As Lancer was pondering the strange stone, an old man accompanied by several armed guards approached him. The man introduced himself as Baron Eldrin, the town's ruler. Though he seemed shaken by the destruction, his tone carried warmth and gratitude.
"I don't know exactly what happened here," Eldrin said, "but it's clear that you and your companions saved my town. For that, you have my eternal thanks. Please, allow me to offer you a gift as a token of my appreciation—anything within my power."
Lancer glanced at the stone in his hand and held it up. "Can you tell me what this is? And, if no one here needs it, may I take it with me?"
Eldrin's expression turned serious as he examined the crimson stone. "That artifact… It has been in our possession for generations, locked away because of its dangerous aura. No one knows its true purpose. If you believe you can safeguard it, then it's yours."
Lancer nodded, slipping the stone into his pocket. "Thanks. I'll make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands."
As they spoke, the people Lancer had revived gathered nearby, their expressions filled with awe and gratitude. He shifted uncomfortably under their stares, unsure of how to respond. Before he could say anything, one of the museum guards approached and knelt before him.
"Thank you, sir, for saving my life," the guard said, voice trembling with emotion.
The other guards quickly followed suit, kneeling and echoing their gratitude.
"Enough!" Lancer shouted, his voice sharper than he intended. When the murmurs ceased, he sighed and softened his tone. "Look, it's fine. I just did what I could in the moment."
Eldrin smiled warmly. "Humble as well as powerful. The town of Colchis owes you and your friends a debt we can never repay."
An idea sparked in Lancer's mind. "Actually, there is one more thing you could do for me," he said, his tone turning businesslike.
Eldrin listened attentively as Lancer explained his plan. He described how his village was producing unique goods—ice cream, cakes, weapons, and more—and how he was looking to establish trade routes. To demonstrate, he asked one of the guards for his sword.
Holding the blade in his hands, Lancer infused it with Architect's Dominion, transforming the steel into a shimmering, unbreakable material. The crowd gasped in amazement.
Eldrin's eyes widened. "This… this is remarkable! Such craftsmanship and quality—I've never seen its equal."
"That's just a sample," Lancer said. "If you're willing to allow trade between your town and my village, I think it could benefit us both."
The baron nodded eagerly. "Consider it done. Colchis would be honored to work with you. I'll have the necessary arrangements made immediately."
"Great," Lancer replied with a satisfied smile. "I'll stop by again soon to get things started."
"Okay, guys, let's head ba—" Lancer started to say to Yumiella and the others when the system's voice interrupted him in his mind.
[Complete analysis of the subject Arthur's magical composition complete. Would you like to use the Magicus factor to evolve into a Hero?]
"What?" Lancer asked aloud, momentarily stunned. He remembered the sheer boost in power Arthur had gained from his evolution. If it worked for him, why not? "Yeah, sure," he said, giving the go-ahead.
[Beginning evolution process,] the system confirmed.
Suddenly, an overwhelming drowsiness hit him like a wave. His legs grew weak, and he struggled to stay upright.
Yumiella turned back to him, alarmed. "Hey, what's wrong—?"
Her voice was cut off as Lancer collapsed, the world around him fading into blackness. His last thought before unconsciousness took him was, 'Not again.'
Lancer jolted awake, but instead of finding himself in the real world, he was floating in an endless pitch-black void.
"Where… am I?" he muttered, looking around in confusion.
A piercing blue light cut through the darkness, and an orb of radiant energy approached him. As it drew closer, a calm, neutral voice echoed through the void.
[The evolution process is complete. You are now a Hero. Would you like to evolve the skill Otherworlder's Blessing into a Unique Skill?]
Still disoriented, Lancer blinked at the glowing orb. "Uh… sure?"
The light pulsed brighter, filling the void with a soft, comforting glow.
[Please name the Unique Skill]
"Wait, what? Like… a human name or something?" Lancer asked, taken aback.
[The choice is yours.]
He hesitated for a moment, then a memory surfaced—his sister's name. A faint smile crossed his lips. "Aria."
[Confirmed. The Unique Skill Aria has been created.]
The light flared one final time before the space around him dissolved into darkness once more.
Lancer squinted as he opened his eyes. He stared up at a white ceiling. He knew that ceiling—it belonged to the Eldrion residence. He was in a bed, back in familiar surroundings.
As he turned to sit up, a voice echoed in his mind, softer than before.
[Glad you're awake.]
Lancer blinked. "Who... are you?"
[While you were still sleeping, I analyzed the memories of Arthur and Julia,] the voice said.
Lancer was taken aback. "Wait a second—what happened to the system? You sound different."
[Ah, yes. I am part of the skill Otherworlder's Blessing, which you evolved. You can call me Aria.]
Lancer groaned and held his head. "This… is not what I was expecting when I gave you a name," he muttered. Deciding to put his surprise aside for now, he asked, "Alright, Aria. Tell me what you found in their memories."
In response, a surge of information flowed into his mind, sharp and unrelenting like a tidal wave. Lancer closed his eyes, gritting his teeth as he processed it.
It seemed Trojan had been part of a much larger organization operating under a shadowy leader. Arthur and Julia had been tasked with collecting the strange artifacts, though they didn't know the ultimate purpose.
Then came the bombshell: the leader of the organization was one of the Sephira, the ten most powerful beings in the world.
Lancer froze, the revelation hitting him like a hammer. "No way…," he whispered.
The Sephira were all level 6 and classified as T-ranked individuals. He couldn't even imagine their power. Even with his evolution into a Hero, at best, he was A-ranked. "There's no way I can beat someone like that," he muttered under his breath.
[It is wise to consider alternative methods for dealing with such an individual.]
At least he had one of their precious artifacts, Lancer thought, his mind returning to the stone he'd taken. That was a small win.
He shifted his focus back to his body, stretching carefully. His muscles felt lighter, almost rejuvenated. Then he happened to glance at his MP count—and nearly screamed.
It was at an incredible 6 million—and still rising.
"How the hell—?!"
[The absorption rate has been optimized. I broke down Arthur's and Julia's souls entirely, rather than storing them as before. As such, they can no longer be recreated.]
Lancer processed the statement carefully. He didn't feel sorry for Arthur or Julia, not after everything they'd done. They were responsible for Selene's and Nero's deaths. He exhaled, letting the thought settle.
His attention turned to his skills. A quick glance revealed that he now had three Unique Skills of his own: Aria, Architect's Dominion, and Autonomous Function.
Added to those was Typhon's Wrath of the Thunder God.
"Not bad." He said to himself.