《Reincarnator Destroys the Romance》 Chapter 0 - My Abrupt End Proofreader: Future (Double Future) Me At long last my university entrance exams had been completed, so here I sat looking at the new prospect of starting over in the ¡°Enigmatic Academy.¡± It was by far the greatest otome/galge game in the world, not for amazing romance, but due to the hundreds of other features that exist. It took me a year to finish the game just once, however¡­ ¡°Why¡­? Just why is this game perma-death!¡± My vision became clouded as I reminisced about the hundreds of restarts. The main mechanic was, that once you die, it was all over. Many had poured tears attempting to even reach just halfway. Although, there was a way around this, to simply enable the romance-only route which I¡¯d never dare to touch. Indeed! The fantasy elements, action, and everything else had captured my attention. Yet, the biggest selling point of all, had been the hundreds of endings available. It had countless events, subplots, and romance scenarios, to the point that the community is still finding new content to this day. ¡°Hah¡­ I wanna try a warrior archetype build- yet, how many times would this take to perfect?¡± I questioned my sanity at this junction in time. I sat in my chair aloof, rubbing my chin as I decided what to do with my life. ¡°Ren! Come downstairs, we have your favourite!¡± My mum¡¯s voice echoed as I stumbled out of my room. Clumsily, I slipped down stairs while putting on sliders. Instinct prevailed over any other thought, and before I knew it, I was already preparing the dinner table for food. ¡°You¡¯ve been pushing yourself very hard recently... so, me and dad thought you¡¯d appreciate a hearty feast!¡± Her smile brightened up the kitchen immediately. ¡°Haha! As expected of my son," He slapped my back with a proud smile plastered on his face, "I¡¯m sure you passed without a doubt." An indescribable emotion welled at their words, and the corners of my lips undoubtedly began turning upward. We readied our chopsticks and began our thanks. ¡°¡±Thanks for the food!¡±¡± Everything was perfect and yet, I felt a hunch. Butterflies reigned over my stomach, feeling an urge to leave. Had there been something that would ruin this day? ¡°Son, are you okay?¡± My dad asked carefully with his chopsticks carrying food. I couldn¡¯t answer as a premonition washed over me. This morning when I checked my phone there had been news of runaway criminals in our prefecture. ¡°Dad I don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe-¡° ¡°Drop on your knees now!¡± The door bursted open, masked pouring in like a wave of death. Shots fired toward the walls behind my family, their expressions hardening immediately. We began dropping, not understanding what was happening. However... My brain felt as if I was being embraced by a serene wave. Danger surrounded me, but all I felt was calm. ¡°Boss! These are the hostages, keep them tied up, we need our escape route secured now.¡± Their intentions became clear at a moment''s notice, with there only two present right now. That''s right, just two. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. While they were preoccupied talking to each other, my cowering family could run. ''A chance.'' I glanced toward my parents and steeled my resolve. My body trembled at my plan, but amps of adrenaline rushed through at the same time. Right as it pumped through me, the world began to move. The man talking approached us with a rope and gun in both hands. If I had to move, it would be now. He fumbled around with the items, unable unfurl it in an efficient manner. Such movements indicated a sense of amateurishness, with their fingers getting tied up. ¡°Don¡¯t m- move unless you wanna die,¡± I could sense the shakiness in his voice, as if something was chasing them. As he began wrapping up the rope, I struck. The swift movements of kicking had been imprinted in me since I had been a child. ¡°Gah! Yo- you bitch!¡± His shin crumpled as bullets sprayed around the room. The other man nearby readied his rifle in an unprepared stance. ¡®Shit!¡¯ I was forced to act without thinking. I grappled the first burglar and held him in front, stealing the gun from his hands. Before the other bastard could grasp the situation, I shot haphazardly. Yet, as the recoil affected me, the man below me struggled. ¡°Get! Off! Me!¡± My vision slanted as I fell backwards, he managed to elbow me off his body due to my unstable hold. I was backed into a corner with him, surrounded by two rifles laid on the floor. Erratic breathing echoed between the two of us. Bang! What?! My eyes darted to the perpetrator. ¡°Son!¡± My father¡¯s demeanour was anything but happy. I could see sweat dripping from his head to his drenched back. Reality began to sink in, that we both had killed someone. I felt my breathing become rough. ¡®No!¡¯ I clenched my fists, ¡®Focus!¡¯ ¡°Now, run to the back door! I¡¯ll be behind you two!¡± The kitchen was connected to the backyard, so there was no danger in that. ¡°S- son! Come now! Or-¡° ¡°You bitches behave!¡± A few men rushed in through the front door, startled by the commotion. I hid under a counter as they walked to the open back door. Dad had already rushed out in fear, his face indicating immense regret. ¡°The hostages are about to escape, do we chase?¡± The man to the side checked the pulse of the other two. ¡°No point, we can hold off the police for a bit longer and our Plan B is on the way.¡± Sweat had accumulated on my palms, a sense of incongruity emerging within me. A dead man, and a situation where I could be dead. My grip had intensified as I stared at the mass killing machine in my hand. It was now or never. I aimed and shot, their shouts rang out in confusion. Bullets sprayed across the room, and I felt a burning pain rising from my shoulder. ¡°Fuck, men back out!¡± I had only shot down one as the other ran out. ''Perfect!'' I took the chance to run, ignoring the searing pain. The back door had never seemed so appealing to me before. ... An ominous brush of air tickled my face. ¡°Wait! KID NO!¡± An officer shouted something I didn¡¯t understand the meaning of. ¡°Brother!¡± ¡°Son!¡± ¡°Ren!¡± Desperate voices had reached my ears. I felt it. My shoulder burned, a small black metal embedded within it. My vision blurred, and images raced past my mind. Are you kidding me? All that, just to fall? From behind, there was still one watching. It was an almost perfect escape¡­ Sorry mum, sorry dad. Yumiko, I¡¯m sorry your brother won¡¯t be able to wake you up anymore. The world closed in on me, a gray scale of colours washing my vision. Within it however, images like a film tape unrolled. Huh? A mage held her staff high and proud. A swordsman presenting his sword to the masses, proving his worth. A priest, a paladin, and at last¡­ I saw an archer. Vivid memories began speeding through my dying mind. The game I had been playing for years, would be the life that flashed before my eyes. Why would I see this in my last moments? I laughed internally at the idea. This cursed, supposed romance game was showing up at my dying breath. The amount of times such romance had interrupted my play-through could not infuriate me more. I could only swear, I would destroy the romance if it was me. Chapter 1 - The Game is Different (1) Proofreader: Future Me ¡°Ha- ha- ha¡­!¡± I felt myself sprawled across the floor in cold sweat. The feeling of cold stone beneath my feet was unlike the cold grass from moments before. Death had surely embraced me, but I was somehow alive. ¡°You are blocking the way,¡± A monotone voice echoed from above me. I dusted myself and quickly arrived on both feet. I was befuddled, with adrenaline pumping through my veins. In this delusion I had recognised the familiarity of such a person before. ¡°Hello?¡± Suspicion was pointed toward me as we made eye contact. ¡°Yes! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ll- be on my way!¡± I felt a rush of red flood my face as I dashed past them. That person, she was no doubt a character from the game, Serina Rosemary. All the illustrations, it had come to life. Her luscious violet hair and perfect appearance, along with a soft yet firm aura, solidified it for me. So... This was Reincarnation. Still, the memories of my family came back to me. Anxiety had ended the roller coaster of emotions from crashing horribly. The only saving grace was that I knew they were safe with the police. Fuck. What do I do then? I sat down on a nearby bench in spite of all the passing students. I rubbed my temples to think, and strangely enough- ¡°My head?¡± A murky fog that had amassed in my mind disappeared. It was just like when I fought before I died. It was a trait I never knew I had. I glanced around my surroundings, finally able to form straight thoughts. There was no choice but to accept that I was in the ¡°Enigmatic Academy.¡± And since Serina the mage class protagonist was here, it meant that only a fifth of the endings were possible. Conveniently, I played through her route. Only once however, which was one out of roughly two hundred endings, including the numerous bad offshoots. This revelation only proved to further sour my mood. Fortunately it was relatively hard to end the run on purpose, but¡­ now that we¡¯re in real life, I wasn¡¯t sure how simple it would be. I don¡¯t even know if this is a romance only mode, hardcore mode, or whatever play through. I could only wish for one thing, that this wasn¡¯t ¡®Hell¡¯s Paradise.¡¯ My other help is that because I¡¯m not a protagonist, I had no deals in romance. Which also meant, I could reach my goal of creating that Dual Wielding class in reality as well. In any case, I had to lead Serina down the route I completed to ensure my survival. Thus, escaping my contemplation, the entrance of the infamous academy entered my vision. The ¡®Garden of Heroes,¡¯ I¡¯d be here for the next five years if I wanted to reach the end. And in the process, figured out a way to communicate with my family. But¡­ I died, is it even possible? There were many miracles performed throughout the course of the game, but the act of travelling across time and space on a worldly scale was outside the realm of possibility. "Unless!" A light bulb lit in my head. ¡®If you clear year one perfectly and meet with the world tree, it grants a wish for the character! I¡¯d recommend the option to receive a new skill, it can boost progression speed many times over if you make the right choice.¡¯ - I remembered the words of my favourite EA-tuber. If this world was now real, then this was my only option. That was my way to tell them I was still alive, I couldn¡¯t let them grieve forever. Collecting myself, I mumbled the words: ¡°Fuck it. We ball.¡± -x- Status Boards in this game followed a unique system, with each stat being defined by a tier. For example,Tier 0 for strength is like being the bottom of the barrel, something like a teenager with no strength training. However, around 50% through, you¡¯d become a decent body builder. The crazy part comes when you advance a tier, there is a massive difference between. From Tier 0 to Tier 1 is comparing an ant to an elephant. These gaps in level exponentially increase as you advance as well. In comparison, my stats are most likely Tier 0 with no proficiency, whereas the kids in these academies all have Tier 0 20% levels of ability. Since the game had status boards normally, and was part of the lore, I should have access to it as well. Somewhat excited I mumbled, ¡°Status.¡± ¡­ Nothing had showed up. ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯s right¡­¡± In this world, to view stats of yourself or others, an appraisal stone was needed. ¡®It would be great to have one suddenly spawn in my hand right now.¡¯ Poof! In my hand was a yellow looking stone, exactly what I was hoping for. Immediately, I tried to summon excalibur and the like, to no success. ¡°Ahem, Status.¡± [Luke] [Age: 15] [Race: Human] [Attributes] Vitality: Tier 0 (16%) Agility: Tier 0 (7%) Strength: Tier 0 (9%) This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Mana: Tier 0 (5%) [Skills] Outer Eye (Z) (0% Proficiency) Enhancement (F) - [Growth Type] Basic Swordsmanship (E) (0% Proficiency - Evolution Possible) Basic Magic Control (D) (0% Proficiency - Evolution Possible) Skills were organised by both proficiency and ranks from (F) to (Z), ranks indicated a scale of rarity and power, while the proficiency shows how good a person is at utilising it. In my case, another student would wipe the floor with me only having a Basic Swordsmanship Skill with 50% proficiency. To balance this, most skills have a rank ceiling, requiring certain methods to evolve it if you want to achieve a higher level. ¡°Although, what are these?¡± Two skills I had not heard of were present. The Outer Eye skill and Enhancement, of which the latter is supposedly a growth type. Growth skills while owning no proficiency meter, would evolve based on seemingly random conditions. Although, it usually follows the trend of ¡®breaking past one¡¯s limits¡¯. I had no concrete answer, as growth skills in themselves were tightly gate-keeped in the community. Overall, it was a blessing. These would prevent many hardships on the way forward. My current issue is that my skills and stats were below the average for the students here. The only notable difference was in vitality, which was just as high as most. "While the protagonists start with Tier 1 for their main stats," I clicked my tongue, "Tch." If I could recall correctly- scratch that. I know what happens next, I¡¯ve played through the intro many more times than I remember. The written exams were nothing more than a warm-up, with nothing to do with history and all to do with game knowledge. The number of students began declining, meaning it was almost time to move. Following the crowd and my vivid memories, I had lined up in a row inside the gathering hall. Initially, I was in shock, so I didn¡¯t have the chance to appreciate the fantasy and scale of which this setting had presented. I began childishly observing the surroundings, as we waited for the headmaster¡¯s appearance. ¡°Can you stop squirming around like that? It¡¯s annoying,¡± A high-pitched voice rang from my left ear. ¡°Sorry- you okay?¡± I asked politely. ¡°Just keep your mouth shut filthy commoner," She held a look of disgust. "You¡¯re not only disturbing me but the others around you.¡± The girl was close to barely reaching my shoulders. Furthermore, she had curled brown hair, braided into pigtails accentuating a feeling of cuteness, with clear blue eyes. I feel like I should remember her, but maybe she was irrelevant to my completed route. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep still," I avoided trouble, "Sorry again.¡± From my apology, she appeared startled, ¡°Uh- y-yeah keep yourself composed, you are a student of this great academy.¡± It seemed my calm response startled her, slightly puzzling me. Were commoners madmen, weak, or am I weird? ¡°Ahem. My name is Julia de Gracia, daughter of a Marquis from the South Empire.¡± She switched up quickly¡­ ¡°Right, my name is Re- LUKE!¡° ¡°¡­?¡± She tilted her head in confusion. I almost blew my cover. ¡°The Hero will soon make his appearance! Cease this noise at once!¡± Fortunately, the fuss among the students distracted her, a hero was a must-see. Even I, now in person, am equally excited to see such a character. ¡°I¡¯m excited to see him in person for the first time, you too right?¡± ¡°Hmph-¡° She simply looked away and snorted. ¡°Good morning candidates! As you may already know, I am Abel Cresent the one who shoved this bad boy right here, down that mad demon¡¯s throat!¡± He exclaimed, tapping his sheathed sword which garnered stifled chuckles from the crowd. ¡°Now keep it together children! Today is composed of your enrolment exams. Good luck, and may you become the new generation of heroes who protect this world! Because I am certainly not doing it again!¡± His speech ended with laughter. As expected, his character was the same. He still roughly looked like a teenager, and yet he exuded an aura of a veteran and child at the same time. ¡°Everybody! Listen up, we will begin ordering you into two groups: those for written exams and physical exams. We will save time and space, now listen to the staff present next to your rows!¡± The person who began speaking now had been the vice-head master, Runalia, a dragon from ancient times. Her fierce crimson hair left a big impression on me when I began playing for the first time. She truly had a striking appearance. ¡°Commoner, stop staring and move. We¡¯re in the written exam group,¡± Despite Julia¡¯s harsh words, she at least had the kindness to not leave me standing. ¡°Alright, alright, let''s.¡± I followed the crowd, admiring the furniture and surreal experience. We had been led to a hall containing many rooms on either side, I had no worries about this part. This game was cruel in that it forced the player to study. It particularly focused on arithmetic as a system for magic creation, in addition to the history, enemies, etc. This had originally deterred players, but after getting through the gruelling parts, the rest of the game was beautifully crafted. If there were a breeze, I¡¯d be sipping on cola in front of a beach. ¡°How are you so calm about an exam that determines your future?¡± It seemed Julia had stuck around for some reason. ¡°Well, I¡¯m pretty smart so it''s fine.¡± ¡°Hah. Don¡¯t come grovelling at my feet if you fail.¡± ¡°No worries, as that future doesn¡¯t exist.¡± ¡°You really are a weird one, firstly treating me as an equal, and secondly you are simply, extremely strange. Are you actually unaware?¡± She murmured some incomprehensible words at the end. ¡°Hmm. Status doesn¡¯t matter, does it? Also, I¡¯ve heard that about me before, but what about being unaware did I miss?¡± I answer her confusion with concise answers. ¡°Ss- such a trivial matter would be a waste of air,¡± Julia stumbled over her words. I ignored it and reminded her, ¡°Well, like I said, I will pass." ¡°So you believe you¡¯ll make it among the small percentage who pass. It¡¯s quite an impressive amount of confidence, especially for a commoner.¡± She wore a grin as she spoke. ¡°Even if you drop out later, as long as you show results, you might make a good subordinate.¡± ¡°Thanks for the flattery, but my path is set in stone already.¡± In reality, I genuinely was surprised. Her personality wasn''t as rotten as it appeared to be. ¡°You may regret not accepting my kindness.¡± I smiled in response. ¡°Hmph. As you wish ¡®Luke¡¯, but do not overestimate yourself.¡± Finally, I looked away from her and observed the crowd. I noticed a distinct purple hair, along with four other unique figures here. "Ha. Ha. Ha." A broken recorder-like laugh escaped my mouth. This had to be a joke, I swear to... ¡°Students begin walking to your allocated rooms.¡± As the crowd thinned, I saw it. If what I saw right now was true- There was no hope of survival by the end. The famed playable characters of ¡®Enigmatic Academy¡¯, The Warrior Fen Castelle, The Priest Uriel, The Paladin Rodney, The Archer Ash Walker, And who I met earlier, The Mage Serina Rosemary. Instantly, the feeling of doom encroached upon me. Five? All five of them, in one place? ¡°Why are the five separate protagonists here all at the same time!¡± I cursed at the world as all my plans crumbled apart. Chapter 2 - The Game is Different (2) Proofreader: Future Me In the game, only one protagonist existed at a time, all with their unique storylines, arch enemies, and resolutions. So why? Why are they all here?! The only way this situation could exist was within the confines of¡­ Fuck. It genuinely was Hell¡¯s Paradise, a sadistic game mode in which the developers had introduced random elements to throw the story out of a coherent mess. There had been forums of having two demon lords messing with the play through, fighting the great hero Abel turned evil, to even joining outer space aliens. It was essentially an event randomiser. In such a modifier, the only help given was that the randomised element would be made clear in the introduction. But this... This is unprecedented. ¡°Why are you standing there? You have an exam to do?¡± Even though I was currently contemplating my life, a teacher had shoved me into the examination classroom. Placed in front of me were the exam papers, and to my relief, had the same look as in the game. ¡°Now, you students have exactly three hours to answer all these questions. Write your names and begin!¡± Three? Give me half or just one, that¡¯s all I need. I picked up the pen on the desk and began zooming through all the questions. ¡®How was holy magic integrated into human society?¡¯ ¡®What habitat would fit the Behemoth most?¡¯ ¡®Formulate an equation, then a magic circle that would emulate the spell fireball.¡¯ It was all too easy. My entrance exams were harder than this. As I approached the end of the stack of papers within less than an hour, I received a suspicious glare from the examiner. Finally, I reached the end and raised my hand. ¡°Professor, I¡¯ve finished the exam.¡± He leered at me with an almost frustrated expression, ¡°You may hand it in here. Go outside and rest in the lobby at the academy¡¯s entrance until you hear the announcements.¡± I felt the conflicted glare of other students furiously writing down answers. Not like I cared, they should focus on passing. Moving on, I followed the signs on the doors leading me to the place I had awakened. Now I could get the first available hidden item. It wasn¡¯t inherently powerful, but definitely made life easier for veterans and noobs alike. Especially since this world now had FIVE protagonists, it would only be natural to take advantage of everything I could. [Enigmatic Chance] was its name, taking the shape of the normal academy brooches they provide when you pass. It had the effect of allowing massive multiplicative damage if one could hit a ¡®weak spot¡¯ of the target. It varies from enemy to enemy, but I fortunately figured out most of them. Secondly, at a certain point in the game you could unlock its hidden ability to boost growth by two times. I had to have it at all costs. Luckily, for now I could ignore the matter of five protagonists until tomorrow when the students are instantly accepted or rejected. Their romance routes wouldn''t immediately lead to the world''s end after all. The acquisition of the item had the requirement of finishing the exam before the three-hour mark, due to time constraints. You needed about an hour going back and forth from its location after all. It was hidden under a podium at the graveyard of heroes behind the academy. And this place was almost as large as a city back on Earth. I began my journey without delay, I had less than two hours to move. I moved past gardens, hills, buildings, and senior students just to arrive. Thankfully my high Vitality was at the level of athletes, which saved me the part of sweating my life force out. Yet strangely enough, I found myself almost lost quite a few times, but certain landmarks had reminded me of the direction. In the end, the graveyard had finally reached my sight which stood many podiums with statues of heroes laying on top. The one I needed was the only empty podium on this site. Whoosh! Feeling the wind pass by me, an inexplicable pressure had been exuded. Sweat dripped my head as I recognised the entity. ¡°Student. Why are you here? Aren¡¯t the exams happening at the moment? It¡¯s pretty far from here.¡± I almost froze. Calvin Hughes, the head of security. I had no idea why he was here, but I had to tell the truth. He had a particularly annoying ability. ¡°The thing is, Professor Calvin, erm- I finished the Written Exams early.¡± ¡°Hmmm. I can see you aren¡¯t lying about that,¡± He nodded his bald head, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t explain why you¡¯re here, far from the lobby.¡± I had to twist my words while maintaining an element of truth. And, because I¡¯m a reincarnator I have an idea. ¡°I apologise sir, but I have heard of Grave of Heroes for a while now and I genuinely was interested in seeing the figures of the fallen heroes myself. I hope to pay my respects to the saviours of our world.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Hopefully, he detected truths rather than lies. ¡°Is it possible?¡± I asked politely one last time. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°I guess I can let you off the hook. I¡¯m being called and feeling generous, so take good luck in your prayer,¡± He put a sly emphasis on his parting sentence. ¡®Thank goodness he bought it.¡® That lie-detecting ability of his was a wall to many paths without ample preparation. After confirming his absence, I began moving to the lonely podium which stood out the most. I always felt bad for being all alone at the start, though it would eventually fill out¡­ I shoved it off the ground and opened a musty trap door, instantly creating a smile on my face. [Enigmatic Chance] (Z) ¡°Haha! Let''s go, jackpot!¡± I stuffed it inside the pockets of my academy uniform, as it transformed into an academy-styled accessory with ¡®my¡¯ face on it. ¡°I wonder¡­¡± I had no idea about the Luke character, I don¡¯t remember seeing him in the game. And from the looks of it, I¡¯m not receiving or remembering any memories besides my own¡­ But, there wouldn¡¯t be any progress either if I chose to sit and dawdle. I needed to make my way back to the lobby. -x- After returning, it seemed more and more people had finished either exam. Not too long after, the lobby was full to the brim. ¡°You have an hour of rest!¡± The magically projected voice had told us, leading many more pouring from the insides. I tried peering over the crowd searching for prominent faces, only to meet my recent acquaintance. She tapped my shoulder, ¡°Commoner, is that you?¡± ¡°You are the marquess girl right?¡± I smirked while asking. ¡°Hah?¡± Her face was priceless, "Forgotten already?" ¡°I¡¯m kidding, Julia de Gracia wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You dare forget a no- Ahem. I see you¡¯re sitting alone, so I shall join you.¡± She dismissed my joke and sat beside me, a suspicious behaviour that contradicted her supposed noble demeanour. ¡°That¡¯s just an excuse because you have no friends isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Geh- you may be right. However, to say that to a lady such as I- displays a lack of etiquette.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m a commoner, o- great Julia de Gracia, I have no knowledge in such matters.¡± ¡°Stop embarrassing me, you- argh!¡± Her face scrunched up in frustration. Even though we were simply chatting, I was keeping my eye on the protagonists. I unfortunately had no idea of what could happen due to these new developments. I¡¯d have to adapt and use knowledge from scrolling countless youtube videos and forums from boredom. Including the ¡°Ancient History¡± class, which had a special feature where depending on certain events, could predict the future of one¡¯s route. The protagonists had all split up into respective groups. Besides Serina, who was alone, gone from the group she would have found in the game. She alone acted differently. Fen for one is in his place with Charles von Garrett the son of the Empire¡¯s King, and they seemed to be having close talks. As expected, just like their parents, they were good friends. Surprisingly, Rodney and Uriel were among a group of priests and seemed to be an uptight religious group. Though they were talking to their set supporting cast, as per the game. Similar to Serina, Ash Walker the elf had been isolated due to his race not being common among these lands. Although from the looks of the students, there are many who wish to talk to him. Unfortunately one of the five was different, and it had to be the one I played. Serina is definitely the biggest change, as she had originally been a part of a duke¡¯s faction from the Empire. ¡°Hah¡­¡± I sighed knowing it would not be smooth sailing from now on. There would be no one to one storyline to follow, as compared to the novels with reincarnators taking advantage of everything. They had to deal with the butterfly effect, whereas I had to deal with chaos from the very beginning. ¡°Luke? Is our conversation lacking in interest?¡± She seemed confused but had a concerned expression. It was also the first time she addressed me by name. Thinking about her personality made me question such a shift in tone. Was she lonely? She had the ability to talk to people, but no one talked to her. It was as if she was a plague. ¡°No, I was just thinking about something, like- why do people avoid you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her face sank in moments. I struck a landmine, didn''t I? ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer that, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Well- I uh. You- you deserve to know, as a person who speaks to me without prejudice, despite being a commoner.¡± A blush of embarrassment became clear. ¡°Then hit me with it.¡± ¡°Hit- you?¡± It seemed my slang didn¡¯t come across well. ¡°Er- it¡¯s a bit of lingo from my village.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ My family is doing fine, but there have been rumours speculating connections to the previous Demon King¡¯s army. Simply, it has been nothing but rough.¡± ¡°Rough?¡± I pushed for elaboration. ¡°Heh," A shallow laugh escaped her mouth. "Who would make friends with the collaborators of your worst enemy?¡± Ah, wait a minute. I remember now. Julia De Gracia, she was a sad child in that despite her talents, the stigma surrounding her family destroyed her ability to make friends. As an academy for heroes, anyone would avoid a potential enemy. In contrast, the game¡¯s community deemed her as a sub heroine and many had romanced her. However, she would always die in the end, with no one able to save her despite all their efforts. ... Maybe... I could give it a go. But! Let¡¯s play a little, shall we? ¡°Trauma dump?" I looked down at her, "Nah I¡¯m good.¡± Her face expressed horror, ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°You heard me, I¡¯m done. Let¡¯s not meet again.¡± ¡°Wai- no, I¡¯m sorry for deceive-¡° In a swift movement I flicked her forehead, ¡°I¡¯m kidding you know.¡± ¡°Muuuu! You filthy commoner!¡± She started smacking my arm with tears forming in her eyes, finally escaping her facade of a prim and proper noble. She was funny and peculiar, I regretted not getting involved with her sooner. Actually, thinking of the story- I¡¯d have to get directly involved with the romance of the protagonists¡¯. It was simply too risky to let their hormones run rampant. How many times did I die, getting involved with mandatory romance events that messed with progression? If it messes up veterans, it¡¯ll mess up these budding teenagers. Suddenly an intercom-like voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Thank you for waiting everyone, those who completed the written exam come to this side and those who completed the physical to the other. We will begin the exams shortly.¡± Finally, I could get started. Although, I doubt my magic skills could make it past a particular trial. A mana stat of five was pretty low, I could probably only cast a singular fireball before fainting. Vitality was my only hope it seemed. We began to move out, but instead of a hallway, there was a field. Specifically, a track field. As such we would have the first section of the exam, a stamina test. ¡°Here is the Stamina Exam. All that is required is for you to last as long as possible while running.¡± This would be my first testament to the pain that came with this world. Chapter 3 - The Game is Different (3) Proofreader: Future Me ¡°Before we all participate in this challenge, we¡¯d like to provide everyone the opportunity to view their status boards!¡± ¡­ I felt the world dawning on me once again. They presented various crystal balls, very cliche of course, while organising everyone into groups. These were high ranked appraisal stones, able to view stats of someone to everyone around them which also can be used multiple times. Time ticked as I slowly made my way up the line. Everyone was around the 50% average, with only big stars like Fen hitting Tier 1 in strength, and the like. ¡°Put your hand here please.¡± There was a small panel underneath the ball, which I begrudgingly placed mine. ¡°¡±...¡±¡± A universal silence made itself apparent. ¡°Ahem, since you were admitted, there must be a¡­ a special reason!¡± They tried to cheer me up, as the stares of others tore into me. ¡®Whatever.¡¯ This was the only part which I could perform decently in. Thus, I had to make sure to do well. Your grade decides the extra benefits of being higher in the rankings. In which the slightest bit of efficiency would mean I could get stronger quicker. Shortly after, we were once again lined up. ¡°Students on your marks!¡± 3! 2! 1! ¡°Go!¡± The stampede of students had begun. All I had to do was maintain my pace, while those who went full power were nothing but idiots. Breathe in, breathe out. I focused solely on those two actions while running. The male protagonists, Fen, Ash and Rodney had easily kept up with no sweat, and still massively outsped me. Serina and Uriel similarly kept a simple pace. It was fascinating being able to see all the protagonists in one place when they originally existed separately. I wanted to find Julia but I needed a decent score on this. At least in the top hundred for a two-man dorm room. This was my only chance, and I had to move forward. Towards a future where I live, and a future I was satisfied with. So I could only do one thing. Just run; it became the thought that would encompass my being. Within half an hour I had begun sweating a large amount, while my breath became rugged. Within an hour pain sprouted from my legs. Within two hours my body became numb. Within three hours I couldn¡¯t form proper thoughts. And within my mind, I replayed the words of my past mentor. Even if I couldn¡¯t feel my own body, I had to accomplish my goals. What my master had told me, and what I needed to do would propel me forwards. Just like the determination that saved my parents. For now... It was just me and the ground, and I would not fall. -x- Runalia The Dragon POV This generation was the so-called Platinum Generation after the Golden Generation. I could see why, there were princes and princesses along with children of clear ability. They would be in high positions after they graduate just like their predecessors. The stats of every child here was truly a step above the rest. Except of course, that one average looking child. The first section of the physical exams was the most simple, to test stamina. But it was just in name. There was no given time, nor any other instruction. The smarter students preserved their stamina while the thoughtless ones ran out of it quickly. Pacing was important, but it was not our true goal. I wanted to see the face of immense will, one unwilling to give in to despair. Abel can no longer be a hero so the new generations must step up. People with an indomitable resilience would never fall to temptation. So for now, I waited. Waited to see who would show me that. Unfortunately, many of these students had higher stats than what is expected of the first years. They deserved to be known as the Golden Ones. And immediately I could see many who were destined for greatness. Thirteen of them, regardless of their abilities. Those who had great destinies emitted an aura which greater beings could sense. I watched from above, seeing the students from a bird''s eye view. After an hour more than half fell out of it, which was less than expected. After two hours the amount had gone down exponentially, with less than twenty students on the track. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! After three hours there were only six remaining. I believe they were known as Fen, Rodney, Charles, Vyke, Erin, Mark¡­ and who? The first five had a massive presence, but who is this boy? "Peculiar," Such were the words that could only describe him. His stats earlier described a truly useless child, however he completely proved that notion wrong. I predicted five to remain yet for some reason, this child was here. There was nothing to suggest greatness, his stats were obviously not high, and neither was his attachment to fate. I watched on intrigued. It was as if he was in a trance, pain was written all over his body when I analysed it, but his face¡­ It was the expression we had been looking for. Sheer will. Immediately I felt ecstatic, regardless of talent, status or position. This ordinary-looking student was fighting toward something greater than he is now. That was what he displayed. Unable to ignore my curiosity, I enabled my sight disruption magic and approached him. His figure was crumbling, but determination was etched on his face. His eyes, however, it was as if- it was looking at!? Me! ¡°Huh- a go-goddess?¡± Words fumbled out of his mouth with an exasperated expression. Without thinking, my hand already acted. Boom! His body tumbled and turned as he rolled across the grass. I¡¯ll have to give him compensatory marks regardless of the other two sections for that¡­ -x- Luke POV A slap with the force of a supernova had met my feeble self. My body was giving up on me, regardless of my will it would crumble anyway. I grit my teeth and embrace the exhaustion. And it was then, that a figure I saw in the game and from the entrance speech descended before me. However my brain couldn¡¯t process such information properly and as such, the dry words ¡°Goddess,¡± had escaped my throat. Within an instant everything in sight, mind, and body vanished. -x- ¡°Where am I!¡± I shouted first thing after gaining consciousness. ¡°Luke! You¡¯re awake!¡± Seeing her face I calmed down, Julia had been sitting in a chair next to my bed. But she began to start needlessly touching my body as if to check if I was real, she switched up real quick. ¡°Hey stop touching my face!¡± I shrugged off her hands and was met with a disappointed expression. ¡°This girl came running for you when you flew about as a child, be thankful.¡± In an instant, the dragon in human form materialised in front of us. ¡°Runalia! Why is the vice-¡° ¡°I apologise.¡± Memories flooded back to me, and I felt a burning sensation across my cheek. ¡°Why is the Vice-Head Master apologising?¡± Julia seemed to still be confused, after all she appeared out of nowhere. I concurred, an event in which she lowered her head was nigh impossible. ¡°In the exam, student Luke had been unfairly disqualified due to a misfire from a spell among the staff. I as the Vice-HeadMaster stand to apologise on their behalf.¡± It was a definite lie, but Julia¡¯s presence had to be accounted for. ¡°Ehhh? Then- Luke deserves compensation for this!¡± Julia erupted in irritation toward her. It left me wide-eyed, she¡¯s dissing an ancient dragon who worked directly under Abel¡­ ¡°That of course, is being organised right now. For one we promise that you pass the entire physical exam with a close to perfect score.¡± ¡°That should be the bare minimum for having flown across the field! Leave us be now! Hmph,¡± She scoffed at the dragon¡¯s face. The shock on my face should¡¯ve been apparent. This dragon grandma had been a foe for the main cast as a professor of strictness, yet here Julia was blatantly spitting on her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry student Julia de Gracia, but I need to have a conversation with Luke as he is now awake.¡± AND SHE LET IT BE?! If I said those lines in the game, I¡¯d be met with a game over quicker than I can alt f4. ¡°Fine. If it must be so, then I shall take my leave.¡± Before she fully left the small resting room, Julia cast a concerned glance toward me. I think I could understand the obsession around her in the community slightly better after seeing that performance. With the absence of Julia, the dragon immediately dropped to all fours. ¡°I sincerely apologise! It was me who knocked you out!¡± Her tone and presence shifted with no pause. ¡°I- uh what?¡± I was left speechless. ¡°Like I said, student, it was me who caused your disqualification, I will take full accountability for this incident! Tell me any request and I will do my best to grant it!¡± She was practically jumping in a child-like excitement. The image of a strict, composed and mature woman dissipated. The hundreds of hours spent dealing with her seemed... like a lie. The tension I once had was released in the form of a sigh. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Her face scrunched up as if she made a mistake. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, professor. If anything I¡¯d rather ask why this happened in the first place! Although If I get a good dorm room, maybe!¡± I snuck in my request at the last moment. ¡°As for your request, it is possible but," She pouted, "Do I have to disclose the details of your injury?" I put on a business-like smile, ¡°Of course you have to.¡± Her motives were unclear and I was seeing a side of her that I never witnessed in the game. The feeling of being the first to discover such a detail left me feeling curious. ¡°Student, you- caught my eye. I wished to come closer for observation, but¡­ you- you- saw me!¡± Her eyes teared up in embarrassment. I didn¡¯t know how to feel about making a millennium-old dragon cry. ¡°I know you are in distress vice headmaster, but I think you might be imagining things.¡± Her eyes sharpened at my words and the sobbing stopped, ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me! I know you¡¯re hiding something!¡± It was as if she had become drunk with her attitude. ¡°Hah¡­ the truth is I do have an ability- to well¡­ see things others can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Oh- Interesting! You are different from the others!¡± Her mood took another 180 as she smiled almost childishly. ¡°I think I¡¯ll take you as my-¡° ¡°Hey, Runa, I think it''s time you stop messing with the child, okay?¡± Another figure emerged from the air and smacked her head. ¡°Ow!¡± She held her head in visible pain. ¡°Huh?" My voice leaked out of pure shock. "Great Hero!?¡± One after another strange things had been going on. ¡°Yup, that¡¯s me! Anyways, sorry for the disruption, we¡¯ll make it up to you later okay? Also, your score on the written exam was quite spectacular! See ya!¡± He winked and disappeared along with Runalia. ¡°Wai- Abeeellllll!¡± The dissipating scream of Runalia echoed in the room. The Hero had vanished as abruptly as he got here. At the least, I was guaranteed a free favour, that would allow for a range of options to expand my strength. This was a helpful event regardless of the pain I experienced. Finally, I could recover in peace. Eeeng! The door creaked and revealed another person- ¡°Serina?¡± The girl¡¯s name unintentionally leaked from my mouth. What¡¯s with all the surprises today?! Dying for my family, Reincarnation, THEN MEETING A GREAT HERO! What¡¯s next, becoming friends with god? ¡°You know me?¡± Her questioning tone with an expressionless face was a strong intimidation tactic. As a result, I felt my nonsensical thoughts immediately shut down. Chapter 3.1 Suspicions Of A Regressor (1) As a regressor, it was my seventh time in this place. Hope was scarce as I tried to save the world. Every time without fail, my plans would continue to fall apart in the end. There the Demon King would arise with his mixed army, and we would lose. I tried over and over again, and at last, I found something that worked. The fifth round had been my hope, where it was just the five great heroes, myself included and the Demon King. In the sixth, I despaired and looked for some possible way to escape. Now, in the seventh, I had to try again regardless of what I felt. I had expected nothing from the introduction phase of these loops, but something caught my eye. There was a slight difference this time. It was the person ¡°Luke,¡± in all of my rounds so far this one child had dropped out in the first year every time. Although, for some unexplainable reason he was the only change from the usual. It was the appearance of being on the floor and his blank expression when he saw my face. It was the first time I saw something new, yet he immediately dashed away as if embarrassed. I saw him talking to a girl among the cohort on the way to the examination rooms. To which I was confused, that girl Julia would die without fail and had remained alone until the end. But¡­ They were talking nonetheless. Amongst the loops, it seemed something would finally change. I didn¡¯t know what, but I''d have to see it for myself. Unexpectedly by the time I handed in my papers, I had not been the first to finish this time. It had been Luke instead who left as soon as I made it. Common sense would dictate he gave up, however, his composure told otherwise. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. For whatever reason he was different. Solely by instinct, I felt myself tailing his every move from the lobby. He didn¡¯t stop until we came to the very back of the academy. It seemed he even got the attention of Calvin Hughes. I planned to intervene but the man left before I could take action. Instead, he teleported to me who was hiding. Where in my carelessness I had already de-cloaked myself. ¡°Is there a reason the daughter from the esteemed Rosemary family, is following a mere commoner?¡± His tone was not condescending nor insulting, it was just curiosity. ¡°¡­¡± This man had an unknown ability to sense lies, so I did not speak. It would be fine to not do anything rather than act rashly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like you mean to cause trouble so it should be fine. Just don¡¯t do something like this again, okay?¡± By the time he left, Luke had already finished what he was doing in the graveyard and began to head back. Just what was his goal? Was a question left unanswered. Soon after, we arrived at the physical exams where I decided to simply stay in the top twenty. There was no additional benefit to putting in more effort than required, especially because my body had not developed any physical strength yet. I had expected the boy to drop out immediately, but it turned out he would be among the five who always passed this test. I watched on from the sidelines with a sense of wonder, after three hours his body could be seen and felt to be crumbling, but his eyes did not waver. I expected him to reach the four-hour mark but it ended abruptly. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± An invisible force had enacted upon him as he flew across the grass. I wanted to act immediately, however it was dangerous if there was an entity already primed to attack. Staff immediately called off the exam and passed the remaining five as they rushed to help save the boy. It was quite the sight, his arms and legs were twisted in ways that shouldn¡¯t be possible. I almost laughed, but that was too cruel. It¡¯s just that after thirty years of the same cycle, this boy materialises out of thin air and causes a large stir. I could finally see a glimpse of another path. It was a chance, no matter how small. ¡°I need to see the anomaly myself.¡± A chance for escape. Chapter 4 - Psyhco Instructor (1) Proofreader: Future Me! In awkward silence filled the room as we stared at each other. Once again I was able to clearly analyse her character without disruption. However it still hurt to endure, so I inevitably spoke. ¡°So-¡° ¡°Your-¡° We had spoken at the same time prompting both of us to stop again. It was starting to get frustrating. I sighed and told her, ¡°Okay you ask your question first, I¡¯ll explain after.¡± Serina¡¯s silence continued until she nodded. My heart which had stayed eerily calm started beating quicker, as I began predicting all kinds of questions. Her behaviour was so different to the character I had played. ¡°Then, who are you?¡± She mouthed quietly. ¡°I¡¯m Luke, a simple commoner with a humble background- that¡¯s about it.¡± ¡°Why do you know me?¡± Her words came out slow as if wary of my actions. ¡°You bumped into me earlier today, and I heard your name from the announcements,¡± I lied without hesitance. ¡°¡­¡± Her eyes seemed to be asking if such a thing had been announced. ¡°I have no reason to lie. Plus you had left quite the impression, who wouldn¡¯t be curious?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her violet eyes contained curiosity as she studied me, and frankly, I felt flattered but confused. I made sure to check, ¡°Is that it?¡± Satisfied, she nodded her head and left through the front door. I had no idea what that interaction was about, but clearly, I couldn¡¯t rely on the game as a basis anymore. Pfft- not like I had much to work with anyway. ¡°Right let''s move- argh!¡± My feeble attempts at movement were met with burning pains. That dragon screwed me over badly. ¡°Luke? Is it alright if I come back in?¡± Julia¡¯s soothing voice came from behind the door. ¡°Sure, not much I can do in this state.¡± Entering, she sat beside me playing with her hair. Quickly her face turned solemn as if realising something. ¡°Are- are you sure about hanging around me? It¡¯ll ruin your chance at friendships and¡­¡± ¡°Look, stop worrying about your sweet cheeks and listen to me.¡± ¡°Hmmm?!¡± Her face flashed a shade of red, I couldn¡¯t not tease her. ¡°I don¡¯t care about what other students think about me, they¡¯re all kids in their prime age of puberty anyway. They¡¯ll realise their mistakes when we fix your issue, no?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her eyes began tearing up, ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­ no one¡¯s treated me this way before.¡± The gap between noble and meek had been made apparent all too well. Even if she was a bit too easy. She¡¯s too precious! Fuck it! All aboard the Julia train, we are getting out of the death route with this one! ¡°Let''s get along as friends alright?¡± I desperately maintained my poker face. ¡°Yes!¡± She emitted a radiant expression. The only issue was, her ops- enemies were far beyond our time. Her track to death was set next year, and this could be altered if I interfere now. There were a plethora of things to consider... ¡°Hello- are you there?¡± Her eyes turned worrisome as she noticed my silence. I shrugged, ¡°Sorry, I was thinking." ¡°This isn''t the first time you¡¯ve said that!¡± Complaining, she shifted into aristocratic mode, ¡°Agh- I have no time to waste, this great noble self has to prepare for the next exam.¡± The combat exam, I would¡¯ve been able to excel there if only I wasn¡¯t manhandled¡­ I wanted to test out enhancement too! It was an event in which you had to battle against a monster of your choice. There were plenty of summoner heroes to go around, so there wasn¡¯t a lack of variety. Although, a monster which would match Julia the best¡­ hmmmm¡­ ¡°Julia before you go, how do you fight?¡± This was a necessary question to gauge plausible advice. ¡°In summary, I use a sword for close combat and telekinesis to support my movements.¡± It jogged my memory somewhat, she had one of the more complex fighting styles in the setting. The best monster for her pick would most likely be the simple Greater Wolf, it simply had a commanding ability and overall high specs. Telekinesis would catch it off guard if she messed with the ground, guaranteeing a safe win. But¡­ It seemed too easy. ¡®A strong monster with a small gimmick that makes it possible. Ah, that¡¯s it.¡¯ ¡°The exam is about hunting a monster of your choosing. So hear me out, when they ask for a choice, I recommend the ¡®Elder Sanvermis.¡¯ It has a fatal weakness that you can use to your advantage!¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°First of all, how do you know what the exam is about?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Okay¡­?¡± ¡°The thing is, while this monster is an incredibly large rat-like worm, it has a sizeable hole in which it breathes out. Lodge some large chunks of dirt and bingo! It dies of suffocation, the only issue is, it¡¯s located at the back of its head.¡± She looked unconvinced, which was fair but insulting. I held my head in defeat, ¡°If you fail, I¡¯ll request an item for you from the headmaster.¡± ¡°Seriously!?¡± She closed the gap between me and her immediately. She clasped my hands and shook them up and down, ¡°I have nothing to lose, Cheer me on okay! Hohoho!¡± Instantly, she disappeared from the room and I could hear the echoes of haughty laughter true to her previous impressions. Hah¡­ at least now I could investigate the small hand held book that randomly appeared in my pocket. When I woke up, it was simply sitting there, I even tried to view it myself. But nothing happened, I theorised that it was a book from the real world. ¡®Fun facts about [Enigmatic Academy]¡¯ was its title. I remembered seeing something like this as part of the game''s merch release, although the reason for it being with me didn¡¯t make sense. Opening the front cover, I could only see one blank page. As if awaiting my presence, words slowly wrote themselves onto the page. Did you know that the North Empire and Alexander Empire are allied? ¡°That¡¯s literally basic information found on the blurb of the game¡­¡± My hopes immediately died down, so I threw it out of my sight. However, immediately after doing so, I felt a weight sink into my pockets. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me.¡¯ I reached into it, feeling the familiar cover. Once again, the book appeared in my hands. Just to make sure, I opened it again, seeing the same piece of information. Repeating the same process of throwing it and it appearing again a few times, I sighed. ¡°I can look at it again tomorrow at the very least,¡± I whispered with a resigned tone. -x- ¡°Thank you very much.¡± ¡°Ah, it''s no problem, we¡¯re the ones at fault for letting this happen.¡± The nurse apologised and let me out of the room. By the next day, I was finally discharged, yet there was no sign of Julia or anyone else. Left alone, I stared at my increased attributes. [Attributes] Vitality: Tier 0 (17%) (Up!) Agility: Tier 0 (8%) (Up!) Strength: Tier 0 (10%) (Up!) Mana: Tier 0 (5%) While my mana has remained still, pushing my body to the limits has proved beneficial. Although, I truly was weak. Also, my strength was finally at the point of a slightly active teenager, whereas my speed was still under¡­ The first order of business, however, was to sort out what dorm room I¡¯d be in. I was told to visit the headmaster''s office by Riel, the head school nurse, who said that the matter had already been resolved. The school¡¯s layout had been imprinted in my mind through thousands of hours of gameplay, but it seemed my directional sense in real life was not up to par. By the look of the sky, the day would soon begin. While I was in the nursing sector, rooms and home groups had been decided already, meaning this place would become a labyrinth of human flesh if I didn¡¯t hurry. I began to speed up and ran across the campus, looking for the main building. ¡°Ouch!¡± Running, I accidentally tripped and hit someone, ¡°Sorry, you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, now get off me,¡± A rugged but calm voice resounded. I rose without delay staring at his face. Mark was a descendant of Abel and a core member of most routes of the game. ¡°Hope we don¡¯t meet again,¡± He shrugged his shoulders and walked forward. ¡°Wait! Can you lead me to your infinitely old grandpa¡¯s office!¡± My words triggered something in him. ¡°Hah?¡± He turned around revealing a toothy grimace. ¡°He had something to say to me but I got lost, care to help?¡± ¡°And why should I bother?" He sneered mockingly, "That old man can solve his problems.¡± Turns out, I forgot to factor in his adolescent rebellion in my request. ¡°He¡¯ll owe you a favour, that I guarantee!¡± I attempted to continue persuading him. Mark quickly dismissed my words, ¡°How can I trust a grunt like you, to get out of my way.¡± He swatted his arm toward me without warning. ¡°Hoh?¡± He released a surprised murmur, seeing me still standing. There was one thing not listed in my skills, and that was my years of forced martial arts drilled into my head. Who cares about the level difference when a technique is infinitely better? ¡°Hah, I¡¯m not meeting that weirdo for no reason you know.¡± He reluctantly retracted his arm and sighed, ¡°Fine, you owe me one.¡± He covered his face, but a small instance of his lips raising didn¡¯t escape me. Mark¡¯s personality was similar to an edgy teen going through a rebellious phase, except for two things. One, he loves fighting. And two, he¡¯s lonely. If handled right, a free ally is practically guaranteed. He silently led me around the campus, ending up before a fucking humongous door. It was large enough to fit two giants at the entrance. ¡°Tell the geezer I said hello.¡± He left without saying a proper goodbye. ¡°Asshole,¡± I muttered, witnessing his fleeting body. Turning back toward the office, I pushed the bottom of such doors. ¡°Urgh-¡° I kept pushing to no avail, even after utilising enhancement on my arms not much was achieved. ¡°Ah, I forgot to unlock this!¡± A voice came up from behind and chanted a magical spell, ¡°Sorry about that!¡± Once again I was hit with reality, this always stern and strict dinosaur is now acting in a subservient attitude. The two gates made rumbling with the turning of the hinges, shaking the ground with a great fervour. To which we would see a grand opening of- A desk and chair with large amounts of paperwork. ¡°Right! Luke was it? Here ya go, take this, I gotta work on this stuff here. Talk to you both later!¡± Abel¡¯s face was covered with pages as his hand worked at an immeasurable speed, ¡°Also your written exam was quite good, keep it up!¡± No matter how much I visited this room, I still couldn¡¯t get used to the disappointment inside. I couldn¡¯t even get to register as the doors shut back on us. ¡°Indeed, your score was certainly surprising. However, Abel is currently very busy¡­ how about I show you your room?¡± I stared at the key numbered ¡°7¡±, and the paper listing a class selection with the home group stated in bold font. Both appeared in my hand immediately after the closure. ¡°Sure.¡± Upon exiting the headmaster¡¯s corridor, Runalia¡¯s posture had straightened out, exuding the previous atmosphere of the entrance ceremony. The switch-up was still disturbing to witness. Students began pouring out of who knows where arriving in and out of hallways I had no business of seeing. ¡°Your room. It is on the same floor as your class, I will exempt you from your lateness, however, be quick to arrive on time.¡± In public, she was the perfect dictator, yet in private she was just... hah... I held in my urge to sigh, ¡°Yes, vice headmaster. I will heed your orders.¡± ¡°Good.¡± She teleported leaving me alone in front of the door. I stared back at the grandiose keys, remembering their significance. They were dealt out based on the current rankings of the school, however¡­ Creaaakkk- The door opened with a frighteningly loud sound, revealing a silhouette. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re the one rooming with me! Nice to meetcha!¡± A green-eyed man with a pleased look greeted me, ¡°The name¡¯s Fen!¡± Chapter 5 - Psycho Instructor (2) Proofreader: Future Me I knew it, they couldn¡¯t create a special room without proper notice. But yet again, it was another protagonist: Fen Castelle. He would have been the character I played next to achieve the dual-wielding archetype. His charming face put a damper on my mood, coupled with unique eyes and perfectly styled blonde hair, he truly was the enemy of average looking guys. ¡°Nice to meet you too- tch.¡± My hand was being crushed. ¡°¡­¡± He gave an intense but expecting look. Dammit, he was such a guy. ¡°Hmph-¡° I activated enhancement and squeezed out as much power as possible. We locked eyes as time ticked by, with my hand feeling like it would be crushed any second. ¡°Oooo- Seems you do deserve some credit! Sorry for that, let''s get along- okay?¡± ¡°Y- yeah sure.¡± From what I had seen back then, he respected not only personality but strength too, just with a flair of cheekiness. Dealing with his shenanigans was just the beginning. ¡°Luke, right?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± I questioned Fen, ¡°You know my name?¡± ¡°Well, I was told I had a last-minute roommate, and you¡¯re number one on the written exam!¡± I forgot about that. ¡°I was about to head off for class, so I¡¯ll show you the way.¡± ¡°We''re in the same class?¡± It hadn¡¯t shown on my face, but I was struck with grief. ¡°Yup. I was told this class was a bit special though, can¡¯t wait to check it out!¡± We talked along the way there, where I would be met with the biggest building. ¡°The Golden Nest.¡± The name naturally came out of my mouth, it was a place meant for particularly special students. The platinum generation of heroes, or so it was called. ¡°You know its name?¡± Fen looked at me oddly. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I could recall the hundreds of hours in this place haunting me even now. We entered the one classroom in the single hallway, meeting the faces of the entire main cast and protagonists. Along with the star five, only a few out of the main cast were placed in this class. In all honesty, my favourite character was here too, Erin Villaine. ¡°You two are just on time, choose your seats,¡± A familiar voice rang from the teaching podium. It was now clear to me. I was placed among the ¡®platinum ones¡¯ by the dragon teacher. It was a bit saddening Julia wasn¡¯t here though. I sat down in the far back corner next to a potted plant, the only safe place here. ¡°Now, you all may have seen me already, but I am Runalia, the direct aide of the Great Hero. I will act as your homeroom teacher for the rest of your years at this school. Are there any questions?¡± ¡°Vice Headmaster, whe- when will we be able to decide our clas- classes?¡± Uriel stuttered. I forgot that this protagonist fell under the shy category. ¡°The end of this week. You all must pay special attention to the classes organised, as to choose what is core to your being. Is that all?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but feel in the wrong place with all these protagonists. ¡°Professor, is it alright if I remain in such an esteemed class?¡± Stares from around the room locked onto me, some with curiosity, some with confusion and some with irritation. ¡°Hmph. That question may be taken as an insult toward our selection progress, and if you wish for that not to be the case, then accept it.¡± I witnessed the twitch of her lip as she spoke, this cursed dragon wanted me here. ¡°I¡­ apologise,¡± I spoke in bated breath until I realised this would make my priorities easier. ¡°I will now explain the basics of the ¡®Garden of Heroes.¡¯¡± Thus, the unstoppable three-minute introduction would play¡­ Essentially it explained how courses were prepared for us in particular, where we would explore what was to be offered, in which we would select our preferred options by the end of the week. As well as the open facilities open during the day after classes are over. ¡°Then that is all, there will be a timetable provided as you all exit the room. And, for the first class, you will all be undertaking ¡®General Combat.¡¯¡± ¡°I hope to see you all well tomorrow.¡± Footsteps rushed outside the large class at the sound of her words. Although, Serina remained behind staring at me. ¡°Is there something you¡­ require?¡± I asked carefully. Once again expressionless, she answered with a plain, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then can you stop staring?¡± It was heart racing, for the wrong reason. ¡°¡­¡± A frown was drawn as she stood up. I watched her leave the classroom in silence, leaving just the dragon and myself. There was still silence, and her eyes that bore into me suggested I speak. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°So- Runalia, why am I here?¡± Her face immediately turned all smiley, telling me, ¡°You see, I was sure you¡¯d be able to do well! Definitely!¡± I had no words, all other classes besides the platinum generation as the game called them, could choose their courses without delay. I would have been able to collect some hidden goodies along the way. This is why I hated the introductory phase of the game, it wasted a week getting you started. Couldn¡¯t skip it either, as it contained plot-sensitive choices. ¡°Yeah- thanks¡­¡± ¡°Oh, by the way, the combat class is directly across from here, so don¡¯t get lost!¡± She saw me and didn¡¯t help earlier? ¡°You-¡° ¡°Goodbye, and good luck!¡± She left before I could say anything. -x- Along with the main cast of characters, and the five protagonists, we had all grouped up in a massively sized room. Could you even call it a room? I muttered, ¡°Fuck, of course it¡¯s this guy.¡± Our professor stood in front, his arms crossed, with a piece of grass sticking out of his mouth. He fit the aloof samurai aesthetic, but he was truly insane. Why would he show up now of all times? ¡°Hmmm?¡± The man looked at me with an indescribable expression for only a moment. It was an arena spanning across a full yard, it was completely over the top in person. ¡°The name¡¯s Haruto, nice to see ya kiddos. I¡¯m your instructor and well, today you¡¯re all gonna fight me.¡± In an instant, someone interjected to his unreasonable demand. ¡°Sir, is it not appropriate to begin with assessing our abilities through orthodox practices? The princess among us stood out as the most concerned. Not for herself, but the teacher, as per her belief. ¡®Rookie mistake.¡¯ ¡°Ah Princess Luna, the thing is¡­ if you are all in this place, then it¡¯s only a given right?¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Her face hardened, but no one could go against the authority of the Great Hero¡¯s employees. Haruto wasn¡¯t supposed to be teaching this class. But, with the inclusion of five protagonists, he probably realised it too¡­ The infinite possibilities of destruction left in the world. Haruto was only supposed to act once the world entered chaos- Oh fuck. This is bad. With five protagonists, the five main antagonists also exist. This man would work his ass to raise us to fight against such perils, but how would he work around the constant pressure of love among these puberty-stricken teens? Nothing may have happened now, but it kicks into high gear quickly. And I¡¯m going to have to work around it, or they won¡¯t grow strong enough... For now, I think I¡¯ve crushed the Runalia route due to her current interest in me, along with Julia¡¯s. Serina seems a lot different, but it doesn¡¯t change the possibility of a rose-filled youth. ¡°Yo, you over there with a salty face, why don¡¯t you come up first?¡± He flicked his finger toward the hero¡¯s relative, garnering a nasty frown. They seized up one another respectively. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re the instructor, I¡¯ll rip you apart.¡± ¡®Holy fuck, shut up dude. Edginess has its limits.¡¯ ¡°Hahaha! Feisty- but unfortunately that won¡¯t cut it.¡± Immediately Haruto drew the katana resting at his waist, leaving no time to spare. ¡°What the- GAHH!¡± A sword arc¡¯s silhouette was faintly visible as Mark fell helplessly. ¡°The hero¡¯s relative is unable to react to even that? I feel sorry for our dear Abel!¡± The students beside me were unable to witness the speed of the attack. It¡¯s fair, considering this man is the final bastion of the academy. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even see what happened!¡± Fen exclaimed joyfully, ¡°I¡¯ll have a crack at it!¡± He leapt forward from the crowd, drawing his longsword with both hands. The speed was faster than what I could muster. However, he was only to be met with an elbow to his side, as Haruto manoeuvred around his confrontation. Fen grasped his stomach coughing out bodily fluids. ¡®I¡¯m terrified,¡¯ Summed up my current thought process. ¡°Oooh, great form, but too honest! Next!¡± ¡°Yes, professor.¡± It was the princess from earlier, but her expression indicated disbelief rather than admiration. She was quite a stubborn girl, causing all kinds of shenanigans, especially when she got jealous. From her hands sprouted four magic circles, each of one element, fire, water, earth, and wind. Essentially, she was the sage of the game, but her personality needed a lot of intervention. ¡°Promising mage, just to be expected from Alexander¡¯s bloodline!¡± He drew his katana once more, utilising his special breathing technique. The air tensed up immediately as he moved his arms, the breaths he created illuminated in a strange bluish colour. A special form of aura and mana collided together, to form ¡®Ki¡¯, as he called it, to attack his enemies. That was a definite need for my dual swords, an unexpected benefit of the messed-up story line. ¡°How is that possible?¡± I could hear the ramblings of Erin, another heroine of this world. She was standing somewhat close to me, with her glistening black hair tied in a ponytail. I loved her character design, as well as that personality that developed uniquely in each story. In short, she was my favourite. ¡°The thing is, he used a completely different methodology of producing power. Ki, he calls it,¡± I whispered a response to her. Her eyes opened wide as she realised a small extent of his power. ¡°Interesting¡­¡± ¡°Mhm, now that he¡¯s blown apart the princess¡¯s magic, we¡¯re probably gonna need to be careful.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Erin¡¯s face scrunched up at my warning. ¡°He¡¯s a good person, but¡­ he has a few screws loose.¡± Whoosh! ¡°What is this wind!?¡± She screamed among the blasting pressure sent toward us. Haruto had clapped his hands together, producing a shockwave that could blow us all away. Luckily, he did it from the end of the yard. ¡°Try and survive this, kids!¡± While some despaired and some maintained composure, namely Lisanna the current strongest, this was all a simple opportunity for me. It was the perfect chance to try enhancement, to see if it would improve concepts and not pure physicality. I wanted to enhance pure forces of energy. To enhance the force of gravity upon myself, and lay down on the floor from a distance. I pulled Erin down on the floor, despite her initial resistance, ¡°Trust me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill you myself if you die from this,¡± She lipped the words due to the explosive sounds approaching. Now! Enhance! Ding! I heard the sound of a notification ring, but there was no time to react. ¡°Ugh-¡° The increased gravity pushed down on the both of us. It was uncomfortable but bearable. She managed to tilt her head to look me in the eyes, with a slight anger burning in them. Well, it was here now. The approaching wind of destruction, I just hope the internet didn¡¯t lie. Boom! Grass fluttered as the invisible reaper of death passed by us. ¡°Phew,¡± I disabled my enhancement with a breath of air, ¡°I told you, trust me.¡± We held a moment of eye contact, in which the previous anger was released. ¡°What power was that?¡± She took no moment to ask. ¡°Trade secret.¡± ¡°We¡¯re classmates, it would only be normal.¡± ¡°There are princes and princesses here, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a normal class, to begin with.¡± Her eyes regained the fire from earlier, whoops. ¡°Alright, alright, sorry.¡± I leaned in before telling her, ¡°I seriously can¡¯t tell you though.¡± I¡¯m not in the mood to serve as a demon¡¯s support dog. Literally, she¡¯s the daughter of the previous demon king. She sported a sour look, ¡°Then, the favour I owe for that help is invalid.¡± ¡°Wha-¡° She left my side and began to regroup among the other recovering students. Her ego would be a wall to get past especially if I wanted her help with some later events. I¡¯ll also have to stop the flag of Fen or Rodney bumping into her by the fourth period. I had to deal with all the initial romantic events in the first week and destroy any hopes of kindling relationships. My knowledge of the other protagonist¡¯s romance extends only to that much. Furthermore, Luna¡¯s interaction with Ash may occur and lead to a whole mess, and it''s right after this class¡­ I¡¯ll have to work my ass off today, that''s for sure. Chapter 6 - Psycho Instructor (3) Proofreader: Future Me Clap! Clap! ¡°Well done! Now we can get on to the main event, sparring!¡± A collective groan escaped all of us here, except Vyke and Fen who seemed excited. ¡°I don¡¯t understand the purpose of this. Should we not be improving our abilities?¡± Once again it was Luna speaking for the rest of them. ¡°Hoho! You¡¯re all gonna be comrades from today onwards, so you all must get to know each other!¡± ¡°I- understand.¡± Even if she suffered, I needed to get acquainted with everyone in the class. Or else a generic wasteland ending would occur. ¡°I¡¯ll choose your partners, so stand in a line for me.¡± Another feature of this guy¡¯s OP skill set was the ability to see others¡¯ status boards. Just like me. ¡°Alright, let''s do this. Fen Castelle and Luna Rend Alexander Vyke Houstan and Uriel. Rodney and Erin Villaine. Serina Rosemary and Ash Walker Lisana and Mark Cresent.¡± ¡®What about me?¡¯ I wondered, looking at the man¡¯s joyful expression. I felt an ominous wind blow past. ¡°And finally¡­¡± Not me, not me, not me. The insane professor pointed his finger towards me, ¡°You against myself.¡± Fuck. I saw the gazes of the others, they sent me prayers of condolences through their eyes. Fen looked disappointed though, as if he wanted to fight him instead. If anything you take him on, please. ¡°Alright everyone, spread out, we¡¯ll go by the order I set out!¡± He seemed to match up with students who complimented each other well in combat. For example, Fen with Luna, was a mage and warrior who would work amazingly together. If I were to make a guess, it was to have us all work in pairs for future classes. I once again swore at the reality that he probably couldn¡¯t get a proper read on me. I wouldn¡¯t be in such a situation if it weren¡¯t for that. At the beginning of the first match, they were evenly matched. It seemed Fen even tried to attempt slicing through magic just like Haruto but failed miserably taking a fireball to the face. I simply spaced out, as this was also routine despite the initial side track. The characters would randomly be pitted against one another by the game¡¯s design. Albeit, in real life, it was done with a clear motive. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. -x- ¡°Now! It¡¯s our turn!¡± He grinned and tapped his katana against my back. I was dreading this very moment. What do I do with the power of an average teenager, against an almost god-like being? ¡°To make it fair, all you have to do is make me move by a step. That''s right, a single step.¡± I don¡¯t think he knew my name. I felt a worried stare from Uriel who was kind at heart, whereas the others looked on in intrigue ¡ª especially Erin, who had been helped in the almighty push. Honestly, I had no hope of even achieving what he asked. That was unless I abused the omnipotent enhancement. ¡°Now, begin.¡± I acted without delay, not leaving a moment for rest. ¡°Uuap!¡± I let out a rush of air as I sprang into action. I ran forward and front flipped into a drop kick form. It was the only way to produce enough force to cause even the slightest of movement. He shot an amused look at me as if mocking an ant fighting against an elephant. In my descent, I tucked in both legs letting my knees make first contact. Yet instead of hitting an unmoving brick wall¡­ ¡°Oomph! That was a decent hit, but- huh?¡± The professor let out a surprised murmur. He paused realising that he slid backward, rather than having taken a step. ¡°Now, that¡¯s an interesting ability you have there. I wondered how you somehow survived the shockwave.¡± I agreed with that sentiment. It made me wonder how the original Luke was so impotent, that he failed even with such an ability. He never showed up in the game so he must¡¯ve dropped out or died in a random event. ¡°Lemme guess, the power to control forces?¡± He accurately guessed what I had done, but missed the mark. The faces of the others immediately turned dark. I had to rectify it immediately. ¡°Sir, the most I can say is that¡­¡± I paused, ¡°You¡¯re not exactly right.¡± I knew that a power like that was frowned upon due to the Demon King¡¯s actions, so I kept it elusive. I can¡¯t have my reputation drop below the standard threshold that quickly. ¡°Interesting¡­ What was your name?¡± ¡°Luke, sir.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± He rubbed his chin as if trying to remember something similar. ¡°Alright!¡± Clearly, he gave up, ¡°That¡¯s about it for today! I¡¯ll see you all in our next class.¡± To my benefit, everything was theory so I wouldn¡¯t have to pay attention. I hated how much effort I spent learning the game¡¯s intricate workings, only to achieve the second-best ending. The only troubling issue would arrive in tomorrow¡¯s mana control class. How one begins to even use mana was a question I needed answered. Furthermore, according to the game¡¯s general route, a flag would be raised right about now. However, if used correctly, the first encounter between Ash and Luna can be to my advantage. ¡°Yo Luke, what you did was pretty cool! You should have a go at it with me,¡± Fen tapped my back in amusement. I saw him leave Charles, leaving me aghast. This meant I had a level of value that even the prince recognised. ¡°How about, no?¡± ¡°Ehhh¡­ come on man! I promise you it¡¯ll be fun!¡± His pestering gradually got worse. The truth is he would destroy me, as would everyone else here. Basic human martial arts wasn¡¯t enough to compete with superhumans. I needed to level up my proficiency with swordsmanship and learn the essence of magic within a week. The first step to dual-wielding is getting a high affinity with the swordsmanship teacher, which is currently unavailable. ¡°Hah¡­ I¡¯ll think about it later.¡± ¡°Think about what?¡± Erin approached me as we headed to general magic theory. ¡°Nothing much, just what to expect in the future.¡± ¡°Such an answer is boring¡­ you¡¯re planning something aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Who doesn¡¯t plan ahead? C''mon princess, ever heard of stating the obvious?¡± I couldn¡¯t deal with her natural curiosity right now even if I¡¯d stan her to death. ¡°I¡¯ll figure out what¡¯s going on in your head- eventually,¡± Seemed she got the memo as she left to enter class. ¡°Alright.¡± I faced toward our magic theory class, realising there were still two more periods afterwards. It was time to take some serious action. ¡®Hah¡­¡¯ I said it yesterday, but now it seems so¡­ cringe. Destroying the romance, or so I said. Chapter 7 - Lost Future (1) Proofreader: Future Me Immediately after combat class, I raced to where I had to be. Unfortunately, I was faced with an immense predicament, which somehow got worse. As soon as I entered the class, the event between Luna and Ash would soon begin. The teacher was infamous for being a lazy, yet intelligent person, allowing this scripted event to make sense. The only light in this darkness was that the event would only happen if they sat together. ¡®But, it seems it¡¯s too late to hope for that¡­¡¯ ¡°I, Princess of the Alexander kingdom, am interested in why an honourable elf such as yourself enrolled in this academy.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no real-¡° I asked myself over and over since I arrived here, was I ready to push myself into these love stories? And my answer was clear. Crash! I forced my body to move at the cost of sheer embarrassment and Luna¡¯s future scorn. ¡®That hurt like hell!¡¯ ¡°What¡­?¡± The princess muttered. ¡°Hmm?¡± The elf stared, partly in shock. Once again I attracted the class¡¯s attention. I felt the glares of everyone including Erin¡¯s and Fen¡¯s. ¡°Woah! Sorry,¡± I apologised frantically, ¡°I apologise for disturbing the both of you, I lost control of my legs for a moment.¡± I pulled up Ash who was on the ground along with the desk. His arm was fair, almost feminine, but I knew the power of his sleeper build. ¡°No, it''s okay.¡± Ash indeed was the second kindest person after Uriel. He may be fine with it, but Luna would not. ¡°You-¡° I interrupted Luna and focused on Ash who was in front of me. ¡°Are you fine Ash? I can help you to the infirmary if you need it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­¡± ¡°Nonono it¡¯s not fair that I do this and aid you alone! Let me act as your helper from today onward!¡± I projected an image of a loyal servant at this point. ¡°Well- If that¡¯s what you want, then I won¡¯t stop you.¡± He nodded his head, and I stole a seat on the other side of Ash. This secured my spot as his friend and would ruin the initial interest between the two of them. ¡°That peasant!¡± I felt the stare of an angry princess who lost her future lover. Unfortunately, she would not be able to do anything as a famous professor would finally make her appearance. ¡°Ah~ Helloooooo students~ It¡¯s me Maryyyy~¡± The professor¡¯s voice finally resounded. ¡°Today we will focus on the applications of magiiiiiccc and their originnnnnsss~¡± The voice of Mary had been a running gag in the game, where she would drag her words out. Meaning, that Luna would have no chance to talk to Ash, being too busy to stay awake listening to the lecture. Although, it meant I had to endure as well. On the bright side, the first event had been ruined. But now I needed to prevent Erin and Fen¡¯s romance venture. ¡®Endure¡­¡¯ Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°You seeee~ the start of a magic circle formation begins from the calculatioooonnns made~¡± ¡°Ouch-¡° I looked at the red mark on my hand. I did my best to not nod off in the middle of class waiting for the end. -x- ¡°Luke. Luke.¡± I felt a prodding on my back. ¡°Uah? Oh, Ash, is class over?¡± I was slowly regaining my awareness. ¡°No,¡± He curtly replied, ¡°Professor Mary has a question.¡± ¡°Exactly~ Would you like to tell us how magic application transformed from the revolution one thousand years agoooo?~¡± Oh, that was simple. ¡°The Magic Revolution from the now lost country of Preece, major scholars had discovered a new method of mana circulation which allowed for external mana to enter our body. Thus, we are now able to substitute parts of our mana with nature¡¯s alleviating burdens from mana overload, as well as an increase in our overall mana capacity. Furthermore-¡° ¡°Oh~ Ah~ I think that¡¯s enough¡­¡± She sounded somewhat dejected, as if she lost the chance to scold someone, ¡°Just don¡¯t sleep again okay?~¡± ¡°You are quite a knowledgeable individual, I¡¯m impressed,¡± Ash nodded despite his stoic nature. ¡°Urrrghh-¡° I saw the princess bite her thumbnail. Actually, I saw nothing. It seemed that my planned humiliation was the last section of the class, and Mary announced it was a break for us. ¡°¡±Luke¡±¡± ¡°Huh? Why are the two of you together?¡± Erin and Fen were supposed to meet later, this situation was indeed unprecedented. ¡°No seriously, what was that earlier?¡± ¡°I knew you were planning something- but that was strange.¡± My brain was struggling to come up with an excuse for an action I did on the spot. ¡°Uhhh- I was interested in Ash, an elf, and I didn¡¯t really know how to get around the princess. I guess I just brute forced my way into getting to know him?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem like the type of person for that thing?¡± Fen put his hand to his chin. ¡°What¡¯s your real reason?¡± Erin pushed her face closer to mine. ¡°Does that matter? What¡¯s more important is how the both of you met,¡± I backed off, almost blushing. ¡°Alright man, chill a little.¡± ¡°Fen said he was roommates with you, so I asked if we could talk together.¡± ¡°Yeah! She was surprisingly strong, her grip was just as powerful as mine!¡± Instinctively I felt my hand reach my head. In some routes I saw posted online, these two could become sworn enemies or the closest couple. It was¡­ eerie. ¡°We¡¯re planning on eating at the cafeteria before the other classes.¡± ¡°Sure, but why isn¡¯t Fen with Charl- the Prince?¡± ¡°If I remember¡­ I think he told me to make some connections- or something like that!¡± ¡°Right, Luke, how about you tell us about yourself on the way there?¡± She was too quick in resorting to just asking, I knew she was curious but I could not risk my position in this class right now. ¡°It¡¯s a common courtesy to talk about yourself before asking.¡± We bantered our way to the cafeteria, attracting the attention of the other regular classes. We were a peculiar group of people, but even so, this amount of staring was a little much. I could almost hear their words, ¡®Why is Fen Castelle with commoners?¡¯ Or similar. ¡°Ignore them, Luke, such behaviour is the blessing of ignorance.¡± ¡°That actually sounded smart, I¡¯m surprised.¡± ¡°Wha? I¡¯m not only a fighter but a scholar!¡± Erin smiled at the matter, turning to face the cafeteria staff. ¡°Luuukkkkeee!¡± Again a random disruption- ¡°Oh- it was Julia.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that attitude? Wait- and who are these two people?¡± For some reason, she was especially eager. ¡°So this stupid but handsome guy is Fen Castelle, and the girl ordering is Erin Villaine. We¡¯re all classmates,¡± I decided to answer nonchalantly. ¡°We¡¯re friends, man. Not cool.¡± ¡°Hmph,¡± She glanced back at me for a second before nodding off. ¡°So, are you two an item?¡± Fen whispered into my ear. ¡°No, where¡¯d you get that idea from? We only met yesterday,¡± I replied. ¡°Well if you say so, I¡¯ll go get food now yeah? We can spar at a different time!¡± ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s just the two of us now. Explain yourself.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember being a Julia-exclusive,¡± With just those two words she would begin malfunctioning. ¡°Wha- I- I. Ugh! You always- urgh!¡± She was trying to find words while in terrifyingly cute embarrassment. Almost as if it was a reflex I put my hand atop her head. I couldn¡¯t help but think of Yumiko back at home. ¡°It¡¯s not like I would stop being friends with you. In fact, just sit with us, they won¡¯t care.¡± ¡°Fine¡­¡± A clear blush was on her face. ¡°I¡¯ll order now okay? I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± I went ahead with a smile on my face, knowing there were a few benefits to living in a game world. That being. Food. I could taste it, my own world¡¯s cooking. Chapter 8 - Lost Future (2) Proofreader: Cool Friend + Future Me ¡°Fried Chicken with rice please!¡± I could finally satiate my cravings. ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± Having been a game, there was no way there wouldn¡¯t be cuisine from the real world. It was pure bliss, no one here would understand. Similar to the need of having to take a bath, I would not give up either of such things. ¡°Here you go, your fried chicken with rice,¡± The cafeteria lady looked at me funny, ¡°You don¡¯t look Eastern.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I dismissed her comment. ¡°Yo, Luke over here!¡± Only to be dragged back down to Earth, or well, Ortus. ¡°Yeah- coming.¡± I dragged Julia along, who had been intently staring at the menu even after ordering. We sat in the middle of the cafeteria, among the A class and Golden Nest only seats. It was a tantalising move of sorts. ¡°Dude, are you trying to make us a public enemy?¡± ¡°Charles said it was a good idea, so of course not!¡± From this alone, it confirmed the prince¡¯s schemes had already begun¡­ the princess is one thing, but this too? ¡°He- hey, where were your classes held?¡± Julia had earnestly asked the both of us. ¡°We¡¯re in the Golden Nest, the place opposite the normal classroom halls,¡± I replied. ¡°What!¡± She snapped her head toward the building towering over the cafeteria. ¡°Yeah, perks of being ¡®special,¡¯¡± I answered nonchalantly. Erin stopped eating, looking at me who just spoke. It was a more curious gaze than anything else. ¡°The number one student wasn¡¯t in our class,¡± Erin had added. Julia tilted her head confused, ¡°In fact, I saw him in my class.¡± I restated, ¡°Like I said, ¡®special¡¯, not strongest.¡± Erin and Julia seemed to have a realisation, as their eyes brightened immediately. ¡°Man in all honesty-¡° Fen disengaged, stuffing his face with seafood, ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t blame you,¡± I paused to take a bite, ¡°let''s just say¡­ we have different ¡®fates,¡¯ or something like that.¡± ¡°Fates, you say¡­¡± Erin muttered. ¡°Indeed,¡± Julia glanced at me. ¡°How curious.¡± ¡°Well not like it matters, let¡¯s just get along alright?¡± I asked, intending to move the conversation along, ¡°And Julia, I want to know how you went with the physical exam yesterday.¡± Her face beamed with a light of intensities unseen before. ¡°Oho- it went perfectly!¡± Her face had a smile unbefitting her noble act. ¡°Might I add, the examiners had mentioned my stellar performance would increase my grade.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Shoving a spoonful of rice into my mouth, I felt the taste of culinary paradise. ¡°Yeah amazing, you did great.¡± I had already known she would be like this, leading me to continue eating. ¡°Is¡­ it really that good?¡± Julia¡¯s eyes were glued to my dish. ¡°Of course! It¡¯s my- Ahem. A speciality of the East! Their food is a must ha-¡° ¡°Ex- excuse m-me!¡± A voice shrieked from behind. There, a giant man befitting the term brute and a familiar terrified girl made their flashy appearance. ¡°Huh?¡± It was Uriel and a student I didn¡¯t recognise, to which I sneakily pulled out my appraisal stone. [Carlos Klaus] [Age: 16] [Race: Human] [Attributes] Vitality: Tier 0 (30%) Agility: Tier 0 (27%) Strength: Tier 0 (54%) Mana: Tier 0 (18%) This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. [Skills] Why was an upper-class man here? There had been no previous instance of an interference at such a juncture within the game, considering this also involves the future Saintess. Also, isn¡¯t he a bit weak? At the very least one of his stats should be tier one by the second year. ¡°You four are causing a ruckus,¡± His tone and formality clearly ignored our statuses, ¡°We seniors have a duty to keep you in line.¡± I laughed internally, ¡®Heh- Is he an idiot?¡¯ I felt bad¡­ bad. Erin had already surpassed him, not only in skills but stats too. Furthermore, while Fen may be weaker currently, his growth and skill is exponential. Which is to be expected of a protagonist. That¡¯s what it takes to be of the Platinum Generation. I decided it would be best to avoid the ¡®senior rehab¡¯ for now, seeing as the world as is, was too unpredictable. ¡°Look, sorry we were being loud,¡± I spoke with a careful undertone. ¡°Can you spare us just this once?¡± ¡°Hmph, at least one of you knows your manners. However, we have a reputation to uphold.¡± And yet, he dismissed my mercy by ignoring my pleas. Too bad, too sad. ¡°You, with the black hair, come with me,¡± Klaus gestured towards Erin, ¡°come with me.¡± I sent off an inward salute in his direction as she left her set. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Julia gave a confused look at my action. ¡°Oh, It¡¯s nothing, really,¡± I felt my cheeks become slightly red as I denied what I did. While I may have emoted in the game, the fact that I did in real life was ever so embarrassing. ¡°I feel bad for the senior, don¡¯t you?¡± Fen interjected, saving me from my internal panic. ¡°Ah, you noticed the problem here?¡± I questioned. ¡°Of course I did!¡±He laughed it off easily. ¡°That girl almost broke my arm!¡± ¡°That paladin is as good as dead,¡± I concurred. ¡°Erm-¡° Our chatter seemed to have left the saintess uncomfortable, so as a person aiming to destroy all routes, I tapped her shoulder, nodding toward the other two. I needed her to get to know others and up that confidence in herself so someone else wouldn¡¯t do it for her. ¡°Eh?¡± Fen has met her, but that shy demeanour of hers prevented him from learning anything. While Julia knew nothing about her. ¡°Introduce yourself, they don¡¯t know you that well.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m U-uriel! A saintess- no! I mean a saint candidate,¡± She stuttered almost every word. ¡°Sorry!¡± She was way too nervous, but it would fix itself over time. ¡°Relax! We¡¯re not your superiors!¡± I lightly slapped her back to get the message across. ¡°Eeek!¡± ¡°Commoner, I think your way of handling things won¡¯t work with her,¡± Julia sighed. ¡°Also, she¡¯s a saint candidate, this isn¡¯t appropriate.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll get used to it, don¡¯t worry,¡± I told her explicitly. ¡°That¡¯s not the issue here!¡± Julia got mad again. ¡°Huh?! Get used to what?¡± Uriel had lost track of what was going on. ¡°She¡¯s a funny one!¡± Fen laughed at her antics. I looked over at the growing crowd of students, knowing that the senior would experience hell soon. It seemed to be a one-on-one, meaning it would end in a definite loss. ¡°Wanna head over?¡± Fen asked. ¡°No it¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll head to class.¡± It wasn¡¯t worth the time after all. ¡°Hmm- I want to see her in action though!¡° He complained childishly. ¡°It''ll just be a moment, man.¡± ¡°No one¡¯s stopping you. We¡¯ll just go without you,¡± I again dismissed his invitation. ¡°Well¡­ If you say so~¡± He blended into the crowd seamlessly. True to his character, he was unable to resist the notion of watching that one-sided beat down. It would be interesting to watch, but the three of us had to go now. Especially, with ¡®that¡¯ kind of teacher next. Julia fiddled with her hands. ¡°So,¡± She asked, ¡°this is where we part ways?¡± ¡°Yup, we can meet here again after classes are over later, only if you want though.¡± ¡°You really- Ahem. I appreciate the offer, Commoner, and I shall generously accept it.¡± ¡°Playing the part of a noble again?¡± ¡°He- hello?¡± Uriel¡¯s voice squeaked, ¡°I¡¯m here too¡­¡± ¡°Yes, come follow me to the next class,¡± I confidently told her, even if it wasn¡¯t true to my capabilities. I really need a mini-map, it was really questionable how it wasn¡¯t built into the game as a normal feature. I should be able to acquire it in the form of a ring after getting past the first week. ¡°Anyways, see ya, Julia.¡± ¡°Mhmm.¡± I recognised that the only issue was if I could navigate the Golden Nest properly while talking to Uriel. I could destroy her routes easily if I simply just stop her chance encounters. However, the one with the senior was especially offbeat. ¡°How did you end up with that senior?¡± I questioned, breaking the silence. ¡°He- he was one of the pala- paladins I was introduced too wit- within the academy!¡± I couldn¡¯t recall such an event, making it all the more evident just how different the major plot line would become. Though, the paladin group is full of traditionally raised kids without much self-reflection. ¡°So that explains his unreasonable stubbornness,¡± I understood now. ¡°He¡¯s a paladin after all.¡± ¡°Uweh- Th- that¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°Not what?¡± ¡°Fair?¡± ¡°Speak a little louder?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You know my ears are kinda weak, I need to hear some more!¡± ¡°IT WAS NOTHING!¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s a loud voice if I¡¯ve heard one,¡± I muttered, unplugging my ears from that shout. ¡°I- I- I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°You know, I reject that apology.¡± ¡°Wha-?¡± ¡°Instead of saying sorry, why don¡¯t you just speak more confidently? You¡¯re too stiff.¡± ¡°But-¡° ¡°But what? I¡¯m not gonna hurt you or anything.¡± ¡°Then- I- I will try my best!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit.¡± The view of the classroom had eventually reached our sights, despite my bad sense of direction. It was quite an infamous topic among the community at release when a user discovered it could be used to decipher the future of one¡¯s route. Well as expected, as more and more stories had been documented, the more this class had lost meaning. Although, for a world such as this, I had to hope that its in-game ability would still be accessible. ¡°Now,¡± I muttered in a low voice. ¡°We begin.¡± The class of Ancient History, a once useless addition, had regained its use. Chapter 9 - Lost Future (3) Proofreader: Coolio Friendo On entry, it was apparent that the professor was fanatical. The walls were covered in mural-like depictions of historical events, pedestals were decorated with replicas of legendary weapons, and even a finger of the demon king encased in an adamantine box had been present. Skimming the walls, however, it seemed to be a whole bunch of random imagery. No kind of heroic figure, no master evil depictions either. It was all vivid colours, strangely resembling bits and pieces of what exists in this world. ¡°This¡­ is¡­ quite something,¡± Uriel muttered softly. Purely looking at the decor and effort put into this kind of classroom was insane in itself, I almost felt claustrophobic in here. ¡°Yeah- who knew someone could be this dedicated.¡± ¡°Welcome you two, it¡¯s nice to see students nice and early, "A man approached from behind us. The man behind the ancient history class, professor Tobuscus. His long brown hair, heavy eye bags and glasses added to the mad scientist look. Despite being taller than most students, it was hard to notice from his constant hunched-over posture. His role in this game amounted to nothing but a precursor to the future events, which is what I planned to utilise. Immediately she began trembling again in front of someone else, ¡°Ah- Ye- yes!¡± I guess she can only manage a normal tone with friends. ¡°And you?¡± He faced me. ¡°Indeed sir. This subject has piqued my interest incredibly.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± His eyes brightened with a tint of gladness, "I''m glad that at least one student is fascinated by such a deep and knowledge-filled subject!¡± However, he stopped for a moment, pausing without a reason. I looked at Uriel who sported a disheartened look. ¡°Sir, are you alright?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ Ah yes!¡± He escaped his immersion and burst into action, ¡°I forgot to tell both of you wonderful students my name. Haha, I am Tobuscus, the professor for the Ancient History course.¡± After surprising us, he walked back to his podium organising what seemed to be a stack of teaching papers. To which Uriel sighed in relief. I heard her mumble, "So he was fine." ¡°Yeah¡­ he is quite a sporadic person isn¡¯t he?¡± I commented. ¡°Y- you heard me?¡± Uriel'' stammered. ¡°I have pretty good ears, and you¡¯re the only other person here-¡° Whoosh- The door slammed inward with a ferocious sound, revealing a small but firm figure. We met eyes, revealing a dismissive glance from her side. Her side profile was immensely beautiful, one could see she was a heroine even from afar. Her blue hair shimmered in this dark lighting, showing a hint of that stone-like character she was designed to be. ¡®Lisana¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about her for a while,¡¯ Such a thought reassured me. Within the game, she would only open up upon building up a certain level of affinity, or after you solved the issue regarding her lost sister in a later episode. ¡°It seems a daring student has entered the classroom!¡± Our professor declared amongst the three of us. ¡°¡­¡± She ignored Professor Tobuscus'' remarks, remaining still. All while displaying the same old ice-cold face. ¡°Find a seat while we wait for the rest of our future heroes to arrive.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lisana silently sat down in the far corner of the room. Once again, silence found itself stuck inside the room, allowing me to guess the first signs of the future. The murals on the walls themselves indicated what had occurred in the past, or at least it did in the game. Which when following normal trends, always has some kind of resurrection of a big bad. The murals and artefacts are usually attributed to one''s ability to guess the route''s future, but as I noticed earlier, it was pure chaotic randomness. Truly, it fits the random theme of Hell¡¯s Paradise. It seemed I had to fully rely on my interactions with the main cast to predict the upcoming events. ¡°Hah¡­ I thought I had some leeway here,¡± I sighed to myself. In resignation, I turned my head to Uriel who sat next to me. Her innocent eyes seemed perplexed at my action, prompting a chuckle to escape my mouth. ¡°Why- why are you laughing?¡± ¡°Your face.¡± Instantly she assumed the worst, ¡°Is there something wrong with me?!¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s just funny.¡± ¡°Is th- that bad?¡± ¡°Hahaha-¡° I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at her panic. ¡°You¡¯re laughing again?¡± Her confusion just got worse and worse. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Before I could say another word, I felt a signature slap on my back. ¡°Ooo. Did we miss something?¡± It was obvious who it was, without a doubt. ¡°Fen, You¡¯re here already?¡± I asked with my back facing him. ¡°No, he¡¯s still outside.¡± ¡°Wait what-¡° My face would definitely be a sight to see right now. ¡°Ron! Don¡¯t scare Luke like that!¡± Her voice was unusually stern, calling Rodney by a pet name of sorts. ¡°Sorry, I couldn¡¯t help but notice you making friends for once." ¡°You two know each other?¡± I asked. Rodney moved to Uriel''s side, ¡°Yeah we were both picked up by the church at the same time, so we¡¯ve been together for a while.¡± ¡°So, childhood friends,¡± I stated. ¡°Yep, and during all this time she hasn¡¯t gotten comfortable with anyone but me," He met my eyes and said, "Can¡¯t lie this is new.¡± A relationship? Considering they¡¯re both protagonists, this may very well fuck up the story later. ¡°Are you two-¡° ¡°I can guess, and the answer¡¯s no," Rodney covered my mouth with his hand while leaning in, "We¡¯re friends plain and clear.¡± ¡°What was the question?¡± Uriel naively questioned us. ¡°¡± Nothing.¡±¡± I locked eyes with Rodney, surprisingly he wasn¡¯t too bad of a guy when he wasn¡¯t beefing with Vyke. ¡°OI You shitty paladin! Get over here and-¡° Speak of the devil. Not only did Vyke arrive, but the rest of our class poured in. Furthermore, I saw Erin with a small graze on her cheek, along with an excited Fen. Probably from the aftermath of the duel. ¡°Students! Cease your chatter immediately!¡± Tobuscus ended our fun. Similarly to Mary¡¯s class, it was a pain to pay attention to. However, I needed to listen here for the slightest glimmer of the future. ¡°Students, who here are aware of what transpired during Hell¡¯s War?¡± It was a simple and basic question to which everyone raised their hands. All except me. Erin and Fen who just arrived shot me some confused looks. ¡°Well that is fine, we are all here to learn. For our newcomer to history, who is willing to volunteer to give the basic overview of our history?¡± A delicate hand from the middle of the room was raised without delay. ¡°Hell¡¯s War, a time in which every possible race had seemingly gone berserk. From Gods to Demons, Angels, Elves, Humans, Giants, Titans, and even Otherworldly entities, had engaged in thousand years of perpetual death. In this time, the strongest entities the world has seen ceased to exist. The significance of this war is greatly attributed to the current fractured state of our world." ¡°Quite impressive Princess, you may sit back down.¡± Despite being instructed to return to her seat, Luna turned toward me unleashing a condescending smirk. It was immensely petty. ¡°Now, using our Princess¡¯s explanation as a basis we will begin to cover a range of topics which have brought significant changes to our societies because of the war.¡± From here on out, I would have to listen intently despite the pain brought to my ears by his nonstop talking. "In these two semesters, we will cover three main topics, magic development, societal and racial dynamics, and lastly, the timeline of the Hell''s War." Compared to the game¡¯s normal history, while it did cover a war, its scale was much smaller. The existence of gods, angels, elves, and other races was excluded. ''Great Demon War'' was how it was referred to. Extrapolating from what has been said so far, what¡¯s certain is that, the lords of each race that has been eradicated, will be resurrected. This is only true, however, if it follows the general trend of the game. Meaning that demons, Angels, Titans and aliens may become enemies at some point. Despite all of this information, the intended conclusion of this world remained completely elusive to me. -x- ¡°Thank you for listening, and may you all receive good luck in your studies and combat.¡± ¡°Finally¡­¡± I was free at last. I laid flat out across my desk. ¡°Are y- you alright?¡± An angelic voice reached from beside me. ¡°Too¡­ much¡­ information, my head.¡± ¡°I can try to heal your headache!¡± Light surrounded me, filling my body with an unknown source of invigoration. ¡°Woah, what is this?¡± I asked, not seeing this type of healing spell in the game before. ¡°It¡¯s just a bit of holy magic, you should be fine soon.¡± Well, it was convenient so I wouldn''t pry. ¡°Thank you, my head¡¯s finally starting to relax," I continued smiling, "kinda like how you should too.¡± Uncharacteristically, Uriel let out a smile rather than any remark from our previous conversations. I could see how so many people would begin to view her as the one and only holy saint. ¡°You know, you should smile like that more often.¡± ¡°Wha- what do you mean!¡± ¡°Exactly what I said.¡± I felt a bit of Deja vu, since we held this same talk before entering class. ¡°You should go now, the girl dorms are in the other direction from the boys-¡° ¡°I can¡¯t." Her flat rejection left me in a subtle shock. ¡°Luke, your sense of direction is¡­¡± Uriel broke eye contact with me as she tilted her head toward the wall. ¡°Shit?" I had almost forgotten. "You make a good point.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think of using such vulgar language!¡± ¡°Sure, sure.¡± ¡°I- just, please follow me.¡± She controlled her temper perfectly, unlike a certain busybody. Truly a saint. ¡°Ah! Wait, Luke was it?¡± Before we left the class Professor Tobuscus called out to me in specific. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I ask for you to stay after class for a moment, is that fine?¡± He asked politely. I locked eyes with Uriel, who remained silent. ¡°Ah yeah, it¡¯s okay.¡± I might have been tripping, but I swear I saw her smile disappear for a moment. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll see you at a different time.¡± ¡°Yes! I- I- goodbye!¡± She strangely seemed embarrassed and hurried off. ¡°It seems the two of you are close?" He seemed unsure how to word it. ¡°Sir. The point.¡± ¡°Yes, of course, the truth is, I was wondering where your origins lay. Not one person has not heard of the war. I didn¡¯t expect a student, especially one of the Platinum Generation to not know of such common knowledge. You even scored a perfect on the written exam, so the lack of such knowledge is unfounded.¡± ¡°The thing is sir-¡° Before I answered, I felt a distinct pair of eyes watching me. This was not the first time, it was all too familiar. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was my Outer Eye alerting me, or if it was a gut feeling. However, I couldn¡¯t answer if someone was listening in, my lies could easily be discovered if it was properly investigated. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± The professor''s concerned voice added an unknown volume of pressure. I was stuck in between a rock and a hard place. ''Just what do I do here man?'' Chapter 10 - Lost Future (4) Proofreader: Myself :> Being safe rather than sorry felt smarter here. ¡°Is it fine if I don¡¯t answer?" I asked the professor, "I¡¯d prefer to keep it to myself for now¡° "Certainly, I hope I didn¡¯t offend you in any way. I was simply curious.¡± He seemed somewhat disappointed but let it go anyway. ¡°Sorry for my reluctance, I must get going now.¡± ¡°Of course, see you next class.¡± The presence I felt had not left me at all since the conversation had started. Wary of such eyes, I pressed onward past the classroom door. Confirming that it was closed and no one was around me, I decided to confront my gut feeling. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± In the middle of my sentence, I noticed her. Once again, Serina moved in front of me. Her motivations were unclear, leading me to remain cautious. ¡°¡­¡± It was the same as usual, where an awkward silence would find its way through a crevice between the both of us. In the same style as before I confronted her, ¡°I asked earlier, is there something you need from me?¡± ¡°No," She gave a clearcut, monotone answer as always. I thought for a second and came up with another question to end the awkwardness. ¡°Then, why are you always¡­ watching me?¡± ¡°No reason,¡± She gave an aloof answer. ¡°What, do you want to become friends or something?" ¡°¡­¡± She paused for a moment as if she was genuinely considering it. ¡°Maybe.¡± For some reason, this was becoming infuriating more than it was confusing. Not only was she massively different from her game counterpart, she was just... inhuman. It was almost as if she couldn¡¯t bother putting any visible effort into conversation, as if she had forgotten how to interact with others entirely. I wondered¡­ ¡°What happened to you?¡± Such words had unintentionally slipped from my mind. ¡°¡­¡± The once expressionless Serina dissipated and an invisible aura spread out across the hallway. ¡°Geh-¡° Sweat beads rolled from my forehead. Her seemingly forlorn eyes regained focus as she took a step toward me. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Such a fierce gaze filled with killing intent disabled my ability to speak. I gulped, ¡°Ex-exactly what I said.¡± ¡°Do you know?¡± Every second, the pressure seemed to increase. My legs felt like crumbling, but I wouldn¡¯t let myself fall here. Something told me that this was not the place to falter. ¡°Kn- know what?¡± ¡°My secret.¡± ¡°Huh¡­? What are you on about?¡± Numerous points of the story replayed in my head, where nothing could relate to this current predicament. Serina furrowed her eyebrows, detecting no lie from my murmur. She took steps back and breathed in deeply. Where in an instant, my body was rid of a massive burden. The mountain on my shoulders simply vanished. ¡°I should be going now,¡± A faint red colour was seen on her face as if she was embarrassed. ¡°Seriously, who the hell are you really?¡± I sighed. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Alright then, stay silent, and I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± The idea that there was still a possibility for romance between her and anyone else was scratched out immediately. I turned away, hoping not to get involved with Serina again. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°Wait.¡± What did she want now? ¡°What?¡± ¡°I apologise for my misunderstanding,¡± She whispered and bowed. At least she still has some form of humility left. ¡°Yeah sure I forgive you, now leave me alone,¡± spouting out my parting words, I began walking. ¡°Luke.¡± ¡°Hmmm?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had a change of heart.¡± ¡°And what may that be exactly?¡± I asked, laced with sarcasm. I didn¡¯t bother turning around. It would probably be something nonsensical anyway. ¡°Will you¡­ be my friend?¡± She stammered in a trembling voice. ¡°I- I¡­ wait, I uhhh¡­ what?¡± The drastic changes in her mood were too complex to follow. What am I supposed to do, say yes and move on? My head was burning up from this unexpected course of events. Every time I met this girl, I felt my lifespan decrease more than anything else. ¡°You can think about it, I will await your answer," Leaving such fleeting words, Serina turned away. In a moment she was gone, leaving me standing alone in the hallway by myself. I scratched my head not knowing what to think. "Alright then," I convinced myself into denial, ¡°Nothing happened, simple as that." I had to begin some sort of steady training routine from now on, before and after classes. My swordsmanship and magic usage were bottom of the barrel. They did say training facilities were available at any time, it¡¯s just that, I have no idea where they are. Within the halls of the Golden Nest, I wandered around reading the signs for at least a chance of finding where I was. Expectedly, I passed the same places at least a few times. Stomp¡­ stomp¡­ stomp¡­ The sound reverberated from a set of stairs I hadn¡¯t noticed. As a response to the new ambience, I prepared my body to run away at any moment. With every passing second, it grew louder and louder. My heart rate accelerated, with sweat beginning to form. ¡°Hello, Luke.¡± It was an elegant, refined voice, typically attached to a villain mastermind. ¡°¡­¡± Steadily, they approached from the below stairs, inching ever closer to my location. ¡°No response?¡± Finally, they became visible standing a mere two metres away from me. ¡°¡­ Charles?¡± He gave me a perplexing look hearing my mutter. ¡°How interesting, referring to the future king of the Empire by a mere name?¡± I had to ad-lib here, he wasn¡¯t supposed to make such a clear approach to anyone in the first week. I gulped in a breath of fresh air, flipping a switch in my head. I am a snarky piece of shit. I am a talking-back machine. Yes, that is me. ¡°We are in the esteemed hero academy, where power determines position. Am I wrong?¡± I added a subtle tone of condescendence. Not missing a beat the prince responded, ¡°Indeed you are not. Although, I seem to have heard that perhaps you did not achieve your position through ¡®abnormal¡¯ means.¡± ¡°Ha-ha-ha. I admit that I did not enter this class through the ¡®normal¡¯ route, however, you must have heard of my top score in the written exam amongst the cohort. I dare not assume otherwise.¡± ¡°Of course, your achievements are not to be undermined, in fact, you should be praised for being the first in history to do so. Yet, such knowledge is not an immediate source of power. We witnessed your prowess against that peculiar teacher, but it seems you aren¡¯t particularly experienced with it.¡± Fuck¡­ he guessed my ability that quickly? I felt veins popping out of my forehead dealing with this guy. ¡°That certainly is one way of viewing it,¡± I could only bluff my way out of his correct assumption. ¡°Would you care to elaborate?¡± ¡°My power, you could say I tried to apply it in a new way. Such normal methods would not be able to leave a scratch on that monster.¡± ¡°Certainly¡­ it as you say,¡± He paused revealing a slight smirk that disappeared immediately. ¡°Phew,¡± I breathed a sigh of relief. ¡®Thank fuck.¡¯ That small smirk confirmed his approval of me. Finally, I could leave this vicinity with that win. ¡°Additionally, I heard from the saint candidate that you bear the curse of a bad sense of direction. Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ it is,¡± A crooked expression akin to a smile was let out on my face. I couldn''t argue how his personality was described as a person to ''hate losing.'' ¡°Then as a fellow ¡®classmate¡¯ let me guide you on your way.¡± He straightened his right arm as if he was a butler letting in a guest. I didn¡¯t know if he was trying to taunt me or if it was simply etiquette. Charles led me down the flight of stairs, eventually leaving me dumbfounded at my inadequacy. ¡°As you can see, our dorms are straight ahead. The school training facilities are on the opposite side, across from here.¡± The fact that I passed by this place seven times, and it was right under the entire time? I could almost feel the prince snickering at me. ¡°Now I must bid my farewell, our encounter while coincidental was unexpectedly fruitful. May we meet again tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± That was a lie. Such a person would never waste time meeting a classmate. I left for the training area he pointed at, seeing that I had half a day to waste. There was nothing really to do, except force myself to train. After all, in this game world, there would be no mercy later on. Thinking about it already created illusions of pain in my body. -X- Runalia POV: In her office, while school¡¯s first day raged on, she gazed at the magic snapshots of both Luke and Erin. After observing his interactions with the Demon King¡¯s daughter, an idea had seemed to sprout in a scaly stalker¡¯s mind. From the very moment Runalia realised his potential, there was no doubt that she would provide every opportunity to further his growth. This pure desire would warp however, with her witnessing the advent of Luke¡¯s progressing relations with many of the exceptional female students within the Platinum Generation. ¡®So, why not have Luke learn more about Erin¡¯s father?¡¯ She had found that idea to be genius. In retrospect however, such a thought would be nonsense. But from the perspective of a millennium-old dragon virgin, this without a doubt would work. ¡®By taking advantage of Luke¡¯s bad sense of direction, leading him to the grave of the Demon King would be a cinch!¡¯ Runalia childishly chuckled in her bedsheets. ''Truly he was destined for greatness!'' ''Especially those eyes, I thought I''d never see them again.'' In their first interaction she hadn¡¯t noticed, but now she was sure that the eyes Luke possessed was from ¡®that¡¯ accursed race. ¡®Everything¡¯s A-Okay! I¡¯ll bring him there tomorrow!¡¯ And in a span of two seconds such a worry was quickly exorcised. Chapter 10.1 – Suspicions Of A Regressor (2) Proofreader: Myself (Refer to previous chapters.) Upon entering the room of the recuperating anomaly, I heard his call. ¡°Serina?¡± His voice contained an alertness that shouldn¡¯t belong. ¡°You know me?¡± I unintentionally blurted out. Despite having come into the room with a clear purpose, I couldn¡¯t find the right words. There was an overwhelming atmosphere of silence between the both of us. He was never a factor before, questions, upon questions clouded my brain. However, for the future, I had to remember how to socialise. ¡°Your-¡° ¡°So-¡° In an instant I was stumped. My seven regressions did not hold an answer to this¡­ Predicament. ¡°Okay you ask first, I¡¯ll answer after.¡± My feelings were stuck in a blender, but he managed to bring the conversation onto the right track. Yet, what was appropriate, and what was not, it was such a line I could not comprehend. I couldn¡¯t understand these dynamics, at least not anymore. The sixth round, in which I shut myself in a place unseen to the outside world, had degraded my senses. Ironically, it was the round which had lasted the longest, without my input and my existence. I decided to ask the simplest question I could, "Then, who are you?" And from that moment on, was the first conversation I had held in a decade. -x- Luke had stood up unannounced, ¡°Professor, is it alright if I remain in such an esteemed class?¡± While in class he had attempted to leave¡­ almost as if he knew he wasn¡¯t supposed to be there. His unknown presence and knowledge, made me wonder if he could somehow be similar to me. It was a question that would be left unanswered if we continued to stay at a distance. However, the right moment to interact with him was hard to grasp. I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to talk when I wanted to. ¡°Is¡­ there something you require?¡± He was once again cautious. Luke had caught me in a bind, stuck in my thoughts as I contemplated a children''s game of talk. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then can you stop staring?¡± Luke¡¯s words were sharp. It was a quick remark and undeniably rude, but I understood that my ability to converse had reduced immeasurably. Yet, that wouldn¡¯t stop a frown from spawning. I felt an indescribable emotion, unable to express what I truly needed to. I walked away disappointed with the interaction. -x- ¡°Oomph! That was a decent hit, but- huh?¡± Once again the anomaly made a stir, the bastion of what keeps the heroes alive was moved by a mere kick. His power was responsible for the extinction of the remaining demon army. And this legendary hero, besides Abel, had lost on his terms... to a child. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. His power had seemed heretical almost, being able to control the forces of the world. However, that notion was discarded by himself, having claimed to be similar. Thus, the slight hope I saw in him grew. That peculiar power would be of great aid to my goal. He was completely different from the past iterations, and yet he was seemingly oblivious to the future. A part of me wanted to find out why, and the others wished to know more about him. These thoughts amplified my desire to engage in conversation. I decided I would attempt to converse with him once more. -x- Not wanting to repeat my mistake from this morning, I had left with the other classmates. I listened from a distance, amplifying my senses with physical enhancement magic to listen inside. It would be now, when the classes were over that I could hold a conversation. ¡°... You even scored a perfect on the written exam, so the lack of such knowledge is unfounded.¡± I heard a particularly curious-sounding voice, followed by a short answer. ¡°The thing is sir-¡° In an instant, the words stopped. Did he notice? But how? He quickly made up some excuses to exit the room, as if something was chasing him. Although it was sudden, this was the ideal chance I had been searching for. Where it was the two of us, alone. Frantically searching for the perpetrator he muttered, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± In response to his call, I made myself visible. ¡°I asked earlier, is there something you need from me?¡± Luke again asked why I was following him, but once more I couldn¡¯t bring out the words stuck in my throat. I lied, prompting another question from his side about why I had followed him. To which I had also been unable to give a proper reason. But¡­ his next words stumped me completely. ¡°¡­Do you want to be friends?¡­¡± I had only registered those six words. ¡®Friends¡­?¡¯ It was a notion that I had discarded long ago. Everyone except me would forget, so there was no point in finding purpose in such things. Yet, why? Why were those words now so enticing? Was it hope? Or was it insanity? In the end, I could only muster a small, ¡°Maybe.¡± He touched his forehead, sighing. Where I heard a small murmur. ¡°What happened to you?¡± I heard a small click as if a lock had been picked. ¡®What¡­ happened¡­? What happened, you say...?¡¯ The world around me quickly collapsed. Memories from an accursed past flooded my mind. And my once-suppressed emotions took control. ¡°What do you mean?¡± All that had remained inside my head was a boiling rage and a curiosity unable to be satisfied. ¡°Do you know? My secret?¡± ¡°Huh¡­? What are you on about?¡± His exasperated expression appealed to the remaining sanity I held. As such, the swirling pool of my inner mind ended. Even I could hear the genuine confusion that emanated from his voice. I took a deep breath, once again locking away what must not be unleashed. After which, I realised what I had done. Seeing Luke¡¯s body trembling, I felt an unknown feeling akin to remorse accompanied by rushes of heat to my face. ¡°I should be going now.¡± All I could think about was immediately leaving this area. ¡°Alright then¡­ I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± Despite these burning emotions, I remembered. ¡°Wait.¡± I quickly stopped Luke and then asked a question of my accord this time. ¡°Will you¡­ be my friend?¡± My face was burning. The pressure and momentum of what transpired had pushed me to such a point. ¡°You can think about it, I will await your answer.¡± I couldn¡¯t, nor be able to stay here any longer. I simply wanted to disappear. -x- Once I was alone, I wandered into the only place I hadn¡¯t visited, the grave of the demon king. If I were to protect this world and finally end this chain of death and resurrection, more had to be done. The pathway was mossy, foggy and covered with wildlife. ¡°Spirit Queen, a descendant of the Rosemary family, requests an audience.¡± I simply hoped that there would be no interference from this point on. -x- That night, Serina stared at the ceiling until light tickled her face. She covered her face with a pillow, screaming into a vacuum of space she had created. Chapter 11 – Heavenly Grave (1) Proofreader: Myself Unexpectedly, the passage was straight and simple enough for even me to follow. As soon as I passed the gates, I was instantly reminded of Earth. While there were training dummies and training weapon racks, the other side was a full modern gym experience. The game did show this, but yet again, in person, it was frankly exciting. I wasn¡¯t necessarily obsessed in real life, but such an environment was almost a second home to me. Hah¡­ I won¡¯t be focusing on that as of now. The area was empty except for a few students lingering around the gym, and further inward there was a sparring arena. ¡°Woohoo!¡± ¡°Keep it up!¡± ¡°This is a riot!¡± I could faintly hear the cheers from that room. ¡°No,¡± I mumbled, slapping my cheeks. I had to focus. I went over to the training dummies and picked up a wooden sword from the racks. I stared at it, pondering how I should train. In all honesty, my only guidance to the sword was kendo¡­ a sword art unfit for killing, having been developed in the modern age for sports rather than murder. Well, there still was hope. If I continued to up my proficiency, the more my movements would be corrected and modified. Although, a training instructor would be appreciated. ¡°Tsk, that damn dragon.¡± If Runalia had placed me into a normal class, I would have been able to access the swordsmanship teacher and his lessons immediately. However, yet again I had to thank her regardless, as without that opportunity It would¡¯ve been massively harder to accomplish the goal of destroying this world¡¯s romance. ¡°Hoh..¡± I grasped my sword and adjusted my stance to its weight. I enamoured myself with the teachings I had been bestowed upon. There were many to initiate an attack, strike boldly, or follow up after consecutive movements. Even the way my master had always told me to shut up and listen rang within my head. The movements were true to memory as I began to strike the dummy rhythmically. At first, it was awkward and clumsy, but in seconds my arms began to move on their own. This new body began to accept my memories and experiences. ¡®Muscle memory¡¯ was it? The way my sword followed my arm, as if it was always there elated my spirit. Slowly advancing in difficulty, I positioned my feet in unison with my body. I ignored the preconceived notions of stamina, continuing to move without rest. Time would continue to flow as I embraced the movements I had once loved. The shoulder. The waist. And finally the head. ¡°Phew-¡° I wiped the sweat that covered my head. [Skills] Basic Swordsmanship (E) (0% -> 8.7% Proficiency) I glanced over at my status board, such a short time frame of training had already raised my proficiency by a decent amount. It was most definitely a trance that I had been in. It was unfortunate that I let go of such a focus in the end, but such was the norms of training. I had been covered in sweat without realising it as well. ¡°I need some fresh air,¡± I muttered expecting to see a dimming sunset. It was dark, completely pitch black. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. I looked to the back door where the sparring match earlier had been held. It was silent, no noise, nothing. The magical lights in the gym had remained but the once bustling nature had dissipated. Nothing was left except¡­ ¡®Why is she here?¡¯ Erin had been sitting on a side bench staring directly into my eyes. ¡°You finally noticed?¡± She remarked without much expectation. ¡°So¡­ how long have you been, uhhh¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say in this situation. ¡°Half an hour or so?¡± Erin guessed. ¡°I was taking a break from training and noticed you in the corner of this empty gym.¡± ¡°For that long?¡± I was genuinely concerned rather than confused right now. ¡°I was intrigued,¡± She continued, ¡°Your dance was intrinsic and meaningful, but such techniques cannot prove to kill.¡± While I was aware of such a glaring weakness, there was little I could do to modify this sword art. I spent quite a part of my childhood focusing on kendo, so its movements were hard for me to change. Especially since I gave up on it not too long ago, when I lost the national championship. ¡°I know, but there¡¯s nothing I can do at my current level,¡± I succinctly told her. ¡°Nothing, you say?¡± She emphasised the word. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me,¡± I had already guessed. ¡°Tell me more about your power, and I will train you to become a person fit for a knight,¡± It was a tempting offer uttered by her mouth. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was worth letting such information be known, but considering it was Erin. Erin¡­ huh¡­ why am I hesitating so much? She¡¯s my favourite so it¡¯ll be okay! ¡°This is a win-win!¡± I internally hurrayed. She eyed my celebration weirdly, ¡°So? Will you take it?¡± ¡°On one condition,¡± I added. ¡°Hmm¡­¡±She hesitated for a moment, ¡°State your demand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s one thing. Tell me more about yourself,¡± I couldn¡¯t resist not wanting to know my number one character in person. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± She scratched her head, ¡°I understand I¡¯m somewhat in the wrong for being intrusive, but for that little?¡± She wouldn¡¯t understand what I was feeling, this was akin to a dream come true. ¡°Of course!¡± I exclaimed joyfully, ¡°Now about my ability.¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± She urged me to continue. ¡°It¡¯s an enhancement,¡± I stated clearly. ¡°How could simple enhancement cause those things?¡± ¡°That¡¯s for you to figure out,¡± I decided to keep shut about the rest of its capabilities. I wasn¡¯t sure if revealing all my cards to a person who could be an enemy was a good idea, regardless of my liking. ¡°Then the deal¡¯s off-¡° ¡°Surely you wouldn¡¯t lie right?¡± I interjected, targeting her pride. ¡°You did say that if I told you more about my power without specifying so¡­¡± Her hand clenched into a tight fist at my words. I gulped in a squeak of fear to not seem pathetic. ¡°Well, it is as you say,¡± She bit her lip in visible frustration. ¡°Then¡­?¡± ¡°No,¡± She childishly remarked, ¡°I refuse to be mocked in this manner.¡± It was a surprising display of cuteness, although I¡¯d have to stop messing around. ¡°Alright, fine. Simply put, I''m not limited by what I can improve.¡± ¡°Elaborate,¡± She curtly told me. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Erin still frightened me a bit, but I continued regardless. ¡°What I did was enhance the forces that make up this world, the strength of which they act.¡± ¡°Forces?¡± She asked curiously. ¡°Gravity, friction, stuff like that¡­¡± I was on the verge of realising something embarrassing. Not for me, but for her. Erin¡¯s face scrunched up in contemplation, ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Huh¡­? You seriously don¡¯t know?¡± I remember that these concepts weren¡¯t foreign to the game, and were essential to the formulation of some complicated magic. Oh¡­ wait. She was an archdemon, a race which used a completely different method of magic from both humans and lesser demons. By nature, they were superior to humans in almost every way just by existing. It makes sense that Abel didn¡¯t bother to teach her because of such a fact. ¡°This, ¡®forces,¡¯ I don¡¯t recall being taught such a concept.¡± ¡°Essentially, they are the push and pull effects of this world.¡± ¡°I see¡­ but¡­¡± ¡°I made the push thingy stronger.¡± ¡°How odd and confusing.¡± Had Erin¡¯s father who freely manipulated such a complicated field of reality not taught her anything? ¡°No, it¡¯s not. I could simply just improve my strength if I wanted to.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re not limited to these ¡®forces¡¯?¡± I nodded. ¡°Then, aren¡¯t you really strong?¡± She noted. I wasn¡¯t sure how to reply. Her curious stare had not noticed my weakness, despite immediately seeing the ones in my sword. ¡°The thing is¡­¡± I sighed, ¡°It¡¯s pretty weak.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Erin spoke sharply, ¡°Then I shall now honour my word.¡± ¡°Yesh!¡± I fist-bumped the air. She gave me a complicated look but it wasn¡¯t worth mentioning. I celebrated the amazing benefits being granted to me here. The fanboy inside of me was tearing through the rationality inside my brain. ¡°It¡¯s night, however, so we will begin tomorrow,¡± Her words cut my hopes immediately. ¡°Oh, right¡­¡± In disappointment, I watched her leave. ¡°Wait!¡± I remembered something important, ¡°Can you show me where the male dorms are?¡± ¡°Sure¡­?¡± She agreed, albeit somewhat concerned. I scratched my head looking ashamed. I really did need that mini-map ASAP. Chapter 12 – Heavenly Grave (2) Proofreader: Future Me! Having left me alone in front of the entrance to the boys¡¯ dorms, Erin quickly dipped with a mocking smile and I couldn¡¯t figure out why. It disturbed me but the nagging feeling of sleep kept pestering me, so in the end I gave it up. The doors were engraved with fancy patterns, reminding me of the time I had met Abel with Runalia. I was pretty sure my room was on the top floor¡­ or was it in a completely different area? From when Runalia guided me, I couldn¡¯t recollect the path at all. "Whatever," I opened the door ignoring my glaring memory loss. I took just two steps and witnessed a grand complex which were our sleeping quarters. ¡°Man, this place is huge,¡± I mumbled. The signs on the room doors were numbered, starting from one hundred, right at the bottom. I guess that meant my room was on a higher floor. Each corner of this lobby was jam-packed with decor, pots, plants, and gallant portraits, it was extremely high class. It was too fancy to the point I felt a strange sense of unease that increased every time I moved. I rummaged my pockets for the keys which numbered seven, while speeding my way up the fair stairs. I felt myself beginning to figure out why Erin made such an expression. I strutted over to the closest doors, looking for the right number. I twisted the door knob waiting for Fen''s face to pop up at any second. "Wait a moment," I glanced over the decorum one more time. Wasn¡¯t my area much more modest? While the inside was grand, the outside at that time was normal. ¡°Fuck.¡± How¡¯d I just realise? ¡°Who is it?¡± A deep and tired voice boomed from above. I gulped in straight air looking at the name on his status board. [Carlos Klaus] That sunova- she set me up on purpose! ¡°Oh-¡° I struggled to think of an excuse, ¡°I think I¡¯ve lost my way, I¡¯ll leave now okay?¡± ¡°Wait,¡± He moved his mug to my face, ¡°Aren¡¯t you that one kid from earlier?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯ve got me mixed up for someone else senior.¡± ¡°Heh, you''re here to make fun of me¡­ losing to that kid monster¡­?¡± He chuckled with a scary look. ¡°No that¡¯s not why I¡¯m-¡° ¡°Then, take a duel with me, why don¡¯t you!¡± Klaus¡¯ face contorted to a manic look, ¡°I¡¯ll show you that it was a one-time exception!¡± I¡¯m doomed. ¡°Thursday, after class, meet me at the field. This is a heroes'' bout, you should know what that means.¡± I felt my soul evaporating from my body. Indeed I knew, seniors had one privilege and that was to force a duel upon freshmen. It was a stupid rule forced by developers to create artificial risks for the player. ¡°I¡­¡± I paused thinking about the upcoming result, ¡°You know what¡­¡± It hit me, the realisation that, when has this world ever been fair? Since I arrived, every single advantage I thought I had was ripped out of my hands. A smirk bloomed across my face, ¡°You fucked up. Erin''s ass won''t be the last thing you see when you''re 6 feet underground.¡± I doubled down knowing there was no way out. Veins popped out of his neck as his body trembled with a visible rage. I backed out quickly, rushing down the stairs and straight out of the building. There were complaints from other tired seniors, but that wasn¡¯t important. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Catching some fresh air, I saw a specific someone. Someone who wasn''t the most pleasant of faces to see. Especially. At. This. Moment. In. Time. ¡°You meet him?¡± Erin asked with a perfect poker face, "How''d it go?" ¡°What do you mean, ¡®how¡¯d it go!¡¯¡± I raised my voice, ¡°I almost died in there!¡± ¡°Motivation is needed to strive for greater heights, that¡¯s what I did for you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just salty I almost conned you earlier, aren¡¯t you?¡± I noticed her grudge instantly. ¡°No comment.¡± Her perfectly loveable face is seemingly ever so punch-able in this moment. Even if this is what I signed up for, these antics put a damper on your heart no matter how much you like a person. Curiosity teeming with mischief was fun to experience in-game, but here... yeah, nah. ¡°Your room is in ¡®The Golden Nest¡¯ along with the rest of us,¡± Erin gestured for me to come along. I reacted immediately, ¡°You do realise he forced me into a heroes¡¯ bout by Thursday, right?¡± ¡°Good, that means it went well.¡± ¡°Also, it seems like your head ''went well'' in the department of human sympathy,¡± I retorted, ¡°Well enough to understand that you signed my death sentence!¡± She stopped walking, and turned around firmly. It was as if I hadn''t spoken at all. ¡°Luke,¡± Erin sharply called me. ¡°Two days, that¡¯s all you need against someone of his calibre.¡± His stats were well over double my own, and you wanted me to win with two days of preparation? I felt flattered, but, there was no conceivable way to even hurt him- Wait¡­ I glossed over my [Enigmatic Brooch], if I could just land one critical hit it should be possible. The amplification effect would be enough to launch him off his feet. For a human body, such places for the red dots are vital points. As if solidifying this plausible victory, Erin added, ¡°I will teach you the art of counter-attacking under the demon- Ahem. My sword art." I¡¯ll pretend I heard nothing for her sake, although I was curious about her current stats. I secretly pulled out an appraisal stone from my pocket, aiming it at her. [Erin Villaine] [Age: 15 (100+)] [Race: Archdemon] [Attributes] Vitality: Tier 0 (56%) Strength:Tier 0 (64%) Agility: Tier 0 (66%) Mana: Tier 1 (2%) [Skills] Demon Lord Sword Art (S+) (10% - Proficiency) Arch Demon Mana Control (SS) (1.5% - Proficiency) Weapon Mastery (A+) (Max Proficiency) [Evolution Possible.] Goddess¡¯ Blessing (?) (? - Proficiency) [More Skills are available to view.] A demon receiving the blessing of a Goddess? There it was, another difference I''d have to figure out soon or eventually. It was yet another deviation from the game, but for now, I wouldn¡¯t be able to learn anything. Overall it was to be expected as the No.1 strongest of the Platinum Generation, having over 10 times my own mana capacity. It was no wonder she destroyed Klaus with zero repercussions. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll believe you,¡± I gave in, no point in refusing anyway. ¡°Then-¡° I quickly interjected, ¡°Can you also teach me the basics of magic control?¡± ¡°How are you not able to¡­?¡± She was once again left flabbergasted. ¡°I have special circumstances,¡± I explained. ¡°Please understand.¡± While she was an archdemon, the way one circulates and trains mana is almost identical. Therefore, there should be no issue at all. Eventually, she nodded and said her goodbyes, ¡°Meet me tomorrow at the gym right after class. And tell me more about such ''circumstances''.¡± ¡°Sure, and no thanks!¡± That¡¯s the one thing I can¡¯t divulge, reincarnation isn¡¯t open information. I was in the right room, I expected the room to be neat as per our status. I desperately needed to have a bath. ¡°Open sesame!¡± I opened the door with an inward shout. Thank the World Tree, it was indeed my room. ¡°Yo Luke, where¡¯ve you been? It¡¯s pretty late," he politely asked. It would come off more genuine if he wasn¡¯t doing a one-handed pushup with his feet in the air. ¡°And you¡¯re still training?¡± I replied back. ¡°I decided to have a quick warmup before I fell asleep,¡± Fen explained, drenched in sweat, ¡°It gets my body in the mood. Also enough about me, gonna answer the question?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I was¡­ training at the gym,¡± I decided to keep it short. "Makes a fair bit of sense," He remarked, ¡°I can see that your body could use some more muscle." It was on par with my build from my previous life, and he was saying I needed more. These superhumans had a sense of reality that I couldn''t mesh with no matter what. I climbed on top of my bed and undressed, I needed to get some rest. Especially since that bastard of a senior wanted to make an ''example'' out of me. Like, what does beating the weakest student go to prove? ¡°Sleeping already? You should join me first.¡± Fen beckoned me to come over with a gesture while performing hip thrusts. I struggled to understand how I could see this as anything but sexual harassment. Telling the headmasters I wanted a good room might have backfired. Chapter 13 – Heavenly Grave (3) Proofreader: Myself Pure sunshine beamed onto my face, reminding me of back home. It was an alarm clock for me, and a reminder to wake up Yumiko¡­ Slap! My cheeks illuminated a bright red as I moved. I opened up the interesting facts book, simply out of curiosity and because I couldn¡¯t get rid of it either. Opening the front cover, the words wrote themselves. ¡®Did you know that Luna Rend Alexander actually dislikes the Empire?¡¯ Was that so? It¡¯s not like I heard this throughout all my playtimes at all or anything. (sarcasm) ¡®Anyways!¡¯ There was no point dawdling right now, I had to get ready for the next round of classes. In our rooms, as part of the Platinum Generation, our clothes and bodies are cleaned via a magical automatic function built into the room. Super convenient, but it didn¡¯t erase my desire to bathe. Considering today¡¯s lacklustre round of romantic events, there was less to worry about and more training to focus on. If it proceeds per the game that is. Furthermore, the swordsmanship class would be running, so I could begin to raise my affinity with the teacher there. The only concern now would be if Uriel and Charles would make their first impressions today, which I doubt now that Rodney was part of the picture. The window outside was filled with a beautiful orange sunrise. Colours which were imbued with rich emotion signified the start of a wonderful day. I left Fen who managed to sleep while standing. aiming to arrive at the training centre in time. It was necessary but gruelling to think I¡¯d have to do this every day from now on. I stumbled downstairs ignoring the surrounding sounds. Having arrived at the entrance, a crosswalk became visible. ¡°Now, where was it?¡± To the left were the dorms of ordinary students, whereas to the right was where the main building lay. It seemed a miracle stumbled upon myself as I began to remember. ¡°I¡¯m finally learning!¡± I began taking my first steps as a person capable of finding their way. Hopefully, I''ll make it in time to exercise for at least an hour. -x- ¡°Hmmm¡­?¡± I was taking a straight path so there was no way I could¡¯ve lost my way¡­ right? The pavement seemed mossy, with greens sprouting between the cracks. This area was closed off from the rest of the academy, with only vegetation surrounding my vision. Usually, I would still be able to see the further classrooms or dorms, but an unusual fog covered everything, managing to bypass even my Outer Eye. There was also a familiar presence that seemingly disappeared within seconds. A clothed figure elegantly approached from the dredges in the foggy clearing, interrupting my thoughts. ¡°Excuse me?¡± It was a kind and innocent voice, unbefitting such a tall stature, ¡°Can you please leave?¡± My guard had been raised, but if I was right about what was happening maybe I could get something extra. ¡°I¡¯d like to, but I¡¯m currently lost." The figure¡¯s hand raised to their chin, seeming worried. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be a place a child can enter, I might have to let Abel know about this.¡± In their contemplation I spoke, ¡°Erm¡­¡± ¡°Yes, child?¡± Once again an enchanting voice was released. ¡°Where am I?¡± I asked, knowing the answer already. ¡°Well... since you¡¯ve made it here, that in itself is an accomplishment. It should be fine to know, but I must warn you, this information must not be spread okay?¡± A light smile spread across their disfigured body. ¡°Of course.¡± This place was the grave of the God that protected the humans before the Ancient War. It wouldn¡¯t change even after Hell¡¯s Paradise modifications, this setting was thoroughly engraved in the lore. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Well then, student of The Hero¡¯s Garden¡­¡± They paused. Once again that familiar ominous wind passed by. ¡°Pause please-¡° I didn¡¯t want to know anymore. ¡°We are currently in the grave of the Demon King.¡± Yup! There it was! Thanks! This makes a lot of sense! The five stages of grief would not fail to strike me at every moment. ¡°I know it must be very surprising for you, but this is necessary for the demon age¡¯s chance to never return.¡± I get that but¡­ I needed information desperately and while this made perfect sense, it also meant that the academy turned into an even larger target for all things labelled bad. Dammit, I had no choice but to ask. ¡°Fairy Queen Fljeora, I must have a question answered.¡± ¡°How¡­ just how do you know that name?¡± Similarly to Serina, that familiar mountain of pressure stockpiled in my close surroundings. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t matter," I breathed in a heap of air and spoke, "as property of Abel you are required to answer me.¡± With those words, the air around us tensed. ¡°You sure are a presumptuous one. The loss of a single soul wouldn¡¯t matter in the grand scheme of things,¡± The Queen¡¯s voice deepened, ¡°I was thinking of letting you go seeing as your fate was abysmal, but this changes things.¡± ¡°Or so you think, why don¡¯t you get a better look?¡± I added, ¡°Into my eyes that is.¡± I knew eyes had some importance, seeing as fairies in the game had a special relation to them. They favoured and could read one¡¯s soul through them, so I wished to be over with this farce. A trembling voice was let out, ¡°Th- this is impossible! Your kind was erased aeons ago!¡± Something might tell me I messed up, though I wonder if I¡¯m imagining things. In fact, someone please tell me I am. ¡°As the only remaining fairy queen I pledge to end your life here.¡± Well, I had a good run of two days and a half. ¡°I am privy to hearing your last words, speak.¡± An enormous mana leaked from the shining fairy, stinging my skin with thousands of needles. A halo of dust formed around me signalling the end of one¡¯s life by an emperor. Pain erupted from within. My insides were being twisted, and blood poured out of my orifices. Normally I would have given up on hope, however... There was just one thing this fairy queen was unaware of, and that was a suspicious, yet familiar, scaley stalker. From the trees she emerged, ¡°End this at once Fairy Queen.¡± With the emergence, this barrier of unknown magic faded and I was able to breathe. ¡°You. Why are you here?¡± The emphasis on the word chilled me to my bone. ¡°He was judged as human by Abel, he is currently our student first and foremost.¡± ¡°Nonsense, his eyes explain it all.¡± ¡°Hah Fljeora, like I said¡­¡± My saviour sighed, ¡°End this at once.¡± ¡°Our contract explicitly states that I am to exterminate whoever I judge is a threat regardless of your statements,¡± The queen sharply retorted. ¡°Or are you suggesting we fight now? You dirty old dragon hag?¡± Never did I expect my bad sense of direction mixed with my Outer Eyes would allow me to enter this place. I guess I now have a new goal too. To figure out what these eyes mean in this world. But, I better leave. Like right now. ¡°Luke, leave at once. This professor must perform a thorough bug extermination.¡± Yeah, Runalia was definitely pissed. Her skin and hair quickly started to transmute in front of me. From human to dragon, her skin formed scales, claws growing from her hands, and a massive increase in height. Almost as if to signal the end of the transformation, a bright red flare was unleashed from the burning inferno in front of me. There was no doubt I¡¯d die within seconds there. I quickly fled the scene, hearing explosions and the insults of grandmas at work. I summarised the current situation in my head, rushing past the currents of wind and fire. All I currently know is that the Demon Lord was buried here, Erin owns a Goddess¡¯ Blessing, and for some reason, my eyes are hated. Oh yeah, and that one bitch of a senior wants to beat the shit out of me. It was truly a messy situation, which once again perfectly befitting the theme of Hell¡¯s Paradise. Considering the existence of the dungeon excursion that will happen on Friday, my time was limited. I couldn¡¯t fully rely on Erin¡¯s teachings, and I needed my ace up the sleeve. Which I planned to get here, that being the blessing of the Fairy Queen. ¡°Hah,¡± I turned my head back witnessing carnage, ¡°Yeah that¡¯s not happening anymore.¡± There was no quick power-up this early in the game, besides the Enigmatic Chance, but I¡¯m not an in-game character anymore. The ability to control my body as I wish is not feasible in person. ¡°Argh!¡± I scrunched up my hair. I was running out of options to even get past this first week of hell. Erin would be my pure tower of support if I couldn''t do anything myself. I was beyond screwed. ¡°Ha.. ha... I- is that you Luke?¡± An unexpected person had called out for me in such a place. It was Serina in a haggard dress, indicating she may have just woken up. My brain may have imprinted this into memory forever. Ahem. I¡¯ll take it, the guidance of a future archmage, no matter how weird you were. ¡°Serina, I¡¯ve made up my mind. I¡¯ll be your frie-¡° ¡°This isn¡¯t time for that,¡± She turned toward the chaos telling me, ¡°If we don¡¯t stop this right now, the seal will loosen.¡± ¡°H- how do you know that?¡± I stammered in surprise. It should¡¯ve been impossible for anyone to know of this place besides the people Abel trusted¡­ ¡°Ignore it. For now, help me stop this round¡¯s end,¡± Her eyes were filled with a previously unnoticeable determination. I couldn¡¯t help but smile, even if I didn¡¯t understand what she meant. Finally, this was more like the Serina I knew. ¡°That¡¯s an offer I can¡¯t refuse, can I?¡± Chapter 14 – Heavenly Grave (4) Proofreader: Future ME In an ever-increasing amount of tension, Serina and I planned out our future course of action. Or at least I thought we would. ¡°I agreed to help, but what do you expect me to do here?¡± I grumbled, unsure of what exactly we needed to do. She responded in a monotone voice, ¡°Bait.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± I stammered for words to say, ¡°I misheard you, can you say that again?¡± ¡°Bait.¡± ¡°I- I don¡¯t think you know what that means.¡± ¡°Bait, a thing or being who acts as a distraction from an intended action.¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± I held my face in my hands, ¡°Is that all you want from me?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± She resolutely reassured me. ¡°For the record, I¡¯m only helping out because I trust this side of yours,¡± I set her straight, ¡°Your usual attitude, you better cut it out.¡± Hearing my words her face reddened, like am I a face warmer or something? If so, I guess you could say that such an ability was important. Because, at this moment I needed that power. Strength? Indomitability? Magic? I had none of it. Thus I would use the only thing I can. Words. -x- ¡°I¡¯ve always hated your fairy guts!¡± A dragon roared. A clash between claw and glitter threatened the fabric of space between the two. ¡°I should¡¯ve killed you when I had the chance!¡± A fairy exclaimed. The battle on paper may have seemed utterly one-sided, but that couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. Runalia may have been the hero¡¯s companion, but she was nothing compared to his other comrades. ¡°You brainless lizard, let me end that accursed race!¡± The fire had been dismissed with the flick of the spirit queen¡¯s hand. Fairy glitter spawned by the power of the last of her race spread across the fog. ¡°L-Like I told you! He¡¯s one of us!¡± The once equal battle had quickly become a dragon hunt. Countless spells decorated with enchanting glitter spread across the air. ¡°As if I¡¯d accept something as nonsensical as ¡®them¡¯ being harmless,¡± She howled in anger, ¡°They annihilated my race!¡± It all illuminated, the fog that was once damp and murky lit up with a brightness unbelievable to the realm of humans. ¡°Now, lay to rest as I put to rest the vengeance of my kin.¡± As she unleashed her final barrage of mana, a figure emerged in front of the collapsing dragon. ¡°Alright! Just let her live!¡± A tiny voice incomparable to the booming of the fight reached the queen¡¯s ears. ¡°No!¡± The Dragon cried, ¡°Child, you can¡¯t!¡± There was no reluctance in her voice, ¡°As you wish!¡± The paused circles of mana began churning out a large amount of concentrated light. In each circle was a power equivalent to a continent-shattering magnitude of power. ¡°Is this what ##### would want?¡± It was a simple question uttered. And yet, that question was enough to pause the queen¡¯s outrage. ¡°This would not only end my own but your life as well. Truly putting an end to the fairies, as well as their ambition.¡± ¡°You impudent human, cease your nonsense.¡± The tiny being did not. ¡°You claim the desire to avenge your fallen comrades. And without having ever fulfilled their collective desire?¡± They spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, ignoring the immediate danger in front of them. ¡°Your words mean nothing!¡± The queen denied this truth. ¡°Abel promised to aid theirs and your own ambition, with this as the result?¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Light began pouring down, but the human boy would not falter. ¡°Enough? Are you threatening a mere child enough to satiate your gluttony for vengeance?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You recognise it, no? The fact that this is a childish retaliation ignoring everything you strived to become.¡± Whoosh! The illumination all together vanished bit by bit, until a single speck of light remained. It grew brighter and brighter as if compressing all the energy that had seemingly disappeared. ¡°None of this matters in front of my conviction,¡± The Queen let out one last breath. ¡°Disappear.¡± "Tch." The boy clicked his tongue knowing his bluffs would no longer work, "You have no tact at all." That speck of light descended. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. As it made an impact with the ground, a light comparable to a star expanded. The ground lost all shape, with the sky becoming once again visible. In which space itself crumbled beneath its might. Despite it all, the expression on the human boy showed no emotion. It was as if death had no meaning in front of him. However, unbeknownst to his surroundings he was in disarray. ''Hopefully, my bait was enough, like really, I don''t wanna die.'' ¡°Fate Reversal.¡± The world, as if heeding the words spoken, began to act. The colour drained from existence, leaving only behind shades of black and white. The shifting tectonic plates, the clear sky and the cracks in the space-time continuum ceased all kinds of progression. The world in its entirety stopped. Sequences of time played out like a record, and as if being wounded onto a tape, everything had begun to reverse. All it took was one minute. One minute of stalling and right before it all ended in front of me, it happened. The result of the progeny known as Serina Rosemary, the strongest mage. In the end she proved to me that I could trust her after all. ¡°You think turning back time would prevent your death?¡± The Spirit Queen mocked my lowly self, ¡°No one can get in, and no one can leave my domain.¡± You¡¯d think she already won by the way she was speaking. ¡°About that, miss queen of the fairies,¡± I made my wonderings audible, ¡° Tell me, who is your contractor again?¡± We all knew the answer to that. And we both knew that what I was calling had the potential to be a world ending calamity. Our favourite, greatest hero- ¡°Yo! Luke, and- oh boy. This is quite the mess isn¡¯t it?¡± The merry voice echoed across the spotless grove of Fjleora, causing me to retract my praise. ¡°Almost releasing the Demon King and killing two of my own in my Academy! This is quite the surprise, isn¡¯t it Queen of the Spirits?¡± He raised his arms, shrugging in a disappointed manner. ¡°Don¡¯t get in my way,¡± She ignored his implied warning. He laughed and questioned the mere fairy in front of him, ¡°Have you really forgotten? Or are you joking?¡± ¡°There is nothing to forget. You were the strongest.¡± ¡°Haha, even if I may be weaker in these times of peace, I was the one who buried both the demon king and the twisted goddess,¡± Abel sent a glance toward me. ¡°It matters not if he possesses such eyes because the Greatest hero this world has possessed declares as such.¡± Fjleora and Abel glared at one another, neither moving until the other did. ¡°Vanish,¡± She spared no more words. The once-gone supernova of energy had found itself once again upon us. ¡°I really thought we could resolve this peacefully,¡± Abel frowned slightly, ¡°Don¡¯t blame me if you can¡¯t remain the same after this.¡± He held out his hand initiating an infamous stance from within the game. Every time this was revealed, no matter the enemy, they would perish. If held towards the player, there was no end in which we won. If held towards an enemy, they would die without sparing a thought. The moment he held his weapon, he had won. ¡°Come to me,¡± He announced to the world, ¡°My partner¡­¡± ¡±G¨¢e Bulg.¡± The spear, which never failed to meet its target, has made its appearance. I sent my prayers to the Queen. Abel has made his verdict of extreme punishment, there was no chance in hell she would make it out alive. His whole body emanated power, forming shockwaves which pulsed across the field, from merely wielding a legendary weapon. He was the judge, handing down his judgment upon a lost lamb. Abel poised his body in preparation for launch. His arm holding G¨¢e Bulg had been cocked backward indicating the soon launch of doomsday. ¡°You see, even if I may be weaker, It doesn¡¯t mean my weapons are.¡± Gulp The Queen exhibited a trembling display of instant defeat. This weapon had led to the death of all enemies that had laid their eyes upon it. According to legends both in and out of the game, it was a spear that would never miss when its target was determined. ¡°Abel!¡± She attempted to remedy her impending doom, ¡°We can-¡° ¡°Let¡¯s talk after you calm down, okay?¡± A frightening smile encroached upon his usually innocent face. ¡°Good night.¡± Such words indicated the end of the Spirit Queen. Runalia and I had found ourselves floating inside a spherical barrier, courtesy of the hero. Where across from us light had bent around Abel, as the world seemed to circle around him. Space was put under his will as gravity lost meaning around him. Mana was manipulated to its fullest extent as Fjleora could do nothing but watch the scythe of a grime reaper complete its job. Abel alone was the honoured one. Crack! Time and space itself had been contorted as it was released from his arm, leaving gaps in reality from its wake. The world around us had lost shape, trees were upside down, and the surroundings twisted and distorted. Fjleora lost the ability to move in a broken space, simply staring in fear at certain death. This power should not belong to a mortal of this plane. And yet, such a person existed, currently ignoring what he had caused. ¡°Well, how¡¯s everyone doing?¡± Abel nonchalantly asked. Yeah. I¡¯ve done enough. ¡°Honestly,¡± I followed suit in ignoring the chaos, ¡°I¡¯m done for the day,¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be right, we still have classes running,¡± He wagged his finger telling me off as if I was a child. ¡°Surely you don¡¯t mean¡­¡± My face crumpled from an incoming despair. ¡°Of course! You still have the rest of the day, and class starts in a few minutes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± This cheapskate hero was getting on my nerves. ¡°Hurry along okay?¡± He gestured with his hand, ¡°Shoo.¡± Did I seriously just go through all that to receive nothing? Reality forced me to accept fate, with G¨¢e Bulg piercing through the Spirit Queen. ¡°Oh, and when the spirit queen comes back to her senses later¡­¡± He smiled saintly, ¡°I¡¯ll have her reimburse you personally.¡± Cheapskate? I meant messiah. All hail Great Hero Abel! Serina should also praise... Huh¡­? Where did she go? -x- Luke had done it perfectly. I had witnessed his knowledge and true strength first hand, accessing the information of the fairy race so easily. Without his distraction, everything would have ended for the seventh time. The spell Fate Reversal saved us. The activation of such a grand scale level of magic came with severe consequences. My power is significantly weaker than what it would be in the coming future. Meaning I had to draw power from life force, as my capacity for mana wasn¡¯t large enough. However without such a ruckus, that god in the shape of a child would fail to notice. As a result, casting such a spell left me sprawled out across the ground lifeless. ¡°Good work! As expected of a Rosemary, you truly were exemplary in getting my attention,¡± It was the principal in his full childish glory. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Normally you¡¯d die as a consequence, but I can¡¯t let that happen so soon right?¡± He cryptically continued, ¡°The reincarnator shouldn¡¯t lose their life that easily, especially when a newcomer has made his appearance.¡± My grudge towards this man far extended beyond simple timelines. Yet, I couldn¡¯t truly hate him, not after knowing his fate. His motives, everything which he had revealed, were beyond what a lone human should have endured. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what¡¯ve you been through so I can¡¯t really talk,¡± He waved his hand softly, ¡°See ya.¡± With those parting words, he snapped his fingers, and I felt an object materialise into my hand. Taking into account his personality, it was not some normal elixir. But if I couldn¡¯t move my body there was no point. ¡°Hello?¡± A voice reverberated from ahead, ¡°You there?¡± It was without a doubt the anomaly, Luke. Chapter 15 - Heavenly Grave (5) Proofreader: Future Me The advent of G¨¢e Bulg still struck a sense of fear in me. My legs remained shaky even after having Runalia support me. Especially after I saw a glimpse of his stats, the monstrosity of his power further etched itself into my mind. [Abel Cresent] [Age: 329 ] [Race: Human (?)] [Attributes] Vitality: Tier 9 (Not even G¨¢e Bulg would kill him.) Strength: Tier 9 (He punched a hole in the moon¡­) Mana: Tier 10 (Immeasurable) [Skills] Time¡¯s Toll (Z) The Hero Who Triumphed Destiny (???) [Over 1000 skills are available for view.] His stats were measured with words rather than numbers. I could see how he left behind humanity a while ago. Despite all of that his existence would be erased no matter what, due to the correction of fate¡¯s balance adjusting, or so the developers stated. The community had felt that it was close to bullshit, but they were adamant in their decision. While daydreaming, I was currently searching for Serina who would¡¯ve been not too far behind. ¡°Runalia, over there!¡± I pointed over to the corpse-like visage in the distance. ¡°Ah!¡± She weirdly shifted herself. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, just go on ahead.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ alright.¡± Sprawled across the ground was Serina, with a strange bottle in her hand. Her eyes were open, but there was no sign of movement. Of course, that spell would render her useless. There was no precedent of a child being able to access such power after all. I beckoned the Dragon, ¡°Runalia? Can you give me some help?¡± There was no reply even after turning around. I guess she disappeared to recuperate. Not knowing how to proceed, I kind of just¡­ stared. ¡°¡­¡±The silence seemed to frustrate Serina as she looked over to the bottle and myself over and over. I sighed as I finally got the memo, ¡°Yes, I got it.¡± By design it was definitely an elixir of a unique kind, I could only guess where she found it from. Cautiously, I cradled her hand and picked up the bottle ensuring there is no damage to her currently dying body. ¡°Now,¡± I smiled devilishly, ¡°Open wide! Here comes the aeroplane!¡± Her eyes contained a look of shock. That¡¯s right, just like Erin, I¡¯ll admit it. I¡¯m petty too. ¡°Oh here it comes!¡± I placed the bottle of divine juices onto her lips. It was a complicated stare that she held. She was definitely more than just irritated. Maybe I should just leave her here for my own safety. Before I turned my back, she whispered in a frail voice, ¡°H-hey¡­¡± ¡°Y- Yeah?¡± I was scared for a moment. ¡°C-carry¡­¡± Just one word. Hopefully, I wasn¡¯t too weak to the point I couldn¡¯t carry a girl. ¡°If you¡¯re too heavy, it¡¯s not my fault,¡± I begrudgingly accepted her request. Since she couldn¡¯t move at all it was better to pick her up in the safest way possible. One arm behind her back, and the other behind her knees. ¡°W-w-what is this?!¡± She let out an uncharacteristic yelp. ¡°I¡¯m carrying you?¡± I was unpleasantly puzzled. She asked to be carried, so I don¡¯t see the issue here. I could drop her right now if I wanted. ¡°Just¡­ take me to the nurse,¡± She mumbled before passing out. I didn¡¯t respond. More appropriately, I couldn¡¯t. My body is indeed too weak for this even with the enhancement buff active. Stumbling through the academy grounds, we found ourselves in a bit of a bind. Not because I couldn¡¯t remember where to go, but because there was a crowd in front of us. And at the forefront of it all, was my all so favourite winged reptile. The one who ditched us earlier. Furthermore, the crowd was silent, likely due to the imposing stature of this supposed mighty dragon. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Student Luke, let us take Serina Rosemary to the nursery. Your role is over,¡± Runalia ordered without delay. ¡°Return to class.¡± To top this situation off, she without fail, returns to her professor mode in front of others. Ditching your deeply troubled students, and then the condescendence too. It was all too surreal dealing with her two-faced behaviour. ¡°I¡¯ll be on my way, ma¡¯am,¡± I made sure to vent out some frustration. ¡°¡­¡± A clear irk was made visible on her face, which was enough to me of my complaints. As per the insults from the Spirit Queen, she had some disdain toward being recognised as old. Runalia lifted her finger, wrapping her mana around Serina causing her to levitate. She faced the crowd and demanded, ¡°Clear the way.¡± It was as if an ocean had been split in two. There had to roughly have been at least fifty students here. ¡°Who are you?¡± A voice asked. ¡°Is this related to the Demon Uprising group?¡± ¡°Why was the vice headmaster involved?¡± Another question. Immediately after Runalia¡¯s absence, it was as if I was ensnared within a load of piranhas out for blood. Somehow even that annoying group of terrorists were being related to me in their heads. Collectively, this current student body has focused on me. The atmosphere was tense. A bit too tense for my liking. The questions wouldn¡¯t stop and I was almost caught. To begin with, I still wasn¡¯t even sure why they were all here. Had they simply followed the vice headmaster to see the commotion, or was it because they felt the disturbance of two monsters battling it out? ¡°Ex- excuse me!¡± A voice squeaked from the frantic crowd. ¡°Passing through!¡± A face popped out of the wall of human flesh, I hadn¡¯t expected to see her yet. ¡°I-I, I¡­ umm¡­¡± She stuttered realising the fuss she made, ¡°Er- erin told me you weren¡¯t around¡­ so I went looking!¡± Her embarrassment was hilarious I¡¯ll say that. But I¡¯ve got class, and an apology to make, so there was no time for stalling. ¡°Uwah!¡± Uriel shrieked as I picked her up and lobbed her over my shoulder. ¡°Sorry guys! Hit me up if you wanna hear the details later!¡± I rushed past the thinning crowd with Uriel in tow. Activating enhancement on Stamina, I ran past the other mediocre buildings and straight into the den of child prodigies. ¡°Phew,¡± I rubbed the sweat clouding my vision. ¡°Ne- ver- do- that- again-¡° Uriel had been spinning in circles since I placed her back down. ¡°I- I can¡¯t see straight.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t promise that, but I¡¯ll warn you next time,¡± I alluded to a possible future for a tease. Unexpectedly, a vein seemed to snap on her forehead. She stomped up to me, unlike both her saintly and nervous traits. ¡°Next time!?¡± She snapped, ¡°Are you insane!?¡± ¡°Yes¡­?¡± I was left speechless. It was true that making a nice person mad can be scary as fuck. ¡°How can you pick up the saint candidate like that!?¡± Fumes were pumping out of her ears as she yelled at me from below my shoulder. ¡°You need to learn when to not cross the line!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The smile from yesterday and this snap made me wonder if she had a split identity disorder. Never had I expected to see the future saint become this mad. ¡°Answer me, Luke!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing my ongoing silence, she continued. ¡°This is unacceptable behaviour, you are a student of the Platinum generation!¡± I¡¯ll be honest here. It was kind of cute, like a squirrel or cat lashing out, you can¡¯t help but adore it and feel somewhat guilty. ¡°I- I- I am¡­¡± She gasped for air. Finally it looked as if she ran out of steam. ¡°You okay?¡± I asked as if nothing had happened. Uriel paused as she looked between herself and I. She blinked once, then twice. With a blush she hastily dusted herself, preparing to leave. ¡°I- I¡¯m sorry for what I said!¡± She apologised and ran upstairs into the home room. This had a different impact from learning that there were five protagonists, Runalia¡¯s true self, and Serina¡¯s change. I was just left standing here, not knowing what to think. -x- Night Before the Spirit Queen¡¯s Temporary Death ¡°Daughter, I¡¯ve caught word that you have made friends,¡± Through a magic ring, a voice rang, ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°Father, it¡¯d be more accurate to call them acquaintances. I have only known of him for three days,¡± A noble response came from the girl sitting beside her bed. ¡°Him? I asked about friends- don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± His voice paused, ¡°You¡¯re in a relationship already?¡± ¡°What!? Of co- course not!¡± She stammered in her denial, ¡°I am a noble! How am I to wed a commoner?¡± ¡°Wed?¡± ¡°No- no! I meant-¡° ¡°Julia.¡± The call of her father worsened her nerves, ¡°Ye-yes father?¡± ¡°Return at once.¡± ¡°I¡­ it¡¯s only been a few days, so-¡° ¡°This is simply unacceptable.¡± ¡°But!¡± ¡°You may be our baby daughter, but¡­¡± His voice trailed off. She gulped in the dark dorm room, trembling in anticipation for the next words. ¡°HOW COULD WE LET SUCH A PLEASANT OCCASION GO UNNOTICED!¡± Julia¡¯s father exclaimed across the communication ring, ¡°Honey! You must hear this! Our daughter has found herself a fianc¨¦!¡± ¡°Enough! We¡¯re not in such a scandalous relationship!¡± ¡°It is a male friend, no?¡± ¡°He is¡­?¡± Julia felt sceptical of her father''s wording. ¡°Then it must be, you two are dating!¡± ¡°Argh!¡± She grasped her head in frustration. The Gracia family, under fire from many political and feudal pressures, had finally experienced joy. Their one and only daughter found a man who would accept her despite their reputation. However, Julia found herself stuck, unsure if a relationship was even desirable as a first. Indeed, she has only known him for a few days. ¡®He¡¯s been hanging out with two other girls as well¡­ I believe they were Uriel and Erin. Well, I was the first so¡­¡¯ ¡®First? Why would I¡­ there¡¯s no possible future in which I- I¡­¡¯ Another voice erupted from the ring, ¡°Sweetie, I just heard! Congratulations, we¡¯ve been worried for so long!¡± ¡°Mother! Don¡¯t make this any worse!¡± Julia¡¯s thoughts had led her down a dangerous path and such comments would worsen it. ¡°Hmmm~ We know you¡¯re embarrassed, it¡¯s fine!¡± She exclaimed, ¡°Enjoy your youth!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t wait to meet him,¡± Her father commented. ¡°But for now, see you soon.¡± Bzzt- And the communication line was cut before Julia could say another word. -x- In front of her was a crowd, with the focus being Luke, holding the child of her arch enemies. ¡®Why?¡¯ A gnawing feeling gripped Julia¡¯s heart. ¡®Why is he helping a Rosemary? They were the ones who¡­.¡¯ The sight of Luke and Serina drenched her mind in a flurry of storms. Chapter 16 – Struggles of the Weak (1) Proofreader: Future Myself I entered the homeroom slightly late, still in a state of shock from Uriel¡¯s outburst. ¡°Luke, you¡¯re late. Sit down immediately so we can begin the announcements.¡± I nodded and left for my seat next to the potted plant. This would be my safe place for a while in the future. Runalia placed her hands on the teaching pedestal gathering our attention. ¡°First of all, the awaited Dungeon Expedition has been set for Friday this week.¡± The reactions of those excited for battle were obvious, just looking at Fen and Mark was enough to realise. There was a level of anticipation that the others couldn¡¯t resist, to which even Lisana paid deep attention. ¡°It will be held in the most recently found area, Philios Forest. We will arrange all the first years into balanced teams. I expect you all to know what that means. Furthermore, you will all be placed with a supervisor from the second year.¡± So far everything was according to the introductory week. Though with this current world, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it wasn¡¯t just the Demon Uprising guys to show up. ¡°Second, we have opened up a new area for you, students in particular. It holds a monument of the Academy¡¯s history, make sure to pay your homage at a later date.¡± I guess I caused this one, didn¡¯t I? To make the most of this I could talk to Erin about it later to some effect, considering it is her father¡¯s grave. ¡°Lastly, there will be a Hero¡¯s Bout between first-year student Luke and second-year student Claus Karlos. It will occur this Thursday. This will serve as an example for the rest of the first years.¡± There it was, the glares of everyone in the class. ¡°You¡¯ve got balls for a weakling, even if you did withstand a single blow from me,¡± Mark made his views public, ¡°That¡¯s suicide, you idiot-¡° The hero¡¯s descendant froze without any warning. I wondered what it was until I looked over at Runalia, her expression was quite the spectacle. It was the classic use of Dragon Fear, which put every player to shame with no counter until you got stronger. ¡°Homeroom is over, students proceed to the swordsmanship class.¡± I slipped out quicker than a snake, I didn¡¯t want to deal with my classmates with no romance on the horizon. Especially because I could now fulfil the second condition of achieving dual wielding, which was to receive the teachings of Bartholomew Floreis. ¡°Why¡¯d Mark just stop moving?¡± Fen tapped my back. Even with my efforts to escape class, the speed of superhumans was not to be underestimated. ¡°You¡¯ll understand eventually,¡± I didn¡¯t want to waste my energy explaining. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ you¡¯re secretly strong?¡± Fen muttered his question aloud, ¡°We have to fight right now!¡± ¡°Of course not, let¡¯s just get to class.¡± Down the hallways of the second floor there it lay, my ticket to becoming one of the strongest. At the very least, it had the potential to make me contend in the rankings. Upon entrance, there was a grandeur field beyond us. Similar to Haruto¡¯s class which spanned across a whole field, this had the same feeling. ¡°Welcome, the Platinum Generation. Even if this is a sword-specific class, expect no lenience.¡± The strict persona came on quickly, he was essentially a copy of Runalia¡¯s strict mode, without the ¡®dere¡¯ part. His broad shoulders and seven-foot-tall body made him even more imposing than he should¡¯ve been. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°First course of action, line up into three rows of four, I will judge your stance in swinging a sword.¡± With a flick of his hand, a rack of swords was brought towards us from the sidelines. His family''s magic of pulling and pushing objects had a magical flare that attracted eyes. While we all picked up a sword, Vyke and Rodney in particular made a disturbance with bickering. I knew of such characterisation, but I never bothered to learn about the Paladin Class or its route. This was yet another obstacle I would have to overcome later on. ¡°Now start swinging, and don¡¯t stop until I command it.¡± His style of teaching was old fashioned, coupled with the fact that this school was meant for producing heroes it made for a boring but practical class. We all swung, but there had been no unity. However, it was seemingly in his favour, with him nodding as he observed us one by one. Even if most of us didn¡¯t practise swordsmanship seriously, we all knew how to wield it. As time ticked by, we continued to no end. Minutes, maybe even hours? It was a plain field with nothing except an artificial sky. There was nothing to distract us except ourselves. I hadn¡¯t expected it since there was no show of the training in the game, but it fits with his personality. Also, there was a special feature in this room that would greatly make things difficult for us. It acted as a special mechanic for the spars that occurred in this room of the Golden Hen. ¡°Sir, when will we stop?¡± As expected, the first to speak up was Luna. With no hesitation, the professor denied her speech, ¡°I have not granted permission for you to speak.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Her complaint manifested in the form of a click of her tongue. ¡°¡­¡± The brutish instructor ignored her and continued watching. It lasted long enough that even I had begun to lose my breath. ¡°Enough,¡± He paused, ¡°I will teach all of you one on one.¡± It was pure silence, but an unexpected person began to ask. ¡°In all due respect, how would you accomplish that?¡± Charles had spoken for the first time in class, with a similar tone to when he had talked to me. ¡°Witness for yourself, for I will prove myself unto which you all should prove yourself to me.¡± A grand magic circle had floated above us, spanning a few metres in length. Complex equations and symbols had been filled to the brim within it. ¡°I am Bartholomew Floreis, the sole descendant of the fallen Painu royalty.¡± Reaching what had seemed to be completion, the magic circle split. Pulling from the boundaries, and pushing from within. It had begun to self clone. It replicated until there were eleven, the same amount as students in our generation. Countless complex circles had floated around the professor. ¡°This is my secret art, [Splitting Reality]," On command, his body had begun to deform. The insides of his body were pushed out and pulled away, leaving two bodily silhouettes behind. That was this professor¡¯s speciality, the ability to replicate himself united with one mind. ¡°Certainly¡­ I can understand now,¡± Charles had taken a moment to answer. Even a prince of his composure would feel a visible discomfort watching him contort and disfigure. Perfectly, this was my opportunity to intervene. The opportunity to receive his favour. It was honestly quite simple, I just had to politely ask him to fight. I had launched past the organised crowd of ten students, with my arms ready to swing. ¡°What are you doing!?¡± I heard someone shout. My wooden sword had sliced through the mesh of human flesh and bodily organs. The abomination of a clone hard reset, once again building from the ground up. Gurgle Gurgle. ¡°Luke, I know you¡¯re crazy, but this¡­ this is too far don¡¯t you think?¡± Fen had approached cautiously, while the professor continued to split without issue. ¡°...¡± I had to remain silent, my image and life were at stake with this gamble. I looked behind seeing the shocked stare of Uriel and Rodney. Whereas Vyke approached me, imposing as per his giant stature. His wild dark green hair, along with his piercing eyes formed the aura of strength. ¡°Wa- wait!¡± Uriel yelled for him to stop. Vyke responded resolutely, ¡°No, I have something I must say.¡± ¡°B- but-¡° She was ignored like a tree on the side of the road. ¡°I¡¯ve been observing you since the first day,¡± He stared me straight in the eyes, ¡°You¡­ you are truly a man! Unlike Rodney who uses words, you who speak with his actions are different!¡± The reactions of the class were just as surprised as mine. I didn¡¯t expect him to act out in such an¡­ unexpected way. From a small distance, the professors had fully formed. ¡°End your chatter. I must hear this one¡¯s reasons.¡± Now, this is where the affinity bar would go from zero to a hundred with a single move. Chapter 17 – Struggles of the Weak (2) Proofreader: My Friend (Has returned.) + Future Me Twelve instructors faced me all at once, all exuding a menacing aura. They were waiting for my answer which I had already planned out. While I may not be one of the protagonists, the interactions in the game could still be replicated to create a favourable outcome. Before I replied, I took one last look at everyone else. With what I plan to do, I¡¯ll probably die. Just not in the traditional meaning of it. Here, I needed to embrace the role that Fen would embody in the game. I questioned his motives. ¡°According to your words, we would practice in one-on-one sessions. Is that correct?¡± ¡±Indeed.¡± The twenty-four eyes stared daggers through me. ¡±In that case, have I not won?¡± I smirked, re-enacting word for word of Fen¡¯s role. Their faces turned dark, with the looming sense of dread approaching. They marched in unison, and formed a circle around me. The middle professor stepped forward, ¡°Do you understand what it means to point your sword at a person?¡± ¡±To be prepared to face death yourself.¡± I answered without hesitation, but I was sweating bullets. Facing death for the third time doesn¡¯t make this any less terrifying. The professors let out a chuckle, almost satisfied with my answer. ¡°¡±Then, show me your resolve.¡±¡± They all raised their arms into the sky, materialising swords. Stomp! Stomp! They advanced toward me inch by inch, radiating death. This¡­ was a different kind of scary. Compared to the Spirit Queen, this was somehow worse. They all stood perfectly still as if deliberating a punishment upon me. Their swords pointed all at once as if daring me to move. If this followed the set dialogue as it did in the game, he should stop millimetres before me. Right? Gash! -x- Third Person POV The class remained silent, in fear, due to the course of events unfolding. Within the middle of the field stood eleven burly men, their swords aimed at the centre of their formation. Uriel¡¯s face turned sour, ¡®Is this my last time seeing Luke!? I- I never even got to make it up to him!¡¯ In contrast to the saint¡¯s internal panic, a few individuals kept their wits. Serina expected him to make some sort of calculated move, and Charles simply assessed the situation. Erin and Lisana maintained a clear poker face. ¡°Are we all just going to watch him die?!¡± Fen shouted in outrage. ¡±Huh¡­?¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Charles tapped him on the shoulder and whispered into his ear, ¡°A professor wouldn¡¯t kill a student, especially in this environment. Keep your head straight, Fen Castelle, knight of the prince.¡± ¡±Oooh¡­ Understand!¡± He immediately regained all his cool and watched with an expectant expression. On the other side of the dynamic prince and knight, was Mark Cresent, uninterested, as well as the indifferent Vyke who shot daggers at Rodney. Of whom had been patting the saint¡¯s back out of concern. Separated from the others, Ash Walker watched on with a blank expression. However, his eyes told a different story. ¡¯That boy¡­ claiming to be my friend, surely he wouldn¡¯t die?¡¯ Ash¡¯s isolation drew him toward Luke. What should¡¯ve been Luna¡¯s position was snatched right out of her hands. Her face held a grimace, satisfied at Luke¡¯s confrontation with the professor. Nonetheless, they all watched on in some form of interest. Whoosh! There was no alarm, no alert, no warning. In an instant, the formerly unmoving professors moved with visible blood thirst. ¡±What¡­?¡± Serina¡¯s body radiated with a seething rage unbeknownst to herself. ¡°No! Nooo!¡± Uriel desperately reached out for Luke but was blocked by Rodney. It could¡¯ve been compared to a porcupine. The body left behind had been impaled from all sides, revealing nothing but a sloppy mess of what could be called human. A renewed fear reigned among the remaining students, accentuated by disgust. ¡±Truly¡­¡± Charles raised his eyebrows in a form of displeasure, ¡°How unexpected.¡± Mark felt a clinch of unease at the action. ¡°Wasn¡¯t he chosen by the geezer?¡± ¡¯How horrid,¡¯ Lisana had also thought. ¡°Huhuhu,¡± The Princess laughed. ¡°How ignorant, stay dead filthy commoner.¡± It was a unanimous feeling amongst them, besides a peculiar one. From their perspectives, it was the end of a fellow student. -x- My mind had blanked. There was nothing left in my surroundings except an overwhelming level of void. ¡°You don¡¯t seem surprised,¡± A figure noted before me. It was Bartholomew Floreis, holding me captive in his mental world. I had expected this based on the guide needed to achieve the style of dual-wielding. Yet, despite such knowledge, the process itself was incredibly daunting in person. ¡±Well, what teacher would kill their student?¡± I retorted sharply. ¡±Haha,¡± He chuckled. ¡°Indeed you make a good point.¡± I¡¯ll wake up in extreme pain, but he would¡¯ve experienced the same when I destroyed his clone offshoot, so it was fair. Eye for an eye one would say. ¡°So, what now?¡± I asked despite knowing the answer. ¡°I¡¯m reconstructing your body as we speak,¡± He nonchalantly told me. A shiver shook my spine. ¡±I witnessed your remarkable display of willpower.¡± Floreis proceeded to make his curiosity clear, ¡°I know you did this for a reason, why don¡¯t you elaborate on it?¡± ¡±I¡¯ve been waiting to hear that,¡± I cleared my throat, ¡°Ahem. There is nothing I desire more than to be taught the way of your sword.¡± ¡±How commendable.¡± ¡±Hmm?¡± ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve witnessed a student pull off such a stunt, all for simple lessons with me.¡± ¡°Your swordsmanship rivals that of the best in the world. And it¡¯s yours alone that I seek to learn from,¡± I added slyly, ¡°In particular, your knowledge in the true art of dual wielding.¡± He paused, gazing at the determination in my eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll start after the first week of your admission, when you can select your classes,¡± Floreis swiftly decided. A smile naturally crept onto my face, thankfully it played out as it did in the tutorials online. Lights in dots had started to form in this abyss. ¡±Well, it¡¯s time to wake up,¡± He reminded me before speaking again, ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡±Luke sir, I ask you to please remember it.¡± ¡°Yes. Yes I will,¡± He rubbed his stubby chin with a grin, ¡°Now be on your way.¡± The world around me drifted from darkness, revealing a wide sky. For some reason, it felt slightly more colourful than it should be. There were blotches of vibrant colours covering my vision. ¡±Huh.¡± I observed the chaos in front of me, ¡°Why are you all here?¡± Chapter 18 – Struggles of the Weak (3) Proofreader: Future Me I was surrounded from all sides, although it wasn¡¯t the professor dupes, but my classmates. After witnessing my state of being, a sigh of relief escaped most of their mouths. Serina glared at the man fiercely, ¡°Professor, that was beyond necessary.¡± She had begun a one-sided lecture with one of the clones, it was embarrassing to watch. In contrast, Erin, Uriel and Ash stayed with me, while the others began training with the clones. ¡°I- I was really worried!¡± Uriel had let out her concerns. ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± She was holding my hand tightly as I was still down on the grass. ¡°Your body looked far past death,¡± Erin commented, ¡°I thought I¡¯d have to cancel our plans later.¡± Uriel leaned in closer with a suspicious expression, ¡°Plans?¡± ¡°The Hero¡¯s Bout, Luke needs training,¡± Erin explained calmly. ¡°Hero¡¯s bout-?¡± Her face formed an O shape. She definitely forgot. ¡°Th- then- Isn¡¯t this impossible? He¡¯s only a first-year!¡± A reasonable response came from Uriel, but it would only be met with the stubbornness that is Erin Villaine. ¡°Is that a problem? Luke has a potential which outmatches almost anyone else¡¯s,¡± Erin had crudely reasoned, ¡°I can train him to become stronger than that waste of a paladin.¡± ¡°E-even if that¡¯s true, there¡¯s not enough time!¡± Not even Uriel denied Klaus¡¯ pathetic behaviour. I watched the two of them bicker, eventually meeting eyes with Ash. ¡°I see your troubles,¡± Ash murmured before leaving, ¡°Come to me if you need further help.¡± Was he that easy to become friends with? I guess without his protagonist''s perspective, he was pretty isolated. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to training, alright?¡± I finally got up and tapped their shoulders. ¡°Luke, You need to get out of duel!¡± Uriel grabbed my arm urging me to give up. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I need a stepping stone to work from,¡± I took back my arm and shrugged. ¡°Also, Erin was the one who beat the guy senseless yesterday.¡± ¡°B- but!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be training after school, and if you¡¯re really that worried, just join us then,¡± I offered a sound solution. ¡°I- I¡­ fine!¡± She added, ¡°But you can¡¯t start without me.¡± I had finally appeased Uriel¡¯s worry, as she left with a huff toward the clone assigned to her. ¡°Hmmm¡­ considering the time dilation in this room, we probably have a couple of hours left,¡± I calculated the remaining time I could muster for training. From behind Erin curiously asked, ¡°You could tell that as well?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I kept my silence on the matter, ¡°Go back to your professor, he¡¯s giving us glares for messing around.¡± Seeing her walk off with a scoff, I could engage in refining my current sword technique with the man in front of me. While the rest had already begun sparring, here I was, standing in anticipation. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. It was about time I got some action, even if I had ¡®died¡¯ a minute ago. ¡°Are you ready?¡± He gauged my reaction standing with his sword, ¡°Just as you survived being stabbed, you can¡¯t die while I¡¯m here¡­ So be prepared for a pain worse than death.¡± ¡°Gulp-¡° I was incredibly tense. Schwing! His body lunged toward me at inhuman speeds, but I could see. My Outer Eyes granted me omniscient sight, however the question was whether I could react accordingly. Even if I couldn¡¯t block the attack, I could at least redirect its strength and take less damage. ¡°Nice parry,¡± He acknowledged my feat. ¡°But how long can you continue this?¡± Bartholomew swung with precision in every action, although the power was manageable. Through his mastery, there was nothing I could do but stay on the defensive. But¡­ I wanted to become stronger. Every strike, and every swing, my eyes had seen it all. An overwhelming feeling had taken a presence within me. Maybe, just maybe I could replicate just a little of his swordsmanship, just enough to find a gap in his immovable offence. His wonderful movements, with no wasted movements, had become more predictable. The dominant strokes he used to bait my defence, now became obsolete. Yes, I could grasp it. Even if he was holding back, this was my win. ¡°What!?¡± A surprised yelp resounded from the professor. For just a moment, we had interlocked swords. ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky!¡± He broke off the stalemate, ducking underneath my overstretched arms. My vision slanted and a force was delivered to my stomach. I looked upwards as I lay down on the floor, his eyes were screaming at me. Screaming for me to get back up. It was a nostalgic feeling. It was the same as when my former master had always taught me. I laughed at the coincidence, that I would once again be put through tribulation to escape the struggles of weakness. ¡°This is surprisingly fun, isn¡¯t it sir?¡± I found solace in the fact that I was getting stronger. [Basic Swordsmanship (E) (8.7% -> 15.3% Proficiency - Evolution Possible)] Simply understanding the principles of a stronger technique let me grow. ¡°¡­¡± Once again he charged forward, and I was ready to meet his sword. I felt that I was taking the first step toward a better future. -x- ¡°Fuck!¡± My voice was letting out unadulterated pain. ¡®Toward a better future?¡¯ To hell with that! I had become battered over and over again with bruises and cuts. However, this demon had healed me each time through his game-breaking pull and push magic. It was practically a torture that wouldn¡¯t end. At one point my elbow was dislocated, just for him to strike it back into place, literally. He even used his sword to fix it¡­ Without a doubt, he was an instructor from hell. ¡°The three hours are over, you may begin your next class.¡± Simultaneously, the clones all spoke to their respective pupils, beginning to collect into one human being. The process was just as disgusting as before so I refused to watch. ¡°Luke,¡± A disfigured voice said, ¡°I¡¯m impressed.¡± The pile of reconstructing flesh- Bartholomew had approached me. I shrugged off his praise, ¡°Yeah, yeah, I gotta go sir.¡± But he wouldn¡¯t let up. ¡°I doubt you¡¯ll lose to the bumbling idiot, Karlos.¡± Haha, It seemed even this guy had trouble with that senior. ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t,¡± I sent my goodbyes to the abomination. Walking out the door, Fen wrapped his arm around my neck. At this point, I had gotten used to it. ¡°Luke, you were out there with that! Like how¡¯d you live!¡± He excitedly exclaimed, ¡°Seriously though, what was that?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say I got a really good deal,¡± I answered his excitement with mystery. Fen held a confused tone, ¡°Why or how would you even know to do that anyway?¡± ¡°He has a point,¡± Erin agreed with his rambunctiousness. ¡°Whatever,¡± I sighed knowing the repercussions of revealing my knowledge. ¡°We have Magic Studies again right?¡± Fen answered with a thumbs up. Mary¡¯s voice would soothe me to sleep. What were the developers taking when creating this cast of teachers? The time wasted was incredibly discomforting. I just wanted to start the practice sessions with Erin ASAP. Chapter 19 – Struggles of The Weak (4) Proofreader: Future Me ¡°Hello~ Stuuuudeennntttsss!¡± Mary had greeted everyone. Her voice was my sign to tap out. With each passing lesson, it was becoming obvious that there was too much happening in this first week. Even in the game, there wasn¡¯t this level of chaos¡­ Well, that was because I didn¡¯t bother attempting ¡®Hell¡¯s Paradise.¡¯ There were many things to digest in the past day, Serina¡¯s outlashes, Charles¡¯ confrontation, Ancient History¡¯s Class, as well as the many routes that would force itself into the main storyline. With the advent of the Spirit Queen, I planned to talk it out with Erin later. She was a great tutor in the game, and hopefully, she would be one for me too. On the flip side, when the dungeon and hero¡¯s bout is completed I¡¯ll also be able to train under this school¡¯s most qualified swordsman. Was that about it today? Oh wait¡­ Abel¡¯s promise, If he keeps his word It¡¯ll be possible to receive something even greater than Fjleora¡¯s blessing. Hopefully, for the next couple of days, things will chill out while I train for my duel. This situation has only made me even more envious of the isekai system cheat novels. ¡°If only¡­¡± I mumbled half dead. ¡°When taakiingg intoo account graaaviiittttyyy, the formula of trajectory muuusttt be implemented into the magic circle~¡± Mary¡¯s calming voice further urged me to sleep. In the end, my eyes gave up on being open. -x- ¡°Goodbyeeeee!~ See you next tiiiimmmmeeeee.¡± I got up half dead, exiting with the hope of peace. ¡°Yo! Let¡¯s get food together,¡± Fen came up to me along with Uriel and Erin. ¡°I bet you¡¯re starving, especially after what happened with Professor Floreis.¡± The peace was not granted, but he made a good point. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± I agreed with his perspective. Fen smirked, ¡°Great, we were heading there anyway so it¡¯ll be all four of us.¡± We were walking to the cafeteria when we noticed a rapidly approaching girl. Uriel had quietly noted, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Julia?¡± The brown pigtails marked their appearance, confirming her suspicions. A grim expression loomed across her face, worrying the three of us. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked first. ¡°You don¡¯t¡­ look the best.¡± She swiftly grabbed me by the arm and brought me forward. ¡°P- please, let¡¯s talk. Just the two of us.¡± I looked over toward the others looking for an opinion, and they simply all nodded. ¡°It''s fine,¡± Fen mouthed to me from afar. I turned to Julia accepting her request, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll hear you out.¡± I was subtly surprised, but I wondered what could¡¯ve happened for her to look so ragged. As of now, we sat at a table far away from the attention-grabbing centre of the cafeteria. ¡°Commoner, do you know about the Rosemary family?¡± It was a direct question from Julia, leaving me no room to think. I decided to mix in a lie with truth, ¡°I am aware of them, but only to the extent that they are Serina¡¯s family.¡± The reality was that her family weren¡¯t the best people, putting it lightly. They are nefarious for their actions in the underworld, and creating experiments that interfere with the growth of other magicians around them. ¡°Re- Really?¡± Her panic subsided slightly. ¡°I mean I am ¡®friends¡¯ with Serina now, but she hasn¡¯t told me anything about her background.¡± Her eyebrows furrowed at what I had told her. ¡°Friends? H- how could that happen?¡± Julia had pushed for an answer. ¡°Well¡­ I- uh¡­¡± I stammered thinking of a way to explain it without making her seem like a villain or stalker. She had become overly aggressive with her questions, ¡°Were you honest with me before?¡± ¡°Yes I was, but-¡° I struggled to explain myself. ¡°But what?¡± She eyed me down like an eagle searching for prey. I was blanking badly, ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­¡± ¡°She- she uhh... saved me this morning!¡± I yielded pathetically. A confused noise escaped her lips, ¡°Excuse me? ¡®Saved¡¯?¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! I don¡¯t think revealing this would be a good idea. Eh- it¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s Julia after all. I grasped her hands on the table to express my seriousness, ¡°Julia, promise me you won¡¯t tell anyone what I¡¯m about to say.¡± ¡°Eh? Wait- I¡¯m not prepared!¡± Her face glowed a bright red. ¡°We can¡¯t- can¡¯t. Not yet!¡± ¡°Not what?¡± Question marks floated atop my head. It seemed she got the wrong memo. ¡°I¡¯m talking about this morning.¡± I brought her back to the main topic at hand, ¡°I got into a bit of trouble with some kind of spirit in the academy, and she got me out of it.¡± ¡°You found a spirit?¡± I managed a short lie, ¡°Well- I got lost.¡± Her face flashed an instant understanding of the situation. ¡°Hmph! I guess there was no issue at all then.¡± It hurt that she believed it without a shadow of a doubt. ¡°So, what was the problem?¡± I asked curiously. I couldn¡¯t recall if there was conflict between the De Gracias¡¯ and the Rosemary¡¯s. Not having bothered with Julia¡¯s route limited my knowledge of this to only the first week. ¡°No- Nothing at all!¡± Steam burst outside of her head, accompanied by a blush. ¡°It¡¯s of no concern to a commoner such as yourself!¡± ¡°Okay¡­?¡± I guess If she was satisfied through a quick round of answers, I could disregard it for now. ¡°I have places I must be! Goodbye!¡± She excused herself disappearing into the hallways of the academy. I stood motionless, unable to process her cute actions¡­ until I saw the crowded students eating happily. ¡°Yup, food!¡± I reminded my brain why I was here. I once again headed toward the cafeteria, sighing once I saw the others. Fen, Erin and Uriel were dead set in the middle of the cafeteria. They loved the VIP seats a little too much. Considering the other Platinum Generation guys don¡¯t come near here, it was a little embarrassing being singled out amongst the dozens of students. ¡°Luke! Look what we got you!¡± Uriel had a proud look on her face. The tray had hamburger and rice, with thinly sliced vegetables on the side. The first question on my mind was, ¡°How did you know what I wanted?¡± ¡°We heard everything in your sleep,¡± Erin had explained. ¡­ I didn¡¯t recall having that problem before coming to this world. Was that a trait of Luke, the body I currently possessed? ¡°Ye- yeah!¡± Uriel supported Erin¡¯s answer, ¡°We heard about all kinds of dishes I¡¯ve never heard of before.¡± Yeah. I wanted to disappear. I understand the things I do can be cringe, over the top, or just rude, but something like this¡­ Fen looked up with food covering his mouth. ¡°Luke, your face is red, do you need to go to the infirmary?¡± I didn¡¯t want to hear it from him. Just let me eat in peace and live ignorantly. -x- We had a new class pop up, Alchemy. It was an extremely useful class for players at the beginning, learning how to create potions, cures for status effects¡­ And seducing Luna. That princess was reeaaalllyyy easy to impress in the following weeks regardless of the protagonist, due to a cluster of troublesome events. Alchemy was a filler class of sorts, with hardly any events nor a professor that had any relevance. However, this world might prove it otherwise eventually. I listened to every third word, dozing off like I did in Mary¡¯s class. ¡°That was boring,¡± Fen complained. ¡°Yup, I really could go for a break,¡± My voice trailed off, ¡°especially since the swordsmanship class killed me¡­ literally.¡± I had already gotten my ass handed to me earlier¡­ and the wounds haven¡¯t healed either. ¡°Luke!¡± Uriel called out to me as Fen and I walked out. ¡°As an apology for this morning, please, let me relieve you of such injuries.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± I granted her permission without hesitation. ¡°No way I wouldn¡¯t receive the help of a saint.¡± ¡°I- I¡¯m still a candidate!¡± She stammered with a deep red face. ¡°I doubt you¡¯ll be for too long,¡± Fen assured her, ¡°You¡¯re pretty well received among the populace in our empire compared to the others.¡± ¡°R- really?¡± An embarrassed smile floated atop her face. I also commented, ¡°Honestly, I can see why.¡± ¡°Look, even Luke understands it,¡± Fen agreed easily. Uriel fidgeted with her hands, unfamiliar with that level of praise. ¡°I- I¡¯ll heal your wounds now.¡± A warm light descended from the ceiling, wrapping me in its embrace. Uriel made a prayer unintelligible to my ears and knelt down. ¡°-Heal this young lamb with your grace.¡± The moment her prayer finished, my body was filled with rejuvenation. I praised her work, ¡°Woah, it feels like nothing happened at all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Uriel let out a happy voice seeing my renewed energy. Tap, tap. Something disturbed my moment with Uriel. I let out a startled voice, ¡°Who?" ¡°Luke, come with me.¡± It was Erin, who had an extremely stern expression. ¡°Ah, sorry guys-¡° I quickly bid my farewells. ¡°Goodbye¡­?¡± Uriel was unsure of how to react to my kidnapping. ¡°Have fun!¡± Whereas Fen dismissed such a fact. Erin quickly dragged me over to the gym, lecturing me. ¡°In Professor Floreis¡¯ class, your defence was almost impenetrable. However, your offence was non-existent.¡± ¡°You watched me?¡± I felt almost violated. ¡°Did you expect me to waste my precious time teaching you everything from the ground up?¡± She rhetorically asked. I kinda did, since Erin hyped it up with her own ¡®sword style¡¯ or something along those lines. Also, wasn¡¯t she getting more loose with her words around me? ¡°Take it,¡± She brought over a sword. ¡°From now until you are worthy enough, I¡¯ll whip you into shape.¡± It seemed another hell awaited me as I pointed the sword toward the dummy. ¡°No.¡± Erin disapprovingly spoke, ¡°Point it at me.¡± I have to fight her¡­? I don¡¯t think she knew the meaning of holding back. The Enigmatic Chance was completely useless against Floreis, and I doubt it would be for Erin either. What¡¯s the point of seeing the weaknesses, but being unable to land a hit? Stammering, I got ready to fight, ¡°I- I¡¯ll try my best then.¡± Time to send my prayers to the world tree¡­ Because I¡¯m done for. Chapter 20 – Struggles of the Weak (5) Proofreader: Myself from a while in the future! (I kinda rewrote sections of this chapter more than a few times.) Erin gestured with her hand, ¡°Come at me.¡± Her slight smirk was getting on my nerves. If I had to rerank my likeness of each character, I might have to put her below Uriel and Julia now. And that says a lot since I had three plushies of her in my room before. She grew tired of my motionlessness, ¡°If you don¡¯t move first, then I will.¡± A switch flipped in my head. If you want me to fight, then I will. I activated enhancement, dashing with the speed of a bull. Even if the difference wasn¡¯t large, it was better than nothing. Especially since it hardly used my low mana pool, its cost-efficiency was the best. ¡°I¡¯m coming alright!¡± I yelled. Shiiiing! Erin¡¯s body had tilted ever so slightly, causing my sword to barely brush against hers. She mumbled, ¡°Error one, too obvious.¡± ¡°Tsk,¡± My patience was being tested. I followed up with a diagonal swing from the bottom right only to be met with sparks. In an instant, her sword was pointed toward my face as I regained my bearings. ¡°Error two, you are unable to react correctly to unpredictable attacks.¡± I picked up the sword with a grunt and put myself into a stance. What can I do differently? There was no way to effectively attack a superior opponent with basic technique. ¡°Is that it?¡±She beckoned me with her hands once again. Fine. I¡¯ll keep going until I can¡¯t feel my hands anymore. I charged from the side, releasing a swipe of speed rather than strength. It wasn¡¯t parried but redirected, allowing me to retract my arm. ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± A sword had been pointed under my chin as her face was next to mine. ¡°Error three, you¡¯re full of gaps,¡± She put down her sword, showing three fingers. ¡°We will focus on these three main points, seeing as you¡¯re weaker than I thought.¡± It¡¯s not that I¡¯m extremely weak but that you¡¯re too strong¡­ ¡°So to fix this¡­ I¡¯ll beat it into you.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± This isn¡¯t how it¡¯s supposed to go! She picked up her sword and began to stride toward me menacingly. -x- ¡°Ugh-¡° I tilted my head to see past the windows. It was once again pitch black. I was thoroughly taught by Erin which areas of my body were too open. How, you may ask? Through striking the same spots over and over. I flipped the inside of my shirt to discover swollen pinkish-blue bruises. Poke- ¡°Youch! Why would you touch that!¡± I complained to the demon girl. ¡°I was curious about your reaction,¡± She explained cynically. ¡°How am I supposed to recover in time if I¡¯m beaten like this tomorrow as well?¡± I questioned her methods. ¡°I said I would train you to beat him, I never agreed to heal you,¡± Erin coldly replied, ¡°Figure it out yourself.¡± ¡°Tch. Thanks for the ¡®training,¡¯ devil tutor,¡± I played with the word. I looked over at her, receiving a piercing gaze. ¡°What? Something wrong?¡± I asked, smiling on the inside. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. That would be my small petty revenge, to give her the stress factor of being found out. ¡°Nothing,¡± She paused momentarily, ¡°Pick up your sword again.¡± I forgot she was just the same as I was. ¡°I¡¯m dead, beaten and tired,¡± I pleaded for mercy, ¡°I need sleep!¡± A complaint reached my ears, ¡°Humans and their need for sleep. Tch.¡± ¡°You speak as if you¡¯re not.¡± ¡°What d- do you mean?¡± Her always cold expression let out faint traces of cracked armour. I triumphantly spoke, ¡°Exactly what I said.¡± She stopped speaking and passed me a bottle of water. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s enough, I¡¯ll meet you here in the morning tomorrow.¡± I might¡¯ve saved myself the pain of going through more now, but I have to do this three more times before the duel..? ¡°Have a good night¡¯s rest,¡± She gave her farewell before leaving me alone on the floor. Sonova- Originally, I had planned to mention the grave of the Demon King this morning, and the apparent Goddess to Erin. However, after ruminating on it prior to the training session, it didn¡¯t seem right to do. At least, not yet. ¡°Hah¡­¡± The pain in my body worsened the longer I stayed in this empty facility. If only Uriel was here to give me that OP healing miracle, I was practically limping my way back to the dorms. In the darkness of night, I mumbled, ¡°Status.¡± For some alien reason, I hadn¡¯t checked my status since I enrolled. Yesterday, within Haruto¡¯s combat class, that ding which resounded was either a skill level up or a skill attainment. [Attributes] Vitality: Tier 0 (17%) -> (18%) Agility: Tier 0 (8%) -> (9%) Strength: Tier 0 (9%) -> (10%) Mana: Tier 0 (5%) [Skills] Outer Eye (Z) (0 -> 2.4% Proficiency) Enhancement (F+) -> (E+) [Growth Type] Basic Swordsmanship (E) (8.7% -> 15.9% Proficiency - Evolution Possible) Basic Magic Control (D) (0% -> 0.6% Proficiency - Evolution Possible) Overall, my attributes and their progress had increased by one within a day and a half, except for mana. That in itself is good progress, although it could be even quicker. That was why I had wished to receive the Spirit Queen¡¯s blessing this morning. It was only able to be attained around the second to third year depending on the route taken in either protagonist route. According to the game, it would multiply training proficiency by 1.5x as well as boost the stat increase from killing monsters. Yeah, while there were no levels, the game increased stat through either training or slaying monsters and passively absorbing their life force. It was generally considered better to continue the grind of monster slaying than training, but there were limits which the game made clear. If a player were to massively increase stats through only that method, the proficiency of skills wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up and it would be akin to driving a car without experience. You wouldn¡¯t be able to throw out skills worthy of your stats and would lower your overall combat prowess. Overall, Abel better have something of high quality comparable to that queen¡¯s gift. After pondering my stats, the skill of [Enhancement] immediately came into view. ¡°Two targets?¡± I wondered if that would make the enhancements even weaker than before. While I had been using it abstractly, inflicting enhancement on forces of the world, I never tried using it for basic purposes. ¡°Welp, guess I gotta find out then.¡± This would hurt. I stood in front of the thickest tree I could find. And, I would punch it without a strength enhancement. ¡°Fuck!¡± Drops of blood fell from the tips of my knuckles. That was dumb, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°Well, it¡¯s too late to back down now¡­¡± I breathed in deeply, ¡°Enhance.¡± I quickly checked my status. [Attributes] Vitality: Tier 0 (18%) Agility: Tier 0 (9%) Strength: Tier 0 (20%) [Original Progress: 10%] Mana: Tier 0 (5%) It had doubled, which was just about the strength beginner knights would have at this tier. Acknowledging my newfound strength I cocked my hand back, embracing the future pain that would come to me. Crrk! ¡°Hah¡­ Hah¡­¡± The tree had a clear dent in it. If I pushed myself and went for a few more rounds I was confident I could topple it. ¡°Maybe if it wasn¡¯t bleeding profusely.¡± My hand was in an even worse condition than before. However, I had betted on the possibility that I could enhance the base regenerative capabilities of my cells. Thus, to test my upgraded skill and assumption, I enhanced both the numbness and healing factors. Feeling a draining sensation sap energy out of me, I could tell my mana pool was readily decreasing in real-time. ¡°Whew.¡± I took a deep breath observing the open wounds closing at abnormal speeds. ¡°It¡¯s over a bit exhausting though.¡± It uses the energy of the body to heal, so of course it would tire me out if I sped up the process. That was enough to satisfy my curiosities. I¡¯ll leave the healing enhancement active while I spar with Erin tomorrow. ¡°Hahaha!¡± In all honesty, this was amazing. For once, I felt above the average human since I arrived in this accursed game world. Celebration Chapter 20.5 – Love? I’d rather live, thanks. Proofreader: Future Me! ¡°Seriously?¡± My eyes were focused on the protagonist I played in the [Enigmatic Academy]. ¡°Why is she ramming into these romance flags at every opportunity!?¡± Yesterday in the exams, she found herself entangled with Charles before I had to stumble my way through them. LITERALLY. I made the choices when I played as her in the game, so seeing the intended character was more than just disturbing. ¡°Wait- you¡¯re Percy right?¡± Serina¡¯s voice jumped around the empty homeroom. Currently, she was engaging in conversation with Percy, the smartest kid alive. His romance route was relatively hard to achieve, so it needed hardly any maintenance. The affinity bar that floated atop her head showed only curiosity at a mere 10% anyway. Yup, an affinity bar. Really¡­ why did I have to reincarnate in this world? Just what happened yesterday for me to be here? -x- I had died passively, with hardly any regrets. Thoughts of family eluded my mind, but they cleared up mysteriously. What was I focused on now? This status board is in front of me. [Welcome to the Destroying Romance System!] [In this world you are Luke, the troubled son of a fallen barony, who died unknowingly after attempting to court Serina Rosemary.] [Your goal? Protecting this world from romance!] [Introduction - Quest #1] [Deatils:] [Objective:] [Reward:] [Failure:] [Good luck in your adventure, reincarnator!] ¡°Huh¡­? Death- again?¡± From what I understood, romance was already devastating toward play-throughs in the game. So this wouldn¡¯t be much of a difference, right? ¡°Yeah so-¡° I looked over a line that I overlooked. ¡°What?¡± [In this world you are Luke, the troubled son of a fallen barony, who died unknowingly after attempting to court Serina Rosemary.] This guy TRIED TO COURT SERINA?! I frantically panicked around a lobby of students. Not only was I to stop her romance, I had to do it while being the one who got rejected. Furthermore, if I failed, I would die. Probably without the chance to reincarnate again. It¡¯s like¡­ I¡¯m being forced into the stalker role. With dead fish eyes I glanced toward the crowd of students, looking for this protagonist. Immediately, I saw the signature violet hair crashing towards every main character in sight. Dammit. I began pushing past the dense pack of students, scrambling toward what may be my death. My breath was ¡°Charles was it?¡± Violet eyes poked fun at the emperor¡¯s progeny. ¡°You sure are a cute one for the proclaimed crown prince!¡± Sporting a cheeky grin and cutesy face, she made her interest clear. ¡°And your name is?¡± He had an amused expression, asking even if he already knew. This interaction¡­ it was practically guaranteed that she would enter his route if he was found in this crowd during the game¡¯s introduction. [Warning!] [Approximately 30 seconds left until death.] Shit. Shit. Shit. [29 Seconds.] Under the time pressure, my mind raced. ¡°Status!¡± [Luke] [Age: 15] [Race: Human] [Attributes] Vitality: 10 Agility: 10 Strength: 10 Mana: 10 [Skills] Outer Eye (Z) (0% Proficiency) Enhancement (F+) - [Growth Type] Destroying Romance System (???) I gnashed my teeth together. I just spawned in, and already my life was about to end. [20 seconds left!] I wanted to bet on the enhancement ability, but there was nothing I could do. Increase any of my stats? No, that¡¯s stupid. [10 seconds left!] I have to stop Serina from talking to Charles any longer! ¡°Wait that¡¯s it!¡± I exclaimed, receiving weird looks from the crowd around me. The act of stopping and breaking down things, that in itself is destruction. Now, just apply that to romance and¡­ What the fuck am I on about!? [3 seconds left!] Screw it! I¡¯ll figure it out later. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. [1 second left!] Air brushed my face as I embraced the stares of confusion. I was currently flying across a stampede of bored students, all gathered in their groups of friends. The view of tall school facilities made their presence known in my pseudo flight. [0 seconds left!] Whoosh! ¡°Shit!¡± ¡°A commoner?¡± ¡°The guy from earlier?¡± Fuuuuuuuuuuuuu- The ground quickly became visible as I was brought down by gravity. I clenched my teeth preparing for the fall. I¡¯m sorry Charles, but¡­ you might be out for a while after this. CRASSSHHH My arm wouldn¡¯t move, and I couldn¡¯t see much. Red botches blocked my vision. ¡°W- what are¡­ are you?¡± A muffled voice came from underneath, ¡°An assassin pe- perhaps?¡± ¡°N- nah. I¡¯m j- just trying to¡­ live.¡± ¡°Ha- ha- ha¡­¡± He let out shallow laughs. ¡°Crazy motherfucker.¡± [Introduction - Quest #1 has been completed successfully!] [Rewards are now being given.] Not the time system¡­ let me close my eyes for a bit. [Understood.] ¡°That was¡­ amazing!¡± Serina¡¯s voice loomed over our crippled bodies. ¡°You¡¯ve caught my interest despite your earlier appearance!¡± Her voice was directed at me. As if her words were a trigger, I blanked out immediately. -x- Charles and I passed out simultaneously at that time. Where soon after, I was granted an affinity bar to work with. When using Outer Eye, I could now see a pink bar on someone¡¯s status board which would change depending on the person I was thinking of. The worst part of all this¡­ was that Serina¡¯s bar was at half when I thought of myself. [Princess¡¯ Escapade - Quest #2] [Details:] [Objective:] [Rewards:] [Failure:] Alright¡­ no pressure. No pressure. This wasn¡¯t a hard objective to achieve. All I had to do was hang around Serina until Luna struck. Unfortunately, Floreis¡¯ class of General Combat was right around the corner. Serina was chatting with Erin and Percy, seemingly creating a friend group already. Although, in between her talks I caught her peeking at me. You know¡­ maybe this wasn¡¯t as bad as I thought it was. Even if Erin, my favourite character wasn¡¯t on to me, Serina was a lot more special. Technically I¡¯ve spent almost three thousand hours with her, all to clear this damned game. ¡°Student Luke,¡± Runalia tapped my shoulder, ¡°Move along, your class is starting.¡± Her act despite knocking me out in the practical exam was anything but convincing now. I tailed the protagonist¡¯s group while hanging around the main class. ¡°You should¡¯ve seen it! The prince in the flesh, crushed by a falling human meteor!¡± Serina gestured by raising her hands and exclaiming wildly. ¡°I highly doubt someone could achieve that level of speed without external help,¡± Percy speculated about my ability. Erin simply nodded but perked her ears up nonetheless. ¡°His smile and dialogue with the prince was the funniest!¡± She continued telling the story. ¡°Charles asked if what he was, and you know what he replies with?!¡± ¡°Humor me,¡± Percy said. ¡°¡®I¡¯m just trying to live.¡¯¡± She mimicked my voice with a fake deep voice. ¡°What kind of response is that!? Hahaha!¡± Erin responded, ¡°Indeed. Such words are confusing.¡± ¡°Muuu¡­ don¡¯t you have anything else to say?¡± Serina pouted. ¡°¡­¡± Erin delivered a blank shake of the head. ¡°She has a point, Luke, or whatever his name is. That kind of behaviour is confusing,¡± He mused for a moment. ¡°It could be possible that his life was under threat if we only consider what you¡¯ve told us.¡± ¡°Ehhh¡­¡± Serina¡¯s expression fell. ¡°Actually, he did try to confess his feelings for me not long before that.¡± ¡°¡±¡­¡±¡± I felt the two of them stare at me from the distance. ¡°Well, it felt like a completely different person,¡± She wondered. ¡°Maybe he somehow changed in the moments after I turned him down?¡± The pair of Erin and Percy shook their heads in sync. I don¡¯t blame them for their thoughts in all honesty. I thought about the contents of this class. Combat Class is normally the hardest, but can also be the easiest depending on how you played the game. The first class entailed a great activity of sparring against your classmates. Hah¡­. ¡°Welp, this class is gonna be fun,¡± I murmured sarcastically. ¡°Just gotta pray that I¡¯m not put against Mark or Vyke.¡± -x- ¡°Luke and Mark, you two are the first to start!¡± Professor Floreis¡¯ voice resounded in the open field. Hahaha¡­ something tells me I¡¯m just not fated to have my way regardless of what universe I¡¯d be in. ¡°Begin when I signal it.¡± I turned toward Mark, Abel¡¯s future successor and activated my Outer Eyes. [Mark Cresent] [Age: 15] [Race: Human Demigod] [Attributes] Vitality: 40 Agility: 45 Strength: 30 Mana: 90 [Skills] Hero¡¯s Teachings (S+) (43.6% Proficiency) [Other Skills are listed for viewing.] Yeah, this was completely fair. I raised my head and faced Floreis, ¡°Sir, I believe this is incredibly imbalanced.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± He directed a stern expression toward me. ¡°I¡¯m a commoner with hardly above-average abilities, against the successor of the greatest hero.¡± ¡°Ahem,¡± He coughed weirdly. ¡°This was to show how a weaker one would fair up against stronger opponents.¡± ¡°Think of it as a lesson towards the unfairness you will face in the future,¡± He justified his clear mistake. ¡°Shut up already!¡± Mark yelled across from us, ¡°Talk there, talk this, when will ever talk with our swords?¡± That was strangely poetic- wait no I can¡¯t get lost here. I had one card up my sleeve, just one. ¡°On one condition!¡± I raised a finger in conjunction with my words, ¡°I get the first hit in.¡± He shrugged, ¡°Not like it¡¯d make a difference.¡± Floreis clapped his hands together, ¡°Well then, it seems you both have consented.¡± ¡°On my mark. Get set. Ready. And Go!¡± Slowly, inch by inch I approached Mark. I held my sword over my shoulder carefree. Evident by the popping veins on his head, it seems he didn¡¯t take a liking to that. Sorry but, the flashier this is the better rewards I get. [Flashy Destroyer! - Sub Quest #1] [Details:] [Objective:] [Sub Objective:] [Rewards:] [Sub Rewards:] [Failure:] I grasped the [Enigmatic Chance] on my uniform. ¡°Please, don¡¯t fail me here.¡± As if answering my prayers, I spotted the small red dot in between his eyebrows. I only had one chance or I¡¯d get my shit rocked, as well as lose my rewards. ¡°Sssuuuuuuuu¡­¡± I breathed out as gently as possible, recalling the teachings of my former master. I raised my arm reforming all the knowledge of combat in one single strike. I gripped the wooden sword with even more strength. Crkk! Snap! The wooden handle was tearing down. For the final touch, I would enhance my speed to add kinetic force to my movement. ¡°Mark, I¡¯m sorry.¡± I leaned forward, preparing my body. This¡¯ll be a special one¡­ I¡¯ll call it, [Re:Vorpal Strike]. He scoffed at my actions, ¡°Hurry up, I¡¯m losing my patience.¡± Wish granted! The entirety of my body felt the force of air pressure resisting with all its might. I may not be the fastest, but just fast enough to catch him unawares. I thrust my arms, bringing out all I could muster. I coated my strength with my enhancement ability, all to strike the middle of his head. Acupuncture? At this point, It¡¯d be lucky to not blow off his head. ¡°What- this peasant-?¡± The sensation of having struck a target flowed through my body. [Critical Hit!] A status board occurred in the middle of my vision. ¡°Ha¡­ how the fuck you like that!¡± Adrenaline rushed through my body. ¡°Hero¡¯s descendant for what? To lose to the weakest here!?¡± It didn¡¯t matter if he had a handicap, right now I was enjoying the rewards being handed out in front of me. [Rewards are being given out!] [5 points in all stats have been awarded.] [Event with [???] will occur soon.] [Sub awards are now being awarded!] [Affinities of targets Luna and Serina have increased!] [¡®Surprise Reward¡¯ is now being revealed!] [Surprise Reward: Abel has gained an interest in your existence.] Hahahah¡­ this is¡­ the power of a system! [Alert! Your life will end in approximately two hours!] Isn¡¯t that when all the classes finish? Wait, don¡¯t tell me¡­ I looked over at the princess who was now holding the most devilish smile I¡¯ve ever seen in my life. ¡°L- Luke has won the match!¡± Floreis¡¯ expression was as if he couldn¡¯t comprehend my victory. That was late¡­ too late to the point I¡¯ve lost all sense of victory. I sighed in resignation seeing Serina approach me from the crowd. ¡°That was super-super-dooper-amazing!¡± She grabbed my hands with visible excitement. ¡°Uhh¡­ thanks?¡± She spouted praises, while the crowd around us watched on with shock. Charles smiled wryly, while Erin and Percy had disturbed expressions. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for my turn!¡± She grabbed my arm and led me toward her newly made friends. ¡°This is Erin and this is Percy, I¡¯ve told them about you already. Be nice okay!¡± I guess. This wasn¡¯t too bad. Serina¡¯s smile was brighter than the Sun I could recall. Screw Luna¡¯s meddling, I¡¯m gonna enjoy myself. Chapter 21 – Last Preparations (1) Proofreader: Me (From the future!) ¡°Luke!¡± Fen was shaking my shoulder and yelling in my ear. ¡°Get up!¡± I know I told him to wake me up when he normally does, but please man, be civil about it. ¡°Ugh-¡° Groans fell out of my mouth as I climbed my way out of bed. ¡°Thanks for waking me up... see you.¡± I pulled on my academy uniform, activating the automatic cleaning function. There was not a moment left to waste, as Erin would probably kill me if I did. Before leaving, I opened up the otherworldly handbook, sighing as I viewed the message. ¡®Did you know that Professor Bartholomew likes big black burly men? In fact, in an interview for Magic Ortus Times or MOT, he stated [I have a slight preference for big men!]¡¯ Besides the text an image formed. A slightly taller than the average dwarf, built with a Greek God¡¯s physique. My stomach churned as my eyes were not prepared for this, I did not need to learn that in such a way¡­ ¡®Good for him, I guess?¡¯ As I stared at the ceiling with conflicted eyes, Fen approached me. ¡°Good luck with the training,¡± He lent a concerned look, ¡°I saw your body, keep yourself safe, yeah?¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± ¡°Also try having a shower,¡± He commented as I was leaving. I would have done so if I wasn¡¯t bombarded with something like that out of left field¡­ I barged out the door and practically began sprinting toward hell. Along the way, I enhanced my regeneration which would allow me to be in fairly good shape for the beatings. -x- Opening the training centre''s front doors, Erin was present with a not-so-pleased expression. ¡°Five minutes late,¡± She grumbled. ¡°Get into your sword stance.¡± She kicked a wooden sword toward me. I picked it up, but she wasn¡¯t in a fighting pose. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you also getting ready?¡± ¡°You are now aware of what you¡¯re lacking, yes?¡± I nodded with a slight hesitance. Erin continued in a lecture-like voice, ¡°Then, I need to correct your posture so you can improve on your wrongs.¡± She walked up to me, causing my nerves to spike. Her face was less than a touch away. You know, even if you¡¯re not my favourite anymore, this still makes me incredibly nervous! ¡°I see,¡± She made some noises, and began to reach out for my arms as I kept my stance straight. Erin¡¯s hands ravaged my body, feeling up my arms, waist, and legs. I was doing my best to not pitch a tent, regardless of the context. ¡°A- are you done yet?¡± I managed to mutter. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± She took a step back, taking one last look over my body. ¡°There are issues which impede on your swordsmanship, so I¡¯ll have to also correct it.¡± My body unconsciously reacted to hearing those words again. ¡°Pfft,¡± Erin uncharacteristically giggled. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect what happened last night to create that much of a scare.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯d be scared, without proper warning you began to beat the crap out of me!¡± ¡°It was necessary,¡± She coldly told me. I doubted that. After our slight banter, she began to forcefully change the positions of my body. She moved my arms at a different angle, changing bits and pieces of how I operated myself. ¡°Overall, your form is too stiff,¡± Erin summarised it all. ¡°So, memorise the way your body is now.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± A dangerous glint was present in her eyes. ¡°Nothing!¡± I swiftly evaded a beating, never to mention a woman¡¯s age. Although my body felt awkward, the slight differences already felt liberating in a way. ¡°Swing,¡± She ordered after I got comfortable. Swish! A lot of wind brushed past my face from the pressure. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. It had a lot more ¡®oomph¡¯ than it usually did. Beforehand, I felt resistance in my hips and arms when attacking. But now, not only were my movements less clunky, but the power could flow correctly. The notion that I was too stiff made a lot of sense. ¡°Good,¡± Erin praised me with proudness in her voice, ¡°This is a lot better than before.¡± It was nice to be praised. ¡°Of course, training under a demon such as yourself would show results.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡±Her eyebrows twitched. ¡°Did Uriel patch you up?¡± ¡°No.¡± I assumed she was referring to how quickly I recovered. ¡°I¡¯m still not in the best shape, but good enough.¡± ¡°How could you recover that quickly?¡± She ruminated over it for a moment. ¡°Enhancement?¡± ¡°Yup, versatile isn¡¯t it?¡± Such a unique ability, and yet ¡®Luke¡¯ still failed to succeed originally. ¡°Great, then let¡¯s get started.¡± I was visibly perplexed, ¡°Started¡­?¡± ¡°Sparring.¡± She stated as if it was only a matter of course. -x- I was sitting in the homeroom with sore spots littered across my body. I hugged the potted plant on my desk, knowing it was the only safe place there. ¡°It¡¯ll be a tough but manageable day,¡± I murmured in hindsight. Today, Luna would again try to advance on Ash with the new onset of classes. It was troublesome knowing I¡¯d have to get involved in each of the events. We had magic control and I was betting that I¡¯d be able to increase my mana pool, to support two enhancements at once. It was frankly exhausting, where my only break would be after the dungeon exploration on Friday. Currently, Runalia was lecturing about how I had to keep up with the work assigned by classes. Gibberish. ¡°Luke, you in particular,¡± She called my name. ¡°I¡¯ve caught word that you¡¯ve done nothing so far.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If this behaviour continues, consider your position in jeopardy.¡± ¡°Sure, sure,¡± I half-heartedly agreed, knowing most of that was an act. There were more things to worry about than mere ¡®homework.¡¯ I laid back in my chair hearing a noise from above. Violet hair dangled in front of my face. ¡°Are you struggling?¡± Wasn¡¯t Serina sitting in front¡­? How¡¯d she get behind me without realising? And wasn¡¯t she still resting from the grave¡¯s events? ¡°No, in fact, I¡¯d rather worry about you,¡± I observed her neat appearance and blank stare, ¡°You weren¡¯t here yesterday after last morning¡¯s incident.¡± She didn¡¯t respond, instead looking at her hand as if pondering something. ¡°I¡­ was resting.¡± In reality, I was curious as to how she even managed to find or learn about that place. It would be impossible to start that quest line two years early¡­ under normal circumstances. ¡°Ugh-¡° I groaned from thinking too much. Although, it seemed to startle Serina. ¡°Are you okay?¡± She paused before awkwardly continuing, ¡°I am¡­. here for help.¡± Well even if she did corner me like two days ago, we made up already. I think. In any case, there¡¯s no world I would refuse such an offer, I¡¯d have to be an idiot. (A/N: Yeah you right. *sweats* No way I wouldn¡¯t either. *frantically deletes some drafts.*) ¡°Then, can I take you up on that?¡± It was a life-brightening opportunity. [Enigmatic Chance] had been my substitute uniform brooch, with no use until now. Finally, it would get the chance to shine. Before the fight of my life, I could get myself one free get-of-jail card, in the form of magic. What might it be? The weakest but easiest spell, owning little to no mana cost with the downside of low damage. Which, if I am reading this status board correctly, states that ¡®weak spots¡¯ receive massively multiplied damage. It was in fact, the best spell for the weakest student of the Platinum Generation. ¡°Hmmm?¡± She slightly tilted her head, waiting for my request. And I happily obliged, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you in class next period, join me for the pairing activity.¡± Her violet eyes widened, ¡°How would you know?¡± Instinctively, I shirked back into the safety of my desk¡¯s potted plant. ¡°Well- it¡¯s an educated guess. I¡¯ve done my research into the seniors and their schedules.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A judging stare was baring holes into me. ¡°I believe you.¡± ¡°Great,¡± I smiled with sweat dripping down my chin, ¡°I¡¯ll see you then.¡± I fast walked my way to the exit as homeroom ended. Serina¡¯s new, weird conduct of interaction was mentally tiring in a variety of ways. I felt a signature hand on my shoulder before I could even take a step out the door. ¡°Luke I know it¡¯s only been a few days, but you seem to get along with Serina. Strangely so, considering how she¡¯s changed.¡± ¡°What?¡±I shrugged his hand off. ¡°Fen, do me a favour and explain your bullcrap.¡± In all seriousness though, this was vital info. ¡°Seriously?¡± His face displayed an evident shock. ¡°Everyone¡¯s been talking about how she recently stopped contacting most of her friends, and even her ducal faction that she built from scratch.¡± Hmmm¡­ From what I knew originally, this behaviour is unprecedented across all story routes. However, with my current situation as it is, I have no time to pry. ¡°In the next class have you heard of the new teacher?¡± I changed the topic in his favour, ¡°Apparently they¡¯re well-known across multiple continents.¡± ¡°Ah- yeah! It really gets my blood boiling,¡± Fem shifted gears immediately, fantasising about a fight with her. We walked across the hallways, talking about random topics until we made it to our ¡®classroom.¡¯ If you could even call it that. It was similar to Professor Floreis¡¯, just instead of an open field, it was a colosseum. Everyone was in for a surprise that¡¯s for sure. I put my hand on the doorknob, almost nervous at the already-expected sight. Slap! My hand exuded a red colour. ¡°I- the princess of the Alexander Kingdom will lead the class,¡± Luna scoffed. ¡°Know your place, commoner.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± Her behaviour would escalate until I did something about it. At the earliest, next week if I interrupt her sessions with any protagonist. Thankfully, I felt familiar glares in her direction the moment she spoke. It seemed I was more important than I realised. ¡°Hmph.¡± The princess opened the door leading us to a new world. A gladiator¡¯s arena, a colosseum so to speak contrasted by a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, and overly smiling instructor. ¡°Good morning everyone! The name¡¯s Clarisse, and I¡¯m both your Magic Combat and Magic Control Teacher!¡± The Professor¡¯s behaviour illuminated the musty and eerie environment. ¡°I¡¯m also called Clair for short!¡± Wasn¡¯t she voted as seventh for ¡®best girl¡¯ in the popularity polls? If so it was something I could understand. ¡°We¡¯ll get to know each other better if you select this class later on¡­ so! For today, I want you all to pair up with someone!¡± Naturally, mine and Serina¡¯s eyes met. The [Magic Missile] would be mine to use by the end of class. Chapter 22 – Last Preparations (2) Proofreader: Future Me ¡°That was quick!¡± Professor Clair jumped around energetically. ¡°That means I won¡¯t have to choose instead.¡± ¡°So for this activity, we¡¯ll be testing our ability to manipulate mana to our advantage¡­¡± She paused cheekily, ¡°And the best way to test that is through a real situation against a monster!¡± A ¡®kind¡¯ airhead with dangerous tendencies, that¡¯s the best way to put it. And as if to accentuate her behaviour, the others in our class had made a ruckus. ¡°Finally, I get to kill one of those things!¡± Fen exclaimed next to Charles. He firmly nodded, ¡°Indeed, I will be able to see my knight in action.¡± ¡°You might ask, why have a pairing activity then?¡± She smiled. ¡°It¡¯s because naturally, one will defend while the other-¡° ¡°Attacks?¡± Mark ended her speech by mocking her, ¡°You think I need a partner? I¡¯m the hero¡¯s grandchild.¡± Once again his edginess knew no bounds. One look at Clarisse and that was enough to figure out his fate. Hell was soon to see his face. She was the kindest but had the lowest tolerance to annoyance. There was a reason this class was a colosseum and not a field trip location. ¡°Excuse me?¡± The last bit of patience was being seeped out of her. ¡°You heard me grandma,¡± He mocked recklessly. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Cat¡¯s got your tail?¡± Mark¡¯s voice resounded among the silence he created. ¡°Come on now, you¡¯re a professor of the Hero¡¯s Garden right?¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± The smile on Clarisse¡¯s face remained, but a sinister energy could now be felt. ¡°Then, you¡¯ll be first if that¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Mark had sealed his fate with such words. ¡°Then, please walk to the centre of the colosseum,¡± She led the way forward revealing a magical structure with a standing pad in the middle. Having stepped into the middle of it, a barrier of magic had surrounded himself. ¡°You can select from a variety of monsters shown by a projection, but because you seem to find this too easy¡­¡± Her devilish smile resurfaced. ¡°I will be your opponent instead.¡± The magic device heeded Clarisse¡¯s words, beginning a countdown. 3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll prove that I¡¯m stronger than all of you, right now.¡± 0. Following the magic barrier¡¯s fall, a streak of lightning had been released from the professor¡¯s hand. Mark however scoffed at it, merely tilting his body to dodge the attack. ¡°You think you could just hit-¡° A flash of light burst from his side blinding his sight, and ending his monologue. Balls of lightning struck down, creating a gust of smoke from the ground below. Where in the middle of it, stood an enraged warrior. ¡°Who do you think you are!?¡± Mark roared, ignoring the visible charrs on his body. In response to his charge, lightning surged in a circular area around the two of them trapping them in the process. The colosseum lit up with mana, a spectacle not many could see outside of this academy. ¡°Haha! You must be stupid, trapping both of us here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s right,¡± Professor Clarisse had coldly spoken. ¡°Because you¡¯re trapped in here with little ol¡¯ me.¡± She raised her arm high in the sky, gathering the darkest clouds above. ¡°Do me a favour, and resist for as long as possible,¡± Clarisse innocently smiled. Thunder had struck down with the ferocity of a God¡¯s rage. Clouds gathered within the sky, pouring droplet-like bolts of pure lightning. ¡°How do you get sat down twice?¡± I chuckled internally. ¡°First by Haruto and now by Clarisse.¡± From the sidelines, the expressions on everyone were less than savoury. All except mine. Uriel trembled beside Rodney, ¡°She- she¡¯s scary!¡± Most gave a reciprocating glance of understanding. On the other hand, I was separated from the main group. ¡°Serina, what do you think?¡± I wanted an insight from the supposed mage protagonist. ¡°Strong,¡± She answered with a single word. I felt a slight disappointment and probed for more, ¡°Is that it?¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°...¡± She nodded. At times it felt like I was talking to a stone wall, but I had to push on regardless. ¡°I guess I should tell you what I wanted help with. Since we¡¯re uhh¡­ waiting.¡± In the far-off distance was a Hero¡¯s Grandson screaming in utter agony. ¡°Ahem. Basically, I want to learn the spell [Magic Missle] and I¡¯m not the best at magic¡­ so I was wondering if-¡° ¡°Okay,¡± Serina accepted it without a second thought. ¡°T- thanks.¡± Even if she was different, her kindness remained. ¡°No need," She shook her head. "I will teach you now.¡± Per her words, she gathered a clump of mana forming white balls of light in her hands. ¡°This is what you want to achieve.¡± She presented in front of me before dispelling it all together. ¡°First, you need to realise how to control your mana.¡± She saw right through my incompetence, which hurt in a sense. My hand was grasped by hers, generating a familiar warmth. From the sensation, a strange flow began to occur within me. It was as if something other than blood or oxygen was circulating in my body. ¡°Do you feel it?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± With enhancement, it felt as if an unknown part of me was being sucked out. ¡°So, this was the feeling from using that.¡± ¡°Using That?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing,¡± I didn¡¯t plan on telling her just yet. She shot me a look of suspicion. ¡°Haha,¡° I chuckled nervously. ¡°Can we continue?¡± ¡°Mmm¡­ okay.¡± She quietly gave up and told me, ¡°Try and gather that new feeling into your hands.¡± I closed my eyes, to aid with the process. Bit by bit the flowing feeling of energy was bent to my will, gathering in my palms. If I were to describe it, it was similar to how blood flows through the veins. Mana instead, flows through your entire body, which you can focus on, and mould to your desire. ¡°Hmm.¡± She watched on with a blank expression, which made me sweat a little. The mana now in my hands, I attempted to expel it. A sliver of visible mana was retained, floating slightly above. Eventually, she gave her approval, ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I couldn¡¯t be sure since this was my first try. Serina nodded, her violet hair bobbing in the process. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep trying then.¡± I had to make sure to master this before tomorrow. My arm was grabbed suddenly. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Serina pointed toward the now-approaching professor. ¡°Sorry for the delay everyone!¡± Clarisse clapped her hands together, ¡°Please, come in your pairs.¡± I looked behind her and saw a mess of a former classmate. I was now able to understand Uriel¡¯s reaction. ¡°Who¡¯s willing to go first?¡± She asked politely. ¡°Oh- that was quick. Thank you for being the first ones.¡± I looked to my side, seeing Serina with her arm raised. Certainly¡­ she was eager, huh¡­ -x- I was hunched over the unrealistic screen which displayed a variety of choices. ¡°Which one?¡± Serina questioned me from behind. I had convinced her to play along with me playing attacker, while she would defend just so I could practice a bit. I figured one with high vitality would work, so I could test out critical hits. ¡°Maybe an Orc? Only a basic one of course,¡± I threw out the suggestion. She stood still contemplating for a moment. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s decided.¡± I tapped the picture of an orc on the display, and the monster spawner began its countdown. ¡°Good luck you two!¡± Clarisse waved from afar with the rest. ¡°Luke, ready?¡± Serina asked with a hint of gentleness. ¡°Of course I am,¡± I exclaimed confidently, even if my hands were trembling. An orc was at least four metres tall, who wouldn¡¯t be scared? Well, to the right of me was the stone-cold Serina. 3¡­2¡­1¡­ 0! Mana gathered all in one spot. A circle had been drawn, summoning a fiendish, overgrown pig. Its eyes were red, presumably with a thirst for blood. [Orc] [Attributes] Vitality: Tier 0 (50%) Agility: Tier 0 (10%) Strength: Tier 0 (35%) Mana: N/A It began rampaging, not spotting us at first. All brute, no smarts as expected. However, Serina¡¯s thoughts differed, she quickly put me behind her back. ¡°Keep back,¡± She ordered, creating a block of mana acting as a shield for us. As if it was a provocation the orc reacted, wildly running towards us with its club in hand. Wham! Bam! My body shivered from the impact made by the orc and Serina¡¯s barrier. ¡°Don¡¯t stall,¡± She commented on my shakiness. ¡°No worries, I got this covered,¡± I reassured that I was not a failure. ¡°[Magic Missile]!¡± I gathered mana and released it at once. The balls of clear mana rushed towards the orc¡¯s meaty head. Plop! Plop! The orc abruptly stopped banging on the wall, confused if it was attacked or not. ¡°¡­¡± The Colosseum was filled with silence. Serina looked at me blankly, while I could tell the professor was trying to contain her laughter. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± My partner looked at me with empathy. In a fit of embarrassment, I demanded from her, ¡°Let me try again! This time I won¡¯t fail!¡± I wouldn¡¯t let the embarrassment get the better of me. I had to look and find the red spots generated by [Enigmatic Chance]. It flailed around smacking the barrier stupidly, without form nor thought. There! It was in a weird spot under his knee. ¡°[Magic Missile]!¡± Once again I unleashed the weak spell, only now aimed at what was essentially a vital point. Bang! [Critical Hit!] The orc stumbled onto the floor perplexed at its situation. A moment before it was breaking the shield for the food in front of it, but now it was down in pure seconds. Similarly to the orc, the once mocking glances of my class had now begun dropping jaws. Finally, the orc looked down at its knee. ¡°Guuuaaghhh!¡± The other half of its leg was laid out in front of us. ¡°Never mind.¡± Serina turned toward me one more time, ¡°Good job.¡± ¡°Huhu.¡± Never underestimate me again! Who cares if it was from my cheat item or from having Serina here, I still killed it! Chapter 23 – Last Preparations (3) Proofreader: Yours Truly (Future Me) I was in perfect condition upon reaching the professor with Serina. ¡°Tsk.¡± A click of the tongue came from Mark. ¡°Gnugnugnu,¡± The princess gnashed her teeth together. I embraced their resentment in all its glory, giving them the smuggest smirk manageable. My pettiness was reaching the newest of highs. ¡°That last attack of yours Luke, how spectacular. And Serina, such an advanced barrier for your age is unprecedented! As expected of the Rosemary¡¯s!¡± Clarisse exclaimed nothing but praises for our quick performance. ¡°It was nothing, professor,¡± I bowed politely. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be so humble!¡± She commented before looking at everyone else, ¡°Are the rest of you ready?¡± Fen looked especially fired up, while Uriel was shaking in fear. The sheer polarity of the two made me crack up in my mind. As Clarisse eyed up the class, sweat was becoming visible even from afar. ¡­ ¡°Charles and Fen, you up! Let¡¯s see it!¡± She cheered them on. Fen fist bumped the brooding Charles, ¡°Don¡¯t you want everyone to see our strength!¡± The receiving end had sighed, ¡°That should be private-¡° ¡°This monster¡¯s as good as dead!¡± Fen ignored his logic, grabbing him by the hand. It was a battle which everyone was willing to watch, a place in which they could observe the Empire¡¯s finest. However, by this point, I tuned it all out. Mental images of swinging my sword kept my attention instead. I especially recalled the sword style of Erin from training with perfect accuracy¡­ Did I have a photographic memory? I rummaged through my mind, and everything from the past few days was almost blank¡­ Maybe not. But being able to visualise her actions to this extent, from her every little breath, and change in flow of movement, my mind caught it. Even during spars, I could see all of her attacks but could do nothing back. I lightly tapped my head, maybe it was a perk of the Outer Eyes. I¡¯ll think about it after school in the sparring time with Erin. ¡°Luke,¡± Serina whispered, ¡°I have to go.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Before I knew it, she disappeared leaving me with the class. It was just me and the rest of the day I guess. -x- Third Person POV Bang! ¡°That fucking brat!¡± He spat out onto a desk, ¡°Why is he acting fine? Is my position that meaningless to him!¡± Shattered pieces of glass sprawled out across the floor. The private dorm was covered in scratches, marks from a sword, and writings of insanity. Carlos had been absent from all activities for the past few days, enveloped by his collapsing ego. ¡°Who does he think he is?¡± A dark aura emanated around his body. Such a presence was accumulated all around the room, generating nothing but negative energy. ¡°I- I¡­ I¡¯ll have to kill him myself.¡± A drastic change unexplainable to the human eye took precedence. All of which was accompanied by the supposedly invisible cat in the air. ¡°Perfect,¡± A confirmation had made itself clear, ¡°The stage has been set.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Consider this a warning¡­ Abel.¡± The cat vanished, leaving no trace but a manic child. Crrreeaakkk! A voice echoed from the front door, ¡°C- Carlos¡­? The others haven¡¯t heard from you today¡­¡± The saint candidate cowered onto her knees. Her eyes trembling from the mouth-breathing abomination that replaced the paladin. -x- ¡°Ummm¡­¡± I awkwardly stood before two familiar figures. ¡°So, why is she here?¡± ¡°Is there a problem, commoner?¡± Julia had asked aggressively, ¡°I simply thought it¡¯d be best to support my future subordinate.¡± ¡°Since when did I agree to-¡° ¡°Silence,¡± Erin threw a sword at me. ¡°Come.¡± I had no choice but to obey and spar under the watchful eyes of Julia. I talked to her with the others during lunch as usual, so why was she here after school? Agh, at this point it meant nothing. ¡°Whatever!¡± I screamed out my resentments. ¡°As long as I win in the end!¡± Whoosh! I lunged forward unleashing a forward stab with both legs¡¯ speed enhanced. Erin¡¯s eyes widened seeing my newfound agility. ¡°I see this training wasn¡¯t for nothing,¡± The corners of her lips turned upward. She deftly redirected my stab, kicking at my abdomen. My arms moved to block the incoming attack, granting her space to escape the close entanglement. Even with all my improved skills and enhancement, she beat me to the punch faster than I could react. ¡°I really can¡¯t break past you can I?¡± I mocked my weakness. ¡°But¡­ that won¡¯t stop me regardless.¡± I charged into the impenetrable wall using an overhead strike. Erin positioned herself to counterattack my clear intentions, however, this in itself was bait. [Enhancement] My body fell at a slightly faster speed than expected, leaving her unable to fully grasp my movement. In a flash of speed, she regained her grip meeting my trick with an upward slash. ¡°Just wh- why are you so strong!¡± I grumbled out in a fit of frustration. Erin¡¯s stat of sixty-four in strength was overpowering me by over four times. She ducked to the right, letting my blade come down to the side of her. ¡°Fuck-¡° A roundhouse kick approached me from my blind spot, and I lost the confrontation. I forced the use of [Enhancement] on both speed and gravity to duck under her assault. ¡°Eugh-¡° Blood had seeped into my saliva, but I pushed regardless. As she regained her balance, she was faced with my upward circular strike. Shiinnng! ¡°How¡¯d you even get up from that position!¡± I was met with her sword once again despite her just crumbled defence. ¡°You did better than last time, especially with that ¡®trick¡¯ of yours,¡± Erin commended my ability, ignoring my remark. ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t get better after being beaten for hours on end?¡± I answered with a sarcastic tone. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Julia looked at me with judgemental eyes. Erin drew her hands across the blade she held, a new gleam of violence filling her eyes. ¡°Your attack got better,¡± Erin let out a devilish voice, ¡°But what about your defence?¡± She charged headfirst, even faster than my initial approach. Instinctively, I raised my sword arm forward intending to deflect an attack. Yet, there was nothing. Ah, I was a bit too slow. ¡°Got you.¡± Erin¡¯s whisper came from the side, accompanied by a wooden sword aimed at my neck. ¡±And I¡¯m dead,¡± I raised my hands in defeat, deciding to have a look at my skill while I drank water. [Basic Swordsmanship (E) (15.9% -> 43.8% Proficiency - Evolution Possible)] [Basic Magic Control (D) (0.6% -> 17.28% Proficiency - Evolution Possible)] My current goal was to reach 50% proficiency by the end of tomorrow morning. Carlos was simply that much of a monster in comparison to me. Proficiency in the game, in short, showed how skilful a character was at using the technique. It wasn¡¯t just a decoration though, the higher the proficiency, the higher the potency of it. As a result, it could be said that a character with 0% proficiency in swordsmanship would easily lose to someone with 50%. The issue was that Carlos had a year advantage with an upbringing as a church paladin, meaning he was trained since childhood. That¡¯s where [Enhancement] and [Magic Missile] would come in handy. Unfortunately, he was a character that I¡¯d never seen before in the game. So I didn¡¯t know any of his tendencies that I could take advantage of. ¡°Luke, Erin¡¯s waiting,¡± Julia approached me. ¡°And like I said, why are you still here?¡± I talked back rudely. She scrunched up her face, ¡°Hmph. I will do what I deem fit.¡± ¡°Yes almighty Julia of the De Gracias family, I shall now fight in your honour.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re mocking me!¡± She cried out in embarrassment. ¡°This knight must now go on, farewell.¡± I ignored her further rantings, cute as it was. Erin''s expression hinted at nothing but that I would suffer. The pain would be great, but at least so would the rewards. Wait¡­ rewards? Abel still owes me a favour¡­ Don¡¯t tell me I¡¯ve been scammed. ¡°FUUUUUUU-¡° A sword quickly accelerated in my vision. ¡°Focus or you¡¯ll die.¡± At least let me complain! Chapter 24 – The Demon’s Bout (1) Proofreader: Future Me After going through the chaos of Fen¡¯s waking antics, and Erin¡¯s demonic sparring I was more than what one could call exhausted. Currently, I was sitting at my favourite potted plant in my homeroom, ignoring the ramblings of others. My body was rather busy recovering with enhancement as she was more than a bit too violent. I would have asked Uriel to help me, but she wasn¡¯t there. I doubted it was sickness or something else, but Rodney said he would look into it for the time being. Furthermore, it was the day in which Fen was due to meet a Demon Uprising member. Usually, it acted as a foreboding for the dungeon expedition for tomorrow¡¯s events. I considered taking advantage of that, but¡­ ¡°Hahhhhh¡­¡± There was too much to consider at once. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Serina magically appeared next to me. Seriously, hasn¡¯t her stalker behaviour gotten worse? ¡°Of course I am,¡± I lied, ¡°Just a bit tired.¡± She grabbed the sleeve of my blazer, lifting it to see my arm. ¡°Lies.¡± I couldn¡¯t react in time, so I accepted my fate. ¡°Well, you can¡¯t heal me so it¡¯s whatever,¡± I reassured her. ¡°And don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll heal up in time for the Heroes¡¯ Bout.¡± She stared at me blankly. ¡°Magic Combat, Swordsmanship, General Combat,¡± Serina listed three classes. Gulp- she had a point. A vial of weird colour was handed to me, ¡°Drink this.¡± Wait, wasn''t this colour from the elixir she had after the Spirit Queen got done in? ¡°Uhhh¡­ I¡¯m not sure if I should.¡± ¡°Do it.¡± With those words, she shoved the vial to my lips. I yielded, gulping down the divine-like fluid. Ding! I instantly opened my status board upon hearing that noise, feeling the appraisal stone spawn into my hand. [Luke] [Age: 15] [Race: Human] [Attributes] Vitality: Tier 0 (20%) (UP!) Agility: Tier 0 (10%) (UP!) Strength: Tier 0 (10%) (UP!) Mana: Tier 0 (8%) (UP!) [Skills] Outer Eye (Z) (5% Proficiency) Enhancement (F) [Growth Type] Basic Swordsmanship (E) -> (E+) (43.8% -> 50.79% Proficiency - Evolution Possible) Basic Magic Control (D) (17.28% -> 19.98% Proficiency - Evolution Possible) While some stats and skills increased in proficiency, they were expected from training. But looking at [Outer Eye]¡­ I knew it came from what Serina gave me. ¡°Hmm?¡± She poked her head through the status boards. ¡°Ah- thank you very much,¡± I quickly bowed. ¡°I feel better already.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± She looked into my eyes again. ¡°Call if you need anything.¡± Once again, she vanished back into her chair. Ever since we became friends, she¡¯s been treating me with extreme kindness. Well, not that I mind of course. The all-giving Serina¡­ I like the sound of that. A tap on my shoulder came from behind, ¡°Hey Luke, don¡¯t you think Uriel¡¯s absence is weird?¡± ¡°Fen?-¡° I was startled but agreed, ¡°Well yeah¡­ even Rodney is unaware.¡± He rubbed his chin with a contemplative face, ¡°I have a hunch that something¡¯s off.¡± His [Intuition] skill was probably on right now. One of the Warrior Protagonist¡¯s signature skills. To double check, I created an appraisal stone in my pocket to view his skills. [Fen Castelle] [Age: 15 ] [Race: Human ] [Skills] Intuition (A) (87.02% Proficiency - Evolution Possible) [Currently Active.] Empire¡¯s Sword (B+) (100% Proficiency) Way of the Castelle (S+) (19.38% Proficiency) [More Skills are available to view.] It was clear I had to act now. His intuition was a bit too¡­ ominous, I¡¯ll say that. That¡¯s why the Swordsmanship Route was and I quote ¡®what noobs choose¡¯ according to veteran players. ¡°Fen, explain my early absence to Professor Runalia,¡± I didn¡¯t leave any room for him to speak. ¡°Huh- what?¡± Fen flicked his head over, confused at my fleeting presence. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I dashed over to Rodney who was uncomfortably sitting in his chair, itching for action. ¡°Rodney, come with me.¡± My face hardened, ¡°Uriel might have been¡­ you know..¡± He nodded immediately, not needing to hear the rest. I yanked him out of his chair and we scrambled out of the room. ¡°Students! Get back immediately!¡± Runalia called out after us but decided not to act. ¡°Show me her room first, there might be something there,¡± I directed Rodney. He shot me a confused look, ¡°Do you not know where it is?¡± ¡°Uhhh¡­ we don¡¯t talk about that.¡± -x- Fen¡¯s intuition not only warned me but hinted me toward the bigger picture. Today was my battlefield, the Heroes¡¯ Bout so to speak. However, with the demon meeting and Hell Paradises¡¯ effects, what was stopping it from taking a bigger stage? Right now I needed to break down this door and confirm my suspicions. Knock! Knock! ¡°You should be careful with the school property,¡± Rodney reminded me. I paused. ¡°You know if I¡¯m right, she''s not here but rather¡­¡± ¡°Rather, what?¡± ¡°Kidnapped.¡± His eyes widened, unable to speak. I ignored his shock and continued, ¡°That¡¯s why, I need you to barge past this door.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Would you rather your childhood friend die from inaction or be proud you were able to save a life?¡± ¡°I- I¡­ alright,¡± He gulped in a deep breath of air. He raised his arms and got ready to ram down the door. His charge was like a bull¡¯s the arms acting as horns, breaking past the barrier. Rodney smirked at me, ¡°Thanks for hitting me with reality- needed it.¡± Nodding, I observed the empty room. ¡°Haha- I guess I was right then.¡± ¡°Tch,¡± He clicked his tongue. ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I assured him. ¡°I have an idea that I¡¯m not too proud of having.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve nothing to lose.¡± He affirmatively clenched his hands. ¡°I¡¯ll trust you.¡± The route was completely ingrained in my mind thanks to Erin¡¯s meddling. We rushed out of the Golden Nest, heading toward the general dorms. But, we weren¡¯t fast enough. ¡°Rodney, we won¡¯t make it at this rate. I¡¯m gonna speed up.¡± Marking the end of my words, I put more energy into the sprint. ¡°I was slowing down for you,¡± He replied sternly. ¡®Geh. ¡® My heart felt a tang of pain hearing that. However, I had to persevere. If I was right about Carlos, then he would be waiting at the set field. I felt a sudden tail of sound approaching our locations. ¡°Who-¡± ¡°Wait- wait!¡± A childish voice called from behind. Whoosh! With a gush of wind, he was now in front of us. ¡°Before you move forward, I still owe you a favour don¡¯t I?¡± Abel¡¯s sneaky smile told me what I needed to say. Despite the horrible timing, finally, I could make use of the favour he¡¯d forgotten for the past couple of days. Snap! Through the click of his fingers, a prostrating Fairy Queen had been summoned in front of us. Her stature and behaviour were completely unlike the one that threatened my life for having these ¡®eyes¡¯. ¡°Sorry for the delay,¡± Abel slightly bowed in apology, ¡°She put up a bigger resistance than I expected.¡± I recalled the time of the graveyard¡¯s incident. ¡°Makes sense¡­¡± Rodney¡¯s trembling voice came from the side, ¡°W- what am I looking at¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, Rodney was it? Don¡¯t worry too much, it¡¯s a little gift to our friend Luke.¡± I felt a little bad. He was already desperate to save his childhood friend, and this guy showed up out of nowhere. ¡°Well?¡± I tapped my arms. ¡°What was the so-called ¡®personal reimbursement?¡¯¡± ¡°Here!¡± He pointed at the subdued Fjleora. ¡°¡­¡± Abel¡¯s smile paused, sensing my unease. ¡°Is there an issue?¡± What the fuck¡­ this guy was too much. In a crazy good sense that is. ¡°No,¡± A feeling of excitement burst through me, ¡°Not at all!¡± ¡°Also, due to constraints, she will come under you as a familiar.¡± In an instant, my hope shrivelled into nothingness. Familiars rely on their contractor¡¯s mana to stay in the mortal realm. Not only was this ¡®familiar¡¯ the last Fairy Queen, but her power strayed far from the concept of weak. She was useless to me unless I had the mana capacity of someone like Mark or Serina. ¡°I don¡¯t know what this is, but if the Greatest Hero is here then it has to be important.¡±Rodney collected himself and ran off, ¡°I¡¯ll go myself to the field.¡± ¡°He¡¯s pretty smart isn¡¯t he?¡± Abel rhetorically asked. ¡°Yeah, whatever.¡± I sighed in resignation, ¡°Hah¡­ let her give the blessing at least.¡± ¡°You knew about that?¡± He remarked. ¡°Interesting!¡± ¡°Anyhow, here you go,¡± He kicked the whimpering queen in my direction. ¡°I gotta go and handle some paperwork now, cya!¡± This child hero always came and went as he pleased. I wanted to complain about his antics but the fairy under me was tugging my guilt strings. ¡°Are¡­ you alright?¡± I asked lightly. Fjleora lifted her head, albeit slowly and carefully. ¡°It¡¯s fine you know, Abel isn¡¯t here anymore.¡± She stayed unresponsive. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to leave you here then¡­¡± I felt bad so I thought it¡¯d be okay. Before I could leave, I felt a pair of hands grasping my ankles. ¡°D- don¡¯t leave¡­¡± ¡®And we¡¯re back to square one!¡¯ I was running out of time so I was in a little, tiny bit of a hurry. ¡°Look, I¡¯ll accept you as a familiar, just please. Please get up!¡± My time was being stretched thin. Rodney wouldn¡¯t be suited to fight Carlos alone. Fjleora nodded furiously. ¡°I- acc- accept you as my master.¡± She bowed and began to shine, ¡°Thank you.¡± Muttering those words, she disappeared into the mana of the world. She must¡¯ve been abused to hell and back if she thought I was fit to be her master. Abel was indeed scary. Ding! I opened my status board and noticed two new skills. Taming (C) (100% Proficiency - Evolution Possible) Blessing of a Fairy Queen (A+) (0% Proficiency) For some reason taming was maxed, probably due to having a Fairy Queen come under me. And, it seemed I had finally received her blessings. ¡°Hahaha! Even if I didn¡¯t get the strongest pet, the blessing was worth it!¡± I could already see Carlos kneeling before me, with his eyes in fear. The effects of¡­ Blessing of a Fairy Queen (A+) (0% Proficiency) The blessing was good, even if it was¡­ sealed. [M- master, I¡¯m sorry but I have to negotiate with the Gods of the spirit plane before I can be of use.] ¡°Ha. Ha. Ha.¡± Dry laughter escaped me. Of course, never has this world let me win in any regard. The skill was essentially just telling me to ¡®get better¡¯ as a blessing until she came back. ¡°Argghhh!¡± Grueling shouts echoed past the filled path ahead. Shit, I got distracted. Chapter 25 – The Demons’ Bout (2) Proofreader: Me (This chapter was fun to write iirc, have fun reading.) Rodney¡¯s body was battered, his uniform wrecked and in his hands was a shining hammer. His brown hair had darkened with dirt, and yet his figure was reminiscent of a Paladin. He coughed out blood and chuckled lightly, ¡°Heh, sorry to ruin your Hero¡¯s Bout.¡± He was resolute in his stance, facing the senior with his ruined body. ¡°Kill.¡± Carlos, the now half-human, half-monster, lost all signs of clarity. ¡°Must KILLLLL!¡± His body had been victim to what seemed like an experiment of the Demon Uprising goons. Purple veins flowed through his disproportionately large arms, muscles beating like hearts. The situation was unlike anything the developers would have created. ¡°Here I thought they would do something normal,¡± I muttered. ¡°Hah¡­ Rodney let me handle this. Go find Uriel before it¡¯s too late.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Just go already,¡± I solidified my resolution. He smiled and ran off in the direction of Carlos¡¯ dorms. ¡°Think of this as my apology for damaging your opponent, in your duel.¡± I cracked my neck and lightly stretched my body. The senior stood there unmoving as if I was outside his detection range. Taking advantage of that, I searched for red spots that [Enigmatic Chance] would provide and took a peek at his status. Shatter! The appraisal stone shattered, letting me know this was its final use for the day. Around three uses, after this battle, I¡¯ll be able to use that information well. [Carlos Klaus] [Age: 16] [Race: Human (21% Purity)] [Attributes] Vitality: Tier 0 (60%) Agility: Tier 0 (60%) Strength: Tier 0 (60%) Mana: Tier 0 (30%) [Skills] ¡°Eh¡­?¡± I was left dumbfounded. ¡°Why isn¡¯t there any?¡± Weak spots were not present, and nor were his previous skills¡­ Instinctively, I looked for Rodney who had already disappeared. ¡°Dammit.¡± The Demon Uprising guys loved to inflict despair on their victims, so he¡¯d probably explode if left alone. No exaggeration, their radius would be at least a quarter of the school. Meaning, I had to fight now. I took in a deep breath of air and felt the unknown calmness fill my brain. Everything was clear as I started my assault. Carlos reacted instantly, swinging his massive arms in my direction. I shifted my core of rotation in my left leg, spinning past his mindless attack. On his side, I raised my sword and slashed at his left arm. Chik! Pieces of my sword¡¯s blade had chipped off. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. I stammered, ¡°Seriously?¡± As if laughing at my predicament, he leapt into the air releasing his savage arms upon the earth. I dashed backwards, enhancing my speed in the process. I decided to change my approach and summoned a white ball of light. Utilising my enhanced speed and strength, I once again entered his range of attack. Before he could swing, the magic missile was released into his right eye. ¡°Grraah!¡± His right arm grasped his bleeding eye, opening a wide range of options for attack. I removed my speed enhancement, choosing both strength and the blade¡¯s durability as I struck at his waist. It was nothing but a light injury with how blood was barely visible. ¡°Diiiieeeee!¡± In a fit of rage, he stomped the ground. A crater formed, and a shockwave blasted towards me. ¡°Ptui-¡° I spat out blood as I rolled on the grass. ¡°It¡¯s like a fucking bull¡­¡± He was like a beast, reacting and fighting accordingly. ¡°Tch.¡± I felt energy sapping away from my body, different from physical exhaustion. I was already losing mana at a quick pace. I charged once again, looking for any weak points in the beast¡¯s body. I avoided his mindless attacks, taking in every detail I possibly could. My brown eyes pulsed, completing an imaginary body of the monster in front of me. Limbs, hairs, scratches, deformities¡­ All of its body had been ingrained in my head. ¡°This was the effect of a 2.5% increase?¡± My Outer Eyes¡¯ improvement was extraordinary. Carlos¡¯ movements lost the recklessness I once thought they had. The image in my head told me all that it could do. My body was reacting accordingly to the mental image rather than what I was seeing. I felt myself entering a trance. It was just me and Carlos, and my eyes saw everything. It grasped the essence of his attacks. I was faster, reacting faster and dodging with less energy. Even if he had body enhancement completed to its limit, it wouldn¡¯t matter if it couldn¡¯t manage a single attack. He swung down with both arms, and I dove closer into his chest. The enlargement of his body meant there was more space to move around in his range. I enhanced my sword and strength again and thrust it into the injury I made earlier. ¡°Grrrrr!¡± He howled like a beast with blood escaping his wound. ¡°Heh.¡± I tugged on my sword, ¡°You¡¯re not impenetrable after all.¡± It was all thanks to Erin¡¯s training, not only had my vitality increased, but so has my focus. My stiffness greatly decreased, allowing me to move more freely. I guess she wasn¡¯t so bad after all. A backhanded slap zoomed in as I attempted to pull out my sword. Whish! I rolled backwards with a grim expression. I had lost my only weapon. ¡°Hahaha! Die! Die!¡± It seemed even he, in such a state, realised his advantage. It was as if Hulk was my enemy, his arms swung quicker than a sword, and his body stronger than a lion. I had to wait for him to attack me carelessly, or else my sword would be stuck there until I died. Time passed as Carlos attacked, but it only gained more accuracy and speed. ¡°He¡¯s getting stronger!¡± I exclaimed, noticing the differences in his flailing. I wished my stone hadn¡¯t broken sooner. Its proficiency was most likely higher than it was before¡­ I was in an even more dire position than I realised. I had to force the sword out, waiting would only lead him to become stronger and quicker than the image created by my Outer Eyes. ¡®[Magic Missile x 4!]¡¯ I gathered the rest of my mana for one more assault. My breaths increased, indicating the stress my body had from using too much at once. Four. I launched one at his face, and he swatted it away like it was nothing. In the window of time granted by that action, I dove closer toward him. Three. I unleashed one at the sword and another at his face again. The sword made a clinking noise as if it was about to fall, and Carlos reacted by covering his eyes with both arms. One. I held onto the draping sword¡¯s hilt with both feet planted into the ground. Schwing! It was free at last, and I was ready to make my final move. ¡°Why! Why are you still alive!?¡± A form of clarity returned to his eyes from rampaging for far too long. This was also a sign that he may be used as a bomb soon; the so-called last moments of clarity before death. I had to either kill him or knock him out in the next few moments or it¡¯d be over for me. ¡°Luke! Uriel¡¯s not waking up!¡± A voice recalled from afar. ¡°Her skin¡¯s full of purple- I dunno!¡± They linked her to this monster too, didn¡¯t they? Killing him was not an option then- could really I not kill him? Unfair... ¡°RAHH!¡± I let out my pent-up frustration. ¡°Kill! KILLLL!¡± My mind gave up on rational thinking as time began ticking. Rodney attempted to end my rampage, ¡°Luke wait!¡± I refuse! His head would be on a pike after I''m done. Chapter 26 – The Demons’ Bout (3) Proofreader: Future Me Cooling myself down from my enraged stupor, I mustered all the strength left in my body. With this surge of energy, I dashed into the insane Carlos. ¡°There it is,¡± My eyes locked onto the red spot on his waist. Within the bleeding gap in his body, that my repeated strikes created, was a weak point. He stepped backwards, escaping my sword¡¯s range. His instincts improved yet again. In response, I threw my sword at his head and leapt forward to not let him escape. It stuck itself in his eye, with him yelling in pain. He rampaged further, losing sight of where I was. Seeing his fading humanity, I tensed my legs to leap one final time. I enhanced the gravity around me to land exactly right under his nose. As if I held a ball of rotating energy, I thrust my arm forward. Dead centre into the red circle. Such was the power of the [Enigmatic Chance]. ¡°This is it, you weak-minded fucker!¡± My last magic missile was released at last. [Critical Hit!] ¡°Uaaagghh!¡± His body propelled backwards at a neck-breaking speed. Carlos was unable to stand, lying there motionless on the grass carved out by an orc-like body. ¡°Hahaha! Look, I win!¡± I raised my arms into the air, celebrating. ¡°Head on a pike! Head on a pike!¡± Everything I trained for in the past days was worth it. Erin and her demonic training saved me in the end¡­ ¡°Luke!¡± Rodney yelled my name again, ¡°Luke, behind!¡± Huh- Black streams of mana stretched out toward my face. I tried to move out of the way but it was too late. My limbs had lost all feeling. Whoosh! A magic barrier materialised in front of me, coloured with a violet hue. ¡°Serina?¡± Rodney mumbled. A warrior protagonist made their haggard appearance, ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­ Everyone¡¯s been scrambling for you two since Rodney broke into the senior¡¯s room.¡± Reacting to the increasing presence, Carlos¡¯ body convulsed even further. Bzzt! Bzzzzz! My surroundings turned chaotic, with his body radiating some kind of black energy. All of which had been sublimated into a hostile stream of darkness. ¡°Run away!¡± My remaining stamina had been sapped entirely. The self-destruct process was beginning despite my efforts. I watched the energy multiply before me multiply, becoming larger and larger. ¡°These fucking Demon fanatics man¡­¡± I was simply a viewer of my death. I could only pray that the others would- ¡°Luke!¡± A voice I hadn¡¯t heard in a day called out. ¡°G- get up, please! I¡¯m here now!¡± ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡±Even though I was in tatters, she shook my body in her panic. The world began to spin as the only thing left to do was pass out. ¡°Eh- wait! Don¡¯t die!¡± Such were the last words I heard. -x- Uriel¡¯s POV ¡°Wake up!¡± I grasped my saviour¡¯s collapsed body regardless of the circumstances around me. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to die!¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Ron found me tucked away in the room of the senior, passed out and tied up. Only to bring me here in my confusion, yet why¡­? Why was Luke fighting? Grief struck my heart, seeing the fall of the monster which removed the foreign energy in my body. It was then that I knew that he had saved me. ¡°That¡¯s why- you¡¯re not allowed to!-¡° ¡°Stop that,¡± A hand touched my shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s fine- well, mostly. Let the guy rest.¡± I refuted, ¡°But Ron!¡± ¡°Just look at his face,¡± My childhood friend¡¯s face had a sympathetic look. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Luke¡¯s face had lost colour, his eyes open but with only whites showing. ¡°Uri, aren¡¯t you the saint?¡± He asked me. ¡°Heal him already.¡± ¡°I¡­ I- I am!¡± I called upon the graces of the Lord Astria, gathering all of my holy energy into one great ceremony. I lowered myself, looking at the floor and grasping my hands together. An immersive white world of the divine had lent its power to my vessel. This process, this way of praying, gave me the strength to create a miracle. Ron uttered quietly, ¡°Every time I see this, it never gets old.¡± Vaguely, the sense of holiness had descended upon me. Granting me white, feathery wings, I rose from my prayer. I raised my hands over Luke¡¯s body. ¡®[Miracle of the Divine: Mortal Ascendance]¡¯ Of the three miracles, I decided on one which would restore him to his peak condition, while removing all the impurities in the area. As if Heaven itself came to resurrect the fallen, Luke¡¯s body rose from the floor bathing in a divine light. All wounds had subsided, leaving nothing but the will to remove all evil in the vicinity. Carlos¡¯ body had ceased convulsing altogether once the light spread out across the damaged field. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡± My breath became haggard, with the hasty absence of holy energy leaving my body. ¡°Well done saint!¡± A clap could be heard not too far away from us. ¡°I was curious as to how you would fare, but this was more than enough. I¡¯ll take care of our student here, and patch him all up.¡± Professor Clarisse arrived by herself, without the presence of the other staff. Even if classes were running, why did they only send one person? ¡°Luke¡¯s already fine!¡± I clenched his unconscious body tighter. ¡°Oh- not him, but your senior.¡± Carlos was wrapped in a physical projection of the professor¡¯s mana, showing a level of skill that students couldn¡¯t hope to reach. ¡°Tell Luke the Headmaster wishes to meet him before the Dungeon Expedition tomorrow. Also, bring him to the infirmary¡­ and¡­ you two need to report your situation to both the Head of Security and the Vice Headmaster,¡± Clarisse rapidly fired instructions towards us. ¡°Eh-¡° The situation moved faster than I could have thought. ¡°W- Why is the expedition s- still happening?¡± ¡°No one was affected besides you four, so no problem.¡± She waved her hands, getting ready to leave, ¡°Anyways, bye!¡± She flew off literally, leaving me and Ron stumped. ¡°Well, I can take Luke to the infirmary, and you can go back to report on this-¡° ¡°No!¡± I firmly rejected his idea. ¡°I¡¯ll take him myself, you do it!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± He chuckled seeing my harsh response, ¡°That¡¯s fine, just don''t get caught up in anything scandalous.¡± ¡°Hah!?¡± My entire head filled with an immense heat. ¡°W- w- what do you mean!?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you later,¡± He waved goodbye with one hand. ¡°Why are you ignoring me!¡± Ron walked away, not saying anything back. ¡°Whew¡­¡±My head cooled down listening to the soft breaths of Luke, who was resting on my lap. Around us were the remains of a hard-fought battleground, but it was strangely relaxing. He didn¡¯t look like it, but to me, he was already a hero. Even before this, he was the first person to take me seriously besides Rodney. I was always told that I was too nervous for a saint, so the archbishop believed that I was not yet fit to be a saint. Luke had noticed that and had encouraged me rather than poke fun at me out of jealousy for my position. ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered above him. ¡°But¡­¡± He may have done a couple more than infuriating things. I remembered the time he picked me up and ran at full speed¡­. despite my anger then, it was fun looking back at it now. ¡°Okay!¡± I fist-bumped the air with newfound determination. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the infirmary myself!¡± ¡°¡­¡± How could I carry him with my body, nor without any holy power left? ¡°Luke! And¡­ uhhh¡­ Uriel!¡± It was Fen, looking at the lap pillow I was currently giving. I forgot he was here completely. Ron¡¯s words came back to bite me immediately. Did Lord Astria truly forsake me? ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­?¡± He seemed to recognise my embarrassment. ¡°Well I came to help with the aftermath, but all seems okay.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®okay?¡¯¡± I was wondering what he meant until I faced upwards. Violet hair was dangling from the sky, revealing the Rosemary¡¯s most promising child. ¡°H- how long has she been there?¡± I stammered while shaking, ¡°A- and why does she look so mad?¡± ¡°Beats me, I saw her the moment I arrived.¡± ¡°Eh- s- so that, that means¡­!¡± ¡°She¡¯s been watching you the whole time,¡± Fen shrugged, ¡°I guess her stalker behaviour continues.¡± ¡°Uwaaaahhhhhhh!¡± An immeasurable amount of heat surged up around my cheeks. My mind losing its cool completely, shut off. Chapter 27 – Children’s Expedition (1) Proofreader: Future Me ??? POV In the dark of night, unbeknownst to anyone, sinister forces were at play. Within a basement, were two figures, one on the ground and the other sitting on a tattered chair. The one in a higher position inquired, ¡°Well, how was the operation?¡± The kneeling one trembled, ¡°Boss! Th- the connection with our experiment has been cut off!¡± ¡°That quickly?¡± He rubbed his chin, ¡°Tell me, do you know the culprits?¡± ¡®Huhu. It only makes sense that it was Abel, and it seems they¡¯ve caught our bait perfectly.¡¯ He laughed lightly, expecting such an answer. ¡°Two children!¡± ¡®Huh-¡® ¡°Huh.¡± Both thought and speech of the once-composed figure escaped at once. ¡°Explain yourself!¡± His face, although covered with robes, was steaming. ¡°We d- don¡¯t know¡­¡± The one in servitude lowered his head even further, prostrating to an unseen extent. ¡°We beg for your forgiveness!¡± ¡®Children¡­? Then it must be ones from the so-called Platinum Generation¡­¡¯ ¡°Tsk.¡± ¡°Hiiieeekk!¡± The one on his knees trembled in fear. ¡°No matter, we will continue with our plans,¡± He regained his cool, but a soothing rage within had remained. ¡°Y-yes of course!¡± He saluted, ¡°To the era of a new hell! All hail the Demon God Raon!¡± At once, they had both disappeared, vanishing into dust. Crash! As if silence had not filled the room, child and adult figures collapsed on the peeling floor. ¡°Bleh-¡° A child¡¯s tongue got caught on the remains. ¡°Ptui. We were a bit too late it seems, ah well¡­ at least we know that those demon fanatics are active again.¡± ¡°Yes, Abel.¡± The adult confirmed his belief, ¡°We will be on high alert from tomorrow onwards. I¡¯ll bring on all the security staff.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that,¡± The Hero smirked mischievously. ¡°The children need some ¡®motivation¡¯ to get a head start!¡± ¡°But¡­ the children are¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Clair will be enough to handle most threats.¡± The adult hesitated momentarily, but gave in regardless, ¡°Un- understood.¡± ¡®I just hope Luke doesn¡¯t get into trouble¡­ I¡¯ve already troubled him with the Fairy Queen, and lack of help from Abel¡¯s desire.¡¯ -x- Luke POV ¡°Ow- Ow- Ow.¡± My arm was being poked from all sides. Apparently I had been asleep for half a day, and I believed that with how much my body reacted to stimuli. ¡°Why is this commoner always getting hurt?¡± Julia had a hostile glint in her blue eyes. ¡°Ever since the first day I met you¡­ you¡¯ve only been pushing yourself.¡± I¡¯ve had no choice but to do so¡­ not like I could say that. ¡°I have to do my best as a commoner," I brushed it off. "We aren¡¯t too well off, you know.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­ Then¡­ ¡± She pondered for a moment, ¡°h- how about you become my vassal?¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°EH?!¡± A blonde patient who had been listening in, revealed themself. ¡°¡­?¡± I didn¡¯t expect such responses. First, a noble¡¯s offer, and two, a priest¡¯s eavesdropping. ¡°Uriel, you¡¯re awake?¡± Julia flicked back her ponytails regaining her composure. ¡°You should have said so sooner.¡± ¡°N- no I- uhh¡­ was woken by the noise!¡± She raised her finger high as if she made a genius point. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Both me and Julia were finding it hard to buy that. ¡°In any case, commoner. If you wish, give me your answer any time¡­¡± She blushed momentarily before adding one last thing, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be good for us to see you hurt again.¡± My heart was filled to the brim with that whisper, but I couldn¡¯t lose my rationality here. I had to bite back. ¡°Yeah- since we¡¯re friends right?¡± I smirked, telling her softly. ¡°MMMMM!¡± She practically sprinted out the door. ¡°Is she okay?¡± Uriel innocently asked, lying under her sheets somewhat scared. Somehow her bust was still visible¡­ Not the time for this. ¡°Ahem,¡± I coughed. ¡°She should be.¡± She accepted my answer, before calling my name, ¡°Hey Luke¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Why were there no professors besides Clarisse?¡± It was a bombshell of a question. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I- is there a problem?¡± She stuttered, detecting my unease. Should I tell her? Probably not. Considering Abel¡¯s personality and way of doing things, it was guaranteed that he forbade any action from being taken. It was likely he had ordered both Haruto and Riel, the head nurse, to be on standby. ¡°Fucking sadist,¡± I mumbled frustratedly. Uriel peered closer at my face, ¡°Did you say something?¡± ¡°No, nothing. It was likely that the teachers were unaware, and Abel was on the way.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± She contemplated for a moment, ¡°Well, it does make sense.¡± Thank goodness she wasn¡¯t as bright as her looks. Slam! ¡°Yo, Luke! How ya doing?¡± With a smirk on his face, Fen busted through the infirmary door. ¡°I¡¯m fine now, as you can see." I lied through my teeth. Pain seared across my body as I used enhancement on my body''s regenerative capabilities. ¡°Yup, and has Serina made her way here yet?¡± He asked such a question as if it was nothing. ¡°Why would?-¡° The violet barrier flashed past my mind. ¡°Truth is, she was the one who took both you and Uriel to the nurse.¡± ¡°Eh!¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± Uriel and I expressed the same reaction ¡ª surprise. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no,¡± He shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s fine, just say thanks later. And uhh¡­ get ready for the Dungeon Expedition tomorrow.¡± I sighed but replied regardless, ¡°Yeah- I¡¯ll be sure to do that.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Uriel wholeheartedly expressed her intentions. We were on two opposite sides of the spectrum. ¡°Anyways, I gotta get going. Charles told me to be quick,¡± He waved leaving the both of us alone. "He also ordered me to tell you that he prepared something for you." Did I ever do something to help him out? "Luke?" Uriel called my name, seeing me space out. "Ah yes, Luke to Earth," I joked. "What was it?" Losing track of my thoughts, I engaged in small talk with the saintess. -x- After chatting for a while, Riel eventually discharged the both of us. ¡°We apologise for not being there,¡± She elegantly bowed. ¡°Expect to receive a reward for preventing a terrorist attack of the Demon Uprising at the very least.¡± It was a pretence for the fact that they weren¡¯t allowed to do anything. If I were to describe it, imagine Hell¡­ the desire to burn anything and everything, inside a person¡¯s intention to teach. That was Abel, the greatest sadist in the world. The worst part was, he would only present such trials with those he gained an interest in. Meaning, this won¡¯t be the only time with no support. Although, he wouldn¡¯t give us anything impossible¡­ surely. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow!¡± Uriel waved goodbye excitedly jumping, catching my eyes on a bouncy net. ¡°Y-yeah, goodbye,¡± I waved back, walking toward my dorm. I reached into my pocket, opening the handbook once again. ¡®Did you know that there are hidden tribes and kingdoms within the continent, for example, the Beastmen?¡¯ Yes, you learn that in the first chapter, great. ¡°Hah¡­¡± I sighed, knowing this book was almost useless, but the feeling of getting something new everyday was too addicting. ¡°Just like a gacha game.¡± Mumbling to myself, a presence I didn¡¯t recognise approached. Tap, tap. I had an extremely bad feeling¡­ ¡°Wh- who is it!?¡± ¡°Your supposed demon tutor,¡± It was a familiar and hellish voice. Fuck. ¡°Wait! I just woke up after my duel with a demonic version of Carlos!¡± ¡°Sure,¡± She wouldn¡¯t listen, no¡­ she¡¯s refusing to listen. Training after almost dying- When did I ever say she was my favourite character?! Chapter 28 – Children’s Expedition (2) Proofreader: Future Me Fen Castelle was a tragic character. Especially with his past haunting him at every turn, having been revealed as soon as the last day of his introductory week. It¡¯s what I was currently afraid of; having to deal with his past along with the other protagonist¡¯s encounters. Although, I doubt Serina will encounter anything. And it wouldn¡¯t end with just this¡­ I only had information from the first week regarding all the protagonists besides Serina¡¯s. I knew the general plotlines of the other good endings, but that was it. ¡°Hah, where¡¯s Julia when you need her?¡± I missed her cute remarks and high noble act. I at least came up with a somewhat feasible plan¡­ To leave it all alone! That¡¯s right, I¡¯ll only intervene if something goes out of whack. From what I¡¯ve seen, they¡¯re just as capable as the in-game variants of themselves. Minus the rose-filled adolescence potentially ruining their lives. Ah, that¡¯s right¡­ such a thing was my initial goal. ¡®Destroying the Romance,¡¯ would step up again during the following weeks. I inadvertently crushed most of the events in the first week, however the increase of characters would push me over the edge trying to observe everything. It¡¯s like I needed more eyes¡­ More eyes? Eyes- hmmm¡­ Outer Eyes, it was plural. Maybe I could somehow increase my eyes? [Outer Eyes (Z) (5% Proficiency)] It didn¡¯t mention my ability to memorise and create mental images of creatures or movements. Possibly, I could recreate such an idea. It felt like a stretch, but I could at least give it a go. I attempted to move mana in my body, not according to magic formulae or arithmetic, but to how I felt. Activate my Outer Eyes skill¡­ then manifest through mana. In my hands, a spherical shape began to form, but it eventually faltered joining the forces of nature. Bump. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Another student hit my shoulder, ¡°You¡¯re standing in the middle of the hallway. The assembly¡¯s in the gym, hurry up.¡± His curly brown hair made me want to rip it out. I was so close to raising my fist in retaliation. I almost realised something essential, but now I¡¯ve lost it. Wait¡­ brown curly hair, slouched shoulders, a nerd, and annoying? It was him! Percy was supposed to be in the Golden Nest. ¡°Did you hear me?¡± His voice reverberated in my ear. ¡°Yeah I did, so shut the fu-¡° I covered my mouth. Whoops, I lost my temper for a moment. He clicked his tongue. ¡°You¡¯re a student of The Heroes Garden, act like it.¡± Wow, just wow. Even I could fold him right now, weak as I am. Averaging five in every stat but mana was crazy. But if there was a stat for academic intelligence, his would probably soar past the thousands. ¡°Sure, buddy,¡± I shrugged. Unfortunately, the knowledge of how to reach the assembly hall was still lost to me. I followed his steps, reaching the central piece of the academy. The Assembly Hall. It was different from the place we had gathered from the exam, as its looks were infinitely more luxurious. The place was graced with decorations of orichalcum chandeliers, sol-mana-charged lighting, and paintings of past heroic figures. More of a museum than a gathering hub in my opinion. ¡°Here we are, and go to your class,¡± Percy continued to offer politeness. ¡°The Golden Nest¡¯s students are about to present.¡± He opened the doors, showing me the result of a weekday at Shibuya crossing. It was filled¡­ ¡°Wait- we had to present something?¡± I realised, looking at the countless heads. ¡°Haha. What a joke,¡± He laughed looking down at me. ¡°You- in the class of the elites chosen by Abel?¡± ¡­ One day. Just wait¡­ one day I¡¯ll get you. Being mocked by anyone else was one thing, but Percy? I would not let that slide. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m quite the funny one aren¡¯t I?¡± I held in my resentment. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Indeed, rather than a potential hero, you¡¯d be fit for a jester at the empire¡¯s court,¡± He snickered without caring to hide it. Yup, it¡¯s decided. There was no way I¡¯d let him off the hook after that. ¡°Sure, sure¡­¡± I nodded with veins popping out of my forehead. He walked off with a smirk on his face, seemingly satisfied with ¡®schooling¡¯ a delinquent. I could hear his whispers from here. ¡°Forget it,¡± I turned my head towards the stage. Students lined up into rows, presumably by class. Professors littered the ends of the student files, which I had to sneak past by. According to the nerd, they should be behind stage right about now. Magical lights floated atop the ceiling, flashing on as curtains were opened. What was this? A theatre play? ¡°Today, as you all know, is the day of the traditional Dungeon Expedition!¡± Abel was front and centre, exclaiming into a microphone. ¡°As a tradition held every year, it is now your turn.¡± Yeah, it was made out of sound amplification spells, or something like that. ¡°So, I introduce your representatives! The Golden Nest, as well as some of my favourites,¡± He beckoned towards the side of himself. A small crowd of students walked into view, my classmates¡­ and even Julia- Tsk. Percy was there along with Alicia Einsberg. Two students who were originally within the Golden Nest. Both are equally annoying, although in different ways. ¡°Now, I present to you the head representative!¡± Charles stepped forward as expected. It was the same at the game at least. ¡°Hello everyone, I am Charles von Garett. It is an honour to be chosen for this position. And while I am a prince, in this place I am no better than the rest of you,¡± He paused riling the audience. ¡°We are heroes in the making, and I hope to be a comrade worthy for the rest of us.¡± His words resonated with the cheers of the students. Somehow, with just three sentences he charmed the entire cohort. The girls especially¡­ Man, I forgot how handsome these guys were supposed to be. Young love isn¡¯t it just amazing? Wait- no I¡¯m supposed to stop that. Not only are the protagonists at stake but the main cast too. That¡¯s why I have been trying to interact with the others as much as possible while watching the protagonists at play. Or I tried to at the minimum¡­ ¡°In my opinion, however, I believe there to be a student more deserving of this honour.¡± The speech had moved in a twisted direction. ¡°They currently are not up on stage, so they must have been busy. Thus I must ask, Luke of the Golden Nest to take my wholehearted feelings of gratitude.¡± Gratitude? We talked once. Wouldn¡¯t your knight be better, or did he learn about what happened yesterday? Wait, Fen told me something about a ¡®present¡­¡¯ He turned his head over to me, singling me out of the entire crowd. ¡°Please, come up and give your greetings,¡± He smiled enticing the crowd. However, to me, it was a devil¡¯s invitation. My lips twitched watching all my classmates turn towards me. ¡°Luke? Is he someone powerful?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what the prince says.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he quite average?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem too strong either.¡± Murmurs began to fill up the hero¡¯s hall, along with a passage for me to the stage. It was like a certain religious event where an ocean was split in half. ¡°Alright then, if that¡¯s what you want I¡¯ll do it.¡± I hyped myself up, inching closer and closer to Charles. He kept up his usual smirk, ¡°Indeed, it is nice to see you up and healthy once again.¡± He turned toward the students, ¡°There was a terrorist attack yesterday, which this person had single-handedly prevented. Unfortunately, I am unable to make any further comments, but I wish you all to give him thanks for his hidden actions.¡± A magical microphone found itself in my hands, as I received glares from both Percy and Luna. Charles leaned into my ear, ¡°Let¡¯s see if your might is the same as your bite.¡± The real demons were these guys, not the Demon King or his daughter, but the ringleaders of nobles. Whew¡­ It has been a while since I stood in front of this many people. Not since I was student council president of my high school. I began with a bow, ¡°My name is Luke, and as you can tell I¡¯m not the most charming person and neither am I the strongest. And per the prince¡¯s words, I did dabble a bit in an incident unbeknownst to everyone here. Despite that, I ask you all to treat me the same as of all you. No respect, no anything. As Charles said, I am no better than all of you.¡± People began to listen in, with the previous conversations now ending. ¡°Today, as the Greatest Hero Abel has told us all, is the day of the Dungeon Expedition. This is why I must ask all of you to not engage in any spontaneous acts. Death is right around the corner in places like that, pestering, and joking, will kill us.¡± The faces of the students hardened, while some looked at me in laughter. ¡°Romance in particular must not take place in such a battlefield.¡± At that line, everyone burst into laughter. ¡°Romance?¡± ¡°What!? All this build-up for that!?¡± ¡°Bahahaha!¡± ¡°As if we¡¯d try something like that!¡± They all laughed, spitting in my face at the point of interpersonal relationships. They still hadn¡¯t realised the reality of this world. ¡°Ahem. Everyone, thank you for listening,¡± I coughed slightly. ¡°I will now hand over the microphone to our headmaster.¡± I stepped back into the entourage of my classmates, surrounded by smiles trying not to laugh. Although, there was a missing person, Serina. Fen slapped my back, ¡°You had me for a moment there, thought I was about to hear some sort of vital information.¡± Even Mark commented, ¡°Romance? You jest, as if I could care.¡± I was forced to read your journals and even treaded your route once to receive a permanent buff across runs. You all became the equivalent of tier-three subs on that one streaming platform the moment you get a taste of love. ¡°I must admit, I didn¡¯t know you had a talent as a stand-up comedian,¡± Erin patted my shoulder, with an unhinged smile. Julia agreed, ¡°Commoner, she¡¯s right! Even I laughed!¡± Uriel had a shy smile on her face, while Rodney was blatantly laughing with his eyes. ¡°Excuse me,¡± I felt a presence approaching me from behind. Meeting their eyes I was met with an even more elegant appearance than the princess Luna. Such a gaze held an insight that most this age would not be able to have. Her sky-blue hair resonated with her pristine cyan eyes. Despite being much smaller than me, her aura of professionalism wasn¡¯t affected. ¡°I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve met before- unlike a certain someone,¡± She approached me leaving a backhanded comment toward Percy. ¡°I am Alicia Einsberg from the North Republic.¡± I almost doubted their existence since I arrived as they weren¡¯t in the Golden Nest. Still, meeting her now, put a dent in my plans. ¡°Thank you, students, please get into your assigned groups and find yourselves to the nearest teleporters.¡± ¡°Ah, it seems we¡¯re out of time,¡± She smiled deviously, ¡°Let us continue to talk at a later date.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised she approached you like that,¡± Fen commented. ¡°She¡¯s known for selecting her ¡®targets¡¯ based on achievements.¡± Yup, I now owned triple the worry I had from before. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that the Alicia!?¡± Julia hopped around me, fangirling over the republican representative. Yeah, thanks for the obvious. Chapter 29 – Children’s Expedition (3) Proofreader: Me (From the future.) We were respectively split into our groups of five, with eyes over in my direction at all times. I was put into group seven, filling my heart with a nostalgic feeling. However, that wasn¡¯t the important part. ¡°Tsk,¡± Percy clicked his tongue looking at me. And neither was his reaction the important thing, but rather the person in front. A huge paladin plated my vision, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± A confused sound exited my mouth. ¡°For my actions regarding this week, I am truly sorry for my actions.¡± It was Carlos Klaus, perfectly alive in the flesh. I had no idea how they managed to repair his body from such a vegetative state. Just as in the game, we were assigned one senior per group to oversee our activities. And luckily enough, it was the guy who was trying to kill me the other day. ¡°Why is the senior apologising to you?¡± Percy made his confusion apparent. ¡°Nothing much.¡± I turned toward Carlos, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I forgive you.¡± Only for a price. I''ll take my compensation later. He stood up, bowing once again. ¡°Thank you, Lord Luke.¡± ¡°Lord?¡± I asked. Now, the other three members of the group paid attention. ¡°After being saved by you, and receiving the teachings of the future saintess, it is clear to me now that you¡­ you are Lord Astria¡¯s avatar,¡± His eyes held a dangerous loyalty. What the fuck did Uriel do to him, rather what happened to him? ¡°Is this related to the ¡®incident?¡¯ Prince Charles mentioned?¡± One of our female members approached me. ¡°No comment,¡± I swiftly evaded it. ¡°Anyways, I know Percy and our seniors here, so can you three introduce yourselves?¡± The one who asked me the question stepped up, ¡°I am Frennia, from Class B-2.¡± She had a solid physique compared to her peers, owning dense muscles that even I could notice. ¡°Kyle, Class C-1,¡± He shrugged his shoulders, his long, brown hair following along. ¡°I am Beatrice Ella Evangeline, the daughter of the Earl Evangeline. I am of Class C-1,¡± She curtsied maintaining a noble etiquette, with her orange hair flowing past her shoulders. The three were minor characters in the game I believe. Their appearances even felt somewhat familiar¡­ ¡°Alrighty. The senior here is Carlos Klaus, and the nerd¡¯s Percy.¡± I smirked. ¡°Let¡¯s get along everybody.¡± They all nodded their heads. ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Runalia took centre stage. ¡°Step into your respective teleporters as per your professor¡¯s instructions.¡± ¡°Perfect, we¡¯re about ready aren¡¯t we?¡± I rhetorically asked. Their silence permeated around the group atmosphere. Ah well, we just got to know each other. An instructor approached us, ¡°Group seven, step in now.¡± We all huddled within the blue circle on the ground, supported by veins pumped with mana. ¡°Good luck, and may you all become heroes worthy of the word.¡± They sent their farewells. The world blurred, with blue lights streaking around us. Visions were warped and the butterflies in my stomach were throwing a ruckus. ¡°H-how is everyone doing?¡± I managed to ask. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Tsk. Shut up.¡± ¡°Lord Luke, all is well.¡± The other three echoed, ¡°We¡¯re fine.¡± Why was I the only one suffering? Thinking that, the blurring around us ended. Natural lights filled our surroundings showing the beauty of the world. A forest sprawled out before us. Similarly, other groups began to sprout into existence around us. I could even spot a few friendly faces among them. Clap! Clap! ¡°Everyone!¡± A bubbly voice had emerged. ¡°As some of you know, I am Professor Clarisse. And I am your guide for today!¡± ¡°The dungeon is a little deeper in this forest, and we ought to get a move on!¡± She waved, ¡°See you all there!¡± Clarisse jolted into the clearing before all the students, waking us up from our stupor. Carlos got into it, beginning to run before most could react. ¡°My Lord, we should begin at once,¡± He suggested. ¡°We don¡¯t wanna be last, follow Carlos¡¯ lead,¡± I ordered my team instantaneously. ¡°Why should I?¡± Percy rejected my offer. ¡°Without the nerd, cmon guys!¡± I ran with the other three. ¡°Argh-¡° He grumbled, ¡°Fine! Fine! Just don¡¯t leave me behind!¡± In unison, we began to run as a unit, except for the lone child dragging its feet behind the rest. The forest had rough ground, causing many to stumble in the chase for Clarisse. ¡°I-I did¡­ not sign up for this!¡± The nerd complained from behind. Beatrice spoke up despite her loss of breath, ¡°If we have to put up with this, so do you!¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± I exclaimed, ¡°To be a hero one must train their mental and physical endurance!¡± ¡°Lord Luke is exactly right,¡± Carlos nodded in agreement from afar. Percy continued to grumble while we ran at our quickest. Only managing to find glimpses of our guide professor, we had to trust Carlos¡¯ intuition. Time would go on as our breaths grew shorter. We were met with green upon green, with the occasional broken branch. I could hear the rustlings of other groups trying to catch up, but we were rather behind thanks to a certain someone. ¡°I¡¯m- I¡¯m done!¡± A voice let out from behind, ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± I sighed, ¡°Carlos, how fast can you run while carrying someone?¡± ¡°The same speed, however, I will most likely run out of energy before we make it,¡± He answered without delay. ¡°Alright bitch boy, you gotta hitch a ride.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± He pushed up his glasses, drenched in sweat. ¡°Pfft,¡± Frennia let out a small chuckle. Beatrice smiled slightly, and Kyle remained emotionless. I know it seemed much farther considering what we¡¯ve seen for the past half an hour. However, if I remember the game¡¯s content, it shouldn¡¯t be as long as it looked. It was kind of like a mental check for the less athletic. Percy was grabbed and hoisted over Carlos¡¯ shoulder, grunting in the process. Truly, it was a grand sight of the four eyes being put down a peg. ¡°We¡¯re ready to go again, let¡¯s move it!¡± We were probably dead last right now, but it is what it is. Bad luck of the draw getting the weakest person of the entire cohort. And since I was here, most of his practical knowledge was useless. -x- The run sapped all of our energy, with the reward being the sight of a final clearing. ¡°And here¡¯s the last six!¡± Clarisse let out a mocking smirk. A cave bore into a cliff, resembling the mouth of a skull. A giant barrier formed with mana covered its entrance, with a mischievous professor in front of it. ¡°We were that late?¡± I sighed. ¡°Yup! So as a penalty, you all start with less equipment for the next three days!¡± She joyfully announced our doom. Four out of the six of us let out a gloomy sigh. ¡°Don¡¯t look too down, you have Luke after all!¡± Clarisse reassured my team using my presence. ¡°Ha. Ha. Ha.¡± I laughed slowly. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± It was frightening seeing the world hoisting me up on a pedestal. After all, this character I am in, is a complete extra in the game. ¡°I can¡¯t trust that at all!¡± Percy burst out in a fit of anger. ¡°There¡¯s nothing that suggests he is capable in any sense.¡± Karlos¡¯ face grimaced, while the other three let out a disapproving breath. This guy has the balls to call me out while being the reason we were late. Why was he even useful to begin with? Right¡­ the best support character. He¡¯d begin to simp for the other main cast or protagonists soon enough as well. But I had to endure, he was necessary for some events on Serina''s route, which would also mean he was for the others. ¡°Alright. Hear me out,¡± I quickly came up with an idea the bitch would like. ¡°Listen, if we fail this expedition I¡¯ll drop out of the Golden Nest. However, you have to listen to my orders while we¡¯re in the dungeon.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± He clicked his tongue. ¡°Accept, but don¡¯t expect me to obey your every whim.¡± ¡°Finally,¡± Frennia hyped herself up. ¡°We can go in now right?¡± ¡°Of course, for if this bug continues his squeaking, I will do my best to ruin his life,¡± Beatrice¡¯s malice was not unheard. Percy¡¯s face soured at the comment but refused to say anything. ¡°Okay, everyone!¡± I clapped my hands. ¡°Let¡¯s get a move on, we can¡¯t bicker in the dungeon or we¡¯ll risk death itself.¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s what I like to hear.¡± Clarisse watched on from the sidelines. ¡°Go forward, I¡¯ll open the gate.¡± The barrier vaporised from top to bottom, resembling sci-fi-like scenes. This was getting exciting¡­ I could finally begin the Mini-Map quest line. No more getting lost, and no more accidental encounters. Chapter 30 – Children’s Expedition (4) Proofreader: Future Me! Immediately we were met with three passageways, tunnels which spiralled off into who knows where. ¡°So?¡± Percy glared at me, ¡°Where to?¡± I ignored him and observed the cramped rocky walls. Touching what I could, getting a feel for the room. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Frennia crouched down next to me. I smiled, ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°Oh, found it.¡± I ran my hands over a particular rock formation. Alright, this layout meant it was a Type-C. Thus, it was furthest left for now. Within this dungeon, the developers decided to create five different room types, A,B,C,D,E. Where each room had a specific rock formation that never changed, probably to help the dev team which players noticed. ¡°Hmmm?¡± She loomed over my shoulder, curiosity apparent on her face. ¡°Okay!¡± I grabbed everyone¡¯s attention, except Carlos who was watching from the beginning. ¡°I know the way out of here.¡± I expected full agreement since I dealt with Percy. ¡°How do you know?¡± Weirdly enough, Kyle stepped up. He wasn¡¯t objecting to me, but rather curious, just as Frennia had been. ¡°The rock formation of the cave. If you did research into the structure of dungeons, it is possible to predict their paths to an extent.¡± I pointed out, lying as if it were breathing. He nodded, seeming satisfied. ¡°Also, from what I¡¯ve gotten, the path ahead is full of obstacles as well as monsters.¡± ¡°Then, we must be careful,¡± Beatrice added. ¡°Is what I presume you¡¯re trying to say?¡± I agreed, ¡°Exactly that! However, as the professor said, there are many factors to getting a higher score.¡± ¡°Such as monster hunting or items found,¡± Frennia murmured. ¡°Then I¡¯m perfect for the job.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± I was intrigued by what she meant. ¡°Ah- you didn¡¯t hear? I¡¯m specialising in the scouting position,¡± She held a smug pose. Scouting¡­ Frennia¡­ there was a faint tugging in my mind. It continued to remain there since we grouped up earlier, but there¡¯s been no progress. ¡°In that case, you can take the lead. Carlos stays on vanguard and I¡¯ll be the tank.¡± ¡°What about us?¡± Beatrice asked. ¡°Rear support, although, I don¡¯t know what Kyle can do.¡± It was obvious she was a mage of some speciality with her ¡®unique¡¯ wand, but Kyle held nothing. And Percy? Well¡­ he¡¯s just there, I doubt he¡¯d use his support tech to help out. ¡°Then, you¡¯ll be surprised!¡± Frennia exclaimed from beside me. ¡°Kyle¡¯s one of the best fighters around.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he in C-Class?¡± I questioned the obvious. ¡°Well¡­¡± Kyle answered for himself, ¡°The exam was a hassle.¡± ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s a bit eccentric.¡± I think I¡¯m starting to remember this trio. Famous and Impregnable, one of the strongest adventurer parties of the [Enigmatic Academy]¡­ the¡­ the what? Blanks were floating around my mind. Their party name escaped me. ¡°Then, let me see it,¡± I gestured for them to follow despite my current questions. We took the left path, descending further into these depths. -x- Julia¡¯s POV Secretly, I wished to stay with everyone else, Fen, Julia, Luke, and even Erin. Although, Erin had been absent the entire day¡­ Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. I looked from afar as Luke had already been given his group, leading a sigh to escape from me. Maybe Uriel? Unfortunately, the exact same thing happened. My mood took a downturn, but there was always hope. I simply prayed for the best. -x- Just¡­ ¡®Why? Why is she here!? Serina Rosemary!¡¯ I had been assigned with the worst possible people, and after entering the dungeon focusing was nigh impossible. Her violet hair triggered violent memories, threatening my sanity. ¡®This is the worst! At least put me with Luke or Uriel! To this day I still don¡¯t know what kind of relationship she and Luke have!¡¯ I was on the verge of starting a tantrum but my family¡¯s reputation teetered around the edges of my mind. ¡°Are you okay?¡± A hand reached for my shoulder. I forced composure, ¡°Of course.¡± The senior smiled in relief, returning to lead our group through the dungeon. Unfortunately, a Rosemary and the number one student were there. ¡°Could you employ your magic to search ahead of us?¡± I was asked by one of the group members. ¡°This noble self can easily do that,¡± I boasted. I imagined my mana scouring the cave, picking up on all the surfaces. This sensation was magic searching, to spread one¡¯s senses across an area. After confirming the absence of anything dangerous, I reported the information. ¡°There¡¯s nothing ahead.¡± ¡°Too bad¡­¡± He murmured, ¡°No points for us then.¡± He began to whisper to his friend, but I was privy to everything. My ears had been trained to hear anything and everything around me. ¡°I¡¯m happy to just be around the heavy hitters of the cohort.¡± ¡°But her¡­ it¡¯s too bad isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah, my father told me not to associate with her.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t her personality trash anyway?¡± Such talks weren¡¯t news, I¡¯ve heard it all. That¡¯s why Luke¡­ I¡¯m¡­ ¡°Isn''t that Luke, the commoner hanging out with her?¡± The one who asked me to do the mana scan talked. ¡°Probably the only noble low enough for the commoner to be ¡®friends¡¯ with!¡± The other burst out giggling. ¡°What an idiot, I wonder what the prince sees in him?¡± My fists clenched, with visions of rage boiling inside me. To mock me was fine, but to mock a friend? Incorrigible. ¡°You!-¡° ¡°Shut your mouths.¡± ¡°¡°¡­¡±¡± A chilling aura radiated off Serina, her violet eyes now holding an intent to kill. Such a coldness did not fit her. ¡°Please, calm down!¡± The senior cut in between them. Valier, the strongest, watched on without emotion. Wait¡­ Was that for Luke''s sake? ¡°Serina Rosemary.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± She turned toward me with dead fish eyes, the rage nowhere to be seen. I blurted out without thinking, ¡°What is Luke to you?¡± Serina paused, with an expression of contemplation. ¡°An escape.¡± She turned away joining the now silent group. I was nothing but a motionless robot, unable to make sense of her answer. -x- Holy¡­ I didn¡¯t expect him to be this flashy. While Frennia hounded the lost goblins, Kyle rammed his fists into the monsters with unmatched efficiency. It was as if he was flying through a sea of blood and gore, every punch breaking off flesh in the process. Me, Percy, Beatrice, and Carlos, watched as the two demolished the horde of monsters. Dangerous. I was kind of scared, that¡¯s for sure. ¡°Well, were you surprised?¡± Frennia innocently smiled, ignoring the gut trails on her face and hair. I nodded, speechless in a sense. ¡°I will dismantle the corpses,¡± Carlos volunteered loud enough for everyone to hear. ¡°Then, let¡¯s take a break,¡± I suggested. Percy retorted, ¡°We could split off and double the efficiency.¡± ¡°Ah, so you volunteer to go ahead?¡± Sarcasm laced my words. ¡°Thanks, that¡¯ll make life easier for us.¡± ¡°It- it was merely an idea!¡± He panicked. ¡°Heh,¡± A giggle escaped our scout. They all engaged in conversation, with Percy forcefully dragged in during the process. While they were distracted, I could wander off and find the ¡®room.¡¯ The quest line was lengthy but allowed me to access a basic mini-map at the beginning. ¡°Hey,¡± Kyle called for me as I was inching away. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Observing the rest of the path, what I did earlier basically.¡± He seemed somewhat suspicious but decided to leave me alone in the end. After all, my excuses were top-tier. I doubt anyone could fault me for my lying. Through the strangely illuminated darkness, I felt myself stumble ever so slightly. Mana had weird properties, that was for sure. Bit by bit, I traced my hand along the walls of the caves. Sensations passed through my body. Rock. Rock. Rock. Weird rock. And then finally, ¡®rock.¡¯ What made it different? Honestly, no idea. It just reveals a hidden entrance nearby. I mean¡­ in the game the hidden quest line for the mini-map took half a year to find by the community. Well, who would have expected the devs to be sadistic enough to hide such a feature in the introductory phase of the game? Where there were no hints of its existence, it was literally a random rock. Shiing! The ambience of war echoed from a distance. ¡°Oh¡­ shit.¡± Nearby, other groups were making their way toward this location. Their battle cries and hard-fought battles echoed through the cave. Fuck my RNG, I had to get in and out immediately. Chapter 31 – Children’s Expedition (5) Proofreader: Me! (Future, Future Me: Uh, well I''m about done with high school now, and I haven''t uploaded anything since chapter 30 huh...) - Oct 13th The hidden piece had been placed within a hidden room, in a hidden corner, to start a hidden quest line. Yeah, what a way to confuse a person. Stones were ordered in lines across the floor of this cube-like interior. Most would probably assume it was some kind of puzzle or riddle, but it was simply a diversion. ¡°Yup, here it is.¡± A tablet of stone from the far right corner. Place it over the middle of the room, and voila. ¡°Woah-¡° Wind surged around me, picking up and scattering all the rocks across the floor. Mana swirled in a tornado-like motion, becoming visible to the naked eye. The sensation was akin to being in the eye of a storm. From the ceiling, rocks crumbled revealing a musty old book. "Finally, here we are!" After all this time, I finally got it. But first, I had to start the quest line. How? By opening the book. The front cover¡¯s image was ruined but hinted at lore hidden by continuing the quest. By playing through the game and doing each chain quest, players would slowly uncover the truth behind the text in this thing. I mean¡­ when the pages are filled with an insane man¡¯s ramblings, you have to wonder how a mini-map is even remotely related. It would also mysteriously fade into ash after reading it. Anyways! World¡¯s Atlas (C?) (100% Proficiency) In the top right corner of my vision, an RPG-esque mini-map had taken place. A small square, with a yellow dot in the centre. There were dark splotches on the map representing the tunnels I hadn¡¯t gone through yet. Although, there was a lack of detection for enemies. Honestly, regardless of whether I complete this quest line or not, just having a base minimap was a God send. The chain quests were spread out over the first two years, so unlocking all its features seemed far-fetched. This wonderful skill truly made me wonder how the [Fairy Queen¡¯s Blessing] could be so useless. I can¡¯t even summon Fjleora yet. I tried and solemnly passed out. The best I could do for now was create a permanent mental link with her, but that required a catalyst strong enough to hold her will. A low ball of maybe, a mana stat of 30 and a high-level mana crystal. Things that I, personally couldn¡¯t obtain. ¡°Guahhh!¡± From the noises alone, the fight must¡¯ve come closer. This place would never open again after leaving it, so there was no chance of any traces being left. Neither would anyone know where I¡¯ve gone. I peered outside the hidden room, my head barely popping out from the passageway. The first thing I noticed was that things were starting to get heated. Not just one, but two groups had joined hands to fend off against the onslaught. ¡°Support the back rear!¡± A senior commanded the first years, ¡°They¡¯ll fall apart soon!¡± The priest shouted back, ¡°I-I can¡¯t! My prayers can¡¯t be cast continuously!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± One of them fell on their back, ¡°Wait! I can¡¯t die¡­ not yet!¡± ¡°Cast a barrier now!¡± ¡°But!¡± I collected mana into my hand, spotting the red circles on the approaching ant monsters. However, a rapidly approaching status board reversed my judgment. Boom! Within my vision, a flash of green flashed across the cave. Sparks grazing against the hard dungeon walls. ¡°Bwahaha!¡±A giant student, coloured with green hair shoved his great sword in between the fallen student and their pursuers. In its wake, the steel-like ants blasted through the air. Vyke, the one who openly showed respect to me during Floreis¡¯ class. I always thought he was boisterous, but I guess you gotta look at one¡¯s good aspects too. ¡°Stop charging ahead!¡± A few students trailed off behind him. ¡°We can¡¯t keep up!¡± ¡°We¡¯re heroes destined for greatness! We save lives on the fly, where time has no mercy!¡± He raised his sword amongst the falling students, ¡°Stand! I will lead the charge.¡± In contrast to the bright students, a tangible string of darkness sprawled out from within the walls. Feelings of dread rushed through my body, despite the ever-increasing morale. My eyes which contained the mini-map trembled. Although all seemed fine, there was just one possibility. Just one thing that could make this dungeon impossible. All decided purely by bad luck. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. And I was witnessing it, right before my eyes. I gave my internal goodbyes to Vyke and co, where I had to leave even if they would all crumble. I traced my steps backwards thanks to the mini-map, finding my group chatting despite the current predicament. I panted against a standing rock, ¡°Everyone¡­ we need to leave,¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back already?¡± Percy ignored the atmosphere. I ignored him, ¡°Professors will start evacuating us soon, but we''ll be caught up with the chaos from this close.¡± Question marks floated atop their heads. Frennia grabbed my arm, ¡°Explain it to us first, please.¡± ¡°Yeah- we have no idea what you¡¯re on about!¡± Percy joined in, realising my seriousness later than the rest. Once again the goo-like substance of demonic mana stretched its grasp toward our camp. Time was running thin at this rate. ¡°I need you all to trust me,¡± I stared Percy down, ¡°Just this once.¡± ¡°Of course we will, you are our current team leader,¡± Beatrice commented. They all quietened down after her words. Thankfully, she had her head screwed on right. ¡°Wait! We didn¡¯t track our path!¡± Frennia exclaimed. I smirked, reassured by the floating map in my vision. ¡°Trust me.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ alright,¡± She gave up knowing my so-called ¡®expertise.¡¯ Kyle and Carlos patiently waited in the corner, already trusting of my decision. I pushed forward, tracing the dungeon back to the entrance. However, I would need to split off from everyone else. I was almost certain that Fen would meet ¡®him'', soon enough. We ran past waters, caves, and resting monsters, fending off those that approached. ¡°We can¡¯t engage in full fights, focus on getting past them!¡± I yelled at Kyle, too deep in enemy lines. ¡°Got it,¡± He swiftly danced between the ants, finding his rhythm in their unorganised attacks. Frennia paused behind me, ¡°I hear shouts of others nearby!¡± I was reminded of Vyke¡¯s group, who were deep within the tunnel system. The event must¡¯ve started already, meaning I had to make a choice here and now. ¡°Carlos." ¡°I am at your order,¡± He bowed. ¡°Tch,¡± I bit my tongue, ¡°Guide them past this point, I trust in Frennia¡¯s tracking to make it out fine.¡± It was unfortunate not having any kind of reassurance, but I needed to guarantee the lives of Uriel, Ash and Rodney. These protagonists needed to deal with their arch-enemies, as no one else would be ¡®right¡¯ enough to defeat them. ¡°Fucking restrictions.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re the leader!¡± Percy called out uncharacteristically. I chuckled, ¡°Heh, I believe in your four eyes. Same with the rest of you, keep formation, and it¡¯ll be fine.¡± They nodded in unison, filling me up with pride. I watched them march onward, trusting my words fully. Huhu, I didn¡¯t know I could lead a team so easily. I know we hadn¡¯t built up perfect teamwork, but the chemistry was there. Considering I only explained a couple of things and directed us down a path, the trust was higher than expected. I¡¯d have to join up with those three for next week. Beatrice, Kyle and Frennia, I¡¯ll remember them this time. I waved, tumbling back into the crowds of monsters. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go save some main characters shall we?" Although I wish I could do more than that, I¡¯m still technically an extra. -x- Uriel¡¯s POV Everything had just been going fine, we arrived in the dungeon without any injuries. Slaying the ant-like monsters with ease, even my blessings had remained unused. However, our exploration was cut short. Filthy, black, oozing mana reached out from our surroundings. Both Ron and I had managed to dodge out of the way but the others were caught unawares. From their struggling, a roar, a beastly sound a human should not be able to make shook the cave. ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Ron appeared before me, his shield high. ¡°Uri, bless me!¡± ¡°Why is everyone going insane!?¡± My shout echoed, leaving me all alone with Rodney. ¡°Urgh!¡± Ron put up his hammer and shield, using his body to defend me from the mouth-bubbling students. ¡°Dammit!¡± He spat out blood, a greatsword grazed past his arm. ¡°Vyke you bastard!¡± He waved his arm, resembling a war god towering over tiny soldiers. Shockwaves blasted into the surroundings, throwing the former students away from us. Even the mighty Vyke had been repelled. ¡°We need to get out now.¡± I nodded frantically, and I followed his back. Yet, I glanced toward the unconscious students. ¡°Useless¡­¡± I cursed myself, unable to do anything. I needed time and focus to cast a prayer, unlike a high-ranking priest. Ron caught my words, ¡°Don¡¯t say that, you¡¯re still growing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t agree with his words. ¡°Hah, let¡¯s continue for now,¡± He sighed, unable to lift my spirits. A certain student filled my mind as if he could solve everything. He was weak, and stupid, but stubborn, knowing things that he shouldn¡¯t be able to come across. But¡­ it was nothing but a child¡¯s naivety. ¡°What¡­ what is that!?¡± Rodney paused, his face distorted beyond the norm. A clearing peered out from across us, a darkness emanating from the centre. My heart and mind blanked, with only a sphere becoming my focus. ¡­ I felt it calling for me. ¡°Uri what are you doing!¡± His voice lost its lustre. Slap! ¡°Uwaaah!¡± My mind jolted awake. Only one person came to mind, ¡°Luke¡­?¡± ¡°No.¡± A blonde elf took his place, staring at the motionless Rodney and my fallen self. ¡°We do need to move, however.¡± ¡°How did you-¡° ¡°He told me,¡± Ash¡¯s words were cryptic. Curiosity overtook me, ¡°Who?¡± His demeanour remained nonchalant, ¡°The one you named.¡± My face was overcome with heat. How could I have let my inner voice take control that easily?! Seemingly, Ash didn''t care, immediately facing Rodney right after. ¡°Rodney, I must also request your assistance,¡± He bowed, ¡°Fen, our classmate is currently in grave danger.¡± ¡°I¡­ yeah, that¡¯s- of course.¡± Ron was regaining his senses, and so was I. We were disoriented, from both darkness and the situation at hand. ¡°Great, we must go now," As soon as he arrived, he began leading us. I took one last glance at the orb of darkness, even now I felt its influence. Rodney tugged my arm, ¡°Uri, come on.¡± "Ah, yes!" Chapter 32 – Requiem (1) Proofreader: Current Me! Fen¡¯s POV Before today, I had checked my status board at the central office, surprised at my recent growth. Something about Luke inspired me in ways others haven¡¯t before. I had been excited at the idea of exploring dungeons with friends but now¡­ I was leading a fresh team of students, comprised primarily of classes C and B. This meant that both Charles and Luke were out of the question, even the senior assigned to us seemed to be on the weaker end. In such a mundane environment, a danger found itself entangled with us. ¡°Fen! Something is approaching at rapid speeds, it seems to be pitch black and murky!¡± One yelled. ¡°Get into formation, me and the senior will be intercepting any attacks!¡± I barked orders which Charles usually would do for me. Moments passed, however, nothing happened. ¡®Had that been a false report?¡¯ My team grabbed their heads, frantically squirming on the floor as if they were bugs. I poured my mana into the surroundings utilising my mediocre magical skills to summon a temporary cube barrier. This would relieve them of the mind-penetrating aura of darkness. Uriel, the saint candidate will soon be here regardless, she would fix them up. ¡®No, this presence¡­ even a familiar mana source.¡¯ After all, I was now certain. I felt it, the appearance of demons. The mastermind of the event Luke had ended yesterday, they were here. I felt a wave of magma erupt within me. Soon¡­ I would meet him again. ¡°Wait for me, Brother.¡± I walked toward where my [Intuition] led me. For it would bring me toward my lost family. A traitor, yet also once a loved one. The hallways tightened along the trekked pathway. My intuition had led me to him, to my brother. Regardless of if my stats were high enough, I needed to make sure. I needed to understand why¡­ why he left us. ¡°You¡¯ve come.¡± His voice was raspy, tender with violence, and a hatred for everything around him. Memories of his noble clothing flashed through my mind. The now rogue clothing, ragged black robes, was dressed with a silver katana hanging from his side. While our eyes held the same hue, malice made the difference. ¡°Rayas,¡± I uttered. ¡°Why did you leave us!¡± ¡°Haha! I see you still have some attachments, unfortunately¡­¡± His manic smile fell, ¡°I don¡¯t know a coward like you.¡± From below his pillar of rock, I stood. His words stung stronger than any wound I¡¯ve received. ¡°They all call me the ¡®Requiem,¡¯ wanna know why?¡± He gestured with his ears, mocking me. ¡°I am the reforged blade that redeems all evil through blood. Just like how I struck the heart of our corrupt father.¡± That fated day echoed through my mind, not a single detail perturbed. In that despairing time, a demon had assaulted my brother¡¯s knight platoon. Leaving only him alive. But who knew that within ten hours, an entire person¡¯s personality could change? We thought we could save him, rehabilitate him. I held a tiny hope that fluttered away seeing him now. Ray¡­ he was already too far gone. I quenched the fire raging inside of me, creating a calm I could thrive in. I called him dearly one last time, ¡°This will be our first and last reunion, brother.¡± ¡°Should I be scared?¡± He chuckled. I unsheathed my sword, pointing the tip of its blade toward his head. Regardless of the outcome, a life would be taken right here and now. ''I¡¯m sorry mother.'' I dashed around the damp room, as my resolve clashed with his own. Whether or not I could win, depended on my will alone. ¡°Stop playing and come at me!¡± He raised his hand covered with black demonic mana. Rayas unsheathed the silver katana, revealing a blade composed of green jade. The trademark colour of our family. -x- Luke¡¯s POV ¡°Hahahaha! There¡¯s no way,¡± I despaired at my predicament, ¡°This is a joke right?¡± I held a small appraisal stone in my hand with an uneasy grip. [Iveen] [Age: 43] [Race: Human (?)] [Attributes] Vitality: Tier 0 (32%) Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Agility: Tier 0 (40%) Strength: Tier 0 (17%) Mana: Tier 0 (15%) A direct subordinate to one of the higher-ups already? The silver lining was he is but a mid-boss. ¡°What¡¯s a child doing here?¡± They cracked a whip against the cold rock floor, ¡°Too bad, you¡¯re in the way of our big brother up ahead so you¡¯ll have to die.¡± Whimsical in appearance but deadly with attacks, a perfect assassin that blends in mediocrity. That was Iveen. I chuckled softly, ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t die too early.¡± I may have gotten some buffs thanks to hunting some monsters earlier. My vitality and strength tiers should have received some growth as the ants only focused on those two attributes. ¡°Your funny-¡° Swish! ¡°-and slippery too.¡± He cut his own words with the spiked whip. It crackled toward me at a blistering speed. I poured enhancement into agility, barely dodging his frontal assault. If I didn¡¯t win quick enough, Fen would lose his life¡­ and the run would be over. I glanced over at my status, gauging my routes in battle. The appraisal stone cracked, telling me its uses were up, and I had only used it a few times over the past couple of days. [Attributes:] Vitality: Tier 0 (18%) -> (26%) Agility: Tier 0 (8%) -> (13%) Strength: Tier 0 (9%) -> (18%) Mana: Tier 0 (5%) -> (10%) My tiers had significantly risen since I last properly checked, thanks to the expedition. The mechanic of absorbing a monster¡¯s strength gradually, greatly helped me out here. Also¡­ Now I could enhance two targets due to the enhancement of externally applying back in Professor Haruto¡¯s class. Thus I could definitely think outside the box again. ¡°Youch!¡± His whip grazed my leg, as if utilising both his speed and the whip¡¯s charge. It was almost like, it stacked buffs. ¡°Tch- Stop dodging around like a cockroach,¡± His temperament visibly worsened. ¡®But, I¡¯ll have to thank you for that.¡¯ I was just given the right idea. Stacking. ¡°Iveen, was it?¡± I smirked at his crooked expression. ¡°Two words, fuck off.¡± ¡®Enhance!¡¯ My agility hit a newfound peak of (39%), tripling in speed. With this, I was just under his tier of strength. And, to prove my point, he was unable to keep up with my newfound speed. Launching forward, the sound faded out of my senses. I directed an honest strike toward his abdomen, entering the radius of his whip. ¡°Geh- How did you?¡± The man grunted. In a flash, his whip entangled around my sword throwing it off to the side. However, it seemed my gambit paid off. ¡°You brat!¡± His other arm covered the bleeding wound on his side. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± I rolled backwards into a pile of rocks, dodging a wide crack of the whip. I could see the steam rush out of his head as he swung that thing around mindlessly. To that, I thank you for being an empty-headed bafoon. Similarly to the beginning of the dungeon, this was an intersection following a specific type. That being, Type-A, is the one known for having dismountable terrain. ¡°Take some of this!¡± I launched a missile toward the stalactites on the ceiling above him. A dust cloud was left in its wake giving me leeway for retreat. My enhanced agility had enabled unusual movements, where I could wrap around to his blind spot. My hand fit into the grip of my fallen sword as he stumbled around. ¡°You sonova-¡° He let out one last swing of his arm, barely slicing off a lock of my hair. ¡°Sorry, but this is it!¡± I slid my sword into his heart jamming it in as hard as I could, transferring the enhancements from agility to strength. ¡°He- hehaha!¡± He laughed maniacally. A disgusted frown floated atop my face, ¡°What¡¯s there to be happy about?¡± ¡°E-even if you kill me¡­ ¡®Requiem¡¯ will end you all.¡± He put his dying breath into an empty threat. It was a perfect performance, words befitting a mid-boss. Thankfully, his death was just as easy to achieve as back in the game. ¡°B-but¡­ I¡¯ll be sure to kill you at least!¡± He shoved an orb of darkness into his mouth. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me. He had a second phase?!¡¯ Iveen rose with a renewed hate, being aided by a demonic trait. I eyed his skill board, focusing on the cause. It was the same with Carlos, except now he was on borrowed time. That pill was only supposed to be introduced later on in the plot for Fen¡¯s route. I didn¡¯t remember exactly when it happened, but I was certain due to my research of his route before I died. Being an advanced version of Deviliser, it was able to transform one from human to demon, instead of only giving demon-like traits. The catch was, how it burnt the person¡¯s life force rapidly. A kamikaze attempt in essence. Also, his attributes increased by a baseline of around thirty percent, his strength even reaching the next tier. ¡®This sort of feels like Deja Vu.¡¯ It was an exact replica of my match against Carlos from yesterday. ¡°You are dead!¡± He screamed, his throat reverberating with a low growl. In his war cry, I looked around the room coming up with a plausible game plan. Stalling or kiting as one may call it. What else could I do when my sword was broken and my mana tank was nearing empty? ¡­ ¡°Come at me.¡± A universally frustrating gesture was sent towards him, four fingers on one hand raising and falling. ¡®Aren¡¯t I just insane?¡¯ I instantly backed into a layer of fragile stone, preparing to leap out of the way. Crash! The layers of rock caved in on him, leaving him groaning as no damage was effectively done. However, it was simple, like herding a bull with a red flag. Let him tire his body out, and outlast his time limit. ¡®Easy.¡¯ Furthermore, I¡¯ll remove a stack of agility enhancement and place it on the gravity around him. That should act as a temporary stopgap for the wide difference between our speeds. Once again, I led him forward in an area with a Type-A terrain. Hanging stalactites would be knocked down with a single magic missile. His back was open every time, but no visible damage could be seen. ¡°Sturdy,¡± I complained. ¡°In fact, too sturdy.¡± We repeated this process for what seemed like hours, to the point that his back finally revealed some sort of scratch. My instincts desperately itched to attack it, but this devil wouldn¡¯t allow such frontal attacks. I¡¯d die in one hit if I did. It was a matter of waiting for either his time limit to run out or until the others found me. There was no way I¡¯d let this guy run rampant while Rayas was around. Crash! He had half his body embedded into the cave, leaving the back wide open. I leaned forward with enhanced gravity and strength, aiming to pierce through his heart. Ting! I delivered what I thought to be a decisive blow. Yet, I was met with a disappointing reality. ¡°Remember¡­ slow and steady wins the race.¡± I sighed, watching the boss crawl out of the cave wall. Chapter 33 - Requiem (2) Proofreader: Me! Serina''s POV (Continues directly from Julia¡¯s POV 2 chapters ago or so.) The mouths of those bugs which insulted Luke¡­ I will deal with that later. For now, I had to determine this girl¡¯s relationship with my friend. I returned her question, ¡°Then Julia, what is Luke to you?¡± ¡°A precious friend, who may be a commoner, but what about it?¡± She answered rapidly. ¡°Nothing.¡± The words ¡®precious¡¯ resonated within the confines of my mind. She was attached to Luke, but it mattered most whether or not she would help me set his stage. Unfortunately, the Deviliser would be released in a matter of minutes. It has only failed once, due to my interference in my past lives. Thus, before I did anything, I would have to secure this group¡¯s safety regardless of their status. The ¡®end¡¯ would require as many lives as possible. I raised my hand alerting everyone, ¡°I caught wind of a telepathic message, the dungeon will break soon.¡± One of the insects flinched, ¡°How are we supposed to-¡° I glared into the worm¡¯s eyes, receiving a pathetic response. Julia simply accepted the flow, although her eyes did not leave me once. I cast multi-teleport a high-level spatial magic, delivering everyone to the entrance. ¡°Wait outside,¡± I ordered. ¡°Professor Clarisse,¡± I beckoned her over to my side. ¡°Demons have infiltrated the dungeon.¡± Stone-cold, her face had become. My words would be taken as absolute fact due to my family¡¯s standing, as well as a result of my prestige. ¡°Serina, as a carer of these children, shameless as it may be, please assist me in saving them,¡± Her words were calm but anger seethed from within. ¡°Of course.¡± I summoned the magic circle below the both of us, preparing for combat. Clarisse put a finger to her head, most likely using it to circulate the mana in her brain to send a telepathic message to the staff. ¡°Wait!¡± The twin-tailed girl reared her face toward us, ¡°Bring me with you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous,¡± Clarisse warned her, ¡°I can¡¯t let any of you be harmed.¡± ¡°Serina¡¯s a student as well! A great noble such as I would not be a burden either.¡± Clarisse pondered momentarily, ¡°You used telepathy am I correct?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll allow it only if Serina agrees.¡± Both faces turned toward me. Reasons for and against it flooded my head. However, my curiosity lay within the idea of Luke¡¯s and Julia¡¯s friendship. ¡°Okay,¡± I nodded. I poured more mana into the circle expanding the number of people being transferred. ¡°I¡¯m sending us now, be ready.¡± The scenery changed from bright to dark. -x- Third Person POV ¡°Please, I trust you two to care of the remaining students inside,¡± The professor begged the two, ¡°I can feel it, the presence of a monster wave Clarisse decided to part ways with Serina and Julia, realising the necessity of saving the students. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Pure silence followed the two as they sped across the fleeting passageways. Julia actively applied mana searching to learn about the surroundings, while Serina marched with such knowledge already burned in her head. A situation of a duckling following the mother, so to speak. Julia stammered, ¡°S- serina, where¡¯s Luke?¡± With the atmosphere broken, she gulped nervously. ¡°Close.¡± ¡°Yes, but how close?¡± ¡°Ahead.¡± Julia¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as she attempted to redirect her senses to the stretch in front of the two. Crash! She felt the sensations of destruction, an unnatural release of unbridled rage. As such, her body tensed at the vivid imagery which overtook her brain. ¡°We have to hurry!¡± Julia panicked, ¡°Luke¡¯s in danger!¡± ¡°Not true.¡± Serina¡¯s face retained its calm demeanour, unperturbed by her discovery. Despite Julia¡¯s plight, another group of footsteps resounded from within a close range. ¡°Wait, Serina! There are others nearby, we have to evacuate them!¡± ¡°They don¡¯t require help.¡± ¡®What is she thinking!?¡¯ Julia¡¯s thoughts echoed this sentiment. From a short distance a faint voice was heard, ¡°Over there, Serina is present with one of the honour students.¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Following the voice, a silhouette homed in on the two. Julia readied her sword, while Serina stood motionless. ¡°Oh? Julia? You¡¯re here, wait- are you okay?¡± Uriel was all over her in moments. ¡°C-calm down!¡± ¡°No, I have to make sure you¡¯re alright!¡± In contrast to the worrying Priest, the Paladin¡¯s expression encompassed profound seriousness. ¡°I assume the both of you are here to help Luke and Fen?¡± Rodney crossed his arms. Julia tilted her head, ¡°What¡¯s Fen got to do with this?¡± Rodney turned toward Serina, sighing somewhat. ¡°It¡¯s fine, just know they both need our help. ¡°Is Luke with Fen?¡± ¡°Th- that¡¯s a bit complicated,¡± Rodney scratched his face while Julia was smothered in a holy embrace. Uriel whispered from beside her, ¡°Erm¡­ we¡¯ll explain it to you later.¡± Ash called from behind, ¡°The three of you, Miss Rosemary are already leaving.¡± ¡°Yes, Luke is in the tunnel ahead of us,¡± Serina confirmed. ¡°Let¡¯s get going! C''mon Uri, get off her,¡± Rodney dragged her by the scruff. ¡°Ye- yeah! We have to move now,¡± Julia relented. Now following them from behind, she solidified her determination. ¡®You¡¯ll owe me for this one commoner!¡¯ Unfortunately for Fen, he was not present in her thoughts at all. Not long after they began moving, the fight between Luke and Iveen made itself apparent. Large vibrations had shaken their feet immensely. Which the leader of the group understood perfectly. Serina leading the charge, poised her hand. As if ready to hold a weapon. ¡°Serina?¡± Ash questioned not far behind. He was ignored splendidly. ¡°Alkesius, heed my call.¡± Violet purple mana surged all around them, swirling not with vigour, but calm wind. Particles formed at the fingertips of Serina, forming the silhouette of a legendary weapon. It matched the height of her figure entirely, creating a sense of imbalance. ¡°Wait¡­ isn¡¯t that the staff of Abel¡¯s former companion?¡± Rodney muttered. ¡°Uwaaaahhh¡­¡± Uriel let out sounds of amazement, her robes fluttering from the surge of mana. ¡®Seriously, what did those Rosemary bastards create?¡¯ The thoughts of Julia soured. Her personal weapon, [Lumen Grace], was considered a national treasure. A heirloom passed down since their ancestors founded their house. However, it wouldn¡¯t be considered a match to the stuff of mythos. Ash had paused but realised the meaning of this showing. ¡°I see the Rosemary¡¯s have attained the hidden lineage of Gaia, the former archmage.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Serina half-heartedly replied before taking a few steps forward. Unexpectedly as she began to chant a spell, rocks tumbled from the ceiling blocking off the path to Luke. ¡°Oh shiiiiiiiii-¡° A familiar scream echoed towards them. ¡°MY BAD!¡± ¡°Luke is that you?¡±Julia smacked the wall trying to get a response. ¡°Forget about me! I¡¯m just about done here!¡± ¡°What do you mean?!¡± ¡°Yeah! Julia¡¯s right, explain what¡¯s happening!¡± Uriel joined her struggle, yelling all the while. ¡°I would if I could! Just go and help- oh fuck!¡± The entrance to the room was completely crushed, with no more voices being heard. Only vibrations and shockwaves could vaguely be felt. Rodney called out, ¡°Serina what are you-¡° However, she was already eyeing the blockade, holding her staff forward and the chant finally finished. The result was one of the three ultimate spells which she had mastered within her seven regressions. However, due to restrictions, it was many times weaker than it may have been otherwise. ¡°[Mana Ultima: Ray of Destruction].¡± A magic circle the size of the tunnel formed in front of the protagonists, mana oozing out of it as Serina compressed it together. Just a single glance was enough to realise the complexity it held, with equations engraved within even smaller circles that acted as a core. In her mind, a single word was held. ¡®Blast.¡¯ At once, as if heaven itself struck the world, a ray of light blasted forward. The surroundings were pulverised as the dungeon itself had bent to her will. Rubble fell from the ceilings, and walls collapsed. The shape of the dungeon¡¯s cave system reformed as a hole bored through its entirety. Away from the group, Ash watched on, as if still mesmerised by the spell¡¯s destruction. Disturbing his trance was a slight screech from beyond the walls. ¡°Holy shit¡­!¡± A murmur escaped the rubble from the other side. ¡°Was that Serina?¡± Rodney, Julia, Uriel, and Serina launched forward. Concern was plastered across their faces, regardless of prior perspectives.¡°Wha- wha- what¡¯s happening!¡± Luke cried out hearing the encroaching footsteps. ¡°You¡¯re okay? Well, hot damn buddy! It sounded like a troll¡¯s tournament from this side!¡± Rodney slapped his back. ¡°I mean yeah¡­ I did tell you guys to help Fen instead,¡± Luke looked toward Serina who was piercing him with her eyes. ¡°Looks like she¡¯s out of mana.¡± She was barely standing, using a rock as a balancer. ¡°Really?¡± Julia had peered her head in the conversation. ¡°She cast what is considered one of the pinnacles of attack spells, albeit at the cost of mana exhaustion,¡± He added. ¡°I guess because you are a Rosemary you could.¡± ¡­ Serina stared blankly. ¡®I suppose there would be great risks for using such a spell, right? I¡¯ve long accepted it at this point, that she¡¯s not the same. But still¡­ the price must be large even for a much weaker version. Thinking back to the time reversal spell, there was no possible way to cast something like that without burning life force.'' Luke met Serina with a fierce gaze, causing her to blush. Such tension only broke due to the arrival of a certain saintess candidate. ¡°Good thing I have mana potions!¡± Uriel chimed in. This interruption jogged the reincarnator''s memory, however. ¡°Ahem. I have to ask, however, how is the outside right now?¡± Luke eerily asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Serina muttered. Such words were met with question marks by the group. Not even the regressor understood his question. ¡°Welp, we¡¯re screwed.¡± He shook his head all of a sudden, ¡°Wait, I take that back. Percy¡¯s there.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Someone asked. While they all racked their heads to understand a fraction of what Luke meant, where only Serina displayed an understanding expression. -x- Hordes of black shining armour clashed against the barriers of students. It was clear there was an onslaught between forces that numbered hundreds. ¡°Combat report at once!¡±Clarisse demanded the close seniors to explain the situation. ¡°Ambush, we¡¯ve been surrounded by these demon fanatics!¡± She grinded her teeth, ¡°Who¡¯s been organising the students?¡± Despite the ongoing chaos, there was an element of control. There were squads of students ordered into perfectly split formations, where right at the centre, sat a map and a student with what seemed to be platoon leaders. Clarisse called out, ¡°Percy?¡± ¡°Professor I ask you to wait a moment, I am currently thinking of a way to break through the enemy¡¯s assault.¡± It turned out, the platoon leaders around him were the remainders of Luke¡¯s group. Clarisse took a second to reorganise her thoughts. ¡®Since when did we have such capable¡­ and why was Luke in charge of them¡­ no¡­ what¡¯s important right now is that the students are safe.¡¯ ¡°Student Percy, you said that there is a need to break through enemy lines?¡± Percy¡¯s behaviour was completely unlike his complaints with Luke. ¡°Currently, there is a commanding unit that has been organising these hordes of mindless soldiers. We¡¯ve been struggling to find the right opportunity to strike, unfortunately.¡± ¡°Well¡­ with you professor, I believe it would be a cinch.¡± ¡°Understood, with this it¡¯ll all stop right?¡± She awaited further confirmation. ¡°They will most likely scatter, losing their command unit.¡± That was all she needed to hear as she blasted off toward where Percy indicated. Percy ordered the others, ¡°Kyle, Carlos, follow her lead with some other seniors, no person has infinite mana.¡± ¡°You know, you¡¯re quite talented. What do you think of the empire?¡± From behind, Charles prodded the intentions of the tactician. ¡°So, so.¡± ¡°How bold,¡± The Prince chuckled. The words of Luke had indeed rung true. Chapter 34 – Requiem (3) Proofreader: Me! After resting, I told them something pretty important. ¡°Fen¡¯s up ahead, he¡¯s why I¡¯m still here.¡± Serina¡¯s spell utterly pulverised half of the demon Iveen. I almost pissed myself, realising that ray of destruction could very well be the cause of my demise. ¡°Aren¡¯t you injured?¡± Uriel held my arm strongly, with a particular sensation being transmitted. ¡°N- not really!¡± I couldn¡¯t simply ignore the feeling of being sandwiched between ¡®that.¡¯ ¡°Are you sure?¡± She pressed further, heating my face. ¡°Ahem.¡± I swiped back my arm, ¡°Fen¡¯s with his brother right now, probably about to die.¡± ¡°Brother¡­?¡± Rodney lamented my words, confusedly brushing his short hair. I halted his wondering, ¡°Answers later, actions now alright?¡± ¡°Everything better be explained then,¡± Rodney remarked. They all presented unanimous looks of agreement. Thus, we all sprinted following my pathing. Even if I was close to Fen previously, Iveen forced me to run across pathways abusing terrain at every chance. ¡°Everyone, before we enter, I just want to say one thing¡­¡± Serina ignored me, however, walking further in. Clearly, she had no care for the matter. Once again, I¡¯m being reminded how different her character was from the original. I continued, ¡°Even if they¡¯re related, mercy is not an option.¡± Ash and Rodney patted my back simultaneously, understanding my plight. ¡°Well, since our friend¡¯s in danger, we have to help no matter who it is!¡± Uriel attempted to cheer us up. Julia grabbed my shoulder, ¡°We have to get going regardless, right Luke?¡± I raised my arm, gesturing for everyone to raise their guard. [Rayas Castelle] [Attributes] Vitality: Tier 2 (2%) Agility: Tier 0 (99%) Strength: Tier 1 (78%) Mana: Tier 3 (8%) Even without my will, Requiem¡¯s status board came to my hand. His stars were befitting of a mid-boss, his mana and vitality were many leagues ahead of us all. With a tier 3 in mana, he outclassed Serina¡¯s Tier 2 Mana attribute, while outmatching both Fen and Rodney in Strength. ¡®It¡¯d be tough.¡¯ However, due to his agility and strength being close to the main party¡¯s levels, it could be overcome through all of us fighting at once. I am certain that we can win. Clap! Clap! Clap! ¡°I see the clowns¡¯ circus have arrived!¡± ¡®Requiem¡¯ exclaimed, ¡°The brother of a failure, doomed to being saved.¡± Dozens of black needles struck Serina who barely managed to defend against it. He cackled maniacally, causing shivers to run down my spine. His figure in person was even more disturbing than the CG in game. Such a sight accentuated through Serina lying on the ground battered. ¡°Game plan, Rodney, Julia, and I play vanguard, Uriel support, Ash grab Serina!¡± I banked on their language interpretation. ¡°Haha! Trying to communicate a plan in front of me?¡± He grabbed his head in an estranged trance. Requiem threw Fen onto the ground next to us, to which Ash responded instantaneously. ¡°Good luck, o-children!¡± His body was illuminated with a white flash. Through a work of fate, I, along with the five protagonists and Julia had reunited to challenge the introduction¡¯s final boss. ¡°Fuck!¡± Rodney pushed his body forward tanking the charge. Ash released a volley of arrows in their direction while a barrier was erected around Rodney. Taking advantage of this chaos, I grabbed Serina and Julia who had been on the sidelines. ¡°Serina, try to initiate a telepathic link between all of us,¡± I looked at Julia, ¡°And you, the terrain in this area is terribly unstable, I trust you understand what I¡¯m getting at.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± Julia grabbed my hand. ¡°Trust me.¡± There had always been one condition recognised by the community, one way that they could make up. However, within the limitations of the introduction it was impossible. Fen, and even you Rayas. I¡¯ll save you both. The first few seconds started with a bang, Rodney charged forward blessed by Uriel while tempest arrows were fired from behind. A black wall of gooey darkness blocked the arrows but collapsed in front of the raging paladin. In retaliation, Rayas drew his sword arm sending a wave of solid demonic mana. The offence of Rodney shook as he drew his shield to defend against the cave-shattering beam. Behind, Serina had drunk a few mana regeneration potions. At the same time, Julia uplifted the platform of rock Rayas had stood upon ruining his defence. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Hehe, nice tricks!¡± Rayas launched into Rodney. ¡®Ron I¡¯ll support you with prayers!¡¯ ¡®Got it!¡¯ Following her words, wings descended behind Rodney allowing him to take a step forward. ¡®Come back,¡¯ Serina solemnly ordered. Rodney nodded, retreating. In his place was Soon, phase one would end at this pace. And yet, what was I doing? I retreated to the rear, holding Fen and hand feeding him healing potions, ¡°Wake up, we¡¯re here bud.¡± He squinted, ¡°Ugh¡­ you should¡¯ve left me behind.¡± ¡°No can do,¡± I smirked, ¡°You and your brother need to get out alive.¡± ¡°You¡­¡±His eyes flickered with suspicion, but he sighed. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± I whispered into his ear only a part of my plan. ¡°Luke, you¡¯re crazy,¡± He paused, ¡°I like it!¡± If he knew everything, well I couldn¡¯t take the risk and he most likely wouldn¡¯t have reacted like that. Normally, there was no way to ¡®save¡¯ Rayas. It was such a waste considering fanfics were created about it. However, there was one hypothetical path in Fen¡¯s route that was extremely popular among the theorists. It was based on how Rayas¡¯ katana could be targeted but not attacked, which was non-existent elsewhere except in a few cases. The only flaw was that no matter what, you couldn¡¯t win this fight, and even if you used cheats the game would uninstall itself. Now, this theoretical path, what was it? To either break or steal the weapon away from him. The gift from the backer of Demon Rising, and ¡®them.¡¯ A sword from mythos, originating from the east, is rumoured to have been the remains of a god from hell, Kuronami. I opened my Outer Eyes, examining Rayas. [Kuronami] (S) As expected, its stats and abilities were hidden. Fortunately, my researched knowledge of the warrior path came to fruition. ¡®Luke, get up and help!¡¯ Julia¡¯s voice echoed in my mind. Her skin glistened with sweat, her mana pool decreased by the second. Rodney¡¯s frontal assault had lost the lustre when he charged in, as well as the disappearing display of holy wings. ¡®Fen support Rodney¡¯s flank!¡¯ A gust of air signalled his support as Rayas chuckled and fell back. He bellowed, slicing the air once again. ¡°And that¡¯s two down!¡± The crazed brother exclaimed. Rodney was on his knees and Fen was hurting from moving without enough rest. Before the demonic blades of mana made their mark, a barrier covered in violet had taken the hit. Fen and Rodney helped each other up, once again ready for another joint attack. Yet, it was in vain. A tornado of black mana shattered our ears. ¡®Everyone! He¡¯s being cornered!¡¯ I announced in their sudden confusion. ¡®How? We¡¯re losing!¡¯ Rodney grit his teeth. ¡®This tornado¡¯s insane.¡¯ ¡®No, that¡¯s the ability of his sword,¡¯ I explained. ¡®Elaborate.¡¯ This time Serina¡¯s voice broke through the chaos. ¡®He may be stronger than all of us individually, however, through burning the souls he reaped it is turned into pure mana.¡¯ His insane mana pool wouldn¡¯t be drained at all. ¡®A battle of attrition,¡¯ Fen affirmed. ¡°Tch.¡± I clicked my tongue, forcing myself into the eye of the tornado. Cuts and bruises opened across my body on entry. I spotted the red circles on Rayas¡¯ right arm in which he held Kuronami. ¡°Can¡¯t believe you wiggled yourself in!¡± He stared into my soul with those empty eyes. At this moment, I once again remembered his backstory. But, I had to free him first. ¡®Magic Missle x 4!¡¯ I breathed in the air as my limbs turned to lead, and my lungs became ragged. ¡°Magic Missiles? Hahahaha!¡± He held his head, laughing. ¡°You¡¯re even weaker than I thought!¡± I launched one toward his head, simultaneously dashing along with it. Two dots were visible, right wrist, and left knee. I could see it, the surprise in his eye. ¡°Huhu, I like that attitude.¡± He dodged the orb of mana with a tilt to the side. Julia¡¯s voice rang again as I pushed forward. ¡®Luke, are you alive?¡¯ Weaving to the left, I spoke in my mind, ¡®You all need to restore your mana, I¡¯ll get rid of the tornado.¡¯ I slashed my sword enhanced with both strength and agility, cleaving through a wave of demonic energy. His face was filled with amusement as if he thought of me as a plaything. ¡®But¡­ no, I understand.¡¯ Her words matched the timing of his kick. ¡°Guh-¡° I couldn¡¯t evade it in time, he was simply stronger than me in every aspect. Speed, Strength, Technique, all of it. ¡°Already tired?¡± ¡°Really?¡± I smirked. Four more dots became visible, hand, leg, and waist. Unleashing the rest of my missiles, I once again readied my sword. His relaxed posture, and smooth breathing, it assured me. That, I was correct in my decisions. Rayas slashed apart all three of my missiles effortlessly. ¡®Double enhancement!¡¯ I layered my agility two-fold, swinging diagonally. ¡°Woah, be careful with that~¡± He stepped to the side by a hair¡¯s width as if trying to look cool. ¡°Oh-¡± I was ready for that however, his attack patterns were something I couldn¡¯t forget. His feet were intertwined and tangled in that short moment. I twirled, letting out a kick inspired by a certain black-haired demon. [Critical Hit!] The dot located at the back of his hand had been struck. He fell back, rolling with immense force. Timed with it, was the vanishing of the tornado I had been in the middle of. ¡°What was that?¡± He wiped the blood off his lip. ¡°Explosion of aura? Mana?¡± I remained stoic, ¡°As if I¡¯d tell a secret.¡± ¡°Ah well,¡± Rayas chuckled emphatically, while he rubbed his arm. The tornado had long ago vanished, replaced by a chokehold of rocks surrounding him. It had been further reinforced with a layer of divinity, visible by the glistening of its surface. However, he still managed to send an attack my way. ¡®Shit!¡¯ I managed to barely deflect the beam of demonic mana, but I had been launched regardless. ¡°Haha¡­ this isn¡¯t fun,¡± He managed to squeak out. To my right, was Serina, the Alkesius in hand. ¡®That¡¯ll hurt.¡¯ ¡°[Mana Ultima: Ray of Destruction]¡± The same attack which pulverised Iveen now was directed at Rayas. The same magnificent light which made imprinted within my mind. A pure beam of mana flashed passed my retina. Before I knew it, the cave was in tatters and a perfectly circle hole had been etched into the wall. ¡°That- that was quite close.¡± Rayas was barely standing, with his grip on Kuronami loosened. His clothes were torn and ripped apart, showing that the ultimate attack was indeed not useless. ¡®My apologies,¡¯ Serina fell on her knees, panting heavily. The burden of using that spell, I felt hurt seeing it in real-time. ¡®It¡¯s fine, but there¡¯s still one more phase left.¡¯ Fortunately, everyone seemed perfectly rested except for us. That was a good sign, that this raid was indeed possible. ¡®I leave it to the five of you.¡¯ ¡®¡¯Phase?¡¯¡¯ Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t respond. The ceiling eventually met my eyes, my legs faltering in the process. ¡°Luke!¡± Chapter 35 – Requiem (4) Proofreader: Me! Serina caught my falling body, I could barely feel my arms and legs. ¡°Take this,¡± A green liquid made its way down my throat. Deja vu struck, reminding me of what happened a few days prior. I took a glance at everyone else and saw the damaged katana. As I attempted to view its status, violet hair fell on my face. ¡°How did you know he would use an attack like that?¡± Serina leered over me. ¡°So Fen told all of you, that¡¯s good.¡± ¡°What did you mean by phase?¡± She leaned in closer. ¡°Nothing much, just that we¡¯re in the final stretch.¡± In the game reaching this point almost guaranteed death, where in the tutorial, it was impossible to break past this without cheats or star-aligning luck. After all, you were supposed to retreat long ago. ¡°Hmm.¡± She seemed to accept my answer as she returned to a sitting posture. ¡°I¡¯ll step in one more time when need be.¡± Her face contorted ever so slightly, ¡°Why?¡± That would soon be answered. I looked over at everyone else, fighting tooth and nail. This phase had no set pattern, instead randomising attacks with no flow between them. There was one final attack, however. Thus all I could do, was wait until it was the right time. -x- Rodney¡¯s POV My hammer smashed into the feeble-looking sword of ¡®Requiem.¡¯ Despite his tattered body, his tenacity pushed us back. His pitch-black sword was plastered with countless cracks. ¡®Ron, move to the left!¡¯ Uri yelled in my mind. I heaved my body in the spoken direction, knowing that Julia or Ash would unleash a ranged attack. Quickly behind the arrows and rocks, was Fen with a straightforward attack. ¡®Dammit.¡¯ We were keeping it up for now, but I could feel the difference in power. At the start and even now, we were barely keeping up. ¡®Ron cover me!¡¯ Fen retreated and I took his place. I raised my shield to block the coming blades of darkness. My body remained still, resembling the image of a tower. ¡°Huh?¡± I felt close to nothing defending. An epiphany hit me. ¡®Everyone! His stamina is running low, this is our chance!¡¯ I dragged my legs forward, knowing this was it. ¡®Don¡¯t.¡¯ In an instant, our charge halted. ¡®It¡¯s not worth it,¡¯ Luke¡¯s presence emanated from behind. ¡®Listen to me, I can enhance your attacks and defence for seconds at a time.¡¯ Uri argued, ¡®But that¡¯s only something a priest-¡® ¡®You will die if you don¡¯t focus.¡¯ ¡®...¡¯ She was silenced before his words. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡®However, Rodney is right. His senses are wavering, but you cannot rush it.¡¯ Undeniably, despite being weaker than all of us, Luke¡¯s words were fact by now. I held my shield in front, wielding my great hammer without backing down. Requiem sent an attack which my body took with stride. I murmured, ¡®Go.¡¯ I charged into the manic ¡®Requiem¡¯ shield first. He attempted to swing his arm to unleash those black blades, met only by Fen. ¡®It seems negligible, but it¡¯s working,¡¯ Fen swung with full seriousness, unlike his normal cheery self. Before he was swatted away, I made it to him with my shield down. The impact was strong enough to launch him into the wall with a thud. ¡°Guh!¡± He coughed out a blotch of black blood. ¡°Damn you all!¡± Uriel called out, ¡®Ash, send it!¡¯ A volley of arrows flew above our heads. Yet, once again a tornado swirled around him. I readied my shield, leaning forward. Luke assured me, however, ¡®He can¡¯t maintain it anymore, wait for it to disappear.¡¯ So, we waited, all five of us. Seconds which felt like hours, passed. I was left with a moment to think, that, somehow this was all planned. ¡®Luke, I¡¯ll say this now, I need an explanation later.¡¯ ¡®Got it.¡¯ Finally, the spinning black mana settled. He laughed without a hint of sanity left, ¡°Take this!¡± He swung his arms again, unleashing the same blades of demonic mana. Following the formation we haphazardly created, I took it with my all. Fen once again charged, but was aided by the violet magic of our generation¡¯s prodigy. His body gleamed in a faint barrier. ¡®I¡¯ll charge with you!¡¯ I followed his lead, slamming into Requiem as he clumsily sliced into his wrist. ¡®I¡¯m¡­ sorry.¡¯ Fen grimaced, his hands trembling. ¡°Move!¡± Luke shouted. ¡°He doesn¡¯t care if you¡¯re his brother, snap out of it!¡± But he couldn¡¯t. I threw my body before him, tanking the rest of the ranged attacks without my shield up. ¡®That really hurt you know, I hope there''ll be some kind of compensation later!'' ¡®Yes¡­¡¯ As the onslaught ended, green arrows, balls of every element, and rocks launched at Requiem. Yet, with one last burst of energy, it was all repelled. He stood there, with a gaze of childish madness. ¡°Dammit.¡± ¡®Requiem cursed, ¡°This isn¡¯t fun anymore!¡± Luke called, ¡°It¡¯s here! Be ready!¡± My mind raced, I couldn¡¯t understand what it meant. ¡®What the?¡¯ My answer was answered immediately as the room turned pitch black. And shortly, faint presences of light formed within. ¡°Got you!¡± My arm faltered at the unexpected attack. ¡®I can¡¯t see, but I¡¯ll heal you!¡¯ Luke shouted, ¡°Wait, don¡¯t!¡± ¡°There she is!¡± Even if I couldn¡¯t see it, I knew he was smiling. Rage boiled within me but I could only remain useless. Krrrk! ''Huh?'' The sound of someone falling echoed in the cave. ¡°Perfect work, Julia!¡± Luke celebrated as if the panic from a moment ago was merely an act. ¡°This is it.¡± His footsteps resounded among the cave and within our blindness. Schwing! The sound of a sword shattering resounded in our ears. ¡°How? It should be invincible!¡± Requiem¡¯s cry of anger released the pitch darkness around me. What stood before all of us was a sight to behold. Luke was holding a sword before Requiem¡¯s neck, and the remnants of the pitch-black sword lay on the floor. ¡°Well Rayas, what a way to end up after all that. So much talk, with no strength to back it up!¡± His mouth curved into a crescent. ¡°You!¡± He tried to move, but his body wouldn¡¯t allow it. ¡°You- you¡¯ll regret this!¡± ¡°Disgusting,¡± his onslaught of words continued. "Unfortunately for you, we won. Your supposed ¡®failure¡¯ of a brother won.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± Fen grabbed his shoulder. Luke swatted his arm away, leaving us shocked. ¡°What¡¯s with you?¡± Fen asked. ¡°Leave me alone, he must pay for his sins.¡± ¡®Uri, what is happening?¡¯ ¡®I- I don¡¯t know¡­ Luke isn¡¯t acting normal!¡¯ Ash interjected, ¡®The miasma may have affected him.¡¯ His actions and knowledge. I had to agree with Ash, something was off. I ran forward, hoping he was right. No, I was sure I was right. Just like back then, I wouldn''t let a comrade be shaken again. ¡°Back down,¡± Serina blocked my way. I ignored her and pushed ahead, ¡°He¡¯s clearly out of his mind, the miasma from earlier is affecting him.¡± A violet barrier barred my march. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to fight, but if that¡¯s your stance then so be it,¡± I scowled in annoyance. A body rushed in front of me, ¡°Ron, please, don¡¯t do anything you will regret!¡± ¡°Stay out of it Uri, I need to talk to him man to man.¡± I did my best to gently shove her out of the way, facing the supposed grand wizard of our generation. In the corner of my eye, I could see a furious Fen and his dying brother behind him. Chapter 36 – Requiem (5) Proofreader: Me! ¡°Julia, before you join in, I need you to listen to my words with full trust.¡± ¡°F- full trust?¡± She looked away and made ¡®hmph¡¯ sound. ¡°Hurry up and tell me then!¡± ¡°Fen¡¯s brother has an ace up his sleeve, and no one will be ready for it. Except me and you, he will blind everyone, but I know your mana sense can be used more efficiently than Serina¡¯s.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± Julia blushed, seemingly not believing me. Well, even though she could view further distances, Julia had a faster activation time. I could tell from the short time we spent together, as well as the proficiency stat I saw for mana sense for both of them. ¡°It most definitely is, which is why after that happens, I need you to simply dig out a hole under his feet before he attacks Rodney.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to just tell all of them?¡± ¡°The thing is, even if I did tell them only Serina and Uriel could reverse its effects. But they both don¡¯t have enough divine energy nor mana to do so at this point,¡± I looked her deeply in the eyes. ¡°Which means¡­¡± ¡°Only I can do it?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Julia smiled, despite the dangers we were currently in. She turned toward the battlefield, stealing glances at me in the process. I didn¡¯t know what to say, so I ignored it. Seeing her immediately take action I let out a breath of relief. As expected, everyone could handle it as long as I warned them of some of Rayas¡¯ abilities. His tornado for example wasn¡¯t permanent anymore. I watched on in impressed, they were perfectly executing team-coordinated attacks despite only partying up for the first time. ¡®Or have they actually¡­?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t think further, as Fen stood in silence. ¡°Move!¡± I exclaimed, ¡°He doesn¡¯t care if you¡¯re his brother, snap out of it!¡± He remained motionless, forcing Rodney to take up the attack without his shield raised. However, our three ranged dealers put him into critical health. It was here, that my short plan was put into action. I feigned surprise, making Requiem lean into carelessness thinking he had won. There, he fell into a small pit. Julia perfectly executed my order, and Fen acted as bait, it all worked just as I hoped. Next, I needed to ensure Requiem had time to escape or we would all get destroyed by ¡®them.¡¯ However, this situation was currently under fire due to my words. Fen even grabbed my shoulder with a fierce gait. My mind was racing with possibilities, currently, there was no other way to get Rayas out of there except activating his teleport stone or if we were to kidnap him. Unfortunately, that ¡®guy¡¯ would definitely kill us in the process. If we take him now, who knows whether or not the academy may remain standing. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. In spite of that, without his sword, his rehabilitation may be possible¡­ but it¡¯s too soon to say. ¡°We have to take him out for custody!¡± Fen was yelling at me in anger. ¡°I know he¡¯s done¡­ many things which deserve¡­ death. But!¡± Currently, I was playing villain, but it may have been too much. ¡°Hah¡­ I can¡¯t do this anymore.¡± I shook my head. ¡°In all honesty, if we take him now or kill him now we¡¯ll die.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°How do you think he got here? Or who even gave him that weapon? He has a backer who can easily eliminate us, and maybe even the academy itself.¡± ¡°Then why were you-?¡± ¡°I wanted him to teleport himself out, but it seems he fainted on his lonesome.¡± Fen immediately objected, ¡°I¡¯ll bring him out myself.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I said? We¡¯ll die.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been listening to you all this time, you knowing about my brother or even his powers. It¡¯s all¡­ suspicious, how do you expect me to believe you so easily?¡± He raised his sword. ¡°First and foremost, he is still my brother. If it means I can save him, I¡¯ll do everything I can.¡± This was not how I expected things to play out. ¡°This is a misunderstanding Fen, I want you two to live. But there¡¯s a time and place for everything, I don¡¯t want to risk us all dying because you aren¡¯t strong enough to back your actions.¡± ¡°Again, how am I to trust you!¡± He swung his sword at me. These kids and puberty, can they use their minds for even a second? We¡¯ve been friends for a week already! A full week! ¡°Hahahahah!¡± A deep voice rebounded off the walls into our hearts. ¡°What a warm welcome.¡± Our situation¡¯s chances of surviving dropped to practically zero. I read about it in the guides for Fen, his arch-nemesis. ¡°Ah, my dear disciple, did I not tell you to avoid today¡¯s event?¡± ¡°!!!¡± In a flash, they stood behind Fen, picking up Rayas. ¡°It is a bit early, but I¡¯ll still extend some greetings to the bugs of the academy!¡± He bowed in front of all of us, ¡°I am the leader of Demon Uprising, Vier. Nice to meet you!¡± ¡°Now, may we meet at a later date.¡± ¡°Hey, give him back!¡± Fen recklessly charged forward. ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t risk Abel ending me so soon. Goodbye!¡± His lukewarm smile and vanishing play left us all silent. Our battle was hard fought, but for these protagonists, it would seem like it was for nothing. As if proving that, Fen fell to his knees, slamming the floor with battered hands. I felt bad, but it was all necessary. ¡°If you want to save your brother, you must first be stronger,¡± I crouched to his side and met his eyes. Before I stood up, I felt a brush of air against my skin. ¡°Geh¡­¡±Hands were now grasping my throat. ¡°You, what was that? Why is Requiem gone?¡± Rodney¡¯s eyes were fierce. Serina had a frown on her face as if she couldn¡¯t help it. Despite standing firm, her legs remained trembling. ¡°I- I don¡¯t know.¡± My throat was squeezed tighter. ¡°Ron! Let him go!¡± Uriel¡¯s voice cried out from the distance. A rock pummelled Rodney¡¯s face in. Julia was panting from the side, a result of exhaustion of mana. ¡°You!¡± He yelled fury etched in his voice. ¡°Let it go,¡± Fen grabbed Rodney¡¯s arm. His grip tightened, ¡°Why should I?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Fen glared into his eyes, ¡°Luke must¡¯ve had his reasons.¡± ¡°We will talk about this later,¡± Rodney left no room for arguing before leaving. My throat was finally let go, and I could breathe. ¡°Wait, why are you doing this Ron!?¡± Uriel quickly followed behind him, lecturing Rodney with an anger I had seen only once. Fen, however, was left alone. I watched from behind his back, unsure of what to say. If there was anything Fen had wanted from me¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be consolation. Instead, it was something he persistently asked of me. ¡°Let¡¯s train together from now on.¡± I gave his shoulder one last pat before joining Julia and Serina. Though, I noticed the twitching of pointy ears. ¡®Ash really is a good guy through and through.¡¯ I snuck a glance as he began to silently comfort Fen as the three of us left. Chapter 37 – Doormat of the Academy (1) Proofreader: Me! "Hah¡­ I¡¯m exhausted,¡± I almost fell backwards, but once again Serina caught me. ¡°I could not have said it better, commoner!¡± Julia exclaimed with a tired smile. ¡°Yeah, yeah, let¡¯s not do ¡®that¡¯ now.¡± ¡°Hehe, alright.¡± ¡°Also, Serina can you stop touching me there?¡± Since they started supporting my body, I¡¯ve felt less than savoury touches from her. ¡°I apologise.¡± I guess it was a genuine mistake, after all, she didn¡¯t seem socially capable. ¡°Hey Luke,¡± Julia called my attention. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Her eyes were directed at my neck. ¡°Even though it hurt, he didn''t leave a mark. Despite his supposed anger and suspicion he still is a nice guy.¡± ¡°Nice?¡± Serina repeated as a question. ¡°Fen wanted to protect his blood ties, and I riled him up, while from Rodney¡¯s perspective, it probably looked like I was insane, or hiding my true nature all along. Can you blame them?¡± ¡°Yes I can,¡± Julia looked at me with her pure brown eyes. Her cute pigtails moved in absolute confidence along with her body. ¡°Indeed, maybe you are the best of friends Julia,¡± I nodded remembering the Julia train I hopped on a while ago. Ouch! Serina pinched my arm out of the blue, her gaze particularly cold. I figured it was better to remain silent from here. With the defeat of Rayas, all the students should¡¯ve returned to normal as he was the one spreading deviliser. His mana had a special attribute of emission that was unmatched by all, those mana blades of his are completely unusual and created through pure talent. The assumption seemed to be correct as areas which were previously damaged did not worsen. I guess that either meant that the affected students were saved, knocked out, or regained their consciousness. ¡°Is everything okay now?¡± Julia mumbled randomly. I wanted to say yes, but my crew should be in the centre of a battlefield right now. Especially with that ¡®nerd¡¯ in the middle of it all, it should- ¡®It should be fine.¡¯ ¡°Kind of,¡± I replied shortly. ¡°Also, I think I¡¯m fine already.¡± I glanced to my left. ¡°Your health is important,¡± Serina ignored my plea, tightening her hold. ¡®Gulp.¡¯ I didn¡¯t know how long I could last when my arm was sandwiched between her¡­ ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Your face is burning red?¡± Julia inched closer, ¡°A fever?¡± Placing her forehead on mine, beautiful blue eyes glistened before me. My heart raced even quicker. ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m alright!¡± I broke free from both of their clutches. Regeneration enhancement, by stacking it twofold, acted as a replacement for a potion. Albeit, my mana is sucked dry and my body heals a lot slower. [Luke] [Age: 15] [Race: Human] [Attributes] Vitality: Tier 0 (27%) Agility: Tier 0 (20%) Strength: Tier 0 (22%) Mana: Tier 0 (15%) My hands instinctively raised and clenched. Thanks to fighting Rayas, all my attributes have improved by a big margin. These stats had become the average of an academy students'', only after an enhancement, however. Julia gave me an attacking glare, ¡°I feel embarrassed knowing you sometimes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serina¡¯s silence seemed to confirm that. ¡°That¡¯s not true and you know it!¡± I laughed heartily. Julia shook her head, dismissing my words. ¡°Seeing as the exit is in front of us now, I wonder how Rodney and Uriel are doing.¡± ¡­ That¡¯s a good question. I thought we would have all left together, to begin with. ¡°Shit.¡± I rushed ahead of the two. I was met with the stench of blood, a sight of death. The ground was covered with monster corpses, yet mysteriously, it was all silent. Rustle! ¡°Yo, how¡¯re ya doing boss!¡± Frennia arrived before me. ¡°Thank Gaia, I almost swung,¡± I sighed a relief. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°You were a Humus believer?¡± I shook my head, ¡°Do I look like it?¡± Considering there are three main factions of religions, I would rather stay neutral. Uriel¡¯s part of the Order of Unity, is completely antagonistic towards the Humus. Needless to say, the Gaia or the Earth was the deity of the latter. In between them were the minor Valkyries of God, their origins in the game still fully undiscovered. As of now, I plan to stay aligned with the Unity. Humus¡¯ believers were too unpredictable, and the Valkyries of God were only females, so not like I had much of a choice either. ¡°Hey, who¡¯s this?¡± Julia stood beside me. ¡°Luke! Is this your girlfriend?¡± Frennia hopped energetically. Her face burned red, ¡°Wha- what!?¡± ¡°Was I wrong?¡± Frennia touched her lips, pondering. ¡°Of course!¡± She haughtily raised her hand, ¡°Me, with a commoner? Blasphemy!¡± Finding it to be the right time, I teased her, ¡°So that¡¯s what you think of me.¡± ¡°I- I erm¡­¡± She kept trying to justify herself, but it seemed there had been a short circuit up there. Frennia pointed behind me. ¡°Then, is ¡®she¡¯ your girlfriend?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So! Frennia, what happened?¡± I asked as nothing was just said. She laughed awkwardly, ¡°Good news, or bad news?¡± I frowned. ¡°Bad news first please.¡± ¡°Our defence is on the verge of being broken.¡± Julia butt in, ¡°Defence? Is there another battle happening?¡± ¡°The rest of the students are in ambush of monsters belonging to the forests, to the point even monsters ranked as high as A are participating.¡± ¡°Then, good news?¡± I asked expectantly. ¡°You¡¯re all alive!¡± She smiled. We¡¯re fucked. ¡°Give me a brief rundown of the situation, I¡¯m guessing that now Rodney and Uriel are there. Also, isn¡¯t Percy, and some other student big shots there? Like Charles, Rosaria the leading saintess candidate for the Valkyries of God, and-¡° ¡°Calm down boss! I said we¡¯re on the verge of breaking down, however, that changes now that you¡¯re here,¡± She coughed, raising her arm and pointing at me. ¡°You can save our professor and our elite forces from the commander¡¯s onslaught on the side.¡± This was worse than I thought. Shouldn¡¯t Abel, or even Runalia have taken action by now? Frennia answered my thoughts, ¡°They¡¯re outside the academy dealing with some other business.¡± ¡°How-¡° ¡°Luke, your face is very readable now and then,¡± Julia nodded at Frennia¡¯s words. Even then, they weren¡¯t this busy in the game. I must¡¯ve caused the butterfly effect, or it may be a side effect of the Hell¡¯s Paradise difficulty mode. ¡°Hah¡­ take us to where the commander should be. I have a vague idea of what we can do.¡± ¡°Gladly,¡± She led us through an obscure path in the forest. In the distance, a large clearing had been divided into humans and monsters, a circle surrounded by waves of grotesque bodies. This was far worse than what I could have imagined. ¡°As you can see, it¡¯s not exactly a pleasant situation.¡± I felt a grimace take hold of my face. ¡°Serina, can you do me a favour and check how many potions we have left?¡± She shook her head in response. ¡°Zero?¡± I received a nod. ¡°Great!¡± Sarcastic frustration escaped my mouth. It was annoying, but there were a few strategies I could use if it was the monster I thought it was. ¡°The commander, it¡¯s an Elder Basilisk am I right?¡± I turned toward our thief. ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡± ¡°Intuition, there are some trees petrified in the distance after all.¡± In truth, this boss was the same as the game. ¡°Ooo, I¡¯m impressed!¡± ¡°Regardless, Julia, Serina, come here,¡± I gestured to huddle together. ¡°Let me join, guys!¡± Frennia tried to shove her way in. ¡°No, you go join Percy and the others, we have this covered.¡± I shooed her away without regard for her sad protests. ¡°Now first off, you Julia. You will play the biggest role.¡± ¡°Huh, why!?¡± My body was still recovering from Rayas, meaning that while I could be bait, if I got hit I¡¯d most likely die. Which is why, I couldn¡¯t do anything risky. The solution? Something pretty sneaky. -x- Not far from where our positions were, was a brutal battle between Professor Clarisse and some second-year students, against the commander. ¡°Remember the plan you two, we can¡¯t rely on anyone else¡¯s help right now. Let¡¯s not die.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Serina emotionlessly agreed. ¡°How are you both so nonchalant about it!¡± She exclaimed, pulling her hair out. ¡°As soon as Clarisse and the others fall back one more time, that¡¯s our signal.¡± That signal would come seconds later, as the monsters and commanded drove forward, ignorant of their surroundings. ¡®Now!¡¯ I dashed with all my enhancements on pure speed. A small piece of land launched past me, signalling Julia¡¯s participation. All I had to do, was gain their attention. I garnered whatever mana I had left in me, forming only two magic missiles. Aiming at the two red circles behind the monster, I unleashed both at once. [Critical Hit!] [Critical Hit!] ¡°Tssss! What human dares!?¡± The voice of a monster defiled our ears with its inhumane audio. It frantically shook its head, unable to see me. Even though it was expected, I found it sad that I did no damage at all. ¡°Hah. You stupid beast, I¡¯ll defeat you here!¡± I shouted with a false determination. I raised my sword, on the verge of falling apart, toward it. I jumped towards its large body, imitating a full frontal assault. ¡°You think that you could- gah!¡± A rock collided with the reverse scale, as in this world, they were sub hybrid of dragon and serpent. As a result, it stuck out slightly, letting us know its position. ¡°Hehehe!¡± I laughed maniacally. ¡°Just because you can¡¯t see it, doesn¡¯t mean it doesn¡¯t exist.¡± That¡¯s right, its reverse scale was located on top of its forehead. A perfect cover as his eyes petrify all that stare at them. The serpent king became infuriated, with its body movements becoming erratic. I was barely dodging its tail and eyesight. ¡°Serina, now!¡± A magic circle covered the sky, wide enough to be as large as the monster. From it, descended a blinding chain of light. Light element spells countered anything related to devils, and vice versa. This monster was under the command of the Demon Uprising. ¡°Luke!¡± Serina called. This was it. By this point, a red circle would have spawned on its true weakness. ¡°Tss! These filthy chains, I will destroy it and all of you!¡± Truly, clich¨¦ no matter what. I climbed its trembling body and passed the trembling chains. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± I plunged my arms forward, my strength doubled through my two enhancements. [Critical Hit!] The large scale had been ripped right off. But, the wound I inflicted was too shallow. ¡°Haha! You stupid insect, even if I can¡¯t see you, your death is certain!¡± Its chains had dissipated already, leaving its mouth wide open for a breath of pure venom. My death was guaranteed, at least from his perspective. ¡°Can you stop laughing already, you¡¯re embarrassing yourself,¡± I snickered at its ignorance. While I and Serina kept its attention, where else would Julia be? ¡°Well, at least you tried.¡± In the sky, stood Julia, atop a levitating boulder. The moment she fell, spelt the doom of the overconfident reptile. After all, its head was wide open for an attack after what I did. CRASH! Chapter 38 – Doormat of the Academy (2) Proofreader: Me! ¡°Students, are you okay? And Luke, what about you?¡± Professor Clarisse locked eyes with me, her soft gaze briefly pausing my thoughts. ¡°Uhm. Ah, yes, I¡¯m- we¡¯re fine, thank you,¡± I was momentarily stunned. Her snow-white hair, and fiery red eyes, left a strong impact on the eyes. She smiled, putting her hands on her waist, ¡°That¡¯s great to hear. To be honest you saved us all there, we had no counter to that nasty petrification ability.¡± Indeed, a Basilisk cannot petrify what it cannot see. Unless your ailment resistance is off the charts, such a technicality is its only weakness. Besides Julia¡¯s support, we were invisible, otherwise I would¡¯ve died immediately from being stoned. ¡°Regardless professor, the monsters will disperse now right?¡± Her smile sunk. ¡°Haha, unfortunately¡­¡± ¡°The monsters will not. If we don¡¯t do something now they will all die.¡±A peculiar face appeared beside her. Their pink hair and washboard chest reminded me of a certain subplot. ''But, seriously? Hasn¡¯t it been half an hour since Frennia showed us the state of everyone?'' In the game, they would¡¯ve held on longer, even with only one protagonist¡­ ¡°If that¡¯s the case we will move immediately, you three can rest.¡± Clarisse passed us a mysterious cube, before disappearing with the rest. Lying within the forest, stood a particular personality. Of course, it was her who stayed, this pink-haired senior. ¡°Luke, was it?¡± The same senior who was next to Clarrise sat beside me. ¡°Yes¡­¡± I answered cautiously. ¡°That cube, it¡¯s a magic item which spawns a barrier.¡± ¡°Why are you telling us this? Shouldn¡¯t you be- MMmm!¡± She covered my mouth, ¡°No reason. Although¡­ you¡¯re quite interesting.¡± ¡°Anyways, have fun you three!¡± Just as the others did, she vanished with a teleport. ¡°Fuck.¡± ¡°Watch your language commoner,¡± Julia snapped at me. ¡°Yes, oh great De Gracia,¡± I complied, happy to see her frown. ¡­ ¡°Who was that?¡± Serina asked with a dangerous glint in her eye. I sighed. ¡°Someone I don¡¯t want to get involved with.¡± ¡®Not until much later¡­¡¯ Her presence was quite frankly, startling. Her whole character was troubling. Instead of being the one to fall into romance, she would always aim for the player no matter what. A yandere, or so the community called it. ¡°Eugh,¡± I got shivers thinking about it. ¡°She gave me the same feeling,¡± Serina noted my mental distress. She was the Order of Unity¡¯s Saintess candidate who enrolled the year prior. Krulia Vankarst would surely be a disturbance for the protagonists later on. Once again, if it comes down to that, I¡¯d have to destroy such a romance. Now that I think about it, wasn¡¯t there a scene between Charles and Uriel here, in this introduction finale? ¡°Gotta go!¡± ¡°Hah!?¡± Julia grabbed my arm forcefully, ¡°Not without us!¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± I looked down, ¡°You know, concerning the bathroom.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her face unnaturally formed a poker expression, sitting down next to Serina in silence. Sorry, I''d probably make up for it later. -x- I leered past the trees, peering into the clearing. Indeed, the situation seemed to have stabilised since Clarisse arrived. However, it was clear this would not last long. My mind wandered, with Percy involved they were only barely managing. I could see it in the formations, and rotations of students defending and resting that there was order. But still¡­ ¡°Where¡¯s Abel!¡± I ruffled my hair, distraught. ¡°Maybe even Haruto being here could save everyone!¡± . . . I felt it. Why? Why is it always when I complain? ¡°You called?¡± I felt the brush of a kimono against my side. ¡°Maybe, instead of talking to me, you can help everyone else!¡± ¡°Hmph, I¡¯ve been troubled,¡± He paused, scratching his head. ¡°The wind has been turbulent today.¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. I suddenly remembered, one of his traits was exactly like mine. Bad direction. The difference was, I had the mini-map. ¡°You were lost,¡± I confirmed without a doubt. ¡°Ahem, there¡¯s a discrepancy between that and the direction of the wind being more different than usual.¡± He was following me in the forest, wasn¡¯t he? ¡°Regardless, Abel sent me here as he was unable to attend.¡± I nipped his inaction in the bud. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s cool and all, but everyone¡¯s gonna die.¡± If there was one likeable trait about him, it was that he didn¡¯t care about formalities. He sighed gripping his sword, ¡°Alright kiddo, wait here.¡± With one step he travelled a hundred meters. Without a tinge of sweat or struggle, he danced without traces. There, his mark in the horde of monsters was made. Such footwork, it truly was a work of art. ¡®Haha, if only he did that sooner.¡¯ I sat down and enjoyed the show. Blue flashes of ghastly energy danced around the perimeter of the students¡¯ formations, slashing down anything that blocked its path. Blood, guts, and death galore. I aimed to reach even a fraction of his proficiency, and even learn such a technique from him. However for now, both things would have to wait. Haruto cut a rugged path forward, akin to the stroke of a white brush. I struggled past the corpses within the land of a sword¡¯s wake. ¡°Eugh,¡± I held my mouth. Killing was fine, but this was just purely disgusting. Yet, for the sake of the world, I had to move. Squelch, Squelch. These sounds repeated, furthering my insanity. ¡°Dammit, dammit, dammit¡­¡± I could feel vomit in my throat rising. Yet, as if rewarding my grit, light emerged within the pit of carcasses. ¡°Who are you?¡± An authoritative voice hearkened in my earl ¡°Luke, from the Golden Nest.¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re the one he was looking for?¡± ¡°He?¡± ¡°You know, the nerdy-looking one from your team.¡± A smile floated atop my face, ¡°Seems I haven¡¯t been mistaken.¡± My choice of leaving Percy with the rest was not wrong. Being a nerd was one thing, but being a talented strategist was another. ¡°You¡¯re smiling?¡± ¡°Nothing, nothing.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ if you need me, the name¡¯s Ark.¡° ¡®Ark,¡¯ similarly to Frennia and the other two I couldn¡¯t recall his background. There were hundreds of students, and not all of them stood out. ¡°Got it, thanks!¡± I trudged past him and his group. ¡°What a lively junior,¡± I heard him snicker from behind. -x- ¡°Oh, damn.¡± I held my breath, ¡°As expected of Percy, the Seer of War.¡± A clear sight now entered my vision, students perfectly positioned for a long battle. Any cracks made had been patched with a supervised rotation system. Not too far from me were two certain individuals. Charles and Luna were in a conversation, but their atmosphere didn¡¯t seem so lively. ¡°Where were you!¡± I was immediately broken out of focus. ¡°Here, take him!¡± Beatrice grabbed me by the shoulder. ¡°Hello, Lord Luke.¡± Carlos was calm and composed, bowing toward me. On the other hand, Percy¡¯s hands were on the verge of ripping apart the map below us. ¡°WHERE WERE YOU! While we were out here fighting for our lives, you stayed in that monstrous cave playing your silly little games¡­ ¡®Trust me¡¯ my ass!¡± A throbbing sensation urged from my nerves. ¡°You weren¡¯t the only one suffering. Maybe, if you looked at my appearance you could tell!¡± ¡°Shut up, you incompetent leader!¡± ¡°Stop! Stop!!! That¡¯s enough!¡± The brown bob of hair blocked my arms. ¡°Percy! First, they saved our teacher, and two, they saved their classmate stuck in the dungeon!¡± . . . ¡°Hey¡­ maybe I was a bit harsh, right Luke?¡± Percy shrunk back, raising his hands toward me as if I were a rabid dog. ¡°¡­¡± My lips formed a crescent shape, all without a pint of joy. ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry!¡± He shoved his arms directly above himself, signalling surrender. That pitiful appearance dampened my anger. ¡°Hah¡­¡± I shook my head, ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you later.¡± ¡°Phew.¡± He wiped the sweat off his forehead, ¡°Then, who¡¯s the one destroying the monster forces on the south outskirts?¡± ¡°Haruto,¡± Frennia answered for me. ¡°As expected of the Bastion, he lives up to the title of master swordsman!¡± ¡°Who?¡± All four of us looked at him in disbelief, Frennia and Beatrice rigidly stuck in place. ¡°What? Is he some big shot?¡± Despite being a strategist, as well as a magi-tech prodigy, his common knowledge was... yeah. Percy coughed, ¡°Moving on from that, now that Clarisse and Haruto are present, we just need to assist in the minimisation of casualties.¡± ¡°Klaus, order each platoon leader to minimise direct engagements, focusing on redirecting the horde to where Clarisse and Haruto are.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Frennia, keep a constant mana tracker on the two professors, I¡¯ll have a senior specialising in support magic direct it to everyone¡¯s telepathic links.¡± ¡°Easy!¡± ¡°Beatrice, organise the magic platoons to provide enhancement support or cover fire, rather than ranged annihilation ¡ª It takes too long.¡± The air he exuded was completely different than when we started our expedition earlier this morning. ¡°And, you,¡± Percy faced me. ¡°Uh¡­ rest?¡± The tense atmosphere broke as he raised his arms. I raised my eyebrows, ¡°Nothing?¡± ¡°Well, you weren¡¯t here originally and there¡¯s nothing for you to do¡­ unless you want to overwork your body?¡± Percy shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Frennia told me you escaped with two others, I¡¯m guessing you left ''them'' behind?¡± ¡°O- of course not!¡± I vehemently shook my head, denying reality. The image of cold expressions from Julia and Serina sent shivers down my spine ¨C experiencing Uriel¡¯s rage was enough already. ¡°Normally I would make fun of you, but¡­ I can see you already have it cut out for you.¡± ¡°See? What do you mean¡­?¡± I racked my head for a solid second. But it seemed my answer had already been answered. A giant shadow loomed across the two of us. And from above, dangling violet hair was visible. ¡°So, this is where you went?¡± Julia swiftly arrived before me. Their eyes were more insidious than I imagined. ¡°Haha,¡± Nervous laughter trickled from my mouth, ¡°Truth is, I- I kinda got dragged here by Professor Haruto.¡± Eye daggers pierced my body. ¡°Is that so?¡± Julia looked at me precariously. ¡°Y- yes, wh- why would I lie?¡± ¡°Luke, friends don¡¯t lie,¡± Serina¡¯s deadpan face had hinted at an air of coldness unlike before. In seconds, the moisture in my throat evaporated. -x- Through the bloodshed, and one hell of a lecture, the professors of the academy had finally arrived. The conversation between Charles and Luna could be looked into later. ¡°Ah, so we¡¯re due to finally go back?¡± Julia let out a relieved sigh. ¡°After today, I don¡¯t think I can move again.¡± ¡°I second that,¡± I mumbled. ¡°¡­¡± Her glaring eyes stopped from saying any more. ¡°Oh, how far you¡¯ve fallen boss!¡± Frennia laughed, hopping over to her trio with Beatrice and Kyle. Percy barked, ¡°Indeed, how pitiful.¡± ¡­ A wall between me and everyone else had been generated. My body was unilaterally distributed between Serina and Julia, leaving me no space to complain. Fortunately, one person came to save me! ¡°Yo, kiddo.¡± A large man in a traditional kimono lazily yawned into his hand. Chapter 39 – Doormat of the Academy (3) Proofreader: Me! There was one indisputable fact that every veteran held dear. The fortress, the wall insurmountable toward all evils. It was a sham. Not in the way it sounds, but because he¡¯s a bit easy. ¡°Say kiddo, you¡¯ve been making yourself quite known. Only been a week now?¡± ¡°Yes, I admit I may have been in some trouble.¡± In front of me stood Haruto slathered in blood. Gruesome, but he did take me away from those predators who chewed me up for hours on end¡­ ¡°But it seems that¡¯s not all of it, right?¡± He flicked a straw out of his hand. Dangerous. Laughably so. I had been too proactive recently, however¡­ it all perfectly worked in my favour. I was planning to do this later down the road, but it is better sooner than later. For now, I decided to maintain a neutral stance, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean.¡± ¡°You know, you have quite a strange karma as if your soul was born just the other day. It makes me wonder if you, yourself, are a demon, perhaps an otherworldly creature.¡± According to the game, this man had something not even the Hero could compete with. His ungodly insight into other entities is attributed to his bloodline. And, since he¡¯s sure of his power, no matter his suspicions, he only makes a move if it endangers the people important to him. I shrugged his threat off, ¡°Yet, I wouldn¡¯t be here if that were true ¨C Is what you¡¯re trying to say?¡± ¡°Indeed, if that were the case you¡¯d already be dead," He nodded, " In fact, Abel originally thought that way.¡± A shiver was sent down my spine, ¡°He did?¡± ¡°I changed his mind.¡± He spat out saliva as he emptied his throat, now grinning. ¡°Why, you may ask? Well, you¡¯re not from this time are you?¡± Now, they''ve already nibbled the bait. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Did I strike gold?¡± He snickered lightly, ¡°I can see the essence of your being, it¡¯s part of my special psyche after all.¡± I nodded, ¡°Your lineage, I¡¯ve heard.¡± ¡°Hoh, well I guess you¡¯re not trying to hide it anymore.¡± ¡°Take it as you will sir. Regardless, the world is in-¡° ¡°Danger.¡± He smirked, ¡°We know, the strings of fate have been tangled up as of late. A whole bunch of problems rising one after another.¡± My intentions, and my plans, I''ll let them know the surface of it all. ¡°Then, let me suggest something if you allow.¡± His eyebrows raised, ¡°Go ahead, I¡¯m interested in the knowledge of an unknown future.¡± ¡°As you know, the world¡¯s discourse has been thoroughly set in stone. So, the key persons have all been gathered up in one place to be monitored and act accordingly.¡± An amused look spread across his mouth, ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Each of these people is destined to face each of their challenges, trials, and tribulations. Yet, what would happen if it were all to intermix as if all of these world-ending calamities worked in unison?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Haruto''s silence told me everything I needed to know. "Haha," I chuckled. ¡°The best way to prevent it? Make them stronger, quicker than their destiny preordained.¡± ¡°Brute force you say?¡± He chuckled, ¡°I like its simplicity, but it¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t considered that already.¡± ¡°But, as you¡¯ve said, I know their full potential. And I will tell you this, at their peaks, not even Abel could win against one of them." I spoke with full confidence, seeing such a future already posted all over forums and videos. "You realise the implications of that, right?" Haruto stared me dead straight in the eyes. I smiled, "Of course, I do." An irrefutable silence permeated around us, to the point students had begun to step closer towards the two of us. Fortunately, the sound barrier he always had on hand was already placed. ¡°Interesting, very interesting indeed. Although¡­¡± A sigh escaped his lips, ¡°I can¡¯t exactly do anything anyway. I¡¯m a bit too busy with my matters.¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. That was also true, considering his role, it¡¯s almost impossible for him to make moves. Which is why now, I¡¯ll fish up the bait they already bit onto. He continued, ¡°And, of course, how do you suppose we do that?¡± ¡°Through this.¡± I tapped my head with my index finger, imitating a certain green bug. ¡°With my knowledge, who says I can¡¯t accelerate that process? I mean, you¡¯ve seen me talking to all of them already.¡± ¡°Yes, I do see that point.¡± His face turned stern, ¡°Even if I know you¡¯re from the future, this would be the first time you would be guiding them. Risk, upon risk, could build up.¡± Haruto spoke with full logic, ¡°Who¡¯s to say this won¡¯t backfire, you wouldn¡¯t be able to back again right? The consequences of such a miraculous wonder don¡¯t come without its price.¡± ¡°It¡¯s as you say, which is why for now I have one request.¡± I pleaded with full sincerity, "If I were to grow stronger, the weakest of all. Then, wouldn''t that be proof enough?" ¡°Enlighten me," Haruto joked. I bowed, low enough to the point my hair reached the ground. ¡°Please, give me your one-on-one guidance.¡± He simply stared at me, as if gauging the value of my existence. ... ¡°Hahaha!¡± Hysteric laughing resounded from his side. ¡°You¡¯ve really gone and said it!¡± He slapped his stomach, hunching over. ¡°All that serious talk for a bit of time with ol¡¯ me! Just why would you ever?¡± I satisfied his curiosity, ¡°Ki. The life force of all beings, I wish to learn how to use it.¡± His eyes opened wide, ¡°Wow! The future has revealed everything to you!¡± ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t want to learn from a master swordsman anyway?¡± He smirked, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Haruto rubbed his chin momentarily, ¡°I¡¯ll have a bird friend of mine pick you up and every now and then, sound good?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± I had to resist the action of pumping up my hand like an idiot. Hook, line, and sinker! Perfect play, not even L*bron could match that level of game. But, really¡­ Doormat God! Truly, you have lived to your name. Praise the almighty doormat. ¡°Aren¡¯t ya excited? I''d love to talk more, but I gotta report to buddy ¡®Bel," He waved, "Ciao." It seemed he also dropped any sense of formality. As the pure white barrier let up, a chill climbed up my back. Haruto had already disappeared into the far distance with his unique footwork, leaving me amongst a crowd of crows. ¡°Lookie here! Mr Lie every chance you get, hanging out with the crazy!¡± Percy shouted. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Julia tugged my arm slightly. Ignoring her, my lips formed a crescent, ¡°Hehe.¡± ¡°Is your head alright?¡± Her concern now turned to condemnation. ¡°I couldn¡¯t be happier! You have no idea, Julia!¡± I grabbed her hand in the heat of the moment. ¡°I got a freebie from the start, how monumental!¡± ¡°Boss, have you fallen off the deep end?¡± Frennia scratched her head. I cheered, ¡°I can¡¯t, and won¡¯t hear any insults. I¡¯m too high up on this hill to fall!¡± Even if some of my recent friendships are stuck in a bit of a rough spot, right now I knew I was on the right path. ¡°Ouch!¡± A burning sensation had landed on my shoulder. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m sorry for earlier man. I was a bit¡­ on edge,¡± His green eyes held a deep regret. ¡°You said it right, that we should spar?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear anything. Nudge. I didn¡¯t expect anyone to have interrupted me but, there was only one person who would. ¡°What is it, Serina?¡± I turned my head around, expecting the normalised cold expression she¡¯s always had since I met her. ¡°Thank you, Luke.¡± It was indescribable, it felt as if I was rewarded for surviving a week in this hell. ¡°I- I¡­.¡± Mountains of questions piled on top of one another, but that ¡®thing.¡¯ Words I wanted to form couldn¡¯t. A blank white canvas spread throughout my mind. That crescent shape was so perfect and charming¡­ that not even I, her once biggest fanboy, could remain neutral. I stammered, ¡°You¡­¡± Serina, you finally smiled. I couldn¡¯t imagine the reason. But her sincerity, it seems I finally felt it. -x- ??? POV In the forest, as the monsters had been cleaned up, a small shack had been entered. A knight of familiar origins kneeled, ¡°I¡¯m here, my lady.¡± ¡°How did it go?¡± ¡°Perfect, he didn¡¯t suspect a thing. I joined his party on the consensus that my lady, the Saintess has reformed me.¡± ¡°Now, now, such a title isn¡¯t befitting of me just yet.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her wicked, unturned eyes opened. ¡°Well, did you confirm it?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, there were no gaps for that. It seemed as if his body blocked any attempt of analysis magic.¡± ¡°Tch.¡± Her sharp, clear, nails peeled the wood off her chair. Yet somehow, her hands remained spotless. ¡°That junior doesn¡¯t seem as cute anymore¡­¡± ¡°I apologise my lady.¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± Incomparable to her previous outrage, she sighed with a refined sense of elegance. ¡°It¡¯s fine, you are forgiven.¡± ¡°The honour is forever yours.¡± ¡°Let yourself out before anyone questions you.¡±She turned the knob of an inconspicuous trap door. ¡°Then, take care of yourself, my lady.¡± Step. Step. Step. As he left the building, she stood there ever so silently. The wood in the cabin was left unperturbed as she contemplated. ¡°These Gods and their prophecies, what stupidity led to the conclusion about a ¡®Great Disturbance?¡¯¡± She lay flat on the bed, spreading her arms out beside a potted plant. ¡°Hah¡­ how comfy.¡± Stroking the plant¡¯s stems, she asked, ¡°Do you miss your other half? Should I reclaim it soon?¡± The small plant swayed, its leaves shaking in some weird sense of affirmation. ¡°If that¡¯s what you wish.¡± Chapter 39.1 – Suspicions of a Regressor [Final] Proofreader - Me! (Final part of these chapters - Short one) Serina''s POV Orientation, or so I had begun to call it after the fourth regression. The first week, in which my actions had a profound effect on the rest of the timeline. This was the first time it had been so different. In the second round, a time when I was naive. I attempted to exterminate early threats without consideration of the outside world affairs, in turn, the ascension of the Demon Lord accelerated, the elves became unnerved, and the Unity of Order pulled out from the academy. As expected, without the full five, the academy was wasted a year earlier than the first. Actions had consequences, I couldn''t move quickly, nor could I move slowly. The third detailed a slow but steady growth, I created rapport with the four others and grew rapidly. Yet, once again, as I neglected the affairs outside, the world accelerated towards its doom. The Demon Uprising, led by a true Devil rose to a power unbeknownst to me at the time. With too many factors to consider, I spent the fourth round gathering knowledge. Learning of the world, spells, and even the evils which lurked in all corners of this continent. Taking in all of it, I fought with everything I had, knowledge of the future, and the power from connections as the heir to a Duchy, as well as my innate magic prowess. Despite such preparation, the fifth round failed. And, on the sixth, I broke down. In a world without Serina Rosemary, ironically... it lasted longer than ever before. Locking myself in a hidden room, isolated from everyone, it continued. Until that wretched man, the supposed Great Hero decided I couldn''t. I told him, the world was destined for destruction, and no matter what he nor I did, would change anything. Futility, or so I described it. For this regression, I adopted the same line of thinking, giving up on all hope. ... However. Like a flashing beacon of hope, he appeared right in front of me. Even now, I can remember the dumb look on his face, surprise plastered all over it. For the first time, I had been met with the unknown, right at the beginning of my regression. Yet, from there on, every interaction, and every step he took, it convinced me otherwise. That, such a line of thinking was wrong. It wasn''t just me who felt his warmth, but the girl who would die no matter what. Julia De Gracia now has hope of survival. By the end of the year, her salvation was possible. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The devil lurking behind their family, I was certain he would pulverise it. Even with the soon-oncoming threat of demon cultists, beastmen, and the potential corruption of the Princess, he would solve it. The main figures of this world, including me, are now intrinsically linked to his being. The relationships he built over a week have the potential to overcome what I could not. Through my support and his abilities, this world may finally reach a happy ending. Happy... Never would the day have come, that I could think of something like that. And, as if to bolster my beliefs he accomplished a feat I could have never replicated. The one thing I could never do¡­ he broke that accursed sword that killed the warrior in the end. Every repeat, they died in the same way, no matter how strong the warrior was, nor did it matter when it happened. This... all from one person. The brother of the Warrior, I believed he was beyond redemption. However, through Luke''s actions, even hope was granted to a doomed soul like his. Luke formed the perfect team for the dungeon, sending them outwards in expectation of the monster attack. The depth of his plans far outmatched my own. The world¡­ and the appearance of Luke. His presence was now my only salvation. A revolution would begin soon enough, and I would be behind him at every step. It was the start, the start of a new ending. It wouldn¡¯t be sad, I wouldn¡¯t be the last one standing, and humanity could live. I was stuck... stuck in a daze due to the mass of hope in front of me. I thought such things as I grabbed his arm, claiming to support him. In a world where everything was grey, where everything repeated itself, I lived as a stone. It had become a cold, empty place that I was forced to reinvigorate, but never could. But his warmth thawed it all. Colour found itself pouring in through the cracks of a failing reality. And at the centre of it all, was Luke. My lips curved upwards, and I stared deeply into his plain, but striking brown eyes. "Thank you." -x- Following the natural course of events, a sudden deviation occurred. He was grabbed by the Academy''s Bastion and brought into a secluded space through a sound barrier. I peered past the simple protections in place, overhearing an intriguing conversation. Contrary to my expectations, Luke seemed to be lying to his face. From the future? I found it laughable, but it would make sense to an outside perspective in such a situation. Well, that was impossible, because I¡¯ve seen it all. ... What did he mean? Did he possess some foresight -- connected to his bloodline? What did the Bastion mean by describing Luke as an otherworldly creature? It was just as astonishing as coming from the future, but that assumption seemed almost correct. Luke, the only person to change in all seven regressions. If he was not from this world, but from another¡­ what else would it mean? It meant he saw my plight. He saw me suffering, and as a benevolent being, greater than some fake gods¡­ he decided to save not only me but the world. If such was the case, then... Then without a doubt, he would be my everything. Chapter 40 Arc 1: Epilogue (1) – Wandering Proofreader: Me! (I almost made this chapter 700 words, until I realised, wait I can add some more stuff!) After transporting everyone back from Philos Forest, I passed out. Genuinely, too much happened. Yet, for some reason, the world wanted more from me. The moment the sun peered into my eyes, I was punched with a ridiculous ask. I basically saved one of the protagonists, and this was my reward. Laying on my back, I was prodded from the side, ¡°Luke, is it alright if you can help me with something?¡± ¡°Yaawn,¡± I put my hand to my mouth. ¡°With what?¡± ¡°Giving me pointers. I know you¡¯re weaker than me, but you managed to hold your own against both my brother and from what I heard, one of their vice commanders.¡± Most of my experience only came from PvP and knowledge from the game¡¯s bosses. I wouldn¡¯t be able to give tips about how to use the sword¡­ but. I shrugged, ¡°You know I don¡¯t use the orthodox swordsmanship, right? And, your family has some of its teachings, so I¡¯m useless there.¡± It was a form of kendo mixed with the teachings of Erin. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ aware,¡± His face scrunched up, perhaps from his pride taking a hit. I raised one finger, ¡°The thing is, while I may not know the best of swordsmanship, I know how to fight.¡± ¡°...?¡± Fen raised his eyebrows. ¡°If you aren¡¯t using the most efficient, or best of skills, then¡­ wouldn¡¯t you just lose outright?¡± I sighed, ¡°Nope, any tactic possible will help you. In a fight, dirty tricks are fair game. Does honour let you live?¡± Both in the game and in real life, I haven¡¯t fought fairly at all. Abusing my abilities, weak spots, items, and terrain all to win. After all, ¡°I¡­ no.¡± ¡°Yes, however, it¡¯s not just that. Tricks and whatnot may allow you to win, but you need information. I knew what your brother would do, so I could work around it.¡± A suspicious look arose from him, ¡°Hmmm.¡± ¡°In my opinion, your honour is a good thing. So rather than being the annoying type like me, analyse your opponents, adapt to it, and strike when the iron¡¯s hot.¡± I shrugged, ¡°Or something to that end.¡± ¡°In other words, you mean patience.¡± He stood there, likely lamenting the course of his week. ¡°Yup, it¡¯s probably something you may need to practice.¡± He stood still, his hand on his chin. ¡°Then, train me.¡± ¡°No.¡± I responded immediately. ¡°But!¡± I waved my finger, ¡°No buts, I¡¯m too weak to win against any of you.¡± ¡°Urr.. then, how about, you teach me patience!¡± A lightbulb flickered in his head, leading him to an idiotic solution. ¡°How am I supposed to¡­?¡± ¡°Supposed to what?¡± My brain flickered just like he did. I know exactly how to use this, I¡¯ll lead him away from romance through the training of patience. Who knew, that I¡¯m actually a genius? Later on, maybe six or so days from now, he would likely get a crush on Luna. Or something to that effect, as within the game, Charles would have his followers get closer to the princess. ¡°Ahem. I changed my mind.¡± ¡°Really?¡± His expression brightened. ¡°However, the methods will be unorthodox, and we will start a week from now.¡± I just prayed it would work. I¡¯ll be too busy with the quests to induct some kind of training session. Instead, I¡¯ll play the part of some wise master who leads him to failure in a relationship! ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Luke?¡± Fen had a somewhat disgusted look in his eyes. ¡°Nothing, sorry, just remembered something,¡± I faked a cough, ¡°Ahem. Anyways, I¡¯ll meet you on this maybe around Friday?¡± ¡°That should be fine.¡± ¡°Alright, it¡¯s finalised,¡± I raised my hand for a shake. ¡°Thanks for this!¡± He reached out and affirmed it. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll get going now, I have a meeting with the royal faction!¡± I don¡¯t think saying something out loud like that would be great for their image. An academy that preaches equality, still having prejudice? If Abel had heard, that wouldn¡¯t have ended up so great. Regardless, I wanted to talk with Julia for a bit. There was one more thing I had to check. I haphazardly wore some clothing and made my way to the cafeteria. ¡°Hohoho! That was how I and the rest of the Platinum Generation slayed the little monster of those wretched Demons!¡± I resisted the urge to rush over and slap her. But, I wouldn¡¯t get in the way of ruining her chance at making friends. Around her, sat a few others, and even ¡®him.¡¯ The strongest student of the first years. ¡°As if that was true,¡± One of the girls laughed. ¡°It definitely happened, but that¡¯s far too exaggerated,¡± The strongest shrugged. ¡°Hmph,¡± Julia shook her head, ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of you guys!¡± I guess I¡¯d go ask a different time, eating some beef with mashed potatoes sounded nice. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯d like to eat that please,¡± I pointed to the food on the menu. ¡°Coming right up,¡± The cafeteria lady went to the back and pulled out a dish without delay. ¡°Enjoy!¡± This world was super convenient, to the point making food could be automated. These cafeteria ladies were more bodyguards than actual cooks. ¡°Thank you,¡± I bowed. I decided to sit in a corner today since everyone else was either resting, having meetings, or training. I also didn¡¯t want to have eyes on me within the supposed VIP section, eating alone. I put my hands together, ¡°¤¤¤¿¤À¤­¤Þ¤¹£¡¡± (Thanks for the food) It was great, but not having rice still felt somewhat criminal. After finishing eating, I made my way to the vice headmaster¡¯s office. ¡°Oh- Luke! How have you been?¡± Runalia readily opened the door. ¡°Not so great since we didn¡¯t have any help yesterday,¡± I honestly replied, sitting on the chair in front of her desk. ¡°You got through it, didn¡¯t you?¡± She smiled, ¡°I trusted both in you, and Abel¡¯s words!¡± ¡°Abel?¡± An unexpected name came up. She cupped her mouth, ¡°Oops.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing he told the rest of the teaching staff not to help?¡± I sighed, sprawling over her comfy table. ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± She nervously laughed, as if she did something wrong. ¡°Well, please, since trouble is coming, do something next time,¡± I pleaded. ¡°Hmm?¡± I contemplated whether I should spill some information or not¡­ but since it was Runalia, I could trust her not to spill anything. Unless it was Abel, but I doubt he would pry. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what I mean on one condition, please just don¡¯t tell anyone else,¡± I clasped her hand. ¡°Promise me, with your blood.¡± Her eyes widened, the slits in her pupils sharpened, as if to analyse me. ¡°Surely, you heard from Abel and Haruto right?¡± ¡°Of- of course! Something about having future knowledge!¡± ¡°Exactly, however, this is something only I can tell you.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Her expression brightened, and her crimson hair fluttered. ¡°You can trust me no matter what, I swear it on my being as a Dragon Lord!¡± ¡°Great,¡± I smiled, ¡°The second year¡¯s girl dormitory will be raided three weeks from now, with forces stemming from both the cultists and beastmen.¡± ¡°Uweh-¡± Her expression crumpled, ¡°Wha- how is that possible?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°What, please tell me!¡± She leapt over her desk clinging onto my arm. How was this instructor the scariest in the game? Right now I could see tears in her eyes¡­ But, at least it was cute. ¡°I can¡¯t, or the future may change for the worse.¡± Runalia picked me up and hugged me close, ¡°Just tell me, I''m strong enough to face anything!¡± ¡°Buud dass nauu tru,¡± I tried to retort but her chest was muffling my words. She put me down, cupping my cheeks, ¡°Abel has saved the world more than once, and I, his greatest partner will prevent any harm to our students!¡± ¡°That¡¯s comforting to hear, but¡­¡± I cut myself short. ¡°Hmmm?¡± She released me but stared in confusion. ¡°Sorry, I need to go now.¡± I bowed and left for the door. I heard her sad whimper, but the end of my sentence haunted me. ¡®Neither of you will be there by the end.¡¯ How could I say that to her face? This world was heading for the path of destruction. So of course, its protectors would face a similar fate. ¡°Hah¡­¡± I would get no break, for a very long time. Also, now that I think about it¡­ this following month would be pretty hectic. ¡®I would have to create a solid party, prevent some flags, and then¡­¡® Ding! This sound was made when my enhancement skill ranked up that one time. Yet now, instead of something positive, only an off-putting feeling was present. I frowned and used my daily appraisal stone to open the status board. My eyes drifted to the bottom, affirming my worst fears. [Category: Protagonist - Uriel.] [Route: Bad Ending #13 - An Eternity Between Us.] [M - 1] [D - 7] ¡°Fuck.¡± Chapter 41 Arc 1: Epilogue (2) – Bad Ending Proofreader: (Me when I get home tomorrow!) ¡°Seriously!¡± My back battered with bruises, I groaned, ¡°First thing that happens when I arrive, is this?¡± In the morning it was Fen, and now Erin. ¡°I had to miss out on the expedition as I had been called back unexpectedly,¡± Her black hair danced as she struck my arm. ¡°But, why?¡± ¡°I have a few pent-up frustrations.¡± An upward swing of the sword met my face. ¡°You¡¯re slower than usual,¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°Pick up the pace please.¡± ¡°What do you expect? I¡¯m still recovering.¡± My body wouldn¡¯t fully recover even with enhanced regeneration, and the nurse said something about the overuse of mana. ¡°Deal with it.¡± She dismissed my pain, once again pointing her sword at me. I raised my sword arm in an attempt to defend my head. Jolts of pain rushed through my veins, as my guard had crumbled with a single strike. ¡°Get up,¡± She stared at me with indifference. After a few more matches she finally let me go. Erin sighed regretfully, ¡°This¡¯ll do for today.¡± ¡°Hah, it better be,¡± My lungs clasped for air. ¡°Same time tomorrow, be there.¡± She left the sparring area with a sadistic smile. First day back and I¡¯m barraged with her desire to ¡®teach,¡¯ fricking psychopath. Regardless, due to the unexpected crisis from yesterday, the school has let us have two free days to prepare for awards and deal with these children''s families. After all, with a prince, princess, and countless big shots, they wouldn¡¯t let something like this proceed so smoothly. Despite such a holiday, I felt even more disturbed than usual. I woke up, checked my status board, and there it was. Underneath all my other tabs was a small window. [Category: Protagonist - Uriel.] [Route: Bad Ending #13 - An Eternity Between Us.] [M - 1] [D - 7] This infamous window, was a plague amongst all players if they dared to activate tips. The one which would warn the player of a bad ending. Well, if anything this was a saving grace, but it may simply also be a countdown toward my death. ¡°Luke! How are you feeling?¡± Uriel¡¯s hands clasped my bruised arm. ¡°I saw Erin walk from here, did she hurt you?¡± ¡°No, I asked her to train me in swordsmanship ¡ª although it was only supposed to be until that duel from last week.¡± ¡°Training?¡± Her eyes dimmed for a moment.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Yeah, is something up?¡± ¡°Luke, let me supervise while it happens!¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ no thanks.¡± I refused politely, I could heal myself after all. ¡°No, I can¡¯t trust someone like her being with you alone!¡± She glared toward where Erin had left. ¡°You need protection, don¡¯t you remember how hurt you were when we fought Requiem?¡± ¡°But.¡± ¡°No buts!¡± ¡°Yes¡­ ma¡¯am¡­¡± This aversion, could it be due to the inherent repulsion of the demonic and divine within them. I wasn''t sure, but eventually, the answer would come. ¡°Good boy,¡± Uriel¡¯s saint-like smile rejuvenated my body. ¡°Now, get up already.¡± She tried to lift me, but her arms just squished together those¡­ Focus! I lifted myself up to the floor, looking away from her. I let out a frown, as I once again glanced at the warning. The senior from Friday, Krulia, is making a move. Unfortunately, I have no idea what this route entails. Just that it was¡­ a noobie check of sorts. The number of complaints about this ending made its way to the top of the week during the first month of release. However, once my favourite EA-tuber made his guide video, such a thing quickly died out. If only I could remember it¡­ ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve just been staring at the wall, are you sure you¡¯re all right?¡± Uriel closed in from below, her chest almost sticking to me. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine now please take a step away from me.¡± I placed my hands on her shoulders pushing her ever so slightly. ¡°Personal space, please.¡± ¡°A- am- am I really¡­ that ugly?¡± ¡°No no no!¡± I reassured her gently, ¡°You¡¯re one of the prettiest girls in the school!¡± ¡°R- really?¡± Internally I panicked, ¡°Of course! When have I lied to you?¡± She pouted, ¡°Never¡­¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± I let out an internal groan as I forgot how low her self confidence was ever since she softened up to me and Julia. ¡°I- I¡¯m sorry Luke, I¡¯m such a bother sometimes.¡± The time from when she yelled at me outside of class flashed across my mind. ¡°That¡¯s not true, you¡¯re a saint. You¡¯ll be the best Saintess humanity¡¯ll ever have.¡± Not a single ounce of a lie was in that statement, and it seemed she understood my sincerity. (Sarcasm) ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll do my best to live up to your expectations!¡± Dammit, she was so cute. The Julia fanboy inside of me was lost to her at this moment. I had to protect her from this bad end, no matter what. ¡°Definitely!¡± I clasped my hands in solid determination. ¡°Hmmm?¡± A question mark floated above her head. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s kind of a tradition from our household.¡± ¡°What for?¡± ¡°A¡­ gesture to show our thanks and spirits to our ancestors¡­¡± I trailed on. I was simply pumping my hands in celebration, but I couldn¡¯t risk being seen as a weirdo by her. ¡°Ooo! What an interesting family, maybe you could introduce me sometime?¡± She innocently smiled. ¡­ I¡¯d consider it, but I don¡¯t know about this body¡¯s background at all. Perhaps, once winter break starts, I¡¯ll receive a notice of sorts. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it, but let¡¯s return to our dorms¡­ getting a bit late isn¡¯t it?¡± The splendid shine of the sunset had already passed, and dark had fallen upon us. ¡°Th- then, can you guide me back?¡± Her voice was brisk, with a light cloud of steam exiting her mouth. She shivered in her uniform, wrapping her arms around her body. Now that I think about it, today was unusually cold. We were still in Autumn¡­ ¡°Sure, it¡¯s a man¡¯s duty to escort the lady.¡± In response, she let out a clumsy, but joyful expression, ¡°Thank you.¡± On the way to her dorm, what preoccupied my mind was how to deal with this route. Considering that the day after tomorrow, we would officially begin the questing system for the entire week, there would be no time to work on this on the sidelines. The week after we would resume a normal schedule, however¡­ the annoying princess¡¯ face popped into mind. She would undoubtedly try to make trouble. I¡¯d have to dodge her interruptions, collect a few hidden items, and dig into how to stop this bad route at the same time. I didn¡¯t like it but, this meant I would have to rely on ¡®her¡¯ later on. The potted plant flashed within my mind. ¡°Goodbye, Luke! Thanks once again!¡±The saint¡¯s voice erupted in front of me Uriel waved her hand, humming with a cheerful tone as she entered the building. ¡°What was I thinking about again?¡± The thought slipped my mind. I¡¯ll just sleep, and do some exercise tomorrow. Ah¡­ wait¡­ the award ceremony was the day after tomorrow as well. I grasped my head, feeling an oncoming headache. I sighed, ¡°Such is life.¡± There would be a lot more intertwining stories coming up soon. The unesealing of the Enigmatic Chance will probably overlap with Uriel¡¯s route too¡­ And, before I drifted off, I picked up the book of fun facts. [This book has been upgraded!] [More advanced, amazing, and new information has been added. Thank you for your work!] I flicked to the next page, and words began to write themselves. Did you know, that within Uriel¡¯s route, she can potentially fall in love with Luna? It is very rare, but also very possible! ¡°The fuck?¡± Another problem sprang out on my face, but I doubted its existence. There was no possible way Uriel would be able to, since there¡¯s no interaction between the two. ¡¯Phew.¡¯ Chapter 42 Arc 1: Epilogue (3) - Frustrations of a Princess Proofreader: Me! (Uploading this one since it''s so short, enjoy!) Luna''s POV I am the heir to the throne of the Alexander Kingdom, the future empress. Being part of the Platinum Generation was only a given, considering I inherited the magical prowess of both my mother and father. An archmage on par with the Rosemary''s, such a path was expected to be smooth sailing. But... Every day, since the start of this week. This bug! This insect, cockroach¡­ Agh! Every time I¡¯ve tried to talk to any of them! Fen, the son of the Alexander Kingdom¡¯s Castelle¡¯s, Ash Walker, the son of the Elves¡¯ Guardians, and even Rodney the potential knight of a Saintess. Why, just why was it that commoner? The very first day, he barged in toppling over Ash, claiming it was an accident. This impudence, I will not forgive it! -x- Flashback With his flowing hair and his peerless beauty, you wouldn¡¯t be able to tell if he was male or female. Ash Walker, the heir to the Forest Guardians. As the princess of the Northern Empire, I have to ensure the safety and dominance of my land. ¡°I, Princess of the Alexander kingdom am interested in why an honourable elf such as yourself enrolled in this academy.¡± I presented my hand, showing a desire for equality. Following the standards of the academy and keeping friendly relations with the Elves is necessary for my faction to grow. ¡°My name is Ash,¡± His voice and posture were rigid. I couldn¡¯t read him at all. ¡°I would like to get to know you better if that¡¯s-¡° Crash! It was a befuddling scene, straight out of a fairy tale. An average-looking boy, with nothing unique about him, had ruined this. ¡°Ah, sorry!¡± His face was infuriatingly smiling, ¡°I apologise for disturbing the both of you, I lost control of my legs for a moment.¡± ¡°I-¡° ¡°Ash, Are you okay? Do you need me to take you to the infirmary?¡± A burning feeling welled up within me, a sense of humiliation a princess should never have to face.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°This commoner!¡± -x- Recently, even the prince has turned my advances down, to an embarrassing extent. What have I been doing wrong? My followers have been rejected every time they acted as my messengers. Unfortunately, I was bestowed with the task of furthering the alliance between the Empire and our Kingdom, but with these incidents... I''ve become unsure of how to proceed. It had to be the fault of someone else, because, I am simply perfect. In fact, ever since that insect enrolled all my plans have fallen short. However, I still had to talk to Charles regardless. "Prince, have you been busy, or perhaps, my faction is overbearing?" I started a conversation after class. He brushed his wrist, looking at a weird contraption with two handles in the middle of a circle. "Hmm, to be honest, I didn''t see the need for communication just yet." "Surely you jest, the alliance between our nations is not mere child''s play," I reasoned. He shook his head, "If that was truly your intention, then you wouldn''t send people of that calibre to meet me. At the minimum, go through the proper channels, like my knight, Fen -- In person that is." I grit my teeth, "Someone of my status-" "We''re in the academy, not in the Kingdom, remember that Luna," Charles''s condescending look caused nerves within me to burst. "Even someone like that commoner Luke has more value than you." My vision turned red, but the teachings of my late mother remained, ¡°Charles, you have to understand the ridiculousness that is the enrolment of a nobody in the Golden Nest.¡± His eyes remained cold. ¡°Nobody? Hah¡­¡± Charles let out a disappointing sigh. ¡°You are in dire need of information. I expected more from the second princess of the empire.¡± ¡°What?¡± I stood there oblivious to what he was hinting at. ¡°Yesterday, and even today. Have you not heard of Luke¡¯s exploits?¡± He raised his eyebrows. ¡°It¡¯s too early to value him, whether it¡¯s a fluke or not. But, I doubt an average peasant could do the same.¡± ¡°How could I?¡± Blood gushed through my veins. ¡°There had been invitations from Dukes, and I have duties to attend to as the princess.¡± Charles shrugged, ¡°I see.¡± My anger started to become audible, ¡°Is that all you have to say?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing more to do since I¡¯m only talking to a mere ¡®princess.¡¯¡± He turned away, joining with his knight. Blood seeped between my skin and my nails. ''This humiliation, I won''t forget it.'' -x- It wasn¡¯t just then either, even outside of class, in the hallways as he went between classes. This bug would unilaterally attract all the figures I wanted to build rapport with. Fen, Rodney, Ash, and even the Prince, one of my followers informed me of a such conversation. Worst of all¡­ Serina Rosemary the most prodigious mage of this generation, she- she is practically glued to him. I met her a few times during meetings with her father and mother, and she was nothing but dull. My nails gradually lost its lustre as I chewed on it. ¡®What a horrible habit.¡¯ ¡­ I would prove the prince wrong. This bug is not worth that level of consideration, and I would make him pay for disgracing me. Now that the introductory period is over, I¡¯ll make that commoner pay for ruining the kingdom¡¯s ambitions. My ambitions. In front of the Kingdom¡¯s faction, I held a face of absolute will. ¡°Herald, keep tabs on Luke at all times.¡± ¡°Yuti, focus on all his friends and family. See if there¡¯s anything we can use against him.¡± ¡°The rest of you, interrupt his quests, intercept them, anything possible, and we shall make the empire great.¡±As my speech ended, they all cheered in unison. This is what it means to be a princess, born of royal blood. I won¡¯t let a bug step in the way of my path. Chapter 43 Arc 1: Epilogue (4) - The Book of Interesting Facts On the day of the awards ceremony, I opened the gacha of text, hoping for something good. Alone inside my room, I stared intently at the self-written words. ¡®Did you know, that the elven tribes dislike the Empire? Apparently, the previous king had kidnapped their World Tree maiden a few decades ago.¡¯ Oh¡­ shit. This book so far, has revealed slightly interesting things, for a beginner, until I defeated Requiem. I had clung to the potted plant because of the storyline related to the World Tree. I planned to get closer to Ash so that when he eventually visited home on the winter holidays, I could join as well. I also intended to bring Julia as a plus one¡­ but if she¡¯s barred from entry, then I¡¯m not sure how to proceed. Seriously, the connections between all the major powers were quite complicated. The Republic of the South, Empire of the North, Alexander Kingdom in the west, and the elven tribes harbouring the east, while intricately connected, vastly differed in operations. The Empire was in partnership with the Kingdom, however, they were hostile to the Republic and Elves. On the other hand, the Kingdom was friendly with everyone, except the elves¡­ their only ally were the Republic, which acted as an exchange hub for them. Such relationships were only the surface of these powers. When considering the other hidden forces, such as the Beastmen of the Desert, there were many moving parts in the game, which served to enrich the experience. Due to these things, the relationships within the academy faced very harsh consequences if handled poorly. Which, the player is expected to navigate if they want to romance their desired characters.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. And, I¡¯ve only just gotten past the first week of this hell¡­ ¡°I already want to retire,¡± I mumbled in bed. Percy potentially could get interested in Uriel, or even his classmate Hera, a minor character with the hidden side of being part of an assassin syndicate. ¡®Nope, no more.¡¯ I¡¯d think about it later, probably after I go recruit Uriel or something. Right now, I¡¯d like to enjoy the slow morning and get ready. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Fen asked from the other side of the room. ¡°I thought you¡¯d never get up.¡± His body was covered in sweat, evident by the sweat-drenched tracksuit he wore. I shrugged my shoulders, ¡°Sorry to disappoint.¡± ¡°Haha, you know that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Fen chuckled. ¡°You going to have a shower now?¡± ¡°Yup, sorry if you wanted to, I¡¯ll be quick.¡± Answering my question, he hopped into the dorm¡¯s bathroom before I could respond. I figured it would be good to have some fresh air instead of dwelling on his actions. I exited the dorm, walking myself to the balcony. From here I could manage to see the Demon King¡¯s Grave. For whatever reason, ever since I left that place, it¡¯s become visible to the naked eye again. However, it never has received any visitors since Abel placed a somewhat threatening sign. ¡®If you enter, you¡¯ll be expelled. Don¡¯t worry, I placed a detection spell of the highest tier! - Abel.¡¯ I laughed at the thought of it, as it fit his character to a tea. Although, right now I might be seeing something. A glimpse of black hair peering past the blatant sign. ¡®Is that Erin?¡¯ I shook my head, I was probably wrong. They would¡¯ve told her if she was here, right? No drama between the hero and his arch nemesis¡¯ daughter, of course. I begged for that to be the case. I¡¯d rather not have to deal with a complicated issue in the coming weeks, especially when I had to grow stronger. Shaking my head in visible denial, I decided to have a light jog. Once again the phrase, ¡®ignorance is bliss¡¯ rang through my head. Chapter 44 - Campbell Village (1) Dragging myself across school grounds, I wandered into the backstage of the assembly hall. ¡°Yo bro, you just arrived in time!¡± Fen called out to me. I scratched my head, ¡°You¡¯re here too?¡± ¡°The headmasters called all those involved with the dungeon to the backstage too,¡± He explained casually. That explained all the familiar faces. Right now Julia was chatting with a cheerful Uriel, and Rodney was surprising conversing with Ash. As expected, Serina stood still facing the direction of the podium out front. Lights flickered, alerting the students. ¡°Here, I introduce to you all, the heroes of the Dungeon Expedition¡¯s tragedy.¡± Abel stepped down from the podium, letting Runalia take his place. ¡°These are all first years here proved themselves to be part of the Golden Generation.¡± ¡°First, the one who fought off Requiem by himself, Fen Castelle.¡± He held an awkward smile unbefitting that of a hero, yet he still stood up to the position. ¡°Second, the great mage of this budding generation, Serina Rosemary, who supported and protected him.¡± No one stood up. ¡°Sorry, there seemed to have been a miscommunication. Miss Serina will receive her reward in due time.¡± Runalia kept her profession face on, despite the twitches in her face saying otherwise. ¡°Third, the representative of the elves, Ash Walker, who provided and escorted devilised students to safety.¡± His taciturn face contrasted to his elegance, creating a work of art as a living being. ¡°Fourth, both Rodney and Uriel, the ones hailing from the Order of Unity, who served as a bastion for our struggling ones.¡± The two stood side by side on stage, walking with a grace blessed by the heavens. A student had sworn a halo was present above Uriel. ¡°And fifth, Percy, who truly has proved his strategic prowess to be that of a nation¡¯s strength.¡± He stood up, glasses in hand, a smug curve on his lips, as if taunting someone. ¡°These students have all proven themselves to be heroes, of which we all strive to be.¡± And, here I was on the sidelines. Why was I called here again? Abel wanted me to show up, but I hadn¡¯t been called up at all. ¡°Please everyone, let out round of a celebration for our budding talents.¡± The hall boomed with cheers and claps, with people recognising their saving grace. ¡°However.¡± ¡­ The room had darkened as she spoke a single word. ¡°There is one person we¡¯d like to thank, but they decided to go no show. Please, if you find out who they are, do not harass them.¡± Runalia pulled out a bracelet from a box provided by the school¡¯s funds. ¡°Excuse the pitch black room, and do not peer past this barrier.¡± As soon as she finished talking, she turned toward me who was on the side stage. I walked up with a sense of incongruity. ¡°Really, me?¡± I wanted to ask, but the situation didn¡¯t call for any useless complaints. The other protagonists and Percy looked expectantly. Although, Rodney feigned obliviousness. ¡°Luke, Me and Abel are aware of what you did. Think of this as thanks for letting this incident be as peaceful as it was.¡± In her hands laid an item. It was bestowed with carvings of unknown nature, but it didn¡¯t diminish its beauty whatsoever. It was a jade colour, made with a material I couldn¡¯t realise without my Outer Eyes. ¡°This¡­ is it really okay for me to have it?¡± I looked up at her eyes. ¡°Haruto himself recommended it. Although, he said he wished to see results soon enough.¡± Ah, so this is a setup. Dammit. [King of Wanderer¡¯s Bracelet] (A+) I unconsciously muttered, ¡°All hail Haruto!¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡®I¡­l don¡¯t think I could be mad at all!¡¯ Its effectiveness far outmatched my current Enigmatic Chance. Its last dot point is what made this item so desirable in the game, its stat increases were negligible at first, but quickly spiralled out of control once the player conquered the hardest of dungeons. ¡°Yes, now please stand back so we can continue with the announcement.¡± As I raced behind the curtains, the lights quickly switched back on. ¡°This is the end of the award ceremony, but now we introduce to you what differentiates us to the other academies in this world.¡± Each student ceased their noise at once, knowing the importance of this. ¡°Quests, similar to an adventure guild, we send students out on these quests to explore what it really means to be a hero.¡± ¡°For this week, first years are exempt for class and are to focus on this only. After which, we will proceed with the normal curriculum.¡± ¡°Do your best, and please, come back safe. Your lives as heroes are just as important as everyone else¡¯s.¡± A sliver of sincerity had broken past her stone cold facade. These rare moments had captivated not only me, but the countless players who experienced it. Following this, there was only one right option to do. I had to party with Uriel, even if it meant having to deal with Rodney. The presence of a Bad ending this early would ruin everything. ¡®Guess it¡¯s time.¡¯ There was a particularly annoying item to make, but helped all protagonists regardless. Of which, is only obtainable within the first two weeks of questing being released as a feature. Three items. A Skele-Staff, Incu-Necklace, and the final Fragment of Hope. Ironically, the lowest ranked item, the necklace, was the most difficult to get. It was also only available starting next week in an emergency quest. For the first one, I knew exactly who to ask, as the quest for that item was impossible for me. Whereas, for the other two items, I required the participation of one cowardly Saintess. Thus, I needed a party, with Uriel as my pillar of support. The others can be figured out later, although, Erin, Fen, and especially Julia should be relatively easy to convince. -x- Shortly after the assembly, I met up with Serina. We stood in the backstage which was completely empty as it was already evening. Many had begun their adventures. There was one thing I aimed for with this interaction, and that was the help of Serina. Even if she was different, after seeing her smile, I could tell her core personality still remained. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d like your help with,¡± I pleaded. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Her eyes held an unwavering certainty. ¡°I haven¡¯t asked yet?¡± I was bewildered. She simply replied, ¡°I trust you.¡± Seeing her recent treatment of me really sent me confusing signals. ¡°Then, there¡¯s this one quest that¡¯ll be there. It¡¯s ranked to be around B, although it¡¯s really simple-¡° ¡°I understand, I¡¯ll retrieve it.¡± ¡°No, I mean there¡¯s the-¡° ¡°Skele-Staff, I am aware Luke.¡± ¡­ Once again I was left speechless. How did she know this? Since she¡¯s from the Rosemary family, I guess it would make sense. ¡°Thank you very much, I¡¯ll repay this debt as soon as possible.¡± Serina shook her head. ¡°No need.¡± ¡°Uhuh¡­ I¡¯ll get a move on. Thanks again.¡± I witnessed her wave gently as I exited. Now that the Skele-staff was secured, I needed to find Uriel. Likely, she was with Rodney tagging along the Unity of Order seniors. Somewhere around the questing building, I bet. I zoomed past a corridor, and met an untimely wall. A girl with blue hair fell to the ground, with a plop. She was short, shorter than most, but I knew her sword arm was the scariest around. ¡°Hah, what¡¯s a commoner doing in the presence of nobles?¡± They looked down at a student. Normally I would help, but I had a pressing matter to attend to. If Uriel left, I could only ask tomorrow and even then it might already be set in stone who she would go with. Unfortunately¡­ ¡°Well of course,¡± I reflexively clicked my tongue. As I made it to the newly accessible building, I witnessed the teleportation of Uriel along with other seniors. Rodney being absent however. Amongst the bubbling crowd of students I brought it upon myself to ask about what quest they took. ¡°Excuse me, do you know what the seniors from the Order of Unity undertook?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Ew, creep.¡± ¡°Get away from me.¡± ¡°Another one of those fans?¡± It seems my average appearance has forsaken me. I was ignored, being looked down as much a a cockroach. I kept asking others, but was refused. While many also recognised me from the cafeteria, they held looks of both jealousy and contempt. ¡°Prince Charles! We¡¯ve collected some information regarding the region you took interest in¡­ Campbell was it?¡± ¡°Interesting isn¡¯t it, Robert? Indeed, the Marquis of that regions is strangely performing well.¡± I didn¡¯t understand the conversation, but luckily, I recognised a familiar face. ¡°Ah, hey Prince.¡± ¡°Luke? It¡¯s strange seeing you alone.¡± ¡°Do you know what quest Uriel took with her seniors?¡± ¡°Quite upfront, well¡­¡± If I was right, they would¡¯ve taken a multi-team quest and would be held in a temporary space until others had accepted it. It was similar to match making in video games. ¡°I would ask, but it seems you¡¯re in a bit of a hurry.¡± He paused to recall, ¡°I believe it was the ¡®Reclamation of Campbell.¡¯¡± Perfect. ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll pay you back later.¡± ¡°If you say that, then I¡¯ll have to expect something. You may be already be doing me a favour by heading toward that region.¡± Or so he added at the end of his sentence. I simply smirked. The only issue now was finding a member before another group joined them. ¡®Wait, wasn¡¯t she there?¡¯ I let it pass by without worrying, but it seemed now would be the perfect chance. I would ordinarily ask Fen, Erin, or Julia, but they were busy with personal matters. For Julia and Fen, it was quite obvious that their parents were worried. As for the Demon Lord¡¯s Daughter¡­ I have no idea how her brain works. Even in the game lots of her events were random without any flow to it. Chapter 45 - Campbell Village (2) Proofreader: Me Lisana is a character I¡¯m not familiar with. The most I¡¯ve interacted with her, was¡­ ¡®Oh, I haven¡¯t at all.¡¯ While her story was the most cemented and concrete, getting along with her required not only time but countless resources that could be used elsewhere. As such, I never bothered getting too involved with her character, even if she was meta-breaking in ability. A noble-looking student scoffed, ¡°You filth. Get out of our sight.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lisana remained motionless as the noble aligned students passed by. I wanted to help her while she was being picked on, yet clearly, I missed it. ¡®Better late than never.¡¯ I seized the moment and reached out, ¡°Lisana, are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She looked toward me, without a hinge of any emotion. ¡°You know, I find it weird that you just take that treatment.¡± I shrugged, ¡°I mean you¡¯re far more powerful than them.¡± ¡°Waste.¡± She let out a small murmur. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a waste of time.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you wasting time by letting them bully you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I was talking to Serina all over again. Trying to beat around the bushes was useless with these people. ¡°Ah whatever, I¡¯ll be upfront.¡± I held up my hand in front of her, ¡°I want to create a temporary party, you in?¡± ¡°Honest.¡± Muttering, she gazed at me. Whether or not it was a good or bad thing, she eyed me over. ¡°So?¡± I received a gentle, but firm handshake. She most likely only accepted because we were in the same class. But Internally, a yipee still managed its way out of my heart. Lisanna looking at me, mouthed the words, "What quest?¡± ¡°There¡¯s this joint B-ranked one, Reclamation of Hui, and you need two party members minimum to attend.¡± She nodded with minimal energy. I think I¡¯m starting to understand her character a bit more. The way everyone hyped her up was confusing, but now that you experience it in person¡­ it¡¯s kind of endearing? I shook my head, dragging her out of this depressing corridor. Back in the bustling quest hub, I hawked in on the specific job we needed. In the bottom left corner of the board, lay a suspicious-looking request. ¡°This?¡± Lisana pointes at ir. ¡°Yup, I need something from here, and I also need another person to join our party.¡± ¡°Our¡­¡± She remained still, only looking at the suspicious job. I mean it is, but, it isn¡¯t. Anyway, seeing as this renowned quest was within the Alexander Kingdom, it was deemed as an important clear if you wanted to get close to Luna. In my case, I needed to connect with Uriel asap. [Please Help!] As the Marquis of Campbell, I must protect my people and this nearby village. We have no combat forces, please help us. A small piece of our territory is under attack by bandits, a village by the name of Campbell.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. There will be rewards for those who arrive as soon as possible. Under the handwritten request, were the rest of the details. Judged to be B-ranked. At least three Parties are required. If you have any questions please inquire at reception. From a normal point of view this quest was visibly normal, but when from the lens of an experienced person like Lisana ¡ª this was incomparably improbable. The fact that a Marquis is struggling to clear bandits was not a plausible event. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯d like to register for this B-Ranked joint quest.¡± ¡°Just the two of you?¡± The receptionist glared at us. ¡°Please look at this,¡± In my hand was the Z-ranked brooch. It was kind of a hidden feature, but if you were in the Golden Nest, the brooches had a slight difference in them. The magic imbued in them was made to be the same wavelength as the Hero¡¯s. Considering that the Enigmatic Chance could replicate it perfectly, it was also magnificent. ¡°Oh, my apologies. I greet this year¡¯s generation of prodigies.¡± Their attitude spun a momentous one-eighty. ¡°¡­¡± To my left, Lisana raised her eyebrow. ¡°Privilege,¡± I whispered. The receptionist stamped the quest paper, stashing it in a box labelled ¡®Progressing.¡¯ ¡°Please head this way.¡± We were led to the designated transporter device, which once again, was not medieval. ¡°Luckily, you two barely made it. They were just about to leave.¡± They bowed, leaving us two in this sci-fi fantasy abomination. ¡°You been in these before?¡± I made some small talk. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Right...¡± I ended it there, unsure of what else to say. ¡­ I had one more trick up my sleeve. Julia left me some exotic flavours of candy when I was recovering. I rummaged through my pockets grabbing her attention, ¡°You want these?¡± Her eyebrows perked up, so probably a positive response. ¡°There¡¯s Snake flavour, Sweet and Salty, Dragon, Griffon, and more.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Her voice remained monotone, but her eyes were glued to my hands. ¡°Just take one, I don¡¯t mind.¡± She nodded, looking at my hands intently. Lisana seemed to have forgotten her sense of distance as she leaned in, intently gazing over each ball of flavoured sugar. I had mixed feelings about acting as an adult using treats to lure children into agreement. ¡°This.¡± Her hand drifted toward the debatably weirdest flavour, Sweet and Salty. Unfortunately, the moment was disturbed as the machine started to glow in a vibrant hue. Mana waves were blasted at us, leaving me in disarray. I felt like I just span in circles for minutes. ¡°Eugh," I resisted the urge to vomit. Lisana observed my condition, ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Th- there¡¯s F- first time for everything¡­ blegh.¡± Lisana held my arm, lightly placing a pill of sorts in my hand. In my nausea, I could only send her a confused expression. ¡°Reliever," She mumbled. I popped it in my mouth, gulping it down. My aching head chilled over with only a refreshing aftertaste of mint left. ¡°Woah! This is some great stuff!¡± I shook her by the shoulders. ¡°Where can I get it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It looked like her soul was leaking out of her mouth. ¡°Uhm, are you okay?¡± ¡°Please¡­ Personal space.¡± ¡°Sorry, my sense of distance has kind of been messed up.¡± I refuse for this to be completely my fault, too many times has mine been disrespected. Also didn¡¯t she just shove her face into my hands? ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± After I recovered, we finally exited the magic machine. A luscious green environment akin to the Philios Forest surrounded us. Although the difference now, was that a village was ahead. ¡°Oh, would you look at that?¡± A joyful senior hopped around us two, ¡°Luke, and a new face!¡± ¡°Krulia, you¡¯re frightening them.¡± ¡°But, Arrrrrkkkk¡­¡± She tilted her head down, whining. ¡°Ark?¡± I mumbled, trying to recall the name. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re that kid!¡± ¡°Ah, yeah, what?¡± He shoved his scarred face in front of me, ¡°Remember, from within the monsters?¡± That was only a few days ago, but it seemed like such a long time already. ¡°What a way to meet again, isn¡¯t it senior?¡± ¡°Yes, we were waiting on one more party, but looks like you two took that spot up.¡± He smirked, ¡°Why don¡¯t we act as a joint-party?¡± ¡°Yes, with me too!¡± Krulia butted in again. Ark responded by shoving her away, ¡°Can you get out!¡± The dynamic between the two was certainly striking. I glanced toward Lisana, who blankly stared at us from a few feet away. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you okay with it?¡± She nodded. ¡°Well, seniors, looks like we¡¯ll be working together for today.¡± ¡°Great, we¡¯ve already established a plan with the other group. So we¡¯ll finally be able to start.¡± Ark grabbed something from his pocket, ¡°I¡¯ll relay your arrival to the others.¡± In his hand was a rectangular stone. It resembled a crude version of Earth¡¯s block cell phones back in the day. ¡°While he talks it out with the others, what do you say we talk for a bit?¡± Krulia nudged her way next to me. She was woefully shoving her charming appearance onto me. If anything, her scarlet hair tied in with the red-tinted uniform only she had. The only lacking part of her charm was undoubtedly¡­ the chest. ¡°Ouch.¡± ¡°Hey! Where are you looking?¡± She snapped me back to reality lightly smacking my head. ¡°No dirty thoughts allowed.¡± ¡°I would never.¡± ¡°Hmph- As if I would believe the words of a perverted junior.¡± She jokingly stuck her tongue out. ¡°So, what did you want?¡± I eyed her suspiciously. Krulia placed her finger on her cheek, ¡°Have you enjoyed the greenery at the academy?¡± ¡°I mean, sure-¡° An unnerving feeling emanated from her gaze, quickly disappearing at a glance. With a frown, I asked, ¡°What do you actually mean?¡± ¡°Whaaat!? What else could I have meant?¡± Krulia hopped around me, keeping up her happy face. I felt a tug at my back. "Hmm?" Lisana gestured to meet her eye level, ¡°She¡¯s weird.¡± I agreed internally. Clap! The sound came from Ark who stood at attention. ¡°We¡¯ve agreed to meet at the bandit¡¯s camp, and we¡¯re expected to arrive pretty soon.¡± He stood there, pointing to the forest. Once again Lisana tugged at me. ¡°Be careful,¡± She mouthed. ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± This quest, at the surface, was easier than the rank of B suggested. That is if nothing went wrong. Chapter 46 - Campbell Village (3) Proofreader: Me! Charle¡¯s von Garrett POV: There was a pressing matter recently delivered to me by aide Robert, within the quest reception. "Your Highness, the Hui territory is suspected to have defected to the demons! The quest he has put up is indeed very suspicious, sire." "It seems our guesses have been right," I mumbled gripping my cup. "The talks regarding a supposed rebellion unfortunately have a backing. Return to the capital and inform our ambassador of this event." "At once, Your Highness!" He bowed and left deftly. The Empire¡¯s branch of the Shadows has supposedly caught wind of an attempt of a Demon Summoning on a wide scale. The appearance of a demon would throw the academy into a panic, as well as the Alexander kingdom where it resided. And, as if it was fate, the latest saint candidate set out on the request of the Campbells, the heart of this supposed ritual. ¡®Oh?¡¯ ¡°Hey, prince.¡± The commoner, who I¡¯ve had my eyes on, came up to me. ¡°What quest did Uriel take?¡± Interesting. A great opportunity passed its hands to me, a way to ensure the saint will be protected, and, to see what more he is capable of. After he left, I thought it would only be right if I were to have a small chat with the princess. -x- I was brought into the reception area of her dorm, adequately large. ¡°Charles von Garett, prince of the empire, what do you want?¡± Her tone was snarky, fair considering her humiliation at my hands. ¡°I thought it would be best to let you know some vital information regarding a part of your land.¡± ¡°About what? This better be worth my time,¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°This information may lead to the destruction of many, which of course you would want.¡± ¡°Why tell me and not my father, or our knights of the Round Table? What is your goal?¡± ¡°How much are you willing to pay?¡± ¡°Hah¡­ you must be out of your mind. Asking me to pay for information, with no evidence, nor knowledge of what it may be,¡± Her blonde hair swayed with dissatisfaction. ¡°Demon.¡± Her eyes sharpened, ending her slew of words. ¡°Continue, now.¡± I relaxed my body, raising my leg over the other. ¡°Did you not hear what I said?¡± ¡°This is utterly ridiculous!¡± She scowled, ¡°It¡¯d do you more good to help me than extort me for money.¡± ¡°Money? A prince needing a petty allowance?¡± I chuckled lightly. "I know you don¡¯t have much; your father is a man who¡¯d rather you work for yourself.¡± ¡°He is not relevant here!¡± She stood up from her chair. ¡°You¡­ really know how to rile up a person.¡± I shook my head, ¡°In this line of succession, it¡¯s only expected to have a decent speaking ability.¡± Luna gripped her seat with intensity, ¡°Regardless of your taunting, how am I to trust this source of information?¡± I evaluated her position, confirming that this exchange was worth it, not for my benefit but for someone else''s chaos.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°I¡¯ll at least tell you that, don''t worry." I let out a reckless grin, "It came directly from the Shadows, here¡¯s the stamp.¡± I handed her the emblem of the shadows, and she raised her eyebrows. ¡°It seems I have no choice, what do you want?¡± "Well..." I paused, despite knowing exactly what I wanted. -x- Luke¡¯s POV In a group of four, we approached the supposed bandit camp. There were a few mishaps, like the attack of a few monsters, and Ark¡¯s incompetence in finding his way. ¡°Here we are!¡± Ark opened his arms. ¡°So, where are they?¡± I asked. ¡°Uhm¡­¡± He paused, ¡°I haven¡¯t heard anything yet.¡± ¡°I feel them nearby, but their mana is faint,¡± Krulia said. I nodded, ¡°This area itself was recently ravished.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s investigate,¡± Ark ordered. Immediately, Lisana sprung into action, heading toward the ruins. While both seniors engaged in surveying the nearby clearings. In this dead part of the forest, there were rubbles of what resembled a camp. Parts of tents and makeshift cabins were laid to waste, presumably due to the raid of the paladins in Uriel¡¯s party. In fact, the remains of holy intervention were present in the form of glittering feathers of light. ¡°It seems they were here not too long ago,¡± I guessed, holding a shard of a sword. I threw it away, looking at the hidden entrance of what seemed to be an underground dungeon. Under some rubble, I found it. Although, part of it comes from my prior game knowledge. ¡°You found something?¡± Lisana asked. ¡°Yeah, it seems to be a hidden bunker of sorts.¡± Some red marks indicated some sort of fighting that had happened. The destruction of the stairs also proved that prediction to an extent. ¡°There was fighting,¡± She confirmed my thoughts. The seniors found us huddling in front of the entrance and approached. ¡°Sh- sh- should we go in juniors?¡± It seemed as if Krulia had a shivering tail. I eyed her suspiciously, was she one to be afraid of the dark? ¡°Stop being a wuss,¡± Ark slapped her back, exactly how Fen would to me. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± Without a moment¡¯s waste, we ventured into the depths. ¡°Hm? I can feel the others¡¯ mana now,¡± Krulia noticed. ¡°They¡¯re close, probably just a tiny bit further down.¡± It was probably due to the hiding enchantment added to the now broken door, which is why she was able to still detect them earlier. ¡°Ah- He- hello, we- we¡¯ve been expecting you two seniors!¡±The one to exclaim this had been Uriel. ¡°Eh- Luke!?¡± So Ark never told her ¡ª how cold. ¡°Yeah, I joined along,¡± I explained. ¡°Wait, you know each other?¡± Ark questioned. ¡°Yeah, yeah! We never knew that,¡± Krulia pushed for answers. ¡°I¡¯m in the Golden Nest as well,¡± I weakly answered. ¡°¡°¡­¡±¡± There was subtle silence between the two of them. ¡°Ahem.¡± A paladin coughed, ¡°The name¡¯s Henry. We cleared out this hideout, thinking this was the issue the village faced. Although, after some reflection, we realised it wasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± I asked instead of Ark. ¡°We visited the village shortly, and it was empty,¡± Henry shrugged. ¡°Y- yes! It was a ghost town!¡± Uriel nodded. Based on that, I already knew the reason as to why. This quest was bait, the Marquis of Hui mistakenly cooperated with a devil-cult, thinking it was a travelling merchant group. Which led to the desertion of the town of Campbell, it was unfortunate, but nothing could be done. Thus, they took advantage of the noble¡¯s obliviousness and created this quest with the stamp stolen from him. These things were learnt after the quest was completed, either through defeating the devil or preventing its descent. The prince would divulge the information to the player, admitting they would have to execute the Marquis for having worked with a devil, intentional or not. Gathering my thoughts, I looked back at their leader. ¡°Which is why, we plan to search around the perimeters of the village, while you four scour the village in our position. As you can see, we lack a suitable scout,¡± He sighed. There was no way to know that you needed a proper scout for this quest, considering it was a rescue mission, so his resignation was reasonable. A certain skill was required to use mana sense, of which paladins of the unity order weren¡¯t trained. If I recall correctly, the reason why Krulia was proficient in both the holy arts and mana was due to her unique split upbringing. After all, she was a mixed beastman. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll go check it out for ourselves,¡± Ark accepted their request. ¡°Since we want to speed up this clear, I¡¯ll meet the rest of you later.¡± ¡°We are leaving now?¡± I asked. ¡°Yeah, why waste time? It¡¯s already evening,¡± Ark shrugged. I glanced back at Uriel who bashfully waved hello, and then at Lisana who was still motionless. I would get the chance to talk to her later anyway, so it should be fine. ¡°Okay juniors, back up we go!¡± Krulia smiled. My sleeves were dragged by her, feeling a surprisingly large amount of strength hidden in her frame. Chapter 47 - Campbell Village (4) Proofreader: Me! Sunset was approaching, the sky turning a subtle pink. Krulia complained, ¡°We¡¯ve scoured the entire village, but there¡¯s no one here.¡± ¡°A ghost village,¡± I murmured. ¡°Precisely,¡± Ark noted. ¡°The priests also had the same experience over in the forest further north.¡± It seemed the quest was progressing as normal, the player would see no NPCs sparking a quest log telling you to delve into each and every corner of this area. ¡°We¡¯re thinking of regrouping before night and conducting a search via magic sensing,¡± Ark told us. ¡°Seems like a good idea, right juniors?¡± I shrugged, to which Lisana nodded. I wanted to get there before they did, however, meaning I had to act soon. ¡°Is it alright if I go for a bathroom break?¡± I nudged Lisana. ¡°I. Also. Need. To. Go.¡± She looked back at me, with a small hint of pride shining in her eyes. Contrary to what she believed, the three of us stared at her, with only the pink lighting of the sky illuminating the sky above us. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Erm¡­ you two can go?¡± Krulia stammered. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything naughty, okay~?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Outright dismissal, is what I gave. ¡°Hey don¡¯t ignore me!¡± I turned around, aiming toward the far right side of the village. The surroundings were dead silent, only air brushing past the buildings creating inklings of sound. Glancing at my mini-map, I could see the indicators I was looking for. Even without the distinction between ally and foe, it was in the same spot as it was supposed to be in the game. ¡°Pot?¡± In a flash found myself in a stance with my sword. ¡°Oh, it was just you¡­¡± ¡°Who else?¡± Lisana tilted her head. She held no particular emotion toward me pulling a weapon. Was she trusting, or just ignorant? No¡­ I¡¯m just too weak. She pointed toward the trapdoor I was crouching on, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°This?¡± I scratched my head, ¡°Well, you¡¯ll see.¡± With a swipe of my hand, the hinges came free, with dust and foul stenches rising from the basement. ¡°¡­¡± I turned toward Lisana, witnessing an unexpected sight. ¡°Why are you wearing a clip on your nose?¡± ¡°Stinky.¡± I had no idea where she stored her miscellaneous items, from a nausea reliever to a nose clip. Wasn¡¯t she supposedly a stiff and formal character? Ah¡­ The plot always faced her in a combative environment, unless partied later on in the story. But, didn¡¯t I just recruit her in the spur of the moment? Lisana, the strongest of the Golden Nest. ¡°Hello?¡± I found her waving her hand in front of me. ¡°Sorry.¡± I sighed, ¡°Truthfully, there¡¯s a handful of people in this basement. In my opinion, I¡¯m almost one hundred per cent sure, that a lesser demon attempted to summon a superior on par with a duke.¡± Funnily, the developers ranked demons in terms of an aristocratic hierarchy, with the Duke¡¯s being before kings. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­ they¡¯ll likely be here any moment now.¡± ¡°Can I trust you?¡± What I was saying¡­ it was insane. But, the state of this world was considerably crazier. ¡°I¡¯ll create an oath using my mana, sound good?¡± I bluffed, having no idea how to manipulate my mana to do so. ¡°No need.¡± She stared at her hand, then at me. ¡°Go in.¡± ¡®Yes!¡¯ Approval received. I continued, ¡°We need to be quick, cut the chains off the prisoners, alert the seniors and get out.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± With a thrust of my leg, the wooden barricade crumbled. Immediately, we were blasted with a gut-wrenching stench. ¡°Urgh.¡± I pinched my nose. Lisana on the other hand dashed inside. Sounds of wood creaking echoed throughout the passageway at a speed I couldn¡¯t match. Soon, there were cries, and chains being cut. ¡®Gotta hurry up.¡¯ I tanked the smell forcing myself down. ¡°Thank the Gods!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been holding us for weeks!¡± I could vaguely hear grateful cries for help. Upon entry, Lisana was already helping up the captured. ¡®Oh?¡¯ On her face was a light smile. It was the first I''ve seen it, besides the forums in real life. After helping a child up, I called her. ¡°Lisana, is there a black vial anywhere?¡± ¡°No,¡± She briefly answered, helping up another child. It was stated that Deviliser had been used to experiment on them. Which is why a pile of what was barely human sunk deep in the corner. I could almost feel myself about to vomit again. I began scavengeing the rags and cages the people once inhabited. ¡°Sir! I found this, is it what you were looking for?¡± A girl walked up to me, smiling as she handed it over.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°It looked important so I stole it!¡± She smiled, with a childish sense of pride. ¡°¡­¡± They cowered slightly, ¡°Are you upset?¡± ¡°Not at all! I¡¯m so glad I forgot how to speak,¡± I put on a smile and led her up to her family. ¡°Luke?¡± Lisana noticed my precarious state. I¡­ I wanted this one to join my party¡­ I had it done within the game, but I doubt I''ll get the chance here. As a mob, I don''t have much of an impact on the academy. [Irene] [Age: 11 ] [Race: Human/Beast] [Attributes] Vitality: Tier 0 (10%) Agility: Tier 0 (2%) Strength: Tier 0 (4%) Mana: Tier 0 (0%) [Notice - Due to malnourishment full potential is sealed.] [Skills] Beast Transformation (A) (1.32% - Proficiency) [Other Skills available to view.] Certainly, in the future, she would be extremely powerful. As she was mixed, the ability to wield magic was within her, unlike the rest of the beast kind. At the same time, she also held their powerful transformation innate skill. The future. She was too young, but who knows? ¡°Yo kid, what was your name?¡± ¡°Irene!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s meet again in the future,¡± I threw her a rainbow-flavoured candy. ¡°This is a reminder.¡± ¡°Uaaah! You¡¯re so cool sir!¡± I let out an inner chuckle, securing a connection to a big asset in the future. Her name was somewhat familiar, but I doubt it was related to what I was thinking of. Lisana put her finger to her cheek, ¡°You, like kids?¡± ¡°WHAAAAAAT!?¡± She tilted her head, ¡°Hm? Is it bad?¡± "Ack," I coughed, "Sorry, I thought you meant something else.¡± She tilted her head puzzled by what I said. Lisana, an airhead to a deadly extent. I never got the chance to see this side of her in the game. Getting back on track, now that I have the vial, we can order a wide-scale investigation and sink this territory as traitors. I felt a sharp breath next to me. ¡°So this is what the ¡®Bathroom Break¡¯ was, quite cheeky of you kids.¡± ¡°Haha, who knew you two would¡¯ve found a place like this?¡± ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t want to waste your time if I was wrong,¡± I lied. In truth, I didn¡¯t want to risk being found out by the worshippers who created this hideout. Ark shook his head, ¡°No no no, it¡¯s fine. Just give us a heads up next time.¡± I simply nodded, ¡°Will do.¡± ¡°So junior, what is this place?¡± Krulia asked. ¡°Honestly, it likely was an attempt at a demon-summoning ritual.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Look at the room, markings of all kinds are engraved, even the floor is splattered with blood and a foreign language.¡± ¡°Yeah, seems like a valid assumption,¡± Ark turned to observe the layout. ¡°Got any hard evidence? We¡¯d be able to get the inquisitors involved with it.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± I threw the black vial at him. ¡°Whew, be careful with that.¡± ¡°Would you look at that Ark? It has the same energy as the monsters we fought at Philios.¡± ¡°This is probably some dangerous stuff.¡± ¡®It turns you into a pseudo demon.¡¯ That is what I wanted to say, but I shut up. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let the others know, this quest is just about done.¡± I turned to Lisana who remained silent, only watching. ¡°You enjoying it well?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Is that it?¡± I pressed for a proper answer. ¡°Also refreshing,¡± She muttered looking at the cut chains. At least, Lisana was an extremely kind person. Which contradicted her outward presence that emanated ice queen levels of energy. ¡°Is there a reason you act so cold to everyone? In fact, why did you accept my invitation?¡± ¡°Felt right.¡± She shrugged. Well, I¡¯ll find out eventually. I heard her back story was tragic so that probably plays a role in it. ¡°What! You¡¯re under ambush?¡± Alarming words came from Ark. ¡°We need to go now!¡± ¡®Seriously? Fuck, this is why this quest was always taken by only one party in the game.¡¯ Similarly to the deviliser event, the chance to encounter the demon worshippers relied completely on luck. However, such a change would exponentially increase when undertaken by more than one party. In the first place, people took this quest to loot and experience a farm, or to collect the hidden reward from finding the black vial. I aimed for the latter option, but¡­ yeah. -x- ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡± I grabbed my knees as I exhaled air. I was standing in the middle of the forest next to Ark as he had abruptly separated us into groups. Luckily, I managed to get a word in with Lisana and Krulia, ignoring Ark¡¯s orders in the process. ¡°Luke, you¡¯re with me. Even with just us two and the others, we can initiate guerrilla warfare to disrupt the cultists.¡± Miniature war was on the horizon. Besides that small grievance, I liked this senior the more I learnt about him. His quick and sharp orders were at an impressive level for his age, considering we¡¯re¡­ eighteen? Wait no, sixteen to eighteen, so three years¡­ ¡°Hey, you alive?¡± ¡°Sorry, I got distracted.¡± Transitioning from college back to high school was too much of a jump backwards. It was more akin to stumbling downstairs. ¡°Good, our job right now is to be a bait and switch.¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± I considered my life to be pretty valuable. ¡°Weren¡¯t you listening?¡± ¡°About that¡­¡± I scratched the back of my head. ¡°Never mind then¡­ the point is, we both have skills in physical combat and not so much from afar.¡± ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re perfect for the job.¡± ¡®Great!¡¯ I almost found myself yelling. ¡°I¡¯ll keep you alive, I can¡¯t lead a junior of mine to death,¡± He reassured me. I¡¯d agree if it wasn¡¯t me in this situation. Hearing such words, should be comforting, but it had more of an opposite effect. Ark pat my shoulder, ¡°Still not good?¡± ¡®Of course!¡¯ I wished to say¡­ but I only managed a word, ¡°Somewhat.¡± ¡°What if I let you have the rewards?¡± He shrugged, ¡°Would that give you - woah.¡± In my hands stood my sword in perfect stance, presenting the clear resolution burning within me. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have expected this kind of trait from you,¡± He chuckled softly. ¡®No, you are right Ark.¡¯ It¡¯s just that I couldn¡¯t let this one slip by. I was already thinking of an argument to let me at least choose my reward out of the rest. For the sake of not just myself, but the world, this item was almost absolutely beneficial. I didn¡¯t expect to take this quest initially since I figured it was too risky and not worth it. Yet, now that I am, it was only a given to aim for it. [Diary of the Future] It was able to connect the Player to future events in a confusing but potentially useful way. It was difficult to figure out, but the easy way to think of it was that, through owning this item, events which required connections to characters, or items, would inexplicably involve you anyway. I¡¯m betting on how this game is now a reality, that I¡¯ll be able to see the writing in the book. Also, one might consider it strange that a diary came out of a village rescue, but when you consider that the supposed saviour of the Earth rose from this village, pieces start to fit. ¡°Point is¡­¡± I mumbled to myself. Ark put his hand on my shoulder, ¡°Point is what?¡± Ahem. ¡°We need to get going,¡± I nodded. ¡°Yes¡­?¡± Even though he had a confused expression, he led me toward the loudening strikes of magic and steel. The trees were singed, with a bright flame building up in the sky. ¡°That could only be the work of a devil,¡± Ark¡¯s expression grimaced. Although, I already knew that. Thankfully, Uriel was there, or else we may have been screwed. If there was a reason as to why her route almost always led you to the Saintess role, it was because of her absolute advantage against demons. ¡®And would you look at that?¡¯ From afar, beneath the piling heap of clouds above, the signature halo of Eien descended. It was undeniable proof of Uriel¡¯s chosen status. ¡°This power, I see why she¡¯s the leading candidate. Even to the point, Krulia fell out of the race.¡±Despite praising her, he let out a resigned sigh. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Ah right, you¡¯re a commoner aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Before answering, I pondered. ¡°Lisana and I are.¡± ¡°She acts aloof, but she holds significant burdens too¡­ I would tell you, but if she hasn¡¯t said anything yet, I won¡¯t either.¡± ¡®I¡¯ve never heard of this backstory.¡¯ Was this another difference from Hell¡¯s Paradise? Even if she wasn¡¯t prevalent in Serina¡¯s route, Krulia was extremely prominent in the beginning stages. From what else I¡¯ve heard, she even becomes the leading Pope in some of Uriel¡¯s. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll graciously await that.¡± The giant burning ball faded away as I spoke, the halo swiftly vanishing along with it. Ark looked at me, ¡°C¡¯mon, it¡¯s our turn now.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± I braced my legs. It was time! Enhance agility all the way! Chapter 48 - Campbell Village (5) Proofreader: Me! Uriel¡¯s POV None of us expected this, that the territory would be infested with cultists. ¡°Saint, we¡¯ll protect you!¡± The paladins proclaimed. My senior ordered me, ¡°Call upon the Goddess!¡± ¡°I understand.¡± It was my duty to protect and rid the world of demons and their presence as the avatar of the Holy Goddess Eien. ¡°In this plight, we your remorseful servants once again call upon your heavenly name¡­¡± I recited the prayers that had been instilled within me from birth. While I remained on my knees, everyone else was bleeding, fighting all for me. It was just like this with Ron back with Fen, I could do nothing but remain still. If only, I could do something too! But, I was useless¡­ The power of a saint only allows me to use prayers for the benefit of the people. ¡°Gah!¡± Henry was brought to his knees. ¡°Get off of him you heretics!¡± Sasha swung at his assaulter. ¡°We¡¯re fine Saintess!¡± They glanced back at me, ¡°Focus on stopping the devil!¡± Their strength motivated me to complete it, the partial descent of Eien. With it, I could stop the Devil¡¯s revival. ¡°Thank you, for the graciousness you have bestowed on us.¡± A light, which seemed to always find its way to me, descended upon all of us. A bright halo materialised from the skies, being placed atop my body. With my direction, this crown of divinity manifested a wave of holy energy across the village. It collected into one point above us, forming a ray of light. The ball of flames and demonic energy pierced by the ray of Eien. Swish! ¡°Aaaahhh!¡± My closest friend had been pierced. My hands reached for my mouth. A bulk of acid threatened to escape my throat. ¡°Wha- No! SASHAAAAA!¡± Henry yelled at the top of his lungs. The other seniors stood shocked at the suicide attempt of the cultist¡­ ¡®Why¡­?¡¯ I wanted to faint. ¡°Phew!¡± A sigh of relief echoed amongst this hell. ¡°Lisana, you can handle the rest!¡± I could instantly tell it was the previous saint candidate. ¡°Yes.¡± Relaying her orders, my classmate nodded. Trembling, I watched on as they reattached Sasha¡¯s waist to her torso. ¡°Eien, I, one of the saint candidates call upon your grace.¡± She began to recite. ¡°Ah¡­¡± A breath had escaped from my tense lungs. That should have been me, but the recoil from having a partial descent of the Goddess was too much for my body to handle. I tried to stand back up, but a hand was placed on my shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Luke sent us here,¡± Lisana''s voice and temperament were cold, but her eyes held a soft light. ¡°E- excuse me?¡± Was all I could mutter. ¡°The other two asked us to come here,¡± She was a brilliantly gleaming star in this hell, contrasting her stone-like mannerisms.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Ark? Would he do that?¡± ¡°Luke.¡± She merely said, ¡°He ignored Senior Ark¡¯s advice to pincer their forces.¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know how I could thank either of you.¡± My heart, felt as if I fell to the Demon Realm, only to be brought to Eien¡¯s Paradise. It seems, once again, I owe a debt to Luke¡­ by this point I doubt I could ignore this budding of feelings- ¡°Uriel?¡± Lisana called my name. ¡°Do you need medical attention?¡± ¡°N- n- no! Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Your face, it is red.¡± ¡­ ¡°UWAAAAAH!¡± -x- Charles¡¯ POV ¡°Charles, did you hear?¡± Fen enthusiastically barged into my dorm, ¡°Apparently, they¡¯ll be talking about the current relations between us and the Fen had come to me, talking about the quarterly royal gathering, where all the top nobles would gather and discuss the futures of the empire. However, it was currently not my top priority. I tapped my desk, ¡°Yes, I have.¡± He frowned, ¡°You don¡¯t seem so energetic today, what happened?¡± ¡°Well, I made a childish mistake,¡± I responded lightly. ¡°Hmmm, tell me about it,¡± Fen sat himself on my desk. Enjoying the cold breeze of the night, I had been especially disturbed by my earlier decision to tell Luna of such a thing. Honestly, it was an action of excessive caution, in the event both Saint Candidates were unable to fend off the devil. Ring! Ring! ¡°Ah- sorry Charles, I have to go, I¡¯m getting a call from Robert.¡± ¡°Haha, all is well, have a good sleep.¡± Fen waved, and slipped back into the hallway, ¡°Cya!¡± Upon the sound of the door closing, I sipped a cup of coffee. I had gotten ready to vent, but it seemed life had other plans. "Yes, Robert?" I picked up the communication orb. "Sir, news has arrived that-!" Knock! Knock! I shut off the orb, unwilling to let any information slip. A particularly beautiful mage made her way in, ¡°Where¡¯s Luke?¡± Funnily, a specific violet-haired girl stood before me. Her bloodline was part of the pillars of our home, meaning I couldn¡¯t ignore her. Also, that man was in the middle of the Alexander Kingdom currently solving the issue I told Luna. I couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly annoyed at this, leading to my irritated greeting. ¡°If it isn¡¯t the heir to the grand mages of our empire, what brings you here?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Luke?¡± She repeated herself, with the same monotonous voice. ¡°You are no fun,¡± I shrugged my arms before seriously replying, ¡°What¡¯s in it for me to tell you?¡± A prince is not to work without benefit for himself or his kingdom. I cannot simply do charity work for those around me. ¡°This.¡± Out of her hand, came a tightly wrapped scroll, adorned with a violet ribbon. ¡°I see your family¡¯s seal is on this¡­¡± A bead of sweat dripped from my face. ¡°Yes.¡± Does she not have a sense of value? This is indeed quite the prize, however, this puts me in a position of having to repay a debt that should be her own. ¡°Is this not a jest?¡± I cautiously said, ¡°A Rosemary would never share something like this for common information.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her eyes told me her thoughts, cold and dark, I felt the sign of Death approaching. ¡®Such killing intent, how could she, at such an age?¡¯ ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± I smiled in spite of that display, ¡°Campbell Village.¡± As soon as those words left my mouth, she vanished. If only her family wasn¡¯t so central to the empire, I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with someone like her. However, there was a benefit from all of this. The scroll in my hand, with the imprint of her family¡¯s seal, it was bound to be revolutionary. I slowly untied the ribbon, expecting of what could be found. ¡®Invigorate.¡¯ Such was the title written above the explanations and magic circle. ¡°I guess, it¡¯s to be expected of someone her age¡­?¡± I found myself flustered, unable to understand the handling of this scroll. Was it self-made? Or was I played? I couldn¡¯t tell at all. ¡®Serina, you really are an enigma.¡¯ ¡°Sir!¡± Robert called me again, ¡°It is true, the Marquis of Hui is connected with the devil!¡± I grit my teeth. A piece of filth managed to sneak its way into not only our academy but the powers of the central continent. I commanded him, ¡°Alert my father, and ask to send the Phantoms as reinforcements for Luna¡¯s faction of followers.¡± ¡°I believe there¡¯s no need, we have received reports that the quest was fulfilled in its entirety, with the summoning of the devil being stopped.¡± A breeze of calm entered my mind. I paused for a moment, ¡°It seems I¡¯ve underestimated the first saint candidate and the now second in line Krulia.¡± ¡°That seems to be the case, however, there is a word from the civilians that students by the name of Luke and Lisana saved them from the devil¡¯s grasp," Robert proved my assumption false. ¡­ I had nothing else to say, ¡°Bravo.¡± ¡°Excuse me, my highness?¡± ¡°It is nothing Robert, I¡¯m simply fond of this information. You may go.¡± ¡°Thank you my Highness!¡± With a click, the orb became dormant. Luke surpassed my expectations yet again, he would be a great asset considering his strength and relation to Fen. All of which, are quite satisfactory. ¡®Then¡­¡¯ In light of this, I might have to interfere with Luna¡¯s later confrontations. Though, for now, I¡¯ll leave it to Serina. ¡®Good luck princess.¡¯ Chapter 49 - Princess and the Commoner (1) Proofreader: Me! Krulia¡¯s POV His prediction was correct, Uriel would need our help. Throughout this entire quest, he has shown nothing but competence. From saving civilians, and now accurately assessing the battlefield. Both Ark and I assumed Uriel could protect the others without issue, but he saw through that lax mindset. He really¡­ was a delectable child. ¡®No!¡¯ I slapped my cheeks. I¡¯m not the tribe leader right now, I couldn¡¯t let my instincts remove my rationality. ¡­ For the sake of my country, and my race, I needed Luke if I was correct. When I re-educated Carlos, I intended to see if he truly had been blessed by the world tree. Via the high-ranking appraisal stone, I wished him to gaze into the suspicious nature of what he held. I talked to Uriel in passing, hearing about how he would lay next to a potted plant in homeroom. The past saint had been said to have left behind two halves of the World Tree seed in case of emergency. I highly suspected that this plant was the other half of the New World tree, Yggdrasil''s offspring. The half I possessed, was what I had been tasked to raise since birth, with my status as a Saintess candidate coming second in priority. This was getting burdensome, maybe I should just ask him outright? ¡°Are you okay Senior?¡± The blue-haired junior, Lisana, appeared before me. ¡°Of course! I¡¯ve already called the others, we just have to wait now.¡± ¡°Luke is kind,¡± She said, as if reading my mind. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She ignored me, and went back to the Order of Unity¡¯s forces, conversing with Uriel. I guess I¡¯ll have to take her advice then. -x- Luke¡¯s POV A scream resounded from the village, to which I was curious about, but these stupid idiots, wouldn¡¯t give me a rest! ¡°Get off me!¡± I unleashed my 4x Magic Missiles at the cultists before me. [Critical Hit!] [Critical Hit!] [Critical Hit!] [Critical Hit!] Satisfying dings of the boards filled my ears. ¡°Now!¡± Ark yelled. It was his signal. ¡°Got it!¡± Enhancing my agility, I fell back, rolling past trees down the hill we fought on. On cue, the bodies of wood burst into crimson dust. Cries of burning people echoed, showing our success. ¡®That¡¯s why I''m the fifth-ranked in the second year!¡¯ Or so he said. The next step was to regroup, and repeat this until they gave up. Although, I could feel my reserves of mana starting to run out. And, it wasn¡¯t like I had much to begin with. Ark fell back, noticing my panting, ¡°You seem tuckered out, need a break?¡± ¡°Hah! As if.¡± Even if my mana was depleted, I could enhance my recovery and hold them off as needed. ¡°Luke,¡± He grabbed my shoulder. ¡°They¡¯re safe now.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The weights on my conscious were finally released. ¡°Tha- that¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°Woah, don¡¯t pass out on me yet,¡± He supported my stumbling body. ¡°Let¡¯s go meet up with the others first.¡± He rushed me over to the village, passing me a small vial. ¡°It¡¯s a bit weak, but it should lessen your pain.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°No one recovers that quickly, just drink it.¡± ¡®No seriously, I enhanced my mana recovery speed.¡¯ How I wish I could say that, but no one would believe it. And I doubt it¡¯d appear on my status board for others. ¡°I¡¯ll shove it down your throat if you don¡¯t,¡± He scolded me. Reluctantly, I took off its cap, downing it in one go. ¡°Good, let¡¯s continue now,¡± Ark smiled, letting my side go. ¡°We have to hurry up, or it¡¯ll be midnight before we know it.¡± ¡®Weren¡¯t you just worrying about my body just a second ago?¡¯ I wanted to retort, but he already took off.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. -x- ¡°Luke, you¡¯re here!¡± Uriel and her¡­ assets bounced as she muttered quietly ¡°You really are¡­¡± I looked at her face, which blushed red. ¡®If it wasn¡¯t for the settings I know they don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t like...¡¯ I paused. The way Julia would react, the way Serina had been so watchful, and how Uriel looked at me¡­ ¡®Is it time? Three of them, I¡¯ve been purposely¡­¡¯ Nudge! Ark shoved me aside, ¡°How¡¯s everyone?¡± ¡°Because of you two, no one died.¡± She teared up, ¡°T-thank you!¡± ¡°Woo~¡± Ark whistled from the sidelines, prompting me to want his face to cave inwards. ¡®If I could, I probably would Ark. But, romance can destroy the world. Sorry to ruin your delusions.¡¯ ¡°The civilians are also safe, and have been transported to the empire through the Academy,¡± Lisana added. ¡°That¡¯s great to hear, but¡­¡± A sobbing child was holding me. It was incredibly heartwarming, however I also had a request for this saintly mess. I pat Uriel¡¯s back, ¡°Can we talk later?¡± ¡°Sniffle, S- sure¡­ AH! I¡¯m sorry!¡± Finally, she let go, rushing back to her camp. ¡°Well, don¡¯t we have a player?¡± Ark wrapped his arm around my shoulder, ¡°And with the future Saintess no less!¡± ¡°Ark, our junior would lose his head if he tried!¡± Krulia retorted with a shout. He put his hands on his hips, ¡°Only if he remains as a commoner, I have a feeling he¡¯ll be great later down the road.¡± I cut off their insulting praise, ¡°Thanks for the compliments, but I¡¯d rather talk about the rewards now.¡± Ark tilted his head, ¡°Didn¡¯t we already tell you?¡± ¡°Junior, you can have all of it,¡± Krulia mischievously chuckled, ¡°Both of us are quite loaded.¡± I bowed without delay. ¡°Uhm, Junior?¡± A flustered response came from her. ¡°Why the sudden thanks?¡± ¡°I see the light of which both you and Ark has provided me, how could I not revere those who have given me enlightenment?¡± ¡°Cut that out, you¡¯re making Krulia uncomfortable.¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± Ark hit my head repeatedly. I glanced toward Lisana, whose eyes showed a glint of confusion. ¡°I was joking! But I am serious about being grateful, so stop hitting me!¡± I pleaded for peace. ¡°Don¡¯t disrespect the Saintess candidate again!¡± He said holding back a laugh. This guy literally only hit me because it was funny for him. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t hit the junior like that, probably?¡± Krulia seemed to be in the same state as Lisana. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m done,¡± I walked away. ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to Uriel.¡± ¡°Ooo~ Luke and Uriel sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough Ark!¡± ¡°Ow!¡± He cowered under the smacks of Krulia. ¡°Stop, stop!¡± ¡®Heh. Got what you deserved.¡¯ My unplanned revenge was satisfied, after all, I am a very forgiving person. ¡°Huh?¡± I heard footsteps from behind, ¡°What are you going to ask Uriel?¡± Lisana had caught up to me, who was currently walking over. ¡°If she wants to join my party. That was honestly the reason why I wanted to join this quest.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± Quickly looking over her face, there was a slight dip in her overall expression. Maybe, I shouldn¡¯t phrase it that way. ¡°Although, I think I¡¯ll add you to the lineup if you want,¡± I added on. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You can think it through, and I also don¡¯t mind if you come or go whenever you want.¡± Lisana responded to me with bright eyes, ¡°I¡¯ll join.¡± I made a soft clap, ¡°You¡¯re the first guaranteed member then, congrats.¡± There was a slight upward curve of her lips, being the most emotion I¡¯ve ever seen from her. She was easy to communicate with, completely opposite to the way the game presented her interaction options. Imagine, having to purposely avoid specific topics and fulfilling time-consuming personality checks, it was something many had struggled with. ¡®I guess I¡¯m lucky?¡¯ It¡¯s not like I planned to get close to her. While she¡¯s very strong, there are a lot of restrictions about her joining the party due to family circumstances. Lisana tapped my arm, ¡°Uriel is uncomfortable.¡± She pointed toward the commotion happening over at the camp. There was another group of people that never participated in this quest. From my what I could tell, they were wearing some kind of royal armour. ¡°S- stop it, we- we¡¯re in the middle of recuperating and wi- will return to the academy soon!¡± Uriel exclaimed with an uncharacteristic fear in her voice. My hands clenched. Suspicions grew within my mind, why would any student try to barge in on an already taken quest? ¡°I already stated my reasons, so tell me, how was the devil extinguished?¡± A familiar hate-able voice rang out. It seems my question was answered. For whatever reason, Luna was here and causing a ruckus too. ¡°Excuse me,¡± Henry butted in between the scared Uriel and the frustrated Luna. ¡°I believe you have it mistaken, the devil was never summoned. We managed to cancel its descent through our Saint¡¯s help.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Finally, her slew of words halted. ¡°That¡¯s all you had to say.¡± ¡°Sorry for the impudence princess, but may I ask why you are here?¡± Henry found it within himself to ask. ¡°I have been alerted that my kingdom was under demonic influence,¡± Luna scoffed. ¡°Yes, I understand, but everything has already been solved. Us seniors have class tomorrow, and need to arrive as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, the correct procedures must be taken to ensure this will not happen again.¡± Luna crossed her arms, displaying her ample rack hidden behind the academy uniform. ¡°I¡­ I understand.¡± Henry didn¡¯t show it openly, but his eyes screamed in low despair. I exchanged glances with Lisana, murmuring, ¡°This isn¡¯t allowed.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± Lisana raised her sword. I whispered with a bit of fear, ¡°Yes, under the Academy¡¯s influence, no power is to be administered to any pier regardless of their affiliation. It¡¯s stated in the rulebooks, on the front page since nobles would cause conflict with commoners without it.¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± Hearing such information, Lisana stepped forward without an inch of hesitation. ¡°Eh, Lisana?¡± Uriel gasped. ¡°Hmm?¡± Luna glanced over in contempt. Lisana stood firm with her cool expression, ¡°Luna, you are breaking the academy rules.¡± ¡°Hah? We¡¯re not in the academy but in my territory. Why would it apply here?¡± Lisana looked back at me, unsure of what to say. ¡°Hah¡­¡±I put my hand to my face. ¡°Princess, we¡¯re under the guidelines of questing, so unfortunately everything you¡¯ve said is invalid.¡± ¡°Ex- excuse me?!¡± Luna shouted. ¡°How dare a commoner speak back to the future empress!¡± Her attitude shot up to a hundred, yikes. ¡°Anyways, seniors we can pack it up, you can check with Abel if you wish,¡± I yawned arriving by Uriel¡¯s side. ¡°I really don¡¯t know how you expect me to repay you, Luke,¡± She bowed her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine, we¡¯re friends after all right?¡± ¡°This- this, how dare you ignore me¡­ YOU COMMONER!¡± Luna¡¯s face was illuminated with bright red colours. ¡°Grab him at once!¡± Uh¡­ I didn¡¯t expect her to be this reckless. Chapter 50 - Princess and the Commoner (2) Proofreader: Me! The guards surrounding Luna began to immediately circle us. ¡°What¡¯s happening here?¡± Ark had arrived from our camp. ¡°Why¡¯s the princess¡­?¡± ¡°Juniors!¡± Krulia held her hand to her face. ¡°Ah, you stupid princess, stop this at once!¡± ¡°Shut it! You are all in my territory, and under my jurisdiction. Here, you are all my subjects!¡± The frantic look in her eyes seemed to appear at the cost of her rationality. Seriously, her personality was just rotten. Maybe I should allow an exception, and have one of the protagonists fix her. Possibly¡­ maybe Fen? ¡°Luke, snap out of it!¡± Uriel grabbed my face. ¡°We need to get out of here!¡± The guards had already begun a skirmish with the paladins. We three were stuck in the middle of a circular formation from the paladins, while the guards attacked from the outside. I held the shoulders of the two girls, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have a plan.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Lisana asked. I answered honestly, ¡°No.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Uriel snapped. ¡°I do, kind of, something along the lines of needing to beat them up and then running away?¡± I pondered. ¡°Would we be able to do something like that, in the Alexander Kingdom?¡± Uriel nagged. ¡°Yes actually, she¡¯s in the wrong, not us. We have the direct support of the Hero Abel so that no one would go against him.¡± I looked over at the fuming princess, ¡°Except her.¡± ¡°Then what?¡± Lisana asked for Uriel. ¡°We knock out Luna and take her to the academy.¡± ¡°You¡­ you are crazy Luke!¡± Uriel hit my arms lightly. Unfortunately, that was the easiest solution, and I didn¡¯t want anyone else to get hurt. ¡°Princess, call this off or I will personally intervene,¡± Ark came to our rescue. ¡°Even if I am only the fifth strongest out of the second years, I am enough to stop your entire force.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ark spoke with tension oozing from him, ¡°Snap out of your delusion, don¡¯t make decisions you¡¯ll regret.¡± Krulia put up her hands, holding up a divine-looking staff. Both she and Ark were ready to start fighting. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear already?¡± Luna spoke with an eerie calm. ¡°I am Luna Rend Alexander, first in line for the throne. Bow to me, or I will execute the kingdom¡¯s will.¡± She¡¯s lost it¡­ The timing couldn''t have been worse. I looked over the battlefield, noticing the fight between the seniors and Luna. My head ached, as such an event never happened in the game. I stretched my legs and said one final thing to Lisana and Uriel, who stood next to me: ¡°Let¡¯s meet at the academy later, ¡®kay?¡± ¡°Wha- what?¡± ¡°Understood.¡± I enhanced my strength and agility and leapt into the sky. Midair, I enhanced the gravity around me to speed my descent. ¡°Luke!?¡± Ark called out my name, sword in hand. ¡°Go to the academy, I¡¯ve got this.¡± In both my hands laid eight magic missiles. I managed to increase the amount I could manage through strenuous training of my mana control, as in almost dying in these recent events. Luna averted her eyes toward me, a clear killing intent being transferred to me. ¡°Commoner, today is the day you stop pestering me once and for all.¡± Balls of every element launched toward me, thankfully she didn¡¯t do anything sneaky. I dashed to the side, quickly getting behind her blind spot as she couldn¡¯t keep up. As a magician, all her physical attributes were vastly lacking and were on the same level as an academy student. Thus, with my enhancements, I was just as, if not faster than her. ¡°What is this blasphemy!¡± She screamed, launching a giant flare onto the ground. Luna attempted to levitate into the air, but I had already made it to her. ¡°Sorry princess, but for now I¡¯m nothing but a lowly kidnapper.¡± ¡°Mmm! Mmmph! Mmmm!¡± I shoved a napkin onto her face, one that Lisana gave me earlier. Here was the scary part, I stood atop a boulder conveniently close to the camp scouring my path. I gulped in a load of air and psyched my lungs for a shout. ¡°I¡¯ve got your leader! Surrender or she dies!¡± A mountain of pressure had been directed at me, strong enough to cause shivering within my body. I gulped again, ¡°Cya, seniors!¡± In my arms was a struggling princess, and behind me was a legion of maddened elites. My goal was the teleport gate back at the place we had arrived at, which, thanks to the mini-map I could rush to without help. ¡®Today I pray to the Gods of this world, let me live!¡¯A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. -x- Third Person POV ¡°I¡¯ll meet you two at the academy later!¡± Luke¡¯s voice became quieter the further he got. As soon as the boy jumped into action, Lisana looked at her hands. ¡°Saintess, prayers,¡± She quietly murmured. She let out two simple words since her parents told her to always be efficient when letting out my wants. ¡®Always treat others as you would want to be treated!¡¯ They would say. With something extra tacked on the end, ¡®Remember! Always be quick with what you want to say, or it¡¯ll be too late.¡¯ Such memories played within her mind, as Uriel responded in kind. ¡°Ah yes, understood.¡± Her body lit up with boosts due to the Goddess and Uriel¡¯s strain. However, before she took action, something caught her eye. In the arms of Luke was their struggling classmate, Luna. She reversed her stance to leap, ¡®It seemed there is nothing for me to do.¡¯ ¡°Cancel it,¡± Lisana ordered. ¡°Hah- wha- why?¡± Uriel¡¯s voice showed her helplessness. Lisana didn¡¯t both to explain, ¡°Do it.¡± ¡°Y- Yes!¡± The surroundings quickly calmed down as the guards left to chase the reincarnator, leaving the two alone in contemplation. ¡°Wait, who is that?¡± Uriel shivered at the revelation. The guards who were in hot pursuit had been blocked by a singular person. ¡°Tell me, where is Luke?¡± In their hands was a peculiar wand, mimicking the skull of a human as its base. Uriel realised, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Serina?¡± Lisana nodded, also surprised by her appearance. Following the two¡¯s shock, the guards were forced to disperse as spells of all types were launched at them. Serina¡¯s spells were of the third rank, higher than all of the first-year students, yet she spammed them without rest. ¡®A monster¡­¡¯ Lisana had thought. Due to not witnessing what happened at the dungeon in Philos Forest, nor the Demon King¡¯s grave, she had not seen the lengths of her abilities. Due to the guards being dealt with, the thoughts of the two girls shifted. Uriel attempted to process the situation, while Lisana lamented their journey so far. ¡®Luke, why does he¡­ remind me of her?¡¯ Such a thought resonated throughout the entire quest. ¡®Why can¡¯t I help but want to keep talking to him?¡¯ Uriel moved closer to her, ¡°Li- Lisana, are you alright?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She paused, ¡°I will go to the academy as he instructed.¡± ¡°I-if that is okay, c-c-can I come too?¡¯ Lisana tilted her head, wondering why the Saintess would need permission for that. However, the paladins surrounding her seemed to reject her desire. ¡°Maybe, a different time.¡± ¡°Wh- why!¡± She panicked. ¡°Behind you,¡± Lisana pointed. ¡°Ah- my apologies!¡± Uriel rushed over to her original party, healing everyone and eventually packing up. Lisana thought that not only the boy Luke but also the saint candidate were quite odd. Although, she couldn¡¯t grasp why he mirrored the image of the most important one in her heart. ¡®But¡­ she¡¯s gone now.¡¯ Perhaps, she saw Luke in them. However, she would be disrupted in her thoughts. In the middle of a now ruined camp, Serina had tapped her shoulder. ¡°Where is Luke?¡± ¡°!¡­¡± Surprise coloured Lisana¡¯s face before she quickly composed herself. ¡°Academy.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t he just here?¡± Serina pressed further. ¡°Yes¡­¡± Behind the two, a sneaky senior made herself a cosy place to watch the two. Serina turned her head to a nearby bush, ¡°Senior, what about you?¡± Unfortunately, she was found out immediately. Krulia shrugged, ¡°Like our cute junior said, Luke ran for the academy portal.¡± Without delay, Serina flew toward the direction of the return portal. ¡°No thanks? Seriously, the new generation¡¯s so rude, aren¡¯t they?¡± Krulia turned to Lisana. ¡°Hmmm¡­ are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Lisana remained outwardly indifferent despite the sudden question. Internally, Lisana was stunned. So far, in the academy, only Luke had read her emotions somewhat correctly. ¡°Then, Ark is waiting.¡± She followed from behind, emptying her head as the flowing thoughts were starting to overwhelm her. -x- Meanwhile, Abel sat at his desk, scratching his head with a strange fervour. ¡°Nali, could you have expected this at all?¡± He stared into what looked like a replay of Luke¡¯s entry into the academy with a gagged Luna. ¡°Seriously, I knew he¡¯d be a chaotic force, but already?¡± ¡°I- I have actually!¡± Runalia stood straight, feeling proud of her student. ¡°He¡¯s a very promising student!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Abel looked at her with an estranged look in his eyes. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s time she¡¯s put down? Wait- no, dragons don¡¯t become senile.¡¯ ¡°Nali, you do realise that we will have to deal with the aftermath right?¡± He facepalmed with a sense of resignation. ¡°That old man is a very, very, veryyyyyy, doting parent.¡± Runalia put her finger to her cheek, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll handle it somehow.¡± ¡°Now?¡± Abel probed. ¡°It¡¯s my responsibility since I put him in that class!¡± She stood, with her chest being thrusted outwards, ¡°I have to take care of a precious prospect.¡± ¡°Good enough,¡± Abel murmured as he started other paperwork. ¡°You live another day.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Runalia had a worried expression. ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡®I should probably consider it though, right?¡¯ Once again, the intrusive thought shot into his mind. ¡°Also, before you leave Nali, could you go fetch them? I need to have a stern talking not only to Luna but Luke as well.¡± ¡°Luke? Did he do something wrong?¡± She let out a genuinely confused voice. ¡®Yup, one of these days, I¡¯ll do it.¡¯ ¡°Remember, King Alexander?¡± He shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Hmmm¡­ still, I don¡¯t see the issue,¡± Runalia wore a careless expression. Steam rose from the Great Hero¡¯s ears, ¡°Just do it before I rob you of your scales!¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± In an instant, she disappeared. Before continuing his menial tasks, Abel looked at the footage of Luke once more. ¡®This time, maybe we¡¯ll have a better outcome?¡¯ He scratched his chin, ¡°Well, it¡¯s too soon to tell.¡± ¡°What is?¡± A sudden intruder found himself in the Head Master¡¯s office. ¡°Oh- looking at the boy, aye?¡± Abel shut off the magical replayer, facing the bastion. ¡°Did we have an appointment today?¡± ¡°No, but I did see a frantic dragon running down the hallways.¡± Abel massaged his temples, ¡°I get it, what do you want?¡± ¡°Nothing much, just your opinion on Luke. He said some pretty intriguing things to me last time we talked,¡± Haruto lightly chuckled. ¡°I promised to give him one one-on-one teaching after the week of quests.¡± Abel tapped his fountain pen, drawing on memories of the boy. ¡®Hmmm¡­ there was nothing too prominent, besides the small things he¡¯s already been a part of. Maybe I could test him at the mid-term exams? Although, for now, I don¡¯t have any opinion on him. After all, there have been many different times where a promising light seemed to shine prominently at the beginning.¡¯ Abel pondered the question, glancing at the violet ring attached to his necklace. ¡°Nothing much, except maybe¡­ that he¡¯s interesting?¡± He decided to say. A wide grin covered Haruto¡¯s face, ¡°That¡¯s quite a big compliment from my perspective.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± Abel asked while stacking a pile of papers expecting a response. ¡°Hello?¡± Despite looking for an answer, Haruto had already left. ¡®That¡¯s two to consider now.¡¯ He sighed, looking at the built-up paperwork. Chapter 51 - Confrontation (1) Proofreader: Me! I laid down on the cold hard floor of the Quest Office which was now almost empty. Sweat dripped from all orifices, as I finally made it inside the academy. ¡°I made it, and thank Eien there weren¡¯t any students in her group.¡± Since the guards aren¡¯t registered students, the portals didn¡¯t have their mana signatures within the system. The school registered a person¡¯s unique mana signature, kind of like fingerprints through our brooches. It was an interesting piece of knowledge, but I had to face reality. I looked down, seeing a still struggling royal. In my arms was a half-dead princess, likely from all the running I did. So, I rolled her away from me. I didn¡¯t have any positive feelings toward her, besides the transcendental beauty given to her as a prominent supporting character. I felt it was time I removed her gag, however, the looks from the receptionists who still operated at night bore past my body. And, the words she¡¯d start spouting would put me in a dangerous position. ¡®What to do?¡¯ I asked myself, hoping to resolve this situation calmly. And, as if answering my prayers, a familiar scarlet red-haired dragon had made herself present. ¡°Hello, Luke! The two of you have been called into Abel¡¯s office.¡± I kind of expected this, but I did have to hope Abel was in a good mood today. Or else, his cranky old self would be present rather than the normal aloof character he played. ¡°Hah¡­ got it.¡± I sulked because now that I¡¯m here, I wouldn¡¯t be able to get the Future Diary item. It was an unforeseen loss, but what could I do? It needed to be exchanged with a nearby scholar from the empire, but I had to abandon that idea as soon as Luna rampaged. To my side, Runalia kept sneaking glances at me while holding the princess under her right arm. In comparison, we were both being treated widely differently. I walked side to side with her, unlike Luna. I couldn¡¯t help but feel that the Great Hero wouldn¡¯t be happy about what I did. -x- ¡°Princess, under school guidelines, you are unable to enforce any laws that might otherwise exist outside of this academy.¡± It looks like I was wrong, fortunately so. His face was smiling, but his eyes weren¡¯t. ¡°Hiih! Understood!¡± Luna shrieked in fear, understandably so. ¡°And you Luke, were you not able to alert a professor, or have the seniors be in charge in such a situation?¡± Internally, a perfect out-of-jail card had appeared. ¡°If I may explain, I can answer.¡± ¡°You can.¡± ¡°Luna ordered royal guards to attack the seniors.¡± With those simple words, I would face no punishment. A piercing glare from the side occurred the moment I spoke, which I desperately tried to ignore. ¡°Is that true?¡± Abel leaned forward. ¡°Of- of course not!¡± ¡°You know, I can have Calvin verify the truth if need be,¡± He gestured his hands as if calling someone. Luna frantically bowed, ¡°I was lying! Please spare me!¡± I wanted to laugh, seeing the future empress being humbled by what looked to be a child. But even though I was enjoying the one-sided scolding, I felt it might be too harsh. ¡°Sir, maybe she¡¯s already learnt from her mistakes?¡± He lingered momentarily, ¡°Perhaps.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Since I¡¯m feeling quite generous, Luke, you are free to go, and Luna, I will exempt you from partaking in quests for two days.¡± ¡°But!¡± ¡°Remember what your father told me? And, Luke¡¯s reluctance is another reason why it isn¡¯t worse than what I have given you.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Ye- yes I understand.¡± This blonde bitch was finally put in her place. But, some divine interference decided to ruin me as well. [Master, I¡¯m back! Communicating with the Gods of the elemental realm was a tough task.] A voice rang in my ears during such a hectic situation. ¡°Who?¡± [Spirt Queen! The Fjleora! I have finally returned! Oh- what is happening?] ¡®As you can see, I¡¯m talking to our supposed Great Hero.¡¯ ¡°Hey, are you listening?¡± Abel directed his attention to me. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry for my daydreaming,¡± I awkwardly responded. ¡®We''ll talk later, I¡¯m busy right now.¡¯ [Ah- sorry, sorry! Just, please don¡¯t tell Abel I¡¯m here!] ¡®There won¡¯t be a next time.¡¯ I turned back to Abel who finished his spiel. ¡°I better not hear anything like this again, okay you two? Also, pay attention to your elders.¡± Abel¡¯s last words were directed at me thanks to an untimely appearance. ¡°¡± Yes¡­¡±¡± Luna walked out, but I remained still. ¡°Why do you remain here?¡± Abel glared at me past his mountain of papers. ¡°I want to ask for a reward in exchange for what I would have gotten if the Princess didn¡¯t interfere,¡± I glanced between the floor and Abel rapidly, ¡°Is that possible?¡± He rubbed his chin, ¡°I suppose that¡¯s fair.¡± While the Future Diary option was appealing, for the quest I planned to take tomorrow. I needed some insurance, an item that could easily shake off illusions. -x- The moment I exited the room, the subdued princess barked in front of me. ¡°I swear, someday, I will personally make your life hell.¡± ¡°You waited for me?¡± I mocked her outright. ¡°Hmph,¡± She scoffed, leaving the premises of Abel¡¯s office. ¡®That¡¯s the thanks I get for lessening her sentence? I even warned her earlier. What an ungrateful child.¡¯ [Is he gone yet?] ¡®Yes, yes he is.¡¯ [Anyways! You¡¯ll be able to summon now¡­ oh, well soon you might be able to?] She looked at my mana attribute, didn¡¯t she? It was quite terrible I admit, but I would increase it in the next quest with Uriel and Lisana. Although, by artificially enhancing my mana pool, I might be able to handle it. Although, I haven¡¯t tried it yet. ¡®Don¡¯t worry about it, by tomorrow I¡¯ll make it possible.¡¯ [If you say so, then I¡¯ll believe you master! I¡¯ll go rest, I had a tough time you know!] ¡®Yup, sure.¡¯ [Hey, believe me!] ¡®I do.¡¯ I answered with full intent on sarcasm. [Agh, fine!] With that, her voice vanished from my mind. Left alone, a weird idea popped into contention. ¡®Mmmmmm¡­¡¯ I racked my brain. Besides the small bickering, if I use enhancement fueled by mana to enhance the size of my capacity, would that still work? I assumed that if it were to work, it would be on a time limit due to mana being needed to maintain an enhancement to begin with. ¡°Welp, I¡¯ll try it out some other time,¡± I threw it out the window for now. ¡°I¡¯ll stick with the hidden piece tactic.¡± I was about to begin walking forward, but I noticed a strange figure outside the Golden Nest, near the headmaster¡¯s office. ¡°What are you doing up late at night?¡± I asked them. ¡°Luke?¡± They replied, their green eyes now visible under the buildings¡¯ magic light. ¡°Could ask the same of you, haha.¡± ¡°Sure you wouldn¡¯t ask for a spar?¡± I retorted, meeting his side. ¡°Nah, but I was just thinking¡­¡± His gaze drifted off to the moon. ¡°This academy, it¡¯s gonna be a doozy isn¡¯t it?¡± I looked at him weirdly, ¡°Do you know the future?¡± ¡°What? Of course not,¡± Fen laughed it off. ¡°Although, I¡¯m sure you know quite a bit don¡¯t you?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond, so I remained silent. ¡°Charles always tells me silence is a form of affirmation, so I¡¯ll take that,¡± Fen smirked. My lips formed a frown, ¡°Yeah? Well, I know you¡¯re eyeing Luna, I don¡¯t wanna hear it.¡± ¡°Geh-¡± He faked being stabbed in the heart, ¡°How did you- Nah I¡¯m kidding. If anything, you shouldn¡¯t be the one saying that, since you know¡­¡± ¡®The girls.¡¯ I tore away from his gaze, ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± ¡°You are?¡± Fen cupped his mouth with an aghast expression, ¡°I seriously thought you were oblivious.¡± ¡°I was trying to be¡­ hah,¡± I sighed. ¡°I tried to ignore it, and it worked. It worked so good, that I shoved it in my subconscious, and now I¡¯m not sure how to deal with it.¡± Whack! ¡°Ow,¡± I rubbed my back. ¡°Don¡¯t think about it too hard,¡± Fen reassured me with a mocking grin, ¡°Just tell ¡®em you know.¡± ¡°Fen, I¡¯m not ready for one until at least graduation,¡± I spoke, pushing away the desire to slap his face. ¡°Yup, you¡¯re weird.¡± He said with a straight face. ¡°Uncalled for.¡± ¡°Anyways, even if in your case, you probably should either let them know you¡¯re aware of their feelings,¡± Fen shrugged. ¡°If you¡¯re lucky, they¡¯ll still cling onto you and wait until then.¡± ¡°Ughhhh¡­¡± I grabbed my head. ¡®Wasn¡¯t I supposed to be destroying romance?¡¯ Ah, I understand it now. That entire line of thinking is why I got stuck in that mindset, ignoring that stuff. ¡°By the look of your face, I¡¯m assuming you got it?¡± Fen rubbed the back of his head. ¡°Yeah, yeah, screw off,¡± I shooed him away, ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± I shoved him into the Golden Nest, ignoring his complaints of ¡®Hey, I was here first!¡¯ and whatnot. Now, to confront Uriel, have her join her party, but also¡­ uh. ¡°Whatever!¡± I slapped my cheeks. ¡°We ball!¡± Chapter 52 - Confrontation (2) Proofreader: Me! I circled back to the Quest Room hoping the others would be there. Thankfully, Lisana and Uriel were chatting alone on a bench in the facility. ¡­ I wanted to address ¡®that,¡¯ with Uriel before they left. ¡°Did the seniors leave already?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± Uriel smiled widely, melting my heart. ¡° And yes, they said classes were early tomorrow.¡± ¡°That¡¯s sad to hear, how are you feeling now?¡± ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m feeling better, but still... I want to repay you in some way, if that¡¯s possible,¡± she said with a downcast face. ¡°Hmmm,¡± I thought for a moment until a bob of blue hair entered in and out of my vision Lisana nudged, whispering, ¡°Luke, your question?¡± ¡°Right, Uriel, remember how I asked for a favour?¡± ¡°Yes! Anything is fine!¡± Enthusiastically, she nodded. Immediately, less than-savoury thoughts appeared, which I shooed away. ¡°Can you join my party?¡± I nervously asked as Uriel may have already agreed to permanently party with the seniors. ¡°Of course! That¡¯ll be very easy, the seniors will be happy.¡± ¡°They would?¡± ¡°They only lent me a hand, promising to take care of me until I found a good party. They¡¯ll be happy I already found someone!¡± She smiled angelically, ¡°I¡¯m even more glad that it¡¯s with you, Luke.¡± Blush. An embarrassing heat rose to my face, which I couldn¡¯t help. Lisana poked me, ¡°Why is it red?¡± I turned toward her, immediately cooled by her stone-like face. ¡°I have no idea what you mean.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± She tilted her head in response, not believing my words. ¡°Ahem. Uriel, I appreciate it.¡± I faked a cough into my hands to detach myself from Lisana¡¯s piercing gaze. ¡°I feel it¡¯s not enough, so I¡¯ll work even harder from now on!¡± Uriel clasped my hands, ¡°Thank you, once again!¡± She giggled, dragging Lisana with her to what seemed to be the girl dormitories. I felt guilty, seeing her happy and all¡­ but I had to lay it out. Even if she did end up retracting her statement to join the party. ¡°Uhm¡­¡± I awkwardly scratched my shoulder, ¡°Uriel, can we have a talk one-on-one for a bit?¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Y- yesss?¡± Her eyes widen, accompanied by a blush similar to mine previously. ¡°I will see you two tomorrow.¡± Lisana bowed and quickly disappeared into the shadows of the hallways. I watched, waiting for her to vanish from sight. ¡°Hah.¡± I slouched onto the bench the both of us sat on. ¡°I can¡¯t catch a break at all.¡± Uriel tilted her head, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I want to be upfront now, so no troubles are caused later,¡± I steeled my resolve. ¡°I¡¯ve been ignoring the signs until now subconsciously, but I can¡¯t anymore.¡± I put my hand on her shoulder, ¡°I can see that you¡¯re probably developing feelings for me and all.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Her eyes turned blank. I continued my speech regardless, ¡°Honestly, I appreciate it, but that¡¯s impossible. Absolutely not, relationships are a no-go." ¡°Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?¡± Her mouth hung open unable to make words. "You see, I''m basically unable to dedicate myself to anyone, as put simply, I have an obligation that must be fulfilled under any costs necessary," I tried to explain myself in this sudden situation. I bowed on the spot, to show my sincerity. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I used you in a way to bring myself benefits!¡± ¡°I-I¡­¡± Her face instantly heated up. ¡°I¡­ want to disappear.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take any form of punishment,¡± I continued to face the floor. ¡°N- no,¡± Her words refuted my statement. I flicked my head back up, ¡°What?¡± She shied away into her priesthood hidden in her academy uniform, ¡°D-don¡¯t move suddenly!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I remained still, awaiting her response. After a few moments, she recollected herself. ¡°Luke, I n- need you to listen to me.¡± ¡°Anything at all!¡± ¡°I¡­ wanted to hide away from such feelings, especially as a potential saint.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Yet¡­ you pried it open, just like that!¡± Her voice became slightly frustrated. ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my own for falling first, just as Ron said once before,¡± Uriel¡¯s voice dropped. ¡°When he met his fiancee, he was exactly like me.¡± ¡®He has a what?¡¯ Are we doomed? No, focus. ¡°Luke, it may have only been two weeks, but that was all the time it took for you to¡­¡± She twirled her shiny blonde hair. ¡°To make me¡­ like this.¡± My heart was struck with an arrow, but also with guilt. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can easily have you leave-¡± She smacked my arm, ¡°I said listen, I¡¯m not done yet.¡± I nodded, not speaking anymore. ¡°Despite all of this, you are the reason I¡¯m starting to get over my shyness, while also being the person who has saved me twice now,¡± She took off her hood to stare at me with her crystal blue eyes. ¡°Even if you can¡¯t reciprocate, I¡­ I can¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°What should I do then?¡± I cautiously asked. Uriel clasped my sleeve, ¡°Nothing, just stay the way you are, except be more aware of your actions!¡± She smacked my chest this time, with drops of tears falling from her eyes. ¡°J- just know! I believe you are the hero described in prophecy, so I will¡­ will continue to be with you until you cut me off yourself!¡± Uriel¡¯s declaration left me stunned. Not just from her confession, but also the knowledge of a prophecy I had never heard of before. ¡°All¡­ alright then,¡± I spoke slowly, ¡°Let¡¯s continue to be ¡®friends.¡¯¡± She let out a happy, but somewhat sad smile, ¡°Yes!¡± We waved each other goodbye, while I reflected on that conversation. Tomorrow I planned on finding the next item to increase my mana proficiency. Originally, I was going to go find the other hidden piece, the Fragment of Hope. It was a rank S item, but it was considered worse than even most rank A¡¯s, its purpose laid somewhere else. In truth, my knowledge of this bad end was limited. I could remember a recipe for an item in this scenario, of which I had no inkling of what it could do. However, I did know that it was strongly recommended by my favourite EA-tuber no matter the circumstance. It would surely be helpful, probably. Yes¡­ I will survive! And save the world! ¡°You don¡¯t scare me! I¡¯ll win no matter what!¡± I laughed like an idiot. Little did I realise, a presence was watching me through my performance. ¡°What would scare you?¡± A familiar voice asked. ¡®Shit.¡¯ Chapter 53 - Confrontation (3) Proofreader: Me! Her violet eyes pierced me. ¡°Nothing will, wait first, what are you doing up this late Serina?¡± I realised who it was without needing to think. In her hands, was the item I asked for this morning. ¡°This, it¡¯s yours.¡± My eyes widened, ¡®Already?¡¯ It was too quick. That quest usually took players three days at most to complete. With all the shortcuts and meta strategies, it would have taken me a day and a half. ¡°Thank you very much!¡± I bowed to show my gratitude. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± She looked at me blankly. I couldn¡¯t see through her, unlike Lisana. It scared me, but she has helped me greatly thus far. Considering her feelings as well, it¡¯s possible that¡­ For now, I stuck with my go-to statement: ¡°Is there anything I can do to repay this?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± She looked at the floor, pondering. ¡°Party.¡± ¡°P- party?¡± I stammered, observing her indifferent expression. "Party," She repeated. "As in mine?" Serina¡¯s eyes seemed eager, ¡°Yes, let me join.¡± If she joined, it would be a guaranteed success, but part of my pride didn¡¯t want such an easy way out. Especially when she could work separately from us, we could double the efficiency of acquiring hidden pieces. ¡®And¡­ her possible feelings for me as well, I couldn¡¯t predict the dynamics between Uriel and Serina.¡¯ ¡°Is there a problem?¡± She asked, with a slight frown. ¡°It¡¯s just that, well¡­¡± I wasn¡¯t sure how to proceed. Serina tilted her head, unsure of my actions. ¡°Can we clear something out of the way first?¡± I changed the topic, and deciding now was perfect. ¡°Okay,¡± She nodded, waiting for me to speak. ¡°Let me ask, do you have feelings with me?¡± I wanted to be as upfront as possible, just as I had been with Uriel just prior. Serina¡¯s expression shifted, her lips twitched, and her eyebrows slightly dropped. ¡°Can you¡­ elaborate?¡± Serina hesitated in her words, for the first time. A nervousness crept within my mind, ¡°Well, as in, do you like me, romantically?¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Serina¡¯s face warped beyond repair, whether it was disgust, confusion, or fear, I couldn¡¯t tell. ¡°Ah, was I wrong?¡± I asked, with a hidden relief coming out. Hearing my words, she regained her poker face, ¡°N- no.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± I trailed off slowly, unable to finish my sentence due to the awkward atmosphere. ¡°Yes, Luke, I¡­ like you,¡± Serina¡¯s voice trembled, but she spoke it out regardless. That solidified it, I used her. Man, I¡¯m a fucked up guy, regardless of my intentions. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I bowed before speaking my conscious, ¡°You could say, that even if I was oblivious, I used you. For that, I apologise, and you don¡¯t have to listen to anything from me.¡± Serina¡¯s body remained eerily still. ¡°The thing is, I¡¯m unable to be in a relationship, due to an obligation I must fulfil even at the cost of my life,¡± With a steeled resolve, tempered with my talk with Uriel, I explained it clearly. ¡°Until graduation, is when or not I would be able to give a proper answer to your feelings.¡± I met her eyes, but¡­ something inside them made me shiver. ¡°Hehe,¡± Serina giggled with a twisted look of joy. ¡°I knew it.¡± ¡°Knew it?¡± I repeated her words. ¡°Luke, you are my everything,¡± She smiled vanishing out of sight. From behind, I felt a pair of arms reach around my neck. ¡°Whether you have feelings or not, my life is yours,¡± Serina¡¯s voice tickled my ear, as the arms around me disappeared. ¡°The thing you wanted to me ask before, what was it?¡± Despite the foreboding sense of danger that I felt, I replied nonetheless. ¡°S- Something similar to what I asked you to do in the morning¡­¡± ¡°Understood,¡± She agreed turning me around.¡±What do you need?¡± A smile filled with intentions I couldn¡¯t figure out was apparent, different from the one I saw when she thanked me. Somehow, it was¡­ distorted. ¡°Luke,¡± She called out my name. ¡°Y- yeah?¡± I stammered, facing her mere centimetres away from touching her lips. ¡°I think I understand this emotion fully now,¡± Serina¡¯s eyes gleamed within the moonlight. ¡°This, this is love.¡± She gave me a peck on the cheek and vanished. ¡°You can tell me the rest tomorrow.¡± ¡­ I walked away, turning around to see if she was still there. ¡°What¡­ was that¡­?¡± I still felt it within my body, the shivers from facing something inhuman. There was something massively wrong. It was as if Serina was broken. I would get to the bottom of it, but unfortunately, that time was not now. I once again glanced at my status board, appraisal stone in hand. [Luke] [Age: 15] [Race: Human] [Attributes] Vitality: Tier 0 (29%) Agility: Tier 0 (22%) Strength: Tier 0 (27%) Mana: Tier 0 (19%) [Category: Protagonist - Uriel.] [Route: Bad Ending #13 - An Eternity Between Us.] [M - 1] [D - 7] After the quest, my stats had once again improved in percentages. It was plenty satisfactory, although I needed to reach the average before Uriel¡¯s ending took place. I could temporarily be at the same strength as anyone else, or even stronger through stacking, but it wouldn¡¯t be enough to handle any future troubles. While I wasn¡¯t sure about the specifics, I could tell that the holy artefact of the Order of Unity had a part in it. The [Eternity¡¯s Timer], is a supposed gift by the Goddess to one of their past saints. Its effects in the game were never fully revealed, but when players used it, time would slow during battle for a short time. At the very minimum, not only would the Demon Uprising members be active again, but a third party will as well. There would be beastmen, whether or not they were under Krulia¡¯s control, was something left for me to find out. Chapter 54 - A Commoner’s Recklessness (1) Proofreader: Me! (I uhh... kinda neglected to upload since last Thursday even though I said I would release. Sorry for the wait, I''ll try to make up for it.) Krulia¡¯s POV After bidding farewell to our juniors, we headed towards a certain meeting spot. To the side of this building, was a small ¡®study¡¯ room. Inside, a prince crossed his legs with a cup of coffee in his hand. ¡°Take this first.¡± He politely handed us a drink. I took a sip of what tasted like a sweet apple, quite a cute taste for a prince. Seeing our receptiveness, he asked, ¡°How was it?¡± ¡°Not too bad honestly, although I didn¡¯t expect a demon to be there,¡± Ark responded. ¡°You didn¡¯t believe a prince¡¯s words?¡± ¡°Well, can you blame me?¡± Ark yawned. ¡°Of course not,¡± The prince agreed, sipping his cup. ¡°Anyways, Ark, what do you think of the relationship between Luke and the Princess?¡± ¡°Based on what I¡¯ve seen, completely murky,¡± He shrugged, ¡°The moment she showed up, the face he made almost made me burst out laughing.¡± ¡°It seems she feels the same way. Those two have been at odds since our generation entered the Golden Nest. Though, it¡¯s particularly one-sided,¡± The prince leaned into his chair with a slight frown, ¡°Not much that can be done, is there?¡± Ark nodded, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Charles sighed, ¡°How regrettable. They could make a very good pair with his unique abilities.¡± I stared at him, unable to make out the underlying message in his words. ¡°May I interrupt?¡± I asked. The prince turned to me, ¡°What is it?¡± I breathed in a huff of air. I knew that while they were chatting, I was not receiving answers to my questions. ¡°Why did you ask us to undertake that quest despite it being the Alexander kingdom? How did you find this information? And why interfere with them, to begin with?¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s quite a lot.¡± He smiled softly, ¡°All warranted, but I¡¯m afraid I can only answer the first one.¡± I clicked my tongue, but we were already promised a large reward. ¡°Not only is the future saintess important, but I can¡¯t stand pests trying to enter my territory.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing you mean the academy?¡± I pointed out. ¡°That¡¯s up to your interpretation, but yes, filthy cultists and inhuman races have come close to these borders.¡± My mind thought of the religious faction within my tribe, and the extreme lengths they¡¯ve already gone to. I prayed to Eien, to be wrong with the assumption they are already involved. ¡°Hence, I took it upon myself to ask you two to attack one of their bases.¡± Ark shrugged, ¡°Why not anyone else? There are those more willing, and stronger than us.¡± ¡°For no particular reason.¡± Rather than directly answering, he glanced at me. ¡°Sorry, you two, I¡¯ve run out of time. Have a good night.¡± I could tell, he knew that my kind was related to this somehow. Something I hadn¡¯t contemplated at all. His followers shoved us out of the room, leaving us still in contemplation. ¡°Krulia, we¡¯re gonna be busy soon aren¡¯t we?¡± He sighed. I could only solemnly nod. -x- Luke¡¯s POV I sluggishly rose from my bed, seeing Fen gone already. ¡®First thing¡¯s first ¨C this.¡¯ With sloppy movements, I brought out the fact handbook. I opened it with interest, knowing some useful information could sometimes come out. ¡®Did you know, that the Alexander Kingdom and the Empire are allied?¡¯ The same text from the first day appeared. ¡°Stupid, this idiotic Gacha book!¡± I threw it outside the dorm window, only to reappear beside me. Today, I promised to meet with Serina before meeting the other two. I never specified, so probably at the cafeteria¡­ ¡°Wow.¡± And, would you look at that? When I exited my room, a girl as graceful as the flower she was based on, stood before me. Her scary appearance from last night flashed in my mind, but I ignored it.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Isn¡¯t this stalking?¡± I jokingly poked fun at her. ¡°No.¡± Unfortunately, there was no kind of reciprocal retort. It made me miss Erin, who was the only one who could banter with me on an equal level. ¡°Why don¡¯t we talk at the cafeteria?¡± I offered. ¡°Okay,¡± Serina paused, grabbing my hand. ¡°Don¡¯t let go.¡± My stomach heaved, as my surroundings quickly meshed into what would be my favourite dining area. ¡®So that¡¯s how instant teleportation feels like.¡¯ ¡°Serina, what do you want to eat?¡± I asked, standing behind her in an empty line. She remained still before me, and then she met my gaze. The creepy feeling from last night emerged once again. Serina gazed deeply into me as if looking at my soul. ¡°You.¡± ¡°Me?¡± I pointed at myself. Serina let out a coy smile. ¡°Hoh,¡± The lady made an impressed sound. ¡°...¡± Time passed as all of us stood still. ¡®What the fuck!¡¯ I¡¯m supposed to be ruining the romance, but she¡¯s trying to cultivate it? I was panicking on an entirely new level. ¡°I was joking,¡± Serina¡¯s coyness faded, and she returned to her default demeanour. ¡°Erm,¡± I stepped backwards, afraid. The gratitude she expressed after the Philos Forest incident, and now this creepy love she has for me¡­ these faces of her, I¡¯ve never seen them before, even in the game. In a sense it¡¯s refreshing, but I¡¯m also unsure of how to handle her. ¡°Yo- you! Commoner! What are you doing to her?¡± From behind I was detached from the slobbering mess. ¡°Julia?¡± I called out. ¡°Uhm, will any of you order?¡± Escaping the corniness of my reply a few seconds ago, the lady reminded us of the place we were currently in. Luckily it was early morning, so no one was there. ¡°We¡¯ll have, a rice and chicken with miso soup, barbecue steak with mashed potatoes, and¡­¡± I looked at Serina, wondering if her tastes had changed. ¡°Maybe, yaki-udon.¡± In the game, she loved food from the East, particularly soba noodles. Thus, I chose this, not knowing if my tastebuds remained the same. ¡°Alright, that¡¯ll be easy.¡± Julia panicked just by watching Julia, I could tell by her facial expressions. When I thought about it, I wasn¡¯t sure about the relationship between the two. For some reason, there¡¯s been a weird tension whenever they were within close perimeters. I¡¯d dig into it myself, but I¡¯m probably not near enough to either of them to ask yet. ¡°Here you go, don¡¯t spill it, ¡®kay?¡± She made an okay sign with her fingers. ¡°Yup,¡± I balanced three trays of food on my arms. ¡°Can either of you help me out?¡± ¡°Ye- yes!¡± Julia escaped the voices in her head. ¡°Oh- how did you know what I liked?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been eating together for about a week, it¡¯s not too hard to guess after watching for that long.¡± ¡°I, uhmm¡­ thank you?¡± She played with her fingers after placing down the tray. ¡°Not that I- uhm¡­ li- lik-¡± Ignoring Julia¡¯s stuttering, I grabbed the future archmage by her shoulders. ¡°Serina, wake up, we¡¯re about to eat.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Hearing my words, her eyes regained focus. Finally, everyone sat down with spoons in their food. There may have been a few mishaps, but I¡¯ll forget it happily. As I dug into the nostalgic Japanese dish, such a thought emanated in my head. ¡°Yo, Serina. About my request, I was hoping to ask if you could retrieve an Incu-Necklace.¡± She looked up from her plate, with food plastered across her lips. ¡°Ei wut?¡± ¡°Wait,¡± I grabbed a napkin from the table and wiped it. ¡°There, you can speak.¡± ¡°A what?¡± She repeated herself. ¡°Whaaaaaaa¡­¡± A broken recorder with pigtails looked on from the sidelines. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± I asked, putting the napkin in my pocket. ¡°That! Touching another maiden¡¯s lips, especially as a commoner!¡± Julia brought her hand to her mouth, ¡°It¡¯s blasphemy!¡± ¡°Anyways, the quest should be¡± ¡°DON¡¯T IGNORE ME!¡± Serina continued, ¡°Gathering resources for the Muwai village in the Northern Republic.¡± ¡°STOP IGNORING ME!¡± Again, she reminded me of her astounding knowledge. ¡°That¡¯s exactly it, you know your stuff.¡± She put a spoon in her mouth with a sense of satisfaction. Maybe it was my praise? ¡°Muuuuu¡­¡± Gas steamed from my side, but I gleefully ignored it. ¡°Luke.¡± Serina called, ¡°Why are you gathering these things?¡± A reply that I found amusing came to mind. ¡°Secret!¡± ¡°I see.¡± Instead of reacting, she simply nodded as if understanding my intentions. I looked down at the almost finished food below me, and then at the steam engine on my side. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Hmph,¡± She looked away. ¡°Huh, what are you- you doing?¡± Her eyes trembled as my hand rubbed her head. It was a reflexive action that I¡¯ve probably been holding in for a while. ¡®Yumiko, I wonder how you¡¯re doing now.¡¯ Julia stammered softly, ¡°Can, can you¡­¡± ¡°Can I do what?¡± The teasing I used to have with my sister replayed in my mind. ¡°No- nothing¡­¡± Her face turned a bright red. Yet, after such words, I took it off without hesitation. ¡°Why did you?¡± I didn¡¯t reply, keeping a straight face. The two conversations I had yesterday replayed once again, and I had to have a conversation with her, too. ¡°...¡± Eyes from across the table lingered the entire time. Their violet hair floated up with a strange energy. ¡°Can- can I help you?¡± My lips trembled. In Serina¡¯s hands, a spoon with no food remained still. A deadly aura emanated from her, causing rising panic within me. ¡°Alright!¡± I stood up, ¡°I¡¯ll meet you two later or tomorrow, I have to go now!¡± That¡¯s right, I chose to run away. My food and two crest-fallen girls may have been left behind, but my courage remained steadfast. Henceforth, I made my way to the quest reception. I don¡¯t care if I am considered a coward, or a loser. Serina is scarier than any monster, and It may not excuse my fear, but, I could think about it later. ¡°Hah, I¡¯ll have to apologise and talk at a different time, won¡¯t I?¡± Chapter 54.5 - Trembling of Saints Heart Proofreader: Me! Uriel¡¯s POV - The Night Before "Uwaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!" My legs kicked the bedding as I shoved my face into my pillow. On the other side of this Golden Nest building, was the cause of my screaming. How am I supposed to react to something like that? Declaring something nonsensical as believing Luke was the real hero, all to save face and continue staying by him. These feelings which welled up within the span of a couple weeks, I had been persistently denying it¡­ ¡®I want to cry.¡¯ Holding in tears, I sneakily left the facility and found myself looking for a close friend. In darkness only illuminated by the shine of the moon, the path to the Girl¡¯s dorm was obscured. Sasha told me she was on the second floor, but which room was it¡­? Eleventh? Seventh? My throat felt dry. I walked up the spiralling stairs, hoping for the wood to not creak. On the second floor, there were two sides, all lined up with rooms. It seemed like the end of the floor was endless when you looked forward. I cautiously approached the eleventh room. ¡°Eien, please tell me this is the right room!¡± I frantically prayed before it. Moonlight poured through the window, shining on the seventh door. ¡­ I dragged myself to the correct room and knocked. ¡°H- hello? Is this senior Sasha¡¯s room?¡± Standing beside the door, I listened for any footsteps. I was aware it was past midnight, but I needed to consult someone no matter what! ¡°Uuuaa¡­ is- is that you?¡± A tired voice quietly passed through the door. ¡°Ye- yes! It¡¯s me, Uriel, senior!,¡± I exclaimed in lowercase. ¡°Come in, I¡¯ll prepare some tea,¡± The door opened revealing a slim, silver-haired girl. I bowed, ¡°Sorry for the disruption.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ we¡¯ve done this many times before,¡± Sasha let out a gentle smile. I passed the wooden framing of the door, incomparable to the lavishness the Golden Nest provided. ¡°Not as luxurious as where you live now, is it?¡± She let out a light joke. ¡°I- I like it,¡± I shook my head. ¡°It feels like I¡¯m back at home.¡± ¡°Indeed, I wanted to imitate that homey atmosphere since we¡¯re so far,¡± Sasha nodded. ¡°So, what brings you here tonight?¡± ¡°Erm¡­¡± My face reddened, ¡°The- there¡¯s this friend of mine, and I have¡­ uhmmm¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me!¡± Sasha¡¯s face brightened. ¡°Did our precious Uriel finally¡­ finally bloom?¡± ¡°...¡± I couldn¡¯t look up from the tea she gave me. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Sasha pointed at herself, ¡°No need to worry, I¡¯m called Eien¡¯s Cupid!¡± ¡°Is- is that true?¡± I pried my eyes off my reflection in the cup and met her gaze. ¡°You¡¯re not lying, right?¡± ¡°Of course not, let me show you the world of love in its entirety!¡± She placed my cup on the table and clasped my hand. ¡°I have a one hundred per cent success rate!¡± Her confidence left a strong impression that I couldn¡¯t help but begin to trust. ¡°Th- then, please teach me well!¡± I bowed stiffly. ¡°Alright, first thing¡¯s first, who is it? A prince, a hidden legendary warrior perhaps, or maybe even¡­ Eien herself!¡± I looked at her with a deadpan face. ¡°Sorry,¡± Sasha put a stop to her delusions. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a classmate of mine¡­¡± I thought of his face, as I began to describe him. ¡°He¡¯s almost like the fairy tale of a prince in white shining armour.¡± ¡°Ooo- perhaps, is it Fen the lackey of Charles, or maybe Charles himself?¡± Sasha shoved her face in front of mine. ¡°Nothing like that! They¡¯re too flashy, and high¡­ profile!¡± I shook my hands in a panic, ¡°His name is Luke, and erm¡­¡± ¡°Luke? Luke¡­¡± She tapped her chin, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard of a Luke before ¨C Oh! There was a commotion with Carlos and him last week wasn¡¯t there? Although, Carlos has been kind of distant as of late.¡± ¡°Ye- yes, he¡¯s done so much for me that I can¡¯t help but feel this way¡­¡± I murmured. ¡°Hmmmm¡­ if he¡¯s your type, then I won¡¯t stop you,¡± She rubbed her temples. ¡°Do you have any idea about the things he likes?¡± ¡°Uhmm,¡± My mind blanked. ¡°Nothing¡­¡± ¡°This is gonna be hard work,¡± Sasha sighed. ¡°Alright, one thing boys will always like, is that.¡± She pointed at my chest. ¡°Really, these things?¡± I questioned her. ¡°All it¡¯s done is hurt my back.¡± ¡°Tch, you and your privilege.¡± She scowled, but I couldn¡¯t hear her murmurs. ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Ugh, whatever. The point is boys love it, and since you¡¯re especially endowed, I doubt there¡¯s anyone who¡¯d be able to resist you,¡± Sasha fiercely glared at my chest. ¡°Hasn¡¯t this ¡®Luke¡¯ ever looked at it? If not, he¡¯d be a saint like you.¡± I recalled all the times when I clung to him, and how he struggled to meet my eyes. Sometimes he would blush¡­ ¡°Now that I think about it, he would steal glances¡­ but I didn¡¯t realise it was at these¡­¡± ¡°Hah¡­ of course that was the case, he¡¯s probably been holding himself back,¡± Sasha slowly laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t get why these would be so appealing,¡± I raised them with both my hands, trying to understand it. ¡°This is going to be a long night¡­¡± Sasha sighed, looking at me as I tried to compute her words. Chapter 55 - A Commoner’s Recklessness (2) Proofreader: Me! Today, I planned to do a simple but dangerous speed run. But, it needed a healer, which is why I desperately sought Uriel¡¯s help yesterday. The contents of this request had one gather certain herbs within a monster-ingested forest, where each one had a designated source. Naturally, that meant people would create guides on completing it as soon as possible. And, there was a nice hidden item which would boost my growth speed within the mana department. Although, I¡¯d have to deal with a kind of dream world, not that¡¯d it be a problem though. It also gave decent amounts of currency, somewhere around five gold. ¡®Hmmm¡­¡¯ As a student within the first two weeks, money wasn¡¯t needed, but I might as well start saving for later. I quickly revised the currency system in my head. ¡®Ten copper was one silver, ten silver was one gold, and a hundred gold was a platinum coin.¡¯ It was very simple, but considering the other currencies that existed, I sometimes forgot the rate of conversion. ¡°Why can¡¯t I take this quest!¡± The voice was familiar, but I couldn¡¯t make it out. Giving in to my curiosity, I peered over toward the reception. ¡°Even if you are the Hero¡¯s grandson I can¡¯t make any exceptions for you!¡± A receptionist protested. People crowded around, some with joy, but most with an indifferent curiosity. ¡°Excuse me!¡± A girl with blonde hair popped in and out of the crowd. ¡°Ple- please move!¡± Slowly, they made their way into the middle. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if my grand-grand father or whatever is the hero!¡± He shouted, ¡°I am worthy of taking this request.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, not only are you a first-year, but we haven¡¯t officially started raid quests yet either!¡± The lady was fiercely retorting, ¡°It¡¯s meant for multiple people, to fight one monster!¡± ¡°Like I said-¡± ¡°Th- that¡¯s enough!¡± Uriel stood in front of Mark. ¡°Yo- yo- you¡¯re causing trouble!¡± ¡®Woah¡­ improvement that quickly?¡¯ She was visibly trembling, but with this, the image of her cowardice would be knocked down a peg. ¡°So what?¡± He shrugged, ¡°What¡¯s a coward¡¯s wisdom to a Hero?¡± ¡°I¡­ I-¡± Uriel¡¯s once strong gaze fell to the floor. ¡°I- what? You¡¯re a crybaby, get lost.¡± Tears started to form in her eyes. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough,¡± I landed on the ground after jumping forcibly shoving past other students. ¡°Listen Mark, I get you¡¯re the shit and all, but seriously. Bullying a girl is the oppositie of a Hero¡¯s duty.¡± ¡°Tch.¡± His stance wavered the moment he saw me. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it from a weakling. How¡¯d you even make it into the Golden Nest anyway?¡± He stepped back, losing the energy of his earlier outburst. ¡®Teenagers¡­ so rowdy.¡¯ ¡°Uwahh!¡± Uriel wrapped her arms around mine, ¡°Th- that was too scary!¡± ¡®Was this the same person who stopped a Devil¡¯s descent?¡¯ I thought at first, but seeing the incredulous looks of others I felt the need to move. Especially since this pleasant feeling on my arm might awaken some kind of urge. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he that commoner who hangs with the prince¡¯s consorts?¡± ¡°Last week he was in the cafeteria every day with girls and Fen Castelle!¡± ¡°I even saw him talk on friendly terms with both the Rosemary girl, and the Empire¡¯s Prince!¡± ¡°Is he a God of sociality?¡¯If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. I ignored that last comment, giving my internal apologies to the blue-haired anomaly. Sorry Lisana, we could join up later. ¡°Excuse me, can we take this request?¡± I hastily asked, handing the paper I picked up before helping Uriel. ¡°Ah- yes!¡± She smiled enthusiastically, ¡°Thank you for helping me as well, please be safe.¡± I dragged the sobbing saintess who was locked onto my arm, into the teleporter next to the desk. The surroundings disappeared as the magi-machine closed its sliding doors. ¡°Phew,¡± I breathed out. ¡°Maybe, I could make it up with candy?¡± ¡°Candy?¡± ¡­ ¡°When did you get here?¡± I cautiously took a step back. ¡°From the start?¡± She replied. ¡°You two, busy.¡± An assassin? She¡¯s not a weapons master, she¡¯s a bonafide shadow. No training needed. I felt like a guard protecting the VIP with the way she wiggled her way in here. ¡°Something on my face?¡± Lisana asked. ¡°No, no, I was thinking about something else.¡± Tilting my head down to Uriel, I could see she finally stopped sobbing. ¡°You good now?¡± ¡°Ye- yes,¡± She faintly whispered. ¡°Good, then I¡¯ll need you to cast a few prayers the moment we arrive.¡± ¡°Hah?¡± Her face became visible, once filled with tears was now dry and confused. ¡°What do you plan to do?¡± ¡°Nothing much.¡± ¡°Please explain,¡± Lisana pushed me further. I had no intention of explaining myself, I didn¡¯t want to deal with the aftermath of bleeding ears. ¡°Let¡¯s get going now,¡± I put my hand on the teleport button, -x- I thought about Uriel briefly during the teleportation process, despite yesterday¡¯s talk, she was acting the same¡­ unlike Serina, who made such a move earlier. I was grateful that at least Uriel would continue to be my friend, even with such feelings. Those thoughts ended when we arrived, needing me to re-jog my memory. The name of this quest, [Herbs Needed! Orphanage Trouble!], was set in a mountainous region. Cliffs everywhere, ravines, and the like. Such is why this speed run needed a specific kind of hand-eye coordination. ¡®However, this isn¡¯t a game anymore.¡¯ I¡¯d have to risk it, but that¡¯s why I have Uriel as a back up. Standing in the middle of a plain, both girls were before me. ¡°Alright, so I¡¯ll need one for agility, luck, and one to create a one-time barrier.¡± Uriel halted me, ¡°Before I do so, could you at least tell me what this quest entails?¡± ¡°Four herbs, preferably in bundles, from this region. That simple.¡± Both their gazes held suspicion. ¡°Ahem.¡± I turned toward the edge of the cliff around us, ¡°I¡¯ll explain later alright?¡± ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t tell me!¡± Uriel tried to grab me, but I already leapt off the ground. ¡°Luke!¡± Even Lisana called my name, how blessed I was. ¡°Sorry girls! Just stay there for about an hour!¡± My lungs felt like they would burst. The wind rushed past my face, and the imminent sense of death was felt. However, from where I jumped off, there was a cleverly placed vine right under. The developers were kind in some places at least. Sliding down it, I would find myself at a riverbed. Monsters approached from the rocks in front of me. But, to the left, was the first herb. ¡°Alright, easy enough.¡± The first one was incredibly trivial to find and get, and the second one, was not too much. I launched forward enhancing my agility, glancing at my minimap in the process. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do this without it. Not too far from the riverbed lay a waterfall, which you would get on top of by abusing a well-placed lever-like mechanism. An axel existed here, where I could get a monster to launch myself upwards. Now, to test whether or not I could perform the same stuff as in the game. As I ran forward, a certain monster, a mix between a lion and other creatures was a Chimera. Its snake tail was the most dangerous body part, but I trusted my mobility. Thud! The ground shook underneath it, releasing tremors amongst the soil. ¡°Hah, come and get me if you dare!¡± I taunted it with a universal language, using my middle finger. RAWWRRR! My ears made a ringing noise, but I had to move. ¡®There!¡¯ In front of me was a seesaw-like boulder and log. Before the Chimera could its paws on me, I rolled to my side. Pebbles dug into my side, while moss and grass rubbed into my skin. Memories of my master replayed. ¡®Please, not now!¡¯ I jumped onto the backside of the log. Tsss! The snakehead hissed at me, leading the main body to leap at me once more. ¡°Phew!¡± I smiled in relief, ¡°Hope we don¡¯t meet again.¡± Whoosh! The thrilling motion of air brushing past your body at immense speeds was felt again. At the top of the waterfall was a pile of leaves, a well intentioned placement to help players who wanted efficiency. ¡°Umph!¡± My mouth filled up with strange kinds of plants. ¡°Bleh.¡± Within this pile would be the second herb. ¡°This is going great!¡± I pumped my fist into the sky, enjoying this level of athleticism. I could feel the efforts of improving attributes, and the effects of my enhancement. This quest would be a cinch! Chapter 56 - A Commoner’s Recklessness (3) Uriel¡¯s POV I was met with a horrid sight when I entered the quest reception, filled with thoughts of how to use Sasha¡¯s advice. It was unjust. The teachings of the Goddess Eien have always been with me, which is why Mark¡¯s actions were unacceptable! ¡®But, why am I moving?¡¯ Anxiety sprouted within me as it always had. However, the image of Luke¡¯s back replayed in my head. My small frame pushed past the crowds of students, driven by a desire to stop this. The Hero¡¯s grandson harassing an innocent lady would never be right. My heart throbbed, eyes blurry, but I kept moving. ¡®Luke, he would be proud right?¡¯ I found myself confronting the bully, only to end up reduced to a crying mess, only for Luke to come to my rescue once again. For a saint to be like this was¡­ utterly shameful. But he said he needed me. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough,¡± He spoke like a prince from the books. I latched onto his arm, unable to let go. The stares from everyone around killed any confidence I had left. I looked into his tired eyes. ¡®I¡¯m sorry,¡¯ I wished to say, yet only tears came out. Even though he dragged me to the receptionist, it was with a subtle care that only I could feel. He spoke about not wanting to have a partner, but his actions were filled with affection as if he knew of us before coming here. -x- After making it to the new area, I couldn¡¯t have expected what would happen. I wished my eyes were betraying me, that what I saw was not real. ¡°Uriel, we should follow,¡± Lisana tapped my shoulder. She pointed to the dense jungle below us, spanning with cliffs and ravines. ¡°I don¡¯t think I could,¡± I replied still processing what I witnessed. ¡°Here,¡± She handed me a pair of peculiar lenses. ¡°Binoculars can see far.¡± Lisana spoke concisely, only delivering what she wanted to say efficiently. A cute trait, unlike my¡­ cowardice. ¡°Hah,¡± I felt my mood lower once again. ¡°Ah- why are you?¡± Lisana put her hand on my head, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± The dark thoughts gradually disappeared and a newfound respect formed within me for her. Despite such a small frame, she held the presence of a warm older sister. Or at least, that¡¯s what I thought. ¡°Stay put,¡± She stretched slightly, ¡°You can follow Mark.¡± On her shoulder was a star-shaped padding, but I felt a tingle of mana from it. This meant it was not a simple decoration, but an actual enchanted item. ¡°Later,¡± Lisana waved before diving into the unknown. I put the ¡®binoculars¡¯ to my eyes. ¡°Wh- what is this!¡± My vision enhanced, I could see much further and despite the amount of things blocking my sight, if I focused I could see past them. ¡°Is that Lisana?¡± A glowing blue light was visible, past a few cliffs. Below that light, was a dark blemish in the lens. It moved with great intensity, somehow outspeeding the tailing of Lisana. This was not the first time the world painted him as such. ¡°Why was he such a dark colour?¡± I asked myself. His magic missiles were of a dark tint as well, bordering on being grey. He might¡¯ve not noticed it, but this put the others on edge when they first saw it in the class with Professor Clarisse. ¡°Wha!¡± My thoughts were halted by the appearance of a Chimera. I rushed forward, doing my best to get down without harming myself. I chanted various blessings, allowing free fall and damage reduction. I did my best to follow the fleeting silhouettes of the two. As time went on, I managed to maintain a constant pace, ignoring the mountains of dirt covering me. A frown floated atop my face, I forced the fluids in my throat back down. I had a mountain of debts to repay Luke, he couldn¡¯t die until they were fulfilled.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡®Really! I need to scold him when I see him!¡¯ My heart leapt when I saw him fly into the sky, but he landed safely, calming my heart. As time went on, I felt new highs and lows, as if my heart was being led up and down a slope. However, I felt the blessings start to wear thin, meaning I had to stop. I¡¯d have to wait for either of them to pick me up at this rate¡­ I truly felt pathetic once again, but it wasn¡¯t my fault either. Instead, I focused this emotion on frustration. ¡°If this is what happens every time, I refuse to be at this party!¡± -x- Third Person POV ¡°So¡­¡± Julia trailed on, ¡°What now?¡± ¡°His request,¡± Serina replied without a moment¡¯s rest. Julia scratched her chin, staring at Serina. ¡®What is there to say? Ugh, I¡¯ll just do a quest for some pocket money.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll see you some other time,¡± She bowed, leaving Serina to finish her breakfast. ¡°Mmm.¡± Rushing forward, there was a commotion in the reception area. In fact, within her peripheral vision, she found the commoner escapee. ¡®So this is where he ran off to,¡¯ Julia nodded. ¡®I¡¯ll have him join me for sure!¡¯ However, despite her expectations, he had run off to the middle, coddling the saint candidate. A sight shocking to all the students there. Who would expect one of the spearheads for the Order of Unity to be tied to a nobody? ¡®That is what a friend would do, what a noble like myself would do as well. So, what is this feeling within me?¡¯ She clenched the space above her heart. Frustration built up within her, as she marched to the quest board. Without a thought, she grabbed the one closest to her. ¡°Take it!¡± Julia ordered the lady who was being covered for by Luke, ¡°I¡¯d like to embark on a quest right now.¡± ¡°Ah, yes,¡± The receptionist stamped the paper. ¡°You may go in now.¡± She stomped her way to the teleporter, unaware of the turbulent emotions that raged in her mind. -x- Julia however, found herself in a strange predicament. Forgetting the previous commotion with Luke, she questioned herself. ¡®Why is she here again!?¡¯ Inside the teleportation device, two opposites stood by each other. ¡®I didn¡¯t realise that¡¯s what the receptionist meant!¡¯ ¡°Serina, why are you doing this quest?¡± Julia found some courage to ask. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember?¡± She replied with a disinterested look. ¡°Luke asked me to.¡± ¡°Yes- but, what about yourself?¡± Julia pouted perhaps out of jealousy or maybe disappointment. ¡°Hmm?¡± A confused look rose from her. ¡°Do- do you not care for your well-being?¡± A careless question was raised. ¡°Myself¡­¡± Serina mumbled. ¡°Luke is more important.¡± ¡®What happened between the two? From the looks of it, that commoner Luke never interacted with her before the academy, and I met him first. Right?¡¯ Her brain became heavier the more she delved into speculations. ¡®Agh! I might as well just ask, I don¡¯t care if your family caused our issues anymore!¡¯ She gulped, speaking with care, ¡°So, why is that?¡± ¡°He is an escape,¡± She muttered with a completely serious expression. ¡°And thus, my everything.¡± At the start, Julia may have disregarded anything she said as mumblings of a murderer. However, after their various interactions and the reclamation of Fen, she began to harbour doubts. Hence, more questions were created in her mind than answers. Of which she wouldn¡¯t be able to receive as she found herself in a desert. ¡°Goodbye,¡± Serina monotonously said, flying into the sky in a completely different direction from where the quest¡¯s locations were. ¡­ ¡°No, seriously, I don¡¯t get it anymore!¡± Julia grabbed her head, steam gushing out as she thought. ¡°Luke doesn¡¯t seem to have heard this, or he¡¯d be acting differently!¡± ¡®Do I tell him what she thinks of him, and would he even believe me?¡¯ ¡°Agh! This¡¯ll be the best way to blow off some steam!¡± Julia readied her family¡¯s heirloom, pointing it at the sandworm in front of her. ¡°Your elder variants were my first, and now you¡¯ll be next!¡± She floated atop a platform of sand, swerving behind the emerged worm. She dug her rapier into the back of its head, where it breathed out. A shockwave blasted the ground beneath them, a hole being gouged into the monster¡¯s head. The ability of telekinesis, and the support of Lumen Grace, boosted her prowess to heights the average students could never reach. In her hands was a brightly shining stone, perfectly spherical, unlike the one Luke would summon. [Julia De Gracia] [Age: 16 ] [Race: Human] [Attributes] Vitality: Tier 0 (57%) Agility: Tier 0 (63%) Strength: Tier 0 (48%) Mana: Tier 0 (94%) [Skills] Telekinesis (A+) (75% Proficiency - Evolution Possible) Mana Sense (A) (90% Proficiency) Mana Control (B) (45% Proficiency - Evolution Possible) [More skills to view.] ¡°It¡¯s not enough,¡± She gritted her teeth. ¡°I must grow stronger. My family will return to prosperity.¡± ¡®That devil, I can¡¯t forgive it.¡¯ Chapter 57 - A Commoner’s Recklessness (4) Proofreader: Me! Whoosh! Rushing gusts of air blew past me, as I finally made my way into the cave. Here, lay the final herb. However, this was not my current priority, rather it was the small descent to the left of the entrance. ¡°Cowabunga!¡± I screamed a nostalgic show¡¯s line. I ran down the flight of rocky stairs, blasting past any of the intended eeriness created by the developers. Flings of spiders, floating lights, the whole army of scary setting tropes. The bottom led into a pitch-black room, holding the hidden piece I had searched for. ¡°Who dares to approach this room?¡± ¡°Me!¡± I joyfully exclaimed. ¡°Return, or die.¡± Just to make sure, I summoned an appraisal stone. [Duke Razel] No attributes were shown, but a small line describing him. It was exactly like the game, which meant I could proceed normally. ¡°It seems you have chosen death.¡± While he smiled, so was I. This event, I replayed this many times as Serina within the game with a one hundred per cent clear rate. The character¡¯s memories would be used as a hell, to create an unescapable torture chamber. However, I brought a countermeasure. Everything around me was filled with a shining light. In the distance, spectator seats, walls, and an open gate appeared. ¡®A colosseum.¡¯ It was the same as the game, where I would be put to the test. ¡°Prove yourself, or die a dog¡¯s death.¡± The gate on the other side ascended, and in its wake, three dire wolves appeared. I could at least complete this wave, right? A dire wolf leapt with two others, aiming at both my sides. I readied my sword, slashing to the right. ¡°Tch.¡± The wolf caught it with his teeth, and the other two bared their fangs. They leapt once again, as my teeth clenched. ¡®Enhance!¡¯ I enhanced gravity around me, causing them to fall short. Using this opportunity, I kicked the dog who bit into my sword. ARrrrr! They approached from all directions. I conjured three magic missiles in an attempt to save more for later. They circled me, not moving, only waiting for my next move. My eyes darted across their bodies, analysing the red spots provided by the Enigmatic Chance. ¡°Uuup!¡± I breathed in the air, preparing to move. The front wolf jumped backwards while the other two came at me. ¡°You¡¯re too predictable!¡± I chuckled. Two magic missiles were unleashed from my hand, targeting their weak spots. [Critical Hit!] x2 Their heads exploded into mosaics, with no blood being shown. It was as if a censor bar had been applied to real life. ¡°Was that a mechanic of the game?¡± Grrr! The dog that retreated made a last-ditch effort. I slid forward, as it jumped mid-air, and I unleashed the last one. [Critical Hit] A red spot had been right under its head, and just like the others it blew up. ¡°No warrior would die on the first wave, but will you survive the next?¡± I wiped the sweat off my forehead, ¡°Of course, I can.¡± With my level of abilities, I could probably only complete this one wave. The only reason I have to continue with this fiasco is for the small stat absorption I get for killing these monsters.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. The next monster revealed itself, it was a singular orc. Not on the level of a troll, but still owning massive strength and vitality, at the exchange of no agility. All I had to do, was get past its thick skin. Its pig eyes stared at me, holding a menacing two-metre-long battleaxe. I took the initiative, slamming a magic missile at its forehead. No red spots were available yet, so it did nothing but cloud its vision. I ran forward, past its blind swing. Enhancing specifically only my legs, I jumped vertically. Then, switching the target of my buff, I gave it to the gravity around me. The orc gave one last look at me, snorting as it raised its arms. However, I had already fallen. With my arms in front of me, I jammed a sword straight into its skull barely passing its skin. ¡°Second wave done,¡± I muttered. It took only ten seconds, but the energy it took to do such actions sapped the energy out of me. In comparison to the Requiem battle, it was a lot less, but to continue this for multiple waves¡­ I sighed, only to lock eyes with the next monster. It had two long horse legs, the torso of a gladiator, and the head of a cow. ¡®I might be cooked.¡¯ It was time for me to give up. Yet, it didn¡¯t care about my internal white flag. In the game the protagonists have enough strength, or some cheese to simply win all these waves. I only had enhancement and basic abilities! I¡¯m an extra, not an overpowered character! The best I¡¯ve done was unexpected things, and leading the protagonists to victory. Steam puffed out of its nose, as it leaned forward, arm in front. ¡°We can''t talk about this!¡± I screamed, desperately spreading my arms wide as I dived to my right. In a flash, the minotaur¡¯s horns jammed into the wall where I had just been standing. I couldn¡¯t even see its movements. It was time to use the item I received from Abel, one to dispel illusions. ¡®Activate, Horizon Beauty!¡¯ ¡­ The only thing that happened, was the unjamming of the Minotaur¡¯s head. I wanted to raise a white flag, but dying here would mean everything I¡¯ve done so far was useless. I enhanced my agility twofold, dashing once again. I couldn¡¯t keep this up forever, but I had to figure something out. Even in this dream world, I had a limited mana capacity. Dodging would lead to death eventually. ¡°Fuck!¡± I swore, as within the game you could use items inside perfectly fine. ¡°This cursed world and its stupid changes!¡± -x- Third Person POV Despite Uriel experiencing exhaustion, Lisana had kept up with Luke just fine. ¡°Where is he going?¡± Lisana murmured under her breath. As Luke turned into a speck, she jumped off a ledge, swinging into the cave. Lisana opened a small pocket, pulling out a lantern. The size of the item was far larger than the place she pulled it out of. Step! Step! She turned to the left, seeing an unnoticeable opening to a flight of stairs down into complete darkness. ¡®...¡¯ Lisana¡¯s mind blanked, a fear from her childhood now overtaking her current self. But, the thought of who went down there forced him to move forward. ¡°Eep!¡± A spider fell on her shoulder. ¡°Kyah!¡± Her normally empty face was coloured with various expressions. A spirit-like entity brushed past, causing her to flinch. Ghostly groans echoed in her ears, but she moved onwards. ¡®This time, I¡¯ll save¡­¡¯ The thought was cut short. In front of her, was a translucent figure of a man hovering over Luke¡¯s body. ¡°Uwaaaaaaahhhh!¡± Lisana screeched, pulling out a capsule filled with holy water at the apparition. ¡°Urgh!¡± The duke¡¯s form shimmered, some parts vanishing from the material realm. ¡°Who are you!¡± Lisana cowered, stepping back on her hind foot. She took the chance to look at Luke, his expression filled with an uncharacteristic despair. His breath was short, eyebrows furrowed, and she understood the emotion immediately. ¡°You too will experience the void!¡± She stood still, ¡°Hmmm?¡± Unbeknownst to the duke¡¯s spirit, Lisana already experiencing all kinds of horrors, already trained her body to resist illusions. Such was another reason why Luke viewed her specs very highly. ¡°What?¡± They stammered, ¡°How are you resisting me!¡± Lisana ignored the spirit, realising it could not harm but simple illusions. Her fear now dissipated, thanks to the urgency of seeing her party member in clear distress. ¡°Wake up.¡± ¡°Useless, he¡¯s stuck in the infinite void of his memories.¡± Lisana paused and then rummaged through her bag. ¡°There¡¯s nothing that could purge him of this curse!¡± Ignoring him, she kept searching, as if desperation fuelled her. However, Lisana noticed something, the strange man that emanated from Luke¡¯s pocket. She reached out to his dirtied academy trousers, finding a strange sphere. ¡®Maybe, this could work?¡¯ ¡°Did you not hear me? Your little partner will never awake again!¡± ¡°...¡± Refusing to listen to the ramblings of the spirit any longer, she put five vials of holy water into her hand. Shock immediately found itself on the duke¡¯s spirit. ¡°I understand!¡± The duke bent over mid-air, prostrating his entire body. ¡°Please spare me!¡± Lisana stared at him blankly, cocking her hands back ready to unleash it. ¡°Wait! Wait! I know how to wake him up!¡± She halted, ¡°How?¡± ¡°That sphere you picked from his pocket, it holds anti-magic properties, it will remove the curse!¡± The duke felt the need to speak more, ¡°I didn¡¯t cast it by the way, I just experienced the same thing and was forced to be here until someone else undertook it!¡± Lisana looked at him with a renewed sense of pity, now holding the sphere in her hand. ¡°Time to wake up.¡± Chapter 58 - A Commoner’s Recklessness (5) My mouth was dry, and my mana tank was practically empty. The minotaur¡¯s face began to falter, as it puffed out less and less steam. ¡°Heh, you getting tired too, aye?¡± I huffed out some provocations. I wanted to get it to use more energy, so I could kill it myself. In essence, this was a war of attrition. We repeated the cycle of charging and dodging a few more times, akin to the time where I stalled Iveen for a while. Until finally, the minotaur didn¡¯t have enough strength to pull its head out of the wall. ¡°Hah, hah¡­¡± I wanted to make some remark, but I was barely standing too. I picked up my sword, and thrusted it into the minotaur¡¯s leg. Chik! ¡°Ha. Ha. Hahahah!¡± I lost my mind. The sword¡¯s tip broke off, displaying the hide¡¯s thickness. Neither I nor this monster could kill each other anymore. I laid down on the cold concrete floor, closing my eyes. ¡°Time to wake up.¡± A voice resounded throughout my ears, yet there was no source. ¡®Lisana?¡¯ I could hear her voice, but didn¡¯t I tell them to stay back at the entrance. ¡®I did take quite a while thanks to this, but¡­¡¯ I couldn¡¯t finish the thought, being wrapped in a warm light. ¡°Sorry buddy, we can have our rematch another day.¡± I looked at the minotaur who stopped struggling to escape the wall. It simply sat there, accepting it¡¯s existence. -x- Lisana¡¯s peerless face was atop of mine as she spoke, ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± ¡°Yes, but first¡­¡± I glared at the duke first thing after getting up. ¡°Lisana, kill him.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°We had a deal didn¡¯t we!¡± It screeched before being splashed with holy water. ¡°Ugahhhhhh!¡± He didn¡¯t die, but he cowered in the corner of the room. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lisana held me down as I tried to stand up. ¡°You were hyperventilating.¡± ¡°Ye-yeah,¡± I tried to reply, but my body fell down. I held my head as things split apart, ¡°Is everything spinning?¡± ¡°No,¡± She cradled my head, burying me into her chest. ¡°Rest.¡± I forgot mental fatigue existed, opting for a man¡¯s dreams. It wasn¡¯t as large as the other girls, but- why am I thinking about this? She stroked my hair, with a familiar care my own sister or mother would give. I wanted to ask, but small sounds escaped from behind us. ¡°You- you delinquents! Giving each other affection in a duke¡¯s chamber!¡± Hearing the murmurs of Razel¡¯s curses, I remembered the backstory to the duke you could find within the game.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. After completing five waves, he would come into the dream himself and congratulate your fighting spirit. Then, he would give you a short explanation of what happened to him and gave you the hidden piece. It was a pity, falling into this chamber and being cursed with an eternal dream of fighting. He died of malnutrition even if in his mind, he was alright. His ducal family was forgotten, and was replaced by the eventual uprise of the De Gracia¡¯s. Perhaps, part of the reason Julia¡¯s family received such a horrible reputation began with Razel¡¯s downfall. ¡°Lisana, I think I¡¯ll suffocate if I stay like this any longer.¡± ¡°Suffocate?¡± I took off her hands that stroke my head, and rose upwards slightly regretting it. ¡°Duke, either we douse you in holy water or you hand over the elixir.¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± He looked on in fear. Lisana held the holy water vials in her hands. ¡°Yes!¡± The duke opened the small box at the end of the chamber. ¡°Here it is!¡± ¡°Thank you for the patronage,¡± I happily thanked the spirit. ¡°I¡¯ll also give you one piece of information.¡± ¡°Hmmm?¡± ¡°Your lineage lives on, under a different name.¡± ¡°May I know the current heir¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Her name is Julia De Gracia.¡± Lisana¡¯s eyes pierced me, curiosity filling them. I¡¯d explain later. ¡°That last name, haha!¡± He burst into uncanny laughter, ¡°I can¡¯t believe they would change from Wynnard to that joke!¡± ¡°Joke?¡± The name De Gracia was simply what the developers chose, so I was keen to hear this lore drop. ¡°The name De Gracia was the last name of a character my daughter drew back in the day! I still remember how happy she was when she showed it to me and my wife.¡± The name of a ducal family was a character¡¯s? The gall of his daughter was commendable. ¡°That daughter of yours really fought hard to maintain the title of Duchess according to the history books.¡± ¡°I¡­ I can only be sorry for not being there when they needed me,¡± He teared up slightly even if in a intangible body, ¡°But, thanks for telling me that. Even if you¡­ did almost kill me.¡± ¡°All good, I know why you were down here anyway.¡± ¡°You came here for the elixir I presume? Well, since you relieved me of something I¡¯ve regretted for decades, I¡¯ll give you another gift,¡± Razel smiled with a gait unbefitting his previous cowering. ¡°Within my territory, if it¡¯s still exists, you can go to my office. Within it, is a small present when you activate a small contraption. I¡¯ll let you figure it out, but there¡¯s some nice stuff inside my vault.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ I¡¯m sure that the same mansion you created all that time ago, is still being used as the main building.¡± ¡°Haha! Guess she could never forget us in the end.¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll¡­ let you continue to be here I guess?¡± ¡°Of course not! I¡¯ve finally been relieved of my biggest regret, any spirit needs to pass on at some point.¡± Another hidden piece, within a hidden piece. Who would¡¯ve known, it wasn¡¯t like you had an option to tell the npc about some other lore. ¡°We¡¯ll accept your gift in stride,¡± I bowed. ¡°Goodbye, Duke Razel Wynnd.¡± He smiled, as his body fully began to shimmer in light. His form merging with the natural flow of mana in the world. ¡°How did you know?¡± Lisana whispered, presumably referring to my knowledge of this guy¡¯s relation to Julia. ¡°Intuition, it was never explicitly stated in the history of the Empire, but at the same time the Wynnd¡¯s collapsed, an unnamed falled noble overtook the territory as other nobles desperately tried to take advantage of a missing duke. Who else could the noble been, but his child?¡± It was a bit of a stretch, but I hid the knowledge that you could meet this person in the flesh through a specific part of this game. Within the final year exam, they would shove students into the turbulent times of the past, of course as a simulation. ¡°Plausible,¡± Lisana nodded accepting my explanation. ¡°Yup, let¡¯s go get the final herb,¡± I suggested, but she didn¡¯t follow. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I was on the stairs, but she remained on the floor. ¡°Did something happen!¡± I ran back down, crouching to her level. Her being scared only happened when everyone would die in a bad ending, so I had to have missed something. ¡°No- nothing,¡± She denied it, her face reddening. I inched slightly closer, ¡°You can tell me, it¡¯ll be fine.¡± She flicked her head away, but remained stuck in place. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, tell me what you need me to do.¡± She didn¡¯t respond, only pinching the ends of my shirt. I looked at her for a few moments, eventually deciding to rise up the stairs again. My mind blanked initially, until I remembered the complaints I had about this world. ¡®Seriously, the game being in the Hell¡¯s Paradise difficulty is too complex.¡¯ I heaved my body forward, ignoring the spirit that grazed my shoulder. ¡°Kyah!¡± Lisana shrieked, leading me to sacrifice my leg holding onto her. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I barely remained stable, but managed to ask. In my head, the main cast being safe was just as important as the survival of this world. ¡°...¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not okay, I can just carry you on my back.¡± She nodded, yet her face remained blank. Except the only difference being the tears in her eyes. It betrayed the older sister-like behaviour she showed earlier, but¡­ ¡®It¡¯s cute.¡¯ I could only nod at the sudden thought. Chapter 59 - A Commoner’s Recklessness (6) Proofreader: Me! ¡®Heavy¡­¡¯ I wished to say, but it¡¯s always been prohibited to comment on a woman¡¯s weight, or so Yumiko and Mum always said. ¡°It¡¯s Light!¡± Lisana exclaimed under her breath. Light seeped through the crack between my squinting eyes. I only realised that a faint figure was standing before me. ¡°Thank Eien you¡¯re both safe!¡± Uriel stepped towards me and said, ¡°You both look exhausted, what happened?¡± ¡°Uh, some fun stuff?¡± I spitballed a reply. How were you supposed to say I was fighting a minotaur for three hours on end while my comrade went on a journey to come and save me? ¡°Evil spirit,¡± Lisana murmured with disdain in her eyes. ¡°Err, seems like you both had it rough?¡± Uriel scratched her chin slightly, unsure how to reply to this girl¡¯s words. ¡°First, Lisana can you get off now?¡± I shook my back, but her grip remained firm. ¡°Right¡­¡± ¡°Not yet, spirits still nearby,¡± She stuck her head out above me, scanning the rest of the cave¡¯s surroundings. ¡°I¡¯m a priest, spirits are automatically exorcised by my divine power alone.¡± Uriel met Lisana¡¯s gaze, ¡°Which is why, you should probably stop disturbing Luke?¡± ¡°Understood,¡± She nodded but was adamant in her position. ¡°Let¡¯s just go get the final herb, I want out,¡± I yawned as the burden of another person weighed atop me. We wandered further into the cave sparking their suspicions, but I assured them of how close it should be. ¡°Is that it?¡± Uriel pointed toward a singular green stem from a crack in the ground. ¡°Yup, doesn¡¯t look special, but it¡¯s the main ingredient the quest giver wanted.¡± I crouched, unable to bend down as Lisana wouldn¡¯t let me release her hold on me. ¡°That''s it,¡± I nodded. ¡°Ah, we¡¯re going to have to trek back,¡± Uriel¡¯s eyes lost vibrant blue colour. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I know a shortcut, if you could even call it one,¡± I pointed to the rocky ceiling, ¡°The portal left behind by the magi-teleporter is right above us.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me we went in a massive circle?¡± Her body seemed lifeless as she laughed slowly. I pat her shoulder, ¡°Well, this place isn¡¯t entirely passive. The jungle we¡¯re in has a bunch of verticality, but the land itself doesn¡¯t spread far.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Lisana nodded above me. ¡°I looked outwards, saw nothing.¡± In the game, the origin of this place was never revealed. If I had to guess, most likely, it was part of the elves¡¯ territory. Considering the quest giver was anonymous, it made even more sense for that to be the case. I picked up my sword, mentioning one more thing, ¡°Also, this cave isn¡¯t very stable so we can just lightly attack it.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Uriel looked at me and the ceiling intermittently. ¡°Here,¡± I demonstrated it through actions, launching my sword upwards. The brittle ceiling crumbled revealing a small opening. ¡°See, nothing too difficult.¡± ¡°Mmmm¡­¡± Uriel frowned but followed me upwards. I hoisted my body upwards, even with Lisana still taking up my back. ¡°Grab my hand, I¡¯ll lift you.¡± ¡°Ah, yes,¡± She hesitantly grabbed my hand from below. Leaning backwards, I practically yanked her into the air. ¡°Eeep!¡± I caught her, as she landed in my arms. ¡°Tell me before you do something like that!¡± ¡°Ack.¡± I wanted to respond, but my body gave out, ¡°Too much weight.¡± The three of us, stacked upon each other fell backwards. As we lost our footing, we fell face-first into the portal back to the academy. While the scenery changed, our limbs entangled and I struggled to move. A soft sensation covered my face, and I felt a similar pressure around my legs.¡°Mmph!¡± I tried to speak, ¡°Geh- one of you! Get off!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t, my legs are stuck in between your arms!¡± Uriel panicked, shaking those legs and kicking my face. "Mmmph..." Lisana''s eyes were turning blank as she suffocated beneath me and Uriel. After a few moments, we finally unwrapped ourselves. ¡°So, mind telling us what that was all about?¡± I felt a tap on my shoulder, ¡°Luke, I thought you had your hands full with Julia, Serina, and Uriel¡­ but another?¡± Green eyes met mine as I whispered back, ¡°Fen, listen¡­ I can¡¯t help, what I can¡¯t help!¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. I turned my head, scanning the room. While there weren¡¯t as many people as there were in the morning, rumours would start spreading. ¡°Look, we can talk later dude, I need to claim the rewards and rest,¡± I shrugged him off, handing over the herbs to the receptionist. ¡°Ah well, so be it,¡± He sighed and walked off to another group. I walked to the front desk, as my limbs continued to remain sore. The eyes of the receptionists gleamed with mischievous intent. ¡°If you want, we can keep this secret! Or, try to at least,¡± The receptionist smiled, winking at the same time. I looked down at her name tag, Priscilla, it read. I would remember that, seeing as she was not only the girl I saved in the morning but also the one to dish out this embarrassment. ¡°And here are the rewards, thank you for waiting!¡± She handed over five gold coins. ¡°This was a pretty tough one, wasn¡¯t the terrain quite steep?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Sorry for asking,¡± Her smile fell, but she marked the quest as complete. I made my way to the red-faced duo, ¡°Two for you, two for you, and one for me.¡± ¡°Why only that much for yourself? We did nothing,¡± Uriel prodded me. ¡°You gave buffs, and Lisana saved me,¡± I explained. ¡°And, I need to get going now, or else¡­¡± ¡°Else?¡± Lisana focused on that one word. ¡°Th- that!¡± The horror overcame me, but I couldn¡¯t escape. ¡°Let me rest, please!¡± The Demon King¡¯s daughter, her fiery aura told me everything I needed to know. The students in the surroundings retreated, unable to overcome the violent air around her. ¡°Impossible, you missed one day, but you can¡¯t miss another,¡± With the swaying of Erin¡¯s black hair, I was dragged away from my party. ¡°We¡¯ll meet again!¡± I screamed with a tear in my eye. ¡°Oh, stop the opera, drama queen,¡± Erin slapped my arm. ¡°Alright, Instructor from Hell,¡± I sighed, unable to free myself from her tight grasp. ¡°Bye,¡± Lisana waved. ¡°Don¡¯t go without me!¡± Uriel tried to run for me but was stopped by a figure I couldn¡¯t make out from a distance. ¡°C¡¯mon, don¡¯t make me drag you all the way there,¡± Erin noticed my lagging feet. ¡°Sheesh, calm down,¡± I muttered. Being forced to the training grounds, I remembered the time she entered the grave area. There was only silence between us, so my mind wandered in circles. Further, I was not only exhausted but also desperate to figure out Erin''s thoughts. There was already a difference in the way she acted from the game, as well as her relation to a Goddess. ¡°You know, I saw you enter the forbidden grounds,¡± I spoke absentmindedly. ¡°What about it?¡± She answered without thinking. I questioned myself, but it was already too late to end it. ¡°The grave, I saw it.¡± Erin glanced at me, ¡°I did too.¡± I was grasping at straws, and muttered what came to mind, ¡°This is kind of a weird time to bring it up¡­ but I¡¯m aware.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Erin paused to look at me up and down. ¡°Of what, exactly?¡± ¡°The relation between the two of you,¡± I gulped. ¡°How you¡¯re both Daughter and Father.¡± We stood in front of a garden, Erin standing tall. She pulled out her sword, her face forming a conflicted gaze. ¡°Am I supposed to be afraid?¡± Her body exuded cautiousness. I raised my hands in surrender, ¡°Yo, yo! Abel told me when I got ambushed there!¡± ¡°Ambushed?¡± ¡°Remember, last week when I carried Serina to the infirmary and everyone was like, what?¡± I blurted out. ¡°Why tell me now?¡± Her hands smoothed over her sword, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t make sense unless you wanted something out of me.¡± For a second I was rendered speechless. ¡°For real?¡± ¡°What?¡± Her stance wavered, surprised by my reaction. ¡°You seriously believe that?¡± I felt somewhat offended. ¡°I brought it up since I thought you might be feeling down or something, you¡¯re already training me, what else could I ask for?¡± ¡°M- my subservience, my body¡­ anything,¡± Erin dumbfoundedly responded. ¡°With that information being spread, I could be ousted even if I was permitted to be here.¡± I smacked my head, aware of the countless tragedies that were rapidly occurring. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re aware, but the world¡¯s kind of ending, and your help with that would be greatly appreciated.¡± ¡°World¡­ ending?¡± Erin paused her actions. I shook my head, ¡°Err... That¡¯s beside the point, listen, we¡¯re friends no?¡± Intrigue and expectation were expressed by her raised eyebrows, leading me to continue. ¡°Friends worry about each other, and I might¡¯ve brought it up awkwardly at first but even I¡¯m offended that you took it this way.¡± I made my disapproval visibly aware through exaggerated arm movements. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you, but you¡¯ve seen the things I¡¯ve said and done right? Do I look like the kind of person to do that?¡± ¡°Possibly?¡± Erin asked out with a smirk, seemingly satisfied with my reaction. "Hah..." I wanted to fall over, unable to deal with her mood shifts. Erin lifted me, "You can tell me the rest of the story after we spar." -x- A sword was thrown at me, and Erin prepared a sharpened stance. Her form was already starting to resemble her end-game appearance. I adjusted my footwork that I learnt from her. "I''ll show you, that I''m different from last week." I drove my hands forward, feinting an attack, only to swiftly change into a kicking form. My leg met steel, sending a jolt of pain through my shin. ¡°Sneaky,¡± She commented. ¡°Nice try though.¡± "That''s not all!" I rushed forward leading with a thrust covered by speed. Erin''s arms moved to parry, but I expected that. Instead, I diverged from my initial line of attack by enhancing gravity to fall short. "Hmm?" She raised her eyebrows in surprise. I swapped from enhancing the gravity around me, back into my strength twofold and slashed diagonally upwards. Within this short burst of movements, Erin effortlessly met my sword. "S- strong!" Erin let out a sly grin, "I''ll show you something special." The sword I held vanished, and before I knew it a foot was headed toward my stomach. I enhanced my agility to react quick enough, and strength to block it. Despite my well-timed defence, her raw stats overpowered my own. "Why are you so tough!" I shouted, searching for my sword. "It''s behind me," Erin coldly stated. It was time for another application of my enhancement, something I''ve been itching to put into practice. I readied my body to dash past her, however there was a twist in store. With a forward lunge, I dodged a horizontal slash by sliding on the hard and rigid floor. It was like ice, as I stabbed the just-acquired sword into the ground to stop slipping. Erin applauded, "That''s a new move" "Yeah, I enhanced the property of slipperiness," I smugly announced. "I used it on Professor Haruto before, remember?" "Indeed," Erin nodded. "Let''s see how else you can use it." "Wait!" I raised my arms in defeat. Erin looked at me confused, "Why?" "Truthfully, I haven''t practised enough to use it in a confrontation," I laughed awkwardly. ¡°Nevertheless, you lasted slightly longer than usual. Did your stats increase?¡± Erin pointed out. I shrugged with an air of renewed pride, ¡°Somewhat, although I still use enhancements to compensate for most of my weaknesses.¡± Erin threw me a water bottle and opened her mouth with a slight pause. "Luke... about what you said earlier, although I believe you have good intentions, I can''t simply dismiss how you knew about ''that.''" "Yeahhhhhh... about that, I have something one might call special eyes, and essentially, I can see the true essence of everything around me," I explained in the mindset of forming an answer with half lies and half-truth. Chapter 60 - The Saint and the Orphanage Proofreader: Me! Despite my soreness from yesterday''s training, I had to intake the elixir I received from the dungeon. Surprisingly, even though it was remarkably early, Fen was no where to be seen. Gulp. The flask was covered in dust, but after wiping it off with a cloth the insides illuminated with a white glow. The liquid seemed viscous, telling of its supposed age. Every cell of my being as a human from Earth told me it was past its due date¡­ It wasn¡¯t, but how could I not assume such? I uncorked the flask, ¡°For the sake of saving the world!¡± Glug! glug! glug! The thick liquid flowed down my throat. I rested my back against my bed frame, scared of what would happen. In the game when taking this elixir, Serina spasmed in pain and almost vomited. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ My body remained calm, with only a remaining sensation of mana swirling within me accelerating. ¡°Wait, accelerating?¡± The circulation within me¡­ was speeding up. My heart''s pumps grew stronger, and the blood within me surged with an intensity adrenaline couldn¡¯t match. ¡°Urrgh.¡± I clenched my bedsheets as the feeling intensified. Within our bodies, vessels that carried mana existed; through them, we could channel mana. What would happen if you forcibly expanded it, and made it more robust and efficient? This. ¡°FUUUUUUUUUUU-¡± -x- Dealing with the mess that was my morning¡­ I decided to face today and Friday with simple training and light quests to build up some money. Yet, this particular morning, I found something intriguing. Jogging along the school premises, around the garden that lay behind the main cafeteria, I saw an out-of-place pair. ¡°Princess, are you sure about this?¡± ¡°Indubitably, you are the greatest warrior I know.¡± ¡°Haha! Thanks for the compliment,¡± The boy slightly blushed, ¡°Even if I¡¯m not nearly as strong as your guards yet, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°Of course, such is why I admire your spirit.¡± My immediate gut reaction was to jump in between the two, but I did need a check on her. Even if Fen was to be charmed, he wouldn¡¯t betray me nor Charles, such was his set as a protagonist. ¡°Wait Princess, I think I saw a friend pass by, may I have a moment?¡± He rose from the porcelain bench they sat on, turning to me. ¡°You may¡­ huh?¡± Her bright cheery expression swapped the moment Fen turned toward me. ¡°This bastard cockroach ¨C every time!¡± ¡°Luke? Up for a light jog as always.¡± Fen approached with his signature smile. ¡°Yeah, but it seems you have an¡­ appointment of sorts,¡± I trailed slightly, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t leave a lady hanging you know.¡± ¡®Just know, Luna, I¡¯m letting you have this.¡¯ I sent such a look behind him. ¡°Tch.¡± She grit her teeth but inwardly must¡¯ve known I was helping her. Whether she knew it was on purpose or not, wasn¡¯t my business. ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Fen hesitated slightly, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you later and we can spar then?¡± I smiled with no good intent, ¡°Of course not!¡± He softly chuckled, waving from behind as he tended to the fuming princess. I left quickly, not wanting to impede on the upper hand that was Fen and his charms. Destroying his romance comes later, when she implodes. Dismissing that matter, I took a shower back in my room. I thought about meeting up with Uriel before going on a quest, but at the same time, something was bugging me. This particular part of the week had a few events you could encounter, the one I¡¯m most worried about being the first beastmen occurrence. Within the game, a transfer student would arrive, and they are always part of that specific faction of Krulia¡¯s tribe. My only way of getting out of this was to confront her myself¡­ but, how could I bring that topic up without getting screwed over? Considering my options I finally made my way over to the quest reception area. I found Uriel hovering around the benches sitting next to Rodney. ¡°Luke!¡± She called out my name with a smile, causing the moody paladin to leave immediately. ¡°Wait, this is the perfect time to talk it out! Ron!¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°We¡¯ll sort it out eventually,¡± I shrugged, ¡°Leave him be.¡± ¡°He needs scolding later!¡± She puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms. ¡°He¡¯s so childish sometimes ¨C can¡¯t even admit he¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, he¡¯s going through puberty and all, normal teenage stuff,¡± I blabbered while resting on the seat Rodney had before. ¡°And you¡¯re not?¡± Uriel asked with a keen eye. ¡°Hahaha,¡± I faked a laugh, ¡°Who knows.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m pretty?¡± Uriel pushed further at my hesitation. Sweat drizzled down my back, ¡°The real question is what quest should we do today? Think about it.¡± Ever since it¡¯s been clear, they have been sneakily making moves. ¡®Please, I have three years to deal with first.¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re avoiding my question,¡± Uriel looked at me with puppy eyes. ¡°Ahem.¡± I coughed, ¡°You have to realise I can¡¯t exactly answer that without any implications, right?¡± She moved closer to me, ¡°What implications?¡± Her chest pushed up against my arm causing this pubescent body to react. Flick! ¡°Ow!¡± Uriel clasped her forehead which burned a slight red. ¡°There¡¯s a quest I want to take today,¡± I forcibly changed the topic. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of taking one on the easier side, considering what we¡¯ve been through the past couple days.¡± She pouted but slowly nodded. ¡°Rest would be nice¡­¡± ¡°Exactly, which is why I plan to take the E-rank quest, taking care of an orphanage,¡± I mentioned. Uriel¡¯s eyes sparkled, ¡°Really?¡± I shrugged, ¡°Why not?¡± There was the need to get stronger, but I also knew that taking a break was needed. Definitely not because I almost killed myself this morning. I also didn¡¯t get the chance to check out my status, so I could probably do that during the expedition. ¡°You¡¯re more saint-like than me!¡± Uriel mouthed in surprise. I shook my head, ¡°You¡¯re misunderstanding, I chose it out of consideration for you.¡± In response, her face turned slightly red. ¡°Ah, th- th¡­ thanks.¡± I didn¡¯t mean for it to come off in that way, but I persevered. ¡°No problem, but where¡¯s Lisana?¡± ¡°Sh- she said she was busy,¡± Uriel stuttered, but she steadily regained her composure. ¡°Let¡¯s get going then, shall we?¡± I suggested, leaving my seat. ¡°Wait- Luke, tomorrow¡­¡± Uriel turned her head to the side, turning red once again. ¡°Can y- you m- meet up with me at the garden behind the cafeteria?¡± My head flashed memories of Fen and Luna but I relented. ¡°Sure, but can you at least tell me why?¡± I was reasonably sceptical considering the new dynamics between us. ¡°I¡¯d like to, erm¡­ go shopping for some essentials in the commercial district in the Order of Unity¡¯s Capital, Eternum,¡± She met my gaze with a slightly flushed face. ¡°Is¡­ that okay?¡± My smile twitched, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ fine.¡± She bowed slightly, ¡°Thank you!¡± A part of me sighed internally, but I had an obligation to keep my party members happy, regardless of their true intentions. I couldn¡¯t risk a falling out, even if she did say she wanted to continue being with me no matter what. People change, so I was willing to do my best to stay on her good side no matter what. Despite receiving her word she wouldn¡¯t try and form a relationship¡­ doing something like this is almost blasphemy. ¡®Nevertheless, just like the others, she needs to overcome the final enemies on their own. In that matter I¡¯m useless.¡¯ I walked over to the Receptionist Priscilla, the one who¡­ never mind. I was too tired to complain. ¡°Can we take this one?¡± I placed the sheet of paper on the desk. Priscilla slid the paper over to herself, stamping it with ease. ¡°Considering the past two you took, isn¡¯t this a bit easy?¡± I put my hands down on the desk leaning on it slightly, ¡°Yes, but everyone needs a break after a few tough ones.¡± ¡°True, I remember the shock everyone had when you showed up with the princess- pfft.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, go tend to the others,¡± I shooed her away, dragging Uriel with me. ¡°You get along quite well with that lady,¡± Uriel noted. I shooed away her face, ¡°More like she teases me whenever she gets the chance.¡± -x- The moment we arrived at the orphanage, children surrounded her cheering. ¡°It¡¯s sister Uriel!¡± One exclaimed. I approached cautiously, ¡°You know them?¡± ¡°Haha, well¡­ this orphanage is quite well known, and it¡¯s where Rodney and I were raised,¡± Uriel expressed nostalgia through her smile. I would like to say I did this on purpose, but it was completely random. ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t interfere, I¡¯ll just help around with whatever you need,¡± I stepped away from the crowd of children around her. ¡°What?¡± Her face dampened, ¡°Come here!¡± ¡°Wait!¡± She dragged my arm, bringing me in front of the swarm. ¡°Everyone, this is my friend!¡± Uriel exclaimed with a smile, ¡°His name is Luke, be nice okay?¡± ¡°Big brother Luke!¡± The girl who clung to her side called. ¡°Big sis, where¡¯s big bro Rodney?¡± One of the boys asked. ¡°He¡¯s busy today, he couldn¡¯t make it¡­ so instead you have brother Luke!¡± I looked at her in a new light, the shyness she exuded with strangers completely disappeared. Instead, she was simply a reliable big sister emanating motherly vibes. ¡°Now, now, let¡¯s go inside, I¡¯ll make a feast for everyone!¡± She opened the door, entering with a joyful stride. Below me I felt a tug, ¡°Big Brother Luke, let¡¯s go in, Sis Uriel¡¯s food is amazing!¡± ¡®Geh.¡¯ My heartstrings were tugged immediately. ¡°Don¡¯t worry kids, I¡¯m also great at cooking!¡± I followed behind the rest with determination. Not long later, I was in the kitchen slicing onions with fervour. The kids watched in awe as I withstood the tears that flooded my eyes. ¡°Luke! Are you okay?¡± Uriel grabbed my side, seemingly worried about these tears. ¡°Y- yes!¡± I managed to say, ¡°It¡¯s just the onions, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Ah- no, you¡¯ll hurt your eyes if you keep at it for too long!¡± She insisted, pushing me over to the pot. ¡°Just stay there, I¡¯ll do the rest.¡± Her reliability meter was off the charts right now. ¡°Wow! Sis Uriel is so cool!¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t she keep looking at Big Brother Luke?¡± ¡°Oh- you''re right!¡± ¡°What about Big Bro Rodney?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they siblings?¡± ¡°Ah, right!¡± ¡°What are you guys talking about!¡± Uriel shouted with a red face. ¡°Bro Luke and Sis Uriel are an item aren¡¯t they!¡± ¡°Woah- is this a date?¡± ¡°Cut it out!¡± She raised her hand covered in onions. ¡°Ah! We made her mad, run away!¡± Just like on Earth, kids were ruthless the moment they found a weakness. ¡°Here, this is the rest of what is needed,¡± Uriel swiped the cutting board with a knife into the pot. ¡°Can you keep watch while I take care of the kids?¡± ¡°Easy enough,¡± I agreed purposely ignoring the kids¡¯ comments. [You can finally summon me, I felt it the moment I woke up!] ¡®Yeah, I had a feeling I could too, but I was a bit busy.¡¯ [It feels like you aren¡¯t accustomed to your mana yet, which is quite weird.] ¡®Of course I don''t. I artificially enhanced it through an elixir this morning,¡¯ I shrugged, stirring the pot on the stove. [Through my help, I can easily adjust it for you, after all, I¡¯m the spirit queen.] ¡®That sounds cool, but right now I¡¯m cooking, we can do it later.¡¯ [But¡­] ¡®No but¡¯s, or I¡¯ll call Abel.¡¯ [Yes master! I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut!] I enjoyed the temporary silence within my mind, ignoring the whelps and shouts of children. ¡°Luke, you didn¡¯t hear anything, right?¡± Uriel shook my arms with a flushed face. ¡°Hear what?¡± I feigned ignorance, not wanting to be involved with the shipping of children. She muttered under her breath, ¡°Th- thank goodness.¡± ¡®Sorry, I heard everything, and you¡¯re making it harder for the kids to refute by acting like this.¡¯ I looked down at the vegetable stew, ¡°Uriel, it seems about done.¡± Hmmm, I¡¯ll probably mess around with summoning Fjleora later. Chapter 61 - Holy Conspiracy (1) Proofreader: Me! (I''ve been missing for a week, but I''m back. I had a lot of friend and family outings so I neglected uploading and writing for a bit ??) Erin put me through the wringer right after leaving Uriel, and honestly, I didn¡¯t want to return to my room either. The reason being this thing¡­ [Hey master! Are we gonna start yet?] I stood out in a secluded area on the outskirts of the dormitory district, surrounded by trees and a plantation. It was perfect. ¡°Yeah, so what do I need to do?¡± [Nothing much, you need to channel your mana into your tongue!] I asked again, not knowing what that implied. ¡°Sure, but what what then?¡± [Call my name, isn¡¯t that so simple? C¡¯mon try it already!] I dismissed my annoyances and attempted to circulate the mana within me not to my hands where I usually discharged it, but into the region of my mouth. It was an awkward feeling, as if I was stuffing my mouth with a tissue and could not spit it out. [You need to filter it a bit more, you¡¯re stuffing too much mana into your mouth!] I wanted to retort, but I could only make barely distinguishable sounds. [Try and imagine a thin mana pipe inside your throat, and attempt to channel it through there! That¡¯s what I did when I was a fledgling spirit.] Following her instructions, I cleared my mind. I forced the image of another pipe beside the esophagus, a thin pipe purely curated by mana. The creases on my forehead intensified as I focused more. ¡°Urgh¡­¡± Gradually, the feeling of my mouth being full disappeared. A lingering sensation of tingling resided within my tongue. [Huhu, as expected of this Spirit Queen, my teachings are perfect.] I was reluctant to agree, but it worked. ¡°We¡¯ll see if it continues to be the case.¡± [Such is a guarantee ¨C Now! Call for my presence!] ¡°[Spirit Queen Fjleora] I summon you.¡± Spouting those words, it felt as if blood had been drained from my body. Compared to running low on mana, this was worse. ¡°I- I don¡¯t know if I can get used to this,¡± I muttered holding my stomach. ¡°You will, it¡¯s just that your body isn¡¯t used to losing a huge chunk of mana at once. If I were to guess, you probably used more than half of your capacity in it.¡± Her voice left my mind, and instead were heard in front of me. The image of the beautiful and graceful spirit queen had been dragged to the ground as such a presence was reduced to this¡­ ¡°This is what you look like now?¡± My mouth was clogged with the desire to laugh. ¡°Pfft.¡± ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t laugh, eventually you¡¯ll see my gracious form once you become stronger!¡± She raised her arm pointing at me, although it could only be seen as cute from my perspective. ¡°So, about what you can do, what is there?¡± I ignored her complaints. ¡°Honestly, not much!¡± Fjleora exclaimed in her small body. I felt like smacking her. ¡°Was there a point in doing this?¡± ¡°Nothing besides unlocking the seals that existed in the blessing I gave you, and getting your body used to the process,¡± She explained. ¡°I¡¯m going to call Abel.¡± ¡°It was a jest, a jest I tell you!¡± She lowered herself in the air, recreating the famous dogeza. ¡°I can help you train your mana through a technique created by the spirits!¡± ¡°You have my attention,¡± I urged her to continue. ¡°It¡¯s a breathing technique designed to train your mana efficacy, which in turn increases one¡¯s capacity and its overall strength,¡± She rushed to explain. ¡°Although, because you are a human, the effectiveness is to be observed!¡± I contemplated her offer, ¡°Well, it won¡¯t hurt to try.¡± ¡°Thank you for your mercy, master!¡± She finally left her position and raised her head. ¡°I¡¯ll impart the technique to you by matching your mana wavelength.¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t have done this through telepathy?¡± ¡°Of course not! I have to adjust the technique to a human¡¯s mana circuit, meaning I¡¯d have to be present to achieve something like this.¡± ¡°Also, wouldn¡¯t hunting monsters be quicker than through practising a breathing technique?¡± ¡°Hmph! Do you truly doubt a spirit queen? I will tell you now, the effects of using this will be greater than anything you could imagine,¡± She smugly crossed her arms. ¡°Unlike you humans and your ways of cultivation, you can do all those tedious stuff simply through breathing.¡± I noted that mentally, as I¡¯d never heard of something like this in the game. A unique breathing technique to train mana¡­ while the Rosemary¡¯s imparted a way to purify and cultivate more mana to Serina, it was deemed to be more efficient to hunt monsters to grow rather than waste your time, just as Fjleora said. ¡°You¡¯re telling me, I could constantly have this active throughout the entire day, and be training my mana?¡± She put her hands on her hips with a smirk, ¡°Exactly that.¡± ¡°Fjleora.¡± ¡°Yes¡­?¡± She cautiously looked into my eyes. ¡°You are the best familiar a master could hope for.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­?¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. She must¡¯ve been confused due to my change in treatment, but who would be mad at receiving great gifts? She tilted her head but continued with the procedure. ¡°Lend me your hand.¡± Fjleora sat atop it, closing her eyes. Then, I felt it. There was another foreign mana source trying to invade my body, causing my body to act in rejection. ¡°A- are you sure this is fine?¡± ¡°Give me a moment, I¡¯m trying to adjust it!¡± My body screamed, but it wasn¡¯t as bad as when I drank the elixir, so I managed to maintain consciousness. After a bit longer had passed, the burning sensation cooled. In it¡¯s place, was the warmth of what felt like a motherly presence. ¡°Alright, here it is master.¡± Images were forcefully shoved into my brain, in the form of a power point presentation. Within it were the instructions required to utilise the technique. ¡°Geh¡­ that was painful.¡± Fjleora in her panic, returned to the dogeza pose, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! But in this form, handling mana is infinitely harder than it should be!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that evil, even I understand that,¡± I shook my head. ¡°Although, I think my mana pool is finally running low.¡± ¡°Yes, you can cancel my summoning by imagining the link between us being cut.¡± I focused my mind, and in an instant, she disappeared. [Well, wasn¡¯t that an experience! I¡¯m tired so I¡¯ll go to sleep now, see you later master.] She spoke in my head before vanishing completely. Similarly to Runalia, I realised the difference in attitude from before she had been¡­ disciplined by Abel. I had no idea a spirit could be subdued this much, or maybe this was her true personality? Regardless, I was exhausted and wanted to sleep. However, I needed to try this technique first. I created an appraisal stone and opened my Status Board. I wanted to view my entire status board since it¡¯s been a while I looked at it fully. [Luke] [Age: 15] [Race: Human] [Attributes] Vitality: Tier 0 (30%) -> (33%) Agility: Tier 0 (22%) -> (25%) Strength: Tier 0 (27%) -> (29%) Mana: Tier 0 (19%) -> (81%) [New Attribute!] Mana Purity: (14%) [Skills] The Spirit Queen¡¯s Breathing Technique (S-) (0% Proficiency) [New Skill!] Outer Eye (Z) (5% -> 7.5% Proficiency) Enhancement (E+) - [Growth Type] [Notice: Enhancement (E+) ready to be evolved once condition ??? is fulfilled!] Basic Swordsmanship (E) (43.8% -> 86.42% Proficiency - Evolution Possible) Basic Magic Control (D) (17.28% -> 42.56% Proficiency - Evolution Possible) Blessing of a Fairy Queen (A+) (0% -> 8.2% Proficiency) [Seals are now released when Fjleora is in the mortal plane.] [Notice: The first two seals have been released due to being able to summon Fjleora!] World¡¯s Atlas ( C? ) (Max Proficiency - Evolution Possible) My mana, in particular, received a humongous boost, and was even on par with someone like Charles or Rodney, even if they were melee-focused. It was a great boost, to the point I could probably form around thirty magic missiles at once. In truth, I felt it too, that my mana capacity has increased around fourfold in proportion to my increase in stat proficiency. However, once I reached the next tier, it would increase to a new height. ¡°Yooo! This is some great stuff," I devoured the status board with greedy eyes. Fjleora¡¯s breathing technique was considerably OP, and it also seemed my Enhancement ability was ready for growth. Unfortunately, this body¡¯s unique skill was never present in the game, so I had zero idea of how to improve it. If I had to guess, it was likely something related to the duration of which I held Enhancement as my limit is two different ones and I doubt I could force another application past two. Despite the overall improvement of my stats, I had one focus right now. The breathing technique. According to the knowledge imparted within me, all I had to do was intrinsically mix mana with the oxygen that circulated into my body. ¡°I wish it was as easy as it sounded¡­¡± I sadly mumbled. I¡¯ve been trying to activate it since Fjleora imparted it, although the act of shoving mana into oxygen bonds was anything but simple. It was something I¡¯d have to get the hang of rather than think logically. -x- ¡°What kept you out for so long?¡± Fen asked, doing a handstand on his bed. ¡°I was practising a technique,¡± I yawned, opening the handbook. Seemingly excited, he left his exercise pointed at himself. ¡°Wanna test it on me?¡± ¡°Dude, I¡¯m on the verge of dying¡­ let me rest.¡± ¡°Ah well, there¡¯s always tomorrow,¡± His excitement faded and he returned to his ridiculous-looking routine. On my end, I read the new line for today, only to be disappointed yet again¡­ ¡®Did you know, the Northern Republic are friendly with all other nations?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like this could be observed in the game description or anything! ¡°Huh?¡± I muttered, seeing more words being carved out. ¡®Also, it seems Alicia Einsburg, their representative is interested in the character Luke!¡¯ The book had never mentioned me before. It seems I was proven wrong, this book was useful. But, now I had another uncertain variable to worry about. Currently, there were three main things on my mind, Krulia and the Beastmen, Uriel¡¯s bad ending, and Luna¡¯s interference. Now, there was also the character Alicia to add to that list. Her capabilities were just... "Eugh," I shivered at the thought. "But..." If by chance she¡¯s the same as her in-game character though, there was likely to be a good outcome. Unlike every other person in this game, she could be considered to be the most normal. ¡°Whew,¡± I breathed out in relief. Luckily, it wasn¡¯t anyone else who could cause trouble. Chapter 62 - Julia’s Lament Julia¡¯s POV After yesterday''s mess, I finally rid the village of the sandworms. Though, for some reason, I couldn¡¯t find Serina at all. If I had to guess, she probably returned to the academy. The receptionist herself even asked where she was, worried she died or something along those lines. Regardless, I was interested in the idea of joining Luke, the commoner¡¯s party. Though, it seemed two other girls were already part of it. ¡°Whew,¡± I sighed looking at the running shower head. There was a mountain of things to worry about, yet something so trivial had me worked up. Ring! Ring! From across the shower, the communication orb I carried around illuminated in short pulses. I wanted to leave it for later, but my father told me he would be calling at this time beforehand. I ended my relaxing session early, drying myself and answering my father¡¯s pestering. ¡°Hello? Is our precious daughter there?¡± A worried voice emerged. ¡°Yes, Dad,¡± I reluctantly answered, ¡°What did you want to tell me?¡± ¡°How great, it¡¯s nice to hear you are so healthy!¡± He was energetic to the point I questioned if he could tell I was annoyed, ¡°Anyways, yes, I need you to come back to the duchy as soon as possible.¡± ¡°It¡¯s barely been over a week and a half, what happened?¡± His words caught my attention. ¡°Did something happen to ¡®that?¡¯¡± ¡°Haha¡­ unfortunately it seems so,¡± Dad¡¯s voice lost its optimism, ¡°So, when do you think is the best possible time?¡± ¡°Most likely after the first set of tests, so maybe in a month? Or is that too long?¡± Silence permeated for what felt like a minute. ¡°Your mother says it¡¯s not extremely urgent, so no it should be fine. But, if possible please come sooner,¡± He pleaded. ¡°Ugh¡­ fine, I¡¯ll see if I can,¡± I put the orb down, ready to end the call. ¡°I¡¯ll call you when I find out.¡± ¡°Ah one last thing, is it possible if you could bring that boy you talked about? Luke was it?¡± Smash! The orb remained dead on the floor, not broken, but somewhat damaged. ¡®What kind of question is that to ask your daughter? To bring over another- another¡­¡¯ My face heated up, rousing more frustration within me. ¡°Stupid,¡± I muttered leaving the bathroom. To calm myself down I picked up [Lumen Grace], unsheathing it. It¡¯s immaculate gleam always soothed me down, as it reminded me of my late older sister¡­ It also served to further my resolve. I had to become stronger at all costs. After polishing the shining blade, I recalled my original goal. ¡°Now, where would Luke be?¡± I began with dressing myself, then setting out for the Golden Nest building. I checked the time, and it was early morning, so it was reasonable that he wouldn¡¯t be up yet. On the way there, I couldn¡¯t see any other students affirming my assumption. ¡°Is that¡­?¡± I found myself momentarily speechless. ¡°If it isn¡¯t Julia!¡± A boy with green eyes approached me, ¡°What brings you here today, a spar maybe?¡± ¡°Err¡­ no thanks, but is the commoner awake yet?¡± I swerved the topic immediately. ¡°Ah, Luke you mean,¡± He gazed off into the sky, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s already on his morning jog, he left before I woke up.¡± I raised my eyebrow, ¡°Is he always doing that?¡± ¡°He started that routine ever since Erin started training him, something about raising stamina and endurance,¡± Fen recalled. ¡°Right, thanks for telling me,¡± I bowed making sure I kept my manners. Fen Castelle was the son of the Emperor¡¯s right-hand man, Hubrick, the greatest duke in history. By this point, I¡¯ve gotten used to talking to him, but sometimes such a fact prevents me from doing so at times. ¡°No problem! See you around!¡± He waved, then looked behind me. ¡°Oh, if it isn¡¯t the princess! And before you leave, make sure to tell Luke I said hello.¡± I nodded, watching Fen walk behind me. ¡®Wait, Princess?¡¯ Finally, what he said was processed in my mind¡­ Princess Luna Rend Alexander, the daughter of that doting emperor, was meeting with Fen. I heard from Lyuga that tensions between the Empire and the Alexander Kingdom were high as of late, so maybe this was an attempt at cooling it. And, according to Rebecca, the prince seems to have had some issues with her. I wanted to know more, but I found myself dropping it before I got myself caught in more trouble. Hence, I found myself traversing academy grounds. Currently, in front of me was a closed-off wall, blocking an entrance. This was the shopping district, before the academy¡¯s enrollment of freshman, an incident occurred which led the area to be almost demolished.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. I heard it should be all tidied up by the end of next week though, so I was sure to make plans. ¡°Saddening isn¡¯t it?¡± A girl asked her friend close by. ¡°Yeahhh¡­ just one more week though right?¡± ¡°Haha, we¡¯re going to have so much fun when it opens!¡± The trio hyped themselves up, then looked at me. ¡°Heh, look at her,¡± She barely hid her whisper. ¡°The demon child of the accursed family.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised the emperor still lets them roam around freely.¡± I clenched my fists, remembering the teachings of my older sister. I had to remain calm, especially in front of those who looked down on us. I ignored their remarks, leaving for another place where Luke might¡¯ve passed by. ¡°Yeah, walk away demon girl,¡± They laughed from their ignorant positions. ¡°He- hey!¡± I turned around, hearing a yelp from those bitches. ¡°Hahaha! As if you girls can talk, aren¡¯t you from the Arveil family, the ones who dipped in rank after running away from the frontlines?¡± A familiar voice mocked them. ¡°Yo- you! And what are you?¡± ¡°A commoner, what does it matter? You all rank lower than me in this academy, so it¡¯s not like you can do anything.¡± ¡°You vile insect!¡± ¡°Yuri, calm down! Look at his brooch, he¡¯s part of the Golden Nest.¡± ¡°Hmph,¡± They trembled, ¡°Yo- you, I¡¯m not afraid of your position. It seems the academy has lowered its standards if a commoner has made it into the elite.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, say that when the prince is in front of you,¡± He shrugged. ¡°A- as if His Highness the Prince would take your side!¡± They remarked, barely held back by the other girls. I pulled out the wooden sword that I kept around for training, ¡°You want to bet?¡± ¡°Hiik!¡± The girl by the name of Yuri finally backed off. ¡°C- consider yourselves lucky.¡± The girls backed off, clearly annoyed, but the boy continued to mock them. ¡°Keep walking, tell me I¡¯m right.¡± ¡°You!¡± Before she could start clawing away at him, the others pulled her back. Seeing them off, he approached me. ¡°You alright?¡± His average looks, dim brown hair, and status as a commoner¡­ somehow today, it was¡­ Especially cool. ¡°Ye- yeah, of course, I would be!¡± I stuttered, barely keeping my composure. ¡°And where were you, I¡¯ve been searching for the past hour!¡± ¡°And you succeeded, here I am,¡± He smiled in the face of my complaints. ¡°I also had something I wanted to talk about with you.¡± ¡°Indeed! I also need you to explain your recent ventures to me!¡± I spouted words in the heat that wouldn¡¯t leave my face. ¡°If you want me to, I will,¡± His smile quickly left his face, ¡°But first, I need to get this out of the way.¡± Luke¡¯s expression turned serious, unlike anything I¡¯d seen from him before. ¡°W-what is it?¡± I asked, gulping down a sense of fear due to the unknown. ¡°Julia, I¡¯m kind of aware of the way you¡¯re seeing me,¡± He calmly told me. The heat that was rushing through my face halted, like a griffon slamming into a castle wall. ¡°E- excuse me?¡± I stammered. ¡°Wh- what could you ever mean!¡± ¡°I know that you use that noble facade, but I need the real you right now,¡± Luke¡¯s eyes displayed sincerity, but something damp like guilt as well. ¡°I- I¡­¡± ¡°Julia, it might be almost arrogant of me to say this, but it¡¯s clear to yourself that you¡¯re running away from it.¡± His words echoed, throughout my mind. ¡®Running away.¡¯ My mind screamed as images of the past ran throughout my brain. ¡°No! No! No!¡± I repeated that one word. Luke¡¯s face crumpled, but I couldn¡¯t escape the horrors of my memories. I was panicking, and I could tell from my subconscious that he was too. ¡°You- you¡¯re like everyone else!¡± Accusations I had no control of were spoken from my mouth. ¡°You¡¯ll disappear, scared of me!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Answer me!¡± I slammed my hands onto his chest. Tears streamed down my face, as I repeated that action. ¡°I won¡¯t abandon you,¡± His voice carried a unique warmth. ¡°And you¡¯re misunderstanding me completely here.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I looked up at him, with my eyes red. ¡°But-¡± Before I could speak, he tapped my shoulder. ¡°I need you to calm down, alright?¡± I felt my back being pat, and the intensity of my mind began to cool. The voices of the damned and traitors were drowned out by the sound of his breath. ¡°You back?¡± He had a somewhat bewildered smile. ¡°I- I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered, escaping his pats. ¡°That¡¯s my fault, I must¡¯ve triggered some kind of trauma, sorry,¡± Luke apologised without any qualms. I wiped my tears and remained quiet until I could return to normal. ¡°Wh- what were you trying to say earlier?¡± Luke raised both of his hands in front of me, ¡°Let me not sugarcoat it this time. You like me, right?¡± My mind froze, for a completely different reason this time. ¡°I- I- I- what?!¡± My mess of a face managed to worsen. He shrugged, ¡°The way you act, it gives off all the signals.¡± My brain urged me to retort, but images of his face spread throughout my mind in retaliation. My heart beat quicker, helping me realise the truth of such emotions. ¡°Ye- yeah, so what if I do?¡± I snarkily replied with a crimson colour emanating from my cheeks. ¡°The thing is, I¡¯m under an obligation that requires my full attention, which lasts until graduation,¡± He bowed. ¡°Sorry for the emotional disarray I¡¯ve caused you.¡± I thought back to all the times he made me flustered when he first talked to me, and how he was the reason I could make new friends. If he were to leave me¡­ I couldn¡¯t imagine it. Instead, as long as we were together, that¡¯s what mattered. ¡°Hmph!¡± I snorted, ¡°A noble as great as myself needing an apology? How incredulous, you should be thanking me for fancying your being.¡± He rubbed his head, looking at me with estranged eyes. ¡°Do you not get it, commoner? Whether or not I like you, is none of your business, keep on doing as you have been,¡± I spoke with a haughty tone to get the message across. ¡°Haha, sure,¡± He finally let out a smile, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Now, will you indulge me with your stories or not?¡± I ordered him. It didn¡¯t matter to me, as long as we could be together side by side. This noble-like tongue, was the first time I used it to receive someone¡¯s favour, rather than push them away. ¡°Alright!¡± He let out a wide smirk, ¡°First, with two other seniors and Lisana ¨C¡± Chapter 63 - Holy Conspiracy (2) Proofreader: Me! Before I was scheduled to meet with Uriel, I happened to find Julia being mocked. The fan within me was justifiably infuriated, leading me to rush in without thinking. Honestly, I had no idea what went through my mind at the time. It seemed that even if this world was a game I found myself becoming attached to the characters in it. I thought it would also be the perfect time to talk. Unfortunately, I somehow triggered a trauma response, she cried and hit me, and then after I explained to her what I meant, she used her noble facade to get out of admitting it. I wanted to bang my head against the wall, I understood that these girls liked me, but not remotely close as to why they did. Of course, I didn¡¯t let any of that slip through while I detailed my past few days. ¡°And yeah, that was about it,¡± I put my hands down on the bench. ¡°Truly, as expected of my future subordinate, spectacular,¡± Julia nodded. ¡°Although, I have one request!¡± I gave her a strange look, ¡°Sure?¡± ¡°My father has requested that you visit my territory in the next month, after the first round of tests for a weekend,¡± Julia sputtered out of her mouth. Surprisingly, she invited me out to her territory. Not that I¡¯d complain since their ancestor mentioned a reward in his pension. If anything, I was thankful she kept her facade up this time. Julia glanced at me with expecting eyes, breaking character, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a plan,¡± I nodded. From one perspective, it was crazy to think about how she went from being rejected to inviting me to her house¡­ unfortunately, this is what I signed up for by dying. ¡°Great, I¡¯ll see you later!¡± She cheered, dropping her facade completely, and without embarrassment either. After waving goodbye, she stumbled a bit, glanced backwards, and ran off in a daze. ¡®How formidable¡­¡¯ If I were rejected the same way, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d be able to take it in stride like this. Yet¡­ Uriel was also in the same boat. Today, we¡¯re supposed to go ¡®shopping.¡¯ It was clearly a date, but due to my circumstances and her wishes, I refused to acknowledge it as such. The path to the garden was still empty as it was morning, but it seemed like fate had decided to bestow me upon misfortune once again¡­ Uriel sat beside a small patch of flowers deep within the flower labyrinth, while Fen and Luna were happily chatting away at the main area¡¯s bench. If the front side was meant for viewing, the side entrances were like mazes toward the centre. I took a weird path to avoid the latter two, cutting myself on the razor-sharp edges of the otherworldly flora. [Hey! Don¡¯t injure the plants!] Fjleora shouted in my ear. ¡®Do you think I could help it if I wanted to?¡¯ I grumbled. [Hmph, master, don¡¯t expect me to help if you can¡¯t even protect our future spirits!] I paused my steps, ¡®Future spirits, you say?¡¯ [You don¡¯t know? Every living breathing thing that isn¡¯t sentient eventually becomes a low-ranking spirit.] In the game, it was simply stated that spirits have existed from the beginning of creation, with nothing on their spawning. Rather it was stated that spirits had a limited population that never decreased or increased, and only reincarnated once they ¡®died.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s interesting, why isn¡¯t more widespread?¡¯ [Master, I¡¯m the only Royal Rank Spirit left, it¡¯d take thousands if not hundreds of thousands before another one sprouts.] I continued my steps, with a small hypothesis brewing. If spirits were not limited, but continuously were born, through an item that could be obtained at the end of the first year¡­ theoretically, I could accelerate their growth and artificially create high-ranking ones. ¡®We can talk later, I have an appointment.¡¯ [Eh! Wait-] I cut off the connection with my newly learned mana manipulation. Since she taught me how to cut off the summoning, I assumed I could do the same with telepathy. ¡°Uriel, I¡¯m here,¡± I waved as I pushed through a block of well-trimmed plants. ¡°You¡¯re early,¡± She looked up with a gentle smile. ¡°Sh- should we go now?¡± Even though she seemed so confident with that greeting, the moment she mentioned the date she faltered. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m ready,¡± I nodded. Taking my affirmation, Uriel tugged my arm and took me out of the garden, the proper way.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the princess and Fen?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯d rather not disturb them.¡± Uriel put a finger to her lip, ¡°You make a good point!¡± Despite saying that, she happily hummed and made a point to walk past Fen and Luna very visibly. I wanted to cower away from Luna¡¯s glaring, but Fen¡¯s eye contact told me an entire story. ¡®Hoh¡­ after that night you took a step forward?¡¯ He seemed to convey. I tried to respond with my own version of raising my eyebrows. ¡®Dude! I rejected them!¡¯ ¡°Hahahah!¡± Fen laughed seemingly out of nowhere, surprising Luna and Uriel. ¡°Fen? Are you alright?¡± Luna grabbed his hand with a concerned frown. Uriel caught my attention with another tug, ¡°Luke, we should hurry, the cake restaurant might close!¡± ¡°I thought you said you needed essentials?¡± I questioned her morality. ¡°Hehe,¡± She ignored my question and pushed forward. -x- ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying, while I do need to buy some items, eating is very important!¡± Uriel continued to look away. ¡°You still hiding something?¡± I crossed my arms. ¡°Err¡­¡± She pushed the tips of her index fingers together, ¡°The archbishop messaged me concerning receiving some kind of important relic.¡± In an attempt to hide my tension, my eyebrows trembled. Her bad end, it seemed the world wanted to start it in earnest now. ¡°You should¡¯ve told me sooner,¡± I crudely smiled. ¡°And, is that where we¡¯re supposed to be?¡± I pointed at the hot spot for visitors in front of us. Within the academy there was a facility purely for travelling to other places, whether it be the Empire, one of the religious factions, or a dungeon, they had it. It basically acted as fast travel within the game. ¡°Ye- yes, and Luke, could you go ask for me?¡± Uriel backed behind me. ¡°Excuse me, we would like to use the portal service,¡± I asked for her. ¡°Of course,¡± The receptionist bowed in front of a large glowing portal. ¡°Where would you two like to go?¡± ¡°Eternum,¡± Uriel whispered. I answered their question, ¡°The capital of the Holy Lands, Eternum.¡± The receptionist walked in front of the Portal, raising their hands. With my special eyes, I could see his mana directly interfering with the symbols on the portal. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s ready.¡± We walked side by side into the portal, and unlike the other teleportation experiences I¡¯ve had so far, it was simply instant. A temple, adorned with statues and imagery of Eien and angels became my surroundings. It reminded me of the bad ending where she decided humanity was unfit to continue and went on a rampage to destroy it. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Uriel looked at me expectantly. ¡°Uh¡­ yeah,¡± I halfheartedly answered. Her smile dampened, ¡°If you don¡¯t like it¡­ it¡¯s okay to be honest.¡± ¡°Not at all!¡± I quickly refuted. ¡°I just remembered something unpleasant.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t we go eat breakfast to cleanse it?¡± She offered. Without a second thought, I agreed, ¡°Lead the way.¡± We ventured out of the temple, receiving looks of reverence from the civilians here. It was morning, but the streets were bustling with peddlers, priests and common folk. ¡°You¡¯re universally recognised, it seems,¡± I was astonished by the amount of people who waved. ¡°Hehe, everyone here is like family to me,¡± She giggled. ¡°All the civilians prayed to Eien for me to ascend to the first candidate.¡± Were prayers necessary from the people related to one¡¯s holy power, or was it solely innate? I¡¯d probably find out if we continued to adventure together. ¡°It¡¯s very lively, unlike the academy,¡± I commented as we walked past a fountain. ¡°Mmm, in the teachings it is said to always wake up as the Sun rises from the east,¡± She explained. It hammered in the fact that this was a religious state. ¡°Are we close yet?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s right here.¡± Uriel turned toward a small building with a cutesy-esque aesthetic. Certainly, it would appeal to girls of our age. ¡°Come in!¡± Uriel inadvertently grabbed my hand in excitement. ¡°If it isn¡¯t our number one patron, what do you want today?¡± A middle-aged lady at the counter called out. ¡°Oh, it seems she¡¯s brought a partner as well.¡± ¡°Cut it out Barbara, it¡¯s not like that,¡± She refuted it heavily, giving the opposite effect. ¡°Mhmm, if that¡¯s what you believe¡­¡± The Barbara lady eyed me up and down, ¡°But still, I don¡¯t get it, what¡¯s so special about this one?¡± I stood in silence, unable to grasp her blatant whisperings. Uriel exclaimed in both embarrassment and slight horror, ¡°Auntie, I¡¯ll exclude you from my prayers if you continue this rudeness!¡± Receiving smacks from her, Barbara backed down, ¡°Alright, alright, sorry. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Luke, I¡¯m here today since Uriel said she wanted to buy essentials,¡± I answered with my name and purpose. ¡°Essentials?¡± Barbara repeated. ¡°Are you sure she didn¡¯t mean sweets?¡± ¡°He- hey! I haven¡¯t eaten yet!¡± Uriel sat down with a red face. ¡°So you went to a sweet shop?¡± I retorted. ¡°...¡± ¡°Haha, you two match well,¡± Barbara chuckled. ¡°I want the newest item, Lemon Tarts two for me,¡± Uriel ordered with an upset tone. She cutely glared at me, ¡°Cho- choose for yourself!¡± Her attempt at acting mad had the opposite effect of what she intended, as my heart warmed rather than worried. I looked at the menu presented brightly on the counter, ¡°Is it alright if I just have a cream crepe and a sandwich?¡± ¡°Got it, I¡¯ll be back in a moment,¡± Barbara disappeared into the kitchen behind. I looked down at our table, seeing Uriel¡¯s mopey face. ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯m fat, do you?¡± ¡°Where¡¯d that come from?¡± I replied with another question. ¡°And no, you¡¯re not fat.¡± If we¡¯re not including her bountiful assets, then what I said was right. ¡°Hmm, okay,¡± Her expression gradually lightened. My mind sighed, as I remembered having similar conversations with an ex before I died. Chapter 64 - Holy Conspiracy (3) Proofreader: Me! ¡°You weren¡¯t lying!¡± The cream along with the fruits mixed inside, created a harmony I¡¯d never tasted in my two lives. I¡¯ve had the same thing before, but something in this was different. The texture, its presentation, and the taste, it was from another world. ¡°Gud, rite?¡± Uriel mumbled while wolfing down the cake in front of her. My immersion crumbled at her sloppy eating, but at least it was cute. ¡°Hahaha, you both eat well that¡¯s for sure!¡± Barbara chuckled from the counter. ¡°Two peas in a pod, I¡¯d say.¡± ¡°Kek-¡± Uriel choked on the cake, ¡°Ex- excuse me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to hide it,¡± Barbara nudged. I sighed, obviously realising what she was getting it. ¡°That was it, right Uriel? We better go shop for those essentials, or we¡¯ll run out of time before we know it.¡± She blushed, ¡°Ye- yes of course! Sorry, Auntie, we have to go.¡± ¡°Hmph, youngsters nowadays,¡± Barbara crossed her arms with a slight smirk. ¡°Thanks for the food,¡± I waved as Uriel pulled on my arm with her cheeks puffed up. ¡°Luke, the place I wanted to go to originally, it¡¯s about to open!¡± She vehemently rushed me out of the store. I popped a joke, ¡°You sure you aren¡¯t just doing this out of embarrassment?¡± Uriel turned away, ¡°Of course not!¡± After letting out a fit of anger, she remained silent. That gave me the chance to once again observe my surroundings. ¡®Overwhelming.¡¯ That word was the only way to describe what I was feeling. It was as if the entire world decided that I was an enemy. Not like I could blame the people here, how would you react if a target of worship interacted with a random commoner intimately? But, I would appreciate it if they toned down their glares a bit. ¡°Sorry,¡± Uriel¡¯s whisper reached my ears. ¡°I knew there might¡¯ve been some backlash, but I didn¡¯t think it would be this bad.¡± I barely stifled my laugh, she still gave a sincere apology after just throwing a miniature tantrum. She was perfect for the qualifications of a saint¡¯s personality. Besides the obvious suspicions of the populace, I was able to take in the infrastructure of the town. It was quite grand in design, each building was high-class. Adorned with gold, and high-quality metals like Mythril which is scarce within the market of this world. I wondered how this nation managed to¡­ ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± Uriel exclaimed. ¡°It¡¯s the grand opening, just like Ron told me.¡± I held my head upward, observing a skyscraper in a medieval world. I never visited Eternum as Serina in the game and only saw it from afar. My voice held a slight tremor, ¡°Up close it¡¯s something else, that¡¯s for sure.¡± This building was a hotspot for anything divine. Whether it was equipment for priests or paladins, statues of the goddess, orbs of divinity, it held everything. There was at least one side quest that involved this place for every protagonist. ¡°It¡¯s called EienPlex or EP for short,¡± Uriel beamed with pride as she took in the building¡¯s grace. I scratched my head, ¡°Were you the founder or something?¡± ¡°No, but I was involved in the campaign to advertise its opening!¡± She happily grabbed my arm and took me inside.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I looked behind us right before entering, ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Uriel¡¯s eyes exuded worry, knowing I wouldn¡¯t suddenly stop like this. In the corner of my eye, I saw a suspicious figure cloaked in a fabric, yet nobody reacted as they sped out of my sight. ¡®Invisibility, perhaps?¡¯ And the reason as to why I could see through it¡­ I rubbed my eyebrows, remembering the words Runalia and Fjleora said a week ago, as well as the description of Outer Eyes. ¡°It¡¯s nothing Uriel, sorry for stopping suddenly,¡± I let out a comforting smile. For now, I had no reason to stir up trouble due to a random ghost-like person. ¡°Ah, okay!¡± She brightened up immediately and opened the front doors. ¡°Welcome to the best market on this continent!¡± I was speechless, ¡°Wow¡­¡± With a step of a foot inside, I could tell, this was reminiscent of modern Earth. There were escalators of some kind, and stairs moving with magic instead of electricity. There wasn¡¯t any kind of replication of an elevator, but small shops were lined across the walls like a normal supermarket. ¡°If you¡¯re that surprised, you should look up,¡± She snapped me out of my trance. It stretched for what looked like kilometres, how was one supposed to reach higher floors without cramped legs? I wanted think a bit more, but a person resembling staff approached us. ¡°If it isn¡¯t our esteemed patron, the future saintess!¡± ¡°Ellen, it¡¯s nice to see you again!¡± Uriel clasped her hand and whispered a short prayer. ¡°May I ask who is accompanying you today?¡± Ellen¡¯s eyes sharply met my own. Despite the fierceness of her stare, Uriel remained oblivious. ¡°He¡¯s my classmate and my benefactor! Please, treat him well.¡± ¡°Of course, do you need any assistance?¡± Ellen backed off, but I could still sense her unease. ¡°No, we will go on our own for now, I¡¯ll call if we need help.¡± ¡°If that is your will,¡± Ellen bowed and returned to her standing post. We walked toward the stairs and Uriel pointed toward a peculiar sight. ¡°If you look over there, you can see guides who bring you to a magic circle which can be used to access any floor you want,¡± She happily explained my earlier unspoken question. I put a stop to my wonder, and faced her, ¡°What did you need again?¡± ¡°Luke, my robes and some of my uniform were ripped up to shreds, so I need replacements,¡± She spoke without hesitation. Alone with me or Rodney, it seemed her true personality was revealed. It piqued my curiosity as to why she became shy in the first place. I never planned as playing as her in the first place so my knowledge was only surface level. ¡°I doubt that¡¯s it.¡± She smiled, ¡°Yes, I need some stationery for the starting classes, and I don¡¯t have all the equipment for alchemy ready yet either.¡± My eyes widened, ¡°Alchemy? You plan to take alchemy?¡± Uriel met my eyes with a resolution I hadn¡¯t seen before. ¡°Luke, after being saved twice, I¡­ I realised I have to do something.¡± The corners of my lips twitched upwards. I guessed this was how teachers felt seeing their students progress. ¡°Uriel, you¡¯ve grown in these short two weeks,¡± I praised her with sincerity. ¡°Re- really?¡± Her body shrunk as she played with her fingers. ¡°Of course, not only is your aversion to people already starting to make progress but your resolve has been set firmly,¡± I nodded with ian nnate sense of pride. ¡°Hehe,¡± Uriel giggled slightly and once again dragged me forward. ¡°I¡¯m also planning to take Divine Combat Arts!¡± ¡­ An eerie presence keyed upon me. Her announcement, triggered something within my memory. I couldn¡¯t draw on it, but the feeling persisted after she spoke. ¡°Hmm? Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Uriel pushed her forehead forward onto mine, checking my temperature. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have a fever.¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­¡± ¡°Great!¡± She led the path forward by climbing a set of magical stairs on the right. ¡®Fuck.¡¯ It was so sudden, that my now teenage heart was gripped by her actions. Normally she¡¯d be embarrassed by something like that, did she become this bold that quickly or is she simply an airhead when it comes to someone¡¯s health? ¡°Urgh,¡± I punched my side to get my gears working. I followed behind Uriel who was the visible image of a blooming youth. ¡°Ow!¡± Her movements suddenly proved to be erratic as her footsteps intertwined, ¡°D- don¡¯t come here!¡± I caught a slight glimpse of her face. Pure red. ¡®Did she just realise?¡¯ I internally let out a sigh and helped her up by the hand. ¡°I saw nothing,¡± I made sure not to look at her face. ¡°You said something about needing new clothes?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Uriel rose back up on her feet and practically ran to her desired shop. Chapter 65 - Holy Conspiracy (3) Proofreader: Me! Frankly, I¡¯ve been on edge despite the constant joy this saint¡¯s been expressing. I kept catching glimpses of that figure from before we entered. ¡°Luke! Does this look good?¡± Uriel peeked out from the changing room, showing off the priestess robes. ¡°It¡¯s very pretty!¡± ¡°Indeed, it matches you perfectly,¡± I nodded, doing my best not to show my nerves. ¡°Hehehe!¡± She once again closed the curtains. ¡®How much longer do I have to be here?¡¯ I was destined to collapse from the pressure of keeping watch and allowing Uriel to be blissfully unaware. Watching her filled me with a form of vain envy. I couldn''t believe I had forgotten how some girls really¡­ really loved choosing clothes. My sister was, unfortunately, one of those types, and would ask for my thoughts every time. At the very least, I had experience in responding in a good way. Also, the employees of each store were very nice, unlike those devotees from outside. In a way, merchants aren¡¯t exactly in the position of religious practices considering the pursuit of money. ¡°What about this one?¡± Uriel shyly popped her head out, as if it was somehow different from the previous ones. Carefully, she released the curtains with a faint blush. ¡°Uh¡­¡± My mouth lingered in an open state. The robes were on the revealing side, with her shoulders being revealed, and slits on the leg portions were present. Essentially, a lot more revealing. I wanted to quit right now that was for sure. I gulped internally. ¡°You look more adult-like and exude a different kind of beauty, although I can¡¯t say if it matches your personality.¡± ¡°O- okay,¡± She shied away into the curtains. No but seriously, who put her up to this? Rodney would probably murder me if he found out, and I don¡¯t want to involve myself with Uriel in a way like that. ''Not yet at the very least.'' ¡°I think the first option from when we entered was the best, it does its job while also looking the cutest,¡± I offered from the front of the curtains. I wanted to get the process over and done with, and I wasn¡¯t wrong either. The robes she wore when we first entered like half an hour ago covered the bases, and the frills and details on it aimed to accentuate a cute exterior¡­ or something to that effect. ¡°Th- then I¡¯ll go with that one,¡± Her voice trembled. After hearing the cluttering of clothes racks, I felt the movements of the stalker tailing us. I stood up from the bench which started to ache, ¡°We can go now right?¡± ¡°Coming!¡± Uriel called out, stumbling out from the changing room. But by then, I already left the establishment. My focus was directed toward searching. I scanned for any platforms that could act as viewpoints. However, I made sure not to make it obvious. In the current situation, the EienPlex was jam-packed with customers. Unfortunately, I hadn''t realised such a fact when the entrance was empty. Instead, it was rather that the interior was so large, that no normal amount of people could fill it up. Thanks to that, it was practically impossible to find a singular person in a crowd of blurring heads. ¡°-- uke! LUKE!¡± ¡°Sorry, the ¨C¡± ¡°Why would you leave me in there by myself!¡± My vision turned blurry as Uriel shook me, ¡°That place is a maze! It¡¯s super embarrassing to ask for help, you know!¡± ¡°Under- understood¡­¡± Only after I admitted my supposed mistake was I let go. ¡°Hmph.¡± The corners of her eyes were red. Uriel stomped off into the crowd, just to meekly return after remembering her social anxiety. I refrained from face-palming, deciding to distract her from my slip-up. I raised a question, ¡°You said you needed an alchemy set?¡± She nodded frantically, her head facing the floor as she did. It was the perfect window to go for a killing strike... Whoosh! Behind her, a shadow flickered into existence. Its arm flicked up in a flash, testing my reaction time. The hand released a silver needle, with a subtle clear liquid coating it. My only clear action was to sacrifice our footing. ¡°Eh- wa wait!¡± Uriel tried to resist. Uriel laid flat on the floor, while a needle pierced my arm. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I looked down at her. Rather than answering, her gaze centred on my limp arm. ¡°I- I¡¯ll heal you!¡± Uriel kneeled to start the prayer. At the same time, guards surrounded me. ¡°What are you doing to the future Saintess!¡± Ellen shouted with anger.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. I put up one arm as my other one was currently turning purple. ¡°I knew you were scum the moment you entered the capital!¡± Another guard exclaimed. I stood with resignation. My left arm was a sick purple, spreading extremely quickly. ¡°Do me a favour and look at her,¡± I spoke with a dead tone. ¡°Heh- you can¡¯t use her as a hostage here!¡± Guard C yelled. Smack! Ellen¡¯s hand reacted before I could retort. ¡°Unfortunately, she¡¯s healing him,¡± Ellen sighed. ¡°Everyone, Umbrella Formation, it¡¯s an assassination attempt.¡± ¡®At least one of them is sensible.¡¯ After they moved in unison, she approached us with a visible frown. ¡°Do you have any idea who caused it?¡± ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re in front of Guard C- I mean the guard behind you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± She scrunched her eyebrows. ¡°Are you-¡± Ellen collapsed, as my view turned black. The pain was further amplified as my remaining arm had been pierced. ¡°Crazy!¡± She finished her sentence. ¡°Call me whatever you want when I come out alive!¡± I spat at her. ¡°Gurgh¡­ alright,¡± She grumbled but had to acknowledge my words. ¡°Senior Ellen! Even after that assault, we can¡¯t see where they are coming from!¡± Guard C panicked holding a random shield he picked up. Her grimace intensified, ¡°Tch¨C one of you has access to an emergency magic barrier, use it now.¡± A solidified wall of mana rose from the ground around us, forming a semisphere. At the same time, Uriel¡¯s prayer had ended. ¡°High Cure!¡± She chanted the final spell. ¡°Whew, that¡¯s nice,¡± I managed to wriggle my fingers. ¡°Feels great to have working limbs.¡± I regained my position to look up, as there would be no reason to leave yet. They knew they had the upper hand, even if I could prevent their attempts. Despite knowing that, I could not do anything without risking death. Ellen confronted me, ¡°Stop dawdling and explain to us what¡¯s happening.¡± I looked at her blankly, slightly disappointed she couldn¡¯t figure it out herself. ¡°We¡¯re being raw dogged.¡± Slap! ¡°Wh- what!?¡± Ellen retorted without hesitation. I rubbed my face, ¡°Sorry... I meant assassinated.¡± Whatever the reason, what came out of my mouth was a familiar trash talk that I used in PvP. In addition, Uriel watched on in astonishment unable to process the sudden smack. I further elaborated, ¡°We were being watched the moment we entered the capital, although I thought I was imagining things at first.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t come to your mind, that the Saintess is a very high profile figure?!¡± Ellen raised her voice even higher. I nodded, ¡°You make a good point.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me slap you again,¡± She threatened. I raised my hands in surrender. ¡°Think about it from my perspective, we¡¯re in the capital of the Order of Unity, you expect me to think assassins are common?¡± I questioned her line of thinking. She grit her teeth, acknowledging my also sound logic. ¡°You two cut it out!¡± Uriel equally smacked both of us. ¡°We have to get out of here first.¡± That would normally be a good idea, but because I knew it was just one person, it wasn''t worth it. I renounced her idea, ¡°I believe we should take them out and find out who¡¯s behind them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right no matter how much I hate it,¡± Ellen agreed. ¡°There¡¯s enough of us guards for it not to be a big risk.¡± ¡°B- but¡­¡± She glanced at my two arms. I raised them again, ¡°You can always heal us, don¡¯t worry.¡± Uriel gazed at the both of us in turns with a disapproving expression. "I don''t want the two of you two get hurt, just do that for me." "That''s easy," I bloated my ego. ¡°So, where are they now?¡± Ellen grabbed my attention. ¡°Probably because they failed twice, they are refraining from approaching for now,¡± I shook my head with regret. ¡°Have an idea?¡± Ellen glanced between me and Uriel, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure.¡± I thought between both instances, the first aimed at Uriel, and the next at her. If it were someone who hated me, particularly Luna¡­ then it¡¯s unlikely she¡¯s in charge. Which meant, this could only be part of Uriel¡¯s unique story route. However, the princess wasn''t stupid enough to go after a Saintess in broad daylight when this region is especially unforgiving even when compared to the elves. ¡®Tch, was I already reaching the limits of my game knowledge?¡¯ I clenched my fists. If I were to think logically, every game with a holy nation has some kind of opposing cult or corruption within it. I lifted my head from the floor, ¡°Ellen, have there been any complaints about Uriel¡¯s sudden rise to the number one spot as a potential saint candidate?¡± A flash of intelligence brushes past her eyes, ¡°Yes, two of the four cardinals have been expressing some discontent¡­ but to go as far as hiring assassins? I doubt it.¡± ¡°Are you positive they wouldn¡¯t?¡± I pushed for proper confirmation. ¡°Hmm¡­ while Cardinal Alissa has been free of any controversy, I can¡¯t say the same for Cardinal Pewter.¡± Ellen, after saying so, looked at me puzzled. ¡°What does that have to do with approaching this situation?¡± I smirked, as a sense of absolute confidence surged within me. Whether the idea was a stupid risk or not, I wanted to try it anyway. I leaned forward, shifting my weight onto my right leg. With one motion my body leapt into the air through the application of a twofold enhancement into strength. "You just promised not to hurt yourself!" My ears picked up the Saintess'' complaints. The sudden action of escaping safety startled the assassin, but they quickly recovered. This shadow bared their fangs, displaying ten needles placed in between their fingers. In response, I created thirty magic missiles. I reacted in kind, and a slight thought flashed in my mind. ¡®I need some new spells¡­¡¯ I thought as blurs of shade were launched in my direction. Their throws were filled with unfounded speed, but these missiles were designed to never miss. Three orbs targeted each needle, as I doubled my agility through stacking my enhancement twice. ¡°Get over ¡®ere!¡± I shouted a certain yellow and black dressed shinobi''s line. I ran up the walls, predicting they would be disorientated after missing their entire arsenal. Just as expected, they were slow to react. I leapt toward the platform where the assassin was positioned. ¡°Got ya!¡± I wrestled with the black-coated figure, utilising the Jiu-Jitsu I learnt when I was younger. ¡°Now, tell me¡­ does the person Cardinal Pewter ring any bells?¡± I smiled firmly at my belief. The expression on their face scrunched, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I equally let out a confused expression. ¡®Was I wrong?¡¯ ¡°Luke! I told you to stop doing crazy stuff without saying anything!¡± Uriel yelled from below. Seriously though, did I just overcook? No, I could never be wrong! ¡°You petty bastard, tell me everything you know!¡± I pushed down on his arm located behind his back. ¡°Arggghh!¡± Their screams of agony reached the customers below us. This isn''t because I¡¯m mad, not at all¡­ Chapter 66 - Holy Conspiracy (4) Proofreader: Me! After Uriel had calmed me down, the assassin had already been knocked out. However, my ears were bombarded with lectures about my attitude until Ellen took me and the stalker to holding cells somewhere in the building. I wanted to refute her words, but... I likely had been acting out of character due to the influence of the poison. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s true?¡± I asked. Ellen nodded, ¡°This poison is quite often used to cause chaos rather than kill, and the fact it¡¯s been paired with a paralysing agent is even more brain-wracking.¡± According to her, pumping through my veins were a few ounces of the substance, but not enough for me to act out. ¡°Guess my earlier assumption was wrong,¡± I shrugged. ¡°Well, has he said anything yet?¡± ¡°That bastard hasn¡¯t spoken at all¡­¡± Ellen clenched her teeth. ¡°What a shame,¡± I murmured and pondered. However, an idea bulldozed my lethargic mind. ¡°Can I have a go at interrogation, all you have to do is let me be in there alone,¡± I suggested. ¡°Alone? A kid like you?¡± She raised her eyebrows. ¡°Yes, I have a skill of sorts,¡± I struggled to keep a neutral expression. ¡°Urgh¨C fine, I¡¯ll let it slide since you were the one to notice this originally,¡± Ellen let me out of the blank cell. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few, it shouldn¡¯t take too long,¡± I estimated generously. ¡°Confident, aren¡¯t you?¡± She smirked. ¡°Want to bet on it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to drain a devout believer of their money,¡± I sarcastically snorted. Despite wanting to retort, Ellen asked a budding question, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not above eighteen?¡± I shrugged, which made her only speak more. ¡°Your perception and insight, it¡¯s quite advanced, I had to dumb it down for our saintess in the other room¡­¡± Ellen let out a tired breath. ¡°A commoner has to find their own ways to live in an environment filled with nobles,¡± I answered her doubts. Ellen looked at me suspiciously, ¡°Hmm, if you phrase it like that¡­¡± ¡°Anyways, I have a bet to win,¡± I smugly left for the assassin¡¯s cell. ¡°I thought you backed out¨C¡± Slam. Upon entering the room, a man staring at an empty ceiling was visible. The lack of anything within this cell, such a feeling crawled under my skin. ¡°Heh, here to make me whistle?¡± The man mockingly chuckled. His murmuring attributed to the nature of the room, but I recollected my rationality. There wasn¡¯t any need to talk, and I could easily use the status board to guess his origins and work from there. Although¡­ I walked up to him and held his finger bound by magical chains. ¡°Wh- what are you doing?¡± I slowly bent it backwards. ¡°O- oi! Don¡¯t do¨C¡± The finger snapped into a position it shouldn¡¯t be able to make. ¡°Shit!¡± They swore out the pain. Somewhere within my brain, a small prick of satisfaction emerged. I picked up his other finger. ¡°Why did you even¨C Fuck!¡± I felt satiated with two for now. His cursing and remarks intensified as I summoned an appraisal stone from my hand. [Daven] [Age: 28] [Race: Human (Beast)] [Skills:] Beastly Swordsmanship (B-) Night Beast Steps (B+) [Other skills are available to view.] There were various other techniques but those two stood out in particular. However, his screaming was a bit too loud, so I bent back a third finger. At this point, the door behind me smashed open. ¡°Did you seriously just kill- oh, he¡¯s alive and not bleeding,¡± Ellen paused. ¡°Do I look like that type of person?¡± I frowned. I shook my head, and informed her of my findings, ¡°There¡¯s a good chance he reigns from a beast tribe¡­¡± ¡°You got him to speak that quickly?¡± She doubted me. ¡°This man is insane, you have to¨C¡± I bent another finger slightly. ¡°...¡± I continued, ¡°As I wanted to say, I unfortunately have an idea of where he may come from.¡± ¡°Not from the cardinal as you guess?¡± Ellen annoyingly poked my arm.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Ahem. Everyone is prone to mistakes,¡± I coughed. ¡°Rather, I believe it stems from the extremist faction of the second saint candidate, Krulia Vankarst.¡± After I spoke the accusation, I regretted it immediately. Words I thought were harmless elicited a harsh response. ¡°You dare accuse a saint prospect!¡± Ellen¡¯s sword met my face. Staring death in the face, I couldn''t help but relax my raised guard. Her personality was too cunning to do something that irrational. I rolled my eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t act like you didn¡¯t hear what I said¡­ you just wanted a reason to threaten me didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hmmm? Excuse me, whatever could you mean?¡± She spoke with an annoying tone, dropping her sword. I didn¡¯t expect to meet someone who could match my level of irritating. ¡°Hah¡­ their group likely sent that as a warning,¡± I deduced with a sigh. Ellen inched toward the shrunken beastman, ¡°Warning, you say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you know this, but the main reason Uriel came today, was to receive a relic from Archbishop Mikael,¡± I recalled. ¡°I didn¡¯t, but what does that have to do with¨C wait¡­¡± Ellen¡¯s mouth trembled. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quicker than others, and unfortunately what you¡¯re thinking is probably right.¡± I put my hand on the interrogation table, ¡°Which is why I need him to speak.¡± I lifted the frightened man¡¯s ring finger. ¡°I- I¡¯ll take my leave,¡± Ellen left with a disturbed expression. ¡°You see there¡¯s just one thing I don¡¯t get if you were targeting Uriel for the relic¡­ why did you aim at Ellen?¡± I pondered out loud. ¡°It¡¯s the only confusing thing, assassins only focus on their target, otherwise they run.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°There¡¯s two possibilities, either you¡¯re trash at your job, or your client is someone else,¡± I lifted their finger higher. ¡°I would¡­ rather die!¡± I sighed. Thankfully, for things like this, the calming mist within my mind was still present. With one swift action, another finger snapped. ¡°...!¡± They bit the inside of their lip to not yell. ¡°Ellen! Bring Uriel inside in five minutes!¡± I called out. ¡°Heh, filthy human, you¡¯ll never make me speak,¡± Their voice was raggard. In truth, the inside of my head was filled with turmoil. Inflicting pain on another cruelly took a toll on my mind, but I believed I was correct. Holding the mindset of Earth would hold me back moving further into the depths of this world. Hesitation could mean the death of the protagonists, and therefore the death of the world. I sighed with resignation, ¡°Hah¡­ let¡¯s see you make that claim in five minutes.¡± -x- I bit the inside of my lip, tasting iron as a result. The disfigured person, if it could even be called a person, had refused to talk until the end. ¡°Lu- Luke what is this!¡± Uriel barged in and instantly poured divine energy into the man, skipping the process of prayer. Praying was more effective, while what she was currently doing was quick at the cost of being much weaker. ¡°Uuuugghh¡­¡± Their voice barely escaped from their crushed windpipe. Rather, his entire body was barely in shape. The man¡¯s bones stuck out, his fingers were disjointed and his legs were twisted in different directions. ¡°I¡¯ll do it again after you heal him,¡± I spoke indifferently. ¡°What is wrong with you!¡± Uriel barked back at me, ¡°This isn¡¯t human!¡± Torturing someone else was something the previous me could never imagine doing. However, this also serves as preparation for when I finally kill a person my self. As a precaution, the calming fog in my mind would always arrive before I faltered. I put my hand on her shoulder, ¡°Uriel.¡± ¡°What!¡± Tears formed in Uriel¡¯s eyes. ¡°They seriously tried to kill you, morals are something these types of people use to justify their actions,¡± I tried to calm her down. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t accept it at all!¡± Continuing to heal the beastman''s body, Uriel shook her head. I spoke with a rigid determination, ¡°This sight will be common in the future as you fight for humanity, whether you like it or not.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it! You willingly put him in this state!¡± Tears continued to stream down her face. ¡°If I don¡¯t¡­ the entire academy will suffer, your friends may die, and their entire race might be wiped out of existence,¡± I spilt some of an unfortunate future. ¡°Wha- what are you on about?¡± Uriel¡¯s face faltered at my sudden revelation. ¡°These beastmen are bent on revenge, particularly against you Uriel. As a result, they¡¯ve planned to attack the academy, and kill you," I explained with dread. ¡°That doesn¡¯t justify¨C¡± ¡°Abel will kill them, even the innocent, so let me put an end to their idiocy even if this man suffers,¡± I bluntly told her. ¡°It¡¯s simple, the suffering of one heretic, or the death of many friends and the extinction of their race.¡± She silently rose from her dirtied knees and faced me. ¡°Th- there has to be an easier way to do this!¡± ¡°Uriel, don¡¯t make me feel worse about what I¡¯ve done more than I need to,¡± I sighed once again. Falling again into silence, she stared deep into my hands. Her fists tightened, and her jaw trembled as she readied to speak. ¡°Are you¡­ absolutely sure about everything?¡± She reached out for my hand, with doubt in her eyes. ¡°Definitely," I answered with conviction. Uriel¡¯s gaze strengthened, ¡°Really?¡± I nodded, not feeling the need to speak it again. Uriel met me with red eyes, ¡°Luke, you have to promise me from now on, to only do things like this unless necessary.¡± I planned to do so, otherwise who knew whether I would lose control of my blood lust? The more I murdered without thought, the more likely I was to lose myself. The superhero in the comics on Earth was famous for being a bat, had said it himself. It¡¯s not like I planned to kill this guy either. ¡°Easy, but I¡¯d have to go for a round two, or nothing would come out of that trap,¡± I paused to gauge her reaction. ¡°You can leave if you need to.¡± Uriel let go of me, her trembling beginning to halt. I sensed it, a change in values or goals, all within her eyes. ¡°Luke, I must¡­ stay here. It is my duty as the future saintess to meet the darkness of this world head-on,¡± Uriel sat at the furthest chair away from the man. Part of me wanted to smile seeing such a cliche. She was naive, but quick to adapt, whether it was due to shock therapy from me or not. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll save the academy together,¡± I nodded at Uriel. ¡°Yes, I apologise for my outburst earlier!¡± She clenched her fists, creating a cute but wholesome image. Slam! ¡°I¡¯m sorry, she barged right through!¡± Ellen¡¯s voice echoed from outside. ¡°Is that one of my men?¡± The voice was familiar, but somehow unusually dignified. ¡°Who?¡± I turned to face the intruder. Pink hair, fluffy pink ears, and a bushy tail supposedly covered by illusion magic. ¡°Senior?¡± Uriel muttered. ¡°I am responsible for his actions, please let him go,¡± Krulia stepped toward the bound man. I cut her off by raising my sword, ¡°I¡¯m thankful for everything you¡¯ve done for us. But senior, if you are directly affiliated with this person, I can¡¯t let you approach so easily.¡± Her lips quivered, and her eyes shook with something mysterious. It was as if a darkness lingered behind her otherwise bright expression. The situation wasn¡¯t normal, and she didn¡¯t seem to be herself either. ¡°Please, think about this carefully Luke, this beastman isn¡¯t the problem, just let me talk to them!¡± Krulia practically begged. Her physical change was drastic, and it seemed like her image was distorting. There were instances when something like this had occurred in the game, but that event would be too early to start now. Rather... When has she ever referred to me by name? There was only one explanation for that. Under my breath, I cursed, ''Dammit.'' ¡°Please don¡¯t yell at me for this later," I looked at Uriel with a begrudging smile. Chapter 67 - Holy Conspiracy (5) Proofreader: Me! My sword came down without mercy, to the dismay of everyone present. Air gushed past my face as I doubled my strength through stacking. However, the beating of my heart halted, just as my arm had. ¡°Kekeke!¡± Our senior¡¯s mouth curved up to a frightening degree. ¡°Seriously?¡± The sword snapped, coming into contact with hardened fleshy sludge. The laugh intensified, mocking my helplessness. Tentacles from the sludge that formed the false senior¡¯s appearance rushed at me. Within that second, a wall was erected around me. ¡°Barrier!¡± Uriel chanted. ¡°I can¡¯t hold her off for long!¡± I cursed while creating an appraisal stone in my pocket. [Hummonculus #23] [Attributes:] Vitality: Tier 0 (50%) Agility: Tier 0 (50%) Strength: Tier 0 (50%) Mana: Tier 1 (0%) [Skills:] Shapeshifting (A+) ¡°Everyone! It¡¯s a doppelganger, kill it!¡± I lunged toward the deformed priestess. I threw the chipped blade at the doppelg?nger. Yet, neither of us would feel the impact of hitting something. ¡°Hehehehehehehehehe¡­¡± The homunculus became a puddle of mush and guts, dissipating into the ground. ¡°What just happened?¡± Uriel looked at me in shock. ¡°I have no idea,¡± I huffed some air as I calmed down my nerves. ¡°You two! The captive is gone!¡± Ellen grabbed the both of us. ¡°The homunculus disappeared along with them.¡± ¡°The fuck?¡± I swore, looking at the empty binds. I racked my brain, with the only possible escape being that a piece of the homunculus made its way to the beastman after I slashed it. ¡°Where would it have gone?¡± Uriel mumbled. I gazed at the status board stemming from the sludge, only to gain nothing but its name, [Artificial Flesh] at the C rank. Homunculus could only be created by dark magicians of what I¡¯d consider the middle of the pack, with around 50% proficiency in a taboo alchemy-related field. In the game, there were many roaming dark magicians. Although, those that exceeded a certain threshold tended to form groups, due to the inability to grow stronger without sacrifices. ¡°I can think of two places, both impossible to reach unless we had a high-ranking magician capable of teleportation,¡± I replied, touching the residue on the ground. Ellen approached me, albeit cautious of her surroundings. ¡°Would you mind informing me of what you¡¯re thinking of? It¡¯d be best if we can investigate from there.¡± ¡°The most likely place of suspicion would be the slum district of Eternum, whereas the other one might be a bit controversial,¡± I reluctantly answered. ¡° ¡° Controversial? ¡° ¡° They both looked at me with prodding eyes. ¡°Remember how I asked about the Cardinals?¡± I mused, to the widening of their minds. ¡°That¡¯s the other place I could guess they¡¯d escape to.¡± ¡°Thank you, we¡¯ll start the investigation soon,¡± Ellen turned to the guards recovering on standby. ¡°But first, these guys need to rest up a bit.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Also, you should probably raise the security of the EienPlex to its max,¡± I noted. ¡°There¡¯s no need to tell us that,¡± Ellen shook her head. ¡°The high priests have already been stationed inside.¡± I nodded in admiration, as it seemed they¡¯d finally woken up. ¡°While you do that, Uriel and I will visit the Archbishop before we face any more distractions. ¡°Eh?¡± Uriel made a pip but quickly calmed down. ¡°It¡¯s a creature that can mimic perfectly mnything, are you sure you¡¯ll be fine?¡± Ellen asked. ¡°Wasn¡¯t I the one who realised something was off first? Worry about yourself first.¡± I waved goodbye as I dragged a speechless Uriel along. Ellen threw a small pendant toward me. ¡°And this is?¡± I inspected it with care, as it seemed pretty fragile. She reached around her neck pulling out a similar-looking pendant, ¡°It¡¯ll tell anyone around here that you¡¯re one of us.¡± ¡°Guessing this makes us even?¡± I joked. ¡°If you believe that¡¯s enough,¡± Ellen replied cryptically before helping up the limping security guards. Normally, I would question how that would be helpful, but the sunset beyond the windows was telling me to cut things short. ¡°Luke, the portals downstairs can bring us to the front of the main temple,¡± Uriel spoke out. ¡°Got it.¡± I picked up Uriel in the infamous princess carry, just as Luna experienced a few days prior. Her resistance was surprisingly non-existent as I peered over the edge. ¡°Wait- I told you to stop doing crazy stuuuuuuufffffff!¡± Her voice dragged on as I jumped off the floor¡¯s platform. -x- Luna¡¯s POV Underneath the academy, my faction has aligned itself with a shady group temporarily. So far, we¡¯ve been provided with intel about the four other nations and their goals, but today we received something odd. ¡°The Priestess is set to meet with the Archbishop today?¡± I leaned on my arm, trying to look past the person¡¯s cloak. ¡°Yes, and I doubt she¡¯ll go alone because of her anxiety,¡± They affirmed such information. I had no reason to doubt such, as they are responsible for Fen and me being able to meet. They informed me of his likes and dislikes, creating a level of credibility. Despite their suspicious behaviour, I had the upper hand as I could easily remove them from the academy at any moment. That power makes it even more suspicious, but their knowledge has been nothing but the truth thus far. In addition to helping me get to know Fen better, they have allowed my faction to grow by taking advantage of the drama in the minds of teenagers'' minds. ¡°We also hear that within said meeting, she is to receive a relic of demonic origins.¡± I tapped the armrest as I pondered their word choice. ¡°Are you possibly acknowledging that the head figure of the church, the Archbishop is in tandem with the demons?¡± ¡°...¡± I shook my head, ¡°Propersterous, this is completely unbelievable.¡± ¡°All I ask is for some monetary support to help us in this time of need,¡± They bowed from across the musty desk. ¡°After hearing that?¡± I chuckled at their brazenness. ¡°If any of this were traced back to me, the kingdom would have to face the wrath of the holy lands.¡± ¡°I can guarantee you will not be involved at all, and I can assure you through this,¡± They slid a paper enchanted with mana in front of me. ¡°A binding contract¡­¡± I murmured, ¡°Perhaps, in return for what you¡¯ve done to us this is the least I can do.¡± I read the terms and propositions, of which nothing disadvantageous was apparent. ¡°Are you satisfied, your highness?¡± They asked politely. ¡°It is enough,¡± I put the paper back down after injecting my mana into it. ¡°Very well, we shall meet after this is put into motion.¡± Despite the failsafe known as a binding contract, I felt a deep sense of incongruity. It was similar to how that bug, Luke, would somehow find a way to disrupt my plans. Actually¡­ hasn¡¯t the number one saint candidate, Uriel, been wagging her tail around that insect? Filthy, but her position to scoff at. Walking back upstairs, my two closest vassals were waiting for me. ¡°Herald, what is the likelihood Luke is to accompany Uriel on her visit to Eternum?¡± My vassal bowed, ¡°Almost certain.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re that confident, then I believe it,¡± I nodded. ¡°You can report to me directly at a later date.¡± ¡°Understood, Your Highnesss.¡± ¡°Yuti, hire a ¡®helper,¡¯ one that could make that bug experience an accident of sorts.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Yuti coldly responded. I personally raised Yuti from a young age, whereas Herald was brought in by my father. Two very prominent servants, whom are very useful. ¡°We¡¯ll be on our way now, Your Highness,¡± They both bowed and succinctly left. ¡­ ¡°Hah,¡± I sighed mindlessly, ¡°This princess is bored.¡± For once in a while, I had nothing to do. Hence, I found myself roaming the various gardens that surrounded the Golden Nest. Maybe I was waiting for Fen, or¡­ ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I mumbled looking at an out-of-place flower. It was dark, embodying a deep grey. In comparison to the rest of the flower bed, it seemed isolated. As I looked at it, my father''s words played before I arrived at the academy replayed in my mind. ¡®Remember, my dearest daughter, there is value in others apart from the importance of networking.¡¯ ¡°Fuu- How dumb,¡± I begrudgingly muttered. In this world, the only way to survive was through power. Connections are also a form of power, and I planned to hone that, aside from my magic. Mother would have thought the same. Chapter 68 - Sign of Eternity (1) Luke¡¯s POV ¡°So this is Eien¡¯s temple,¡± I muttered. ¡°Surprised?¡± Uriel snickered. ¡°My face should tell you everything.¡± I cocked my head backwards to get a full scope of the architecture. The temple was set at the very back of the capital, with a singular path from the main square being the only way to get here. Unlike every other lavish building, it was bland, and resembled the great pyramids of Egypt back on Earth. The reason for such was likely linked to their teachings. A line of priests were always stationed at the entrance, for emergencies, security, or other situations that may arise. Uniform similar to Uriel were adorned, only that their faces were covered. ¡°Make sure to stay close,¡± Uriel reminded me. I nodded, looking at the stern expressions of the members. It seemed my presence was irritating all the way over here as well. ¡®If that¡¯s the case, this should be a nice introduction.¡¯ I made sure to readjust my newly attained pendant to lay on top of my uniform. The front priests turned to one another with varying expressions. ¡°Quiet!¡± A woman wearing modest robes, stepped out from within the temple. ¡°Remember your duties as devout believers of our Goddess.¡± The surroundings bent to her will, enforcing silence amongst them. While I couldn¡¯t feel anything, the air density deepened along with a mysterious power gathered in their vicinity. As a result, the previous noisy priests could only look down under that pressure. From what I remembered, that force was not mana, but rather the solidification of divine power. Meaning¡­ this person was likely one of the four cardinals. ¡°You look energetic today, Saint candidate Uriel,¡± She approached us, the pressure now gone. Uriel joyfully met her gesture, ¡°Yes! It¡¯s been a while hasn¡¯t it, Cardinal Priscilla?¡± ¡°Indeed, even before your enrolment there were several matters for you to attend to,¡± Priscilla added. The two exchanged a few more pleasantries, walking us past the entrance. I glanced back at the priests at the front, noticing some strange movements. Personally, I wanted to investigate, but the countless eyes within the temple kept me in line. ¡°Ah, and this is a friend I made at the academy, his name is Luke,¡± Uriel introduced me with haste. ¡°Luke, it¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Priscilla bowed despite her high position. I returned the gesture with humble words, ¡°Please, don¡¯t bow to a commoner like myself. Rather, it¡¯s an honor for me to meet a cardinal.¡± ¡°You¡¯re polite, that¡¯s extra points for you,¡± Priscilla nodded with a satisfied expression. ¡°Extra¡­ points?¡± I murmured. Uriel almost jumped at the expression, ¡°Don¡¯t judge him with your shady eyes! And, he¡¯s anything but polite!¡± Priscilla looked me and up down, letting out a small smirk. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, even more points.¡± ¡°Agh, you¡¯re still the same as ever¡­¡± Uriel looked down in defeat. ¡°What¡¯s the erm, relationship between you two?¡± I slowly asked. ¡°Uriel? If I had to say, she¡¯s something like a baby sister,¡± Priscilla put a finger to her cheek.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Wha- what! I¡¯m not a child anymore!¡± Uriel pouted. ¡°¡­¡± I sincerely doubted that, from the bottom of my heart. Priscilla chuckled seeing my expression. ¡°Unfortunately, someone doesn¡¯t seem to agree.¡± Daggers formed within Uriel¡¯s eyes. ¡°Ahem, that is the furthest thing from the truth,¡± I held my hand close to my mouth. Before Uriel could pounce on me, Priscilla stopped in front of a massive door, ¡°The room in front of us is the Archbishop¡¯s quarters, so stop arguing like old married couples.¡± Uriel swiftly interjected, ¡°How could you say something like¡ª¡° The wooden behemoth of a door blasted open, and the two of us were shoved in. ¡°We¡¯ll see each other again later,¡± Priscilla gazed at me in particular. ¡°Ciao.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with her, that hurt,¡± Uriel rubbed her back. Unlike the clumsy saint, I landed on my two feet. A figure exclaimed in front of us, ¡°Hoho, Priscilla is the same old as ever¡­ and you Uriel, are just as I remember.¡± ¡®The Archbishop¡­ he¡¯s a lot more youthful looking than he was in the game.¡¯ The figure known as the archbishop was simply an old man who had served for as long as two hundred and thirty years. He was a person of his word, and the faith he wielded was fatal for those who opposed the Goddess. He was a character that rarely made any appearances for a myriad of reasons, the main one being his death happening before the start of the second year. Him being alive prevented the corrupt members from taking action, as well as pushing back the untimely doom of the world. A central link to keeping the world alive. Although, it would be passed down onto the Uriel as the story naturally progressed. ¡°Archbishop! I¡¯m sorry for this raggard appearance,¡± Uriel quickly dropped onto her knees. ¡°It is nothing, our appearance is not a matter worth considering in front of our Goddess as long as our hearts remain faithful,¡± The archbishop spoke. Uriel let out a sigh of relief, ¡°Thank you for your kind words.¡± ¡°Now, please stand up and take a seat,¡± He kindly offered. ¡°You too, friend of Uriel.¡± I sat down glancing at both Uriel and the Archbishop, unable to speak in the current atmosphere. I doubt Uriel felt it, but an inexplicable pressure was pushing against me. ¡°Don¡¯t be shy, you can speak,¡± He directed his focus to me. ¡°I apologise¡­ it¡¯s hard to speak when, geh-¡± ¡°Luke, are you okay?¡± Uriel peered at my shaky temperament. My hold onto my body was slowly loosening. I couldn¡¯t believe I forgot this. His test for those not part of the Order of Unity. Eyes of a God¡¯s were piercing through mine as I attempted to regain my balance. ¡°Let. Me. Repeat.¡± ¡°This pressure, you¡¯re releasing¡­ it¡¯s too strong for a child¨C no?¡± ¡°Pressure¡­?¡± Uriel mumbled. ¡°Hahaha! You withstood it, how great it is our saint is accompanied by such a righteous individual,¡± He nodded his head with delight. ¡°Although, that desire¡­ saving the world was it? An ambition worthy of entree into this palace of Eien.¡± Uriel crossed her arms, ¡°Father before I ask what you mean, did you test him?¡± My eyes widened, she dropped her formality, and referred to him as¡­ father. ¡®Is this another repercussion from Hell¡¯s Paradise?¡¯ ¡°Uriel, you have to understand, with the world as volatile as it is, I have to be prepared at all times,¡± The archbishop backed away in his chair, almost as if in fear. Uriel pouted toward me, but glared at her supposed father. ¡°What did you mean by saving the world? Luke¡­ is that what you¡¯re working for?¡± ¡°No comment,¡± I raised my hands in resignation. The archbishop¡¯s poker face dampened with beads of sweat, ¡°If that¡¯s what the young one wishes, my daughter, that is all I can say.¡± Uriel¡¯s expression quickly turned for the worse. ¡°Ugh- Okay, remember that day when I confronted you?¡± I acted quickly to prevent the oncoming tragedy. She nodded with a serious expression, while the Archbishop gazed on with eyes of a lamb in distress. I gulped internally, ¡°How I couldn¡¯t accept anything until after the third year? What the Archbishop said was the reason for that, even if I don¡¯t know how he read my mind.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ does that really mean¡­?¡± Uriel mumbled some words before sitting in silence. In reality, I wanted to view his status¡­ but his dominion over this space was absolute. Which would mean the obvious implication that he¡¯d notice my creation of an appraisal stone.Uriel brooded for a moment, looking down at her lap. ¡°Young one, could we speak in private while she calms herself down?¡± He let out a dishevelled smile. I nodded not speaking due to being afraid of setting any landmines off around her. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± The archbishop then spread his arms out in a dramatic manner. ¡°[Blessing of Eien: Dominion of Space].¡± My surroundings shifted the same way the teleporters did in the academy. The space was empty, where only an endless sprawl of white was visible. ¡°Sorry for the lack of a view, I haven¡¯t been here in a while,¡± The Archbishops voice resounded in my head. Snap! From the sound, two chairs and a table materialised in front of me. Accompanying it, was the formation of the Archbishop¡¯s body. ¡°Besides not setting off my daughter, I have something to ask of you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s related to my ambition?¡± I shrugged in the seat. He shocked his head, ¡°No, I want to ask for a favour.¡± ¡®Oh.¡¯ I internally felt disappointed that I was wrong about something for the second time today. ¡°At the very least, I will hear your holiness¡¯ request.¡± He bowed his head, ¡°Then, please, prevent Uriel¡¯s death in the coming month.¡± ¡­ ¡°You¡¯re aware?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes¡­¡± He looked at me with a sense of helplessness. ¡°It was by the order of our Goddess, I cannot refuse.¡± The [Clock of Eternity] is an omnipotent weapon, when specific conditions are fulfilled. In turn it is one of the most coveted relics in this game¨C no, world. I crossed my arms smugly, ¡°You¡¯re in luck.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± His eyebrows raised. ¡°That was my plan from the start,¡± I put both my hands on the table. I rubbed my fingers together, ¡°Although, obviously I¡¯ll need some.. of you know.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®I¡¯m not religious, don¡¯t look at me like that! I wouldn¡¯t have asked if you didn¡¯t have that!¡¯ Chapter 69 - Sign of Eternity (2) Proofreader: Me! With the promise of the Archbishop¡¯s support, I was launched back into reality. I attempted to reel myself together at the sudden transition, making a fool of myself. The snickering gaze of the man drilled into me. ¡°You two were quick,¡± Uriel raised her head. ¡°Did the Archbishop do anything to you, Luke?¡± Her eyes were calmer but still contained a hidden disdain for her father. ¡°The archbishop didn¡¯t ask for much, nothing you need to worry about,¡± I shook my hands to lessen her worries. ¡°Ahem.¡± The Archbishop clapped his hands, ¡°The real reason I¡¯ve brought you here, Uriel, is this.¡± He opened the palm of his hand revealing a chic pocket watch. ¡°I order you to hold onto this divine relic until we manage our internal affairs,¡± He let out a regretful smile. ¡°Is it Cardinal Peter?¡± Uriel asked. ¡°Unfortunately, he¡¯s only one of our current issues at the moment. There¡¯s a lot more problems we don¡¯t show to the outside world, so I ask not just you, but also Luke, to protect this until we¡¯ve sorted everything out.¡± The Archbishop explained with deep eye bags. Uriel reached out to his hand, following his request. At that moment, I used my Outer Eyes to view the clock¡¯s description. [Eternity¡¯s Clock] (Z-) [Effects are unable to be viewed until it¡¯s true form is revealed.] ¡®Hmmm¡­¡¯ The description matches what I¡¯ve heard on the forum, so at least something is familiar. ¡°Is there something bothering you, young one?¡± The archbishop bore a troubled complexion. ¡°Sorry, I spaced out for a second. It¡¯d be an honour to be of help to the Pope,¡± I apologised for the silence. ¡°I thank you for this unreasonable request, may the two of you be safe under the watch of Eien,¡± He prayed for our sakes. I nodded, ¡°We will see you later¨C¡± ¡°Wait, Luke, are you sure about this?¡± Uriel questioned me, disrupting the farewell. I turned my head toward her father¡¯s direction, observing the fear in his face. It was an amusing sight, but also pitiful. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re friends anyway,¡± I let out words to release the father¡¯s mental agony. Uriel created a graceful smile in response, clasping my hand. I tilted my head at the action until she started murmuring something that resembled the prayers she¡¯s recited countless times. The next second, the Archbishop suddenly stood up with a trembling in his legs. ¡°Ur- Uriel, is that truly what you wish to do?¡± He stuttered with a slack jaw. Confirming her intentions, Uriel continued her ritual like murmuring while holding her right hand over my own. I stared at her in silence, contemplating her decision. ¡®If I¡¯m correct in my thinking, isn¡¯t this the same ritual the reason why I hired a high-ranking priest every play through?¡¯ In the game, when playing as a priest, there was a famous permanent buff who could propel any ally to an immense height of strength in the most dangerous times. The penalty, however¡­ ¡°My daughter, this will be the only time Eien can grant such a blessing. Yet¡­ it seems she¡¯s made up her mind. Luke, please, do remember my request,¡± The archbishop reminded me in a tone of resignation. I pitied him, being unable to protect his own daughter. ¡®But, I¡¯m here! So no need to worry, I need her to live, and so does this world!¡¯ With that thought, Uriel¡¯s chant had ended. Accordingly, a warm light pierced the porcelain ceilings, descending upon our overlapping hands. ¡°I bestow Luke, the divine right to withstand death in the name of our Goddess Eien,¡± Uriel murmured such words with cloudy eyes. The divine light expanded, then brightened, only to condense to a focal point on her and my hand. ¡°Do you accept this blessing?¡± Uriel lifted her lowered head, staring at my chest. I gulped, as those eyes seemed to envelop my entire being. ¡°Yes, I accept.¡± The light imploded, creating a miniature flashbang. I covered my eyes with my left hand and heard the words of the Archbishop. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else to say, you two may go.¡± The pressure on my right hand lessened as the light dissipated. ¡°Luke, let¡¯s go,¡± Uriel spoke with a false strength. Her physique seemed shaky as if she had overworked her body to a great extent. In truth, I felt more than just a bit guilty.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Uriel,¡± I muttered ¡°Hmm?¡± I bowed with enthusiasm, ¡°Thanks for being a great friend.¡± ¡°Eh- No problem?¡± Uriel received my gratefulness awkwardly. ¡°Wait, just a ¡®great friend?¡¯¡± That would do for now, even though I couldn¡¯t make out her subdued ramblings. Having exited the Archbishop¡¯s office, the world transfigured similarly to his other dimension. I had the urge to hurl up everything in the contents of my stomach. ¡°I guess Father wanted us home as soon as possible,¡± Uriel mumbled in the changing surroundings. Within that short moment, our eyes revealed the school¡¯s courtyard. ¡°Thanks for today Luke, despite some of the interruptions.¡± Uriel played with a lock of her blonde hair. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, and honestly what you granted me is worth more than my entire being,¡± I rebuked her words. ¡°Hmph- you need to learn when to back down,¡± Uriel frowned but quickly smiled again after waving goodbye. ¡®I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve heard that one before.¡¯ I thought while scratching my head. ¡°See you later!¡± She exclaimed from a far distance. I wondered what she meant but I didn¡¯t have the privilege of thinking for long. The sky was already orange, which meant only one thing. I don¡¯t know how she does it, but¡­ ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± The cold breath of the demon king¡¯s daughter blew past my ears. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am¡ª¡° ¡°Ouch!¡± I rubbed my head, ¡°Was there a need for that?¡± ¡°No, but don¡¯t call me that again,¡± Erin frowned. Again, I was dragged into the pits of battle. The gym was practically a second home to me now, or even a second dojo. The way I was beat brought back painful memories. -x- ¡°Fuck¡­ is it impossible to not beat me into submission every time?¡± I cussed out. ¡°I heard of a famous western saying, no pain, no gain, which I agree with wholeheartedly,¡± Erin coldy responded to my pain. ¡°Even with enhancing my regeneration speed, it takes a whole five minutes to even stand after we fight,¡± I complained, wiping away my sweat. ¡°Today, I doubt even ten would be enough.¡± The breaths I took sent signals of pain to my body, meaning my ribs were probably in bad shape too. My arms were made to be black and blue, and my stomach couldn¡¯t feel pain anymore. ¡°Seriously, did something happen to you today?¡± I mused, ¡°Possibly, someone shit in your breakfast?¡± Her beatings were never this rough. ¡°Similar,¡± Erin replied. I pushed for more, ¡°Would you mind elaborating?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± Erin took a look at my pitiable state. ¡°Since we¡¯re friends, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°Oh, I am nothing but honoured to be the one and only demon king¡¯s daughter¡¯s friend!¡± I was exasperated by such an act on the ground. At that moment, a sword embedded itself next to my head. ¡°I said nothing,¡± I murmured in defeat. Leaving my hands hanging above myself, Erin gulped a heap of fresh air. She glanced between both me and the ground with a scrunched-up face. ¡°Today, I saw Fen and Luna talking closely.¡± ¡­ My face sank, ¡°Are you serious?¡± Another sword embedded itself on my left side. ¡°Noted, sorry,¡± I shut my mouth as I saw her faint blush. ¡®No kidding though, what the fuck? I thought everything was going just fine! You¡¯re not supposed to like anyone unless¡­¡¯ ¡°Unless¡­ shit.¡± ¡°What¡¯d you say?¡± Erin glared at me. ¡®How could I have forgotten? It literally says in the build guidelines for most warrior walkthroughs! Their compatibility is amongst the highest out of all possible character relationships. Similar qualities, similar strengths, and most importantly, they¡¯re both battle junkies.¡¯ If she and Fen were to become an item, not only would Luna crash out, but his growth could be completely circumvented. How am I supposed to kill the revived demon king without his power? Honesty at this point of our friendship, there¡¯s only one real way to go about this. The way my old friends tried to get me out of my first relationship, I¡¯ll do it here. I started with a question, ¡°Erin, can I say one thing, as a good friend of yours and a best friend of Fen¡¯s?¡± ¡°What?¡± She stared at me with a stern face. ¡°Give up on him, the sea is blessed with many other fish,¡± I advised her with all my heart. The atmosphere froze as soon as I spoke such words. ¡°No matter how much I want to kill you right now¡­ there¡¯s a reason you¡¯re saying this isn¡¯t there?¡± Erin¡¯s veins bulged with malice. ¡°I might not be qualified to speak on the matters of the heart, but Fen is already¡ª¡° Erin shook her head, ¡°I get it.¡± ¡°Then please¡ª¡° ¡°If you¡¯re the one telling me to get over it, take responsibility,¡± Erin turned away, but her ears burned red. ¡°Pick it both up,¡± She pointed at the two real swords next to me. I laughed, ¡°Haha, I could die you know!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the point,¡± Erin grinned in pure evil. ¡°¡­¡± Now that I remember, the last time I met Fen¡­ he was at a party with Erin. I didn¡¯t notice it, but thinking back on it, they were also pretty close before this week. They were the first two to approach me after the initial class with Haruto. Since they were so easy to pair together, it also fuelled my desire to play as the warrior path before I died. ¡°H- hey!¡± A voice called out from behind. ¡°I knew it, I couldn¡¯t trust her! Luke, get back!¡± The frilly new robes they bought today fluttered in front of me. ¡®So that¡¯s what she meant by later¡­ wait no, this might be bad!¡¯ ¡°Uriel, it¡¯s just a spar, nothing more,¡± I tried to calm her down. She ran up to me appraising my wounds, ¡°What do you mean! Look at yourself, you¡¯re hardly alive!¡± ¡°Well, what can I say? No pain, no gain,¡± I muttered a stolen phrase. Erin¡¯s eyes displayed a glint of pride at my comment. ¡°Argh! I shouldn¡¯t have left you alone with this- this¡­ cunning vixen!¡± Uriel shouted words I could have never expected. ¡°Eh?¡± Erin¡¯s jaw dropped at the accusation. ¡°V- vixen?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of this type of person before from Sasha! The types who- who enjoy hurting others for pleasure!¡± Uriel¡¯s mouth moved at lightning speed. ¡°There¡¯s no doubt about it, every time you come back from these spars you have a creepy smile on your face!¡± ¡°Creepy¡­ smile¡­?¡± An incomprehensible look of self-doubt formed on Erin¡¯s face. ¡°Your entire personality is creepy, including the way you look at Fen! I can sometimes see drool when you do!¡± By this point, Erin had lost in the battle of the minds. ¡°Pfft- Bahahahah!¡± My previous angst disappeared. Whether or not the world was doomed, it didn¡¯t matter at that moment. Simply put, I lost my shit. Chapter 70 - Premonition of the End In the middle of the Gymnasium under the calming moonlight, a charming spectacle found itself in front of me. ¡°You¡¯re telling me, that I¡¯m misunderstanding everything?¡± Uriel pointed at herself with furrowed eyebrows. ¡°Yes,¡± I replied earnestly, holding in my laughter. To the side of me, Erin sported a disturbed expression, ¡°We¡¯ve been telling you¡­ I¡¯m not what you think I am.¡± The swords by this point had already been put away, and we were chatting on the benches to the side of the sparring arena. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, really!¡± Uriel bowed frantically up and down. ¡°But¡­ Luke, I didn¡¯t know you trained this hard.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no possible way to get stronger without going through life and death, or so I believe,¡± I explained with a tired voice. ¡°The only problem is that instead of learning, I instead receive a merciless beating.¡± Erin crossed her legs and smiled, ¡°Of course, that is the way I learnt my way of combat.¡± Uriel blinked blankly at the statement, speechless at her brazenness. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m pretty badly injured and want some sleep,¡± I yawned and stretched lightly as to not widen my wounds. The saintess woke up from her stupor and immediately began pouring divine energy into my wounds. ¡°We¡¯ll see you next time Erin, and remember, the weekends are off!¡± I wagged a finger in front of her. I received a response that subverted expectations, she glared fiercely with a piercing look. ¡°Huh? Since when?¡± I astutely stood my ground, ¡°I have plans, unfortunately.¡± ¡°Denied.¡± Erin spoke without a shadow of a doubt. I was taken aback, ¡°What do you mean, refused. I have a will, you know?¡± ¡°You signed up for this, if you can¡¯t handle daily training¡­ then we can end the training here,¡± Erin grinned haughtily. My body fell limp. The entirety of my time in this academy would have to be disturbed by this demonic girl. ¡°There, there,¡± Uriel rubbed my back after finishing up the repairs, ¡°How about we head back now?¡± ¡°Yeah, I want out from this hellish place,¡± I nodded in tears. We stepped out from the gymnasium, and headed for the Golden Nest. On the way, they had some intriguing conversations. Erin seemed to be interested in the Order of Unity, asking away about the practices and teachings they underwent. Hearing that, Uriel¡¯s view on Erin had instantly changed. Part of me felt disappointed at her lack of discernment, but happy that these two managed to get along. We eventually split up at the split between the two halls inside the marvelous building. Keeping in mind the arduous day, I opened my door with the hope of peace. ¡°So? How was the date?¡± Fen¡¯s words penetrated my bubble of hope. ¡°It was simply an outing between friends, and honestly¡­ too much happened,¡± I sighed and collapsed on my bed on the other side of the room. ¡°Really?¡± His eyes sharpened, sensing there was more to what I said. ¡°I¡¯m not saying anymore, shoo,¡± I tossed around to the wall to avoid looking at him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you gonna shower?¡± An amused tone made itself apparent in his comment. ¡°Shit!¡± I panicked, looking at my dirtied bedsheets. ¡°Ugh¡­ what did I do to deserve this?¡± ¡°Maybe trying to accomplish the feat of leading on three beautiful girls at the peak of their youth?¡± Fen joked with a shrug. ¡°You wanna go there? Are you sure?¡± I glared back at him, ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen, it¡¯s not just that bitch trying to get to you but¨C¡± I gulped, acknowledging the consequences of revealing such information. In specific, the possible overreaction from Demon Lord¡¯s daughter. ¡°I get you two don¡¯t like each other, but what¡¯s with this mention of another?¡± Fen dropped the joking, interested in why stopped speaking. ¡°The answer has been right in front of you for a while,¡± I told him outright. ¡°Is that so?¡± He rubbed his chin. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t pry based on that look of fear in your eyes.¡± ¡°In exchange for that hint, do me a favour and tell me if Luna does anything¡­ strange,¡± I shamelessly asked. Fen looked at me meaningfully, ¡°Is there a reason?¡± ¡°The safety of the academy, or something to that extent,¡± I shrugged before entering the shower unit. ¡°Wait¨C elaborate first!¡± At that point Fen reached out for me physically. My shoulder had been grabbed, and I almost stumbled backwards. ¡°Alright, damn¡­ I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll believe me, but your intuition probably will.¡± Fen waited for an answer, choosing to remain silent. ¡°I know it might sound outlandish, but Luna might be involved with the reason why Charles has been on edge as of late,¡± I spoke some of my game knowledge. ¡°For example, misguidedly reaching out to a foreign power?¡± He rubbed his temples, looking at the ground with a displeased expression. After wasting time on pondering, he raised his hands up in a stretch. ¡°I will¡­ look into it, but on one condition,¡± Fen hesitated initially, but answered firmly. ¡°Have a duel with me sometime before the first round of tests, I don¡¯t care if you lose, just fight me with all you have.¡± All this time that was what I had wished to avoid, but in truth, I sufferred nothing. I wouldn¡¯t lose anything, and likely only receive praise for surviving against such a powerhouse. I was only scared of the premise of being gravely injured by mistake. ¡°I will accept it only as long as you get Professor Haruto as the referee.¡± I put out my hand, waiting to receive a handshake. Fen reached out and shook my hand, ¡°Finally! I¡¯ve been itching for a fight ever since what happened in Philios Forest even if I have to wait another month.¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I laughed with no hint of enthusiasm. -x- I stretched out both my arms as I felt the book of hints in my hand. Midnight had already passed, so it was already Saturday, which also meant something new would pop up. I flipped the book open, and found a peculiar piece of information. I wasn¡¯t sure if it¡¯d be useful or not, but regardless, I would act on Monday when classes would start. Only then, would this be helpful. ¡°Uuagh¡­¡± I yawned, staring into the window piercing moonlight. With the acquisition of the key piece of this possible Bad Ending, it was clear to me that a lot gears would begin to move. In preparation for that, a good sleep was needed. -x- ¡°Well, look who it is,¡± The professor smiled as he greeted me. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve had a student this quick to meet me before the first class ¨C colour me surprised.¡± Currently, I was within the unique office of Professor Robert, the teacher of Ancient History. The room reflected his personality, it was compact but messy. Each and every corner was covered in some kind of mural or item related to an event in the past. ¡®Hmm, is that what I think it is?¡¯ What caught my eye in particular was a hand with a shining ring. I wanted to analyse it as soon as possible, I needed to keep my priorities straight. ¡°Truth is, I plan to take your class right up through to the third year, and I wanted to ask some quick questions, if that¡¯s fine?¡± I asked as innocently as possible. ¡°That¡¯s encouraging to hear, what is it that your mind desires to know?¡± He raised his glasses with a flick. In the game, one of the possible ways to receive any kind of future information was through personal confrontations with the professor. In turn, you would receive key words that would point toward specific happenings of one¡¯s route. While I had a good idea of what was to come due to some deductions, it was open to gaps of uncertainty. Because of too many deviations from the base game, I suspected none of my plans would be foolproof. No matter what, I had to find out. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the curriculum is going to be largely different this year, I wanted to confirm the rumour,¡± I repeated the same line from the game. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m surprised that it managed to leak, but yes that¡¯s true,¡± Professor Robert let out a wry smile. Here, I would ask the default question within the game. ¡°Is there¨C¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re such a diligent student, I¡¯d like to inform you- hmmm, was there something else you wanted to ask?¡± I faked a cough, ¡°No, keep speaking please.¡± There was never a time when the professor would speak unprompted. I was undoubtedly exploring new territory. ¡°Well, the Great Hero has blessed the research department with the coordinates of an ancient war site. Which of course, I plan to take the class to as an external assessment,¡± Professor Robert explained, handing me a research paper. It contained various reports on a dungeon ruin south of the Alexander Kingdom. There were scribblings in particular about the lack of any monsters, despite the active mana flow from the dungeon care being felt. In this world it is commonly known that the stronger and denser mana was, inside a dungeon, the more dangerous it could be. Hence, it was what allowed them to rank the dungeons by danger. ¡°What do you think?¡± He asked me, definitely expecting a well thought answer. ¡°Erm¡­¡± I paused for a second, ¡°Apologies sir, but what grounds do I have to speak on this matter?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to be honest, even before you entered my class last week, I was aware of your existence,¡± Robert wryfully smiled. The tension in the air rose as he sat down on his office chair. Slowly, he delved into his drawer and picked out a stack of graded papers. The strange professor pointed to a peculiarly marked one, ¡°Look here, Luke.¡± I picked it up, my face souring in the process. I didn¡¯t realise the implications of such knowledge yet. Robert adjusted his glasses and surmised, ¡°Who would have expected a mere student to have known something like the highly coveted history of our Magic Circle development. Further, your calculations were simply perfect, as if you were a scholar all your life.¡± Finally, it clicked. The question about the fireball was actually a trick to make one think it was easy, only to then ask about the history of its usage and creation. I scratched the back of my head, it was the only question that always remained on the random generated test. Two weeks ago, I barely understood the changes from this world from the game. His additional comment of my work made me sweat a little too. The professor topped it off with praise, ¡°I¡¯m expecting great things from you, as the only student who answered the entry test perfectly in history.¡± ¡®In the game this information was easily accessible, and could be found in the library around the third year¡­ in fact a whole subquest line revolved around its history.¡¯ It would allow one to gain perfect grades and receive character buffs and some rewards. Yet, I was now in the real world. At the same time, I couldn¡¯t blame myself either. I¡¯ve received zero attention for scoring perfectly until now. ¡®So, why now?¡¯ ¡°Luke, I¡¯m the examiner, no one else knows the scores except me and the headmasters,¡± The Professor answered as if reading my mind. ¡°How could you tell?¡± I barely kept a straight face. ¡°Not to be rude, but you¡¯re an open book¡­¡± Professor dodged my questioning look. ¡°Ahem¡­ Back to the topic at hand, what do you think?¡± ¡°In my opinion, Professor¡­ This ruin contains an entity multitudes more dangerous than what has been reported,¡± I spoke with hesitation. ¡°My reason for saying this, lies within the discrepancy of mana readings from the dungeon core.¡± ¡°You already know what that means too?¡± The professor let out a fierce smirk. ¡°Ahem, continue please.¡± ¡°The first reading from a month ago shows a reading from a F-rank dungeon, but a few days later, it detected up to an S-rank for a few moments but was dismissed as an error,¡± I noted. ¡°There¡¯s been many false positives in the past,¡± the Professor rebutted. ¡°However, the expedition that happened a year prior from the Empire toward the site of the fallen God of War had set this exact same precedent,¡± I stressed that importance. With that mention, Professor Robert¡¯s glasses almost fell off due to his sudden reaction. ¡°How¡­ how did you know that? It¡¯s a top secret shared between the remaining citadels of life,¡± He stressed. ¡°I¡¯m not the top student for nothing.¡± I shrugged it off not willing to say anymore. The young professor sighed, ¡°Hah, I would love to know some of your secrets ¨C for now however, I¡¯ll refrain from pestering one of my bright students.¡± Internally I was frowning. This ancient ruin was directly linked to the God of Shadows, an optional dungeon in the end game close to the end of the third year. ¡®That¡¯s right¡­ END GAME. Unless someone on the level of Runalia or Haruto were to come, we were doomed.¡¯ Professor Robert let out a hearty laugh, ¡°Hahaha! Honestly I thought the same, but Calvin believes that was nothing but a coincidence.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°It seems you don¡¯t agree with his judgement,¡± He curiously pointed out. ¡°Of course I don¡¯t,¡± I sighed. ¡°Unfortunately, the decision to deny help has been finalised with the stamp of Abel,¡± Professor Robert regretfully spoke, leaning on the edge of his chair. I whispered, ¡°Fuck.¡± Robert grinned hearing my curse, ¡°On the bright side, this expedition has been delayed to the second semester thanks to my obstinance. In the meantime, maybe you could reach a compromise depending on your results in the first round of tests.¡± ¡°That is nice to hear¡­¡± I dejectedly agreed. I stepped to the door, ready to leave after gathering my thoughts. ¡°Also, one final thing, I¡¯m thinking of starting with the history of the beastman, and their conflict with the demons before the Great War,¡± Robert randomly added. I opened the door with light steps, ¡°A good topic, I¡¯ll enjoy the lesson on Monday.¡± I headed for the gym with a slightly better complexion. There were two things I gained, the fact that Uriel¡¯s bad ending is undoubtedly related to the incoming beastman invasion episode, and¡­ That we¡¯re fated for a horrible death. Chapter 71 - Northern Representative (1) Proofreader: Me! ¡°You¡¯re distracted,¡± Erin coldly stated. Despite my previous reluctance to continue these sessions on the weekend, I was persuaded to continue¡­ fortunately, the blessed feeling of having a healer had been bestowed upon me starting today. ¡°You would be too if you were part of a certain class,¡± I complained, sprawled across the hard but cold floor. ¡°Class as in subject, or as in your status?¡± Uriel chimed in. ¡°Subject,¡± I sighed. ¡°Hard project?¡± Erin asked now with a hint of concern. ¡°Yes and no, apparently the Ancient History class is preparing a visit to a ruin of the Shadow God,¡± I spilt the information without regard for secrecy. There was no reason to hide it, and maybe I could receive some insight too. ¡°We¡¯re all taking that class, including Uriel,¡± Erin spoke while poking at me with the end of her wooden sword. I pushed the weapon away and stood up. I understood Erin signing up for it for various reasons, and also because she always took it in the game. In Uriel¡¯s case, I couldn¡¯t grasp why. ¡°I get Erin, but why you?¡± I asked the blushing priest. ¡°I- I thought it would be good to¡­ erm, learn more about the¡­ previous Gods that existed alongside Eien!¡± She answered awkwardly as if coming up with an excuse on the spot. Someone put that idea in her head. I would say something, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt her schedule since it was predetermined that she would take less than the ideal four subjects due to her duties as a priest. It also didn¡¯t give out any homework assignments, except on special occasions. ¡°Are you going to tell us what happened or not?¡± Erin asked with irritation. I shook my head, ¡°No, not yet, I don¡¯t want to worry you guys about something uncertain.¡± What the professor told me, paved a path for me to take. He practically told me what to do outright, to score high enough to be able to negotiate a change within the upcoming term. Luckily this would not interfere with the bad ending, as the tests are a couple weeks after the supposed date given by the Status Prompt. ¡°You can tell me anything!¡± Uriel exclaimed in my ear. ¡°It¡¯s fine, and like I just said, it¡¯s not set in stone.¡± I kindly refused her offer. ¡°Ehhh¡­¡± She pouted for a second. Erin asked the pitiable saintess, ¡°How about we go eat lunch? And, yeah, you¡¯re not invited.¡± ¡°Alright, you won¡¯t need to say that again.¡± I put up my hands in retreat and left without a second thought. ¡°Wait, I want to eat with everyone!¡± I could hear Uriel from the distance but Erin¡¯s pull was infinitely stronger. Getting beat again was not part of my plan. Rather, what I wanted to do was examine my status board and practice something I¡¯ve had in mind for a while. I wandered aimlessly around the academy while I looked at the new skill Uriel granted me yesterday. [Skills] Divine Stigma (S) [New Skill!] This world which had been ruined after the Great War, now contained few Gods. Eien was the most prominent one. Considering that war had wiped out races of all kinds, involving both the demons and deities, the fact she survived gives a subtle glimpse of her omniscient prowess. To my luck, such a God now had blessed me with something immensely valuable. I could revive, and receive a deus ex machina buff. I doubted I would ever use such a buff, but having a second life would be necessary for plans that I had otherwise discarded.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. I took a glance at my attributes, but it seemed nothing much had changed. [Attributes] Vitality: Tier 0 (33%) -> (34%) Agility: Tier 0 (25%) Strength: Tier 0 (29%) -> (29.5%) Mana: Tier 0 (81%) I doubt I¡¯d experience any growth in mana until I¡¯ve mastered Fjleora¡¯s breathing technique. On the other hand, I would most likely defeat the average student thanks to enhancement. I frowned, however, as I thought of fighting Fen next week. Beating the normal student after training for two weeks was a great feat for this body, but defeating the protagonists was nothing short of impossible. On the other hand, the two basic techniques I acquired thanks to Erin and Serina were now almost ready to evolve. [Skills] Basic Swordsmanship (E) (86.42% -> 91.63% Proficiency - Evolution Possible) Basic Magic Control (D) (42.56% -> 98.57% Proficiency - Evolution Possible) The process of evolution was quite simple actually, since all that was required was to slay monsters while using that skill. It was the universal way of progressing normal skills¡­ however, just like this body¡¯s unique Enhancement, there were many cases of better skills needing to meet special requirements to grow. Another good example would probably be Erin¡¯s Demon Lord Techniques, or Fen¡¯s Castellian swordsmanship, which were unique skills. There was simply too much to do and not enough time to reach it. My stats have grown considerably, but I¡¯m too far behind those of the chosen. Unfortunately, this world had other thoughts. My eyes once again drifted to the bottom of my status board. [Category: Protagonist - Uriel.] [Route: Bad Ending #13 - An Eternity Between Us.] [D - 30] I had received this last week, and now it was starting to dawn on me how little time I had left to be ready. Before then, I needed to accomplish a couple of things, teachings from Haruto, and the support of Krulia. The former was already set in stone, but the latter would require negotiation. Her storyline involved finding the two halves of the future world tree, one of which I¡¯ve already linked to myself. As a result, something told me we were going to meet again very soon. I slumped further into the bench, almost merging into one being. I stared into the sky, feeling the calming fog in my mind. There were other mysteries that I desperately wanted answers to, but now was not the time to search. ¡°Oh, if it isn¡¯t the captain!¡± A girl¡¯s voice rang at full force in front of me. ¡°Fren- Frennia?¡± I stuttered, trying to calm my ringing ears. ¡°Where are the other two?¡± ¡°Kyle and Beatrice? They¡¯re both resting since we had a rough time subjugating a horde of goblins somewhere up in the Southern Regions,¡± Frennia recounted. ¡°Which one in particular?¡± I had asked with a certain intent. ¡°Hmm¡­ I think it went by the name of Falcon,¡± She tapped her chin trying to remember. Falcon, it was the birthplace of Alicia. It was considered a lawless area, with countless monsters and mercenaries roaming it. All of its residents were considered battle-heartened veterans. ¡°Oh yeah! The girl from Class A-1, Alicia thanked us after we came back!¡± She hopped around, happy from meeting such a widely regarded figure. I haven¡¯t seen much of the outside world yet, but from the game, she was somewhat of a celebrity. Everyone knew her, and her various exploits in the unification of the South before attending the academy. However, something doesn¡¯t add up. ¡°In Falcon, there were a lot of mercenaries, right?¡± I muttered to catch her fleeting attention. ¡°Of course! Wait¡­ why did they need us?¡± She racked her head for a moment. Thankfully, Frennia wasn¡¯t as dumb as she seemed and caught on instantly. However, the fact Alicia personally visited them meant there was something important I was missing. ¡°Ugh, whatever!¡± Frennia slapped her cheeks and faced me. ¡°Anyway, the reason I came to you was because she told me to ask if you could talk tomorrow around Lunch! I don¡¯t know what she¡¯d want with a weakling like you though.¡± Suddenly a realisation dawned on me. Not too long ago she expressed the desire to talk with me. ¡®But why!?¡¯ It was the only thing I didn¡¯t get. Alicia could have simply asked me in person, instead of going the roundabout way of getting these ruffians to do a quest. There¡¯s zero reason for her wanting me to join her faction, besides the slight shows of heroism the week prior. The only way I could learn anything is by accepting it. Even with game knowledge, the only reason I can come up with is that she would want me. ¡°Captain, you okay?¡± Frennia leered at me with her small eyes. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine with meeting her, go relay that.¡± I sighed and left the bench¡¯s cool embrace. ¡°Aye! Immediately!¡± She saluted childishly and set off toward the girl dorms. I was left on my own once again, but there was nothing to do besides doing some isolated training and practising breathing in mana. -x- Across from my bed, beyond the window, a strange bird-like creature became closer and closer as the seconds ticked. It looked like some strange amalgamation of beast and bird, it had fur rather than feathers but still managed to fly. I put down the shitty book, which told me that the name of the Elven Tribe Leader was Alfaraz. ¡®What do we have here?¡¯ The window still was lifted, and an envelope had been delivered through the creature¡¯s sharp beak. ¡°For me?¡± I uttered silently. ¡°Letter! Letter!¡± The bird mimicked the human word at a volume I¡¯d heard only at concerts. ¡°Okay, okay keep it down!¡± I shouted in a subdued voice. It finally relented, and I swiped the envelope from the bird-beast hybrid as it flew away. I flipped it over, leaving me to frown. A visible signature spelt out, KV. ¡®It seems I wasn¡¯t wrong about meeting her soon.¡¯ Chapter 72 - Northern Representative (2) Proofreader: Me! As I thought, the small paper inside the envelope read a simple location and date. The Wilderness and Survival Club. This coming Monday after classes. The location was understandable, as she hosted a club to hold her followers. The reason we first years haven¡¯t seen active clubs yet is due to them being inactive for the first few weeks. Students had always been dissatisfied with that rule, but the developers would rather players adjust to the game first. Regardless, Krulia was very busy, hardly being spotted within the academy. Also according to the time at midnight, it would mean tomorrow after I wake up. ¡°Yawn¡­¡± I held my hands to my mouth feeling partly sour. I expected some kind of notice, but that was still startling. I thanked Eien that Fen was a deep sleeper. That allowed me to go to sleep without having to explain anything. My plans for when I woke up weren¡¯t too complicated. On this last day of the weekend, I planned to go spar with Eren and then receive berating from Fjleora for not being able to breathe correctly. Considering a lot of things were happening now, told me what came next would become the calm before the storm¡­ It wasn¡¯t exactly an exciting concept, having to push myself to the limits. ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s either that or I die,¡± I whispered to myself. ¡°That¡¯s what everything has come to.¡± That thought I¡¯ve been suppressing finally escaped the confines of my mind. Like a tide, the thoughts of anything positive had been washed away. No matter how much I talked and kept an upbeat mood, the world I now lived in was cruel. It wouldn¡¯t show its true nature, not until it was ready. If not one of us were to be prepared, death was the only foreseeable future. I watched the sky outside the window, holding these grim thoughts to myself. My breaths were stable and deep under the watch of the two moons. The first had a pale glow decorated with craters of familiar shape to Earth¡¯s. The second, however, was a deep red, with a foggy contour blocking any deep observations of its surface. Within the game, it had been widespread lore that one of those two celestial bodies was the remains of a Demon. One such power that required the unification of all the ancient races to unite as one. Although, if one were to search deeper, it could be found that its existence was entirely misunderstood. The demon despite being kind, had so much power, that to all those around it, it had become an entity of fear. Thus, it was banished to the sky, forever to remain alone in an unfamiliar place. Stretching out my right arm, I felt the air of midnight crawls into my body. I opened my hand and grasped out nothingness as if trying to capture a fleeting emotion. Feeling it become strained, I let it fall onto my chest. ¡®The end of the Demon was strangely relatable¡­ haha¡­¡¯ I wasn¡¯t strong, alone, nor betrayed. But, there was a lot I¡¯d left behind. There have been times when I¡¯ve clung to the memories of the past to keep myself grounded. And, there were also times when I¡¯d have to remind myself not to get attached. Yet¡­ It seemed I failed in that latter department. -x- I opened my eyes to the frightening persona of a violet storm. I hid further into my bed, ¡°Fen, what is she doing here?¡± ¡°No idea, but refusing her is a bad idea in itself!¡± He replied all dressed up. ¡°Thank goodness I have a date to attend, good luck!¡± Before I could call out his name, I felt the fearsome glare of an archmage. Although I wanted to say something, I took the time to slip under the sheets and pick up my uniform from the drawer next to my bed. Obviously, I shoved it on under the covers. ¡°First!¡± I raised one finger from the bedsheets. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± In a clear voice, she answered, ¡°Item.¡± Serina attempted to hand me over a necklace, but I refused. ¡°Could¡­ you sit down first?¡± I pointed at the chair on the shared desk me and Fen had. She descended onto the chair, facing me with her usual deadpan expression. Her eyes, however, contained an excited energy. ¡®I swear, her emotions are only ever shown in those two pearls of hers.¡¯ I gulped, ¡°May I ask why it took so long to find it?¡± Serina looked away from me, staring into space as if thinking for a bit. Shortly, a faint frown appeared on her empty face.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°I retrieved it a while ago, on the day you asked me. But, those people found issue with my unexplainable actions,¡± She explained with a clear resentment, My hands gripped tighter, as I struggled to ask my next question. ¡°Erm¡­ who, exactly?¡± ¡°My family.¡± Serina¡¯s uttering held a small hint of regret. ¡°Is there¨C¡± ¡®No.¡¯ I held my voice back. Whether or not I could find out more, there was a limit to prying into family matters. ¡°Ahem. Anyways!¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°You could have simply met me outside, why appear in my room without notice?¡± Serina visibly shook, not expecting me to shift the conversation. Her frown charmingly shifted upwards, revealing a small curve upwards on her lips. ¡°I wanted¡­ privacy.¡± My instincts as prey flared, sending fierce signals of danger to my body. ¡°Ah¡­ a jo- joke, surely?¡± I stumbled on my words. She tilted her head, ¡°Joke? I am aware of the date between you and the Priestess.¡± Sweat had started overflowing as my poker face was readily crumbling. A rhythm of death and embarrassment had started playing within the atmosphere. ¡®Shit.¡¯ I made one last attempt at salvation. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a date¡­ rather, it was a one-sided request I accepted to keep partying together as I value her as a healer!¡± I practically blurted out the word vomit. Her devilish smile which held an aura of death around it¡­ vanished. My instincts shut off, ending the stream of adrenaline that had been pumped at full blast. ¡°Of course,¡± She replied with a relaxed demeanour. ¡°Ah, yes, yes, now about the item,¡± I hurriedly moved to the point of the interaction. Her ability to swap between auras was terrifying, I couldn¡¯t imagine being her enemy. ¡°It is slightly damaged,¡± Serina mentioned. Before picking it off her hands, I took glances at her expression to check if I was in the clear. Maybe, that was how squirrels looked when taking acorns¡­ I looked at its effects and was gladly surprised. [Incu-Necklace] (B) Not only did I receive two out of the three items I needed, but it also had enough effectiveness to be used before it was combined with the rest. ¡°Happy?¡± Serina peeked at my expression curiously. ¡°Yeah, this is amazing¡­ now I only need one more item,¡± I mumbled the latter part. From what I found on the forums, this recipe was vital in Uriel¡¯s playthrough. I never bothered to try her out, but now I fretted my past decisions. My memory was hazy, but I slightly remembered some comments at that thread. [For those struggling with Bad Ending #13 - Priest Playthrough.] Truth Seeker Mirus: Since the game¡¯s launch, there have been many work arounds to get past this ending whether it be pushing off developments with the main cast, or launching complicated strikes on the beastman camp! Today I present to you, the easiest and quickest method. Similar to my guides on the Paladin and Warrior paths, we¡¯ll need to make a certain item. When I discovered it, I swear I thought it was a cheat or bug of some sort. Who would expect that you could resolve both the universal beastmen invasion, and a bad ending at the same time? Anyways, what you¡¯ll need is a Skele-Staff, Incu-Necklace and Fragment of Hope. Now I know that many of you would be frustrated to give up that last item, but¡­ what if I told you there were two of them? We all know the prior two items are available as soon as questing is introduced, but this last one you¡¯d think, ¡®It¡¯s only available late game!¡¯ Well, thanks to a few friends, we found somewhat of a hidden secret, one of those hidden pieces we all love. That was the start of the post, which then dove into an explanation of the last item¡¯s obtainment. The only reason I ended up reading the post, was because of the discovery of being able to own two of those fragments. It was also due to the fact that the poster was one of the players I idolised at the time. Mirus, as people knew he or her, was famous within the community for making large discoveries within small guides. Unlike me, who was famous for completing a true ending which no one had achieved on the mage path before. Regardless, the only way I would be able to accomplish this was through the girl in front of me. I would need her on a specific outing, soon. At the latest, a week before the Bad End. ¡°Done thinking?¡± She asked. ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± ¡°You need help?¡± Serina pushed. I nodded, sighing while looking at her expectant eyes. Following the last time I asked for help, it was likely she would ask for something in return. What would be exchanged¡­ I feared to imagine it. ¡°I need help in convincing a certain professor, to aid me in acquiring a specific item,¡± I explained. Serina didn¡¯t respond immediately, instead looking at me blankly. It was rattling for the human mind when a person with that level of beauty were to look at you without words. Although, within that short silence, her lips finally opened. ¡°Fragment of Hope?¡± She deduced. ¡°Yeah¡­ why do you know about it?¡± I asked, pushing past my hesitance. Her eyes turned cloudy and her mana flared wildly. Her lips trembled, disallowing for words to be spoken. ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t have to say anything if you don¡¯t want to,¡± I shrugged and leaned on the bedframe. ¡°Rather, why don¡¯t we go eat breakfast?¡± Serina nodded with another soft smile, ¡°Okay.¡± -x- From that point onwards, the day proceeded as normal: sparring with Erin, eating lunch, showering, and then learning from Fjleora. On a side note, I also had to explain the rest of my request to Serina, which she, as always, accepted without a thought. ¡®But dammit man, the rest of the day would have been great, if it weren¡¯t for this girl.¡¯ ¡°Good evening, it¡¯s nice to meet you! We last talked before the Philos expedition if you don¡¯t remember¡­ Oh! Sorry, I forgot to properly introduce myself.¡± The girl¡¯s silver silky hair flowed down to her waist, it was nothing but the epitome of brightness. Complimenting their hair, her pupils were of a grey hue. Those two traits alone made her an exquisite beauty alone. Yet, her body was also slender and thin, following her position in a non-combative role. Yet, somehow despite all of those traits which would be attributed to a young girl, her aura and gait¡­ it was anything but immature. ¡°My name is Alicia Einsburg, the representative of the Northern Alliance, as well as its strategic advisor.¡± Chapter 73 - Northern Representative (3) Proofreader: Me! Bewildered. That word perfectly fitted my state of being ¡ª an invisible pressure, as if mountains built upon the backs of others sat atop my shoulders. ¡®Get a grip!¡¯ I pinched my thighs with the strength to bleed. Alicia, out of every character in the game, was the most terrifying. Which, is why I had avoided her at all costs until the inevitable found its way to me. That danger was tied to her cunning. That force pressing on me was a skill made for negotiations. It was an ability formed by the accomplishments of her lifestyle until now. However, something of that calibre would not force me to collapse here. Through enhancing my mental fortitude, the nerves that directed signals to my body had been reinforced. I grit my teeth, meeting her eyes. ¡°My apologies, was my greeting too rude?¡± Her voice ladened with worry, was nothing but a facade as she evaluated me. ¡°Haha,¡± I managed a chuckle. ¡°Of course not, I was just shocked that we¡¯d have a conversation under such¡­ a tense atmosphere.¡± Alicia¡¯s face remained unchanged, except for a slight twitch in eyebrows. She raised her hand with a surprised gasp, ¡°Ah! Of course, my mistake. I had just arrived after a talk with troubled acquaintances.¡± Not wasting another second, my shoulders were able to rise upwards once again. ¡°Instead of a sidewalk, why don¡¯t we continue our conversation in the guest facilities?¡± I offered with a false smile. ¡°How kind of you, we gladly accept,¡± Alicia accepted the pretence without batting an eye. With a wave of her hand, her subordinates led the way forward, their gait stalwart all the while. Watching such unwavering loyalty, my throat became parched. If Luna only had authority, Alicia had both the charisma and intelligence to back it up. Arriving at the entrance of the Golden Nest, we sat ourselves down in the guest rooms. It had always been empty since no one had the gall to intrude on the current prodigious generation. Somehow, Alicia¡¯s coup did not seem like guests, manoeuvring the place as if they were tenants. ¡°You sure know this place well,¡± I mischievously added. ¡°Huhu, we do often meet with the Prince,¡± Alicia softly chuckled. My face soured. That interaction was commonly seen only after the beastman invasion. Too many implications were in place, whether they were talking about the reclamation of the north¡¯s recently fallen region or Charles¡¯ heirloom. ¡®Tch,¡¯ I clicked my tongue in frustration. Unfortunately, sound logic has been consistently wrong since I arrived in this world. ¡®And, if pattern recognition has taught me anything, then these two¡­¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¨C¡± Alicia turned to me in a flash, as if fearful of my words. ¡°You two are in talks of¡­ dating!?¡± Her face remained still, along with the movements of her two guards. I scratched my head, puzzled by the result of my outburst. ¡°Uhm¡­ Luke, I think you are in the midst of a misunderstanding?¡± Alicia¡¯s perfect poker face threatened to collapse. ¡°Ahaha¡­ it was a mere jest, a joke, of course.¡± I bursted out laughing in the hallway, adding to the heat rushing to my face. ¡°So that was it,¡± Alicia nodded with a shaken expression. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± I heard the breath of a whisper, but its words were unintelligible. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.-x- ¡°Ahem. Since we¡¯re here, I would like not to beat around the bush,¡± Alicia placed her tea cup on the table. By the time we arrived, my mess was already forgotten. ¡®Hopefully.¡¯ Thus, now the real talks would begin. ¡°I would appreciate that too,¡± I nodded. ¡°Great. The first thing we would like to bring up is not exactly the main reason we¡¯ve sought you out, but is a rather sudden issue.¡± Alicia¡¯s smile dimmed. ¡°Recently, we¡¯ve caught wind of an insider, or well, the news of one coming.¡± The gears in my mind began churning, connecting the dots between the character''s relationships and events occurring behind the scenes. Charles was most likely already aware of the beastman invasion, while Alicia had just found out. Similarly, they are both extremely methodical in their movements. Which meant, coming to me was calculated. ¡®Well of course it was¡­¡¯ Keeping those things in mind, the only correlation I could make was that an influx of transfer students would be announced in a few days. Those characters were quite liked by the players, as they were the first non-human race you could come across. ¡®Huh? Transfer students, and the incoming invasion. Hold on¡­ why didn¡¯t I make this connection before?¡¯ Alicia tilted her head, ¡°Did you notice yourself?¡± ¡°Well, the only thing that comes to mind would be the transfer students who are due to join our academy,¡± I spoke, withholding the rest of my knowledge. The one hiding cards would always be at an advantage, especially in negotiation. ¡°Impressive, you must have a quick information network,¡± Alicia leaned on her hand, peering deeper into my eyes. ¡°Although, you must¡¯ve not heard then.¡± ¡°If I may ask, heard about what?¡± I questioned her with an oblivious tone. ¡°Such a topic leads me to the second thing we¡¯d like to ask you about.¡± Alicia¡¯s gaze sharpened, likely evaluating my worth. ¡°A faction of the beastmen tribes are aiming to infiltrate, and plausibly raid the academy.¡± Internally, I was relieved to hear that. In the end, whatever I knew could be discarded by the irrationality known as Hell¡¯s Paradise. ¡°Then, what exactly would like from me?¡± I genuinely asked. That was the only thing I couldn¡¯t figure out before meeting Alicia. In essence, I could understand that my help would potentially accelerate any process. ¡®But how would, or why do they find out?¡¯ The only people who understood the extent of that were the three girls, as well as Erin. Fen was also included in that group, however, he explicitly told me that he wouldn¡¯t report about me to Charles. By this point in time, I could only let her do the talking. Alicia readjusted her posture and gestured something using her hand toward her followers. ¡°The truth is, we¡¯re quite interested in your¡­ character if that makes sense. Your ability in particular, it is nothing short of an enigma. You¡¯ve shown weakness, but also strength. Most importantly, however, is the unknown stretch of knowledge you possess.¡± ¡®So¡­ it wasn¡¯t that they knew what I could do, but rather, they did not. However, I¡¯ve shown enough competence to likely be far more capable.¡¯ Alicia observed my undisturbed expression and continued. ¡°Which is why it was quite surprising you weren¡¯t already aware of what I had just told you¡­ but is it possible that it was a lie?¡± Her question had been charged with that mountainous pressure from earlier. The followers on both sides had already put their hands on the hilts of their swords. ¡°Hahaha!¡± I let out a hearty laughter in the face of such intimidation. Despite all of the thinking I had done, it was stupidly simple. They were only curious and expectant of my actions in the coming crisis. I raised both my arms in retreat. ¡°Alright, you win. I did lie. But even so, what did you want me to do?¡± Alicia¡¯s poker expression broke, revealing an amused smile. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a simple ask.¡± ¡®Didn¡¯t I hear the same thing yesterday?¡¯ ¡°Please, watch over the transfer student and cooperate with senior Krulia when she finds you.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that two asks?¡± I pointed out. ¡°Is it?¡± Alicia imitated an innocent expression, tilting her head. I sighed and dropped the gentleman''s pretence. ¡°Sure, sure, I already planned to do those two things¡­ so could you three, like, get out?¡± ¡°How uncouth, is this your true demeanour?¡± Alicia put a hand to her mouth, feigning shock. I shrugged, ¡°Haven¡¯t you always worn a mask? Keep in mind where you¡¯re coming from.¡± Despite how afraid of meeting Alicia I had been. I realised, that she was an ally and not the enemy she could be within the game. ¡°Is that so?¡± Alicia shrugged in turn, leaving the chair at the same time. One of her followers took the chance to bark, ¡°Keep your mouth shut, filthy commoner.¡± ¡°Urk-¡± My illusion of leisure had been broken by the aftermath of his speaking. The student collapsed, foaming at the mouth under Alicia¡¯s gaze. ¡®That skill is truly frightening¡­ thankfully I have enhancement.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯d like to apologise for my follower¡¯s vulgar comment¡­ and if possible, could we talk one on one, at a later date?¡± Alicia left with a sly grin. Behind her, was her other follower dragging the fallen one. Watching them leave, I muttered, ¡°Damn¡­ she¡¯s scary.¡± I had been reminded of her terror. Chapter 74 - Class Scramble (1) Proofreader: Me! I shuddered under the freezing cold of a winter breeze. It was a trashy unkempt feeling, but the weather was as uncontrollable as the world¡¯s difficulty. However, that wasn¡¯t the main reason my mood had been utterly crushed. ¡®This Informational Guide has reached its free usage! Please provide five silver a day as per the guidelines!¡¯ Twas another day I wished I could throw this book in the trash. The money I had gained from the quests would take a dent. The one with the seniors had my money and rewards taken away by Abel as another form of punishment, while the other two quests were rated quite low. Regardless, the student body was due for another announcement at the great hall. Classes and quests were now to be run in parallel as students navigate what it means to be a hero. ¡®In other words, the tutorial is finally over.¡¯ Today, the classes would be decided by the students themselves and as a result, there would be alot of fights to be raged today. Which is why classes for this day would be running at half length, rather than a full hour. The hallways and paths across the academy were lifeless. Amongst it all, I walked alone. It was as if an outside force curated the miracle of waking up late on important days. My breath had also been stifled by the cold, preventing me from practising Fjleora¡¯s mana technique. I took the time to organise some plans in my head, further intending on capitalising on the non-interference by Alicia and Charles. However, blips of thoughts regarding the destructive feelings of Erin did cause some hiccups. Eventually, the announcement hall came into view along with a singular teacher. ¡°Student Luke? You¡¯re late,¡± Their voice was rough, with a sense of wildness hidden behind it. The man who stood between me and the Z-ranked brooch I wore a couple of weeks ago. Where Haruto was the bastion, Calvin was the guard dog who kept the academy safe. He also served as a barrier between survival and death within the upcoming excursion. ¡®Ironic.¡¯ The one who could be called the most trusted within the game was now the colossal wall that blocked my way. What happened to him makes his refusal to change the plans understandable, but not reasonable. ¡°Sorry sir, the cold kept me in bed,¡± I apologised. His expression was unchanged, but the feeling that I annoyed him didn¡¯t go unnoticed. ¡°Get in,¡± He motioned for me as the grand hall revealed itself to the freezing wind. I nodded, walking past him. By now, I had been in the grand hall four times. ¡°Stand by the sidelines along with the other late students,¡± Calvin added before exiting the building again. ¡®Oh?¡¯ Persons such as Mark, Krulia, and other seniors were standing close. There were those who I didn¡¯t expect to be late. What would cause students of their stature to be late? That question, however, would go unanswered as the Hero¡¯s voice would boom throughout the auditorium. Judging by the context of the topic, I arrived super late. ¡°-- Classes are to be chosen by a first come, first serve policy. This takes effect the moment this announcement ends, so be quick about it. Also, if there are any rising disputes, I recommend settling it through a duel as you are all competent students. Besides that, make sure to balance your classes and adventures well. Otherwise, someone¡¯ll have to be expelled ¨C I don¡¯t want to do that this year!¡± The student body¡¯s reaction was as expected, laughter across the board. ¡°Anyways, you¡¯re all dismissed!¡± Abel ripped a wide grin before vanishing into thin air. The hall stormed with the jeers of students and footsteps of exiting. Next to me though, the story was slightly different. ¡°Well, who do we have here?¡± The second saint candidate suddenly approached me. ¡°A late student,¡± I shrugged. Krulia shook her head and wagged her finger, ¡°Don¡¯t be so dismissive! We have a meeting later don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather get to the classes and sign up, like right now, so I don¡¯t have to do any more Hero¡¯s bouts,¡± I attempted to pass by her with such an excuse. ¡°Hmm¡­ don¡¯t worry about that, I can easily get you that! Just promise to meet me after, alright?¡± She spoke a seemingly impossible thing while holding out her pinky finger. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. I assumed she wanted to do something like a pinky promise, which I begrudgingly reciprocated. ¡°Alright¡­¡± I took in a breath, ¡°The five subjects I¡¯m aiming for are, ¡®Weapon Mastery¡¯, ¡®General Magic Studies and Mana Control¡¯, ¡®General Combat¡¯, and ¡®Ancient History.¡± ¡°Is that doable?¡± I asked. Krulia frowned, ¡°Are you sure? Those subjects are devoid of the theory necessary for the general theory exams, besides Ancient History and Magic Studies. There¡¯s a reason why the Great Hero recommended to only take one or two combat classes as the first year.¡± ¡°I really wonder, who scored first on the written test?¡± I shrugged after spitting out rhetoric, not willing to say anything more. Her eyes brightened, ¡°Haha! You¡¯ve got me there junior, I forgot you were such a superstar.¡± ¡®Forgot? So she knew already?¡¯ That implication told a lot about the conversation we were going to have in several hours. ¡°Of course I am, but how do you plan to get me those¨C¡± A bronze tablet was thrown in my direction, cutting me off. ¡°And this is?¡± ¡°A priority pass, you will be given the class no matter what, even at the expense of another. Which is why, you should be thankful!¡± Krulia bent over, poking her finger me. In a way she was telling me I owed her a favour. To someone like Krulia who hides her true colours, my body shirked at the thought of what she might use it for. ¡°Thank you, and see you later,¡± I bowed politely and left. From behind I heard a scoff, ¡°Hmph.¡± Ignoring the senior¡¯s play, I headed through the now scattered crowd. There was a concern that plagued me though ¨C What would the transfer student that Alicia and Charles are worried about, choose? ¡®Wouldn¡¯t at least every student have one combat class? Right¡­ It is necessary to have at least one of those, and I¡¯ve chosen all of them.¡¯ All in all, everything worked itself out. What was left, was to choose my classes. ¡°Which one first?¡± I mumbled to myself. -x- Even with my mini-map, becoming lost within the labyrinth of this academy wasn¡¯t hard. Winding hallways, and long paths accompanied by masses of students only served the purpose of making life harder. Unfortunately, that helped the developers of the game, since it made raising flags and causing events more probable and easier. Still, what was annoying, would be annoying even with a reason. I arched my back, stretching as the familiar class of Edward¡¯s came into view. It was funny, seeing as how I was just here a couple of days ago. Ancient history was hardly a fought-for class due to its highly theoretical aspects, as well as its well-renowned snooze fest of a lecture. I had decided to come here for one reason, even with the priority pass I figured the amount of entrees would decrease as the day went on. ¡®Aren¡¯t I a genius?¡¯ I opened the welcoming double door, witnessing spots of heads populating the seats. From memory the faces were the same as the game, but¡­ the addition of Uriel wouldn¡¯t be any less surprising. From where I stood Uriel was barely visible, she was quietly waving and pointing to the chair beside her. With a more observant eye, I spotted Erin¡¯s bob of hair that blended in with the dark seats. Throwing away my thoughts, I headed for their desks situated at the front right of the room. On the way, there were many other students curiously peeking at me. They were of the more nerdy type, judging by their subdued glances. It was a strangely relaxing feeling, considering the glares I received back in the first week for hanging out with widely known personas. Uriel leaned toward me, exclaiming in a small voice, ¡°Luke, hurry and sit, the class is about to start!¡± Feeling the warmth of the specially made chairs, my body naturally loosened up. ¡°Hello everybody, I would introduce what the class is¡­ but seeing as I recognise everyone so far, I don¡¯t see why we would delay our first lesson any further.¡± Professor Edward dashed for an enchanted marker, immediately drawing in the air with an excited expression. ¡°Please don¡¯t mind my enthusiasm, this is the biggest class we¡¯ve had in years!¡± He announced with a proud expression. ¡°Ahem. The first topic of this semester will be the history of the beastmen following their collapse a few hundred years ago.¡± The class would continue with an upbeat tone, contrasting with my fight against the dream world. Information about that topic was considered general knowledge by most intermediate players of the game, as the beastman invasion would force a lot of players to invest time into learning about their lore to avoid certain interactions; get around some, or take advantage of it. In summary, it could just be said that the beastmen suffered greatly during the Great War and made a few mistakes in picking enemies. ¡°Uwaa¡­¡± I held my hand to my mouth. No matter what was taught, I was bound to ace the subject in the end. -x- ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that to happen at all!¡± Erin pointed and laughed at me. ¡°Luke, unfortunately, she¡¯s right, I almost died¡­¡± Uriel held her stomach, leaning on a wall. I refrained from speaking fearing they would only spout some more nonsense. Who would expect that knowing all the answers would have¡­ have had that effect? If anything I was exasperated. My energy had been sapped and I hadn¡¯t even attended any combat classes yet either. Those kids, praised me as if I was a pariah¡­ that all was because of one demon. Professor Edward, he was a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. I had been napping as I had previously on the first week, answered all the questions that came my way after being forced awake, and then¡­ then¡­ ¡°Their eyes¡­ and the look of reverence!¡± Erin¡¯s grin only widened. If this had been anyone else, it wouldn¡¯t have been something to laugh at. If I had been like Mark, drowning in ambition and arrogance, they would be spitting in the dirt instead. One of my classmates passed by, picking up my hands and spouting out thanks. ¡°Senior Luke! Thank you for saving us from that tyrant!¡± ¡°Pfft.. hahah!¡± Uriel couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore and burst out laughing. ¡°I¡­ I give up.¡± Another long day was in store. Chapter 75 - Class Scramble (2) Proofreader: Me! I separated ways with both Erin and Uriel, as they both had their classes to attend. The path to the General Combat class was frivolous, with many different turns and disturbances. In that class, I would meet the instructor Reinhardt Wynnd, a once infamous adventurer known for his demon-slaying epics. I was psyched to meet such a respected figure in the game, in person. Every person would agree that despite his rough demeanour, he was one of the coolest characters. The oval¡¯s wide enclosure met my sight alerting me that the class was close. All combat classes would use the oval from time to time, but the General Combat class would use it for everyone. Such a reason was derived from the already present facilities for the other ones, a magic simulation for ¡°Monster and Demon Slaying¡± had existed after all. ¡°But, seriously¡­ what is the holdup?¡± I asked myself, trying to get ahead of the crowd. I shoved my way through the bodies of students, finding something less than intriguing. The Hero¡¯s great, great, great¡­ whatever grandson. There was a chasm in the crowd of students, where Mark and some other students I couldn¡¯t yet recognise. It was a massive circle where no one approached the two, with students rushing off to get into the classes they wanted. ¡°You demonic piece of trash!¡± Mark howled at the student in front of him. They retorted, ¡°What kind of hero are you supposed to be? To be accusing a noble such as myself of such heresy without evidence!¡± Wondering what nonsense was happening, I found the strength within me to satisfy my curiosity. ¡®Huh¡­ that isn¡¯t just any other student ¨C don¡¯t tell me, this fucking kid, again!¡¯ Reaching the epicentre of the storm, I recognised the brown pigtails. My hands screeched at me to act¡­ the retreating figure of hers sent my thoughts into overdrive. I enhanced my strength preparing to leap forwards¡­ only to be forced back onto the ground. ¡°Stop,¡± A singular voice echoed amongst us all. My body threatened to topple over, just like it had yesterday. However, it wasn¡¯t Alicia. I recognised that voice, the infamous number-one student in the academy. ¡®What was it again ¨C Every protagonist needs a rival?¡¯ Lyuga. His strength was known amongst all major citadels of the current time, a mutation of human genes it had been called. ¡°Your shame to the hero¡¯s name ends here,¡± He declared. He should¡¯ve continued to fight, but that unfilial bastard backed down. ¡®That¡¯s impossible! Unless the Gods decided to reject death itself¡­¡¯ Or, that meant they already had contact previously, triggering that flag. ¡°Hero? Really! Everything has to be about the Hero, doesn¡¯t it? I am Mark and will surpass that old sack of bones!¡± The Grandson stood his ground, not succumbing to Lyuga¡¯s pressure. Lyuga sent a disappointed look over to him, ¡°Aren¡¯t you strong as is? Eventually, you would grow stronger than anyone else, including me.¡± Mark grit his teeth and turned away muttering one last breath. ¡°None of you would understand.¡± Naturally, I didn¡¯t hear what he said, but this event played the same as it would play any protagonist. ¡®Anyway, to Julia¨C¡¯ ¡°Are you alright Julz? That asshole should be gone now,¡± Lyuga casually addressed her. From behind, another figure entered the unapproached circle. ¡°You¡¯re referring to her with a nickname already?¡± An unfamiliar figure crossed their arms. My mind began sifting through multitudes of playthroughs and guides. There were many instances since I¡¯ve arrived, that there were many students I couldn¡¯t recogonise. ¡®But¡­ why am I getting this feeling?¡¯ The nerves in my body were tingling, as if trying to tell me something. ¡°Hohohoho! Do not fret, for I am not a commodity. I am a Great noble for the ages!¡± Julia announced with her chest put into it. ¡°If you say so,¡± Lyuga shrugged. ¡°Urgh¡­ why are you always like this Julz, I have an image to maintain here!¡± The eerie girl exclaimed. After bickering, the three left in the direction of the General Combat class not far up ahead. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Why is the number one student with the accursed?¡± ¡°Wait, maybe everything was just a rumour!¡± ¡°You have a point! There hasn¡¯t been any evidence supporting the De Gracias of contracting with a devil!¡± ¡°What are you idiots on about? Lyuga is obviously being manipulated by that demon!¡± ¡°Urgh! Make up your minds, is she demonic or not!¡± Conversations like that emerged from the circular crowd, leading me to ponder a new solution. ¡®But first¡­ since when did she get close with that guy? And, who is that girl? Everything about her gives me the creeps. Well at least she has friends now, that has to be good.¡¯ I hated the idea of being suspicious without reason nor logic, but my instincts so far haven¡¯t been wrong. Whether she was involved with the incoming beastmen¡­ or with the Demon Uprising executives, time would tell. Hopefully, I was wrong entirely. Snapping me into reality was a smack on my back. ¡°Yo, what are you doing here behind the crowd? Trying to keep up your nonchalant persona?¡± ¡°Cut it out dude, I just saw something interesting,¡± I snug my arm around his neck. ¡°Aren¡¯t you suspicious being this far behind too?¡± ¡°Seriously? Isn¡¯t the answer obvious?¡± Fen let out a wry smile. I turned my head around, getting my answer. That princess of his, was sending me a glare of death. ¡®Get off him now!¡¯ Her eyes seemed to convey. Unfortunately, listening to the demands of the spoilt weren¡¯t in my plans. ¡°Let¡¯s go for it!¡± I exclaimed as I thrust Fen forward with a full force shove. He tried to resist, but I was to sudden. ¡°Wa- wait! Uaaghh!¡± Following his launch into the air, I leaped ahead leaving the pitiable princess behind. -x- ¡°Since when were you that strong?¡± Fen stared at me with excitement in his eyes. ¡°Man¡­ I can¡¯t wait!¡± ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t remind me,¡± I shivered under his intense gaze. We barely made it for the start of the class, where there was another ruckus. It was quickly resolved with the help of Lyuga, but the cause was another matter entirely. Abel said it himself, classes have limits. Arriving to highly contested classes like General Combat later than the first batch would guarantee you missing out. Although, people like me and Fen had ways to circumvent it. ¡°You were unlike those idiots that started a fight just now!¡± Fen laughed heartily, patting my back. I had to agree, by now I was almost certain that I would defeat the average student. But, not without difficulties. Everyone who attended this academy was not without an training regime common people would not be able to endure. They had to pass the entrance ceremony after all, which included the task of slaying a monster. ¡®I missed that one though¡­ thanks to a certain charming lizard.¡¯ Regardless, my arsenal included something like the Enigmatic Chance which was honestly the biggest factor in said predictions. ¡°You have a point, but I wouldn¡¯t agree so easily,¡± I nodded proudly. ¡°That¡¯s cool but, Luke, I think class is starting,¡± Fen mouthed quietly. I turned to look forward, attempting to look over the heads of a few dozen students. I resorted to standing on the ends of my toes, looking like an estranged pole. ¡°Pfft. Need me to carry you?¡± Fen teased from the side. I glared at him while remaining silent. ¡°Attention!¡± A booming voice incomparable to Lyuga¡¯s blasted through the field. ¡°I am Reinhardt Wynnd, the professor of General Combat, but also your teacher until you graduate. I will teach all of you how to fight no matter the circumstances.¡± ¡°First, however, I have a question for all of you ¨C What is the essence of combat?¡± Within the crowd of heads, a few put their hands up. Out of those, Reinhardt singled out the most front one. Coincidentally, someone who I recognised. ¡°I believe it¡¯s the mind, sir,¡± They succinctly answered. Reinhardt rubbed his chin, evaluating that answer. ¡°I don¡¯t dislike that approach Prince, but there¡¯s something more fundamental¡­ primal even that fulfils my question perfectly.¡± To my left, an excited green-eyed battle junkie was jumping up and down. ¡°What do you think?¡± Reinhardt met eyes with Fen. ¡°Survival! How can you fight without protecting yourself?¡± He answered with absolute confidence in his voice. I knew, however, that he was wrong as well. ¡°Close, but that isn¡¯t the answer either,¡± Reinhardt nodded, seeming satisfied someone had gotten close. The atmosphere slowed down, as the professor overlooked our crowd. That was until he spoke out. ¡°What about you? The one right next to the over-excited kid who just answered.¡± I pointed to myself. ¡°Yes, you, hurry and give me your answer,¡± Reinhardt pushed me to give a response. I felt the stares of those around me and the ever-so-close soul-piercing glare of Fen. ¡°Hah, I believe the answer is quite obvious but easy to overlook. That is, to murder the enemy in front of you,¡± I answered with some more detail. Reinhardt nodded with a smile, ¡°Good, good. That is what I was looking for.¡± Some other student raised their voice, ¡°Excuse me sir, but aren¡¯t we heroes? For our goal to be killing our enemies, isn¡¯t that¡­ too merciless?¡± ¡°I will answer with another question. What is the intention of your enemy?¡± The old man asked. The student sent a confused look to the professor, ¡°To¡­ defeat us?¡± ¡°Incorrect¡­ you heard it just a second ago, but their motive would be our deaths. You who harbours many thoughts other than killing than foe in front of you, against that foe who has thoughts of only killing you. Regardless of strength or tactics, will itself is the final decider.¡± The air was empty, with students like Fen next to me with their eyes wide open. In the game, the protagonist, Fen, in this case, would receive enlightenment after hearing such an explanation. That was why players needed to take this class no matter what, or they would hit a wall eventually. ¡°Ahem. That¡¯s enough grumblings out of me. We will start the first lesson, which will be for me to learn how you brats will fight,¡± Reinhardt ripped an unnerving grin. I clenched my fists. Memories of the first class with Professor Haruto flashed in my mind. ¡°Which is why I will have you paired against one another, while I get a close look. Of course, all of you will be fighting at the same time.¡± ¡®Phew.¡¯ The thought of defending against a shockwave of that magnitude left an irreparable scar in my heart. ¡°Now, I will begin choosing the sparring pairs myself. And, do me a favour by standing in one big line.¡± We all scrambled around to fit into one line, leaving me to stand beside two strangers. In such discomfort, my body shivered as if fearing what was to come. ¡®Even though we¡¯re not fighting the professor¡­ why do I still have a bad feeling?¡¯ Chapter 76 - Class Scramble (3) Proofreader: Me! My body was covered in sweat, the wooden sword in my hand was anything but firm. The urge to fall had been transmitted through my boiling veins. ¡®Fuck fuck fuck!¡¯ How was I supposed to even fight against¡­ someone like this!? ¡°Impressive, you¡¯re quite capable despite the obvious lack of clear strength,¡± My foe acknowledge me at least. ¡°Yeah¡­ but, aren¡¯t you a bit too strong?¡± I barely managed to retort. ¡°Hahaha! I hear that a lot,¡± They shrugged their shoulders with a relaxed gait. ¡°But, let¡¯s give this bout another round shall we?¡± In an instant, the boy was merely a foot away from me. A gust of wind followed his appearance, proving that it was by pure speed alone that he disappeared from my vision. He swept his sword forward, a clear strike without much intent. However, I wouldn¡¯t¨C couldn¡¯t forget the teachings of Erin that had been engraved within my body and soul. I raised my arms with my strength, trying to parry his slash to the side. ¡°Urgh!¡± I staggered, feeling my muscles burning. I had cast a twofold enhancement on my strength, reaching close to the peak of the tier¡­ but it was nothing compared to that monster. The swords clashed, with mine almost collapsing. Regardless, I achieved the intended result. His balance was disrupted. ¡°Woo~ You¡¯re almost like a cockroach!¡± They whistled, satisfied with my defence. I lunged forward, using the momentum of diverting his strike to my advantage. His legs were interlocked due to placing his core all into one strike, however¡­ ¡°That was close,¡± He mumbled. He swerved his body to the left without much effort, as if he was dancing rather than fighting. In the next moment, the boy swung again with calculated movements. My body reacted quicker than my mind, and I took a slight step backwards. Thanks to ingrained muscle memory, I had been barely able to dodge that counterattack. Unfortunately for me, he was already back on his two feet without much trouble. ¡®Guess I¡¯ll have to show more of my cards¡­¡¯ If I wanted to land a solid hit, I would have to abuse all that I have. The class wasn¡¯t about swordsmanship, but combat in its entirety. ¡®[Magic Missile] x3 Compact edition!¡¯ My mana depleted by about a quarter in an instant causing me to take some deep breaths. I had compressed the firepower of more than five magic missiles into each one. My foe gloated, ¡°Interesting, I¡¯ve never seen Foundation-ranked magic that scary before!¡± Thanks to Fjleora, my control over my mana has been improving by leaps and bounds. As a result, I could do something stupid like compressing multiple spells into one. In practice, I had managed ten into one but couldn¡¯t manage any more than that due to my inexperience in mana control. Feeling ready to enact my assault, I let two of the magic missiles circle me while one paved the way forward. They didn¡¯t even try to dodge, instead, they raised their sword and cleaved down. It was a clean slice cutting through the mana itself¡­ that talent wasn¡¯t something that normal people could have. ¡®But, that wasn¡¯t the point! It was a mere distraction while I set up more!¡¯ I slid to the right side of him while another missile launched towards the other. My eyes were glued to the red spots on his arms as I made my moves. In response, he wasted no time in deflecting my pincer attack. From his left, he deflected my strike, and from his right, he sliced the missile in two. All of that had been achieved in a single second, something I couldn¡¯t begin to comprehend yet. ¡°That was¨C¡± The final missile had arrived from the sky, visibly causing his pupils to widen. Taking that short opportunity of wonder, I picked up my sword and swung in the direction of the red spot on his right forearm ¨C the dominant side. ¡°Take this!¡± I exclaimed as both I and the missile made contact. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. [Critical Hit!] In an instant, I was thrown to the ground, while the missile blew up on his other arm. His sleeves were disintegrated with small droplets of blood forming on his left arm. ¡°How¡¯s that for a cockroach?¡± I grinned like a madman. ¡°Pretty good, that¡¯s for sure!¡± They reacted without annoyance. ¡°Although, it stings a bit, to be honest.¡± Despite saying that, the wound on his arm was wrapped in a gentle glow of green mana. ¡°That¡¯ll do, ready for another round?¡± He asked politely. Seeing that, I spat on the ground. ¡°Agh¡­ I give up, each strike of yours carries the weight of a mountain, and you can heal any wound I give you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a given as I was trained to do so,¡± The boy answered without a doubt. He dropped his sword, not intending to continue. On the other hand, I was extensively ashamed. I pulled out all the stops and still could only muster a small wound. ¡°Sometimes, I wish you knew how to answer dishonestly,¡± I said earnestly. The boy smiled, ¡°Trickery is for the weak!¡± I frowned, clearly hearing the sarcasm in his voice. Similarly to Fen, this guy was carefree in a sense, although he isn¡¯t nearly as much of a battle junkie as Fen was. Rather, he became strong due to his family rather than by free will. ¡°I can tell you¡¯re joking,¡± I sighed. He held his chin, ¡°You talk as if you know me well.¡± ¡°You¡¯re imagining it,¡± I replied without an ounce of guilt. Ignoring our squabble, around us a couple of dozen fights took place. If anything, we finished pretty early. The reason was obvious but also distasteful. My opponent was none other than the number one student, Lyuga. ¡°Wait! I think I know why you¡¯re so familiar!¡± He raised his voice enthusiastically. ¡°You felt that way?¡± I questioned him. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that obvious? I¡¯m not that talkative normally,¡± Lyuga looked at me with slight surprise. ¡°Anyways, your name, it¡¯s Luke right?¡± I nodded with a few suspicions, ¡°Yeah, why?¡± ¡°I knew it! Indeed, it¡¯s as if I¡¯ve known you for a week by now!¡± He stacked his hands together as if a lightbulb went off in his head. ¡°And, to answer your curiosity, it¡¯s probably what you¡¯re already thinking.¡± ¡°Julia?¡± I uttered. ¡°Haha! You have no idea, half the time she only speaks about you. You¡¯d think you two were a couple by the way Julz described you,¡± Lyuga laughed. ¡°Ah¡­¡± A faint blush of embarrassment probably showed on my face. ¡°The story about how you saved the Prince¡¯s knight was honestly the most exciting,¡± He nodded with enthusiasm. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just me, though?¡± I said with hesitance. ¡°Of course, but isn¡¯t it inspiring, that the weakest one there showed the most bravery and led the others to victory?¡± Lyuga detailed the thought. ¡°Agh! You¡¯re trying to embarrass me aren¡¯t you?¡± I exclaimed. ¡°Oh, you found out,¡± The boy snickered. ¡°Whatever, I do have a question for you though,¡± I shirked off the flush of my face. He replied carelessly, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll answer if I can.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you avoiding her?¡± That was my only question because within the game he never would do something like becoming friends with the so-called demon child. There were plenty of reasons why, but none of them were concrete enough to believe blindly. ¡°Simple, I don¡¯t believe in the rumours,¡± Lyuga shrugged without much of a thought. ¡°Even then, as you said, aren¡¯t you not talkative?¡± I tried to catch the contradiction. ¡°Well, she was the first to approach me. Who would have known, that someone like her was actually such an interesting caricature,¡± He chuckled after answering. I tried to imagine that, Julia being the first to initiate conversation. For me, she was pretty awkward as wasn¡¯t yet proficient in her act. ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡¯s hard to imagine,¡± I brooded over the idea. ¡°Is it?¡± He looked at me suspiciously. ¡°She has a strange charisma that attracts others, although it¡¯s been suppressed by her current situation. But, if you haven¡¯t noticed it¡­ then¡­ Ooohhh!¡± Lyuga¡¯s eyes flashed with understanding irritating my curiosity. ¡°Notice what?¡± I pestered him to answer. ¡°I won¡¯t spoil it, she has to tell you herself,¡± He answered resolutely. I scratched my chin, feeling reluctant to answer as I figured out what he meant. ¡°The truth is¡­¡± A voice cut me off, ¡°Hey, Lyuga! Oh, if it isn¡¯t this great noble¡¯s highest servant!¡± ¡°Julz? How was your spar?¡± He asked, forgetting our conversation completely. ¡°It was a breeze, fitting for a noble such as I!¡± Julia boasted without a care. ¡°Of course, of course, how could our great Duchess lose,¡± Lyuga nodded robotically. ¡°Indeed, praise me more!¡± She reacted positively, not finding the hidden meaning in his tone. The picture became clear in my mind, it was like an older brother looking after their cute younger sister. The strongest had been reduced to a glorified babysitter. ¡°You two certainly make an eccentric pair,¡± I acknowledged them. Julia showed a hint of panic, ¡°A pair? B- but¡­ Luke, aren¡¯t we¡­?¡± Lyuga glanced between the two of us, nodding with a satisfied smile. ¡®Can he not understand my side here!?¡¯ I felt that the misunderstanding wouldn¡¯t disappear anytime soon. Chapter 77 - Class Scramble (4) Proofreader: Me! With the furious sparring sessions over, sweat and body odour had found itself among all of us. My nose had been reacting strongly, but Reinhardt had employed some spell to remove everyone¡¯s smell. Anyhow, I would learn that no matter what. Everyone was resting as the professor approached us all with a notebook and pen in his hands. ¡°The next session I will hand you a paper detailing all of your weaknesses, furthermore, I will relay such information to any other combat professors you may have. If there are no questions, you are all dismissed.¡± The only response was the huffing and puffing of the students, which he promptly took as an opportunity to leave. Just as quickly, our classmates had cleared out the field. ¡°It was nice seeing you, Luke, even if you were slightly exaggerated by Julz here. But, I do prefer the real you a lot more,¡± Lyuga nodded proudly. ¡°Exaggeration? When have I ever lied about my subordinate?¡± Julia closed in on Lyuga threatening to smack him. ¡°All you ever spout are lies!¡± From behind the three of us, the girl from earlier shouted. ¡°How dare you accuse me! The heir to a Ducal family!¡± Julia retorted with a smile on her face. I stepped back, unable to detach myself from the familiar dread she exuded. ¡°Luke, you don¡¯t look so good. Need me to take you to the infirmary?¡± Lyuga halted to ask me. I shook my head, ¡°No I¡¯m fine¡­ and uhm, who exactly is she?¡± ¡°The name¡¯s Rebecca Lario, future successor to the Alexander Kingdom¡¯s Lario Wares,¡± The girl answered for him. That merchant company, I swore they did not exist at this point in time. It could possibly be the butterfly effect of Hell¡¯s Paradise and was likely the only real answer. Yet, that thought alone wasn¡¯t able to calm my nerves. ¡°Nice to meet you!¡± Rebecca held out her hand, waiting for me to take it. I hesitated, meeting eyes with both Lyuga and Julia who looked somewhat concerned. They knew that my reaction wasn¡¯t like how I would react normally. ¡®Curse it! Screw my gut, just this once!¡¯ ¡°Likewise, the name¡¯s Luke,¡± I spoke with a forced smile. The moment our hands touched, my entire body overcame with goosebumps. My surroundings blurred as Rebecca¡¯s figure turned translucent. Instant regret lumped within my throat as I struggled to make a noise. Instead of faltering there, I immediately let go of her hand and put mine on the hilt of my sword. ¡°Who¡­ who are you!¡± I yelled as my senses stabilised. On the verge of attacking, Lyuga grabbed my arm preventing me from taking any further action. Julia tackled me from the side, holding my face with her hands. ¡°Get a grip!¡± She screamed with her nose almost touching mine. ¡°Hu¡­ huu¡­¡± I let go of my sword, taking deep breaths. In that moment of recuperation, Rebecca¡¯s expression became clear to me. I grit my teeth unsure of what to think of it. For now, only three outcomes made sense to me, and none of them were pleasant. If something like that were to be let loose, then¡­ ¡®Dammit. Should I just kill her now?¡¯ Lyuga¡¯s voice cut me out of my head, ¡°Julz, is he fine now?¡± ¡°Luke, look at me!¡± Julia¡¯s hands scrunched up my cheeks further. I shoved her hands away, ¡°I am! Let go!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± She sounded somewhat disappointed, but I ignored it. Opposite to me, Lyuga approached Rebecca. Their expressions weren¡¯t enthused but anger was not included within it. It looked like he whispered something to her, but it was lost to me. However, it seemed to change her very essence. It was almost as if her mana¡¯s nature changed, from extraterrestrial to human. ¡°Sorry!¡± She bowed profusely, tears threatening to shower. ¡°I really mean it! Something like that shouldn¡¯t have happened¡­¡± I was massaging my temples until she trailed off. She and Lyuga were hiding a secret from the both of us. ¡°Eh! What? So it was your fault!¡± Julia stood up in front of me, accusing Rebecca. ¡°I knew I could¡­ could never trust you!¡± Through the face Rebecca made, my suspicions numbed with how pitiful she looked. Not willing to be thought of as a traitor, she fired back instantly. ¡°It¡¯s not like that! I never knew my ability would have some kind of abnormal side effect when nothing¡¯s ever happened before!¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Grrrrr¡­¡± Julia scowled, unable to forgive her that easily. The stalemate continued while me and Lyuga exchanged glances. Both of us nodded and took action. ¡°Atta girl, let¡¯s stop the barking now,¡± I put my hands on Julia¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Hmmm!?¡± She turned red. ¡°What Luke said, we should give the two some space,¡± Lyuga spoke to Rebecca. ¡°Yes¡­¡± She pouted looking at the ground. Feeling pity, I offered Rebecca a proposal. ¡°We can have a better discussion tomorrow, maybe around lunch. Then I¡¯ll forget what happened, capiche?¡± Out of the three outcomes I had imagined, it seemed there was a fourth. She was a unique ability holder, just like me. It wasn¡¯t an obvious conjecture, but considering that Julia and Lyuga seemed aware of it, that was the most reasonable scenario. There was just one issue, why would that ability of hers conflict with mine? I could only guess that unique abilities were not friendly toward each other, maybe opposing sources of mana, or¡­ ¡°Luke, we have to hurry to the next class or we¡¯ll miss it!¡± Julia gripped my arm, hurrying me along. ¡°Well, what class would that be?¡± I raised my eyebrows. Julia gasped while dragging me forward, ¡°General Magic Studies!¡± ¡°Were you going to force me into joining if I didn¡¯t plan to take it?¡± I questioned. ¡°Shut it, commoner! Move those legs!¡± She shouted as she let me go. I met her pace through the use of enhancements, but I didn¡¯t expect that she had already become that fast. In terms of achievements, I felt immeasurably lacking. -x- ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­ we barely made it!¡± Julia was gasping and holding her knees. On the other hand, I was breathing normally. In fact, I hadn¡¯t sweat at all. That by itself lifted my spirits¡­ my vitality had always been my strongest stat before mana had been. ¡°I can feel your condescending gaze, commoner!¡± She announced even though I hadn¡¯t said anything. ¡°Hmm? What are you saying, just go in already,¡± I played innocent and pushed her inside. ¡®Oh¡­¡¯ The room¡¯s free space was infinitely more compact than Ancient History. I recognised almost all the important students without much effort. There were also others standing at the back due to the lack of chairs. ¡®Isn¡¯t this convenient?¡¯ I mused sarcastically. I looked down meeting Julia¡¯s cheeky eyes. She giggled, seemingly having something up her sleeve. ¡°Arrrreeeee yooouuuu two¡­ the last students?¡± By that irritating voice, it had to be Mary. ¡°Plleeeeasssee siiiittt down¡­ or sttaaannndd uuup~¡± My head threatened to shut off through every syllable she pronounced. ¡°Luke! Here, sit on this,¡± Julia pointed toward a deformed piece of wood. Looking at it closely, it seemed she tore a piece of wood from the ground and moulded it into a stump. ¡®On second thought, telekinesis was pretty enticing.¡¯ I briefly gazed at the surrounding students, some had amused expressions but most of them were jealous. Either that I was sitting next to someone pretty, or because I was able to sit down. It seemed to be the latter that they were envious of though. ¡°Toooodaaayyy weee wiiiilll beegiiin wiiiittthh theee bassiiiiccs~¡± Mary¡¯s voice triggered some kind of sleeper mode within me. My eyes were fluttering unable to remain open the more she taught. Unfortunately, Julia was aware of such happenings and pinched my arm to keep me awake. ¡°Commoner, as my subordinate keep at least a sliver of decorum!¡± She demanded with an angry whisper. The class wasn¡¯t anything interesting, however anyone here needed to take it. Mana was the backbone of everything we did, mages and swordsmen alike. Although, for swordsmen, it takes the form of something the natives here called ¡®Aura.¡¯ There were about seven stages for both paths. Haruto used Ki, so he followed a different path of power, but it could be combined with mana. For mages, they went by Foundation, Consolidation, Advanced, Evolutionary, Transcendental, Supreme, and lastly, Deity. Each stage represented the state of one¡¯s mana core and thus is also used to rank magic based on what each can manage. For Swordsmen, if I remember correctly, it had been¡­ Fledgling, Basic, Expert, Master, Grandmaster, Sacred Wielder¡­ ¡®Ouch! There is definitely a seventh one but¡­ I can¡¯t grasp it.¡¯ I rubbed my head as I felt a headache come on. Regardless, similarly to Mages each stage represented the body¡¯s state in holding and controlling mana, or aura to use the common term. ¡°Reeeemmmeeemmbeeerrr! Swwoooorrdsssmeennn cannoooott ussseeee morree thann Foundation magiiiicc~¡± It was perfect timing, but that was precisely the reason I was hell-bent on learning Magic Missile earlier. There were ways to supplement the lack of mana, but the main reason I didn¡¯t learn anything higher was due to that restriction. I could not use the techniques of a swordsman if I formed a mana core, as it would delegate the mana around the body into one organ. As a result, mages can strengthen their body, but only in short bursts. Swordsmen prefer to circulate mana throughout their body to strengthen it entirely, allowing for movements that should be impossible. For example, Abel is capable of stepping through space, a form of teleportation. By the world¡¯s law, it was impossible to embody these two paths. Although, that was what I had once thought. Fjleora¡¯s technique of breathing which drew in mana from the surroundings, could potentially be used to conjure spells. Due to the nature of a spirit, which is a body of mana-given consciousness, it could do either thing. Which meant I could become an abomination in the world of combat if I replicated their functions to an extent. [Master! We already discussed how you weren¡¯t ready yet!] I shooed away the voice in my head, but she was right. I would have to be in the Expert stage for my manipulation of mana to become that sublime. The status board would keep track of one¡¯s progress once they begin undertaking either path. Simply thinking about the three years I had to spend in the academy drained me of energy. For reference, Fen started with the stage of Basic and Serina at Consolidation. Although, it hadn¡¯t shown up on my appraisals as I haven¡¯t begun a path yet. Also, about Serina¡­ I was certain she was at least at the stage of Transcendental, based on what she has done so far. Her Ultimate Magic was unlocked at the stage of Supreme, but she was also using it at the expense of life force. For some reason, that didn¡¯t seem right either. It was more like she drew power from the future, rather than her current state. ¡®Urgh, whatever. At the very least before the end, I should be at the sixth stage of swordsmanship¡­ How fun.¡¯