"Huh? Someone is coming towards us!"
"He looks like he's injured."
When I came out of the gate, I saw a bunch of hunters standing near the knight that was guarding the gate.
"E-Err, mister hunter?"
I only passed by the bewildered knight. The party members gave way for me when I walked towards them. They seemed to be newbies judging by their shoddy equipment. Maybe it was their first time entering a gate of D rank.
I must've looked like a corpse. I didn't pay them any heed and only dragged my body forward. Everything hurt.
The sky was still bright. That meant thay I was able to clear the gate in a few hours. Why the hell did it feel like an entire day?
After sitting by the side of the street, I took out all my healing potions and downed them. They were at least Intermediate ranked. High rank potions weren't just sold on the shelves. You had to request those kinds of potions from the temple.
"…Shit. I'll have to visit the temple again."
I was pretty much used to visiting the temple. I was even known as a regular.
After drinking the potions, I got up.
'Fuck, I need to sleep first.'
When I took out my phone, I noticed how cracked the screen was.
"Haaah...."
I needed a new one. My current phone wasn't one of the newer models but I've had it for years already. I shared many memories with it. It was even there when I failed to clear an E rank gate a year ago for the first time.
"Hm?"
A call suddenly came through.
"Sylvia?"
Maybe it was because the connection was bad inside the gate. I could see that there was hundreds of other missed calls. There was also a lot of texts.
By the same number.
"H-Hello?"
–Why did you enter a gate alone!?
"…How did you know?"
–T-That's not important! I told you to avoid entering the gates alone! It's dangerous to go alone!
Her flustered voice came through the phone.
–There's no telling what kind of monsters lurks inside those gates. A raid party found another warp gate inside an A-rank gate outside the city.
'What the hell? Another one?'
"Did anyone die?"
–No. They managed to notice the signs that we mentioned. Thankfully, the boss didn't pursue them.
"Maybe they are bound to the warp gate world?"
It was odd how the monsters could leave the floors but the fallen god couldn't.
–...That sounds plausible. I'll let my guild master know. Maybe they could devise a plan with that knowledge.
"I see."
-Why did you enter the gate?
"T-That's…"
I couldn't just tell her that I had to do a class quest for the system.
[Indeed. You'll face drastic consequences if you reveal me to mortals. I'll burn your soul.]
S-Scary.
"I got a bit stronger so I decided to challenge the gate."
-You were an E ranker just a few months ago! You almost died!
"C-Calm down."
It was weird how agitated Sylvia was.
'How did she know I'd enter a gate? Did Arius tell her?'
That bastard. Maybe he did.
"I-I survived, right? That's good enough."
I could hear someone's teeth grinding on the other side of the phone.
Sylvia sighed.
-…Yes. That is what's important."
She added on with an emotionless tone of voice.
-…Did you get injured?
I felt like I shouldn't tell her the truth.
"N-no. Hehe. In fact, I-I managed to come out unscathed."
I winched when I tried to move my broken arm.
-…Since we couldn't go to the blacksmith back then, meet me in my room on Saturday at ten in the morning. I assume you remember where?
She suddenly changed the subject. I breathed a sigh of relief.
-I won't be able to contact you during this week. My guild master said that I had to join her in the raid to the warp gates. Half the guild was tasked with entering the warp gates discovered thus far.
"Y-You're going again!?"
-Yes. She said that my strength will be necessary during the raid.
I remembered those four wings that sprouted out of Sylvia's back. Her second awakening.
'Although it's rude to ask someone for their class, my curiosity is killing me.'
I wanted to ask her so bad but I had to refrain myself. She didn't have a reason to tell me either.
-If you enter another gate, at least ask someone to accompany you. The gates aren't safe to enter anymore. There's no telling if another warp gate could manifest. A double dungeon would be even worse.
A double dungeon referred to two gate portals being in the same world. Instead of going to the outside world, that portal sends you straight into the boss' room. Many people get killed by such gates because you never know when they could spawn. Their appearance in dungeons are unpredictable.
"Y-Yeah. I'll ask someone."
Although I said that, who would've been willing to go with me?
'Perhaps Lexan could take control of someone's body from the academy. Yeah, I'll ask her.'
-I'll text you when I get back. Don't be late on Saturday, okay?
"Yes. I understand."
-Okay. Well, I better get going.
She hung up the call a few moments later.
"Hm? Another missed call?"
It was from a number different other than Sylvia's. There was about two missed calls.
I looked at the contact that called me.
"Laura?"
◇◇◇
After getting back to my dorm room, I threw myself into bed. It wasn't even a few minutes later that I fell asleep.
'Where am I?'
I was standing in the middle of a dark space that seemed to be an infinite abyss.
I heard something in the darkness. It was the sound of stone scraping against something.
There was suddenly light and when I turned towards the noise—
----!
There it was again.
The fallen god was looking at me with its golden glowing eyes. Its mouth moved.
-...
It had a high pitched voice that sounded eerie when it entered my ears.
-…@$^&@!*
My entire body shuddered.
That same disgusting grin I remember back when I saw the shadow cast over me appeared on its face.
It was looking at me in amusement.
…
"!!!!"
I suddenly woke up as cold sweat ran down my back.
-You're finally awake. It's six in the morning.
"Ugh… I slept that long?" I held my head. "I can't seem to forget about that day…"
I looked towards the other side of the room.
'It seems that Arius is still out.'
I suddenly noticed that my body wasn't mangled up anymore. Even my arm was healed.
"Did you do this?"
-Yes. Since the quest was an unexpected one and you got injured as a result of it, I owe you at least this much.
· [System Skill – Advanced Healing(SS)]
-
"Whoa… I'm fully healed..."
My clothes were still torn though.
-Did you expect this one to offer anything less?
"I was expecting you to be a stingy bastard and not give me anything. Anyway, can I use the Lucky Draw now?"
-Of course. Keep in mind that I have nothing to do with what the draw gives you. It all depends on luck.
'That isn't fair, is it? My luck is barely two digits.'
[System skill available: 1(limited use)]
· Lucky Draw – A system skill that allows the player to earn a skill chosen by the system. The skills received from the draw depends on the person. Players with strong will and courage are exempted from the Lucky Draw's rules.
"Huh? What does that mean?"
-It means that anyone can get a high rank skill or ability if they have a strong will.
The beeping sound echoed again.
Ding—!
· Skill has been chosen.
I gulped hard as I swiped on the screens to see what I got.
"…Eh?"
I rubbed my eyes in disbelief.
· [Advanced Class Magical Knowledge gained]
· [Ability is estimated to be S tier]
"U-um. IS, can you explain what this ability does?"
-Of course. You are able to learn any spells within the given rank of the ability. Since it is S rank, you are only able to learn spells that rank in the S class category.
"….I can learn magic..?"
-Yes.
"I can learn advanced magic that falls under the S category?"
-Is your brain working okay? I have already explained to you.
"This fucking rigged system! How the fuck am I supposed to use spells of that category when my mana is only 1100!?"
Even one spell of that rank is measured to be 15000 MP. How the hell was I supposed to use this OP ability to its fullest if I barely had ten percent of that amount of mana?
"…Couldn't you have given me Elementary…"
I was indeed looking forward to using magic in the past. The same could be said for now but that was just too ridiculous. Magical knowledge is a skill that can undergo a skill evolution. You start with the basic elementary class and after years of hard work—and if you had the talent—you can achieve maybe A or S.
-Look on the bright side. Your magical abilities is comparable to the Archmage from the other world.
"You must think this is fucking hilarious, you scam of a system."
The Archmage referred to the solo high ranker who became an adventurer in Ardell. She was originally from Earth but moved there after she got her hunter license. She was one of the only SS-rank mages in the other world. Maybe even in both our worlds.
–Shouldn't you be happy that you have a stronger skill? Even miss Farnese has a D rank version of the skill.
"Tch."
Even if I wanted to use magic now, I was only limited to advanced class spells. This was because I immediately received the S-rank version of the skill.
'Normally I should be happy, right? But what is up with my luck?'
That meant I was unable to use magic of a lower tier.
'My luck just gave me the middle finger.'
-Do you want to know a secret, user Ethan?
As I sat there with a blank look on my face while contemplating if I should jump out of the window, IS spoke to me.
"...What?"
-Bahamut has been beaten before.
"Huh? Are you serious?"
-Yes.
"Then that means...."
-It is as you surmised. Bahamut can be defeated. But to do that, you need a certain level of power. Above the rank of SS.
"...Who was this person?"
-From what I've heard, he was a reincarnated individual from old Earth before magic and skills even existed. He was one of the reasons Ardell thrives so much in magical knowledge.
"So he was a mage?"
-Yes.
'A literal god was defeated by a single mage?'
It sounded preposterous. No one was even able to lay a scratch on him but a single mage managed to win against him entirely?
"Then why didn't he kill it if he had the power to defeat it?"
-Is it not obvious why? The balance of power would've been shifted in the Ragnarok gate. Monsters wouldn't have a King to keep them under control anymore.
"I've been meaning to ask this for a while now… Why can't Bahamut just come through the gate by himself?"
If lower ranking monsters could then why couldn't the king of monsters?
-That is a good question. Many people may have wondered why. That is because he had made a contract with the human gods of both worlds.
"Contract?"
-He is the king of the monsters so he cannot leave the gate otherwise they will follow. As this is related to the goal of the gates, I am unable to determine why as my authority in the god realm is limited. I cannot access the deep library in the god system. I only know that Bahamut and the gods had come to an agreement.
"Even the system doesn't know, huh?"
-But if you would like to know then you should ask the human who defeated Bahamut or ask the latter himself IF you manage to beat him.
"Bahamut would tell anyone that defeated him?"
-Indeed. This rule had to be established because the truth is not meant for the weak. Humanity in this world and the other world's races may not be able to take the truth.
"I see. Is there a way for me to boost my magic power without waiting for MP quests that may never show up?"
-If you want to become stronger in magic then consider going to a relic tomb inside a dungeon.
"Shouldn't you normally be an S rank to enter a relic tomb?"
Relic tombs were places where you could find artifacts left behind by the last civilizations. If luck was by your side then you could even find a weapon or item that ranked above SS.
Examples include Eveline's Divine Sword, The Berserkers' Storm Gauntlets, and Calliope's Divine Bow. They cleared the relic tomb located in the other world. It was right on the soil of the Holy Empire.
"So to get an artifact that can boost my magic power, I have to get my hunter license first to go to the other world."
I wasn't strong enough yet to enter the otherworld. You had to be an A rank hunter to bypass the system. Attempting to sneak passed the system could end you up in jail.
"Ugh… So I have to wait that long… How many quests do I have to do…?"
-The path to becoming stronger was never easy in the first place. But if there is a quest that involves MP then I will give it to you. Be warned. High MP quests have high risks.
'What hasn't had risks so far…'
"Is it possible to steal mana with my skill?"
-No. Only level experience points can be stolen to add to your own. If you were to be at 99 affection with a mage then it might be possible to steal their mana directly.
I clicked my tongue. Nothing seemed easy for me nowadays. At least I was able to beat an orc chief on my own. That meant I had progress. I wasn't weak like back then.
"I guess I'll go get some fresh air before class…"
Ding…!
"Hm?"
When I was about to stand up, the ringing sound echoed again.
· [ Quest updated!]
1. [ Run 15km]
· [ 0/15 ]
· [ Duration: two hour(s)]
· Rewards: [STR +5] [AG +90] [DEF (Error)] [ MP +60]