Keon opened his System Panel, his eyes scanning through the options under Rift Leap.
[RIFT LEAP OPTIONS]
1. Esperia – The Realm of Awakened Souls
2. Astralis – The Mystic Archive
3. Thalassia – The Endless Sea
He crossed his arms, frowning. "Alright, if I'm going to leap again, I should at least take something useful with me—just in case."
Adan, who had been casually flipping through a book, looked up and smirked. "All I can offer is some guidelines and books. Unless you want to start your next adventure carrying a full library?"
Keon sighed. "Great. I'm about to jump into the unknown, and all I'm getting is a reading assignment."
Mike rolled over on the desk, tail flicking lazily. "Could be worse. At least you don't have to leap into the sea first."
Keon glanced at Thalassia – The Endless Sea in his menu and shivered. "Yeah… let's not test my ability to drown just yet."
Keon stared at the Rift Leap options, tapping his fingers against his arm. A sudden thought struck him, and he turned to Adan and Mike.
"Wait… what if I die in the world where my real body is?"
Adan paused, considering the question, while Mike simply stretched and yawned.
"And," Keon continued, frowning, "what if next time I leap back, I don't return here but end up back in that damn dungeon?"
Mike, now lazily perched on Keon's shoulder, flicked his tail and grinned. "Pfft. Someone like you, with a system? You won't die that easily."
Keon raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what makes you so sure?"
Mike playfully swiped at Keon's hair. "Because if the system went through all the trouble of dragging you across worlds, it's probably not letting you go that easily."
Keon crossed his arms, unconvinced. "That's not exactly reassuring."
Mike smirked. "Fine, fine. Worst case, if you leap back and land in the dungeon again—well, you can't die there, right? So, no worries!"
Keon groaned. "That's… the worst reassurance I've ever heard."
Adan, still flipping through his book, sighed. "I think what Mike is trying to say is, you should worry less and focus on your next step. Overthinking won't change the outcome."
Keon rubbed his temples. "Right. Leap first, worry later."
Keon narrowed his eyes. "Wait… so I'm really going back without getting anything from you two?"
Adan tapped his chin, pretending to think. After a moment, he snapped his fingers, and three books materialized in the air, floating before Keon.
Keon blinked. "And… what exactly are these?"
Adan smirked. "Skill books. Instant learning. I want to test something—whether you can actually learn and perform magic while in your Eclipse State."
Keon tilted his head. "So you're saying I might be able to use magic now?"
Adan shrugged. "That's what we're about to find out."
Mike, still lazily resting on Keon's shoulder, perked up. "Ooooh, now this is getting interesting!"
Keon reached out, fingers just about to brush against one of the floating books—
"Nuh-uh."
Adan raised a hand, smirking. "Pick only one."
Keon froze mid-motion, narrowing his eyes. "Seriously? You're giving me three choices but only letting me take one?"
Adan crossed his arms. "Of course. Consider it a test. Choose wisely."
Mike wagged his tail playfully. "Ooooh, pressure's on! What will our mysterious Outlander pick?"
Keon sighed, glancing between the books. "Great… just what I needed. More hard choices."
As Keon hesitated, the system panel suddenly appeared before him, analyzing the three skill books floating in front of him.
[System Analysis Activated]
1. Firebolt
Type: Offensive
Description: A fast-moving bolt of fire, capable of igniting flammable materials upon impact. Deals moderate heat damage.
System Note: A simple yet effective attack spell. Best for quick engagements.
2. Wind Slash
Type: Offensive
Description: A crescent-shaped blade of compressed wind that slices through enemies. The sharper the user's control, the deadlier the cut.
System Note: Can bypass physical armor if used skillfully. High-speed projectiles may affect accuracy.
3. Water Barrier
Type: Defensive
Description: Summons a flexible shield of flowing water that absorbs impacts and reduces fire-based damage. Can also be manipulated to block certain projectiles.
System Note: Best for defense, but requires steady control to maintain.
Keon rubbed his chin. "So… offense or defense, huh?"
Mike twitched his ears. "Water Barrier sounds useful for survival!"
Adan shrugged. "Or you could go for raw power. Your call."
Keon sighed. "Decisions, decisions…"
Keon reached for the Water Barrier skill book, but just as his fingers brushed against it, the system panel flickered before his eyes.
---
[System Notification]
→ Skill book recognized: [Water Barrier].
→ However, alternative skills are available. Choose one:
1. Mystic Barrier – ???
2. Rift Barrier – ???
3. Eclipse Barrier – ???
4. Keep Water Barrier – A defensive shield made of condensed water energy. Absorbs impact and disperses force.
---
Keon blinked. "Wait... what?"
Mike, who had been lazily watching, flicked his tail. "What's with that look? Something weird again?"
Keon hesitated. "The system gave me three other options, but they don't have descriptions."
Adan's eyes gleamed with interest. "No descriptions? Have you tried clicking on them?"
Keon gave him a flat look. "Clicking? Adan, this is a system, not a—"
Mike rolled onto his back. "Just tap it, genius."
Keon sighed and tapped Mystic Barrier first.
---
[Mystic Barrier – Skill Details]
A barrier forged from the unknown depths of the mystical realm. Unlike conventional defenses, this barrier does not simply block—it absorbs, disperses, and redirects force with absolute efficiency.
Absolute Defense – The Mystic Barrier can endure attacks beyond normal limitations. Its resilience adapts to the attack's nature, forming the strongest possible countermeasure.
Indestructible for its Duration – While active, no force can shatter it.
No Cooldown – This barrier can be activated as long as energy is available.
??? – The full potential of this skill remains undiscovered.
---
Keon's eyes widened. "...This is absurd."
Adan smirked. "Told you to check."
Mike stretched. "Sheesh, that's strong. Try the others."
Keon tapped Rift Barrier next.
---
[Rift Barrier – Skill Details]
Not a shield, but a fracture in reality itself. The Rift Barrier does not block—it displaces.
Dimensional Fracture – Any attack that touches the barrier is instantly transported elsewhere. The user can influence where, but precision is unreliable without mastery.
Distortion Field – The barrier can slightly distort space around it, causing attacks to veer off-course even before contact.
No Cooldown – As long as energy remains, it can be used indefinitely.
??? – The barrier has more properties that remain unknown.
---
Keon exhaled slowly. "Okay... that's terrifying."
Mike snickered. "A shield that just throws attacks into another dimension? Yeah, that's kinda broken."
Adan leaned forward. "Check the last one."
Keon hesitated before tapping Eclipse Barrier.
---
[Eclipse Barrier – Skill Details]
A barrier that does not protect—because there is nothing to protect.
False Presence – When activated, the user ceases to exist in all perceivable forms. Any attack, spell, or effect targeting them fails instantly, as if the target was never there.
Absolute Erasure – Any force that collides with the barrier is not deflected, absorbed, or redirected—it is simply removed from existence.
Untraceable – The barrier leaves no residual energy, no disturbances, no evidence. Even reality itself struggles to acknowledge it.
No Cooldown – As long as energy remains, it can be maintained indefinitely.
??? – There is more to this skill than meets the eye.
---
Keon stared at the system panel, heart pounding.
Adan adjusted his glasses, an unusual seriousness in his expression. "That's not a barrier… That's a conceptual void."
Mike, for once, was silent. Then he muttered, "You're not blocking attacks... You're making them disappear."
Keon swallowed hard. "So... which one do I choose?"