Chapter 4
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: The Path to the Capital
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I awoke to the groans of the injured, my eyes opening to the ceiling of a medical tent.
This was already the second time today I’d woken up under an unfamiliar ceiling. No, wait, the first time was an unfamiliar sky, so was this the first time under an unfamiliar ceiling?
Now fully awake, I let out a low groan at the pain in my left wrist. My gaze naturally shifted to it, revealing a splint.
A large, bluish bruise spread out from under the splint, suggesting a broken bone.
It was strange.
As far as I could remember, the battle with the demons had ended so easily that there hadn't been any opportunity to get hurt like this.
Just as the question of how I’d broken a bone began to deepen, a possibility flashed through my mind.
‘Did I break it when I fell?’
I didn't get a single scratch fighting Level 30 and 40 monsters, but I break a bone just from collapsing on the street?
[Strength: 1]
[Stamina: 1]
…
My freakishly lopsided stat window, with everything dumped into Magic Power, flickered before my eyes.
A pointless regret like, ‘I should have allocated my stats more carefully,’ surfaced in my mind before quickly vanishing.
...Damn it. Honestly, what kind of lunatic creates a character while considering the possibility they might actually enter the game world?
Someone like that would end up in a mental asylum long before they became a mage in a game.
“Haa, what in the world is going on?”
When I first opened my eyes in this world, I was in a state of pure panic.
A city reduced to ashes, the pervasive stench of decay, sewer rats, and overflowing sewage.
“…”
Lying on the uncomfortable cot in the tent, I slowly began to sort through the events that had happened so far.
1. I’ve been pulled into a game.
2. And I’m in a state of utter fragility, with every stat except Magic Power at 1.
3. On top of that, the only skill I can use is [Blooming], which is limited to once a day.
4. And to make matters worse, I couldn't resist my hipster urge to ‘do something no one else has ever done’ and already used my Blooming skill for the day.
“Hmm.”
It was a situation that made you want to curse. Yet, my mind remained calm. It must have been thanks to the [Calm] trait I got from starting as a vagrant.
The way I’d casually struck up a conversation with Guard Captain Hans to gather information, the way my expression hadn’t changed even when facing a tsunami of corpses as I unleashed the power of ‘Blooming’—it was all thanks to the [Calm] trait.
...Even through a monitor, I thought this trait was ridiculously overpowered, but now that I’m the one using it, it feels even more broken.
“Status Window?”
Having calmly assessed the situation, I once again called out the name I had shouted at the top of my lungs the moment I was thrown into this world, just in case.
Unsurprisingly, no text appeared before my eyes.
A Level 1 character had taken down hundreds of Level 10 Mutants and even a Level 15 demon, albeit a low-ranking one.
Even a rough calculation of the experience points from those monsters should have put me somewhere around Level 13.
But I felt no change in my body.
There was no sensation of growing stronger from leveling up.
All I could feel now was a faint exhaustion and the sharp pain of a fracture.
“Hmm…”
It seemed better to assume that game-like systems such as experience points and leveling up didn't exist in this world. After all, I felt no physical changes after defeating high-level monsters, and no status window appeared.
‘This is a pretty big problem…’
No experience points, no leveling up, no status window. That meant this world wasn't much different from reality.
Unlike in a game where a character naturally grows stronger by defeating many enemies, the only way for a human to become stronger in reality was through arduous training.
To become a great warrior, one would have to devote time to exercise and swordsmanship, and to enhance one’s magic power, one would need to enter a mage tower and train continuously.
‘Other people who fall into game worlds get help from goddesses and status windows… What? They get rich killing monsters, level up to become the strongest in the world, and get everything they want.’
Since I was already sucked into a game world, how nice would it have been if those convenient features came along with it…
‘…Forget it. What’s the point of thinking about something I don’t have?’
Unfortunately, I didn't have any more time to waste on self-pity.
I'd been dropped into a world on the brink of ruin, where insane demons and monsters greeted you on every corner.
My immediate priority was to get stronger so I could somehow survive in this crazy world.
Why on earth was I sucked into a world like this? Why did I have to endure such an ordeal…? It was probably best not to think too deeply about the reasons.
Thinking about it wouldn't change anything for me right now. It would only deepen my despair and anxiety.
This was a harsh world where survival wasn't guaranteed even if I focused solely on productive thoughts.
“Hmm…”
To find a way to get stronger, gathering information about my surroundings was the first step. Even I, who had poured thousands of hours into this game, didn't know much about the vagrant's starting town, ‘Stratus’.
That was because by the time the player actually started controlling their character, the city had already been destroyed by the demon race.
So, despite being a veteran who had played this game for a whopping 4,000 hours, I had virtually no information about this city.
I got out of the cot and left the tent. It would be great if I could meet Hans and ask him a few things like before….
“The mage is awake.”
An adjutant, who had been staring blankly at the sky in front of the tent where the injured were resting, saw me come out and immediately woke Hans, who was asleep against the city wall.
Hans, jolted awake, rose with a clatter of heavy armor, hastily removed his gauntlet, and offered me his hand for a shake.
“...I was in a state of shock back then and couldn't thank you properly. Thank you again, Mage.”
“…”
In this world, mages were treated as nobles, or even higher.
It was an age where neighbors died and friends disappeared almost daily. Naturally, knights and mages who risked their lives on the battlefield held a higher social standing than nobles who offered only empty words.
A king's decree wouldn't save your life, but a mage’s incantation would—and it would burn the demons to boot.
“Please, let me know if there is anything you need or want. There is nothing more shameful than failing to repay the benefactor who saved our city.”
Hans spoke with a deference that was completely different from when we first met.
It was a little uncomfortable, but I didn't bother to point it out.
Even though I only had one spell I could use, I was still a mage of sorts… and I had, in fact, saved their lives.
“I’m sorry to trouble you, but I could use a change of clothes, some shoes, and water to wash with.”
“Fortunately, there are still a few uncontaminated wells scattered around the city. I’ll have someone fetch water right away. We’ll prepare clothes and shoes for you as well.”
“Thank you.”
I threw off my ragged clothes and washed the grime and dust from my skin with the clean water.
After finishing my wash, I stood before a grimy, cracked piece of glass and slowly took in my appearance.
Pale skin and a high-bridged nose. Sapphire eyes like drops of paint on a white canvas, and hair somewhere between silver and white. Objectively or subjectively, I had what it took to be called ‘handsome.’
The only flaws were my vagrant origins and the fantastic collaboration of 1 Stamina and 1 Strength, which resulted in thin limbs and dark circles under my eyes.
Well, I hadn’t put much effort into customization during character creation, so this was something I’d have to live with.
...If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve spent a little more time on character creation.
“By the way, when are the reinforcements scheduled to arrive?”
I spoke to Hans while drying my wet hair in the sunlight filtering through the dark clouds.
“Two days from now.”
“Are there any mages among those reinforcements?”
“Yes, the Alliance headquarters said they would be dispatching a mage of the 4th Circle or higher.”
“I see.”
I quietly stood there, chin in hand, organizing my thoughts.
Originally, the most dangerous and demanding part of the One-Shot Mage build was the area right after the first tutorial.
The main gameplay for a human vagrant begins by escaping the city of Stratus and embarking on a journey to the capital.
Like in most games, the early areas are filled with Level 1 mobs.
They constantly provoke the player, as if to say, ‘Kill me to farm experience and items and get used to the game’s combat.’ For most players, the standard strategy was to kill as many of these provoking monsters as possible to farm items and experience, but…
The problem was that this world I’d fallen into had no experience point or level-up system.
No matter how many monsters I killed, I wouldn't get any stronger. Of course, it might help me hone my combat senses, but it would be far more efficient to enter a proper mage tower and train.
“The reinforcements will return to the capital as soon as they confirm the situation here is resolved, right?”
“...Well, yes? I suppose so?”
Hans answered after a brief pause, as if he didn't understand the intent of my question.
“In that case, would it be alright for me to stay here for two days? I need to get to the capital as well, and it would be great if I could travel with them in their carriage.”
On top of that, I wasn't an ordinary mage.
For a ‘One-Shot Mage’ who could only use magic once a day and immediately lost consciousness afterward, setting out alone on a road teeming with mobs was an incredibly dangerous proposition.
Just imagine: what would happen if a stray dog suddenly decided to bite my neck while I was sprawled on the road after Blooming’s duration ended?
“I’ll speak to them for you. You saved our city; it’s the least we can do.”
Hans replied with a broad smile as he watched me dry my hair in the sun.
Hmm.
It seemed I had found a brilliant way to skip the most dangerous part of leveling a One-Shot Mage.
* * *
Three days passed without any particular incident.
The residents and guards, having narrowly escaped the threat of the demon race, slowly began to rebuild the city’s outer walls.
The city, which had been steeped in madness born from accumulated despair, hadn't completely returned to normal, but at least a small glimmer of hope could be seen in people's eyes.
The madmen who had been screaming wildly fell silent, and the corpses that had been strewn carelessly about the streets disappeared.
Just before the sun vanished behind the dark clouds, the reinforcements appeared over the horizon.
“I am Rex, son of Belzark.”
The one leading the reinforcements was Rex Belzark. He was an orc barbarian hero, a named character from the Alliance faction who played a significant role in the middle of the game.
‘So he was the reinforcement scheduled to come to Stratus.’
I found myself marveling at the giant, three-meter-tall orc whose body was covered in muscle.
His intimidating presence was on a completely different level from what I’d seen on the game screen.
“We heard the situation was urgent and departed immediately, but the battlefield seems rather quiet.”
“Well, the thing is…”
Guard Captain Hans began to briefly explain what had happened to the giant orc, who looked like he could crush a human head as easily as a piece of cake with one hand.
“If what he says is true, then this boy must be an unbelievable prodigy of a mage.”
A mage in a bright red robe, who had been listening quietly beside the orc hero, Rex, looked at me with a hint of suspicion as Hans explained.
“To defeat a demon and that many Mutants in a single blow, as the guard captain claims, means this boy must be a high-ranking mage of at least the 7th Circle. If someone reached that level at such a young age, rumors would have surely spread throughout the academic world…”
“What do you think?”
Rex spoke while looking at the empty space right next to Hans.
“His pulse and heartbeat are both normal. I find no evidence that he is lying.”
From the spot next to Hans where no one was standing, a voice echoed—chilling and coiled like a snake.
Hans jumped back in surprise, and there stood a masked rogue who had just deactivated their stealth skill.
The man, clad head to toe in a black mask and garb, quietly returned to the carriage as if his role was finished.
“...The emergence of an unprecedented genius. Even Toker, who was born with a demonic talent, only reached the 6th Circle at the age of twenty-one…”
The mage in the red robe stared at me, her eyes wide with disbelief.
“We can’t let such a talent waste away here. We must take him to the Lightning School’s mage tower immediately and support him with systematic training!”
While they were having this long conversation, I… just kept my damn mouth shut.
Judging by the atmosphere of the conversation, it seemed like things would proceed in my favor even if I did nothing.
Having seen every conversation, choice, and ending, I had the ability to discern whether a conversation would be beneficial or detrimental to me just from the characters’ vibes.
...It would’ve been nice to have this ability in the real world, but oh well. Now that this place *is* my reality, I guess it doesn’t matter.
There was no need to go against the current. The water’s destination was my own.
It was a bit uncomfortable being mistaken for some grand ‘unprecedented magical genius in the rough,’ but once we reached the capital and I officially entered a mage tower, we’d likely never see each other again. So I felt no need to correct their misunderstanding.
“...Then we shall return to the capital. Stratus seems to be safe now.”
Even though I, the person in question, hadn't said a single word, the matter proceeded swiftly.
Rex, the nameless rogue, and the red-robed mage decided to turn their carriage around and return to the capital immediately. With the demon dead, there was nothing left for them to do in Stratus.
I tried to climb onto the carriage, which was specially designed for unique classes like mages.
Perhaps because my Strength was 1, even climbing onto the high carriage step was no easy task for me.
But no matter how low my Strength was, could I really be too weak to get onto a carriage with a slightly high step?
“My name is Herion! It’s a pleasure to meet you!”
Just as I was about to move past feeling pathetic about my own strength and into sheer disbelief, a slender hand reached out to me.
I took her hand.
Herion pulled me up into the carriage, almost as if she were hauling a piece of luggage.
She seemed a little surprised at how easily I was pulled up.
“...Well, would you like a snack? Have a seat here next to me.”
As she spoke, Herion pulled a bite-sized piece of chocolate from her robe and handed it to me.
Then she even offered to take me straight to her mage tower as soon as we arrived in the capital.
She said her tower master was on good terms with the masters of respectable Lightning School towers and that she could make an introduction.
...It wasn't a bad offer, but thinking that she would eventually find out the truth about me, I couldn't shamelessly say, ‘Yes, please.’
Herion was looking at me like I was some all-time genius, the greatest talent in history or something... but I’m not that person.
“Heh heh.”
The only thing I could do was laugh it off like an 80-year-old grandfather.
“Have you been self-taught until now? Where did you get your magic books? Is there a mage you admire, or maybe a dream spell you’ve always wanted to learn?”
“Heh heh, no, not really…”
While Herion and I were having this fruitless conversation, the rogue with the fully masked face had disappeared.
Rex, due to his enormous size, led the reinforcements from the front, riding not a horse but a Komodo, a special mount unique to orcs.
‘Things are going uncannily well.’
Don’t they say that when you do good deeds, they come back to you?
Thinking that this was all thanks to my good deed of not abandoning the tutorial city and fighting against the demons, I felt a warmth spread through my heart.
...And that warmth turned cold in less than half a day, buried under the stench of blood and gore.