Chasing the Lightning Scar
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Porter: Johann 7
The well was deep. As he slowly descended the rope, the light filtering down from above grew dimmer, and curtains of darkness began to drape over everything. Anyone with claustrophobia wouldn't even be able to make it down here.
"That idiot Vints. Did he maybe fall and die?"
Considering the depth of the well, it wasn't impossible. But if a side character like Vints met his end by drowning in a place like this, it'd be the height of comedy.
Light
He activated Light Control to brighten the glow. Peering downward, all he saw was still that yawning black void.
The long rope seemed to stretch at least 20 or 30 meters. Finally, he reached the bottom. As expected, the well floor was completely dried up.
There was no sign of Vints where he should have been. Instead, a narrow passage opened up right in front of him.
A secret passage inside an old well? Nothing like this was in the original story.
He'd discovered a brand-new element absent from the original. It reeked of opportunity.
In the original, there were guys who suddenly powered up after stumbling into weird places like this.
This had to be one of those opportunities. Jackpot. Opportunities like this were always a huge boon.
Vints and an opportunity... Wait a sec? Could it be?
A sudden realization hit him.
In the mid-to-late original story, Vints suddenly powered up. He gained something called the Lightning Scar, rocketing to protagonist-level power in a world already bloated with inflation.
The original never detailed how he got stronger. Even when Johann asked, Vints just gave a vague "A fairy granted me power" excuse. Clearly, the author had been too lazy to flesh out the backstory.
But this world has all the detailed lore.
This place was undoubtedly where Vints obtained the Lightning Scar.
Doesn't line up with the original timeline. Vints is only a first-year right now.
Well, nothing strange about that. Fate had been twisted beyond recognition because of him. Snagging a future opportunity early wasn't weird at all.
No time to dawdle. I need to claim this before Vints monopolizes it!
Vints had definitely gone ahead into this passage. He might have already snatched the opportunity. No way was he letting that happen.
He hurried toward the passage. A good chunk of time had passed since Vints disappeared. All he could do was pray the guy hadn't hogged it all.
The narrow tunnel widened the deeper he went. Luminous stones embedded in the ceiling gave off a faint glow. Fresh footprints on the floor confirmed Vints had passed through recently.
Those weren't the only traces Vints left behind. Scattered along the passage were shattered armor and skeletal remains. Guardians protecting the path, no doubt—and Vints had smashed them.
Typical opportunities come with guardians.
Seemed like skeleton guardians. But there were probably more ahead guarding the real prize.
The power Vints gained in the original was no joke. If he got it now, he might even match Johann's strength. No way the defenses for something like that were just a few wimpy skeletons. He could only hope other guardians had slowed Vints down as much as possible.
He followed the trail Vints had blazed. Fortunately, no forks in the path. A branching tunnel would have made tailing him a nightmare.
About five minutes of running later?
A massive iron door blocked the way. The brass-colored gate gleamed, towering well over three meters high.
Engraved on it: five dragons ascending amid crackling thunder. Perfect match for the lightning power Vints would claim.
It looked long-abandoned, yet the door shone like it was brand-new. Not a speck of dust anywhere—impressive.
Not gonna open just by brute force, huh?
Not because of its size or weight—there had to be some special lock. Standard for an opportunity's gate.
For the hell of it, he pushed. As expected, it didn't budge. No real expectations, so no real disappointment.
So Vints got through this?
Classic original side-character luck. Without original knowledge, it was a pain for him.
How had Vints done it?
He scanned Vints' tracks again. The footprints marched steadily right up to the door, then scattered chaotically around it.
He could picture it: Vints pacing in circles, racking his brain to get past.
Somehow found a hint, solved it, and passed through.
"Vints' footprints... lead this way."
They veered to the left of the door. He followed exactly in the guy's steps. What clue had led Vints here?
He looked up at the door. Eye level might reveal the answer.
"Looking up from here, you see clouds carved into the door... Ah!"
The engraving showed five ascending dragons. But their gazes converged on one spot: the clouds right in front of him.
"So that's what Vints found."
He reached out and touched the cloud. Solid metal. But pressing a bit harder, it sank in with a click. Then a massive rumble shook the floor.
Rumble rumble rumble!
The huge iron door groaned open. A button-activated automatic gate.
Beyond lay an even wider passage. Thanks to Vints, he'd cleared this hurdle easily.
Pressing on, another door appeared. Not a massive iron one this time—just a normal-sized door blocking the tunnel. He opened it without hesitation.
"Huh?"
Beyond the door unfolded an entirely different world. White sands stretched across a beach, meeting an emerald sea.
The vast ocean, unbroken to the horizon, sparkled like jewels under the sunlight. A gentle breeze caressed his cheek alongside soft waves, evoking pure peace.
Heavy illusion magic, most likely. Not your run-of-the-mill kind—the realism was insane.
"Where the hell is this? Kinda peaceful for an opportunity spot."
"Oh? Another challenger?"
A reply to his mutter. He whipped around in surprise. A red-haired girl with tiny horns stood there, hands on hips like Superman, eyeing him.
About 150 cm tall?
Perfect for Johann's height—petite and ideal.
Tiny horns on her head, small bat wings fluttering behind: demonkin, probably. Native here? Or part of the illusion?
"Where is this place?"
"This is the screening area for challengers. You came for the power of thunder, right, big bro?"
Thunder—lightning bolt.
"Just as I thought. 'Power of thunder,' huh. The Namgung family would cream their pants over that."
"Namgoong... what?"
"Nah, just rambling. Anyway, who are you?"
"You can call me the guardian of the thunder."
The girl stuck out her tongue cutely. About what he'd expected.
"What do I gotta do to claim the power?"
"Whoa, you're quick on the uptake. Straight to business. Way different from that last guy who came through."
The previous one was 100% Vints.
"How long ago was that?"
"No clue! Guardians have zero sense of time~! Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you!"
Bratty little demon vibe. Suited her looks.
"This is the waiting area before the real trial. The actual challenge is beyond that door."
"Door?"
He glanced toward the horizon where the sea met the sky, following her words. There, amid the waves: a massive iron door he hadn't noticed before. Identical to the one he'd just opened.
"You can swim, right?"
"......This is the trial?"
"Hehe, already looking down on it?"
"Not looking down—it's so basic I'm worried it's a trick."
"No tricks at all. The real trial waits beyond that door. Know this? The doors here connect to other worlds."
"Other worlds?"
Other worlds? This was already another world to him. Teleporting to yet another isekai from here?
Why's it gotta be this complicated?
Complicated or not, if an opportunity awaited, he wasn't backing out.
"What exactly do I do in that other world?"
"Beats me! I've never crossed that door myself. Just entrust yourself to fate, and the power of thunder will find you naturally."
"Pretty irresponsible."
"Hehe! Good luck!"
The demon girl winked and vanished, reminding him this was all an illusory realm.
A salty sea scent tickled his nose. The blue waters looked just like the real deal. He dipped a hand in—warmer than expected.
"Just a normal ocean."
He submerged fully.
Jet Stream
Wind blasted from his palm. Propelled like a jetski, he shot forward. He stayed vigilant—monsters could lurk anywhere.
No presences at all. Not even on Darkness Radar.
Despite his tension, nothing dangerous registered. Eerily empty.
The door wasn't far. Jet Stream propelled him swiftly. Cool water rushed past.
The weirdness hit soon after. He was moving forward, but the door stayed the same distance. No closer than from the beach.
Suspecting as much, he doubled Jet Stream's output. Mana drained like the tide, but speed surged. The screw-like churn of water roared around him.
Should've arrived instantly, but the door didn't budge closer. It moved with him. Like Zeno's paradox.
In Greek myth, Sisyphus was doomed eternally to roll a boulder uphill just for it to tumble back down—for tricking the gods. That was him right now.
Turning back to the beach would be pointless too.
Probably. Flip around, and the beach would recede forever like the door. Trapped in this sea, doomed to wander like a compass-less boat or ghost ship.
He halted and gathered his thoughts. Charging ahead blindly was useless.
This is a test of worthiness for the opportunity. There has to be an exit...
Maybe underwater. Hidden where narrow vision couldn't spot it.
Air Pocket
A large air bubble formed. He dove below the surface to scout.
The seafloor was barren. None of the jewel-like scenery from above—just desolate emptiness, like venturing outside a game's map boundaries. Half-baked rendering.
There it is—the real door.
The surface door was fake. The true one lay beneath.
A new adventure for new power awaited. How could he not be thrilled?
I'll snag this opportunity before that punk Vints!