I stirred awake, feeling absolutely dreadful.
It made sense—I had spent this time positioned beside the door, half-alert for any potential threats or covert actions. Despite my discomfort, the first order of business upon waking was to inspect the prompts I had missed.
Unlike before, where the memories were merely 'implanted in my mind,' this time they seemed to have found a place in my mental library, cataloged like a book, complete with chapters, volumes, and the like.
Convenient. Now, I could navigate through the necessary information at my leisure, rather than being bombarded with an overwhelming amount of data, most of which might be irrelevant in the moment and risked being forgotten.
But let's focus on the prompts.
The majority of them revolved around my Mana Talent, Perfect Mana Pathways, and related subjects.
[Your Talent [Mana] is seeking more Magical Power to saturate the [Perfect Mana Pathways]. This will expedite the development of your [Mana Control]]
[Your Talent [Mana] has absorbed a significant quantity of Magical Power. Henceforth, you'll possess the ability to conjure [Magic Circles]]
[The insatiable appetite of your Talent [Mana] has absorbed all the available Magical Power in this room and is now yearning for more from the outside]
[Your [Perfect Mana Pathways] diligently filter out impurities in the Magical Power, ensuring you only harness the purest and most potent form of Magical Energy]
.
.
.
[Your [Perfect Mana Pathways] are completely filled with pure Magical Power. They are satisfied]
[You will be able to learn [Magic] from now on]
[You will be able to exert a small amount of [Authority] upon Mana]
[You will be able to create [Magic Spells] from now on]
[You have used your [Mana Control] to control Impure Magical Energy, turning it into Pure Magical Energy]
[Your Skill [Mana Control] has leveled up]
[Your Skill [Mana Control] has leveled up]
.
.
.
A weary sigh escaped my lips. Sure, I was content with this golden chance to grow stronger, but let's be honest, that was quite an ordeal.
Peering a bit deeper, I noticed prompts related to my utilization of the [Overload] Skill.
[Your Skill [Overload] has been deactivated]
[Side Effect: Until the cooldown for the skill [Overload] ends, your Body will be temporarily unable to exert its full strength]
[Cooldown]
[16:17:59]
[16:17:58]
.
.
.
Surprisingly, only a little less than 4 hours had slipped away since I blacked out, leaving about 16 hours left on the Cooldown, with a total of 20 hours.
Not bad. I expected to be out for a whole day or something. Is this the handiwork of my upgraded body?
I sighed. So much left to discover about myself, even with these newfound abilities.
But dwelling on that now won't do me any good.
I decided to put the exploration of this identity's memories on hold. Figuring out the world I was in and the tasks at hand took precedence.
And right on cue, the prompts I had been anticipating manifested before my eyes.
[Welcome to the Second Trial of Fate]
[Description: You have entered the [Eminence In Shadow] World. In This Trial, you will have to wear the Protagonist's Mantle.
Background: You are Garoff Von Fray, eldest son of Duke Garoff, born and raised in the Midgar Kingdom.
Tasks:
Destroy the Cult of Diablos(0/1)
Marry into the Midgar Royal Family(0/1)
Lead your faction to victory in the War of Succession(0/1)
Attain [Extreme] Combat Prowess(0/1)
Difficulty Rating: Impossible+++++
Conditions:
Keep your real identity secret from everyone.
You cannot tell anyone about your knowledge of the future.
You cannot die.
Do not let any of the Seven Shadows die.
Time Limit: None
Tip(s):
Cid Kagenou has been transported to his original World. He will return when you complete your Trial.
The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Knights of Rounds all have [Extreme] Combat Prowess. Be Careful.
Expect additional tasks of increasing difficulty the more time you take in completing the Trial. This will ensure Fairness, taking into account the absence of a Time Limit.
Note: This information has been factored into the assessment of the Difficulty Rating to ensure Fairness.
]
Once more, I found myself utterly dumbfounded.
From a world like [Spy x Family] to [Eminence in Shadow]? Isn't the transition a bit... too extreme?
Sure, I was expecting to be thrown into something genuinely perilous, but I couldn't help mull over it.
If I push myself to attain an [Extreme] Combat Prowess in a world akin to Eminence in Shadow, it implies reaching a supernatural level that could be considered quite high.
If the 2nd Trial throws this at me, what awaits in the 3rd, or the 4th?
And to match someone like Luna Azentine by the 75th Trial, what craziness will I need to pull off...?
Also, no Time Limit might sound like a gift, but the note states the longer I take, the more tasks pile up, and they grow increasingly challenging. It's actually worse than having a Time Limit.
But at the same time, not having one makes sense. The Cult of Diablos is a sprawling organization entrenched worldwide, with a history spanning millennia.
Taking down such a colossal faction alone? Certainly feasible, but it's a task that could stretch across decades, perhaps even longer.
What's even more interesting is that Cid Kagenou was actually 'removed' from this World?
Did they consider him too overpowered, a potential nuisance for my Trial? Maybe having him around would break the delicate balance set up.
Convincing Cid to join my cause wouldn't be much of a challenge. His strength is formidable, but he's not much of a strategist. As long as he gets to play his role, he'd likely be content...
Anyway. The Trial conditions include the protection of the Seven Shadows.
...But why? Are they not already at [Extreme] Combat Prowess?
Can't they take care of themselves?
And where do I fit into the timeline of this world? Am I at the beginning, end, or somewhere in between? That's a puzzle I need to solve, likely starting with my 'return' Midgar's Spellsword Academy.
In there, I can obtain precious information about what has happened already and what has not...
There was so much to consider about this, that I wanted to ignore the few prompts just below that...
[Your Combat Prowess has been calculated]
[? ➔ Weakest]
[Evaluation Note: You do not know how to wield Magical Power]
I want to cry, but there are no tears left.
---
Author's Note:
The plot will soon begin its course! I can't wait :)
On my Patreon, the polls for the skills are still ongoing. If you want, please vote what name you think is better for them!