream and not woken up in reality before. But, uh¡­ where am I supposed to sleep? I know students of Ward Academy have dorms, but I don''t know where Thomas'' dorm room is. Hell, I don''t think I remember the way to the dorms at all, it''s been years after all. Back when I played the game, there used to be a map. I hesitate, then feeling foolish, I say quietly with intent, "M-map." A blue screen pops to life in front of me, showing me a top-down map of Ward Academy. I''m assuming that''s me represented by that red arrow icon. Beneath the map are two words written in a large, bold font. - Quests (!) / Stats - My curiosity almost gets the better of me, and the exclamation mark beside ''quests'' draws my eyes. However, I keep a hold on it. I''m not going to entertain this stupid fantasy. I''m not. I search through the map and find a home icon. I assume that''s where my dorm room is, so I begin making my way there. As I''m walking a few people come up to me and pat me on the back, saying things like, "Well done, Thomas." "Put that commoner in his place!" "I''ll be cheering for you." I ignore them. I''m almost to the dorms when I spot a woman out of the corner of my eye. I instantly recognise that beautiful blonde hair and flawless face. It''s like she exists separate from the living world, an almost ethereal beauty. Her blue eyes catch me staring and she walks over to me as I resist the urge to curse. I hadn''t meant to stare, but I accidentally did so anyway, not just because she''s a beauty, but also because I recognise her. Her name is Claire Weiss, one of the four heroines of Rising Hero, and the one known as the Saintess. That very same Saintess is glaring up at me now, her hands on her hips. "It seems you''ll finally get your comeuppance. Challenging Rex was a mistake," she says harshly. I continue staring silently, something that seems to throw Claire off. Man, I never imagined that an in-game computer graphic translated to real life could look this pretty. Claire says a little nervously, "Wh-what? Did you not hear me? You''re finally going to pay for all your cruel deeds!" "Right¡­" I say quietly. I turn and walk away, and as I leave, I see that my actions confuse Claire even more. Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Thomas Filmore isn''t the type of guy to ignore any slights towards him. I enter the dorm building and find my room. Upon entering it, I feel a rush of annoyance towards Thomas. This guy¡­ even his dorm room looks better than my tiny apartment; a clean, private bathroom, a comfortable bed, a large desk, and a wardrobe. This guy''s already living the life. I lie down on the bed and it takes me a few tries to learn that I have to say, "Exit," to close the menu. I try to rest, but I think almost half an hour passes before I finally admit to myself that I just can''t fall asleep right now, it''s too early. I try not to think of where I am right now, I try not to think of what this could be. However, a curiosity niggles at me, and I can''t get it out of my head. Then, finally, the curiosity gets too much for me, and I say with intent, "Quests." The blue screen pops to life in front of me again. - ONGOING QUESTS: 1. Opposing the Hero: Challenge the Hero to a Duel (Completed) Reward: Skill¡ªAbyssflame Win the Duel against the Hero (Ongoing) Reward: Level Up Skill¡ªAbyssflame - I stare at this information for a few moments. I thought Thomas had challenged Rex to a duel simply because of his inferiority complex¡ªthat''s the way the story had made it seem¡ªbut if he could see this too, then this might have contributed as well. If I remember correctly, Thomas does indeed go on to use his Abyssflame skill in the duel. Not that it matters, Thomas still loses. I shake my head, I''m just imagining systems and stuff. The story never makes any mention of Thomas being able to see anything like this. Below the quests page are two words, in a large bold font once more. - Stats / Map - I tap my finger on ''Stats'' and the page changes. - Thomas Filmore (Warrior) LVL 12 (900 EXP to next level) Con ¨C 10 (+3) Str ¨C 12 (+3) Dex ¨C 9 (+3) Sta ¨C 12 (+3) Mag ¨C 11 (+3) Fai ¨C 6 (-3) Skills: Analyse LVL 1 (2/3) Abyssflame LVL 1 (0/3) Abyssflame Slash LVL 1 (0/3) - Okay, so the stats are as I remember them. All the basic ones are there; Constitution, strength, dexterity, stamina, magic, and faith. I didn''t expect his faith to be so low, but I suppose that only makes sense with him being a villain. I''ve never actually seen in-depth stats for enemies like this. In Rising Hero, only the enemies'' levels are shown. When it comes to things like stats and skills, you and your party''s are the only ones you can see. I tap on ''Abyssflame LVL 1.'' I''m curious to see what I remember of this skill. - Abyssflame LVL 1 (0/3) The flames of the abyss that burn as dark as night. They have the ability to sear through anything holy, magic or otherwise. The Dark God once asked for warmth, he was granted this. Passive: +3 to all stats except FAI -3 to FAI - Yep, that sounds about right. I''m surprised I remember all this. Then again, for a long time, this game was my only comfort in the world. "Exit," I say, letting the screen close. It''s a nice hallucination, but it''s time to let this end. I don''t like getting used to temporary comforts, I know I''ll eventually have to leave them and return to the excruciating monotony of every day after all. I wipe all thoughts from my mind and force myself to keep my eyes closed. Sleep will come eventually, and real life will begin again. It has to. Chapter 2 - The Dream Doesnt End I wake up, and for a moment I don''t recognise that wooden ceiling above me. And then I do, and disbelief fills my being. I went to sleep last night, this dream should be over. No dream has ever continued after I slept in it. I cover my eyes, could this really be¡­? I leap to my feet¡ªno way, no way! But what if it is? The whisper in my ear almost feels insidious. If I give into the hope that this is real, if I start believing this, and then I suddenly wake up to reality again, the blow will be all the more crushing. I shouldn''t hope. But some part of me does anyway. I groan as I cover my eyes. For now¡­ I don''t see a way out of this. In that case, would it really be so bad to go along with this? I feel like a child asking permission to do something wrong from his parents. I shake my head and take a seat at the desk. It''s fine. It''s just for now. I''ve reincarnated as Thomas Filmore. I''ll accept that as a fact for now. Now, that brings up a new problem: Thomas Filmore is fated to die in the middle of the game. His Abyssflame skill gets stolen, and he gets killed by one of the final boss'' generals. I need to make a timeline, I need to see what I remember and see what I can reasonably change. I take a notebook and a pencil and start writing down the general events as I remember them. - Thomas and Rex duel. - Thomas loses. - Thomas starts going crazy in wanting power. - Thomas allies with the forces of the Dark God who want to resurrect him. - A general of the Dark God steals Thomas'' Abyssflame and kills him. - The general tries to resurrect the Dark God. - Rex and his party go on an adventure to defeat the forces of the Dark God. - Rex awakens the power of the Brightflame. - Rex defeats the general who killed Thomas. - Rex acquires the Abyssflame skill. - Rex fights the resurrected Dark God. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. - Rex defeats the resurrected Dark God with the combined power of the Abyssflame and the Brightflame. Looking at this¡­ shouldn''t I just not antagonise Rex Cranz? I can let him deal with everything, and I''ll stay out of the spotlight. Yeah, that''s perfect, right? Only, this idiot already challenged Rex to a duel. I pinch the bridge of my nose to stave off the incoming headache until an idea hits me. I guess I could just lose? ¡­The thought of that annoys me for some reason. I''ve played this game a thousand times, as if I''d lose so easily. But if I want the surest path to survival, then¡­ I consider it, but before I can come to a decision, the blue screen pops to life on its own. - Quest: Attend Class in Two Hours Reward: 100 EXP Accept/Deny - I don''t hesitate to click accept. Whether I''m going to win or lose, EXP is always something I should take. I open up the map and see that the classroom I have to go to is marked with a glowing orange exclamation mark. Well, since I have two hours, I swipe through the system given to me. It''s time to experiment.
By the time I have to attend class, I''ve learned a few things. Just saying words like, "Map," or, "Quest," isn''t enough. I have to say them like I did yesterday, with intent. Otherwise, the system won''t open. Another thing is that I have no inventory. Rising Hero had an inventory system, but it seems I haven''t been granted that. It''s a bit of a bummer, I would have liked the ability to store whatever I want in some sort of pocket dimension. I put on the fancy blazer and head out, following the map to my destination, but before I''m there I run into Thomas'' nemesis. Rex Cranz is leaning against the wall. It seems he''s been waiting for me, because as soon as he sees me he walks up to me. I remember that Thomas has another skill besides the Abyssflame ones, and I try whispering with intent, "Analyse." The blue screen appears in front of me. - Rex Cranz (Hero) LVL 15 Con ¨C 15 Str ¨C 18 Dex ¨C 15 Sta ¨C 19 Mag ¨C 13 Fai ¨C 15 Skills: ? - Crap. This guy''s stats are way higher than mine, and I can''t even see his skills. I guess since I don''t see any modifiers, at least he hasn''t awakened the Brightflame yet? He shouldn''t have at this point in the story anyway. Still, only my magic is higher than his, and not by much. Could Thomas see this as well? Could he see the title, ''Hero,'' next to his name? He does call Rex hero mockingly many times in the story, maybe this is why. And to see yourself outclassed by your rival in pretty much all stats as well¡­ ouch, that must have chafed. Beating him will be tough, but¡ª "We don''t have to do this," Rex says to me. He doesn''t begin by greeting me, but then again, these two hate each other. I''m confused by his statement and I don''t hide it, so he elaborates, "We can call off this duel right now. We don''t have to do this." I frown, I don''t remember this scene in the game. Maybe it was too insignificant to include. Rex misinterprets my frown, "I know you don''t like the idea of calling off our duel, but we don''t need to be enemies. Duelling in public like this, it''s stupid." In the story of Rising Hero, Rex still shows compassion and pity for Thomas, no matter how much they hate each other. Maybe this is an extension of that. I think he''s trying to be kind by trying to avoid either of us suffering from public humiliation. ¡­Man, seeing the main character in real life is really something else. I''m trembling with excitement on the inside right now. Shouldn''t I just take his offer? It''s a godsend. It''s the perfect way to avoid the problems of the future, and to make sure my relationship with Rex doesn''t get any worse. Win-win! The blue screen in front of me suddenly transforms. - Quest: Accept Rex''s Request Reward: Lose the Abyssflame Accept/Deny - That stops me in my tracks. Right¡­ win-win¡­ Chapter 3 - My First Quest The choice is obvious. Rex might not know it, but he''s basically asking me, "Do you want to do the same thing this idiot did in the game, or do you want to step off the path to the bad ending?" Any sane human knows what the right choice is. All I have to do is accept Rex''s request to cancel our duel. That duel was an unfavourable situation for me anyway, judging from our stats. Sure, losing the Abyssflame will be a bummer, but it''s not like it''s the end of the world. Fighting Rex and following Rising Hero''s story might be. So, yes, the choice is obvious. It''s incredibly obvious. And yet, I can''t make it. First of all, the Abyssflame is needed to defeat the Dark God, just as much as the Brightflame is needed. If I lose the Abyssflame then who knows when it''ll appear next? I could be dooming this world to destruction, and on the off chance that this is all real, I''d be dooming myself to destruction as well¡ª Okay, no. To be honest, that''s all just an excuse. I just¡­ "No," I find myself saying, "I''ll see you out on the field next week." I walk past him into the classroom. My reason for wanting to continue down this route towards the bad end is nothing grand. I have a choice: to step off into obscurity, or to have something important in my possession for once in my life. I¡­ don''t want to give up the Abyssflame. I don''t want to become irrelevant again. And above all, I want to fight Rex Cranz. This is my game. I''ve mastered it after playing it dozens of times. I want to see how I do against the protagonist. I want to see if I''ve still got it, even after all this time. Students continue entering the classroom, and then so does Rex, along with Claire Weiss. It seems the rest of his party isn''t in this class. I deliberately don''t look at them, and then the teacher enters as well, and the class begins. In Rising Hero, the classes were never shown, they were always skipped over, so it''s kind of interesting to see the kind of things the students here learn. Apparently, this is a monster physiology class of some kind. "Some of you are starting to push into level three of the Great Dungeon, so it''s time we talked about one of the most troublesome level three monsters," the teacher says, shooting Rex a subtle knowing look, "Today we''re talking about the gorgon." I guess, based on that look, Rex must have made it to level three by now. That sounds about right for where we are in the story. I''ve never seen this teacher before in the game, so she must not be an important character. She looks plain, with brown hair in a ponytail and freckles on her face¡ªnothing like all the flashy main characters in Rising Hero. "The gorgon is rumoured to be able to kill you with just a look. This is only partly correct, in truth it shoots nigh-undodgeable beams with its eyes, so avoiding its gaze is certainly the right strategy. The beams are powerful, and it has the lower body of a powerful snake, so it has both long-range and close-range covered. The only advantage we have is that it has the reflexes of an ordinary human, so two people are needed to slay it; one to distract it, and the other to kill it." Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. That''s actually kind of accurate. In the game, I always needed a party member to draw aggro because a gorgon stun-locks its targets with its attacks. The teacher goes on to talk about more monsters, and it''s actually kind of fun to hear about these monsters I used to fight in a game spoken about like they actually exist. The strategies described by the teacher sort of match the gameplay methods too. She goes over a few easier monsters like giant rats and goblins, and then the lecture ends. The blue window pops up again. - Quest Complete: Attend Class in Two Hours Reward: 100 EXP - The window disappears, and I wait for a few seconds. Nothing feels different. I don''t feel smarter or stronger... it must only count when used to upgrade stats. As everyone begins filing out, I get no new quest to attend more classes. I guess that means this was the only class of the day? Bit of an easy-going school, isn''t it? From what I remember, your score matters more than any attendance in this school. Not just your test scores, but also your activity scores. Basically, how much stuff you did during your time as a student. And the most simple way to increase your score is to kill stuff in the Great Dungeon. For the briefest moment, I catch Rex''s eye as he''s leaving the classroom as well, and he scowls at me. Yeah¡­ I''m going to definitely have to hit the dungeon to even stand a chance against the protagonist of this game. He''s destined to win in the original storyline, after all. I check the map again, and follow it to reach the place I want to go. When I''m there, I look up. Here it is, the Great Dungeon''s entrance. I call it an entrance, but it''s actually multiple entrances. All of them are innocuous-looking doors that anyone might easily walk through if it wasn''t for the woman sitting at a desk in front of them. There''s a crowd of students here right now, and the woman at the desk watches all of them like a hawk. She looks old, and her hair is almost done completely greying, but it seems she''s still just as sharp as she needs to be, judging by the intensity of her gaze. The crowd of students has formed a line here, and each of us needs to take a medallion from her if we want the doors to work for us. Those doors may look simple, but they''re actually portals that take you down to the Great Dungeon instantly. When my turn comes, the old lady glares at me, "I thought I heard you loudly boast that you already got enough credits for this semester. Why are you here?" That''s a lot of hostility. This was a very minor character in the game so I don''t remember much, but I remember her treating Rex very sweetly, like a grandma. So, what''s with the disconnect? Did Thomas do something to her? "I mean, there''s a dungeon here. I want to enter it," I say. Crap, I''m bad with hostility so I ended up making that sound way more sarcastic than I had intended to. My tone made it sound like she''s stupid for not figuring out something obvious. For a second I hope she doesn''t take it that way and that I''m just overthinking things, but then her eyes narrow in anger, and I know my hopes have gone unheard. "Oh yeah? Is this because of that duel you''re about to have with Cranz that I''ve heard so much about?" The woman says. She smirks, "Let''s see if your last-minute training does you any good against a person who''s been dedicated all his life. Here." She roughly tosses a medallion at me, and I barely catch it before moving on, glad to get away from her. Before I go through one of the doors, I look at the medallion; it''s in the shape of a flower, the same white flower as the school''s symbol, and it''s surprisingly weighty. It''s interesting to feel its metal weight in my hands after only seeing it as an image on my screen. I pocket the medallion and take a deep breath. Then, I open one of the doors and step through into inky darkness. Time for my first foray into the Great Dungeon. Chapter 4 - The First Foray The Great Dungeon is an interesting place. It looks a bit like a massive cave, but there are glowing crystals sprouting from the rock like weeds everywhere, bathing the whole place in a dull light. Near the door I just stepped through is a rack full of weapons like swords, shields, spears, and flails. This reminds me that I haven''t brought a weapon with me to the place where I''ll be risking my life to fight a bunch of monsters. To be fair, taking your sword along isn''t really a requirement when working the checkout at Walmart. I inspect the weapons on the rack and take a sword. The spears look cool, and the shield looks safe, but Thomas Filmore only ever uses a single blade in Rising Hero. I''m not going to mess with stuff I know nothing about until I''ve gained a little experience. A few more students step through the door, and when they spot me, they flinch and hurry ahead. I feel like cursing out the person whose body I''m inhabiting. Seriously, what have you been doing to make everyone hate you like this? That''s rhetorical question, I know exactly how he degrades commoners when they cross his path. Still, I guess the nobles seem to like him, they were cheering him on when he challenged Rex to that duel. I don''t think that''s supposed to be a good thing though. I walk deeper into the dungeon. At first, I spot nothing. But then I hear a skittering sound. This may be too late to realise this, but I think I got too caught up in the excitement of the situation. I don''t actually know how to fight. My heart beats loudly in my chest as the skittering sound gets similarly louder. I locate the source of the sound in the wall to the left of me, and as I suspected, a massive rat crawls through a hole there. It has grey fur and it watches me with large, beady eyes. I take a step back. Wow, this is¡­ scarier than I expected. Rats are vermin I''ve grown used to since long ago, but seeing them this big is terrifying. Those claws, which look harmless when tiny, don''t help matters when in this size. It''s not as large as me, thankfully, but when on all fours it does come up to my knees, which is several sizes too large anyway in my opinion. I unsheathe my sword from the brown leather sheath and raise it in front of me unsurely. And then the giant rat pounces at me. It''s faster than I''m expecting and¡ª "Woah!" I don''t know what it is, but something suddenly clicks. I dodge to the side and swing my blade smoothly, like I''ve been doing it for years, and the blade slices through the rat in one clean stroke. There''s blood, which grosses me out, but none of it gets on me. Its corpse in two parts vanishes as soon as it hits the ground, leaving behind a tiny and pristine blue gem. The blue window pops up instantly. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. - 2 EXP - It disappears just as quickly, but my focus is on something else. I''m staring at my hands in wonder at what just happened. It''s like¡­ I understood. Like I''ve been playing a sport my whole life, and the know-how to play it is still there. I don''t have Thomas Filmore''s memories, but wielding that sword like I did felt way too natural. I don''t have his memories, but I may have his training. I clench my hands into fists a few times, there''s only one way to test it. I walk deeper into the dungeon, and I hear that telltale skittering noise again. I ready my sword and wait, and after a few moments, another giant rat with grey fur squeezes out of the wall and onto the ground again. Instead of waiting for it to launch itself at me, I charge at it this time. It doesn''t even have time to do anything before I stab my blade through its body. The corpse vanishes once more, leaving behind another spotless blue gem. - 2 EXP - I laugh a little. This is way too easy! I take a few breaths to calm down, remembering to pick up the blue gem this time. The gem feels cool to the touch, but nothing feels unordinary about it¡ªother than the fact that it just came from inside the monster and yet it''s still cleaner than a polished diamond. As I contemplate the gem, my sense catches up with me. Right, I''m doing this to level up so that I can defeat Rex Cranz. Two experience points per giant rat isn''t really efficient. It might be because my Thomas Filmore surpassed giant rats long ago. I look around, why are they spawning from the walls anyway? Is it because the group of students that went ahead of me are killing the ones that had already spawned? I shake my head, it doesn''t matter. I once more press deeper into the dungeon, killing any giant rats I come across. In time, I encounter two more types of monsters. One has the form of a gelatinous orb¡ªa slime¡ªand the other is a flying monster with fangs¡ªa giant bat. Both creatures fall to my sword. Unfortunately, they too only give two experience points each. I come across a few forks in the caverns as I progress, and each time I pick haphazardly. I don''t think it much matters which way I go on the first floor. However, a few minutes later, I regret that way of thinking. I''ve defeated giant bats and giant rats today, and the thing in front of me is similar. It''s a giant spider, with its creepy hairy legs, and its creepy black eyes, and its creepy twitching mouth. I should be able to defeat it just as easily, but a shiver runs down my body, making my skin break out in goosebumps. No way, no way, no way¡ª! I don''t know what it is, but spiders are way creepier than those other two animals. And scaled up like this? Suddenly, I want to run away and accept Rex Cranz''s request to cancel the duel right now. I bounce on the spot, trying to calm myself as I breathe. But before I, or the spider, can do anything, a loud laugh echoes throughout the cavern. A tall woman with a massive sword in hand comes racing towards us from behind me, and she uses it to slice through the spider in one heaving swing. I shouldn''t even say slice, because that more crushed the giant spider than sliced through it, that''s how massive her sword is. I mean, it''s even thicker than me, and almost just as large. The woman pulls the sword up and rests it on her shoulders, then she looks at me, flicks her messy black hair behind her shoulder, and smirks tauntingly, "Oops, guess I took your kill, Filmore." That crazy grin, that tan skin, and those bulging muscles¡­ I definitely recognise her. It''s Ophelia Hunt. I resist the urge to sigh. Oh great, I didn''t expect to meet another person from the Hero''s Party here today. Chapter 5 - Thomas Skills As far as heroines go, Ophelia Hunt is more the action-hero type, and her look reflects that; currently, she''s wearing a tank top beneath her standard-issue blazer, trousers, and boots. This also means that she won''t hesitate to skip diplomacy and jump straight to fighting. I have to be very careful here so that I don''t draw her attention¡ª "I heard you challenged Rex to a duel," she grins, "I didn''t think you had the nerve for that. Why wait though? Let''s have a duel between ourselves right now!" ¡ªand, never mind. She points her massive blade at me. I don''t even know how she swings that thing around that smoothly. She wants a duel, but even if I was into that, there''s no way I''ll win if I fight now. I haven''t even tried out Thomas Filmore''s skills yet. She''s right in front of me, so I can''t say it, but just out of curiosity, I think with intent: Analyse. Surprisingly enough, the blue window pops up. - Ophelia Hunt (Berserker) LVL 14 Con ¨C 20 Str ¨C 20 Dex ¨C 17 Sta ¨C 20 Mag ¨C 0 Fai ¨C 3 Skills: ? - Okay, so she''s two levels higher than me. And not only that, but her stats are super physical. I vaguely remember something like that. Or rather, I remember using her to tank dangerous hits, so these stats make sense. "No thanks," I say. I hope the matter ends there. Of course, it doesn''t. "Why not? You''re fine with fighting Rex, but not me?" She bares her unusually sharp teeth at me, "You and me, here and now. Let''s go. You''ve been pissing me off since we first met!" Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! This girl is honestly really scary, I feel like I''ll be crushed if I don''t defuse the situation right this instant. "Maybe so, but I have no interest in fighting you," I say. That only seems to make Ophelia angrier, "Are you saying I''m not worth fighting?" And just when I think that a fight is unavoidable, she snickers, the anger melting from her face, "Ha! You should see your expression right now. I know what you are, you''re just a yapping pup! I bet the only reason you challenged Rex is because you have some dirty trick up your sleeve. Well it doesn''t matter, Rex will blow through all that like he usually does!" Er¡­ I''m not entirely sure what''s going on, but crises averted? I guess everyone''s disdain for Thomas worked out for me this time somehow. Then again, I wouldn''t be in this position if it wasn''t for Thomas going around making enemies like collecting Pok¨¦mon cards. "Can''t wait to see you fall flat on your face again, noble," Ophelia says, going on ahead with a wave. Once she''s gone, I breathe a sigh of relief. If Ophelia chose to fight, I wouldn''t have stood a chance. The glint of the blue gem from the killed spider catches my eye and I pick it up. For that matter, the spider might have defeated me before her arrival as well. Something instinctive in my body just makes it impossible to approach them. Both cases have one solution: I have to learn how to use the Abyssflame skill. From what I remember from Rising Hero, Thomas uses the Abyssflame as a ranged attack. He slashes with his blade, and the cut manifests as a wave of black flames that flies through the air. If I had that, I might have stood a chance against Ophelia, and I''ll be able to kill spiders from afar. I clear my throat and face the wall, "Er¡­ Abyssflame!" I shout as I swing my sword. Nothing happens. Okay, maybe I said the wrong thing, "Abyssflame Slash!" I shout, swinging my sword again. Once more, nothing happens. I stare at the wall for a few moments, wondering where I went wrong. And then I hear a skittering sound. Not rat-skittering, spider-skittering¡ªI can tell. My hands grow clammy and I begin to breathe a little quicker. Come on, you useless brain, think! What am I missing? The spider''s mouth pokes out of one of the holes in the walls, its fangs twitching in a disgusting manner, and a tremor of revulsion runs down my body. It''s only now that it clicks; right, I''ve been interacting with the system of this world all along, haven''t I? The spider squeezes through, and I prepare to swing my blade one more time, imagining the black flames in my head, wishing with all my heart that it will manifest. "Abyssflame Slash!" I roar with intent. Fire as dark as oil springs to life on my sword, and it feels like I''m pushing it through water. Still, I continue the swing, completing the arc even though with all the resistance it feels like I''m swinging in slow motion. My swing leaves behind a trail of black flame, and as soon as I finish with the follow-through, those black flames fly forward, crashing against the spider and the wall behind it. The spider doesn''t even last a second, burning to nothing in an instant, but the flame lingers. Ordinary fire cannot burn on raw stone, but the Abyssflame is different it seems. It begins to slowly eat even into the cave walls, but after a few moments, it finally vanishes. I breathe deeply and sweat runs down my face. It feels like I''ve run a kilometre or two. I put my hands on my knees and lean on them to support myself. I guess this is what it feels like to use a mana-intensive spell? I prefer a simple mana bar to be honest¡­ - 2 EXP - I suddenly laugh. Thanks, system! Whatever the case, I guess I know how to use Thomas Filmore''s skills now. I take a few more moments to recover before kneeling down to pick up the blue gem the spider dropped and pressing on. I have no intention of turning back now. Also, I don''t want to be here when the spider respawns again. Chapter 6 - Understanding the Abyssflame - Thomas Filmore (Warrior) LVL 12 (780 EXP to next level) Con ¨C 10 (+3) Str ¨C 12 (+3) Dex ¨C 9 (+3) Sta ¨C 12 (+3) Mag ¨C 11 (+3) Fai ¨C 6 (-3) Skills: Analyse LVL 1 (2/3) Abyssflame LVL 1 (0/3) Abyssflame Slash LVL 1 (0/3) - I frown at my stat page and close it. The last time I checked, I needed nine hundred experience points to level up. I gained one hundred from going to class, and after fighting enemy after enemy on the first floor of the dungeon, I gained twenty more. My duel with Rex is in a week. At this rate, I might not even level up once by then. I have to fight enemies worth more experience points, and to do that I need to descend to the second floor of the Great Dungeon. Just as I think that, I exit into a large cavern with numerous passageways connected to it. I just arrived from one of those passageways, and there are a few students here and there doing the same from the other ones. In the centre of the cavern is a massive glowing orb, and the intensity of its light ebbs and wanes like waves on the ocean. This is the safe zone, meaning no monsters can enter here. Additionally, touching that orb will teleport you to the second floor. That is why some people are resting here to recover, and some people are moving on. I don''t see Ophelia here, so she must have gone ahead already. I consider my condition for a second; I met only one more spider, and killing it tired me out even more, but I think I''ve recovered enough to move on right now. I touch the orb, and two vague images enter my mind. One is of Ward Academy, and the other is of a cave not unlike the one I''m in right now. It''s a choice, I realise. Go back home or continue on. I focus on the image of the cave, and my vision suddenly goes dark. Unlike the teleportation that allowed me to enter the Great Dungeon, this one feels rougher. My insides spin like I''m hanging on for dear life on a particularly violent rollercoaster, but just as soon as that feeling comes, it disappears. The blackness retreats from my vision, and I look around to see a cavern very similar to the one I was just in. The layout is a bit different, with the passageways in different places, and there are far fewer students here. I pick one of the passageways at random and walk on through. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Incidentally, even in the game, there was no strategy in choosing which path to take. It was all randomised, and every path took you to the end of the floor anyway. As I walk, I consider the Abyssflame Slash. In terms of power, that skill is really good, the spider didn''t stand a chance against it. However, the time it takes to use it is too long. Rex will have me flat on my back before I even finish that incredibly slow swing. In Rising Hero, the Abyssflame Slash is first introduced in the duel between Rex Cranz and Thomas Filmore. In that duel, I feel like I remember the attack being maybe a bit more powerful, but the speed was just as slow as here. So I''m not the one slowing it down, that''s just how the skill is. Speaking of Rising Hero though, at a much later point in the story, Rex gets access to the Abyssflame skill too. The problem is, he can''t use it. To be more specific, all you can do as Rex is use the Abyssflame to enhance your attacks in exchange for slowing yourself down, but that''s it. Rex never gets access to any of its attacks. So, that means that I get no help from trying to think about how it''s used in the game. Thankfully, there is one thing: Rex has full access to the Brightflame. And the best part is, despite being opposites in nature, the Brightflame and Abyssflame are functionally very similar. For example, one of Rex''s first skills is the Brightflame Slash. The Brightflame Slash was a very slow skill in Rising Hero too, but it could be sped up by activating the base Brightflame skill. There''s a reason there''s a slash version and a base version both listed in the skills section, it''s because they both do different things. In the game, the Brightflame skill was like a power up mode that enhanced attack and defence, but lowered speed. Conversely, it increased the activation speed for all other Brightflame skills. It would be foolish to think that the Abyssflame isn''t similar. I hear something approaching from ahead. It sounds like¡­ a dog? Some kind of four-legged creature at least. I figure, no time like the present. I imagine Thomas Filmore''s profile. I imagine the black flames subtly burn upon his body. I can''t lie, the thought of it makes me nervous, but I put all my focus into it and declare, "Abyssflame!" My body instantly feels heavier, like gravity has increased, and my vision goes slightly hazy. When I raise my hand, I see the rippling black flames upon it and can''t help but grin. It worked. The sound gets closer, and I can see what''s causing it now. I was partly right, it is four-legged. It has grey fur and looks like a wolf, only more feral. Perhaps it''s because its teeth look a little too long, or perhaps because its claws do, but there''s an edge of wild aggression to it that tells me this is no ordinary wolf. Well, I know what it is: a lycan. It charges at me, fangs bared, and I ready my blade. "Abyssflame Slash!" I shout. My theory is correct. The blade feels like there''s less resistance on it now, and I clear the swing quicker than before. The wave of black flame flies towards the lycan, striking it directly and burning it into nothing in seconds. It''s¡­ honestly a little unnerving just how powerful it is. - 10 EXP - I imagine the flames on my body turning off, and once they do, I collapse on the ground. I breathe deeply, letting the oxygen fill my burning heart and lungs. Crap, these skills are really energy intensive. The Abyssflame Slash takes the most stamina in one go, but every second I keep the base Abyssflame mode on it feels like I''m running at almost top speed. And not only that, but even though the attack was quicker than before, it was nowhere near quick enough to allow me to win. I have to get the speed up even more somehow. I take a few more moments to catch my breath before resuming my advance. As I continue, more lycans keep showing up periodically. I don''t use the Abyssflame to fight them anymore, it''ll leave me unable to continue if I keep spamming it. Besides, my sword skills¡ªor rather Thomas Filmore''s sword skills¡ªare more than enough to easily defeat them. At first, it''s just a spot of moss. Then it''s a few vines. And then, as I keep walking, the cave-like interior slowly gets wider and transforms into an environment one might find in a jungle. The crystals are still there though, bathing the place in dull light amidst the leaves. And then, I hear a scream. Chapter 7 - Prince Wyll Cryasius I race forward, towards where I heard the scream come from. The whole interior has expanded, so it''s no longer like I''m in a corridor of stone. Now, with all the fauna everywhere, it feels like I''m in a forest of some kind. There are even trees that reach the ceiling, which is also getting higher and higher. From here, I can see the walls continue to widen in the distance as I continue ahead. I hear another scream, much closer this time, and push through a particularly tall thicket. Once on the other side, I see that there''s a boy there with grey and curly hair, and droopy eyes of the same colour, and he''s struggling to push a lycan off him with his sword. I recognise him, it''s Wyll Cryasius the third prince of the Kingdom of Hoff, the kingdom we''re in right now. "Wait, wait, wait! Seriously, just wait! I have meat! Trust me, it''ll taste way better than me!" Wyll cries pathetically. Lycans can''t understand human language, but I swear it seems to get even more aggressive at that. Wyll screams again, sounding even shriller, and I can''t help but find this kind of funny. But still, he''s in danger, so I launch myself forward, smoothly slicing the lycan in half. Man, these new moves feel so good to use. - 10 EXP - Wyll, now no longer in danger of being eaten in the next few seconds, closes his eyes, collapses on the ground and lets out a loud noise of relief. After a few moments, he opens his eyes again and looks at me, "Thank you so much¡­ wait, aren''t you that Filmore guy? The one who challenged Rex Cranz to a duel?" "News travels fast," I say as I pick up the blue gem the lycan dropped. "Yeah, I mean, everyone''s talking about it," Wyll says. Also, his sister is in the Hero''s Party, but he won''t say that. Wyll is considered the incompetent prince, so he''s attending Ward Academy pretending to be a commoner named Wyll Struick. There''s a whole plotline to do with his sister later that reveals this. In the end, most of the royal family of Hoff dies, and since the princess will be travelling with Rex after that, Wyll will become the new king. The plotline with Wyll''s sister sort of resolves his incompetency, so he''s a fitting choice by that time. "So are you planning to sit there all day?" I ask Wyll, "More Lycans will be here soon, you know?" "Right, of course!" Wyll says, jumping to his feet. He looks at me strangely, "You know, you seem a lot different than how you were described." "And how was I described?" I ask. "Well, for one, I was told that you hate commoners¡­" Wyll says hesitantly. "Is that so?" I begin walking, and when I hear him follow after me like it''s only natural, I look back at him, "You''re continuing? Even after almost being mauled to death?" That''s an exaggeration, he probably would have managed to escape somehow even without my interference. I mean, there''s no scene like this in the game, after all. Wyll laughs sheepishly, "I''m here because I want to get better, so¡­" Honestly speaking, I don''t know what I should do here. I could act like Thomas Filmore and tell him to leave, but I also remember really liking Wyll Cryasius as a character. I want to speak with him a little. Also, practically speaking, he''s the guy who''s going to become king. It''d be beneficial to me if I made his acquaintance early, right? Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Also, I know he won''t take experience points away from me. I got ten experience points for killing the lycan he had been fighting with, just like before. "Don''t slow me down," I say. It feels like it''s something Thomas might say. I''ve decided to act at least a little like him to stave off any suspicion. Otherwise, who knows when somebody might suddenly start questioning if Thomas has become possessed or something? "Right!" Wyll says. We continue walking deeper into the jungle-like terrain, and he asks, "How far are you hoping to get today?" I think about it, "At least the third floor." If Rex has gotten that far, then I need to go even further to surpass him. "Wow, that''s ambitious," Wyll says, "How much of the second floor have you completed already?" "Some," I say vaguely. I only get ten experience points from each lycan, so Thomas has definitely fought them before. "What about you? What can you do?" Wyll looks embarrassed, "Er¡­ I can fight decently with a sword. Also I can use a little bit of water magic to slow enemies down. And¡­ that''s it." "I see," I say. I think I remember Wyll being a guest party member for one or two battles, so I really had forgotten his skills. We press forward, killing lycans when they attack, and more and more trees begin to appear. This place feels like a real forest now, and that''s when we hear an ear-piercing screech. We look up and see an orange monkey snarling at us. The only thing that separates it from an ordinary monkey is its tail made entirely out of fire. "A flame monkey," I remember. I ask Wyll, "It attacks primarily with its tail, so make sure you dodge it." "Oh, ok¡ª" The flame monkey leaps at us, spinning in the air, and its tail suddenly grows in size, well on its way to crash against us. I duck underneath it, pulling Wyll down with me. The monkey lands on the ground, but before it can make another move, I stab through its chest. - 10 EXP - "Whoa. Thanks," Wyll says, his eyes wide. "Let''s go," I say, picking up the dropped blue gem. As we continue onwards, several more monkeys attack us, and I manage to defeat them rather easily each time. As their numbers increase in each encounter, keeping Wyll safe gets a bit tougher too, but I don''t think it''s a problem yet. However, when I glance back at him, I notice the discouraged expression on his face. Right, of course, he''s here to improve, but all I''m doing is protecting him. I hear the telltale screeching of flame monkeys in the distance, and I say, "Your water spell, it can''t extinguish the flame monkeys'' tails, can it?" Wyll perks up at being addressed, "N-no. I can only use it to slow my enemies down." Yes, I remember this. Wyll''s spell is basically just a debuff. "Did you use it against the lycan?" I ask. Wyll looks embarrassed, "I did, but it barely had any effect. I don''t think my spell is strong enough to use on this floor¡­" "Use it against the flame monkeys next time," I say. And just as I do, they appear, hopping from tree to tree until they spot us. They launch themselves at us, and Wyll flinches. I cut through most of them with ease, receiving their experience points, but I leave one alive. It heads for Wyll, and he barely scrambles out of the way, with the flame monkey bouncing against the ground. As he tries to reorient himself, I shout, "Your spell!" Wyll and the flame monkey recover at the same time, and just as the flame monkey begins charging at him, he raises his hand and winces as he yells, "Waterlog!" A cone of blue extends from his hand, and the flame monkey is caught in it. It instantly slows, as though weighed down by something exceedingly heavy, and Wyll stares in shock. "You have to finish it off," I remind him. "R-right!" Wyll runs at the flame monkey, and with a battle cry, slices it in half with his sword. He breathes heavily as he stares at the vanishing corpse. "Congratulations," I say evenly, "Your first kill on the second floor." Wyll picks up the dropped blue gem, still staring at it in awe, "My first kill¡­" He looks at me, "Why did my spell work so well this time?" "Elemental reactions are a thing, you know?" I say, "Your spell is a water spell, it does better against fire enemies than any other. Come on, let''s continue." Wyll stares at his hands, as though witnessing something new. I walk a few paces before looking back at him and seeing that he''s still rooted in place, "Are you heading back now?" I ask. He looks at me with shining eyes, "N-no, I''m coming!" Chapter 8 - The First Mid-Boss I distinctly remember there being a few mid-bosses on the second floor. After they''re dealt with, there''s the final boss, and then you can advance to the third floor. Here''s the thing, I don''t actually remember how many mid-bosses there are, nor do I remember what creatures they were, so I don''t know how much farther we have to go or what we''re going to face. But I do remember how to tell you''re in a boss or mid-boss arena. The crystals in the area all begin to glow an ominous red. "So¡­ that doesn''t look great," Wyll says, looking around. Like now. Every crystal in this forest-like area has begun glowing red, and since there''s no other source of light, literally everything here is now bathed in a scary red light. "Well spotted," I say sarcastically, trying to see if I can spot the mid-boss. "Is something about to happen?" Wyll asks nervously. "You''re about to have your first encounter with a mid-boss. Get ready," I say. Wyll raises his blade, and just then, a large creature bounds through the trees. It has the same orange fur as the flame monkeys, but it''s much stronger looking, and its tail isn''t on fire. Instead, it''s its limbs that are on fire, and they leave scorch marks every time it takes a step. I recognise it: it''s a flame gorilla. It charges at us with an angry roar, and we scramble out of the way. We manage to avoid it, and it slams against the trees behind us, taking a large chunk out of them. Wyll gulps as it turns and bares its fangs at us like we personally offended it or something, "I don''t think I can take a hit like that¡­" "You can''t," I confirm, "But the same logic with the flame monkeys applies here." "R-right," Wyll says, and just as the flame gorilla begins to charge at us again, he shouts, "Waterlog!" The resulting cone of blue directly catches the flame gorilla, and it slows. It snarls at Wyll, and he winces. I step in front of him and swing my sword at the flame gorilla. It''s too slow to avoid my attack, so it must take it, but my blade catches in its thick muscle. I can''t push further into it no matter how much strength I put into it, and when it raises its arms to crush me into a scorched pancake, I pull my sword out and retreat a few paces. "Are you okay?" Wyll asks worriedly. I glance at my sword and see that it has been warped by the flame gorilla''s heat. It can no longer be used effectively as a sword. Then I see the flame gorilla regain its speed and charge at us again, and I say hurriedly, "Slow it again!" Wyll takes a moment to comprehend my instruction, and by that time it''s too late. I lunge at him and we both tumble out of the way, the flame gorilla''s charge missing us by a hair''s breadth. "Wh-what are we going to do?" He asks as he sees my ruined sword. "Slow it again," I say once more. The flame gorilla has already turned towards us again, and it spreads its arms, widening its whole profile. I don''t think we''ll be able to pull off a near-miss again. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. "Waterlog!" Wyll casts, but the flame gorilla has learned. It''s far enough away that it can swerve around the approaching cone of blue, and it charges us one more time. I intend to make it the last time. "Again!" I command Wyll. He looks at me, his eyes wide and fearful, "But¡ª!" "I said, again!" The flame gorilla is almost upon us now, its arms spread wide to catch us should we try to dodge, and Wyll casts again, "Waterlog!" The flame gorilla is so close now that he isn''t able to swerve around it this time, and I pull my warped blade back. I don''t know what it is, I''ve never risked my life like this before, but this moment feels just right. The world slows, and I imagine the future I wish for with crystal clear focus. Then, I swing, declaring, "Abyssflame Slash!" My bent blade slices through the air, and moments before the flame gorilla reaches us, my swing arc is completed. The wave of black flames strikes the flame gorilla point blank, and it roars in pain as it beats its chest. I grin, feeling the tension in my body almost snap my being, "Looks like my flames burn hotter than yours." The flame gorilla is reduced to nothing in a matter of moments, and when I spy the blue gem through my disappearing fire, I collapse on my bottom, breathing a sigh of relief. - 50 EXP - That''s a little low¡­ I guess that means Thomas has fought this thing before? Still, that was my first true battle with a close call, being done with it makes me feel more relieved than I think I''ve ever felt. The crystals return to their normal, colourless state, and Wyll says, "That was¡­ so scary," I look towards him to see that he too has collapsed. He meets my gaze, "What was that last attack you used?" "I fought fire with fire," I say. Honestly, I don''t even know what I''m saying, but I feel so lightheaded, I don''t care. "Yeah," Wyll laughs, "I guess you did." After a while, I rise to my feet once more, and as I pick up the blue gem that the flame gorilla dropped, I say to Wyll, "Come on, let''s go. We don''t want to be here when it reappears." Wyll looks at my warped sword as he too stands, "Are we going to continue? How will you fight?" "I can''t," I say, "We''ll have to return for today." "Oh, ok," Wyll says, and I can tell he''s trying not to sound too relieved. We backtrack from where we came from, taking down the occasional lycan and flame monkey that respawned after we had gone on. The forest turns into a cave once more, and once back in the safe zone, we touch the orb in the centre of the cavern. The rollercoaster-like sensation assaults me once more as we are transported to the entrance of the Great Dungeon. The stone walls of Ward Academy feel so safe after all that I encountered in the Great Dungeon. The same old woman with the greying hair and sharp gaze is still behind her desk, and I see several students appear out of thin air, as I assume we did. They go up to her to hand her the blue gems they collected. Some even give her their weapons, and I realise that the standard-issue weapons are probably returned to her. She deposits them in a box filled with weapons. Wyll and I approach her, and when she sees me, her expression turns sour, "Had fun in there?" I gather the blue gems in my pockets and hand them to her, imitating the other students I saw, and she quickly runs her hands over them, "You got to the second floor, huh?" she asks, "And you defeated a flame gorilla. You''ll get a decent amount of points for that. You''re a lot more serious about this than I thought. Too bad it''s for stupid reasons." Wyll stares between us in confusion, no doubt wondering why I''m being treated with such hostility. Honestly, I don''t hold it against the old lady; Thomas Filmore deserves it. "Here," I say, handing her my warped sword and the medallion I was given in the beginning. The old lady looks the slightest bit confused as she takes them and deposits the warped sword in the box with the other weapons, "What happened to all those things you said about how our equipment is ''worth less than dirt, and a sign of how the whole institution is spiralling by catering to the commoners?''" "I wanted to try it out," I say. But I must admit, even though Thomas Filmore deserves any and all hostility, being on the receiving end of it is still annoying. So, I pointedly look at the warped sword that I just gave her, "And look what happened to it." She glares at me, "You''re not supposed to swing it at everything recklessly!" I don''t respond and step aside to let Wyll have his turn to give in his gems. The old lady treats him with far more gentleness, and even praises him, "You made it to the second floor in your first year? Impressive!" Wyll smiles, "I had help," he glances at me. The old lady''s softness wavers, "I see. Be careful about your choice of friends, young man." Wyll looks at her confusedly as she finishes storing his gems, and when she says nothing more, we leave. Chapter 9 - Princess Stella Cryasius When I look up, I realise it''s already evening. Wyll and I reach the dorms, and before we separate, he says shyly, "So, er¡ªI''ll be going to the dungeon again tomorrow. What about you?" It''s clear what he''s trying to say: do you want to go together again? "Probably at the same time," I say. I''m guessing here, I don''t know what classes Thomas has tomorrow, "See you around." With that, I leave for my dorm room. Once there, I sigh in relief and collapse on the bed. I''ve never had a more exciting day. And conversely, I''ve never had a more satisfying day. My old life was always grey, work to live, live to work. But here I''m trying to actually accomplish something! I''m trying to defeat my hero, and I''m taking steps to accomplish that! Something about that fills me with energy, even though I should be out of it. "Stats!" - Thomas Filmore (Warrior) LVL 12 (640 EXP to next level) Con ¨C 10 (+3) Str ¨C 12 (+3) Dex ¨C 9 (+3) Sta ¨C 12 (+3) Mag ¨C 11 (+3) Fai ¨C 6 (-3) Skills: Analyse LVL 1 (2/3) Abyssflame LVL 1 (0/3) Abyssflame Slash LVL 1 (0/3) - I made a dent in my experience points needed to level up, but I''m still nowhere near actually levelling up. Tomorrow I''ll travel even deeper into the dungeon. The teacher today said only a few people in our class have reached the third floor, and it didn''t seem like Thomas had, so it''s very likely I''ll be encountering a mid-boss Thomas hasn''t faced yet tomorrow. The thought of that excites me, but it also makes me feel a bit cold and shivery. I suddenly laugh. Oh man, when was the last time I had this much fun thinking about the next day? This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Right¡­ it was when I used to play Rising Hero¡­ It all comes back to this game¡­ It is with these thoughts that I prepare for bed, and it is with these thoughts that I go to sleep. * - Quest: Attend Class in Two Hours Reward: 100 EXP Accept/Deny - It showed up again today, and I say, "Accept." As the window disappears, I wonder if I actually need to say that. I said no to Rex yesterday, but I didn''t say reject. And yet the quest still disappeared. I think it only matters that I do the quest or not. Accepting or rejecting just puts it on my quests screen so that I can remind myself of it whenever I want. I get ready for the day earlier than yesterday since I have nothing I want to experiment with today, but just as I am about to head out, there is a knock on my door. I open it to find a woman with wavy grey hair and sharp eyes of the same colour. Rather than pretty or cute, only the word beautiful can apply to her. She would have to be this striking, I suppose, seeing how she''s in the Hero''s Party and all. "Thomas Filmore," she says, her voice full of venom. "Your Highness Stella Cryasius," I greet back. Yes, this girl is one of the three royal children of the Kingdom of Hoff. "What is your business with Wyll Struick?" She asks, getting straight to the point. There is a feeling of danger to her, just like Ophelia, but in a different way. If Ophelia can be likened to a wild chainsaw, then Stella Cryasius would be a fine dagger pressed up against one''s throat. "What does it matter to you?" I''m being deliberately obtuse. I can easily guess why she''s here. Her whole plotline revolves around being too overprotective of Wyll. When she heard that Thomas Filmore of all people was seen exiting the dungeon with him, she must have almost had a heart attack. Her glare sharpens, "Answer the question!" Well now, that''s just rude. Justifiably so, sure, but still. I don''t actually have a proper answer that will turn her away, so I deflect, "You seem very interested in a seemingly random person like Wyll Struick. Is there something special about him?" "Nothing at all," Stella says decisively, "But I''m here because I won''t let an innocent person fall into your clutches. Whatever intentions you have for him, discard them!" Ooh! That''s a good excuse, very believable. Thomas does have a terrible reputation after all, especially when it comes to commoners. "Well, I haven''t forced Wyll to do anything. If he meets me again, it will be through his own power. Good day," I close the door in her face. Hopefully, that will get her to back off a bit. She doesn''t knock on my door again, nor does she break it down, so I consider myself safe for now. With that dealt with, it''s time to prepare for the dungeon later today. I find Thomas Filmore''s sword and examine it. I don''t know anything about weapons so I don''t know if it''s better than the standard academy-issued swords, but it certainly looks fancier. There is gold filigree woven into the blade and it has a jewel for a pommel. Then, an idea strikes me, and I look at it and say with intent, "Analyse." - Thomas'' Sword The blade was crafted for a child who stood above the world. He was fated for greatness. He undid his fate with his own hands. Passive: +3 to STR - That''s a pretty harsh description¡­ More importantly, it seems these descriptions know about the original storyline. That''s pretty interesting, it must imply something, though I don''t know what yet. It has a stat modifier, so I unsheathe it and hold it in my hands. Nothing feels different. I expected¡­ I don''t know what. To feel stronger, I guess? Everything is the same though. I give the sword a few test swings, and it does feel smoother in my hands, but that''s it. It might just be a placebo, but the sword is a good weight. It feels just right in my hands, much better than the standard-issue academy sword did. I shiver at the thought of having the same opinion as Thomas and resheathe the sword. Once I''m sure I have everything, I step out the door to go to class. Chapter 10 - Confrontation I left to go to class early, so I have to wait a little before it actually starts. After a while, people begin streaming in, including Rex and Claire. Ophelia and Stella aren''t with him again, so I guess they''re just not in the same classes as us. I don''t remember tiny details like that anymore. The teacher, a tall brown-haired man with a goatee walks in, and I recognise him. It''s Mr. Burns, he teaches history and gives important lore information sometimes. Mr. Burns begins class, and I had thought I would enjoy learning about the history of my favourite world, but he''s beginning from the middle of a curriculum I haven''t studied, so it literally all just goes over my head. To be fair, I was a terrible history student in my old world too. Nothing that Mr. Burns talks about seems to be important, he''s teaching about some random rebellion that took place in the kingdom a few hundred years ago. I think I remember this whole week in the game being skipped over, so I guess that makes sense. In Rising Hero, Thomas challenges Rex to a duel, a few people talk to Rex about it, then boom: it''s a week later. That must mean nothing very important will be said during this week. I think. - 100 EXP - The class ends, and I wait to see if a new quest will come in to attend another class. When it doesn''t, I stand and make ready to head to the Great Dungeon again. Incidentally, I should find a schedule or something instead of just relying on these quests to tell me when to attend class. I reach the entrance to the Great Dungeon, and the usual crowd of students entering and exiting is there. The old woman is there again as well, watching everyone carefully. What do I even call her? I remember her having a name, but I don''t remember what it was. I spot Wyll in a corner, milling about. He looks around anticipatorily every so often, and I can guess why. When he spots me, his expression brightens and he bounds over to me. "Thomas! I was just going to the dungeon now too! Want to go together?" I have a feeling he has been waiting here for longer than he''s implying, but I don''t mention it. We line up with the other students, and when our turn comes, the old lady''s expression sours after seeing me. She tosses a medallion at me, and then gently hands Wyll his medallion. "There''s a bounty out today," she says grudgingly to me, "Defeat a lycan matron to receive a magic pill. We only have a limited amount, so if we run out before you turn in your prize, too bad." Then she turns to Wyll and says softly, "I think this bounty is a bit too beyond your scope for now, okay, dear? Please don''t be reckless." Wow, she is making no attempt at hiding her difference in treatment. Wyll just laughs shyly and we move on. - Quest: Defeat A Lycan Matron Reward: 100 EXP, Magic Pill (+1 to MAG) Accept/Deny - I think with intent, Accept, and the window closes. Wyll asks me, "She really doesn''t like you, does she? Did you really say all that stuff about our academy''s weapons that she said you did yesterday?" You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "I might have," I can''t really come out and say it wasn''t me, so I have to take on this idiot''s sins. What a pain¡­ "By the way, what''s her name? I''ve forgotten." Wyll stares at me flatly, "¡­ She might have a reason to hate you. It''s Ms. Clara." "I''ll try not to forget again," I say idly. As we prepare to head through one of the many doors, we are suddenly intercepted by someone I probably should have expected. "Hold it right there," Stella Cryasius says as she steps in front of us. Wyll looks surprised, "S¡ªYour Highness, how long have you been here?" "Since the past twenty minutes while you''ve been pacing around¡ª" Wyll turns red and interrupts, "I-I just got here, I wasn''t doing anything like that!" Stella raises an eyebrow, "What? But I watched you the whole time as you¡ª" "I wasn''t!" I stifle a laugh and disguise it as coughing. I can''t help it, this sibling duo is way too funny. Stella turns to me, taking over the reins of the conversation again, "In any case, I am here to say that you don''t need to cater to this man''s whims, Wyll Struick! Whatever he''s holding over you, I''ll deal with it right away!" That just makes me want to laugh more. She thinks I''m blackmailing him? I guess that fits Thomas'' image¡­ People are starting to stare, and Wyll looks wholly embarrassed now, "There''s nothing like that going on!" "I know that''s probably what he''s made you say, but don''t worry. I am here now," Stella says gently. She turns to me and glares, "I don''t know what you want from this ordinary boy, Thomas Filmore, but you will stay away from him or you won''t be able to make it to your duel with Rex." I suppose it''s admirable in a way, how she cares about her brother and tries to look out for him. However¡­ Wyll tries speaking up, "Ste¡ªYour Highness, I told you, it''s not like that¡ª" Stella shuts Wyll up with a cold glance, "Silence, I am speaking with Filmore now." I raise an eyebrow, "Ordinary boy, is he?" "Yes, he is just an ordinary child," Stella says without hesitation, and I notice Wyll''s face fall, "He has nothing you could want from him. Keep him out of your schemes." I''ve already been through this plotline, I know Stella gets better later. However, seeing her say these things in front of me still pisses me off a little. "I don''t know how much you know about Wyll Struick¡ª" I begin to say. Stella looks offended, "I know enough!" "¡ªBut he''s more talented than you think," I finish without faltering, "He''s already reached level two, after all." It only makes sense, no? If Thomas has been going around saying he has enough points, and he''s reached some part of level two, then for a student one year behind him to reach that same level and be just a bit further behind would indicate some sort of talent, right? That was the whole crux of the plotline in the game. Wyll is reasonably talented, but his family are all complete geniuses, so it brings down his self-confidence, making him perform worse. This makes his sister overprotective of him, but it also diminishes him. Stella rounds on Wyll, her eyes wide in anger, "Level two? What are you doing going into such dangerous places? Stick to the recommended level one and take your peers with you! You don''t have the ability to take such risks!" Wyll''s profile smalls, it''s like he''s huddling into himself at the point of his sister''s harsh words. "It seems you don''t know him at all then," I cut in, "Wyll is skilled enough that he''ll be able to clear the first half of level two on his own soon enough." "Mind your own business," Stella growls at me, "Was it you who made him go to level two?" "What does it matter to you?" I ask, my voice cold now, "For someone who claims to be trying to help him, all you''ve done is stand in the way of someone trying to improve. I''d hate to be watched over by someone like you." I can almost see Stella recoil in hurt at the thought of that. I don''t need to be so antagonistic, and I''m even using my extra knowledge to hit her where it hurts. I''m not Thomas Filmore, having a pleasant relationship with the Hero''s Party is far more beneficial to me than being at odds with them; I have a better chance of avoiding the fate of Thomas'' death in that way. However, when I see someone trying their best, and then being put down for it, it makes me want to stand in defence of them. Stella is coming from a place of love, but the way she''s going about it makes me angry. If I was Thomas Filmore, I''d actually probably laugh and agree with Stella. Then I''d degrade Wyll in an even harsher way, which would end up pissing her off against me even more. Stella struggles to recover, "That''s¡­" "Mind your own business, you said?" The words come to me easily. I know these characters well, after all, "I should be the one to say that you. It seems to me like you''re just butting your head in where you''re not wanted. Come on, Wyll." Stella has no rebuttal as I walk past her, and after a moment of hesitation, Wyll follows after me. Chapter 11 - Return to the Great Dungeon As soon as Wyll and I step through one of the doors and teleport into the Great Dungeon, I begin to regret the harsh things I said to Stella. She may constantly underestimate her brother, but she was just trying to protect him in her own way. It wasn''t like she was wrong to worry either, he was having trouble with a lycan yesterday. And besides, Thomas Filmore''s reputation with commoners is terrible, I would probably be concerned if I saw any of my loved ones with him as well. The stone cavern of the Great Dungeon greets us, and as we choose a cave at random and walk through it, Wyll says quietly, "Thank you." But¡­ even so, the way Stella speaks of her brother constantly hurts him. He''s here, and he chose to be here, not just in this dungeon, but also undercover as a commoner student in this academy. Yes, it was Wyll''s choice to come here pretending to be someone he''s not, though I''m not supposed to know this yet. And all this because he wants to improve. That puts Stella in a difficult position where she can''t interfere too directly. I can empathise with her, but maybe what I said needed to be said. No¡­ I know it needed to be said¡ªjust more gently, and not by me. This plotline would have occurred later down the line, and Rex would have helped her see the damage she was causing to her brother. But now that will never happen. It makes me wonder, am I¡­ ruining things? I''ve already resolved to defeat Rex in the upcoming duel. I''ve done this for many reasons, almost all of them selfish, but it''s a firm commitment I''ve made to myself. And yet, in time, most of these people would have achieved happy endings. Or, at the very least, decent endings. That might no longer be the case with me changing things. Wyll says, cutting through my contemplation, "You must be wondering why Her Highness would go out of her way for me like that." It seems he''s mistaken my silent reflection for suspicion. "I''m not," I say. "You''re not?" Wyll asks, now confused. I suppose it makes sense; Stella Cryasius was clearly a lot more intense than she would have been while standing up for some seemingly random student. To not wonder why would be strange. I push aside my doubts aside for now and smile enigmatically at him, "No, I''m not. Who knows? Maybe you''re both connected in some way." You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Wyll suddenly looks nervous at that, and he stares at me with wide eyes. I didn''t have to say it like that, I could have easily pretended that I just don''t care. But this just feels way more fun. "Thomas¡­ do you¡­?" Before Wyll can ask anything, we spot a giant rat. It spots us as well and comes bounding at us. I step aside and Wyll, getting the message, charges forward with his sword and swings at the rat. It''s an unsure and shaky swing, and the rat darts to the side. It jumps at Wyll, and Wyll manages to stab his blade through the rat''s body at the last second. He breathes heavily for a few moments as the corpse of the rat slides off his sword and falls to the ground with a lifeless thump. The rat''s corpse disappears, revealing a blue gem, and as Wyll picks it up I ask, "Your Waterlog spell, it doesn''t take a lot of energy, right?" Wyll flinches before pocketing the gem and saying, "No, but in return it doesn''t last very long." "And it''s effective against weak creatures like these?" I ask. Wyll answers slowly, "Yes, the lycans on level two were barely affected by it, but the monsters here all slow down dramatically for a few seconds." "The stronger you get, the stronger your spell will get, and then even lycans will be affected more by it," I explain just in case. These are fundamentals though, so he probably already knows, "More importantly, that''s how you made it to level two, right? Since you can use that spell many times without tiring out, you could just slow any enemies you came across." Wyll looks down, seeming almost ashamed, "Yeah¡­ that''s exactly what I did." He looks up at me suddenly and says desperately, "I-I know it''s a crutch, but¡ª!" "It''s a tool, like anything else," I cut him off, "Let''s adopt the same strategy we did against the flame gorilla yesterday." "So I''ll slow the enemies down, and you''ll defeat them?" Wyll asks. I nod, "We''ll be able to get much further that way." Wyll squares his shoulders, "Okay, understood!" "Not here though, we''ll begin using that strategy in level two," I say, "You''ll just be wasting your energy here." Wyll nods, "Yes, that makes sense. What''s our goal for today?" I think about it, "Our first priority is defeating a lycan matron. And then once we''re done with that, we want to reach the third floor." The promise of an instant stat point is too tempting to pass up. Wyll, perhaps reminded of the reason we didn''t manage to continue past the flame gorilla yesterday, looks at my sword, "You brought your own weapon this time." I give a few test swings of the handsome blade in my hand. It''s light and feels perfect to wield. I like it. "I did. Let''s go." The next time we encounter a monster, a giant bat, I rush at it and slice through it instantly. I stare at my sword as the corpse of the giant bat vanishes. I didn''t feel any different just holding it, but just now when I killed the giant bat¡­ it felt easier¡ªfar easier¡ªto cut through. It felt like I was cutting through a banana or something. So this is how it feels to use a stat-enhancing weapon. We continue through the first floor, slaughtering our way through the monsters there with ease. Thankfully, a spider shows up only once, and I let Wyll deal with that. Yesterday it seemed to take some time to reach the end of level one. Today, it feels like five minutes. Wyll and I both put our hands on the magical teleportation orb in front of us together and I see the two images of the academy and the second level again. I focus on the latter, and soon my insides spin, and I''m gone. Chapter 12 - The Mechanics of Getting Stronger We''re a short ways into a cave in level two when Wyll asks, "By the way, how are we even going to find a lycan matron? Are they just hanging around here somewhere?" "I doubt it," I say. There were a lot of monsters in Rising Hero so I don''t remember every single one very well, but I think I remember a lycan matron being a mid-boss early on. Again, that''s just a vague memory I have, so I very well could be wrong. However, if I''m right, then both our objectives of defeating a lycan matron and reaching level three will coincide. I hope that''s the case. Wyll and I advance down the cave, fighting our way through the occasional lycans and flame monkeys. Sometimes some of the level one monsters, like the giant rat or bat show up too. Although, no slimes. Perhaps this environment doesn''t suit them. The stone walls slowly widen into a forest-like interior with foliage, dirt, and even trees, and it isn''t long before the countless crystals that grow everywhere suddenly all light up red. I hear the heavy thuds of beastly footfalls from somewhere up ahead, and I declare, "Abyssflame!" Subtle black flames begin emanating from my body, and I glance at Wyll to say, "Remember the plan." Wyll nods, a nervous expression on his face, and readies himself. A flame gorilla emerges from a copse of trees, and I wait with my blade held in front of me. The flame gorilla roars when it sees us, and as soon it begins its charge, I yell, "Now!" "Waterlog!" Wyll''s spell envelopes the flame gorilla, and its movements slow to a crawl. Wasting no time, I swing my blade and shout, "Abyssflame Slash!" The wave of black flames flies through the air from my sword and strikes true. The flame gorilla is engulfed by my far stronger flames, and it screeches madly, clawing at itself before it is ultimately reduced to nothing. - 50 EXP - I turn off the Abyssflame skill, letting the exhaustion hit me all at once as the lights on all the crystals go back to their colourless state. I go to pick up the flame gorilla''s gem, and as I do I wonder, how come these gems aren''t affected by my flames? Even solid objects like the cave wall on level one were affected by them. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. We take some time to rest, mainly to let me recover from all the energy my skills took from me, but also to let Wyll recover. His Waterlog skill may require far less energy to use than mine, but he''s been using it the whole time on the way to the flame gorilla. We don''t want to risk depleting him either. As we rest, Wyll says, "You know, I think I feel a little stronger now! It''s working!" Has he levelled up, I wonder? I look at him and think with intent, Analyse! The blue window pops into existence. - Wyll Cryasius (Warrior) LVL 9 Con ¨C 8 Str ¨C 7 Dex ¨C 6 Sta ¨C 8 Mag ¨C 11 Fai ¨C 9 Skills: ? - Huh, even though he''s lower level than me, I can''t see his skills. My Analyse skill must not be strong enough yet. I see that Wyll''s magic stat is his highest stat, it even matches my base magic stat. Being a warrior is wasted on him in that case, isn''t it? Anyway, nothing I see on here tells me whether he just levelled up or not, but if he says he feels stronger, he probably has. That was how the game explained it in the lore: there are two ways to improve one''s abilities. The first is to train the old-fashioned way¡ªtrain your techniques, train your body. The second is to defeat powerful monsters. The game said that once a person defeats a monster, they absorb a portion of that monster''s essence. Absorb enough of those essences, and you become stronger. That is levelling up. Stats for everyone are allocated based on how they''ve been fighting when they level up, but apparently Rex was special, which was why he could pick and choose which stats to level up. I suppose Thomas is too then, and I suspect it''s because of the Abyssflame and the Brightflame. The stats screen and experience points are all just representations of these mechanics, according to the game. Sure, that generally makes sense, but I have some thoughts about it. They''re nothing I can investigate right now though, so I cast them aside. Anyway, the people in this world have already arrived at the most efficient way to get stronger. Train your techniques, like swordplay, because monster essence doesn''t help with that. And then improve your raw stats by defeating monsters, because that''s far faster than just training. Or, at the very least, that is what the lore book in the game said. "Shall we get going?" Wyll asks, "I''m not looking forward to seeing another of that creature." "Let''s," I say. We stand and walk on. Very quickly, we find ourselves wondering which way to go. It''s not that we''re lost, we know which way we came from, and as long as we don''t go back that way, we''ll be advancing. That''s how the Great Dungeon works. However, we don''t want to just advance, we want to find the lycan matron. If it is a mid-boss, I don''t want to miss it and encounter another mid-boss instead. "Let''s find lycans," I decide. "We''ll need to turn around for that," Wyll says, "There were plenty of lycans at the beginning of this level." "No, here," I say, "Let''s find lycans here. A lycan matron is the mother of lycans, so fighting through them should bring us to her." This is all just a guess. I barely remember doing any bounties in the game. But an educated guess like this is better than just wandering around without a plan. Wyll nods, "Okay, makes sense." And with that, we set off in search of our prey. Chapter 13 - Lycan Matron Saying we need to find lycans is a lot more difficult than actually finding lycans. Everywhere we go, we are only beset by flame monkeys. This may be their territory. Then, we actually do find a lycan. We slay it easily, as we have every other monster on this level, and advance down the direction it came from. Once again, we are attacked by only flame monkeys. However, after a little bit of wandering, we encounter another lycan, and after killing it, we once more go down the direction it came from. It is in this way that we begin encountering more and more lycans. When the number of flame monkey encounters decreases and the number of lycan encounters increases, we know that we are heading down the right path. Cutting our way through them goes smoothly until, during one encounter, Wyll gets a little too relaxed and a lycan takes a bite out of his trousers. He shrieks in fear and I''m upon the offending lycan in seconds, my blade through its heart the next instant. "Wyll!" "I''m alright, I''m alright! It only got my clothes¡­" Wyll looks down at his torn trouser leg, exposing the slightly bloodied flesh underneath. The lycan has in fact not only gotten his clothes, but neither is it a deep wound. It seems to be a light scratch from the looks of it. "You''re injured," I point out. Wyll looks down at his lightly bleeding leg as though he''s just noticing it, "Oh¡­ it doesn''t hurt or anything. All I feel is a little sting." "Can you continue then?" I ask. Wyll hops in place a few times to test his leg, "Yeah, I should be good. I guess I got lucky." "You did," I say, "Focus." I swear, I thought my heart stopped for a moment when that lycan reached Wyll. After all that I said to his sister, if he suffered a dangerous injury right after, I''m not sure I''d have any right to speak ever again. We continue on, and when we encounter more enemies, I notice that Wyll is far more careful now. The threat of the second level had begun to lose its edge with how easy our strategy had made going through it, but it has now reasserted itself. In a sense, this may be a good thing. It means he''ll be more ready for any mid-boss fight that comes our way. After a while, my wish comes true and the crystals that light the dungeon all begin glowing red again. I wait with bated breath, hoping we''ve gotten the right enemy. By the end, we only found lycans and barely any of the other monsters, so I''m quite hopeful that the mid-boss to show up will be a lycan matron. I hear the sound of approaching footfalls. They''re quick and not as heavy as a flame gorilla''s. I raise my blade. And then it bursts from through the trees, a wolf-like creature. Its fangs are longer than a sabre-toothed cat''s and its long claws dig into the dirt as it glares at us with a wide-eyed madness that only monsters can possess. I smile, here it is: a lycan matron. "Wyll," I say, and Wyll gets to work immediately. He raises his hand, shouting, "Waterlog!" And the spell''s cone-like structure makes it easy to hit his target as usual. I follow that up with a confident, "Abyssflame!" And then swing my sword, declaring, "Abyssflame Slash!" The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The lycan matron slips around the wave of black flame with ease, and I realise my mistake instantly. Wyll''s Waterlog skill is less effective against lycans, so of course it would barely have any effect on a lycan matron. Thankfully, the lycan matron is just circling us right now. It feels like it''s trying to judge our abilities before going on the attack. I see its eyes flick to my rapidly disappearing black flames that splashed against the greenery behind it. It might have chosen to act careful because it can sense the power in that attack. I keep a close eye on it as I say to Wyll, "New plan¡­ we''ll just have to attack it from two directions." I hope I''ve managed to keep the shaking out of my voice. "O-okay," he doesn''t even bother trying to keep the shaking out of his voice. The lycan matron seems to be getting impatient now. It paces a little more, its movements getting more and more erratic until it finally charges at us. It''s a different sort of charge from the flame gorilla. That felt like a massive cannon being fired at us, this feels like a bullet. As soon as it''s close, I swing my sword again, "Abyssflame Slash!" Unfortunately, the lycan matron is not like the flame gorilla, it''s agile and it easily slips around my attack. Wyll charges at it, committing to his own swing, and it is faster because he doesn''t have anything like the Abyssflame activated, but he too is easily dodged around. The lycan matron has two choices now, it can either go for me or Wyll. I don''t know what it is, but maybe it''s the way I saw the lycan matron notice the blood on Wyll''s leg, or maybe it''s the way I saw it watch my Abyssflame Slash attack warily, the same Abyssflame that I''m currently coated in¡ªbut in that moment, I suddenly realise which target it will go for. As though I''ve been doing this for years, I let my Abyssflame fade to gain speed, and I stab my sword in front of Wyll just as the lycan matron pounces at him, its sharp fangs bared. This was not an attack I made on the lycan matron itself, it''s an attack I made by predicting where it would go, and my decision proves to be correct. The lycan matron notices my attack at the last second and twists out of the way, but I still clip it in the front left limb, splattering blood on the ground. The lycan matron retreats with a noticeable limp and I breathe heavily. Two Abyssflame Slashes and keeping the Abyssflame on all this time has completely drained me of all my stamina. But I can''t collapse yet, my enemy is still alive. I point my sword at the enemy as I see Wyll pale out of the corner of my eye, "I¡­ saw my life flash before my eyes¡­" "We''re not out of the woods yet," I pant out. I see the lycan matron watching me carefully. Even through its madness I have a feeling it understands that I''ve gotten weaker. An idea strikes me. A terrible, terrifying idea that I don''t want to go through with no matter what¡­ but the alternative is death. Like steeling myself and throwing myself into a frigid pool, I steel myself and stumble on my feet. Wyll notices and says panickedly, "Thomas! A-are you¡ª?" "I''m fine," I cut him off. But my voice is weak and said in the midst of panting. The lycan matron twitches, and I wait for it to make the first move. My lungs burn and when my knees buckle again, my gaze drops from exhaustion for a second. A second is all the lycan matron needs. Like grey lightning it zips at me, even with its injured limb. Wyll valiantly tries to step in front of me and take a swing at it, but it slips around him, its jaws opened wide to tear a chunk out of me. I manage to raise my arm in front of me in time, and as the lycan matron''s jaws close around it, I say heavily, "Abyssflame." The lycan matron''s teeth sink into my flesh, and it howls in pain just as I howl in pain. Its teeth dig into my arm as its flesh sears. The black flames on my body enhance my defence, and the lycan matron''s raw contact with them begins burning it. It writhes and I scream as blood spurts everywhere. It is opening its jaw to escape, but I muster every last bit of my willpower and¡ª Stab! My blade goes clean through the lycan matron. It stops moving, and we both fall to the ground. The pain is unbearable, I can barely even see anymore, I''ve never been hurt like this¡­ - 500 EXP - Chapter 14 - My Triumphant Return What came next went by in a haze of pain and dizziness. Wyll had wanted to return the way we came, but I insisted we press on. I was in no condition to fight, but I wasn''t really looking for one. It was a decision I made out of desperation, not greed; I knew we wouldn''t last long if we went back the way we came. Wyll is skilled, but not skilled enough to navigate through level two on his own, and especially not skilled enough to do so while protecting me. And I was in no shape to help, so I bet on the possibility that we might be approaching the end. Rising Hero had been a punishing game, but not torturous. The ends of the dungeon levels served as checkpoints, and I thought that having a checkpoint after two mid-bosses sounded about right. It''s not like I remembered anything, but it did used to be my favourite game, so when it sounded about right, I took a gamble on it. My gamble paid off, because just a short ways away was the magical orb that denoted the end of the level. Wyll and I teleported back to the academy, and when we did, the clerk, Ms. Clara, instantly noticed us. She leapt to her feet and called for the medical staff. The medical staff rushed me to the infirmary, where I finally gave in to the dizziness to escape the pain. I wake up on the infirmary bed a long while later. I know this because there is a window here, and I can see that the sun has already set. More importantly, above me is a person I definitely did not expect: Claire Weiss. Now what is the saintess doing here, I wonder? I think she notices my confused look, because she says, "They were short on healers today, so they called on me," she glares at me, "What a sick joke." She moves with efficient grace as she examines my arm, the arm that''s been completely healed I notice. That makes sense, in the game Claire Weiss was noted to be one of the best healers in the world, even during her school days. I am about to flex my hand to test it, but then, for a single solitary moment, the memory of that excruciating pain floods my being. I swallow heavily, balling up my fear and crushing it inside me. Then, I force my body to move my arm. When it doesn''t hurt, I expand the range of its movement to find once again that there is no pain at all. It might not have even been injured for all intents and purposes. "I''ve never seen you this wounded before," Claire Weiss says coldly, "You usually prefer scheming from the very back." Stolen story; please report. I don''t say anything. There''s nothing I can say, after all. I can''t defend Thomas Filmore''s actions because I don''t agree with them either, and I can''t reveal that I''m not actually Thomas Filmore either, so saying anything back would be useless. My silence seems to arouse a curiosity in Claire, and she asks, "Why did you take a risk enough to injure yourself? Is it because of Rex?" She stares at me with those piercing blue eyes, and I find that I have to respond. Something about her makes it impossible not to. "Yes," I say simply. "Is it because he''s a commoner?" She asks. Her disdainful tone makes it clear just how she feels about that kind of discrimination. "It''s because he''s Rex," I answer from the heart. and though it may be for different reasons, for once I think my answer coincides with the real Thomas Filmore''s. Oh, he wouldn''t say it out loud, but there''s no way Thomas held such an enduring and deep enmity with Rex just because he was a commoner. There are hints, implications, that Thomas Filmore was jealous of Rex Cranz. In the end, defeating Rex became his life''s purpose. "What does that mean?" Claire asks. I don''t answer, I''ve said all I can, and Claire won''t be able to pry anymore. The selfish reasons in my heart trump even her presence. When Claire realises that her question will go unanswered, she frowns. But then she looks me up and down with a thoughtful look on her face. It''s like she''s realised that there''s something in front of her that she wasn''t able to see before. I''m not sure why such an expression would be on her face. Not much has changed. All I''ve said is that I want to defeat Rex, and that''s it. "¡­Don''t stress out your arm for a few hours longer," Claire says finally, then with one final look back, she takes her leave. Once she''s gone, I stare at the stone ceiling, the memory of the battle with the lycan matron playing out in my head again and again. If I had any remaining doubts about this being a dream, they''re gone. That pain was too real, too¡­ full to be just imagination. I''ve never felt anything like that before. My new abilities made me cocky, and I revelled in the risks, but I didn''t fully understand them until now. I can only imagine death, but I know that pain now, and I never want to go through it again. I am about to close my eyes and go back to sleep, when I notice something on my bedside table. A tiny blue orb, dull and lacking in lustre. I recognise it as an in-game item: a magic pill. Wyll must have picked up the lycan matron''s gem and traded it in for that. And he left it for me¡­ his way of saying I deserve to have it, I imagine. That reminds me, I received five hundred experience points as well. I''ve probably levelled up an have stat points I can distribute. I should do it now. ¡­No. I''m tired, I''ll do all that tomorrow. Besides, opening the system requires me to think the words with intent. I don''t think I''ll be able to muster that intent in my current state. I turn away from the magic pill, close my eyes, and go to sleep. Chapter 15 - Levelling Up I wake the next day full of energy. The bright sunlight streaming in through the windows certainly helps matters, it has a way of making me feel more positive in general. I didn''t think it was possible to sleep for that long though, so that''s a surprise. I''ve been sleeping since the afternoon of yesterday to this morning. I don''t think that one tiny gap when Claire Weiss woke me up counts. I look around, and it''s only now that I get a good look at the infirmary. It''s just a bunch of clean beds evenly spaced out in rows in a massive hall of stone, but there''s no one else aside from me here right now. Even the medical staff are all gone for the moment. I figure, now is a good time as any to get to work. "Stats," I say. - Thomas Filmore (Warrior) LVL 13 (652 EXP to next level) Con ¨C 10 (+3) Str ¨C 12 (+3) Dex ¨C 9 (+3) Sta ¨C 12 (+3) Mag ¨C 11 (+3) Fai ¨C 6 (-3) 3 Unassigned Stat Points Skills: Analyse LVL 1 (2/3) Abyssflame LVL 1 (0/3) Abyssflame Slash LVL 1 (0/3) - I grin. Would you look at that? I did level up. The only question now is: what do I put my unassigned stat points in? For now, my reason for trying to get stronger is to defeat Rex Cranz, which means I should upgrade the stats that will best allow me to accomplish that. If I didn''t know any better, I would put all my stats into magic; it''s not only the stat most likely to govern the effectiveness of the Abyssflame, but it''s also the only stat I surpass Rex in. However, there is another element to consider: I remember the boss fight against Thomas Filmore very well. It was one of the most fun boss fights in the game. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. That means, I can remember what made the boss fight difficult and what made it easy. Thomas'' Abyssflame was first unveiled in that battle, and I remember the Abyssflame Slash being a dangerous attack to be hit with, but an easy attack to dodge. It was in fact the standard Abyssflame mode that gave me more trouble. Thomas activates it when his health hits a certain percentage, and any damage you do as Rex goes down. And not only that, but his Abyssflame Slash gets quicker, and even basic attacks do more damage¡ªthough he is slower in general. I''m sure all these things won''t translate perfectly from the game to real life, but I think the general principles do. In other words, I don''t think any of my attacks will be quick enough to hit Rex¡ªspeed is my main problem, not power. And this may seem a little strange, but everything speed-related, including magic casting speed comes from the dexterity stat. The magic stat determines the strength of any magical abilities and your resistance to magical attacks. If I level that up, certainly the strength of my Abyssflame will go up. But what''s the point if my attacks don''t hit? I glance at the magic pill on my bedside table. That''s not to say power isn''t something to be turned down either. I take a few moments to try and think of any counter-arguments, I only get one shot at this after all. I don''t think there''s a respec potion lying around somewhere. When I can''t think of anything that makes me decide otherwise, I take the magic pill and swallow it like medicine. It tastes mildly bitter, but nothing about it puts me off. Maybe I should have confirmed that it really was a magic pill before just swallowing it all willy nilly¡­ I have been unconscious for a while, after all. I shake my head and look at my stats page again next. I say clearly three times, "Dexterity." The numbers go up, and once all my unassigned points have been assigned, a separate blue window pops up. - Confirm Allocation of Stats Yes/No - I take a nervous breath and press yes. The window disappears, and my choices are set in stone. I take a moment to admire my new stat page. - Thomas Filmore (Warrior) LVL 13 (652 EXP to next level) Con ¨C 10 (+3) Str ¨C 12 (+3) Dex ¨C 12 (+3) Sta ¨C 12 (+3) Mag ¨C 12 (+3) Fai ¨C 6 (-3) Skills: Analyse LVL 1 (2/3) Abyssflame LVL 1 (0/3) Abyssflame Slash LVL 1 (0/3) - With the Abyssflame skill''s stat additions, I think my dexterity is now higher than Rex''s. Rex is still two levels higher than me, but I feel I might have a better chance now. Despite the memory of the pain from yesterday still being fresh in my mind, I feel the urge to go and test out my new stats. I want to see how it feels, I want to try out my improvement, not just see it in numbers. - Quest: Attend Class in Two Hours Reward: 100 EXP Accept/Deny - Oh, right¡­ I still have class. Man, I''m tempted to skip the class just this once. But those hundred experience points¡­ I groan and say, "Accept," and the window disappears. I can just try my new and improved abilities out afterwards. That reminds me, I had that slaying the lycan matron quest. What happened to that? I didn''t get a quest complete notification after I killed the lycan matron. I assume it''s because I needed to report it to Ms. Clara to properly complete it. "Quests," I say. - ONGOING QUESTS: Opposing the Hero: Challenge the Hero to a Duel (Completed) Reward: Skill¡ªAbyssflame Win the Duel against the Hero (Ongoing) Reward: Level Up Skill¡ªAbyssflame Attend Class in Two Hours Reward: 100 EXP - The lycan matron bounty quest is gone, and I had the magic pill, so I suppose Wyll reporting our success to Ms. Clara counts as a completion as well. I''m grateful he remembered to turn the bounty in, I would have hated to miss out on an extra stat point. I know I might have forgotten in the panic if I was him. As though my thoughts of him summon him, Wyll enters the infirmary. When he sees me, his face breaks out into a relieved smile. Chapter 16 - A New Party "Thomas, you''re all right!" Wyll says as he trots over to me, "Or at least you look all right," He leans closer and looks me up and down, "Are you all right?" I push him away, "I''m fine. I should be good to enter the dungeon today as well, in fact." Wyll looks doubtful, "Are you sure? You took a pretty bad hit there. When Claire came in and I told her what happened, she was surprised that you weren''t hurt worse." That makes sense. That was the main reason I activated the Abyssflames before the lycan matron bit down on me. It wasn''t to hurt it back, I was going to drive a sword through its heart anyway, it was to increase my defence so that I could resist damage better. I wasn''t really thinking in terms of later at the time, I was more thinking that the less damage I took, the more able I''d be to defeat my opponent. It seems to have worked out in the long term too though. "In any case, thank you for submitting proof of the lycan matron''s death," I tell Wyll, "I would hate for it all to have been for nothing." "Yeah," Wyll laughs embarrassedly, "I remembered to do that at the last moment. I turned in all of our other gems to Ms. Clara too. She said she''d add them to our scores." He hesitated for a moment, "Why¡­ why did you take a risk like that? Things could have gone wrong in so many different ways¡­" "It was the only way I could think of to win," I say, "We would have died otherwise." "But we could have run away," Wyll points out, "Its leg was injured¡ªyou injured it." My brain comes to a screeching halt. That''s right¡­ it was injured, we could have tried to run. The lycan matron would have made it difficult, but there must have been something we could do¡­ So why did I not think of that? Fighting it felt only natural, even with the risk of death. Defeating it took priority, shutting out any other options. That''s not normal, is it? "Ms. Clara was really angry," Wyll continues, "She said judging our capabilities against an opponent''s is the first thing we learn in the academy, and that maybe we need to retake the beginner classes." He looks apologetic as he reveals, "She, er¡ªshe also thought that you forced me into fighting an opponent we weren''t ready for. Don''t worry, I told her it wasn''t like that." If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Well, that''s unreasonable. I know Thomas Filmore has a bad reputation, but Claire Weiss says that he''s a schemer who never puts himself in danger, and Ms. Clara says that he forces others to jump into deadly danger with him. Those are opposites, stick to one complaint! Wait, I guess the complaint ends up being the same: he puts others in danger. I shake my head, none of that matters right now. "We need a tank," I say. "A tank?" Wyll asks. "Yes, someone to pull focus from enemies and resist the damage they do," I say, "You''re a decent support with how you slow down enemies, and I can deal quite a lot of damage, but without a tank, we won''t get very far. I''m not even sure we''ll be able to make it to the end of level two again." "We''re¡­ creating a party?" Wyll asks quietly. I raise an eyebrow, "Do you not want to?" "No, no! It''s not that!" Wyll exclaims in a panicked manner, "It''s just¡ªI thought you had plenty of people that you could party up with¡­" Now that he says it, he has a point. I''m thinking in terms of the future; all of Thomas Filmore''s so-called friends will abandon him once he loses to Rex Cranz, whether willingly or not. His friends are all nobles, and their families can''t tolerate the disgrace of being associated with a high-ranking noble who called a peasant out to a duel and lost. But that''s the future. Right now I have plenty of options to select from. "You''re not wrong," I say, "We can easily find a tank among them." A healer too, now that I think about it. "B-but you still want me in your party too?" Wyll asks. "Have I indicated otherwise?" I ask back, "Now, do you know anyone who would make a good tank?" I have options among Thomas Filmore''s friends, yes, but there are still many problems that come with that as well. For one, they might notice he''s acting odd, and for another, Wyll is pretending to be a commoner, a lot of Thomas'' friends won''t take kindly to that. "A tank¡­ A tank¡­" Wyll mutters in thought. "Or a healer," I say, "We need both for a fully effective party." "Oh! I do know a healer!" Wyll says suddenly, "There''s this girl in my year, and all the teachers said that she has amazing potential to be a healer!" I raise an eyebrow, "Someone like that must already be in a party." Wyll grimaces, "Right, about that. She may have amazing potential as a healer, but¡­ she''s apparently very difficult to work with. I haven''t spoken much with her though, so I wouldn''t know." ¡­Oh. I think I know exactly who he''s talking about. "Is this girl Leila Freiss by any chance?" I ask. Wyll perks up, "Yes! How did you know?" I resist the urge to palm my forehead at the thought of that troublesome character, "I''ve heard of her. Well, it''s not like we have any other options, let''s go to talk to her. The tank will have to wait." "Now?" Wyll asks as I stand. I stretch and rotate my limbs, and then I test the mobility of my left arm in particular. When I feel no pain, I say, "You don''t have class right now, do you?" "We have one in a few hours." I say, "Then, yes. Now. No point in putting it off." Chapter 17 - New Members Wyll and I stop at my dorm room to allow me to freshen up, and once that''s done, he leads me to the canteen where he thinks Leila Freiss might be. Here''s the funny thing, It''s been three days since I arrived here, but I''ve never been to the canteen before. Wow¡­ it''s only been three days¡­ Anyway, I always have food waiting for me in my room by the time I get back, and I sort of just never questioned it. It''s a fancy spread as well, enough so that I felt like a king when I first laid my eyes on it. It''s got all sorts of meats and cheeses and the food is always warm and fresh, so I never questioned it. I''m guessing they use some sort of skill to keep it that warm for so long. The dirty utensils and plates are also gone when the new dish comes in, so I''m guessing I have some sort of housekeeper. Me, a housekeeper! If I told the me from even just a week ago that we''ll be getting a housekeeper, he would have smacked me on the head for wasting his time with nonsense. And yet, here I am. But it makes sense for there to be a canteen. I only get dinner, and I''m used to only eating dinner because of how I used to eat in my old world, but rich folk don''t tend to skip out on breakfast and lunch, right? When we arrive at the canteen, I realise what I''ve been missing. It''s large, larger than I was expecting it to be. In the game it was just a background image, so I''m only now seeing its true size for the first time. The whole canteen spans almost further than the eye can see, it seems the whole of Ward Academy comes here to eat. Countless students are milling about here, eating, talking, laughing¡­ "It''ll be hard to find Leila Freiss among all these people," I note. "She has her own table," Wyll says, "Everyone''s too scared to take it." He leads me to a secluded corner, and in the shadows where the light from the windows doesn''t reach, there she is: Leila Freiss. She has shiny black hair, almond-shaped green eyes, and she gives off the impression of a cat apathetically watching the world go by around her. When we approach her, she barely looks up at us. It''s clear she won''t speak first, and Wyll seems too nervous to do so, so I start, "You are Leila Freiss, correct?" "You wouldn''t be here if you didn''t know that," Leila says, "You''re the sort of guy who likes wasting time, huh?" I can feel my eye twitch, but I keep my annoyance under control. This is why I find her to be such a troublesome character, every sentence out of her mouth is some sort of barb. Thankfully, she later becomes Claire Weiss'' apprentice and mellows out a bit. "I''d like to ask you to join our party as a healer," I say, ignoring her provocation. She smirks lazily, "So you came to me. I heard you challenged Rex Cranz to a duel, is that why you''re running to the dungeon so pathetically now? Because you know you don''t stand a chance against that goody-two-shoes." Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Once more, my eye twitches, "What is your answer?" "You need a healer, is it? Can''t hack it on your own?" "Yes." I say the honest truth. I have pride, but the desperation I felt after the lycan matron''s death is something I never want to feel again. Even if she''s just trying to get a rise out of me, the fact that I need a healer remains true. Something in Leila''s demeanour changes. It''s like she''s looking at me properly now. "¡­How far have you guys gotten?" She asks finally. "The end of level two. We''ll be entering level three today," I say. "I heard Rex Cranz is almost halfway through level three," Leila says, her tone vaguely mocking. "I wouldn''t be surprised," I say. There is only silence between us for a time, and the conversations from the other people in the canteen fill the space between us. Wyll keeps looking back and forth from us. Then, finally Leila says, "All right. I''m in." I try to smother my grin, "We''ll be going to the dungeon today, in four hours." "Okay," Lelia waves us off, and we leave. As Wyll and I walk out of the canteen, he says, "So we''ve gotten Leila Freiss in our party now¡­" He doesn''t sound fully happy, so I ask, "Is there a problem?" "No, I hope not," Wyll says, "It''s just¡ªshe''s been invited to a few parties before, but she always ends up being kicked out or leaving very quickly. I hope that doesn''t happen to us." "Let''s see," I say, we only got a small dose of her this time. Things will be far worse in the dungeon, "Now we just need to find a tank." "Thomas!" A voice shouts, stopping us in our tracks. I turn to look and see that it''s the short girl with pigtails that I saw when I first woke up in Thomas'' body, Perri Faye. She approaches us, a worried look on her face, "Thomas, where have you been? What have you been doing? I heard you were injured!" The story of Perri Faye in Rising Hero is an insignificant one. She serves as one of Thomas'' suck-ups until he loses to Rex Cranz. After that, whether willingly or not, she distances herself from Thomas, just the same as the rest of his friends. That''s the last time the player sees Perri Faye, who knows what she goes on to do next? Perri notices Wyll and makes a face, "Why¡­ why are you with this commoner?" Wyll seems intimidated by the way Perri is glaring down at him (even though she''s shorter), so I say, "We were in the dungeon together, and when I was injured, he saved me." Perri''s expression twists like she''s swallowed something incredibly bitter, "Th-that can''t be¡­ there''s no way you''d lose¡ª" "Thomas didn''t lose!" Wyll suddenly cuts in. He sounds desperate for some reason, "And he saved me! Multiple times in fact! All I did was follow his instructions after he got injured killing a lycan matron¡­ I didn''t save him, I was barely of any help¡­" I''m caught off guard by his words, and it seems Perri is too, but she recovers first, "O-of course! As if Thomas would lose to anything! He''s been trained by the best of the best since he was a child!" So was Wyll, but Perri doesn''t know that. "So that''s how he was injured," Perri continues, "You dragged him down." Wyll looks down at his feet, shamefaced, as Perri turns to me, "You shouldn''t bother with these commoners, Thomas. You''ll only get hurt again." "He didn''t drag me down," I say, "He was a big help in getting me to the lycan matron." And as Wyll looks up at me with wide eyes, I have a vague feeling again. It''s not exactly a memory, but I wonder if I''m lucky enough that my vague feeling is correct. I ask before Perri can speak again, "Perri, are you a tank?" Perri frowns at my change in topic, but she answers anyway, "Yes, why?" I seriously can''t believe my luck. I must have read that she was a tank somewhere and forgotten it. Now, even if it''s only temporary, I might be able to form a full party! "Will you come with me this afternoon? I''ll be going into the dungeon again," I say. Perri looks surprised, "M-me?" Then she blushes, "Of course, Thomas! I''ll see you after class?" "Yes, thank you very much," I say politely. I''m trying my best to act like the refined Thomas Filmore¡ªthe way he acts before he begins losing it. She giggles and walks away, and I finally let myself grin. Party members acquired!