Chapter 27
Chapter 27
Chapter 27
Bang!
There was no wasted movement in Lucia’s actions as she fired bullets according to my instructions. Action followed command instantly. Despite being from the intelligence agency, she was first and foremost an excellent soldier. Moreover, even with her long-range vision, in a situation like this, it was easier for her to hunt with my assistance, as I could see a wider area. Her attack power, befitting an SR-rank archer, was astonishing. In terms of attack power alone, she was probably on par with Alexios, the [Fist King]. Of course, it was meaningless since the base skill coefficients were different…
“Wow…”
After the [Mirage Fog] dissipated, Eleanor let out a short gasp as she looked around. But I couldn't help but frown.
“Close…”
The surroundings were filled with fallen bodies. Yes, they had been close by. It should have been nearly impossible for them to approach me with the surrounding environment distorted. They couldn't possibly find their way towards me while the fog constantly disoriented their senses. A sniper with good eyesight could have, but they had all been eliminated by Lucia earlier.
“…Where’s the vagrant?”
The vagrant Lucia had shot first was nowhere to be seen.
“He must have been an archer in that getup.”
It was my mistake for not figuring out his class beforehand. The bodies scattered around had two or three bullets each. Considering Lucia’s skill, she wouldn't have hit the same target multiple times. The vagrant had used the bodies as shields. He was no longer visible even with [Contemplation]. He had chosen to divert my attention by throwing bodies in my direction instead of approaching.
He had escaped.
“It can’t be helped.”
It was unsettling to let one get away, but it was best to be satisfied with the fact that he chose to retreat.
“Prince Oz…”
Then Lucia spoke to me in a bewildered tone. Judging from her pale expression and the cold sweat running down her cheeks, it seemed to be no ordinary matter.
“What do you see?”
I followed her gaze, but I couldn’t see anything. I could see widely and accurately, but not far. I was able to detect the unnatural signs of the sky shattering, but this was different. My senses, heightened to the extreme, were constantly sending warning signals, but I couldn’t see what was there.
In the end, I had no choice but to wait for Lucia to speak again.
“Clowns wearing masks…”
My face contorted the moment I heard those words. I understood without hearing the rest. It was Parade. They had cast off their masks of ordinary people and were wearing their true faces.
“They’re… devouring the vagrant who escaped.”
It wouldn’t have been a sight to take lightly, even for a soldier like her. Moreover, she was a beast person with superior eyesight. That gruesome scene must have been all the more vivid.
I quickly covered Lucia’s eyes.
“Ah…”
“It’s alright.”
“Our eyes met…”
“It’s alright, calm down.”
I tried to calm Lucia down, but I was also quite disturbed. The members of Parade were crazy, but they wouldn’t attack without a purpose. It was highly likely that they made eye contact with Lucia simply because we were looking at them.
Then what was their purpose?
Was it related to the vagrant?
No, that was unlikely. Unless it was related to someone connected to the vagrant.
“Damn it…”
And in this situation, the person connected to the vagrant was me.
They had saved me.
…But the being I suspected of killing me in the original story was definitely the leader of Parade.
I couldn't guess their motive.
“Noah, take Lucia and Baekyang and go back first.”
“Will you be alright? What if you’re attacked like before? You said you’re popular, so you have to be careful.”
“It’s fine, just go.”
“Hmm… but still…”
“It’s really alright, you can go.”
“Okay, Master. But be careful. I have a bad feeling.”
“Okay.”
The assassins weren’t a problem anymore. If they were targeting me, any other assassins would have been eliminated by Parade by now.
“Phew…”
After sending Eleanor away, I moved to several different locations to confirm, but the chilling sensation on the back of my neck didn't fade.
“Damn it.”
I had no choice but to accept it. Parade was watching me from a distance. Fortunately, they seemed to be only observing and had no intention of attacking, but it was still unsettling.
“What the hell did this Oz bastard do before?”
There was too much backstory. The incident with Salem, the [Mage King], was already a headache, and now Parade was involved. It was frustrating.
Was Oz a member of Parade or something?
“No…”
The moment that thought crossed my mind, I remembered the dream I had last night. The chilling dream where I was wearing a mask in the mirror.
“That can’t be true.”
But I shook my head. I couldn’t be certain that Parade killed Oz, but I was sure they weren’t on good terms.
“Did I just waste my time?”
After wandering around to confirm Parade’s movements, I headed back to Scientia. Fortunately, they didn’t seem to have any intention of approaching the [Dragon Emperor]’s territory. Even those lunatics would know how dangerous the [Dragon Emperor] was. She was, after all, the undisputed strongest being in the world. Considering they only acted after Tia’s death, it was only natural.
“Noah.”
I called Eleanor’s alias as soon as I entered Scientia. I didn’t know what kind of mischief she was planning, but she was hiding near the main gate.
“You kept your promise this time.”
“Were you waiting to confirm that?”
“Huh? Of course, I was waiting because I was worried about Master. The promise was just something I wanted to confirm on the side.”
“It’s a transparent lie, but thank you.”
“Haha, Master can see through my lies. Even though I’m confident in my acting.”
“That’s because you’re trying to act on top of another act.”
“Huh…?”
“No, nothing.”
I talked too much. I knew she was wearing a mask of cheerfulness, but I shouldn't have pointed it out. It was a mistake.
To cover it up, I ruffled Eleanor’s hair, pretending to pat her head. It was at a convenient height, so it was easy to raise my arm.
“Eeeeek.”
“…That reaction hurts my feelings.”
Eleanor really hated it. Seeing her stick out her tongue and pretend to vomit, as if she had a disgusting experience, almost made me cry.
Weren't we friends? Didn’t she have that much generosity?
“…I said it before, but it’s off-putting how blatantly you rely on your looks, Master. How about cultivating your inner self a little more?”
“I don’t believe inner beauty is important. People ultimately judge by appearances.”
“Uh…”
If your appearance was great, inner beauty was just an accessory. The proof was right here. A person whose appearance had been upgraded while their inner self remained the same was right here.
“M-Master, you’re being delusional. I think it’s just an act. More importantly, I wonder why you can claim that so confidently. You’re the one who benefits the most from appearances.”
That was true. Every morning, I felt a sense of pride when I looked in the mirror. That’s why I hated the idea of inner beauty being important.
“Let’s go back. I’ll escort you since it’s dangerous.”
“That narcissistic side of you, thinking you look cool, is a bit disgusting, but I appreciate the escort.”
Her words… hurt… Eleanor seemed to be in a bad mood today. Should I have talked to her when I saw her this morning? Yes, even if it ruined the mood, I should have taken care of Eleanor.
“You might never get a girlfriend if you keep acting like that.”
Really? Was I that bad?
“So, it would be best if you stopped those strange actions and words.”
“I have to go that far?”
“If you want to do something, have me check it first. I’ll evaluate it for you. You shouldn't do anything I disapprove of. Got it?”
“…Okay.”
I led Eleanor, who was smiling mischievously like a little rascal, towards her dormitory. It was hard to talk to her after what just happened. I was too afraid of what kind of sharp words she would use to pierce me if I initiated conversation.
“We’re here. 20 points.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“On a dark night like this, you should have started a conversation to make me feel safe.”
“…I’ll try to do that next time.”
I couldn't help but nod because she had a point. Her barbs had gained credibility.
“…No, wait. On second thought, that’s not a good idea. If you casually talk to anyone other than me like that, you might be seen as a bothersome man, so be careful.”
“That’s a strict standard.”
I knew.
That her words were lies.
I could tell she was actually quite pleased. That was only natural.
[Contemplation – Activated]
I had activated it in advance, in case I was ridiculed again. I was more sensitive than I thought.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Tuesday's Daily Dungeon, 12th floor. The exams were approaching, and so was the [Death King]’s invasion. While other students were busy studying for the upcoming exams, I was an exception. The basic combat class exams were postponed because there was no replacement for Gerard, and I could pass the intermediate magic exams even while half-asleep. The combat practice exams, conducted in parties, were after the written exams, so there was no need to worry about them right now. Rather, if I suggested practicing, everyone would give me strange looks. It was truly unfortunate that they didn't realize cramming for the written exams wouldn't be of much use.
Of course, I was the best when it came to magic theory.
“…This is getting tough.”
So today, I skipped class and delved into the daily dungeon. I was pushing myself a bit, wanting to raise the level of [Mana Dominator] before the exams started. As expected, on the 12th floor of the daily dungeon, there were no cute little monsters like fire salamanders.
Rumble— Rumble—
After walking for a bit, I saw flaming boulders rolling towards me. The boulders, as they approached, began to clump together into humanoid shapes. They were [Flame Golems].
“Uooooooooo—!!”
“That’s 32.”
Intermediate Magic
[Waterfall]
Without panicking, I intercepted the [Flame Golems] charging towards me with ferocious roars using a water-attribute intermediate spell. If the fire-attribute intermediate magic [Firewall] created a rising wall of fire, the water attribute was the opposite, creating a cascading waterfall. It seemed simplistic, but there was a clear difference.
“Uoo…”
“…Don’t make such pitiful noises, you’re a golem.”
Since it was water with mass, [Waterfall] had better stopping power than [Firewall]. I cast a spell towards the [Flame Golems] struggling against the cascading water.
Intermediate Magic
[Hail Strike]
Crack!
I cast a water-attribute spell, or rather, a cold-attribute spell, towards the falling water. At that moment, the bodies of the struggling [Flame Golems] began to shatter. [Hail Strike] was a simple spell that created hail, but when combined with [Waterfall], it unleashed unimaginable destructive power.
“Now there’s only one left…”
[Mana Dominator Lv. 1]
Exp: 199/200
[Spatial Barrier Lv. 1]
Exp: 1/300
Presumably, the Fragment of Prana wouldn't drop until I defeated the boss. Considering my luck so far, that was the bare minimum. No more items would drop from ordinary mobs. I had faith in Oz, the embodiment of misfortune. It was frustrating, but I had no choice. There was nothing else to do but defeat the boss on the 12th floor. The good news was that I already knew the boss's location. Based on my experience so far, I knew there were fewer than five golems left on the 12th floor. If I defeated them all, the boss would come looking for me, and I wouldn't have to worry about being surrounded by the remaining mobs, but my mana was running low.
“I don’t like this.”
This was the first time I had experienced my mana being completely depleted. It was all because of spamming [Mana Dominator]. Just using water-attribute intermediate magic would have been enough to clear the monsters, but the repetitive work made it hard to resist the temptation. I couldn't suppress the excitement every time a new spell appeared. This was why I was nothing but a mindless gamer.
“Hmm…”
I used [Contemplation] to locate the remaining [Flame Golems]. Fortunately, they were a bit far from the boss’s location. This should be fine.
When I arrived at the boss’s location, I saw a small rocky mountain. It was the boss monster, the [Giant Flame Golem]. Yes, it was just a larger [Flame Golem]. But I knew that this simplicity translated to a difference in power.
“Kuooooooooooo—”
“Are you asleep?”
The [Giant Flame Golem] was so large that it seemed it hadn’t noticed me yet. Normally, the moment it spotted me, the boulders would have combined to form a giant golem. Considering my usual bad luck, this was a rare opportunity.
[Mana Dominator Lv. 1]
I carefully placed my hand between the boulders of the still-unaware golem. Now was the time. It was time for it to appear. It was time for a flashy scene where I unleashed a powerful, close-range high-level magic spell for a one-hit KO.
[Light Impact]
“Figures. Damn it, I didn’t really expect much anyway.”
The moment the crude spell struck the boss’s core and emitted light, the golem awakened.
“Kuooooooooooo—!!!!”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Phew…”
I let out a sigh after defeating the boss monster by rolling and dodging. Due to its size, it was difficult to stop with [Waterfall], and [Hail Strike] didn't deal any damage either. It felt like I fought it almost barehanded, using [Physical Enhancement].
I needed to learn high-level magic, but it was more difficult than I thought, perhaps because, unlike intermediate magic, it didn't have a fixed framework.
Fragment of Prana x3
Finally, I obtained the last fragment. I’d decide what to do with the extra two after seeing how [Mana Dominator] changed. Well, I’d probably use them on [Spatial Barrier].
“I believe… I really believe… I believe in the game developers. Our game is a god-tier game, right?”
I prayed to the void, as tense as if I were about to read the character balance patch notes. Then I placed the Fragment of Prana in my hand and channeled mana into it. The Fragment of Prana resonated with my mana, sublimating from a solid into pure flame and seeping into my body.
[Mana Dominator Lv. 1 → Lv. 2]
Finally. Finally! The time had come for this crappy skill to become overpowered. What has changed? Honestly, I would be happy if the probability of getting high-level magic just increased. It would be even better if low-level magic stopped appearing altogether.
“Did it pop?”
[The skill has been partially modified.]
There was even a helpful description. It was touching, considering they hadn't shown this kind of consideration before. I covered my eyes with my hand and read the updated description of [Mana Dominator] through the gaps between my fingers.
[Mana Dominator Lv. 2]
Exp: 0/500
First, the required experience had increased significantly. As expected.
[Mana capacity increases.]
This was good. An increase in resource capacity was always welcome.
Now, the important part. How had the skill’s properties changed?
I checked the last line.
[0/100 until guaranteed SSR-rank magic]
“What the…”
Strange? I thought I saw a string of characters that shouldn’t exist, that couldn’t exist. In gacha RPGs, there was a safety net for players who couldn't pull the characters they wanted. A system that guaranteed an SSR-rank character within a certain number of pulls. But I had never seen or heard of a game that had such a safety net for skills, not characters or equipment. Yes, to briefly summarize that safety net…
“Pity…?”
An unfamiliar ceiling.
“Haha, fuck…”
Let’s calm down and assess the situation. I shouldn't panic. I had to objectively and accurately understand why things had turned out this way. Every skill in this world was based on some form of energy source.
Then let’s think.
[Mana Dominator] consumed my mana every time I used a skill.
Then what about when the skill itself was created? Creating a new spell required countless trial and error, consuming a lot of mana. Then wouldn't creating the [Mana Dominator] skill also require mana?
Who created this skill?
I wasn’t sure, but I called them the developers.
Then how should I interpret the state of this incomplete,
seemingly flawed skill?
“Perhaps the… developers ran out of M?”
Yes, the developers must have run out of mana (M) while creating the skill and couldn’t complete it. It became an incomplete skill due to a lack of mana (M). Then it couldn’t be helped. I had to understand. What else could I do? I couldn’t complain to them.
“Those M-less bastards.”
Yes, there was nothing I could do if they didn’t have it. You bastards.