The room was shocked to disbelieving silence from Lady Eileen's pronouncement.
There was a dream-like quality to her words, but the content was that of a nightmare.
The Ancient Hell Gate was a great stone structure in the far off wastelands of the distant landscape where Ashran had turned the invasion back, all those centuries ago. It was often the focus of ghost stories, the goal of the most ambitious of treasure hunters, and the dream-posting of many archaeologists and historians. It's precise location was kept secret from the general public, and it was reportedly surrounded by a zone of such density of mana, that A-Rank and S-Rank monsters spawned in packs.
Leaving aside that this woman thought I would be able to thwart the worst case scenario - the Hell Gate opening to a demon army - it was more puzzling how she would have been able to tell if the Seal was crumbling at all.
"And how would you be aware of this?" One of the many investigators asked this question - one who I did not know.
"Ah, that is quite simple. My fellow Disciples - those whom have placed themselves at the Gate -have informed me of the weakening Seal. And there is an enemy element at work as well - the ones planting mana crystals near populated areas. This town was not the first - nor will it be the last."
A worrying prospect.
"...Then what do you need me for?"
It took me several seconds to realize I had spoken - an impulsive interruption, but from the nodding and grumbling around the room it was a question to which we all wanted answers.
"I am only a C-Rank Fighter - the scenario you've brought to us is something far beyond my abilities. Laughably so."
"Mm," she agreed. "That is true - as you are now, there is zero chance of success. But you recently awakened a new ability did you not?"
And so I had!
"Captain," Lady Eileen turned to address Gilmore. "Would I be correct in saying every mana crystal uncovered at the incident site was depleted?"
"Yes, that is correct," Gilmore replied. At the large man's side, his aide was furiously scribbling notes.
She smiled widely, her teeth gleaming, and locked eyes with mine. "Adventurer Tor depleted them. He can do the same again. Like an empty glass, waiting to be be filled with water."
Lightning quick she withdrew a mana crystal from her robes, this one dark blue and sparking with visible wisps of magical energy.
"Like he will drain this one. Here and now."
And she threw it across the room to hit me in the face.
----
Oh? It seems I was awake once more.
This time, I was in a full meeting room instead of the forest border. I did not recognize these people, save for the tall dark haired vampire at the front of the room.
She spoke, but I could not understand her words, but she sounded hopeful. How nice.
...For some reason my forehead was quite sore - and there was a mana crystal in my hand. Very heavily charged, the artificial jewel was dark with power. I turned it over in my hands, feeling the strength of its power - far greater than the mana monster I had encountered before.
Very well, I accept this offering.
I drew a long slow breath, inhaling both the air I was breathing, and drawing the mana stored in the crystal into myself.
Empty and useless, I let it drop to the floor.
"It is not sufficient."
My vision blurred. Ah, it seems this body is still weak. A pity.
----
Ow, my head.
For the second time in a week, I found myself waking up in the Guild's infirmiry.
"I knew vampires were strong, but I didn't think she would knock me out with that crystal," I quipped as I levered myself into a sitting position.
"She didn't knock you out," said the healer. It wasn't Priscilla this time, but a stranger. I was slightly disappointed, but it made sense that depending on how long I was out that she was catching up with her brother, or still in the debriefing with Lady Eileen and all the other investigators and peripheral guild staff.
"You passed out from levelling shock - too many level gains, too quickly."
"...???"
I was speechless. That would mean that Lady Eileen was correct in relating my unknown class to the incident. And that my simple life would effectively be over - I could see it now, the Guild passing a resolution to force me to cooperate in 'disarming' mana hot spots across the country, and making my way to the Hell Gate no matter what my own opinion on the matter might be.
The rest of my stay in the recovery room passed in a daze - the healer filled me in on what happened, gave me the portable [Rank Stone] fragment to monitor my recovery that I was supposed to pick up after the meeting, ran a few brief scans to verify my health, and then sent me home.
That dream-like nightmare feeling from before hand returned. And, withdrawing the [Rank Stone] fragment from its protective bag, I called up my status to see if I would find any answers to the muddled questions that were building up inside me.
----
----
Name: Tor
Race: Human
Class: Fighter
Level: 30 / 30 → 30 / 30
Health: 2250 / 2500
Mana: 20 / 20
---
Race: ???????
Class: ???????
Level: 5 / ?? → 20 / ??
Mana: 5765 / ?????
????: ????? / ?????
----
----
Fifteen levels?! No wonder I went into shock!