'...'
I couldn't move my body and felt absolutely awful. It was as if I'd tumbled down a steep mountain, crashing into a massive boulder.
I didn't expect my injuries to be this bad, that I couldn't move an inch.
To be frank, I don't quite remember what happened after I activated [Sovereign's Path]. My mind was hazy and details on the attack were blurry.
I gazed towards the window, a night sky with multiple shining stars, and in the center, a full moon was bearing over me.
A scene that I would want to witness every day.
'.. How beautiful'
I thought.
Then a deep sense of tranquility settled in my mind.
"..."
'... I hate this.'
It felt like the whole world was against me, even the system which should have issued a sub-quest for resolving the incident with the Jester, yet it never appeared.
A quest was necessary for progression in the game, but it didn't appear this time. Such an important aspect of the game that gave you rewards to progress was gone.
The main protagonist and everyone near him are far too weak. Meanwhile, the Saintess was nowhere to be found near him.
Everything was going wrong, very wrong.
'...hell mode.'
I thought to myself.
It's quite literally hell.
"I might go crazy."
I muttered out loud and was taken by surprise when there was another voice that responded.
"Perhaps."
My eyes darted toward the door, and there stood the hero.
He walked over, his expression unreadable, and looked at me with a mix of emotions.
"...How long have I been out?"
I asked.
It wouldn't surprise me if it had been more than three days after confronting the Jester.
"..."
I was met with silence. It was getting scary.
"Two days."
He promptly responded, carrying a hint of indifference.
"...you bastard."
I continued.
"What happened after I stood up after Adric was crushed?"
He looked at me as if he had misheard, his bright golden eyes reflecting my extremely pale face.
"You don't remember?"
Of course, I don't remember, you heartless scoundrel.
"...If I said yes, would you believe me?"
He then went to get a chair from the corner of the room, placed it beside me, and sat down.
Then silence ensued for somewhat like an eternity for me while Ryder was just quietly staring at me.
But an interesting question crossed my mind.
'...why was he in the room in the middle of the night?'
I was left confused by his actions. Yet I didn't dare to voice it out. It wasn't a priority as of right now.
"You defeated the Jester."
His voice was calm, but I sensed a conflicting emotion beneath it.
'He must be jealous that I beat the Jester instead of him.'
"If I hadn't, you wouldn't be here."
I chuckled at the irony—a hero destined to save the world, yet almost died to a early-boss.
The fate of everyone on this continent rested on his actions, yet here he was, talking to me instead of training.
Time was slipping away, bringing us closer to the End with each passing second.
How could I tell anyone that the world was ending? Everything seemed normal—just some skirmishes between demons and villains, but nothing that hinted at the apocalypse.
A sharp pain pierced my chest. The burden was too much to bear alone.
I felt disoriented.
Then Ryder's voice cut through the fog of my thoughts.
"Who are you?"
I let out a deep sigh before replying.
"...I don't know myself."
He looked at me, puzzled.
Who am I?
It might be simple question for most, but could I truly call myself Alyssa in this world? I've taken over her body, but where was the original Alyssa?
I'm a stranger in this unfamiliar world, a world that's deviated from what I once knew.
Some things are the same, but the attack told a different story.
'The attack was supposed to happen at midnight, but it came an hour early.'
In addition, there was something wrong with the Saintess, and the new variable—me—was never part of the game.
Ever since I was young, I knew I was weak—both physically and mentally.
After that accident, I was even more unstable. And I began to doubt everything and everyone.
The world around me was foreign, and I never truly belonged anywhere.
That didn't change, even after I swapped worlds.
What kept me going was treating this reality as the game that I loved playing.
But that belief was crumbling—rapidly.
Lost in thought, Ryder again interrupted my spiraling mind.
"You're the last descendant of the Valenheart household."
I pondered this deeply.
'...the last descendant. I suppose fate has a cruel sense of humor.'
I then asked, "Tell me what you think I am"
"A maniac."
"Pft."
How fitting.
"Hey, Ryder," I said, breaking the silence.
"What?"
"Accept me as your master."
-
A day had passed since I asked Ryder to be my disciple, but he simply walked away after muttering, "Crazy."
I was still lying in bed, though now I could sit up and move my limbs a little.
Throughout the day, three people had visited me:
Liora came by to reassure me that I didn't need to worry about the debts and left some flowers.
Aldric stopped in to check if I was alright. I responded with a simple "Yep," and he left some cupcakes.
Even though I couldn't taste them, I still ate the cupcakes; the act of munching on something was always welcome.
Finally, Alice decided to pay a visit.
-
"How did you know about that…?"
She must be referring to using blood as a medium for summoning. Only her bloodline, the ancient Rosenfall line, could make such an absurdity functional.
'Well, she was likely to discover this method by exploring her family's treasury and finding it in a book.'
However, I decided to share the method with her earlier because I was concerned about the well-being of other students when the original class groups had changed.
'I would've done the same to some other students if I've known that the hero is this weak.'
"It's not safe to pry into someone's secrets, you know."
I offered a faint smile to convey my warmth, but her response was curt.
"Fine, I won't pry too much into your secrets. I hope you have a steady recovery, Alyssa."
She quickly left and shut the door behind her.
"...So mean."
I was alone once more, with only the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves and the sight of blooming flowers.
'Right. It was spring.'
I pushed those thoughts aside and finally checked my status window.
[ Status ]
Name : Alyssa Valenheart
Age : 16
Rank : D+
Strength : D+
Agility : D+
Stamina : D
Intelligence :C-
Mana : D
Mana Capacity : 2533/2533
Luck : E
Charm : S
-> Profession
[Intermediate Swordsmanship lvl. 4]
[Apprentice Mage lvl.1]
->Manual
[ Shinra Style (Unknown) ]
-> Major Peak Mastery of 1st Realm
-> [Distant Slash lvl.8]
-> [Shinra's Steps lvl.9]
[ Overclock (Unknown) ]
-> Peak Mastery of 3rd Realm
-> Skills
[Basic Sword Mastery C+)] [Quick Slash (C+]
[Mana Manipulation (B-)] [Elemental Bolt (G+)]
[Sovereign's Path (EX)]
-> Effects
[Curse of Stagnation] [Wasted Vitality] [Null Taste]
'Not bad.'
Thankfully, I didn't lose either of my arms.
All the demonic energy must have been purified by a priest. I had expected the mana veins in my right arm to be in a disastrous state, yet they seemed to be in peak condition.
"...Someone must have fed me an expensive potion."
"You are correct."
A sudden voice made me jump. I looked towards the door to find Professor Verron standing there with his arms crossed.
'Why are people always so sneaky these days..?'
"How does it feel after breaking through, Professor?"
I asked with a smile.
He returned the smile and replied.
"It felt as if I was reborn."
"But there are some pressing issues right now."
Right, there are.
A lot.
"So, what do you want to ask me?"
I responded after a brief pause.
He took a moment to gather his thoughts. Considering the wild things I've done recently, it's understandable that he would need some time.
I waited patiently until he spoke.
"Do you have any idea how badly you were injured?"
His angry tone caught me off guard.
"You were covered in deep lacerations across your torso and limbs, fractured ribs and internal organ damage left you barely able to breathe, and a broken thigh bone made movement impossible. Frozen wounds, the result of an ice spike embedded in you, only added to the total damage. Demonic energy clung to you, worsening the damage, while your right arm was almost torn off, crushed beyond recognition. Your left arm was a twisted mess, with fingers bent backward and dislocated from the sheer force of power your body couldn't contain."
"..."
Was I mistaken about his personality in the game?
"Don't look at me with that shock. You wielded power way beyond your level, and you're lucky to have survived, let alone with your limbs intact."
I was left in shock.
I stuttered as I tried to reply,
"Um… yes?"
I didn't know how to respond after all that.
He continued,
"Don't 'yes' me. I fed you an 8th-grade recovery potion, and even that wasn't enough. Your mana veins were in horrendous shape."
He went on, leaving me no room to interrupt.
"Even the Headmaster personally flew you to Verdantia to be treated by an Archbishop for that demonic energy."
I unconsciously muttered.
"...fuck."
This time, I really messed up.
Professor Verron frowned and began to rant again.
"Even your noble-like image is tarnished by how you're acting now."
He sighed, sounding disappointed, like a father scolding his child.
He then continued.
"After getting treated for that demonic energy, you were given a 9th-grade recovery potion!"
My eyes widened in disbelief.
"a... a... 9th-grade potion?"
There are only a few 9th-grade recovery potions in the empire. Even within the empire, potions above 8th grade are extremely rare. There are probably only a handful of them.
I nearly cried out my next words.
"...Am I in massive debt?"
He responded quickly,
"Yes."
I felt the world crumbling around me, slowly yet swiftly. I slumped back onto my pillow.
"But don't worry," he added, "the Headmaster has determined your value and said you should pay him back once you've grown stronger."
I felt a glimmer of hope rekindling, but doubt lingered.
"Why would he choose to invest in me, a mere B-graded talent?"
"I don't know. You think I can peer into the mind of a Sage?"
…
"No."
"Exactly."
He shrugged it off and spoke.
"So all of that is out of the way. There's a more important matter we need to discuss."
'The method behind the Grandmaster breakthrough.'
"Tell me. How did you know about that?"
"Is the room silenced?"
He nodded, and I continued.
"Prepare a mana oath."
His expression didn't change, as if he'd anticipated this.
A mana oath is a binding promise between two parties, where breaking the agreement results in the complete erasure of one's mana. It ensures that promises are never broken.
He summoned a piece of paper, engraved with various runes that constitute the mana oath.
"So, what terms do you want me to agree to?" he asked.
I extended my hand for a writing utensil. He handed me one, and I began to write.
[ Mana Oath Contract ]
[ Party A: Eilot Verron
Party B: Alyssa Valenheart
Party A agrees to keep all information discussed, actions taken, and events witnessed with Party B strictly confidential.
Party A agrees to provide aid to Party B whenever requested, provided that the request aligns with good deeds. The nature of the assistance will be determined by Party B's needs and Party A's capabilities.
Party A is not obligated to assist in any actions deemed harmful, unethical, or contrary to the principles of good deeds.
Should Party A violate any of the above terms, they will face the complete erasure of their mana as stipulated by the mana oath.]
Upon finishing the document, I handed it to the Professor. He reviewed it carefully, considering it for a few minutes before signing it with his mana. I did the same.
Once the contract was complete, it dissipated.
"Now can you tell me?" he asked.
I smiled and replied.
"I will... but first, you should know that I've been playing a game all along. And now, the difficulty has changed."