Prologue

Traveling through the Void between dimensions wasn't as fun and exciting as it sounds. In fact, it was quite boring. But boring was fine. I had already experienced enough excitement for the rest of my life. Hopefully, from now on, boring would become my new norm.

With nothing to see, feel, or hear, and with my senses completely turned off, I existed as a mere singularity point. That was quite an unusual state of being, even for me, who had survived many extraordinary events. Even if this was supposed to be my second time undergoing interdimensional travel, the first time I had been just a normal teenager from Earth and hadn't kept my consciousness in the process.

I can't believe that I won, I thought to myself, for thinking was the only proof of my continuous existence. That woman was hella strong. They didn't call her the Demon Queen for nothing. Whatever, the only thing that matters is that she's dead, and my mission is complete. I won't miss that shithole of a world, that's for sure.

Chosen Hero. That was the title the people of Luminosa Solum—a very cliché fantasy world—gave me, completely one-sidedly. I had been summoned through an ancient ritual that called upon the powers of their Goddess. Too bad I had never seen that woman in person; otherwise, I would have had a word with her. I would've explained to her the universal concepts like consent and human rights—things that were so foreign to the barbarians native to that world, especially the Kingdom that had been responsible for my summoning and their peculiar "education" in particular.

Forget it, man, I told myself, shaking off some not-so-fun memories. You're returning to your home world for good; there's no point in lamenting about the past.

I lost track of time at some point and entered into the same meditative state that I'd been using to grow my magical powers. If there was anything good about my ten years of suffering in Luminosa, it was gaining magic. Then again, it had been necessity rather than luxury. Without it, I would've been a thousand times dead.

I had no idea how much time had elapsed since the start of my trip through the Void when it abruptly came to an end. One moment, my entire existence was shrunk to a single point, and the next, I found myself in the middle of a dark backstreet in New York. Completely naked. And I wasn't alone.

It turned out that my arrival had been more shocking to the bystanders than it was to me. I couldn't blame them, really—not every day do you see a naked man suddenly appearing out of nowhere.

"What the fuck?!" a tall, muscular Black dude with bleached hair exclaimed as he pointed his gun at me in fright.

Without giving him much regard, I looked around. There were five people here other than me—three armed men and a frightened couple. The former had the appearance of stereotypical gangsters, while the latter were completely out of place in that gloomy dead-end alley.

"Hello, gentlemen, what year is it?" I asked the most important question straight away instead of trying to play the hero. I was already fed up with that role anyway.

"What year is it?" one of the gangsters, a tattooed Latino with a funny mustache, repeated my question. "The hell? You think you in a time machine or somethin'?"

"Hold up, hold up!" The third gangster, an Asian guy, bald and as skinny as he was pale, nudged his Hispanic friend. "Yo, this dude's like that movie, man! Thermitor! Bet he's about to ask for our clothes and shit!"

"Man, get the fuck outta here!" the trio broke into laughter, already forgetting about my completely abnormal entrance.

My first instinct was to slap them senseless. It had long since become one of my preferred ways to deal with small fries. Thankfully, I stopped before it was too late—I reminded myself that I'd just arrived on Earth and couldn't be completely sure about my own situation.

On the one hand, if I kept my abilities as a Chosen Hero, there was a very real chance that my half-hearted slap could pop their heads like a needle would a balloon. I couldn't even remember the last time I faced ordinary people. On the other hand, if by any chance I'd lost all of my powers and had become an ordinary person, those guys would be enough to give me some trouble, especially since they were armed. Though, perhaps my battle experience would be enough to deal with them even in a normal body…

Ignoring the trio, who had already lost most of their wariness towards me and started fooling around, I closed my eyes and inspected my body. My Mana Sense was working as it should, and it took me but a moment to understand my current situation, which was… excellent. For one thing, my body had recovered from all the wounds I'd received in my final fight—my left arm was no longer a stump, my lungs didn't have any holes in them, and the gashes that had covered most of my back were completely gone. In fact, even my old scars had disappeared as well. I was in the best shape I'd ever been in, my body a perfectly sculpted killing machine. And the best thing? I was brimming with Mana.

"You made our day, naked boy," the black gangster said to me after his group calmed down from their jokes, "so as a thank you, how 'bout you bounce before we gotta get serious with you."

"You still didn't answer my question, though," I pointed out calmly as my eyes met his. I had zero reasons to be wary of those mobs. They had no chance of resisting a Chosen Hero, guns or not.

"You still playin' games?" asked the Latino before he shouted at the couple that was about to sneak away. "Hey! Where you think you're going?! You still ain't paid the toll!"

The respectable-looking pair had already recovered their bearings and had almost reached the corner of the street when the gangster's shout stopped them in their tracks. Perhaps they would have made a run for it if three guns weren't pointed in their direction simultaneously. I sighed.

After all was said and done, I didn't consider myself a good guy. Far from it. I'd done some things that would be considered evil by modern society's standards. Most of the jobs I'd performed as a Chosen Hero could be described in just two words — vigilante justice. Or something close to it. In fact, my position had given me the lawful right to punish criminals, so my actions weren't illegal, at least not within the confines of the Kingdom. But my role was that of a detective, judge, and executioner all at once. My moral views had long since shifted from those of most modern people on Earth, so it took me some effort to hold myself back from instantly getting rid of the three criminals brazen enough to threaten civilians right in front of me. This trio was nothing but a bane on civilized society; the world would benefit if they suddenly disappeared, but was that reason enough?

Calm down, man, the life of violence is behind you, I reminded myself. There's no point in attracting unnecessary attention to your enigmatic persona, right?

That was when I realized that my peculiar appearance out of thin air had already been suspicious enough and that even the couple could report me to the police, complicating things further. That was a problem I needed to solve, and I had already decided how exactly…

"Here we go again," I whispered to myself with a sigh.

"You say somethin', Naked Thermitor?" The Asian pointed his deadly toy at me. A big mistake.

There was no point in replying to him, considering what I had already decided to do next. Instead, I started doing the magic. Following my instincts and experience, I controlled a small amount of Mana from my Core and shaped it into three distinct parts: one of Air Mana, another of Electricity Mana, and the last of Gravity Mana. The first covered me like an invisible armor, decreasing air resistance to a bare minimum, ready to reflect any projectiles sent at me — I had tested it with things far more deadly than mere bullets. The second stimulated my nervous system, accelerating my already superhuman reflexes and agility. As for the Gravity Mana, I didn't bother with anything complicated and just used it for Mana Boost — a general full-body empowerment that even a Mana Initiate could perform back at Luminosa.

One second I was lazily standing a dozen yards away from the pale gangster, and the next I was towering over my opponent from behind, my hand placed on the top of his bald head. It wasn't exactly teleportation — not even close, in fact — but I moved far too quickly for ordinary people to follow my actions. Plus, I had the element of surprise. My second favorite element! The first was gravity, of course.

Unable to comprehend what had just happened, the Asian slowly turned to me, his eyes filled with shock. Then, a minuscule, by my standards, amount of Electricity Mana entered a certain part of his brain, causing him to convulse for a second before collapsing on the ground like a broken doll.

Taking advantage of the brief moment of silence, I sent a bit of Air Mana to create a soundproof barrier that would prevent anyone outside the alley from hearing what was happening here. It would also stop anyone — including the couple of lovebirds who had been unfortunate enough to encounter the would-be robbers and then me — from escaping before I was done. What? I didn't intend to leave any witnesses of my power to their own devices.

"Who's next?" I asked, my voice calm and relaxed. The same couldn't be said for those who had witnessed my actions.

"Yo, what the fuck did you do to Kusogaki?!" the Latino shouted at me, his trembling hand pointing his weapon in my direction. Yet another big mistake.

Another second, another burst of speed, and one more body was lying on the cold asphalt of that gloomy alley. I cracked my neck and gave the one remaining gangster a radiant smile.

"They pointed their guns at me, and look what happened to them." I shrugged with a helpless expression. "But I'm a generous man, you know? How about this? I'll allow you to shoot me. Just one shot. Do you want to try?"

The gangster vigorously shook his head in denial and took a few steps back. He probably would have tried to run away already if he thought that such an action would make any difference.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you," I promised sincerely. "Well, as long as you don't try anything stupid and do what I say. Just shoot at my six-pack. I want to check if it's strong enough to withstand a bullet. I trained it a lot, after all!"

As he hesitantly raised his gun at me, I added, "If you aim for my head or heart, you're dead, though."

By the way, I also canceled my Air Armor, just to be fair to him. And of course, I flexed my abs.

"You crazy motherfucker!" The man swallowed hard and tightly gripped his weapon with both of his sweaty hands.

Thankfully for him, the unlucky lad did exactly what he had been told. He aimed for my abdomen and pulled the trigger. Even with my accelerated reaction speed, I could barely follow the bullet with my eyes. If I wanted to avoid being hit after it had already been shot—dodging by predicting its trajectory beforehand would have been child's play—I would have needed some mental preparation and an expenditure of Mana. But there was no point, considering how utterly low the danger of that sort of attack was against me. I had numerous ways to block it altogether or simply endure the impact. Why would I need to dodge something so harmless?

The bullet hit me an inch above my navel and then bounced off my chiseled abs, which were hardened even further by the Gravity Mana. This was, by the way, extremely effective even when used in the most primitive of ways. Anyway, long story short: I barely felt the attack. It tickled me a bit but didn't leave any trace on my skin. Would the story have been different if I hadn't used any Mana at all? I was too cautious and not curious enough to find out. Fools who risked their lives out of simple curiosity usually died young, and I wanted to die as an old man surrounded by my grandkids. Then again, with the changes to my body, wouldn't I live for hundreds of years unless killed? That would have been the case if I'd stayed at Luminosa, but now that I was back on Earth, I couldn't be so sure.

"Holy shit! What the fuck are you?!" the black man screamed as he fell on his ass and tried to crawl away from me. Too bad that his brave retreat was blocked by the wall soon enough. It was a dead-end alley, after all.

How stupid must those gangsters be to rob people with the wall at their backs and without even blocking the road of retreat for their targets? I mused to myself.

Realizing that he had nowhere to go anymore, the man aimed his toy at me in desperation mixed with shock. His already limited mental faculties weren't enough for him to realize how futile and stupid any sort of resistance was, or how idiotic it was to try to annoy me.

A few more bangs sounded, but this time I didn't meet the attacks with my bare body. Instead, I decided to do something fancy by creating a gravity field around me that sucked most of the mass from anything below a certain level. I couldn't be sure about the science behind that kind of stuff, but at one point in my adventures, I'd had that genius idea, and it had worked after some experimentation. The field removed one hundred grams from any object. In simple terms, if something weighed 101 grams normally, it would weigh 1 gram when within the field—and it affected the mass, not just the weight. Anything lighter than one hundred grams lost almost all of its mass—most of it, because reducing the mass to zero was theoretically impossible. The point was that the decrease was so significant that most projectiles became completely ineffective. That was a relatively expensive way to use my Mana, but I didn't plan to get into any serious danger anytime soon. And I doubted that many things on Earth could threaten me, anyway.

With the laws of physics altered, the bullets didn't just bounce off me—instead, they were pulverized into dust because they became extremely fragile after losing their mass. Thus, even the desperate attack of the man ended up being completely futile.

"Now it's my turn," I said when the black gangster ran out of bullets. "I have a gun of my own, by the way."

I made a finger-gun gesture and pointed with my forefinger at my opponent, who had already soiled his pants, judging by the stench.

Ouch, one less person to choose clothes from…

Thinking silly thoughts, I sent a bullet made of pure Electricity Mana, hitting him right in the forehead. And thus, our "fight" was over. But there were two more people to deal with.

The two remaining witnesses were hugging each other on the other side of the alley and watching me with terrified eyes. I hadn't missed their attempts to run away while I'd been dealing with the thugs, but my Air Barrier wasn't something a normal person could overcome.

With the most friendly smile I could muster, I approached the couple as I stepped over my three victims. Both seemed to be in their early twenties and from well-off families. They looked like models, with the girl being a bombshell blonde with an hourglass figure and the guy a typical frat-boy type, handsome and athletic. What they were doing here was a mystery to me. The sky above was as dark as it could be in the middle of a Megapolis, signifying that it was deep into the night. And yet, those two weren't even drunk.

The couple didn't look very grateful to their savior, if the expressions on their faces were anything to go by. I was truly appalled at how rude some people could be. Though wait, the girl seemed kind of off…

"Hey there, you two!" I waved my hand at them. "What a nice night for a little talk, don't you think?"

"Y-yes, v-very nice evening, i-indeed," the man mumbled, too scared to look me in the eyes. I had never considered myself that intimidating—some people were just scaredy-cats for absolutely no reason. It wasn't like I planned to fry them alive with my lightning or anything. I just wanted to talk. No, really. Just a normal naked superhuman; nothing suspicious.

"I have many questions for you two," I said, "but, just to be fair, you can ask me anything first. I won't be angry, I swear."

"D-did you kill—" the guy was about to ask something important when the girl interrupted him.

"That was amazing!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement as she pushed past her companion. "The way you moved, and those bullets just... disintegrated! Are you some kind of superhero? Secret government experiment?"

The guy rolled his eyes and pressed his palm against his forehead.

"What?!" I exclaimed, not expecting this reaction.

Now I understood what was strange about the girl. She hadn't been trembling from fear but from excitement. She hadn't been avoiding my eyes out of intimidation, but because she kept glancing at my displays of power with fascination... and even a hint of lust. The way I'd moved faster than the eye could see, how bullets had bounced off my skin—she wasn't scared, she was thrilled.

What the actual Puck? I thought. Pucks were a kind of demon that had caused me some trouble, and their name was used as swearing back at Luminosa. Did she hit her head when they tried to escape my barrier?

"Do you have a team? Are there others like you?" she continued, stepping closer. "Because someone with your abilities shouldn't be alone. I could help you... in many ways."

"Yes, I have a... team," I replied with all due seriousness. "In fact, I have only one faithful companion..."

...and he can be completely insufferable, I added in my mind with a slight internal chuckle. My most trusted ally through the endless battles of Luminosa was, ironically, not even human. But that was a story for another time.

As for this strange woman who seemed more interested in my powers than she should—and whose interest had a hint of flirtatiousness despite her partner's presence—I'd rather face the Demon Queen again than deal with someone so unpredictable.

"Well, if you ever need another team member..." she pushed her boyfriend aside completely, not even noticing that I'd already created a cushion of Air Mana to keep her at a respectable distance. I decided to just ignore that peculiar woman for now. I would deal with her soon enough, anyway.

"Did you kill them?" the guy muttered his previously interrupted question with a crestfallen expression. He didn't look like he even wanted to hear the answer—her girlfriend being like this made him feel... strange. Even if she didn't exactly throw herself at me and looked more like a fangirl who met her idol, I was still a naked stranger... At least he wasn't that scared anymore.

I feel you, bro, I expressed my condolences in my mind. Women can be so oblivious to our feelings at times…

"Kill them?!" I faked an offended expression. "Puck, no! Why would I kill such nice gentlemen?"

Sarah giggled as if that were the funniest joke she had ever heard. That girl was beginning to scare me, for real. I even felt an urge to erase her memories without waiting another second.

Endure, man, endure, I told myself. They still need to answer your questions; don't do anything rash…

"Seriously, though," I said, "they'll wake up in a few hours, so no worries. I'm not some ruthless killer, after all!"

I mean, I am a killer and can be ruthless, but I'm not a psychopath! At least I wasn't diagnosed… yet. Let's just leave this part unsaid!

The punks would lose their recent memories, but those two didn't need to know that. The same fate awaited them, after all. I didn't want anyone to threaten my everyday life by knowing too much.

Yeah, the time for killing is over, I mused. No more murders. No more meaningless violence. My life on Earth will be peaceful and full of joy and happiness. Let's leave all the bad stuff in that shithole of a fantasy world.

Just when the guy gave me a stiff smile, I added as I patted him on the shoulder, "Don't worry, my new friend! If I wanted to hurt you two, you would have no way to resist. Now that's clear, it's my turn to ask the questions…"

And on that happy note—after receiving a nervous laugh from one person and a fascinated stare from another—I started my cross-examination of the two modern humans. And I wasn't exactly happy to hear some of the answers…

Chapter 1.

In hindsight, things could’ve been worse. Much worse. For example, what if one day on Luminosa was equal to a year on Earth? Then I would have either found myself the only human left on the planet or in some kind of advanced intergalactic civilization. The first outcome would be more likely, considering humanity’s tendency toward self-destruction.

So, perhaps having time flow at the same rate in both worlds was a good thing. Well, I personally would’ve preferred if no time had passed here at all, but that would also mean repeating the last grade of high school and trying to explain why I suddenly gained the body of a professional athlete and aged by a few years. I still looked younger than my actual age — you just don’t get much older when you cultivate Mana to a certain extent — and most would assume that I was either in my late teens or early twenties.

Anyway, according to the couple, it was the year 2018 — ten years had passed on Earth since my disappearance, which led to many implications. For one thing, I had already been presumed dead according to American laws. For another… I couldn’t be so sure that my old man was still alive, and my little sister was already a full-fledged adult.

"Interesting…" I whispered after the unfortunate frat boy, whatever his name was, answered one of my questions. "So there are two sequels to the Witchman, and the third installment is universally acknowledged as the best game ever?"

"Yeah, man, this game is in another league altogether!" he replied enthusiastically. We both ignored the blonde girl who was giving me curious glances while holding back a yawn. It seemed that even her enthusiasm got defeated by listening to two nerds talking about video games.

"I see, I see." I nodded while stroking my chin. "What else can you tell me about the Witchman?"

I already anticipated hours upon hours of carefree gaming. Oh man, I missed video games so much. The main source of my entertainment back at Luminosa was using my magic to fight baddies. It could get repetitive very quickly. Wait, wasn’t that pretty much the same thing people usually do in RPGs, anyway?

"The Netflex also announced a TV adaptation of the original Witchman novels planned for next year!"

"Thank you, man," I said as I patted him on the shoulder. "You told me everything I wanted to know. The rest I can find on my own, so you’re free to go."

"I was just about to tell you about the mods that make the game even better!" the guy said before the meaning of my words really hit him. "W-wait, are you letting us off? Just like this?"

"Yes, of course!" I confirmed. "What, did you think that I’d get rid of you too?"

"Actually, yes, I expected as much…" he said as he glanced at the three bodies peacefully lying on the ground—one of them stripped to his underwear, another stinky, and the last Asian. In the end, I didn’t have much choice but to take the Latino gangster’s clothes. The Asian’s were too small for me, and the black guy’s were too big. Yeah, that was because his size didn’t fit mine and totally not because he had shat his pants. Anyway, now I looked rather funny wearing an oversized black leather jacket with a pink tank top underneath, skin-tight blue leggings, and flashy sneakers to complete the image. Yeah, in real life, thugs didn’t care about their appearance that much, unlike what I saw in the movies. That wasn’t different in both worlds—usually, only those at the top of the criminal hierarchy knew how to dress with style and take care of their looks in general. It didn’t help that the jacket was from the black guy and the rest of the clothes from his Latino friend.

"And you were right!" I beamed at the couple. "Don’t worry, losing memories isn’t painful. Enjoy your sleep, lovebirds."

"Wait, isn't this dangerous if those three wake up before us?!" the fellow game enthusiast found the courage to talk back to me. "A-and wouldn't we be lying here just like them, completely defenseless

"Don't worry, they won't wake up for much longer than you two. And I'll leave a barrier that will keep this area safe."

Sarah panicked. "B-but won't I forget that superpowers are real?! I don't want to! I won't tell anyone about you, I swear, don't erase my memories, Super Naked Hero!"

She already gave me a dumb name, I sighed. Dealing with those two was objectively more bothersome than taking care of the three would-be robbers. I didn’t want to listen to their complaints anymore—I touched the girl’s forehead first, sending the thinnest line of Electricity Mana towards a certain part of her brain. Mindwipe, that was what I called this little technique of mine—it had taken me a fair bit of trial and error to figure out which parts of the brain to stimulate and with how much power to avoid making someone a vegetable.

I caught Sarah’s limp body before it could hit the ground and gently placed her some distance away from the three unconscious men. Even if she was annoying, she was still just a girl and didn’t deserve to get head trauma or worse just because of my negligence.

"Next time, try to avoid back alleys late at night, buddy," I advised before approaching Fred in one smooth motion and mindwiping him before he could say another word. I accurately placed his body with his back leaning against the wall, and then moved his girlfriend to rest on his chest. I made sure to arrange them to look like a cute couple just dozing off. When they wake up in fifteen minutes, they shouldn’t be that shocked—no more memories would be missing than from being blackout drunk, just an hour or so. Also, I hadn’t held back much when using mindwipes on the three thugs, so they had lost way more than a dozen minutes of their past—days, maybe weeks—and it would take them far longer to recover. Just like Fred has said, it would be bad if they awoke near the unconscious couple.

"With this done, let’s see how the world has changed while I was away," I whispered to myself and left the backstreets with a confident stride.

As my family had lived on the outskirts of New York City and I had been underage before being kidnapped to another world, I couldn’t be sure how much that particular part of the city, filled with bars and clubs, had changed. I checked the phone I’d found in the pocket of my jacket and discovered it was just past 3 AM. Oh yeah, I also had another phone in my leggings, of all places. That was a bonus of robbing clothes from two people instead of just one. And a fair compensation for me looking like a clown and getting some curious glances as a result. No one dared to provoke me in any way, though, even this late at night—most people would be wary of someone with my self-assured body language and superb physique.

I wondered if I should visit one of the night establishments and have some fun there but decided against it. I had just one grand in cash from my three thug friends, and I didn’t ask for the PINs for their cards. Plus, I wasn’t sure if I could pass facial recognition with my current appearance. Instead, I decided to enjoy some Earth food. The only burgers I could have on Luminosa were those I made myself, and I wasn’t that great a cook.

It didn’t take me long to find one of the McTrump’s restaurants that was open 24 hours. The sleepy cashier gave me a strange look as I ordered all types of burgers on the menu. For better or worse, there wasn’t an audience to see how much I could actually eat in one go. As someone who had already reached the peak of physical and magical development that was possible in my second world, I could easily consume a hundred people's worth of food as I could live without any for years.

"Did fast food always taste so bland?" I asked myself after finishing a Big Tasty. The taste from my memories was more vivid and fresh.

Perhaps I’d changed way too much to enjoy mundane food. During my years back at Luminosa, I’d eaten the most grand dishes provided by magic-wielding cooks, all ingredients filled with Mana to the brim. I recalled how surprised I had been when the roughly grilled meat of a First Tier Magical Beast—the lowest Tier of all—turned out to be superbly delicious.

In the end, I only managed to finish a few more burgers before reluctantly accepting the fact that Earth food was no longer able to satisfy my taste buds. That made me miss the other world, even if just for a moment. I left the restaurant disappointed.

I don’t need to eat more often than once every few months, anyway… I shrugged. And usually, anything tastes great when I haven’t eaten in a while. Perhaps I’ll get used to my home planet’s cuisine sooner or later.

Next, I wanted to find a nearby computer club. Pretty much all of them operated 24 hours, so I could spend the rest of the night playing games. That would be a great way to use the free time I had until visiting my old house. I didn’t want to wake everyone in the middle of their sleep, after all.

I asked several people for directions, but none could give me an answer—it didn’t help that most of the passersby were drunk. I was about to approach a group of loud young people when my Mana Sense caught something unusual at the edge of its sphere—Mana.

One thing I noticed about Earth was that it was almost completely devoid of Aether. And what was Mana if not Aether converted by a living being into something it could use? So, I logically assumed that Mana Cultivation didn’t exist on Earth, which was completely in line with my common sense. That also meant it would take me forever to recover the Mana I’d used on the thugs—maybe a few months or so. In comparison, it would’ve taken me a couple of minutes back at Luminosa. With such a minuscule amount of Aether, I couldn’t imagine any normal human being being able to sense it, let alone absorb and control it. But now my presumptions were contradicted by someone—or something—with actual Mana. Perhaps that was some kind of Artifact from another world or from an ancient era when Earth had more Aether? There was only one way to find out.

When I reached my destination, I froze for a moment. First, it was the second time I ended up in a dead-end alley today. Second… I witnessed a scene straight out of a horror movie. A man was hugging a woman—so far, so good. His lips were at her neck as if he was kissing her. Except his sharp teeth were piercing her skin as he sucked her blood with fervor. The guy was either a psycho or a vampire, and by the way his eyes were completely crimson, and the woman didn’t even scream as if she were in a deep trance, I assumed the latter.

"What the actual Puck?" I exclaimed as I approached them. The vampire jumped in surprise and let go of the woman. "I never expected to see a bona fide vampire on the first day I arrived back on Earth. Don’t be so nervous, dude; I won’t kill you just yet."

The man, who seemed to be in his early thirties, reminded me of a certain King of Pop—pale as snow with a pug nose and curly black hair. A thin line of blood flowed from his lips as he looked at me in confusion.

"W-who are you?!" he asked, his voice trembling. "I-I set the barrier! You aren’t mundane, that’s for sure, b-but if so, then what nonsense are you spilling? A-Are you trying to break the Veil Code?!"

His words reminded me of an awesome game where you played as a vampire. There was the concept of the Masquerade—a set of rules that all vampires followed to hide their existence from humans.

Don’t tell me that stuff is actually real, I thought. Well, I don’t really care that much.

Using my Mana Sense, I explored the body of the vampire. It turned out that when foreign blood reached his heart, it transformed into Mana, which was then absorbed by his body. I didn’t know it was even possible to get Mana from sources other than Aether. And that, in a certain sense, explained my question. I also checked the woman, and she didn’t seem to be in any serious danger.

"What’s going on, dear?" the woman, a redhead with a cute freckled face, asked the King of Pop, whose eyes had already changed to gray.

"T-This man said he’s going to rob us," the vampire shouted as he grabbed her hand and dragged her away with him. "Let's run, Alisa!"

For a moment, I wanted to stop them and interrogate the unusual specimen, but then I reminded myself that I had more urgent matters to attend to—video games wouldn’t play themselves! After a brief consideration, I concluded that the situation wasn’t as bad as it looked—the two people had matching wedding rings on their fingers, so I thought it wasn’t some random assault. If having your blood sucked was deadly, then they wouldn’t have ended up in such a relationship. Perhaps I was letting a dangerous monster go, but that seemed unlikely from the clues I’d already received, and my intuition told me he wasn’t that bad of a guy. In any case, I was no longer a Chosen Hero trying to save every person I met. I was just some guy who wanted a quiet life.

Eventually, it was by mere chance that I found a fitting establishment—I noticed a cool-looking signboard, and it turned out to be an internet café. I bought a day pass for $20 and was then left to my own devices. The administrator didn’t even look at me, as he was busily playing something himself.

I was wary that, similar to my taste for Earth food, I might find that video games no longer held the same appeal for me. Thankfully, I was wrong. Among what was available on my extremely impressive-looking computer, I chose something I was familiar with—the second installment of Cosmos Craft, a strategy game I had played as a teenager. I started playing the campaign and instantly found myself engrossed. I was faintly familiar with most of the units, and the main challenge for me was to control the strength of my hands and fingers to avoid damaging the keyboard and the mouse. The gameplay felt rather slow and easy, and with my reaction speed being supernatural, I doubted that even pro gamers could compete with me if I trained just a bit. In the end, I caught myself noticing it was already 9 AM. What? If you rob someone, be ready to be robbed yourself. So now their things had become rightfully mine.

It was time to visit my family. I really missed my old man and little Leah. Today was Sunday, so they were most likely at home—if they still lived there, of course. If they didn’t, it would take some effort to find their current whereabouts, which probably wouldn’t be that hard in the era of the internet. Anyway, I wanted to see their faces.

There was no way I would meet them looking like a clown gangster, so first I visited a second-hand shop and bought normal clothes for $500. I decided to keep the Latino's sneakers as they were in decent shape and fit me well enough, but everything else went in the trash. And, of course, I didn’t forget to buy underwear—I had been reluctant to wear the dirty boxers of the thugs, so I had spent the night going commando, while wearing skin-tight leggings. Okay, perhaps the strange looks I had been receiving weren’t just due to my lame style…

Now, wearing blue jeans and a black t-shirt, I could no longer be mistaken for a hobo. It still wasn’t the best outfit I had ever worn—I would have preferred to have at least something magically enhanced—but I didn’t feel like a complete joke anymore, either. I still received some passing glances, but mostly because of my toned arms and handsome face, if I had to guess.

I knew my approximate location and where to go, so only one thing remained—walking. Sure, I could have caught a cab, but I was kind of short on cash and not in a hurry. I wanted to enjoy a relaxing stroll while sightseeing in the city I had missed for ten entire years.

At some point, I saw some teenagers playing basketball on a playground. It so happened that the ball flew toward me. Of course, I caught it effortlessly. Then I had the strange urge to throw it into the hoop, and so I did. I made the shot, of course. From more than a hundred feet away. With a smile, I waved to the astonished boys and continued my little journey.

When I saw a group of young men working out at a park, doing pull-ups, muscle-ups, and handstands, I couldn’t help but show off a little, too. If I used some magic, I could do a hands-free pull-up, but that would be overkill, wouldn’t it? So, I just made a one-handed muscle-up. Except I did it with a completely straight arm, pulling myself up like a lever. Then, I followed with a one-handed handstand on the bar. For some reason, the workout bros weren’t as impressed as I’d expected, but they still showed a lot of appreciation and asked me a bunch of questions. I decided against showing them something even crazier and said my goodbyes.

One thing I was sure about was that an easy life on Earth wouldn’t be hard to achieve with my strength. All you needed was money, and I could excel in any sport with just enough practice. I could easily become the best MMA fighter or the best football or basketball player. The only thing I needed to worry about was showing off too much of my power or accidentally losing control and hurting someone. But those were plans for the future; for now, I needed to figure out if I should restore my original identity or get a fake one. To make that decision, I needed to meet my family first.

The closer I got to my old house, the more nostalgia I felt. With each passing minute, the streets became more and more familiar. Soon enough, I reached a suburban area where private homes became more common than apartment complexes. Here and there, I could recognize playgrounds where I’d played with my friends, places that held my long-forgotten memories. It was quite funny— as I cultivated my body and mind with mana, my memory became better, eventually reaching a level where I could never forget anything, but that worked only for new memories. Because of this, my past before the summoning became too vague compared to my new experiences. But now, I was recovering some of what I had lost.

I felt warmth in my heart when I eventually reached a lonely two-story house at the corner of the road. Maybe it was just me, but it didn’t seem to have changed one bit since the time I’d been kidnapped to another world.

Home, sweet home.

Chapter 2.

I examined the oh-so-familiar house for a while, considering whether I should just check things out with Mana Sense, but I decided against it. After all, I wanted to have a simple, boring life, and using magic for mundane tasks went against that goal.

Without hurry, I walked toward the door and, slightly anxious, pressed the bell button. It was surprising that such an easy matter would elevate my heart rate, which had stayed steady even when I faced two Fifth Tier Magical Beasts at the same time.

I didn't wait longer than a minute before an unfamiliar man, maybe a bit younger than I was, opened the door. He was easily a head taller than me—this wasn't exaggerated but still unusual, considering that I was your average 5'10" guy. What a bummer that becoming superhuman didn't help me grow even an inch since my seventeenth birthday. Other than being tall enough to look down on me, the man had a well-developed body while giving off househusband vibes with his fuzzy ginger beard and cooking apron.

Ginger? Nah, no way it's him.

"Can I help you?" the man asked as he slightly squinted at me. Just before I could think of a reply, his eyes widened. "W-wait, aren't you—"

"Who's there, Jimmy?" A young woman approached us from inside the house. She brimmed with tomboyish energy even while wearing cute pink pajamas, and her short, curly black hair perfectly complemented her eyes, the color of the clearest sky—the same as mine. I recognized her at a glance, even if her face only barely resembled that of my fourteen-year-old little sister.

"Hey, little Leah, your big bro is back!" I beamed at her as I spread my arms, inviting her for a hug. She just froze in place, gazing at me in a daze. I waited. And waited. And then waited some more...

Only after one of the longest half-minutes of my life passed did Leah finally speak.

"Listen, mister, it's not funny," Leah said as she put her hands on her hips in a strict pose, giving me an annoyed look. "I don't know how you learned about my missing brother, but first of all—you're way too handsome and ripped to be him. Second, he should already be in his thirties; he's old, after all, and you look younger than I do! If you wanted to pretend to be him, you could've at least tried to hide your chiseled body under your clothes, grow a beard, color your hair gray, and add some wrinkles to look his age..."

"Wait, what?! I'm not that old, you brat! What thirties? I'm only three years older than you! And since when are thirty-year-olds considered elderly?! Damn, you really still need some discipline after all these years! Should I hide your smartphone again?!"

"Hold me, dear, it's really him!" Now, Leah's expression suddenly changed as if she'd seen a ghost. "No way anyone else could call me, a fine and noble lady, a brat! It's really him, that useless big brother who abandoned his sister for a decade! Wait, forget it, don't hold me, Jimmy, hold him before he runs off again! I'll make him understand the wrath of a little sister!"

"Since when do fine and noble ladies swear?!" I hummed. "And wait, did you call him Jimmy? It can't be that Jimmy, right?!"

"So you really are Boss..." the man exclaimed as his eyes moistened. "We believed that you'd be back... that you weren't gone forever..."

"Sure enough, no one else would call me that..." It was my turn to be surprised. It was also funny how he still hadn't forgotten about our bet and kept his word. What could I say? Only a real man would call someone "Boss" after losing to him in a fighting game enough times. "So you finally got rid of your thick glasses, Jimmy? Contacts?"

"No, laser eye surgery."

"Braces?"

"Those were only temporary."

"Weren't you the shortest guy in your class?"

"You know how they say puberty is a bitch? I made it my bitch!" Jimmy smirked at his own joke as Leah hit him with her elbow.

"Yeah, and the pimples are gone as well..." I nodded to myself. No wonder Leah ended up with him. I mean, I knew he had a crush on her and rooted for the guy, but he seemed to be too far lost in the friend zone. They had known each other since elementary school, with him being her "common sense" and her acting as his "bodyguard," even if he was a year older. Now, he was good enough to protect her as well. "So, will you guys let me in, or should I stay at the entrance forever?"

"Come in, you jerk," Leah said, her voice suddenly small. She tugged at my arm, but her earlier bravado was gone. "I... I can't believe you're really here."

The interior hadn't changed much—same family photos on the walls, same worn carpet, same everything. Except now there were new pictures mixed in with the old ones: Leah's graduation, her wedding to Jimmy, and... newspaper clippings? I paused at one headline: "FBI Special Agent Breaks International Trafficking Ring."

"Dad's been... busy," Leah said, following my gaze. "After you disappeared, he couldn't just stay a regular detective. He kept digging, following every lead. Each case led him higher up, exposing bigger operations. Now he's somewhere in Eastern Europe, deep undercover. He can't even contact us."

"Still searching," I muttered, my chest tight.

"Always." She crossed her arms, looking away. "We both were. You know how many missing persons support groups I joined? How many forums I checked? Every time some John Doe turned up, every unidentified body..."

Damn you, Lumia. I cursed the Goddess of Luminosa. You have enough power to transport me to another world, but can't send a message to my family? Then again, wouldn't they just think they were going crazy? And the chance of me coming back was... rather slim to begin with.

"Leah..." Jimmy stepped forward, but she waved him off.

"No, he needs to hear this." Her voice cracked. "Do you know what it's like? Hoping every phone call might be news about you? Jumping at every knock, thinking maybe this time... And then you just—just show up! Looking younger than me, all buff and handsome, like you've been at some luxury spa resort while we were going crazy wondering if you were dead in a ditch somewhere!"

I stayed silent, letting her get it out. What could I say? Sorry, sis, I was busy being a legendary hero while you were worrying yourself sick?

"And the worst part?" She was crying now, tears streaming down her face. "The worst part is I'm so happy to see you I can barely breathe, and I hate that! I want to be angry! I want to—to—"

I pulled her into a hug, and this time I had to remember to be gentle, to not let my enhanced strength hurt her. She beat her fists against my chest once, twice, then buried her face in my shirt and sobbed.

"Your heart's beating so fast," she mumbled after a while.

"Yeah, well, facing my little sister's wrath is scarier than any monster I've—" I caught myself, but she was too emotional to notice the slip.

"I'll... make some coffee?"

"Still as considerate as I remember you," I said with a smile, still holding Leah close. Did I mention Luminosa had no coffee? Of course not. The closest thing to it was considered a drug and, naturally, totally illegal. Not impossible to get, mind you... "We have a lot to talk about. Though Dad being away might be for the best, considering..."

"Considering what?" Leah pulled back, wiping her eyes.

I looked at the newspaper clipping again. Dad had spent ten years fighting human monsters, working his way up from local detective to international operations. Part of me felt proud, but another part ached knowing I was partly responsible for his crusade. How many times had he been walking a tightrope between life and death as a result?

"Considering this might be too much for one day," I said softly. "Plus, he probably would've tried to arrest me for breaking every known law of physics. You know how he gets about proper procedure."

"God, you haven't changed at all," Leah laughed through her tears. "Still making jokes at the worst times."

"I have changed! I learned to do my own laundry and everything. I no longer have to trick my little sister into doing chores!"

"Wow, such an achievement. Want a medal?" But she was smiling now, even as she wiped her eyes. "Jimmy, where's that coffee? My idiot brother is trying to be funny again!"

"Coming!" Jimmy called from the kitchen. "Just trying to remember how Boss liked it."

"Make it so strong it could raise the dead, but add enough milk to drown them again!" I called back, then caught Leah's expression. "What? Ten years, and I'm not allowed to develop a refined palate?"

"It's just... you've barely aged," Leah said, studying my face. "You were seventeen when you... when you disappeared. You should be twenty-seven now, but you look twenty at most."

"Good genes?" I offered weakly.

"Try again. Jimmy and I saw your graduation photos just yesterday—we were sorting through Dad's stuff, trying to digitize everything. You were a scrawny kid with acne. Now you look like you could be on a magazine cover."

"You know what Jimmy and I have in common? Puberty—"

"Don't you dare use Jimmy's line about making puberty your bitch," Leah warned, though a small smile tugged at her lips. "Seriously, though, what happened to you? Where were you? And don’t say witness protection or something, because Dad would've found out."

Jimmy returned with our drinks, setting them down gently. I took the mug, the aroma hitting me instantly—rich, comforting, and so distinctly home. Nothing like the bitter, almost medicinal herbs they called stimulants in Luminosa. I took a sip, letting the warmth work its way through me, grounding me.

"It's... complicated," I started, watching Leah’s eyes narrow as if she could burn through my excuses. "No, wait, hear me out. I want to tell you everything. I really do. But some of it’s going to sound completely insane."

"More insane than vanishing for ten years and coming back looking like this?" Leah gestured at me with her free hand. "While Dad became some kind of international super-cop trying to find you?"

"Actually... yeah." I stared into the coffee, watching the swirls of milk spiral before they stilled. "Way more insane."

"Try us," Jimmy said quietly, his tone steady. "After everything we’ve been through, we can handle it."

I hesitated, the words sitting heavy on my tongue. "You know, all those years I told myself what I missed most was the comfort of modern life, the games I couldn’t play, the shows I couldn’t watch. I convinced myself that’s what I wanted back." I paused, gripping the mug tighter, holding myself back from breaking it. "But I was lying. I told myself those things to ignore what really kept me going in that shithole—because admitting the truth would’ve been too painful. I fucking missed you, Leah! And you too, Jimmy!"

Before I could say another word, Leah practically launched herself at me, nearly knocking over both our coffees. Jimmy wasn't far behind, and suddenly I was caught in a group hug that made my chest tight in a way no battle ever had. I had to remind myself to be gentle, to not let my enhanced strength hurt them, but it was hard, so damn hard, when all I wanted was to hold them tight enough to make up for ten years of absence.

"Welcome back, Clinton..." Leah whispered my name, a word I had almost forgotten...

I missed this, I thought fiercely. Missed Leah's stupid strawberry shampoo that she's apparently still using. Missed Jimmy's awkward bear hugs. Missed having people who knew me before I was anything special, who cared about me when I was just a normal kid with acne and terrible jokes. Who knew me before... before I murdered my first person.

Back in Luminosa, I'd had followers, admirers, even lovers. But none of them knew the real me. None of them had played video games until 3 AM with me, or helped me with math homework (despite being younger), or threatened to tell Dad about the time I accidentally set the garage on fire while trying to make rocket fuel.

"Don't you dare disappear again," Leah mumbled into my shirt, her voice thick with tears. "Or I swear I'll hunt you down myself."

"She means it," Jimmy added, his own voice suspiciously rough. "She's scarier than her dad when she wants to be."

"I know," I said softly, holding them both a little tighter. "Trust me, I know."

As we finally broke apart, I settled back into the couch, the warmth of their embrace still lingering.

Funny, I thought, how I spent years dreaming about playing the newest games and catching up on movies, when what I really needed was right here.

Looking at Leah wiping her tears while trying to pretend she wasn't crying, and Jimmy awkwardly straightening his apron, I felt more at home than I had in a decade.

We'll find Dad, I promised silently. Once I figure out how to explain everything, we'll track him down together. Maybe I can even use some of my abilities to help with his mission. After all, what's an international crime syndicate compared to a Demon Lord? And then we'll have the calm and satisfying life I've always dreamed about... together. Yes, this would be nice. I'm finally free! Now is the time for the hard part... telling my story.

"Remember those fantasy novels we used to read—"

I was about to reveal my insane past, of course also proving everything with my powers, when I sensed something that shouldn't have been the case. My Mana was full again. It didn't make sense. By my estimation of Aether Density, it should have taken me months to recover what little I had used up on the thugs. And yet... yet now it had fully recovered. As for Aether Density... I activated my Mana Sense and froze.

"What's going on, brother?" Leah asked with concern.

Before I could answer, I felt it—a surge of Aether so powerful it made my skin tingle. The air itself seemed to thicken, becoming heavy with potential energy. It was like being back in Luminosa, except this shouldn't be possible. Not on Earth.

Suddenly, blue text appeared floating in the air—not just in my vision, but actually hanging there in space.

Congratulations, Earth is being integrated into the Atheos System!

Chapter 3.

I focused on the words, trying to feel the flow of Aether in them, to sense the intricate patterns—the runes—that governed this strange magic. But it was beyond my understanding, just like magic spells beyond the lowest tier. I doubted that even the Arcane Sage could figure out their meaning.

Congratulations, Earth is being integrated into the Atheos System!

And yet, such complicated runes were used to create just a piece of text.

"What the—" Jimmy started.

"Are you guys seeing this too?" Leah asked, her voice shaking. "Please tell me you're seeing this."

This is new, I thought grimly as more text began to appear. Even after ten years in a world of magic, I'd never seen anything quite like this. And I didn't like it. I didn't like that something this incomprehensible happened just when my happiness was within my grasp.

"Calm down, stay with me," I said, spreading my Mana Sense around us. I didn't feel any suspicious signatures like the one from the vampire within my range, which covered about two miles. What I noticed instead was that other people seemed just as confused as we were. The message wasn't just for us—it was reaching at least everyone in the area. Or—I thought with a chill—perhaps the entire population of Earth. If that was the case, it would explain the complexity of the runes in the message. How powerful must an entity be to simultaneously communicate with 8 billion human beings?

As I prepared for the worst, the message continued. This time, it was accompanied by a voice—one that read the first message in a tone both alluring and emotionless, neither male nor female, sending shivers down my spine.

Dear citizens of Earth, the so-called humanity, as well as the aliens who call this planet their home. I am pleased to inform you that your planet has awakened. Fear not—I shall ensure its ego is properly deleted before it manages to erase you all as part of its growing process. You don't understand what I speak of? You will soon enough when it sends its monsters and evolved beasts after you. But first, I shall grant you the power to resist. And also protect you from the Aether Shockwave that will make a complete mess of the surface (say goodbye to your dear civilization). On the bright side, after the first stage of the integration is completed, you'll join the multiverse connected by your humble servant (that's me! or us! whatever you prefer)!

"Brother, do you understand what's going on?" Leah said, anxiety clear in her voice.

Monsters and evolved beasts... just like Luminosa? I thought to myself. Is Earth transforming into a magical world? The implications are staggering. Damn, the world really doesn't want to give me a rest. I just hope this isn't connected to my return. What if I somehow triggered this event? No... that can't be right.

"Leah, remember how I said my story was so crazy you wouldn't believe it? Well, I think soon enough we'll see things that will make my experience seem downright ordinary." I gave her a sheepish smile. "Whatever's coming, stay close. I'll protect you."

"Thanks, bro." My sister gave me a confused look.

"Should I get a gun?" Jimmy asked, already changing into more practical clothes.

"I don't think guns will be very effective against whatever's coming, but I guess it's better than nothing." I paused. "Though you might want to grab a melee weapon too. Got a katana by any chance?"

"Brother, why would we have a katana at home?"

"So, do you have one?"

"Yes, actually, I do."

"That's my boy, Jimmy!" I laughed.

"Wait, what? How come I never knew about this?" Leah turned to her boyfriend with narrowed eyes.

"Because you never asked?" Jimmy said as he hurried upstairs.

This guy was always an anime fan, so a katana or two isn't surprising. Though this is his home now, isn't it? I thought with uncertainty.

"We're going to have a serious talk about this," Leah called after him. "I definitely noticed that suspicious 500-dollar charge on our card."

"Go easy on him. Maybe it's your birthday present? Your special day is coming up soon."

"Well, if that's the case, I might forgive him."

But our conversation was cut short as new text appeared before us.

Initiating planetary scan. Tutorial Zone assignments pending. Difficulty selection required. Note: Some options could be unavailable for certain individuals.

[Scan Error. Foreign contamination detected. Initiating vote: Grant system access to contaminated entity?]

[Secondary Core Votes]

Yes [3 out of 7]
No [4 out of 7]

[Awaiting Primary Core decision...]

Yes [1 out of 1]

Secondary Core decision override. Granting system access to contaminated entity under special conditions.

I wonder if others see this same message, I very much doubt it, I thought with a frown. Contaminated, huh? Well, that's disturbing. Is it talking about the powers given to me by the Goddess? Then again, I should have lost her blessing already. Or does it not consider my own powers as legitimate? That's twice as offensive. I worked so hard for it!

Choose your Tutorial Difficulty (pro tip: you get bonus System Points for real-world achievements... and for being lucky):

[EASY] - Not Available

The easiest difficulty. You will be given a simple task to complete and nine Revivals. In exchange, the rewards will provide no significant advantages. It's a choice for cowards or the cautious, but beware that it will make you less adapted for what's to come as a result. Even if you haven't accomplished anything in life, you'll be safe with this option.

[NORMAL] - Not Available

Recommended for most participants. A balanced experience for those who aren't seasoned fighters or particularly strategic. No offense intended; most of you are in this category. A normal difficulty for normal people. If you wish to maximize your survival chances in the coming apocalypse, choose wisely and don't try to bite off more than you can chew. Attempting a higher difficulty could put you ahead of other humans before the battle even begins, but normal all but guarantees survival, and later you can always find someone to rely on. Comes with three Revivals and a fairly easy mission.

[HARD] - Not Available

Want to play with fire? This difficulty is lethal for the unprepared, but the rewards might just be worth dancing with death. Perfect for high achievers, martial artists, or those blessed with sharp minds—and yes, brainpower matters since it determines your magical potential. Survival isn't guaranteed, but it's manageable if you come ready. You have one Revival, so one chance to cheat death, but only one. Make it through, and you'll emerge as someone powerful enough to stand between your loved ones and whatever nightmares this new world throws at them.

[NIGHTMARE] - Not Available

Here's where things get serious. Your trials will be brutal, your challenges daunting—but the System provides tools for those daring enough to grasp them. And rich enough to buy them. Where others face a wolf, you'll face an alpha—but with the right skills unlocked, even an alpha can fall. Every resource, every System feature must be leveraged to survive. The environment becomes your weapon if you're clever enough to use it.

And of course, you have to accumulate enough System Points from your real-life achievements to even consider this—are you world-famous, have you saved thousands of lives, or are you a renowned scientist? No? Well, then all you can do is pray that you're lucky enough to win our System Lottery.

Success requires mastering abilities under the constant threat of death. Those who clear Nightmare emerge transformed, not just by rewards, but by pushing the System to its limits under extreme pressure. The question isn't whether the tools for success exist—it's whether you can master them fast enough to stay alive.

[MADNESS] - Not Available

Now we're talking insanity. To consider this, you need a few screws loose—and that's a compliment. The System provides everything needed to survive, but you'll have to master abilities others haven't even discovered yet while dodging death at every turn.

You'll start at rock bottom and climb through sheer tenacity. Exploit every mechanic, unlock hidden potentials, and push boundaries that others won't dare approach. Face challenges that would make veterans weep, with nothing but your wits and the System's tools.

And yeah, you need a whole bunch of starting System Points to have a chance. And some powerful Archetype to boot. Even if you're a billionaire, CEO, Nobel Prize winner, or have cured cancer, it might not be enough. In Madness, luck is the real currency.

The surprising thing? More users choose this than you'd think. The unsurprising thing? Most of them don't live to regret it. This isn't about survival—it's about evolution through extinction. And if you emerge victorious? You'll be set on the road to becoming a legend.

[IMPOSSIBLE] - Available

Well, well, well. Look who it is. Wondering why this is your only option? Let's just say the System doesn't take kindly to... irregularities. You're an anomaly, friend, and this is your punishment—or your test. Why impossible? That's for you to find out. Here's a hint: it's not called 'Very Super Mega Hard' for a reason. Good luck. You're going to need all of it.

"Puck, you gotta be kidding me!" I couldn't help but exclaim. "So you're singling me out, huh? Damn."

Warning: Failure to select a difficulty within [263 seconds] will result in random assignment from available options. Your planet is having a serious case of sudden Aether Overflow, and it's close to its limit.

As I mulled over whatever what that crap meant, Leah disappeared upstairs for a quick change. Her pink pajamas were hardly appropriate for whatever was coming. She returned wearing ripped jean shorts and a tight-fitting compression top—practical workout clothes that showed off her athletic build. I guess ten years of martial arts training had changed more than just her skills. It was almost funny how my sudden return hadn't been enough for her to dress up, but the threat of an apocalypse got her out of those unicorn-patterned PJs in record time.

By this time, Jimmy had also returned, decked out in full military camo. He carried a loaded backpack, an AR assault rifle in his hands, and an authentic katana strapped to his back.

"This seems completely insane. I don't even know what to think," Leah shook her head. "And I'm not even talking about your katana, Jimmy..."

[169 seconds]

"If this isn't some global hallucination, we need to pick our difficulty carefully," Jimmy said. "Based on what's happening online, this is real. Everyone's messaging me—friends, my family—asking if I see it too. The urgent news is all over the place. The whole world's in panic, and we have minutes to make a choice that'll determine our lives."

I knew better than anyone how serious things were—the Aether density had skyrocketed since my last check. It was now twice as high as the Demon Lands of Luminosa and four times that of the Human Lands. At this rate, it would soon match the density of the Demon Queen's Castle—something completely insane. Normal humans couldn't survive such high concentrations of Aether.

"If we choose the same difficulty, we might end up in the same place," Leah said, thinking it through. "I'm considering Normal or Hard. Easy seems like a short-term solution, though I'm not sure how challenging Hard really is. It says we need to be physically fit, and trust me, brother—after you disappeared, I made sure I could handle myself."

"This little demon was never weak," Jimmy laughed. "And now she's a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu."

"What? A black belt? Really?" That caught me off guard.

"Yes, brother. Want me to show you a trick or two?"

"Wow, you're dangerous now." I glanced at our time window.

[81 seconds]

"What do you mean, brother?"

"Well... it seems the System doesn't think Normal or Hard is enough for me."

"What? Is it forcing you into a higher difficulty? Does it want you dead? Or—" Leah's eyes widened, "—does it think you're meant for greatness? To become humanity's hope? If that's the case, I'll choose Nightmare with you, even Madness. Maybe we'll end up together."

"Don't be ridiculous, baby," Jimmy cut in. "Madness?"

"That sounds like a cakewalk to me." I grinned. "You know what the System thinks? That for me, nothing is Impossible. And you know what? It could be just damn right. As for you guys, stick with Normal; no reason to risk it."

I laughed, even as we all felt the earth tremor. The planet itself was roaring, as if it had a bad case of diarrhea from a cheap Chinese restaurant. The real source of Aether had always come from a planet's core, and now I felt a powerful wave about to be unleashed—a wave that would make the current density seem like a gentle breeze.

They probably couldn't feel it yet, but the Aether had already started affecting every living body with its density. You see, while Aether was an invisible and usually peaceful source of power, when its density reached high enough levels, normal humans couldn't survive—especially those not blessed by the Goddess. Their bodies would start breaking down at the cellular level, organs failing one by one. I'd seen it happen in Luminosa's most Aether-dense regions. But it seemed this so-called System decided to take everything into its own hands, probably planning to modify human bodies to handle the change. I could only hope it would transport us to the Tutorial, whatever that meant, before the Aether shockwave turned most of humanity into a broken mess.

The tremors grew stronger. Books fell from shelves, and somewhere in the kitchen, I heard dishes shattering.

[29 seconds]

"I was so glad to see you again, Leah. You too, Jimmy. Please survive." I looked at them intently, memorizing their faces. After missing them for ten years, these few minutes weren't nearly enough. "And you don't need the Hard difficulty; Normal is more than enough. Just make sure to get out alive, and then you'll be under my care. I swear that no one will dare to hurt even a hair on your heads as long as I'm alive."

"Brother, what are you—" Leah started, reaching for me.

"Oh guys," I grinned, cutting her off, trying to mask my growing concern with bravado. "In the last ten years, I experienced a lot of crazy stuff. But perhaps this was a blessing in disguise. Now it's my time to show you who's boss. Plus, the System clearly knows talent when it sees it."

The air grew thick, almost syrupy with Aether. I could feel the wave building beneath our feet, rushing up from the planet's core like a tsunami of pure energy.

"Leah, Jimmy... until we meet again."

And then a very familiar feeling of summoning hit me, just a second before the wave from the planet's core reached us. The sensation was similar to my first summoning to Luminosa, but different. More... artificial. Clinical. Instead of the warm embrace of the Goddess's power, this felt mechanical, precise.

But this time, the travel didn't take longer than ten seconds before I found myself completely contained. What the hell was going on? No, I wasn't traveling through the Void to some distant destination. There was no sensation of being reduced to a singular point, no endless darkness.

Instead, I found myself in what could only be described as a prison—though 'prison' might be the wrong word. I stood in a perfect cube of pure, pristine white. No seams, no edges, no signs of construction. The walls, floor, and ceiling were indistinguishable from each other, creating a sense of disorientation. The space hummed with power, but unlike Luminosa's elaborate magical constructs, this felt... sterile. Clinical. Like being inside a computer program.

There were no visible runes or markings, but I could feel the magic permeating the space. The whole cube was one giant scanning device, studying every particle of my being.

The System wanted to understand exactly what I was. Well, good luck with that—I wasn't sure myself anymore.

Chapter 4.

***27 minutes after arriving in Luminosa...***

To say that I was scared and confused would be an understatement. One moment, I was heading to the store to buy milk and planning to trick my little sister into making pancakes. The next, I found myself in what could only be a throne room straight out of a fantasy game.

Marble columns soared toward a vaulted ceiling adorned with frescoes of epic battles. Stained glass windows cast rainbow patterns across the polished stone floor, and banners bearing unfamiliar crests hung between ornate braziers that filled the air with sweet-smelling smoke.

The throne itself was a masterpiece of ivory and gold, decorated with intricate carvings of dragons and heroes. The man slouched upon it looked exactly how I'd imagine a fantasy king: middle-aged, with a neatly trimmed beard streaked with gray, wearing a crown that probably cost more than my entire neighborhood. His expression was one of lazy arrogance, his rich purple robes making my jeans and t-shirt feel even more out of place.

"So this is our hope of slaying the Demon Queen?" the king drawled. "Are you sure the ritual was successful?"

I couldn't blame him for questioning his subordinates. After all, I was just a scrawny teenager with acne and an unhealthy love of video games. I wasn't some savior or hero.

"He is also rather plain-looking," added a voice like silver bells.

I turned and felt my heart skip a beat. The princess standing at the king's side looked like she’d stepped out of an anime—not the over-the-top ones, but the kind where the beauty is subtle and perfect. She was probably my age, with flowing golden hair and eyes the color of summer roses. She made every girl in my high school look plain in comparison. If it weren't for the contempt twisting her delicate features, she could have passed for an angel.

The man kneeling before the throne commanded attention despite his hunched posture. His silver hair cascaded down his back, and his midnight blue robes were covered in mysterious runes that seemed to shift and move in the light. A gnarled staff of dark wood rested at his side, topped with a crystal that pulsed with inner light.

"Yes, Your Majesty, there is no mistake," the wizard said. "As you know, heroes are not born; they are made. And this boy indeed bears the blessing of our Goddess. I can feel the power of the elements in him. I believe this hero can succeed where others failed—he wields not just two elements, but three, one of which is Darkness itself."

"Darkness, you say?" The hall erupted in murmurs.

I raised my hand as if I were still in class. "Hey, can I ask something? What the hell am I doing here? Can you guys send me home?"

For a moment, no one paid me any attention. Then the princess approached me, her silk dress whispering across the marble floor. Up close, her beauty was even more striking—and more cruel. Before I could react, she slapped me across the face, her jeweled rings leaving scratches on my cheek.

"Shut up! When the king is speaking, you haven’t been given permission to open your mouth!"

And that was how the world of Luminosa greeted their greatest hero.

~Current time~

The System had me trapped in its pristine cube, examining me like a lab specimen. Just like that time in Luminosa's throne room when they'd first summoned me—a confused teenager being scrutinized by kings and wizards who'd decided my fate without asking. Back then, I'd been powerless. I had thought those days were behind me—that after reaching the peak, after defeating the Demon Queen herself, no one could force me to submit again. Yet here I was, completely helpless against this entity's control.

The System's voice filled the space around me, no longer just an echo in my head. Holographic screens materialized before my eyes, displaying its assessment:

Analyzing divine signature... Unknown deity's traces detected. High connection to elements found. Analyzing Aether code inscriptions on soul... S-class complexity detected. S-class Mana capacity found. S-class contamination rank assigned to entity.

These metrics were delivered in an emotionless tone before the System's voice shifted:

Did you really think we could simply send you to the Tutorial with everyone else without ensuring that you were safe first? No, you're not just some anomaly—you're our doorway to the unknown.

Now that you're here, you have several options:

First: We dismantle you cell by cell to extract the Aether code, analyze it, and create countermeasures against whatever altered you. This is, of course, only a last resort.

Second: You agree to have it safely extracted. This outcome is less desirable for us, but our System is very benevolent and always gives people a choice.

Gives a choice? Yeah, right, I thought, remembering my Tutorial difficulty "options."

We are designed to consider the feelings and choices of sapient beings. After all, we are working on saving the world and making it better. This second option will strip your undeserved powers, but you'll be compensated—10 million System points and enough experience to reach level 100 instantly.

"So how does level 100 compare to my current powers?" I asked, expecting to be ignored like that first day with the king. But it seemed the System was more reasonable than the humans of Luminosa.

Please understand that incorporating your current capabilities into the System would be problematic. Even granting level 100 would be rather generous. After extraction, you won’t be capable of enduring more power than that. To be precise, you’d retain about one-tenth of your current attribute points.

"And let me guess—I’d lose my ability to manipulate elements, right?"

In exchange, you’ll receive abilities that are much easier to use. The System provides powers that can be mastered easily with enough points. Completing quests for us is a fast way to progress. You would recover your current power in no time at all—within a few years, you could even surpass it.

"So if I choose this option, you won’t send me to the Impossible Tutorial, right?"

Unfortunately, the decision regarding your Tutorial difficulty has already been made.

"Brilliant. You’ll strip my power, then throw me to the wolves." I exhaled slowly. "What are my other options?"

You can keep your powers, and we will partially integrate you into the System. However, there’s a catch.

"And what’s that?"

You’ll be in our debt. Simply put, you’ll have to slay your way until it’s paid off. With this option, you’ll only gain basic attribute points from leveling—no access to Classes or Skills provided by the System.

"Basically, you want me to be under your complete control, while also being limited in what I could do."

It’s not that bad. With your power level, you will eventually pay off the debt. No interest, of course—that would be too evil.

"How generous. So what’s the base amount I’d need to pay off?"

Well, it’s not that high—only 1 billion System points.

"One billion? That sure doesn’t sound like ‘not a lot.’"

There is a fourth option. A compromise of sorts. Full integration with the System, including access to Classes, Skills, and so on. You see, you’ve accumulated a significant amount of Condensed Mana after reaching your last threshold.

"You mean my cultivation realm?"

Whatever you call it. The last time you altered your body to reach higher limits. This process changes you on a fundamental level, but after that, you just accumulate more Condensed Mana for the next jump in power. In fact, you’ve nearly reached the threshold for your next advancement. But it seems the deity who granted you this opportunity limited your potential. Probably because her world couldn’t provide enough density to advance. Or perhaps she feared you would defy her.

"Or rather, the goal she tasked me with didn’t require me to become even stronger." I shrugged.

Yes. So here’s what we’ll do: We’ll extract only your Condensed Mana without altering your physiology or aspects of your soul's code.

"So I'm basically going to end up at the bottom of my rank, I guess?" To put things into perspective—I had been at the Fifth Cultivation Rank, Mana Lord, for three years already. It had taken me seven years to reach that rank and almost three years to attain its peak. I would essentially lose those three years of progress, dropping back to where I started as a fresh Mana Lord—which meant losing about half of my current strength.

Yes. This energy will be used to make you compatible with our System's progression. In the long run, it's the best solution for you.

"And what about my debt?"

Of course, we can't do it for free. Our relationship with sapient beings is based on equivalent exchange. Even though we're using your own energy for the process, it still requires significant processing power to complete. Your debt will decrease to 100 million System points. Someone of your caliber should earn that much in less than a decade. Perhaps five years would be enough.

"But what's the point if you're sending me to a Tutorial literally called 'Impossible'?"

Don't worry. Even if you fail, we will find ways to make you work off the bonds. In fact, your failure would be most beneficial for us.

"Yeah, you're so fair and all about give-and-take," I smirked. What was the point of discussing options when the answer was obvious?

It's less obvious than you think. Many would choose the second option, risking the Tutorial while being debt-free. Others would refuse to part with their hard-earned power, even if it's only a portion of it. They would rather accept the larger debt, believing it manageable.

"Okay, I've made my choice. Option four, obviously. Go ahead."

Prepare for the worst. It's not exactly a pleasant experience.

"Do you think I've never been tortured? Just do your worst."

Well, we warned you.

And warn me they did. The moment the voice fell silent, it felt like billions of white-hot needles were threading through my flesh, bones, and soul simultaneously. The pain transcended mere physical sensation, burrowing into realms of agony I didn't know existed. Back when the princess had taken it upon herself to "discipline" me for not learning proper etiquette fast enough—her jeweled rings leaving bloody marks all over my body, her Sound Spells making my eardrums burst, only to be healed by the palace's healers—I had thought nothing could be worse. Later, I revised that opinion after being caught by a particularly sadistic demon. Trapped in its mental prison, my mind had been twisted and shattered in ways that defied reality. I'd had my limbs amputated and regenerated repeatedly for an entire hour, forced to experience every excruciating second of it, and I thought nothing could match that hell.

Well, guess what? I was wrong.

Having the System alter my very essence, drawing Mana from my core and throughout my being—it went beyond pain. It felt like my soul was unraveled thread by thread while my consciousness was forced to experience every moment. I couldn't move, couldn't scream, couldn't even form coherent thoughts. My entire existence narrowed down to pure, unfiltered agony.

Ever had a toothache that made you want to rip out your own jaw? Now imagine that concentrated agony spreading through your flesh, your bones, your very essence. The only mercy was that the process lasted less than a minute, though I only realized this after it ended. During the torture, time lost all meaning—each microsecond stretched into an eternity of suffering.

Puck, this System really isn't joking around, I thought as I finally recovered. And with this, I was finally released from the cube.

Chapter 5.

Without the System saying goodbye, I found myself flying through the void, becoming a singularity point. But this time, it didn't last half as long as when I had found myself in the cube. Five seconds as a singularity, and here I was in a new place completely. It seemed that either the way the System transported me was faster, or Luminosa was much farther away from Earth than wherever I ended up now.

I looked around and it took me only a moment to notice my surroundings. It seemed the System didn't want to give me a break. I was behind bars, trapped in a cage like some animal. The room was vast and dimly lit, with rough stone walls that gave it a dungeon-like atmosphere. The air was heavy with the musky scent of unwashed beasts and old straw.

I wasn't alone in my predicament. The room was lined with cages of various sizes, each housing a different creature. Rusty metal bars separated me from a menagerie of beasts, some familiar, but most utterly foreign. In the cage to my right, a giant octopus, its body as large as a bus, squished against the confines of its prison. Its skin glistened with slime and its eyes, large and intelligent, watched me with an unsettling intensity.

Across from me, a monster straight out of a science fiction novel - a two-headed tyrannosaur, its twin sets of jaws snapping irritably at each other. Despite its smaller size, barely larger than a human, the sheer ferocity in its eyes sent a chill down my spine. The primal, predatory intelligence in those reptilian orbs promised swift death to any foolish enough to underestimate it based on size alone. Other cages held equally bizarre and unsettling creatures, but those two were most likely the most dangerous.

The creatures paced restlessly in their cages, some snarling at me as I met their gaze, others lying dejectedly in the corners of their confinement. A few of the more intelligent beasts regarded me with curiosity, perhaps wondering what a human was doing among their ranks.

As if just putting me into a cage wasn't enough, it didn't just restrict my movement, but also sucked Mana out of me. Of course, I almost instantly gathered my focus and prevented the cage from making me any weaker than I already was. The pull wasn't strong enough to overcome my control. After all, I wasn't just a Mana Fighter or a Caster. No, I was a Primalist.  My control over Mana was far greater than that of others at the same Tier.

I took in my own form. I was wearing the same clothes as before - the simple t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers I had put on at home. It seemed that even the System couldn't keep my original garments intact during the transportation process. The Aether Density here wasn't as high as at Luminosa, about half that of the Human Lands, but still infinitely higher than at Earth before its Awakening.

Now it was time to read the System messages and see what the heck was going on. It was never too late to try to break myself out of this place. After all, the cage didn't just contain me, but also provided a certain level of safety.

User, congratulations on being connected to the Atheos System! Welcome to your Tutorial (Difficulty: Impossible).

Tutorial Zone Alpha-0: Everhappy Smiley Land
"Where fun never dies, but you might!"
Description: A colossal amusement park stretching across an area comparable to New York City, featuring attractions that range from merely unsettling to outright lethal. Despite its cheerful facade, it holds the dubious honor of having the lowest average Tutorial completion rate across all zones. Nonetheless, this zone offers unique opportunities for those brave enough to attempt its challenges. While the risk is greater, so are the rewards.

Total Participants: 66666

Easy: 3 Normal: 60000 Hard: 6000 Nightmare: 600 Madness: 60 Impossible: 3

Objectives of the Main Quest [Nothing is Impossible]:

First - Becoming a Real VIP: Get a Premium VIP Super Mega Ticket.

Second - Meeting the Legend: Meet the real Chuckles the Chipmunk and survive to tell the tale, in this particular order.

Third - Finishing the Clown: Defeat the Ringmaster in all of his games and give him a beating, in this particular order.

Fourth - Being Mama Goose: You have nine users put in your care. Make sure all of them complete their Tutorials successfully.

Failure to complete any of the objectives within the time limit, until the land closes its doors to your planet, will mean you will become my bottom bitch, or as some like to call them, an NPC. Good luck!

Congratulations! You have received a Side Quest [Curious Creature]!

You are a part of the Curious Creatures' Deadly Exhibition. Participate in the show and win three battles. Reward: System Points based on the opponents and Caretaker's Map (recommended for the Mama Goose objective).

These quests don't seem like something difficult enough to be called impossible. Then again, there is a lot I don't know yet. I have no idea how powerful this Ringmaster is, or what it requires for me to receive the ticket, as well as who the heck Chuckles the Chipmunk is.

And you know what the worst part is?

Most menu options are unavailable. System installation: 17%.

Quests
Achievement Assessment [Unavailable]
Status [Unavailable]
Archetypes [Unavailable]
Skills [Unavailable]
Shop [Unavailable]
Inventory [Unavailable]

Yeah, it seems that I still have to wait to learn about other features of this System. Well, at least I now have the gist of what I'll have to do to proceed.

There's a lot of information I have gleaned from this screen alone:

First, the Tutorials aren't exclusive for each person. There are other participants with all sorts of difficulties in the same Zone.

Second, there might be two or even more other suckers who have received the same special treatment, maybe even more in other Tutorial Zones. Or maybe all of us who's expected to do the Impossible are already locked here.

Third, I wonder where most of the Normal difficulty participants are. There doesn't seem to be as many people in this zone as I'd expect, considering that most of the humanity is probably being integrated into the System.

My first plan was to just escape the captivity as soon as I got a basic grasp of the situation. But with the side quest given to me, it seemed this wouldn't be the best choice. The reward was not just System Points, which I had to earn—100 millions of them—but also a map of the area, which would be very useful and even recommended by the System. I wanted to find the nine people that would be in my care. Among the quest objectives, that one was probably the most unfair. After all, it didn't depend on me entirely if those people would survive and complete their respective Tutorial Quests. By the time I escaped, it was very possible that some of them would already be in danger, or worse, killed. Then again, even the Hard difficulty provided a revival, which implied that they would have another go at completing their task, even if I failed to find them in time. But if anyone of them had chosen Nightmare or Madness, things would be... complicated.

Maybe I should just skip the map and try to use my Mana Sense to find them. No, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

And again, I had no idea when the so-called exhibition would start. If it wasted too much of my time, I would have to find an alternative. Perhaps I wouldn't even need the map once the System fully installed. After all, I doubted I would need to randomly ask every person if they were under my care or not. It should show me some information list, right?

With those thoughts, I closed my eyes and took a meditative pose. The most basic way to cultivate Mana was just a form of meditation. You had to find a place abundant with Aether, and it would be even better if it was connected to your attribute. So, for those with the basic attributes, it was pretty easy. Fire required sunlight. Air would be perfect at high altitudes. Water, well, near large bodies of water like a sea or ocean, though a river or lake would be fine too. And earth would be easiest to cultivate underground.

But if you wanted to more properly advance your mastery over rare elements, you'd need to turn on your imagination. For example, to improve my mastery over lightning, I had to be hit by, well, actual lightning. And let me tell you, that wasn't my idea. It wasn't like I had a choice either, though.

Returning to the current moment, I was busy trying to stabilize my condition. I used my Mana Sense to scan my body in more detail. The Condensed Mana had improved both my mind and soul beyond the standard limits of my Tier. And now, almost all of it was gone. Instead, I only had my natural limits, which of course were still far beyond anything possible for a normal human. You see, each new Tier of cultivation was akin to a rebirth or instant evolution to a greater state of being. Your muscles get denser and stronger, skin more elastic and harder to cut. Be it your bones, tendons, all aspects of the body were enhanced. The same went for the mind and soul.

For better or worse, mental capabilities didn't improve that much. The greatest changes were memory and sensitivity to others. Instincts were sharpened as well. In general, though, the development path depended on the way you trained and cultivated Mana. Did you put more focus on your body, mind, or maybe spirit? The latter were the rarest of them all. You see, those who focused on their body, regardless if they went for raw power or agility, were called Mana Fighters. And those were the kind of guys or girls who put the most focus on training their body.

Then there were Casters who improved their mind, trying their best to master spells, which could be created by manifesting runes made of their own Mana. Unlike the physical fighters who would just enhance their body with their element as well as use it to attack harder or even from a distance, Casters concentrated on casting spells. The longer and more powerful the spell, the harder it was to cast. It required a lot of concentration and mental capabilities. But the result was that the spell would also absorb Aether from the surroundings to become stronger. Casters traded the speed of their attacks for far more powerful and complex abilities, as long as they were willing to learn different spells.

As for me, I was neither. Do you remember what I told you about body, mind and spirit, or soul as it's also called? Well, that's where my focus went instead. I wasn't a Fighter or a Caster. Instead, I was a Primalist. I controlled elements with my own consciousness. In a way, I made them a part of myself. I controlled them like I was controlling a limb, using my imagination to create the desired outcome. This gave me the greatest versatility while also keeping my speed. But in exchange, I had to train a lot. I had to be much more talented at it.

For every 1,000 Cultivators, 900 were Fighters, 99 were Casters, and only one was a Primalist. That proved how hard it was to become one. If you tried to develop directly in this direction, not only would it not be worth it for the vast majority of people, it would also completely limit their progress. Even getting past the Initiate Rank and reach the First Tier would be an insurmountable task.

I made sure that nothing was wrong with my body, other than losing most - pretty much all - of my Condensed Mana. Which was quite surprising—it seemed that the System had made sure to stabilize my condition.

Next, I checked if I could shape elements outside of my body despite the cage's draining effect. As it turned out, it was possible, if significantly harder. Actually, this cage was a good place for training. It allowed Mana to be sucked away to such a fine degree that even I was affected. It was about 10 times harder to control my magic. But as a Primalist, this wasn't my first experience being restricted. Though, the last time I had been even weaker than right now. It was maybe 4 years after arriving at Luminosa, and guess who had locked me in? Of course, it was the generous kingdom that had summoned me, and not one of our countless demonic enemies.

Even before I could start getting bored or even think of choosing the breaking out option, a man entered the room, instantly making the animals and monsters more active. They were clamoring, but that lasted only until he shouted the word "Quiet!" enhanced by a wave of Mana.

The being that entered could hardly be called a man. That would be far too generous. After all, he wasn’t human. He resembled a two-meter-tall gremlin, nearly as wide as he was tall. His mottled green skin glistened under the dim light, and his bulbous, twitching eyes surveyed the room with an unsettling mix of malice and amusement. A whip dangled from one clawed hand, and his movements carried a surprising strength despite his ungainly appearance—enough to overpower most creatures here, even those many times his size. Yet, compared to me, he wasn’t much of a threat.

The cages, including mine, were mounted on a network of rusted rails that crisscrossed the floor and walls, their paths illuminated faintly by embedded Mana crystals pulsing in rhythm with the gremlin’s movements. At the center of the room stood the mechanism controlling the rails—a complex contraption of interlocking gears, glowing runes, and thick Mana-infused cables. As he approached the controls, his stubby fingers yanked the levers with practiced efficiency, and the room came alive with a mechanical groan. Gears ground together, and two of the cages shuddered as they began to move along the rails.

I had already seen what these cages contained. One held a pack of wolf-like creatures covered in glossy bird feathers, each with two cat-like tails flicking rhythmically. Their strange combination of features made them seem more absurd than threatening—until you noticed their razor-sharp claws. Another cage housed a towering, one-eyed ogre with mottled green skin. The creature’s massive fists gripped the bars, its singular eye glaring with simmering rage.

These two cages were lifted on the rails and moved behind the wall as gates opened for a brief moment. Through the gates, I caught a glimpse of what could only be described as a mix of a Colosseum and a circus - a circular arena filled with cheering people, not all of which looked human. Even though the gates were only open for a moment, the loud clamoring instantly agitated the beasts, causing the tamer to shout at them again. After the gates closed, the sound completely disappeared.

Now, the ugly, fat gremlin started to pace about the cages. He entered one of them and started to brutally whip a giant squirrel the size of a bear, clearly relishing the creature's pain and fear.

"Hey dude, that's not nice at all," I shouted at him, unable to contain my displeasure. He obviously wasn't too physically strong, especially compared to the massive squirrel. But he had another type of power that more than evened out the strength gap.

I was familiar with this type of ability. None of the Elemental powers I knew could directly control the brain and emotions, but the same couldn't be said about the abilities of demons. Unlike animals, humans, and other sapient races like elves, demons drew their powers from a different source. Their abilities were based on the Seven Sins, granting them powers that were very different from our own. And I could clearly sense that this gremlin used the same Envy aspect as the most hated demon that had once tormented me. Actually, that was the main reason I decided to provoke this vile creature.

As soon as I spoke, he turned to me, his bulging eyes focusing on me with a mix of annoyance and cruel amusement. He stopped torturing the squirrel and then walked in my direction. Finally, he stopped in front of my cage and sneered. "Well, well, well. It has been a while since I saw a human in a cage instead of the tribune. What did you do to deserve such punishment? A terrible criminal, perhaps? Or did you try to cheat the System? No, wait—let me guess. You’re just another idiot who picked the a hardest Tutorial option, aren’t you? Madness isn't a joke, human."

"You seem pretty knowledgeable about this place," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Were you summoned by the System too?"

"You don’t even know the basics, do you?" he said, chuckling. "Those who fail to complete their quests within the time limit but survive often end up here as NPCs. But unlike them, I’ve earned my place here. It comes with some benefits... like allowing me to do this!"

The whip glowed faintly as it cut through the air, leaving trails of green Mana in its wake. It was more than just a weapon—it carried an enchantment designed to amplify pain. Against most creatures, it would’ve been devastating. Against me? Pointless.

The blow lashed through the bars toward my leg, enhanced by his powers to amplify pain tenfold—enough to leave even a Tier Three or Tier Four opponent writhing in agony. I noted the enchantment with mild curiosity, though it was ultimately ineffective. Thanks to the Mana Boost I had activated earlier, the attack didn’t hurt at all. It didn’t even tickle. I would've been fine even without the boost, but then there would've been a risk it might sting a little.

Still, I gasped dramatically. "Ouch! So painful," I said, sinking to one knee in mock agony, though my expression betrayed none of the amusement I felt.

The gremlin’s grin widened further. "Good. Now you’re starting to understand your place, human."

"Yeah, it wasn't wise of me to annoy someone with such power." I nodded.

"Exactly! And for what? For such a wicked creature?" The gremlin sneered, his grip on the whip tightening. "Do you even know what that squirrel is? Its kind slaughtered thousands of people!"

"‘People,’ huh?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "By ‘people,’ you mean other gremlins, obviously."

"Of course, why would I care about humans or call you people?" he snapped, his sneer twisting into a snarl. "The System’s translations are lacking at best. We don’t even share the same concept of ‘people.’ That vile creature’s kin wiped out entire clans of mine. Don’t I have the right to punish it?"

I shrugged. "Fair enough. Revenge is a solid motivation. But that squirrel isn’t the one that did it, is it? Feels a little like you’re taking your anger out on something that just looks the part. Maybe it's a good-spirited squirrel that wants nothing more than to be friends with you."

"It seems you still need to learn to show some respect to your betters!" The gremlin fumed as he attacked with his whip yet again. This time, I dodged the swing casually, avoiding it by a hairbreadth with a mocking smile.

"Stop dodging, damn it!" he snapped after I sidestepped yet another swing. And then another. His attacks were fast—razor-fast, even—but not fast enough to keep up with me.

"What’s the matter?" I taunted. "I thought you enjoyed playing with your prey. Or is the big, bad tamer out of tricks already?"

"Damn... how can a mere level one human be so damn fast?!" he hissed, sweat starting to bead on his mottled skin as his attacks grew sloppier with frustration.

"I have many secrets, buddy."

"So you want to keep dodging, huh? Fine, I’ll just punish that squirrel in your place!"

"Wow, so easy to give up as soon as you face a bigger fish?"

Fury blazed in his eyes as he turned away and stomped toward the squirrel’s cage, ready to unleash his frustration. At that exact moment, I activated my Gravity Mana—testing the limits of my power outside the cage. A localized gravity field formed under his feet, subtle enough to avoid immediate detection but strong enough to trip him. He stumbled and fell face-first onto the cage floor.

The moment was satisfying, even if he didn’t realize I was the cause.

Just as he was about to recover and turn his wrath back to the squirrel, a loud gong reverberated through the room.

"Well, it seems I’ll have to have my fun later," he said, shaking his head as he stomped toward the mechanism controlling the rails. "Had you been more respectful, I might have given you an easy way out. Made you face some weaker monsters and just complete your first quest. But since you’re so full of yourself, I’ll see if you can back up your words with actual power."

With a theatrical flourish, he yanked a series of levers, and my cage jolted forward. And can you guess which other cage followed in tow? Well, of course it was the one containing the biggest monster in the room—my good old friend, giant octopus!

Chapter 6.

"I wonder what's with this metal," I whispered as I touched the cage, studying the peculiar alloy. It wasn't mithril, the magic-infused metal from Luminosa. Even the mechanism pulling the cages seemed more sophisticated than anything I'd seen in the other world. But I didn't have time to ponder as my cage rolled into the arena through the gates. In the opposite corner was the octopus's cage, its occupant fixing me with a stare like that of a cornered beast. I felt a pang of pity for the creature—its movements were sluggish, and the Mana inside its Core was unstable. It had no idea it was about to face an opponent far beyond its capabilities.

At the platform floating above the arena's center stood another gremlin, so thin his bones seemed ready to pierce through his sickly green skin. True to his position, this one wore a flamboyant outfit: a crimson tailcoat adorned with golden buttons and intricate embroidery, a top hat perched precariously on his angular head, and a monocle that caught the light as he gestured dramatically.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" he declared, sweeping his arms wide and pirouetting on the floating platform. "Before your eyes is a rare commodity, our newest addition to the exhibition show. No, I'm not talking about this giant octopus—I speak of this unusual human, if you can even call it that!" He leaned forward conspiratorially, his monocle glinting. "The System deemed this creature extraordinary and sent it here. The System says it's only level 0, but I wouldn't be so quick to believe that! After all, there are Archetypes and Skills that can hide your real power. As it stands, I don't know what secrets it holds, but I hope it will entertain us!"

"And in the other corner, our second contender!" He spun with a flourish, coat tails whipping through the air. "Some of you may remember the Titan Octopus from the previous games, where it destroyed the Black Steel Hedgehog with its slimy tentacles. At level 355, it poses a real threat even to most seasoned fighters! Now, this may seem like a recipe for one-sided slaughter, but would the System be wrong to put a seemingly normal human in our Exhibition? And would my dear brother, Grigo the Tamer, send a helpless creature to face such a Goliath just for your amusement?"

He paused dramatically, placing one spindly hand over his heart. "Oh wait, actually he would—after all, it's up to him whether to make a battle even or completely one-sided!" His voice dropped to a stage whisper. "As for you, my dear guests, you can only place your bets. Our previous fight ended in a tie, with both sides perishing, meaning none of you won anything. So now's your chance for an easy catch!"

The crowd's reaction was mixed—some hissed at the announcer for setting up another potentially unsatisfying battle, while others buzzed with excitement. About half of the spectators looked human enough, though some sported unusual features like third eyes or pointed ears. The other half were clearly non-human: aliens, monsters, or demon-like beings. The gremlins here were at least four times larger than their counterparts in Luminosa, making me wonder if they were even the same species.

The bars of our cages opened simultaneously, releasing us into an arena still bearing evidence of the previous fight. Blood and viscera painted the ground, with dismembered limbs scattered about. The remains of what was once an ogre's head testified to the ferocity of the cat-wolves, though even they hadn't survived their battle.

I used my Mana Sense to analyze the area. The arena had a field that would prevent even Tier 4 beings from properly using Mana outside their bodies, limiting them to melee attacks. Though for most beasts, that wouldn't be a problem as they weren't capable of ranged attacks to begin with. As for me, as a Primalist with exceptional Mana control, I could bypass this restriction or even alter the field's effects if I had enough time.

"And now we shall witness a fight of flesh and blood, fists against tentacles—the carnage you so love!" The gremlin's voice carried Mana, but unlike his brother's controlling presence, he used it to excite the crowd. His scattered Mana could only affect those who were either willing or too weak to resist. "With your bets placed—and I see some of you have wagered your very lives, how delightfully courageous—let the battle begin!"

For a moment, I wanted to end things quickly to get the map as fast as possible, but a System message appeared before me:

System installation: 28%.

Bonus objective for the Side Quest [Curious Creature]:

Defeat your opponents using only close combat.

Reward will depend on the power of the opponents and will be calculated at the Side Quest's completion.

Should I go for the objective and unknown reward? Every minute counts, considering that I haven't found those who were put in my care yet, but I also need to get used to my body after losing Condensed Mana.

This wouldn't be as simple as it seemed. While my beastly opponents were weakened from captivity and couldn't properly use their Mana outside their bodies, I had to acknowledge that most humanoids relied heavily on tools, armor, and Mana mastery—not raw physical power. Even with a Primal Surge and boosts from all my elements, I would barely match a peak Tier 4 beast in pure strength. But that only made it more interesting. Though I preferred to avoid unnecessary risks, I welcomed a chance to test my current capabilities.

The octopus, while formidable, was clearly only halfway through Tier 4—and nowhere near the level of Alphas, which typically surpassed normal beasts of the same rank, let alone Enigmas or Progenitors, who were even more deadly. This would have been different if we had fought underwater, of course. Otherwise, I didn't worry too much; the real danger would come from the opponents in the next rounds. The arena's Mana-draining effect was even stronger than in the cage, adding another layer of challenge to the fight ahead. Not for me, of course, but for the poor octopus.

The octopus, a swirling mass of tentacles infused with shadow-attribute Mana, made its first move the moment its cage opened. Three tentacles swung at me while two more thrust forward like spears. I shaped my Electricity Mana to infuse my body with speed and reflexes, more than enough to dodge these attacks. The tentacles whistled through the air where I had been standing just a heartbeat before. Before the octopus could react, I moved to its back in a blur of motion and delivered a kick to one of its limbs. The impact was sharp enough to sever the tentacle as cleanly as any sword, dark ichor spraying in an arc through the air.

While I usually avoided unarmed close combat, it felt refreshing after relying on swords and Mana shaping for so long. The raw physicality of it—the resistance of flesh and muscle against my strikes—brought back memories of my earliest training days. But this wasn't the time for fun; I needed to understand my current limits and how my body moved without its Condensed Mana.

My movement left the crowd momentarily confused. When they realized what had happened, the arena erupted with noise. Though some cheered for me, most supported the octopus, urging it to show the "puny human" who was boss. A particularly enthusiastic group of what looked like deep-sea creatures were practically jumping out of their seats, their webbed hands gesturing wildly. It made sense; the majority had likely bet on the creature. Whatever the System had done, it hadn't revealed my true capabilities. Based on the Tamer's reaction, they could see levels, and mine was displayed as merely level one.

I realized that using Electricity Mana might be overkill, so I switched to Air Mana for my boost. Wind was my least powerful element, though quite efficient. I didn't need complex manipulations like decreasing air resistance—a basic boost was enough to gracefully dodge a tentacle that shot from a nearby shadow, the appendage passing so close that I could feel the displacement of air against my skin. The octopus's shadow element wasn't just for show; however, the arena's Mana drain prevented it from using its full power. Otherwise, the magical barrier protecting the audience wouldn't have been sufficient.

The creature grew increasingly frustrated as I danced around it, systematically cutting its tentacles. Each strike was precisely calculated—just enough force to sever but not waste energy. Though the severed limbs dissolved into shadow-like ink and returned to its body in writhing streams of darkness, each regeneration drained its energy. Unlike me, it lacked fine Mana control, so it was clear that its cage hadn't been depleting its inner reserves. Otherwise, it would have succumbed to exhaustion long ago and wouldn’t have started the battle with nearly full Mana capacity.

I gradually decreased my Mana boost to better gauge my natural capabilities, weaving between strikes that could crush stone as if they were moving through molasses. Another minute passed as I relied purely on my physical abilities to keep pace with the octopus, its attacks growing more frenzied but slower with each failed attempt.

Finally, when I cut yet another tentacle with a perfectly angled chop, it didn't regenerate. The severed limb flopped uselessly to the ground instead of dissolving into shadows. The octopus stumbled, confusion evident in its massive eyes as its remaining tentacles twitched weakly. I leaped forward, crossing the distance in a single bound, and struck between its eyes with my fist. The impact sent shockwaves through its massive body, ending the fight with a precise blow. The creature swayed for a moment before collapsing, helpless on the arena floor, its tentacles splayed out like the spokes of a broken wheel—but still, undoubtedly, alive.

"I guess this should be enough to demonstrate my superiority," I said, looking up at the announcer hovering on his floating disc about a hundred feet in the air. I infused my voice with Mana to make it carry, though without any mind-altering effects. "So, will you declare me the winner?"

"My dear ladies and gentlemen," the announcer called out, his thin frame twirling dramatically. "It seems we have a clear winner! But what do you want? Shall we end it here, or do you desire the bloody outcome you came to see?"

The crowd's response was immediate and deafening.

"Kill it! Kill it! Kill it!"

The words echoed through the coliseum. I shook my head as I noticed the System hadn't counted my victory yet.

"You really are bloodthirsty bastards, you know that?" I sighed. "Well, I guess killing it would be mercy compared to keeping it in the arena."

I approached the octopus and punched through its forehead, directly into its brain. The strike was swift and precise— as merciful a death as I could provide. Of course, there was a catch, but no one needed to know this... The System message greeted me as the crowd fell silent before erupting into cries of bloody delight.

Congratulations. You have won your first battle! Bonus objective achieved. Two more battles to go for the reward!

There was one more message, curiously.

System installation: 42%. Status screen is now live.

Status Screen

Race: Human*

Level: 0 (0%)

Archetypes: None

Skills: None

Attributes [2573]

Might: 480

Grace: 620

Tenacity: 416

Mind: 56

Spirit: 1001

Free Attributes: 0

I can guess what each stat does, but it's not very useful information to me... I'm also curious what's average for a normal person; ten in each Attribute? Well, whatever.

As I turned my attention to the audience, I noticed there were exceptions to the general enthusiastic mood. Here and there, spectators' heads literally burst—likely from lost life-wagering bets. Many others wore unhappy expressions, and among those who placed bets, it was obvious that most would lose after all. But for the vast majority, the loss of a bet seemed less important than the great show they had witnessed. As I scanned the tribunes more carefully, I found two familiar faces that also didn’t share in the victory celebration. The King of Pop vampire and his wife wore crestfallen expressions, falling silent the moment they noticed my glance.

Interesting. What are the chances? And of course, there was another message from the System.

You found two of your little geese. Make sure they complete their Tutorials. (2/9)

Chapter 7.

You found two of your little geese. Make sure they complete their Tutorials. (2/9)

This is clearly intentional, I noted to myself. Somehow, the System knew about my earlier encounter with those two and decided to make me their caretaker? If it's like this, then the other seven are probably people I've met before as well... damn. A chill ran through me as the realization hit. And of course, Leah and Jimmy would be among them, wouldn't they?

"Thank you very much, dear System," I muttered under my breath, my words dripping with sarcasm. Then I raised my voice to the announcer, "Am I free yet?"

Of course, I knew that there were still at least two more battles to go. But I still had to ask and gauge the announcer's reaction.

The thin gremlin's face twisted into a sneer, his monocle glinting as he addressed the crowd. "Can you see this, ladies and gentlemen? This beast thinks it can ask questions! Just one victory and it believes itself my equal!"

Before I could respond, a searing beam of light shot from the announcer's monocle, striking the ground mere inches from my feet. The impact left a tiny smoldering crater and a trail of smoke in its wake. The gremlin's mocking laughter echoed from his floating disk high above. The crowd roared with laughter at the announcer's mockery and display of power, though I noticed the vampire couple remained silent, watching the exchange intently.

"Well then, shall we show this presumptuous creature its place?" The announcer spread his arms wide. "After all, one victory means nothing when you haven't proven yourself against a truly worthy opponent!"

I could already guess where this was headed. The two-headed T-Rex's cage was probably already on its way. Nobody had even bothered to remove the octopus's massive corpse from the arena—it lay there like some grotesque decoration, dark ichor still pooling around its crushed skull. The sight of it didn't seem to bother the audience at all. If anything, they seemed to appreciate the macabre touch.

"You know what?" I called out, keeping my voice light and casual. "Why don't we skip the dramatics and just bring out my next opponent? Unless..." I grinned up at him. "Unless you're trying to milk this show for all it's worth?"

The announcer's smirk faltered slightly as he tapped his monocle but didn’t activate it. "Oh my, such impatience! But very well—if our little champion is so eager to meet its doom..." He snapped his fingers, and sure enough, the grinding of gears echoed through the arena. One of the massive gates groaned open, revealing tracks identical to those that had brought me in. The cage that emerged moved with surprising speed, wheels clattering against the metal rails. The beast inside thrashed against its confines, making the entire structure shake and rattle.

The two-headed T-Rex tried to burst from its cage with a thunderous roar that shook dust from the arena walls—and it almost managed to do just that. Though only about two meters tall—barely taller than me—its compact frame radiated lethal power. Both heads snapped and snarled at one another before focusing their predatory gaze on me, razor-sharp teeth gleaming in the arena lights. Its scales shimmered with an iridescent purple-black sheen, and veins of crimson pulsed beneath its armored hide. Despite its relatively small size, every movement suggested this creature was far more dangerous than any prehistoric predator Earth had ever seen.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The announcer's voice boomed. "In this corner, we have our beloved champion, the Terror Twins, the undefeated MIRRORFANG RAVAGER!" The crowd went wild as both heads roared in unison. "Twenty-seven victories, zero losses! Not a single opponent has survived longer than five minutes against this magnificent beast! Peak A-Rank, level 480 beast against what deceptively looks like a mere level 0 human—what are the chances?!"

At least this one looks like it'll put up more of a fight, I thought.

"Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen!" The announcer continued. "Will our arrogant little human survive another round? Or will both heads of Mirrorfang feast on his remains? The odds are quite appealing—one to fifty against the human!"

"Hey," I called up with a grin. "Can I place a bet on myself?" My eyes briefly flickered to the vampire couple in the stands, giving them a meaningful look.

The crowd erupted in laughter while the announcer wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "Oh, how delightful! The beast thinks it can participate in our civilized gambling! Next thing you know, it'll want to join us for tea!"

I raised my voice to carry across the arena. "Your loss! Anyone smart enough to bet on me now might just make a fortune!"

Even as the crowd's mockery continued, a System message appeared before me:

[Special Betting Option Available]

You can bet your life against the System.

Win condition: Victory without using any Mana in battle.

Reward: 100,000 System Points.

Failure: Immediate Main Quest failure upon using even the slightest amount of Mana

Would you like to accept this bet? [Yes/No]

System installation: 48%

This was interesting. The System was offering me a chance to earn a significant fraction of what I needed to pay off my hundred-million-point debt—just a thousand more bets like this and I'd be free. The stakes were high, especially against an opponent that had killed twenty-seven foes in a row... but that wasn't the important part. The real problem was that my Mana Sense told me this beast stood at the peak of Tier 4. Not an Alpha, thankfully, but still a far more dangerous opponent than the octopus. Also... I couldn't quite discern its powers, which I didn’t like.

For a moment I considered if I should let my beloved Antipucker shine, but immediately realized that using it without Mana would be problematic. Plus, wouldn't it be quite an overkill, anyway? I didn't need an RPG launcher to shoot a mouse.

I observed the arena's layout—the dead octopus, the severed tentacles, my own cage still open in the corner... Maybe defeating the reptile would be easier than I thought. I might even win the bet. I approached my cage and filled my body with Gravity Mana, or as they called it on Luminosa—Darkness Element. It was silly how they had both Shadow and Darkness as different elements when it was obviously just Gravity. Or, to be more precise, Mass. But "Mass powers" sounded less cool than "Gravity powers," so I preferred the latter term.

It wasn't a simple Mana Boost but rather a full-fledged Primal Surge of the element that filled my entire body with dark Gravity Mana, forming complex patterns as it empowered my muscles, tendons, and bones. In this state, I was an unmovable mountain, five tons of mass, strong enough to contend even with some weaker Tier 5 Beasts and Demons in terms of raw strength, if only for a moment. Barely feeling any resistance, I broke my cage apart, tearing out four of its rods under the eyes of the buzzing spectators. I deactivated the Surge, returning to my much weaker state but now wielding two weapons in my hands, as well as two spares. After all, neither my Quests nor objectives mentioned that I had to fight barehanded, right?

And didn't the System say that I would be forbidden to use Mana only in battle itself? There was no problem if I gave myself a little "doping" that wouldn't require any additional usage of Mana, so I sent a current of electricity through my nerves, temporarily energizing them. Of course, it wouldn't be nearly as effective as even a basic Mana Boost, but it was still enough to improve my reaction speed by about fifteen percent for the next few minutes. With my preparations complete, I accepted the System's bet.

"L-Let the battle start!" the gremlin declared after swallowing hard, and the T-Rex's cage finally swung wide open. It seemed that, unlike most of the audience, the announcer actually realized how shocking the feat I had demonstrated was—whatever those cages were made of, it wasn't something that could be easily broken.

The Mirrorfang lunged out of its cage, both heads snapping at the air with precise, controlled movements that belied its fearsome appearance. I'd faced enough intelligent predators to recognize the calculating look in its eyes—this wasn't some mindless beast. I, in turn, took a battle stance, holding two metal bars like swords.

"Getting some weapons first, I see? Smart move!" the announcer called out. "But will it be enough against our champion's special ability?"

As if on cue, the beast's body began to shimmer and split apart, dividing into two separate one-headed versions of itself. Each was slightly smaller than the original but moved with the same deadly grace. I couldn't use my Mana Sense to check how their power compared to the "full version," but they didn't seem much weaker at all. The crowd roared its approval—clearly, this was a favorite trick.

Interesting, I thought, twirling the metal rods in my hands. This reminded me of the time I'd fought the Twin Wyverns, though they had been two separate beasts rather than one splitting up. The T-Rex definitely used a different source of power compared to the Elements and Sins with which I was familiar. Let's see how well they work together.

The two Mirrorhalves—or whatever you'd call the split versions—circled me from opposite directions. One lunged forward while the other moved to flank me, their timing perfect. Without Mana enhancement, their speed was impressive—as fast as a Sound-Boosted Tier 4 Fighter at the rank's peak, which said a lot. A normal person wouldn't even see a blur.

I sidestepped the first attack while deflecting the second with one of my makeshift weapons. The metal rod rang from the impact but held firm. Good quality material, I noted. Should last long enough.

The beasts recovered instantly, this time attacking simultaneously from both sides. I dropped and rolled between them, causing them to nearly collide. Nearly—but they adjusted their trajectories at the last second, showing remarkable control.

"Having fun dodging?" the announcer taunted. "You can't run forever!"

I grinned, rising to my feet as the creatures regrouped. "Just getting warmed up! Though I have to admit—" I parried another strike from a snapping jaw with one rod while using the other to deflect a tail swipe, "—this is more entertaining than the octopus!"

The twins struck again, but this time I was ready. Using one rod to block the left one's bite, I swung the other in a wide arc, catching its partner across the snout. The blow would have crushed a normal dinosaur's skull, but this beast was made of tougher stuff. Still, it recoiled with a pained screech.

My victory was short-lived. The injured Mirrorfang suddenly melted back into its twin, reforming into the original two-headed beast. When it split again seconds later, both copies showed no sign of damage.

"Ah, now you see!" The announcer's voice rang with glee. "Why do you think our champion has never lost? No matter how much damage you deal to its split forms, they heal upon reuniting!"

"That's a neat trick," I admitted, backing away to create some space. The dead octopus lay behind me, its massive body providing an interesting obstacle. "But every technique has its weakness."

The creatures charged again, more aggressively this time. One leaped over the octopus's corpse while the other tried to corner me against it. Their coordination was impressive—probably the result of being literally of one mind. But I had faced worse odds during the Siege of the Thousand Cuts, where I had taken on an entire clan of ninja-assassins without using magic.

I vaulted over one of the octopus's tentacles, using it as a springboard to land behind the charging beast. Before it could turn, I slammed both rods into the base of its tail—not hard enough to break it, but enough to throw off its balance. Its partner attempted to capitalize on my apparent vulnerability, but I was already moving, rolling under its bite and coming up between them.

"Stop playing with your food!" someone shouted from the crowd. "Just kill it already!"

I couldn't help but laugh. "Playing? Who's playing?" I deflected another coordinated attack, this time using one of the Mirrorfangs' momentum against it, causing it to crash into its twin. "I'm just trying to figure out if I can win the crowd's favor before ending this. Or did you talk to the dino? Nah, that can't be!"

But I had to admit, without Mana enhancement, this was actually providing a decent workout. Every dodge and parry had to be perfectly timed; every counter-attack precisely measured. It definitely was faster than me; without the unusual metal rods, I wouldn't be able to hold on for too long. Even now, one slip-up would mean taking damage—and a lot of it—and none of my Elements were exactly good at healing wounds. Plus, it would be rather shameful to be hurt by an opponent of a lower Tier, especially when I had defeated beasts of similar strength back when I had been only a Tier 3—Mana Expert—myself.

The Mirrorhalves were starting to show signs of frustration—if that was even possible for a two-headed dinosaur that could split itself. Their attacks became more ferocious but less coordinated, exactly what I'd been waiting for.

"You know what's funny?" I called out while weaving between their increasingly desperate lunges. "Everyone's so impressed by their ability to heal by reuniting, but nobody's asking the important question—what happens if they can't reunite properly?"

With newfound purpose, I pressed my attack. The metal rods whistled through the air as I landed precise strikes on both copies—cracking ribs here, damaging joints there. The Mirrorhalves, realizing they had accumulated too much damage, began backing away from me. Their intentions were clear: retreat, merge, heal, and resume the fight at full strength.

"Not happening," I muttered, zeroing in on the more injured copy. It attempted to maneuver around me to reach its twin, but I was already in position, ready to execute my plan. As they rushed together to merge, I acted swiftly, darting forward and driving one of my spare rods directly into the convergence point. The twins fused—but something was wrong. The embedded rod disrupted the merging process, distorting their form.

The resulting creature was a mess. Both heads tried to split again, but the foreign object lodged in its body made the transformation incomplete. It staggered, disoriented, its movements uncoordinated. The damage I had dealt to its separate halves remained, with no chance to heal through reformation.

"And that's what we call a critical weakness," I announced, almost feeling bad for exposing the creature's vulnerability so publicly. Almost.

The beast tried one last desperate attack, but its confusion made it predictable. I stepped inside its guard and, with precise strikes from my remaining rods, hit several key points along its spine and skull. The Mirrorfang Ravager collapsed, its legendary winning streak finally broken.

"Impossible!" the announcer sputtered. "How did you—without any—"

"I believe," I interrupted, looking directly at the vampire couple, who I noticed had even more displeased expressions than before, "that some people regret not listening to my advice and placing their bets on the dino. And as for me..." I heard the System notification confirming my own bet's success, "let's just say it was worth the risk."

The crowd's reaction was mixed—shock, outrage, and grudging admiration warred in their expressions. Some more heads burst. But I wasn't paying attention to them anymore. My eyes were already on the holographic screen, and I could feel my grin widening...

[Congratulations! You have defeated the Mirrorfang Ravager without using Mana. You won the bet, 100,000 System Points awarded (+1,000 SP to the funds).]

...until I saw one more message.

[Warning! One of your little geese has just lost 1 Revival Point!]

Chapter 8.

*** Three days after arriving in Luminosa ***

I found myself reflecting on my situation. Surprisingly, those first few days hadn't been as terrible as the princess's "welcome" might have suggested. While fear of death remained my strongest emotion, a part of me was actually excited to finally have magical powers. I'd spent most of my time in a luxurious room, attended by servants and occasionally engaged in long conversations with Hiran, the kingdom's Archmage who had summoned me. Apparently, I'd lost consciousness during the summoning ritual and only awakened when brought before the king.

But now my leisure time was over. It was time to start training.

I stood in the arena behind the castle, a training ground typically reserved for noble initiates seeking knighthood. An armored instructor surveyed me with critical eyes.

"Let's start by assessing your current capabilities," he said, gesturing to a line of teenagers. To my surprise, none wore traditional medieval armor. "We'll begin with our weakest disciple."

"Hiran explained how to focus and absorb Mana," the instructor continued. "I can sense you've gathered a basic amount. Now try using it to enhance your body." He pointed to one of the younger disciples. "Little Lia here will be your opponent."

"Leah?" I raised an eyebrow, the name reminding me of my sister. The girl looked about thirteen or fourteen, around my sister's age too. Did I really have to fight someone so young?

"It's Lia," she corrected with an eye roll. "And you'd better take this seriously, Mr. Chosen Hero." She assumed a battle stance, her demeanor making it clear she'd heard enough of my confused muttering.

We were each given wooden practice swords and lightweight armor, supposedly enhanced with basic defensive capabilities. I hadn't actually trained at all these past few days—the most I could manage was creating a barely noticeable breeze with my Mana. But how tough could a little girl be?

While I was still deciding whether to use my full strength, she literally vanished before my eyes. The next thing I felt was her fist connecting with my face. There was a sickening crack as my teeth broke.

I fainted. That was day one of my training.

*** Current time ***

I couldn't help but feel annoyed as I looked at the vampire couple. When I tell you to bet on me, you should just do as I say, idiots. Could they have been thinking that a mere dino could beat me, of all people? I shook my head with a wry smile. At the very least, only one of them had lost their Revival point, which meant the other either hadn’t bet their life, had bet on me, or, most likely, used System points or something else instead.

I wondered if the last fight would bring any surprises. I hoped they’d be smart enough to bet on me this time; otherwise, I'd have to sacrifice my victory for their sake. After all, saving their asses was more important than getting the map to find the other geese. Now that I had some idea about who my charges could be, finding the rest without a map seemed possible. But if one of them died forever, it would be over—both for them and for me. As the vampire met my eyes, he looked away, while the wife gave me a thumbs up. So, she bet on me after all? I sent a quick Gravity Wave to disrupt the magic shields of the arena, and then used the gap to send a direct message to their ears using Mana:

"Bet on me; nothing here could pose a threat to me. If you two don't do as I say, I'll whip your asses. Hard. Understood?"

Sending a private message like this was one of the basic cultivator skills anyone learned at Tier 1, Mana Disciple. You just had to direct some of your Mana so that the sound traveled through it like a pipe. The couple vigorously nodded, probably impressed by my previous display of power.

"And now we have a new champion with the title of the Most Curious Creature of this Exhibition!" The announcer tried to hide his dismay, but the way he touched his monocle more than once and shifted uncomfortably on his flying disc showed he didn't know how to proceed. The gears revolved in his head as he tried to think of the next step.

This alone told me everything I needed to know—they either didn’t have a more powerful creature, or there was a reason they couldn’t use one. Judging by the announcer's increasingly theatrical gestures and nervous monocle adjustments, it was the former. Unfortunately for him, I still hadn't even approached my full potential without Condensed Mana.

"Some of you have lost your bets," the announcer declared, his thin frame swaying dramatically on his floating disc, "and the chosen few managed to guess that our nameless human hides great power! But of course, that's not the end." His voice carried a hint of desperation beneath its affected grandeur. "From now on, he will be the main event in each of our exhibitions, and in the next battle, we will show you that perhaps he is not as invincible as he looks. Earth humans are different from our usual exhibitions, but hardly the only curiosity worth watching!"

The announcer drew himself up to his full height, his crimson tailcoat catching the arena lights. "So next, my dear ladies and gentlemen, witness as my brother, the legendary Grigo the Grand Tamer, enters this scene to show you an exciting battle! And he won't be alone—he'll bring our special guests and those beasts he's bent to his will!"

"As you may know, my brother is a masterful tamer, responsible for making most of the beasts in our exhibition show behave. Although..." He adjusted his monocle with a smirk. "He hasn't had time to take control of this particular specimen. After all, it appeared in its cage less than an hour ago."

As the gates opened, I could see the fat gremlin, whose expression wasn't exactly bright or excited. In fact, he looked like someone who'd just swallowed a bunch of cockroaches. Then again, would gremlins even mind eating cockroaches?

"Brother Grimweld," Grigo addressed the announcer, his voice trembling with barely contained anguish, "do you really want me to face this savage?" It was obvious he had seen the previous battles and knew exactly how slim his chances were.

"Don't worry, little brother," Grimweld called out, his voice dripping with false cheer. "You can bring as many creatures as you can control, as well as the three of our precious arrivals, who, just like him, are humans from that planet called Earth!" He turned to address the crowd. "Yes, you didn't hear wrong, ladies and gentlemen! If just one Earthling can showcase such power, what could three of them achieve? It makes you wonder!"

Then he added in a quieter tone, sending a private message that only his brother should hear—though, of course, it couldn't escape my Mana Sense. "Even if you die, I'll revive you fresh. Your sacrifice will be worth it. We have to exhaust this troublesome creature, or else it will wreak havoc, and I don't know how we can deal with him. Besides, we can't disappoint our audience."

"Revival, you say?" Grigo's expression shifted slightly. "Fine, I'm in. I've wanted to punish this arrogant bastard from the beginning. If he doesn't use Mana like last time, I'll probably show him his place. And I won't be alone, after all."

As their exchange ended, the tamer moved deeper into the room to activate the railway mechanism. This time, not one or even two cages entered the scene, but five. One of them had been in the corner of the beast hall—one I hadn't paid much attention to before, which now seemed like a big mistake. Just as the announcer had said, it held three more "secret weapons."

Congratulations, you've found three more of your geese, Mama Goose. Make sure to take care of them. (5/9)

System installation: 53%

Now, this was quite a predicament. For them. As for me, I had to think of a clever way to complete the last challenge or just go all out before anything unexpected happened. The key thing was to spare my little geese-turned-opponents from dying in what was to come.

Inside the cage were the same gangsters who had greeted me when I

first arrived on Earth. Except now their condition was so pathetic that I could barely recognize them. The black man was completely naked and shaved—his head now resembled a perfectly smooth disco ball, reflecting the arena lights in an almost mesmerizing way. His once-proud posture was gone, replaced by a cowering slouch. The Latino had dark, swollen bruises around both eyes, making him look like a terrified panda. He kept glancing around frantically, flinching at every sound like a scared animal. Most disturbing was the Asian man, who was walking on all fours and acting more like a dog than a human. He even had a collar around his neck connected to a leash.

As their cage rattled along the rails, they stirred from what seemed like a drugged stupor. The sudden movement sent them stumbling against the bars, their movements uncoordinated and weak. The "disco ball" man tried to cover himself, while the "panda" pressed into the corner, whimpering. The "dog" just barked—actually barked—at the sudden disturbance.

I felt a twinge of pity for them—well, as much as one could sympathize with would-be robbers.

They must have been sent here before me. I doubted the vampire pair had started in this area from the beginning either. Some time had clearly passed between their arrival and mine. I could only hope Leah and Jimmy weren't in some similar trouble. That would be very unfortunate. But given how this Tutorial was going, I couldn't count on anything being fair or reasonable.

Then again, my Tutorial's difficulty was labeled "Impossible," so maybe fairness wasn't even a consideration. The System seemed to operate on its own twisted logic—it would assign you an impossible task and then provide just enough of a chance to complete it, forcing you to dance to its tune. Like now, conveniently placing three more of my "geese" right where I needed to find them, but in a situation where I'd have to fight them. It was almost as if it were playing some sort of cosmic joke.

As for their power level—well, perhaps a little unexpected, but they were comparable to very weak Initiates, which meant barely stronger than ordinary people from Earth. Still, their bodies were enhanced by Mana. Obviously, they couldn't have learned Mana mastery easily in such a short period. It was evident this was the result of the System's interference. It had used some of its abilities to grant people power similar to cultivators without requiring much effort. I didn't know if I should be amazed, scared, or just plain envious of those who had power granted to them without their own efforts.

Out of the other five cages, one contained the giant squirrel. I felt bad for the creature—it seemed ready to fight only out of fear of the tamer. The same could be said for all the other animals about to be released. And probably for the three humans as well. They appeared to be both brainwashed by his mind-control powers and cowed through more traditional methods of intimidation.

The remaining three cages held quite the menagerie: another pack of cat-faced wolves covered in feathers, a large three-headed anaconda with strange arms growing out of the middle of its body, and a creature the size of a cow that looked like a crimson horned hamster. The hamster, despite its comical appearance, was clearly the most aggressive of my opponents for this final round.

So System, what bet can I make now? I thought as I prepared to make another wager. Defeating all of them without Mana would actually be easier than dealing with the Mirrorfang. Despite their superior numbers, even their strongest member—the battle-hamster—was notably weaker than the octopus had been.

One thing I'd noticed during my last two battles was that my actual combat prowess had surpassed what it was when I'd first advanced to the Fifth Tier, especially in unarmed combat without Mana. I could probably defeat two of my past selves. First, my fighting experience was vastly different now. Second, while anyone at that Tier could learn any martial art just by seeing it once or twice, there were subtle differences that could only be gained through extensive experience—what was called "Battle Intuition," the ability to unconsciously analyze and predict your opponent's moves. To me now, even the Mirrorfang's attacks seemed like child's play, despite its speed.

Physically, I was actually slightly weaker than when I'd first advanced to the 5th rank, for the simple reason that advancement always added some Condensed Mana. This was why there was such a significant gap between those at the peak of their rank and those who had just advanced. Of course, advancement also automatically improved your passive strength and elemental control.

"Now, dear ladies and gentlemen, place your bets!" Grimweld's voice rang out. "Can my dear brother lose to some nobody, even if that nobody defeated one of our most prized possessions? I don't think so—after all, who else but Grigo had trained the Mirrorfang?"

"Now, let's support Grigo the Master Tamer!" Grimweld announced as his brother finally entered the arena, his thin frame practically vibrating with theatrical energy. "Cheer, my dear audience!"

Grigo strode through the blood-covered arena, his heavy footsteps leaving prints in the mixture of octopus ichor and Mirrorfang's spilled blood. He tried to mask his fear with false confidence, but his movements were stiff and mechanical. His massive form waddled toward center stage until he faced me, the stark arena lights casting grotesque shadows across his features.

I glanced at the vampire couple in the stands. The wife caught my eye and, surprisingly, gave me a thumbs up with a warm smile. At least someone was learning from their mistakes.

"You are really strong for a human," Grigo said urgently, mopping his brow with a grimy handkerchief. Despite his attempt at bravado, I could see the deep anxiety behind his bulbous eyes. His hands trembled slightly as he stuffed the cloth back into his pocket. "But you can't think a single person can amount to anything in an arena where we decide the rules. Enjoy your moment of glory while it lasts."

A System message appeared before me:

[Special Betting Option Available]

You may bet your life against the System.

Win condition: Defeat all opponents with sufficient style to impress the audience

Reward: 200,000 System Points

Failure: Immediate Main Quest failure upon audience disapproval

Would you like to accept this bet?

[Yes/No]

System installation: 61%

I frowned at the message. How exactly would the System determine if the audience was "impressed enough"? That seemed like far too subjective a criterion for something my future rested on. Even with the doubled reward, I wasn't interested in playing entertainer.

Sorry to disappoint you, I thought to the System, but I don't give a damn about the crowd. If they want to be entertained, I'll do it my way. It's not up to you to decide how.

And so, my answer was a pucking big, resounding "NO".

Chapter 9.

I was someone willing to take risks when everything depended on me alone. But I couldn't succumb to greed or thirst for glory. I refused the two hundred thousand points without a second thought. Now that I knew Leah and Jimmy might be here, my priority had to be ensuring their safety. Additionally, due to the System's quest, I needed to ensure that the rest of those under my care would successfully complete their trials.

"Now let the show begin!" Grimweld announced as a gong rang out, louder than any before.

The cages swung open simultaneously. The first to charge wasn't the powerful hamster, the cat-faced wolves, or even the squirrel. No—it was the completely naked man, moving on all fours like a dog, making the audience chuckle. Poor lad couldn't catch a break. Then again, I didn't feel much sympathy for someone who would try to rob innocent people in dark alleys.

"You may be—" Grigo started his little pre-battle speech, but for me, the battle had already started. With only the close-combat bonus objective remaining, I could finally show them my true speed.

I blurred into motion, drawing on years of combat experience. First, a delicate application of Air Mana decreased air resistance around my body to practically zero. A precise manipulation of Gravity Mana then reduced my mass to a tenth of normal—considering my base weight of around 1,000 lbs due to my condensed, dense muscles and bones, that was no small feat. Lightning Primal Surge flowed through my limbs last but not least, filling them with unprecedented energy. The combination allowed me to move faster than most eyes could follow, as the world around me froze.

The naked man never saw me coming. One moment he was charging; the next, he lay unconscious. Two other men, one Black and one Latino, huddled in the cage nearby. I dispatched them just as quickly, my gentle touches rendering them senseless before they could even process my presence. I then turned my attention to the cat-wolves, striking precise nerve clusters on their feathered forms, knowledge gained from fighting similar beasts in Luminosa. The three-headed snake's movements seemed almost laughably predictable after my battles against far deadlier multi-headed foes. In a flurry of blows, the snake joined its allies in unconsciousness, its three heads bouncing off the ground in unison.

The crimson battle-hamster proved slightly more challenging, its horn crackling with energy, but a Lightning Primal Surge flowing through my limbs allowed me to strike faster than it could react. Even as their champion fell, the other beasts were already down. Not even a second had passed as I returned to my original position, facing the fat gremlin.

"—fast, human!" Grigo continued, not yet realizing what had happened. "But my animals will show you what happens when they surround you. You'll have nowhere to escape when I activate my ability to make them bigger, faster, stronger!" The Tamer declared, unaware that his army was already defeated.

"Look around, Tamer. It's already over."

The gremlin fell silent as realization dawned. Like the entire tribune, and even his brother the announcer, he had no idea what to say. In the fraction of a second it took him to finish his boast, I had already disabled every single opponent and returned to my original position. The Asian gangster lay crumpled on the ground, his two companions unconscious in their cage, the cat-wolves motionlessly scattered across the arena, the three-headed snake knotted around itself, and even the crimson battle-hamster neutralized before anyone could say "what the heck."

The crowd sat in stunned silence. Even the vampire couple, who'd clearly bet on me this time judging by their grins and the way they were already counting their winnings, seemed shocked by the speed of it all.

Only then did I strike at Grigo, my hand piercing his chest in a display of ruthless efficiency. The crowd erupted—some in horror, others in bloodthirsty glee. A few more spectators' heads exploded from lost life-bets, their remains splattering those seated nearby.

[Congratulations! You have completed the Side Quest]

[Congratulations! You have finished the Bonus Objective]

[Rewards are being calculated based on performance...]

[You have earned EXP for killing a level 357 Gremlionis]

[You receive bonus EXP for killing an opponent of a much higher level]

[EXP will be distributed after you choose your first Archetype, reaching E Rank]

As for why I hadn't received experience for my previous opponents? Simple—I hadn't killed them. Yes, even the octopus. Now that I'd completed the quest and didn't have to restrict my ranged abilities, I pointed my arm at its corpse and sent a brief lightning discharge. The octopus awakened immediately, its tentacles twitching as consciousness returned. I'd had a hunch that a monster with such remarkable regenerative abilities wouldn't die just from having its brain gently stroked—after all, I'd seen similar creatures in Luminosa recover from far worse.

"You cheated!" Grimweld shrieked from his floating disc, his monocle falling as he gestured wildly. "I won't accept these results from such a boring fight! What level are you really? Tell us! Why are you ruining my show?"

The crowd was in chaos. The vampire couple celebrated loudly, waving what looked like betting slips, while others demanded refunds. Some of the more monstrous spectators were actually eating the remains of those whose heads had exploded from lost life-bets. The three-eyed humans looked particularly disappointed—they had probably expected a longer show for their money.

"You really are bold to speak that way for someone so close to me," I said, fixing my gaze on the announcer. With casual ease, I created a gravity wave that pulled down upon his disc. The levitating platform, for all its elaborate magical engineering, didn't resist for long. It plummeted toward the blood-stained arena floor with its passenger still aboard.

Had I mentioned before that the field draining Mana in the arena was an easy nut to crack? Yeah, I'd already understood it enough to control it, if only briefly. And now, as announcer Grimweld fell with his disc, I focused the field's energy on him, momentarily rendering him unable to use any abilities beyond basic body enhancements—which, if I had to guess, he wasn't very proficient at.

His trembling hand reached for his monocle—the same one I'd seen him use to show off before the audience and threaten me. I could sense the concentrated Mana inside the device as he desperately tried to activate its deadly laser mechanism. But with the field focused on him, nothing happened when his fingers touched the rim. Before he could try again, I casually used my gravity powers to pluck the weapon-disguised-as-eyewear from his face, watching it float toward me.

As the disc plummeted, a familiar figure awaited below—the Titan Octopus. Perhaps it realized who the real enemy was. After all, even on Earth, normal-sized octopi were clever creatures. Now that it had regenerated its brain, it had completely shaken off the dead tamer's mental control. Its remaining tentacles shot out to catch the supposed master of this exhibition. The now mostly helpless thin gremlin found himself completely wrapped in tentacles, their suckers holding him firmly in place.

"Welcome to the ground floor. How does it feel to mingle with us mere mortals? Not quite the same view from down here, is it?" I chuckled as I gave him a mocking glance, letting his monocle spin slowly in the air before me. It also turned out that the System could provide some basic info about magic items.

[Monocle of a Show-Off (Ultra Rare)] "Because nothing says 'I'm better than you' quite like wearing a single lens that shoots death rays!"

Requirements: Mind: 500 Spirit: 250

Item Description: A deceptively elegant monocle that channels focused beams of destructive Mana. Perfect for those who want to look sophisticated while vaporizing their enemies. Comes with a built-in targeting system that makes you look thoughtfully contemplative while actually lining up your next shot.

Primary Effect - Death Ray: Channel Mana through the monocle to fire a concentrated beam of destructive energy. Damage scales with the user's Mind attribute. Each shot leaves a satisfyingly dramatic trail of smoke because what's the point of being powerful if you can't be theatrical about it?

Secondary Effect - Analytical Enhancement: Provides detailed information about targets within visual range, displayed in an unnecessarily elaborate holographic format. Because reading basic stats isn't fancy enough—you need swirling golden runes and floating crystals to really sell the experience.

Warning: May cause excessive ego inflation and an irresistible urge to monologue during combat. Side effects include developing a British accent and an appreciation for overpriced tea.

Note: The System is not responsible for any accidental discharge of death rays while adjusting your monocle for dramatic effect.

I can't use its magical effect, but who would stop me from wearing it, huh? I thought as I put it on with grace.

Perhaps not surprisingly, given what I'd seen before, the audience wasn't shocked or afraid—instead, they cheered. They seemed more entertained by seeing their charismatic announcer, who was now squinting and trembling, completely under the control of a beast that was supposed to be dead.

"How? Why?" Grimweld sputtered, his composure completely shattered. "You realize this won't be the end for you if you kill me? I was put here by the System itself! My role is important—the Ringmaster wouldn't abandon me!"

"Oh, Ringmaster?" I perked up at that. "I actually have a quest to play his games and beat him up. Both in his games and literally."

"What?" Grimweld started to laugh maniacally. "You, beating the Ringmaster? Keep dreaming! Ha! You can kill me, but this will only incur the wrath of this place's powerful people. You're here just to complete your tutorial. Do you really want to become a public enemy?"

"Public enemy? Somehow, I doubt many would care about a mere announcer." I paused, watching the octopus tighten its grip. "Meanwhile, let's see what the audience thinks. Hey, people!" I projected my voice, enhancing it just enough for everyone to hear clearly. "Do you want me to save your favorite announcer? Or would you rather see him get a taste of his own medicine?"

I could have saved him from the octopus's increasingly tight grip at any moment, but the crowd's response was exactly what I expected.

"Kill him! Kill him!" they started to shout. Only a few spectators shook their heads or cast the gremlin glances of pity.

"Well, you hear them," I shrugged. "We want to be entertained."

With this, I nodded to the octopus. The intelligent creature had already understood I was the most dangerous being here and that it needed to obey me. What a smart fellow—perhaps I should make it my pet? Nah, too large. I'd rather release it back to the sea or wherever it would be most comfortable.

"You will pay for this!" Grimweld shouted, his face somehow turning an even paler shade of green. "You stupid people! Ungrateful bastards! And you! Cheating dumb human!" Those were his last words before the octopus dexterously popped him into its mouth.

Thank you for the meal, I could practically read in its expression. The crowd cheered—probably the first time they'd seen such a show.

I sent a wave of electricity through the floor, reaching all the fainted beasts in the arena—the Mirrorfang, the crimson battle-hamster, all of them. Then I turned off the field, draining the area of uncontrolled Mana. Now there was nothing restricting us anymore. With a wave of my hand, I sent a whirlwind of Wind Mana at the barrier. After all, it was more focused on physical attacks than on Mana powers.

The magical barrier shattered like glass, its fragments dissolving into motes of light. A moment of stunned silence fell over the arena before chaos erupted. The weaker spectators immediately scrambled for the exits, while some of the more aggressive ones—particularly the three-eyed humans and various demon-like creatures—drew weapons or gathered their own Mana.

"ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?" I roared, adding Gravity Mana to my voice, making it resound with such overwhelming power that the very foundations of the arena shook. "ARE YOU NOT INTO TRAINS? IS THIS NOT WHY YOU ARE HERE?"

What could I say? I loved that one movie about a gladiator and just couldn't hold myself back. Leah had also misheard the legendary phrase and asked me, "Why is he talking about trains?" So I decided to keep this part as well...

Chapter 10.

*** Two weeks after arriving at Luminosa ***

My delusions of grandeur had thoroughly dissipated, and my withdrawal from modern conveniences hit hard in this medieval fantasy world. Simply put, I had nothing fun to do here. Even the royal chef's exotic dishes—meats infused with magical herbs and fruits that literally glowed—had lost their appeal. The lack of basic necessities like flush toilets didn't help matters. The chamber pots, despite being enchanted to banish their contents, were a constant reminder of how far from home I truly was. Though the Goddess's magic allowed me to understand their spoken language, I still couldn't read their flowing, rune-like script, so even the leather-bound tomes in the castle library were beyond my reach.

With nothing else to do, I could only practice the Aether absorption and Mana control exercises I'd been shown. I spent hours on the castle roof, where the air was clearest, trying to sense and draw in the invisible energy that supposedly permeated everything. More than ten days of training had passed, yet I still couldn't manage anything beyond creating a weak gust of wind that barely stirred my hair. As for my physical condition... well, the head knight, with his scarred face and armor that seemed to glow with an inner light, wasn't pleased. I remained the most pathetic among the trainees, barely qualifying as an Initiate despite my supposed destiny.

But if you asked me, my progress wasn't just good—it was phenomenal. Back on Earth, I couldn't even manage ten pull-ups. Now I could do thirty with ease, the Condensed Mana in my muscles making me stronger than I'd ever been. All my physical capabilities had increased dramatically. If I were back home, no one would believe I'd achieved this in just a dozen days. But that was how Mana worked here. While I still couldn't control it properly, my body had absorbed enough Aether to begin the transformation.

Just like usual, today's training session ended with me completely exhausted and thoroughly beaten by Lia in the sand-covered training yard. The only difference was that we had spectators—nobles in their silken robes and fellow initiates, all gathered to watch the supposed "Chosen Hero" fail yet again.

"For someone who's supposed to be a hero, you sure are pathetic," Princess Saella remarked from her cushioned observation platform. Her voice carried the same musical quality that had first enchanted me before I learned how cruel that beauty could be. She smiled sweetly as Lia dislocated my shoulder and broke my ribs with a kick that moved faster than my eyes could follow. I had learned early on that Saella preferred to administer "discipline" personally—her Tier 2 capabilities meant she could break bones with a flick of her wrist.

I held back my snarky comments and tried to recover my breath, enduring the pain in silence. The taste of copper in my mouth was familiar now—I had already learned that talking back to Saella led to nothing but humiliation and more pain, usually delivered by her own Mana-enhanced strikes.

Eventually, everyone was dismissed, and the princess lost interest, her jeweled slippers clicking against the stone as she departed with her entourage. An elderly Second Tier Wood Caster approached, muttering the complex phrases that would form his healing Spell. Green runes flickered in the air as his magic took effect. At least I wouldn't suffer any permanent damage from the training—the warm sensation of his Spell knitting my bones back together had become as routine as the injuries themselves.

"Sorry for today," she said, her usual stern expression nowhere to be found. Instead, her amber eyes held empathy.

"It's not your fault," I shrugged. "It's not like you have any say in the matter."

"Hero or not, it's completely unreasonable to expect you to be comparable to us who've trained for years since early childhood," Lia continued. "I started training when I was only five years old and became an Initiate at twelve. And you? You've been steadily progressing these last few days. It's kind of scary, actually. And yet they treat it as if you're failing."

She hesitated before adding, "To tell you the truth, I hate nobles, but joining their ranks is the only way to succeed in this world."

"So you're not a noble?"

"No. There would be no way for me to get in-depth training here if I wasn't the most talented Initiate in the Kingdom, considering my background."

"Huh? I thought they chose you to be my opponent because you were the weakest."

"Some of them actually believe that," she shrugged. "But no other Initiate could defeat me. And of course, I haven't shown you my full power either."

"I see. Well, you sure are different when you're fighting."

"I mean, I have a face to maintain." She smiled slightly. "Anyway, don't give up."

"I won't."

"Tell you what—you're not useless. It's only a matter of time before you overcome all of us, Mr. Hero," she laughed as we parted ways.

For a brief moment, I couldn't help but see my little sister in that thin and vulnerable silhouette of the girl who had been beating the shit out of me for the past few days. But her words gave me power, confidence, and motivation. I explored my newly gained abilities with renewed determination, and the next day I finally succeeded at Air Mana Boost.

Of course, I still got my ass kicked.

*** Current time ***

The awakening monsters quickly proved why they'd been deemed worthy of Exhibition. The Mirrorfang split into its dual forms, tearing through a group of overconfident warriors who thought to make a name for themselves. The crimson battle-hamster bowled through the crowd like a wrecking ball, its horn crackling with energy. Even the cat-wolves, working as a pack, made short work of several demon spectators who tried to fight back.

The arena's security forces emerged—what looked like smaller gremlins, similar to Grigo and Grimweld. But from my estimations, they were only at Tier 2 or 3 at most. Not much of a threat compared to the "curious creatures" they'd been containing. A few tried to establish a defensive line, but they might as well have been trying to stop a tsunami with their bare hands.

Was it too cruel of me to start a potential slaughter among these spectators? Well, these were the same people who wished for my death minutes ago, who bet their lives hoping to see me torn apart. Still, not all of them were evil—some had just come to watch a show, probably unaware of the true nature of this place. And not everyone here was weak or helpless. I didn't expect this to turn into a bloody mess—I just wanted to scare the crowd away and create enough chaos to cover my escape with my charges. After all, I had more important things to worry about than teaching bloodthirsty spectators a lesson about karma.

As for me, I created an Air Mana bubble around myself for the first time in a while. Yeah, didn't I mention I could fly? Well, you know now. With all the Mana restrictions gone, it felt good to use my powers freely again. The shimmering bubble of compressed air formed around me, almost invisible except for a slight distortion in the light.

"Hi there, familiar faces!" I flew toward the vampire and his wife, who were trying to escape in the middle of the panicking crowd. They looked more annoyed than scared by the chaos around them. "I guess you don't mind if I have a word with you." I used my Air Mana to lift them into the air, earning a surprised yelp from the wife and a resigned sigh from her husband.

Then I did the same with the three traumatized humans who had been turned into part of the exhibition. The naked "disco ball" man curled into a fetal position as soon as he left the ground, while the "panda" eyes man kept muttering prayers. The one who had been acting like a dog actually tried to bark at me before realizing he was floating.

With my Air Mana carrying five people besides myself, I couldn't fly too fast—maintaining separate bubbles of controlled air around multiple targets required precise control. Then again, my definition of "fast" was very different from what most people would assume. If I wanted to accelerate, I could always decrease the weight of myself and my targets using Gravity Mana, though that would require even more concentration.

As for why I didn't want to stay in this area much longer, there were multiple reasons. It was possible that some individuals who could actually challenge me would arrive, like the mentioned Ringmaster. The way Grimweld had spoken of him suggested someone far more dangerous than these exhibition handlers. But more importantly, I had finally received my reward. With a thought, a map of the so-called "Ever Happy Smiley Land" appeared before me, with several dots marked on it. Six dots were clustered together at my current location—myself, the vampire couple, and the three former gangsters. The remaining four dots, representing my other charges, were paired off at opposite ends of the map. That positioning couldn't be coincidence—the System seemed to enjoy making things as complicated as possible.

I rose higher in the air to take a look at this Tutorial Zone, and what I saw impressed me. We were in the center of what could only be described as a New York-sized amusement park. The first thing to catch my attention was an absolutely gigantic Ferris wheel to the north—assuming the top of the map indicated north. It was easily more than a mile in diameter, looking like something built for giants rather than normal-sized people. Well, for all I knew, it might have been. The massive structure dominated the skyline, its metal framework gleaming in the strange light that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere in this realm.

To the south stretched a city of roller coasters, their twisted metal tracks interweaving in a complex network that seemed to span for miles. And at the center of the entire Zone stood an enormous circus tent—easily the size of a mountain—that blocked my view of the western portions.

Mentally commanding the map to reappear before me, I could see what lay in those western sectors: Haunted Houses, with the Hall of Memories as the largest and most dangerous. In total, the map marked five Grand Attractions, twenty-five Major Attractions, as well as one hundred twenty-five Minor ones, but from my current position about 200 feet in the air, I couldn't pinpoint most of them. I wanted to fly higher for a better view, but I felt resistance—some kind of barrier, much stronger than the one at the arena. Breaking through it would take considerable effort, definitely not something I wanted to attempt with five passengers in tow.

A few balloons here and there were bouncing off the invisible barrier, unable to fly any higher. Each impact caused a brief flicker of iridescent light, like a soap bubble catching the sun's rays. The balloons danced against the unseen wall, their movements creating a mesmerizing display of color and light.

As for the map, among the dots marking my charges, two pairs were at opposite ends of the park—one pair near the gigantic Ferris wheel and another in the roller coaster zone, both places being labeled as Grand Attractions. Without any labels on the dots, I had no way to know if Leah and Jimmy were among them.

A flood of new System messages appeared as I decided to check the older ones:

[Curious Creature Exhibition: Major Attraction Challenge Complete]

You receive a Golden VIP Ticket for participating in a special role and completing the challenge excellently, while also finishing the side quest and bonus objective.

Bonus points awarded for killing two important NPCs of the zone.

Warning: Such actions may have consequences.

[Calculating Total Reward...]

Congratulations! You've earned 200,000 System Points (and receive only 2,000, he-he). You've unlocked new Archetypes:

●        Pit Fighter (Common)

●        Caged Beast (Uncommon)

●        Entertainer (Uncommon)

●        Gladiator (Rare)

●        Curious Creature (Rare)

●        Champion Gladiator (Ultra Rare)

"Consequences, you say," I muttered to myself as I focused on the most important part, only to hear a voice whispering right into my ear.

"Yes. Consequences."

Let me make a few things clear. First, sneaking up on me was a task that no one had accomplished since I'd advanced to Tier Five and became a Mana Lord. Second, I was currently quite busy flying with five people while reading System messages and surveying my environment. Third, I finally felt that I was... in the moment it started to target me.

The fact was, it hadn't snuck up on me at all. It just moved so fast—or rather, instantly appeared there in space. And of course, I felt those familiar fluctuations of the Space Supreme Element. Even on Luminosa, only a few beings controlled this elusive power, and most of them had been my enemies.

Not feeling any ill intention or hostile energy from the presence, I slowly turned my head to face the speaker. What I found was the most stereotypical clown imaginable—like something that had stepped right out of those old cartoons I'd watched as a kid, but with an unsettling twist. He stood at least two meters tall, with an impossibly round belly that seemed to defy gravity, dressed in polka-dot overalls stretched to their limit. His face was completely hidden behind thick white greasepaint, with a red bulbous nose and a painted smile that stretched far too wide to be natural. Rainbow-colored hair sprouted in tufts from the sides of his bald head, and his eyes… his eyes seemed to shift color with every blink.

"So who are you? Are you someone who wants to make me die from laughter?" I asked. "If so, you need to prepare your best jokes because I'm good at keeping a straight face, even when I want to laugh out loud. Believe me, I'm experienced at this."

"Oh, sorry, Mr. Anomaly!" The clown gave a theatrical bow, somehow bending his massive frame at an impossible angle. "Why so serious? Get it? Because you're good at keeping a straight face?" He let out a high-pitched giggle that sent chills down my spine. "I should introduce myself properly—I am Barry the Clown, though some call me Barry Scary! Nice to meet you, nice to greet you, nice to eat... oh wait, wrong script!"

He stretched out his thin arm, completely disproportionate to his round body, ending in an exaggeratedly large palm covered in a white glove. The hand was so massive that I could only shake his index finger instead of his entire palm, which seemed to amuse him greatly.

"I am here to give you a few messages from the Ringmaster," Barry said, somehow maintaining perfect balance as he floated cross-legged in the air beside us. His massive belly didn’t jiggle despite the height and wind. "First, don't worry about your escapades at the exhibition. The Ringmaster likes a good show, and you provided! While there were some unfortunate victims, we live in a place where death is just around the corner, and revival is available to anyone who has System Points to spare. I believe that you will continue to make our Smiley Land more cheerful and fun, and of course, sooner or later, you'll meet him and play the games promised by the System."

My passengers watched our exchange nervously from their Air Mana bubbles, the vampire couple trying to maintain dignity while floating two hundred feet in the air, and the ex-gangsters still in various states of panic.

"So, your Ringmaster is alright with me killing his subordinates if it means he's having fun? What a nice lad."

Barry's rainbow hair rippled in impossible patterns as he giggled, the sound like breaking glass wrapped in cotton. "Well, Grimweld still has three more revivals up his sleeve. As for his brother, that will depend on Grimweld himself if he wants to bring him back." His white-gloved hands made elaborate gestures as he spoke, leaving trailing afterimages in the air.

"What about the rampaging animals?"

"Oh, that's one of the reasons I'm here. I liked that T-Rex and want to bring him to our circus. Of course, he will be treated much better than he was in the exhibit. As for the octopus, he would be a nice addition to the water rides. Believe me when I say those animals would find a better place than the exhibition. Lately, it hasn't been bringing enough happiness and fun to the city. Mr. Chuckles has wanted to get rid of it for a while, and it seems the System sent you here to fulfill his wish."

"Mr. Chuckles the Chipmunk? So he is the actual ruler of this place or something? Or are you just messing with me?"

Barry's painted smile twisted unnaturally, and for a moment, his ever-shifting eyes settled on a deep, warning red. "You should be careful when speaking about him. After all, even walls have ears. And trust me, you don't want to find yourself on the wrong end of Mr. Chuckles' ire. It's a fate far worse than any nightmare your mind could conjure. Far worse."

Okay, that last part was not creepy. Not creepy at all.

Chapter 11.

Setting aside Mr. Chuckles, I still had an important task ahead.

"And I still have no idea if you're serious or just messing with me, Barry. Is this all you want to say? Because I'm in a bit of a hurry right now."

"And that is why I am here. I guess you want to save the rest of your companions assigned to you by the System. But believe me, there’s no point in acting rashly."

"And why is that? I hope you're not thinking of threatening me, Barry." I focused a bit of Gravity Mana as I squinted.

"Oh, threatening you? No, no." Barry's oversized hands waved frantically. "I won't be so presumptuous. I am but a simple messenger. You see, the roller coaster rides and the Ferris wheel where these four are now cannot be entered. It's not like anyone could just force themselves into any attraction without a ticket or while the previous group is inside."

"If you have the will, you can always find a way."

"Even so, there is no point. Your companions are safe for now. You could easily enter the roller coaster in about two hours, and the Ferris wheel would be available in three and a half. Until then, you can just enjoy yourself, gather information, and familiarize yourself with the System. And I guarantee you, by the time the limit is up, your companions will not be in any significant danger."

"Let me give you a hint," Barry continued as I started to doubt. "All of them still have at least one more revival. If they die in their current challenges, they will revive safely and have some time before attempting their next challenge. This is a safe zone outside the attractions where security measures are in place, and anyone who dies here will receive a free revival. This applies to new users undergoing their Tutorials whose difficulty is Hard or below."

A revival, huh? Hmm, not sure how much I should trust the System with that... but there's no use; I can't just charge in to help my guys without a plan or understanding of the situation. I'd also need to learn more about how revivals work here. And it seems he implies that incidents do happen even in a so-called "safe zone."

"Will there be punishment for the murderer, though?" I asked. "In case someone kills another outside of an attraction."

"Well, of course! They won't receive any EXP for the kills, will pay a System Point penalty, and if they do it too often, they’ll incur the wrath of certain dangerous entities... so really, it's not a good idea to go around killing people. Obviously."

"Obviously," I repeated, even as I thought that those were rather lenient punishments for murder.

[Remaining revival points added to the map]

A System message notified me. Was it messing with me or what? Instantly, a number appeared at the center of each dot on the map when I opened it, and only one dot had a zero on it—mine. The dots nearby had numbers: 1, 2, 5, 5, 5.

Five, five, five? I noted. Well, I guess we found our dear trio who took the Easy Tutorial. Of course, I'm sure many on the planet chose that option, but only these were sent here. And judging by their state, the Tutorial was anything but easy for them. No surprise their condition was so poor after dying four times already.

As for the remaining four dots, those at the Ferris wheel had 2 and 1, while at the roller coasters were 3 and 1. Could the ones with single revivals be from Hard difficulty? Or Normal participants who'd died twice?

"And how does revival exactly work?" I asked.

"Well, you can ask your companions who have already experienced death," the clown said, pointing at the vampire and his wife, who had stayed silent and looked at me in awe, their eyes filled with caution.

"Also, try not to fly too much and attract unnecessary attention. You may be safe, but those who accompany you are a little too brittle. And the airspace is hardly the safest place in the city."

As soon as he said that, a cluster of seemingly innocent carnival balloons—red, blue, and yellow ones that had been floating nearby—suddenly turned pitch black and detonated in a chain reaction. The explosions came just a few dozen feet from us, each blast releasing waves of corrupted Mana that would have shredded normal humans instantly. I was just in time to react, creating a black protective barrier made of Gravity Mana to shield myself and the five little geese from the deadly display.

I briefly activated my Mana Sense to check if anything else, any other dangerous things, were nearby. I realized the zone near us was filled with spatial irregularities that I couldn't even analyze.

"Well, I guess we'll walk then. Or at the very least, not fly too high," I added.

"I'm glad you understand," the clown said, completely unharmed by the impact. I couldn't feel his Mana with my Mana Sense, which was impressive—but not so much for someone with the Space element. Instead, I tried to ask the System for more information, and it complied.

[Barry the Clown, Level 1000]

Level 1000? I recalled the levels of the beasts I had faced. The Mirrorfang had been just shy of level 500, standing at the peak of Tier 4, according to Luminosa's grading scale. The System had also indicated that level 100 would equate to a tenth of my Attributes at my peak, suggesting the Clown was at the height of Tier 5. Of course, I could be wrong in my estimations, as there were variables I was unaware of. In any case, I didn't feel prepared to confront him without jeopardizing my entire mission. I was definitely not powerful enough to protect my companions from him.

"Well, well, well, until we see each other later, Mr. Anomaly," he said as the Space element flickered and he instantly disappeared.

Not wanting to tempt fate, I descended towards the ground, far from the exhibition where chaos still reigned. Using my Mana Sense, I noticed the clown reappear near the arena, touch the T-Rex with his hand, and teleport away with it. He then repeated this with the octopus and a few other beasts.

You know, among the Supreme Elements, Space was probably the most fun and convenient. Of course, with my Gravity, I could achieve equally impressive battle results. But if a Space user wanted to escape, I would have to employ my abilities creatively to stop them. As far as everyday life was concerned, it likely offered much more convenience and numerous ways to enhance quality of life.

We landed and blended into the crowded street. First things first—I tore off a decent-sized strip from my shirt to give the naked ex-gangster some basic coverage. To my surprise, we didn't appear particularly out of place among the crowd. The average person walking these streets was far more bizarre than our ragtag group, though this was only judging by normal human standards.

"So, I guess you have a lot to tell me, Mr. Vampire. And you, Miss Wife, or rather Mrs..."

"Sir, please let us go," the vampire pleaded. "I don't know if you're with the Church or the Shifters. I can't imagine anyone else could be so powerful on our planet, but please—me and Alisa, we don't know anything! I'm just a minor member of the Sanguine clan with no dealings with the higher-ups! Also, I deeply apologize for betting against you in the first two battles. I can't assess someone's power with just a glance, and the System misled us."

"Hey, calm down. I don't know who the heck you're talking about. I'm not with the Church or the Shifters. Actually, I'm on a quest to ensure you two complete your Tutorials. So you're in luck. But for this reason, you have to obey me, and we should share information." I paused, studying the nervous vampire. "So first question… wait, before that—what's your name? It's basic courtesy to introduce yourself to your savior."

"I am Sergio Johnson, and this is my wife Alisa…" He hesitated, glancing at his wife. "I don't know about you helping us. I didn't receive any notification."

"Well, it doesn't matter. I did. So now you're under my care, Sergio and Alisa, whether you like it or not."

"Thank you, I guess." He relaxed slightly. "We also finally completed that attraction thanks to you and won a small fortune betting on you in the last round. Though our winnings could have been much bigger if I'd listened to my wife during the second fight…"

Alisa, who now that I thought about it looked Slavic, shot him a withering look. "Dear, after we lost our bets in the first round, I told you that someone who moves like that couldn't be easily defeated. You didn't believe me when I said he was just testing his opponent."

"What can I say? I heard a lot about the Mirrorfang monster. It was rumored to be invincible. How was I supposed to know that someone from our world would be powerful enough to play around with it?"

"Here, here. You should listen to your wife, man." I grinned. "How could you look at my handsome face and watch my courageous battle and still think I could lose to anyone? Makes no sense at all."

"Yeah, ha-ha, very silly of me…"

"How long have you been here, anyway?" I asked.

"Three days already," Sergio replied. "Though it feels like weeks…"

"And what the heck did you want at the exhibition?"

"What? Of course, we were just trying to complete our quests. In this place, everything costs points," Sergio explained. "Without System Points, you can't survive. The exhibition was an opportunity for anyone to have a decent chance at earning some points with minimal risk. All you had to do was win a few bets without—"

"Yeah, with minimal risk," I repeated with a wry smile. "The System mentioned that one of you had lost your Revival point. And let me guess—you two chose Normal difficulty and died once already or otherwise lost a point. Your wife was smart enough to bet on me while you failed."

Sergio squinted. "Yeah. This place isn't what I expected when I first read the description. You see, as a vampire, I'm more powerful than the average person. So I thought Normal would be a breeze. I even considered choosing Hard, but then I would be separated from my dear Alisa... or so I thought. Though the System hadn't told us how it would distribute us in the zones."

"I guess many people choose the same difficulty as their friends or family, or whoever they want to end up with," I mused. "But considering the size of Earth's population and the number of different Tutorial zones, if the System was just randomly putting people in tutorials, the likelihood of seeing anyone you knew would be abysmally low."

"Actually," Alisa interjected, "from what we've seen and heard, the System seems to have some logic in its distribution. Most of the humans we've met here speak English, and many seem to be from the same general region. Though we did meet a few Japanese tourists..."

"And some of the assignments appear intentional," Sergio added. "Like putting supernatural beings together. Take you, for example; we only briefly met, and yet here we are. We've also met another vampire I knew, though not from my former clan, thankfully."

That caught my attention. "Former clan?"

Sergio's expression darkened. "Despite my heritage, I was exiled from my clan for a transgression I committed a hundred years ago."

"Wait, a hundred years ago? How old are you, buddy?"

"It's a bit impolite to ask a vampire for his age," Sergio said, noticing my unimpressed expression. After all, this was our second meeting today. "Okay, okay, I am rather young, you know. I will be 143 this year. I'm basically a teenage vampire."

"Yeah? And how old is your wife?" I looked at Alisa; her freckled face and red hair made it hard to guess her age—she could be twenty or twenty-five.

"I am 29," Alisa answered, surprising me a bit. "Why?"

"No, nothing, never mind. You're both adults. So as long as you didn't raise her since childhood or something like that, I'm fine with it." I gave Sergio a pointed look, remembering how quick he'd been to lie about me being a robber just to escape earlier. "You didn't start dating before she was 18, right?"

"No, of course not!" The vampire looked genuinely offended and a tad bit scared of my reaction. "I like my women... mature. Usually, I go for older women as well, but Alisa is just so charming, intelligent, and具有 the tastiest blood... ahem, never mind."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Just remember—I’m watching you. It would be very unfortunate if there were a predator in my party. It would complicate the completion of my quest when I have to take certain drastic measures..."

"Oh, don't worry about that!" Alisa chimed in cheerfully. "Sergio isn't acting like some wild beast. I've trained him well! He hasn't hunted a single mouse in over three years. Though sometimes he still gets this weird look when we pass by pet shops..."

"Dear," Sergio muttered, facepalming, "I don't think that's what he meant..."

"What? But you used to hunt small animals before we met! Remember that time with Mrs. Henderson's cat?"

I couldn't help but laugh at the exchange. At least it seemed their relationship was genuine, if somewhat unusual.

Chapter 12.

*** Twenty-five days after arriving in Luminosa ***

"Again!" The training instructor barked as I squared off against another noble initiate. Unlike in my early days here, I no longer resembled a helpless punching bag. With Air Mana coursing through my muscles, I could match most initiates in pure speed, even if their technique still surpassed mine.

My opponent, a skinny boy from some minor noble house, charged with his practice sword. Three weeks ago, such an attack would have ended with me face-down in the dirt. Now I saw it coming as if it were in slow motion. I sidestepped, letting his momentum carry him past me, then struck his back with my wooden blade. He stumbled forward, caught off guard by my enhanced strength.

"Point to the Chosen Hero!" the instructor announced, unable to completely hide his surprise. It was my third victory today.

From her usual spot at the edge of the training ground, Lia watched with an unreadable expression. Since it became clear she was actually the strongest initiate, they had stopped pairing us exclusively. Now she mostly fought—and defeated—the more experienced disciples.

After training, I found her in our usual meeting spot—a secluded corner of the castle gardens where the magical flowers changed colors with the setting sun. She sat on a stone bench, still in her training clothes.

"Your Mana Boost is getting stronger," she said as I approached. "Though your swordsmanship still needs work."

"At least I'm not getting my teeth knocked out every day anymore." I dropped onto the bench beside her, careful to maintain a proper distance. Even in this private moment, castle etiquette had to be observed.

"True. Soon you might actually present a challenge." She smiled, then quickly looked away. "I mean, for the other initiates. Not for me, of course."

"Of course," I agreed, noticing how the shifting colors of the sunset played across her face. "I'd need another year just to..." I trailed off as she suddenly leaned closer, presumably to examine a bruise on my arm.

"You should be more careful," she murmured, her fingers barely brushing my skin. "Even with healing magic, too many injuries can leave lasting damage."

The moment stretched, neither of us moving, until a distant bell signaled the evening meal. Lia jumped up as if burned, her cheeks flushed.

"Well, keep practicing your Mana control!" she said hurriedly. "And maybe try not to look so smug when you win. The nobles hate that."

She hurried away, leaving me to wonder if I had imagined the lingering touch and the quick glances she had been giving me lately. Then again, I had more pressing concerns—like surviving tomorrow's training and figuring out why my attempts at more advanced Air techniques kept literally blowing up in my face.

*** Current time ***

As we talked, the peculiar pair led us to a place called "The Happiest Chicken"—apparently one of the more affordable establishments in this neighborhood.

"Even though we won some points in the exhibition, I still don't think we should squander our money too much," Sergio explained. "Everything costs points here, even food. I wouldn't be surprised if one day they told us to pay for air."

"Well, don't worry about it for the time being," I said, then noticed Alisa pointing at our three unconscious companions. "We'll discuss how to earn enough for a comfortable life later."

"What about those three gentlemen?"

I looked at the three ex-gangsters, still dazed and traumatized from their ordeal. The question was whether to erase their memories or leave them as they were. On one hand, wiping away their memories of torture and mental conditioning might help them function more normally. On the other hand, they might need to remember what happened to make better choices going forward. Plus, messing with memories was always risky—I might end up doing more harm than good.

My internal debate was cut short when the Asian man suddenly dropped to all fours and started barking at a passing child. "Woof! Woof! Good boy, good boy Kusogaki! Master said good boy gets treats!"

Yeah, no. This definitely needs fixing. With a sigh, I carefully used my electricity to erase two and a half days from their memories.

The black man was the first to shake off his daze, muttering to himself. "I remember seeing this strange dream about an amusement park... weren't we kidnapped twice? Once to the park and another... wait, weren't you guys in a cage?"

"Yes, yes!" the Latino chimed in, his panda-like bruises making his fearful expression even more pronounced. "I remember we tried to sneak in to save Kusogaki after some giant gremlin decided he looked like a perfect new species of human... and then I don't know what happened next. And who are you guys?"

"Yes, who are you guys?" the black man asked, squinting at us suspiciously.

I stepped forward with a grin. "Don't worry, I am your lord and savior. You can call me Boss."

The gangsters exchanged incredulous looks before bursting into laughter. "What are you, crazy?" the Latino asked between guffaws. "Haha, who could call you boss? You're too lame, just look at yourself!"

Well, he wasn't wrong. Even though the previous battles hadn't done any actual damage to me, my once decent clothes were in tatters. They simply hadn't been designed to withstand the speed and attacks I'd had to evade. Even the mere shockwave from T-Rex's tail swipe had been enough to shred the fabric. I probably looked more like a hobo than a hero at this point.

"Did you guys see yourselves?" I shot back.

The black man looked at himself in shock. "Where are my stylish clothes? No, wait—isn't this the same as back when we found ourselves in that back alley? It was probably that same unknown guy again! The infamous Strip Man!"

What wild imagination did this guy even have?

Kusogaki finally seemed to regain his senses, his eyes widening as he took in his surroundings and then called upon his System screen. "And why is my Archetype set as a Doggo?!" he yelped indignantly.

I could only shake my head at the absurdity of it all before turning to Sergio. "Hey, vampire, do you by any chance have the ability to hypnotize people? I think that's something vampires are supposed to be able to do."

Sergio shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, but I'm not particularly good at it..."

"You just need to make them obedient until we're done discussing our course of action," I urged. "And later, I'll deal with the rest."

The vampire glanced at his wife, clearly uneasy with the idea of messing with the gangsters' minds. But given the dangerous and bizarre nature of our situation, we didn't have the luxury of debating ethics.

"Alright," he finally agreed with a sigh. "I'll do what I can."

The King of Pop look-alike stood before the Asian man, and for a brief moment, his eyes turned crimson. "You should be quiet and do what you are told. By me. And this nice young man," he said, nodding towards me.

"Hey! What the fuck are ya doin', ya bastard? Are you a hypnotist or somethin'?" The black man noticed what was going on and wasn't happy about it.

"Here, here. Don't worry about it," I said as I gently locked him with Air Mana, making him unable to move. The same went for the Latino.

"I guess maybe first we have to find a place that sells clothes," I said to Alisa while her husband was dealing with the other two men, taking them under his control.

My Mana Sense could feel the fluctuations that were eerily similar to the effects of the Lust Sin; it brought back some not-so-good memories. The way Sergio's eyes had flashed red, the subtle manipulations of the gangsters' minds—it was all too reminiscent of the most dangerous opponent I'd ever faced: the Demon Queen. Of course, the vampire was just like a harmless puppy compared to her.

"We definitely need something better for clothes if we want to be allowed in the Happiest Chicken," I said, eyeing our ragged group—two half-naked guys and one completely naked, save for a piece of cloth preserving the Asian man's modesty. I could create armor out of my Gravity Mana, which would be both functional and impressive, but that would require significant Mana expenditure and constant maintenance, reducing my maximum Mana capacity.

I checked my funds. Even with 90% of my points deducted due to my debt to the System, I still had earned 3,000 points.

"3,000? How did you earn so much?" Alisa exclaimed. "Oh right, you did something amazing, didn't you?"

"I have a debt to the System, so it takes away 99% of my income."

"What? You earned 300,000?" Alisa's eyes widened, clearly impressed.

"Well, dear," Sergio interjected, "he defeated opponents with their levels in the hundreds. Of course, he would earn that much. Honestly, I can't even imagine how powerful he truly is... I doubt even Clan leaders can compare."

The 3,000 points should probably be enough to buy normal or even enhanced clothes for all of us.

"About clothes," Sergio said, running a hand through his dark hair, "it's not like the normal world where you just walk into a store. The System provides a direct purchase option for armor sets and clothing through its interface. Though," he added thoughtfully, "I heard from some girls that there's a traditional clothing shop in the west zone. It's even more expensive than the System clothes, and you don’t need an Archetype to buy there."

"So those guys can buy clothes for themselves too?" I asked.

"Theoretically, yes. It's not a hard command, but I'm not sure if they even have enough points," Sergio replied.

We found an empty alley sheltered by towering carnival attractions, where we could change without drawing attention. As it turned out, both the black man and the Latino qualified for the "Novice Set"—a simple but practical outfit.

I opened the shop function—which had most of it still locked, either because of my level 0 or the System not being fully installed—and found it surprisingly advanced, with a holographic interface that would make any gaming enthusiast jealous. The menu displayed several options:

[System Shop - Basic Clothing]

Novice Set (Common) - 100 SP

●        Basic linen shirt

●        Sturdy canvas pants

●        Standard sneakers

●        Basic undergarments

●        Effects: +3% Experience gained

●        Durability: Self-repairing

●        Note: Basic protection against environmental effects

Improved Novice Set (Common) - 1000 SP

●        Enhanced fabric shirt with moisture control

●        Reinforced tactical pants with multiple pockets

●        Combat-grade boots

●        Premium undergarments

●        Customizable colors for every part of the set

●         

Effects: +5% Experience gained

●        Durability: Enhanced self-repair

●        Note: Basic protection against environmental effects and minor physical damage

[Additional Sets Locked - Select an Archetype and raise your Rank to view more options]

I chose the first option.

[Do you want to buy a Novice Set for 100 SP?]

Yes.

[Funds: 3000-100=2900]

[Inventory function is still not fully installed. Direct transfer activated...]

As soon as I read the notification, I felt a surge of Space Mana ripple through the air. Moments later, a perfectly clean set of clothes appeared. It happened so quickly that I had no chance to analyze it with my Mana Sense. The System was far more powerful than I’d ever imagined. And the fact that this feature was available to everyone? Absolutely mind-blowing.

Creating a veil of black Gravity Mana for privacy, shimmering like the northern lights yet completely opaque, I changed into the simple Novice Set. Despite better options being available, I chose the basic version to conserve points for future needs. I also put the monocle in my pocket.

As we approached the Happiest Chicken, no longer looking like complete hobos, I learned more about my companions through the System interface and conversation. Sergio, whose Race was called Sanguine Human, had no Archetype yet, while Alisa was designated as "Hapfull Victim," a title she had chosen—that was like hapless victim, but the other way around.

Archetypes were similar to Classes or Jobs in RPGs, but players could acquire more as they leveled up. They were levels 25 and 7, respectively, with Sergio starting at level 21 due to his vampire nature. The System indicated his total stats exceeded 100, so anything above that was converted to levels, making it even more suspicious that I was still showing as level 0. His starting levels may not seem like much, but to put it into perspective—he was physically superior to any normal human on Earth, being fully capable of beating many Olympic records on his first try while also having goddamn magic, if very basic.

Since each level granted 5 points, I should have been equivalent to a level 500 being. Additionally, Sergio lost his chance to choose an Archetype at levels 0 and 20, as well as two Skill Slots in exchange for his vampiric powers. If this worked the same way for every other powerful being, it meant I was receiving special treatment by starting at level 0. Clearly, the System hadn't lied about the costly modifications it made to accommodate my existence.

It seemed that I really broke the rules in some way, and I was fully intent on using this opportunity to its fullest.

Chapter 13.

"Hey, look, isn't this the Exhibition Champion?" someone called out as we walked through the entrance of the Happiest Chicken, its neon sign casting a cheerful glow over the carnival street.

The place looked like a typical fast food restaurant, if not for the customers—among whom only a few looked completely human, excluding our group.

"Wow, you really showed that announcer what it means to become the prey!" a guy with four arms and green skin laughed, giving me multiple thumbs up simultaneously.

As we approached the counter, the people in line respectfully made way for us. It seemed news of the exhibition had either been broadcast here—likely given the large screen mounted on one of the walls—or rumors traveled incredibly fast in this city.

"Welcome, someone who brings fun and smiles to our land," the waiter said with a warm smile. "It's an honor to see you in our humble establishment. Today, all your orders are free... within reasonable limits, of course."

He looked like an average Black man at first glance, but his pointy ears and striking golden pupils marked him as something else. I called upon the System for information:

[Umbra Elf - Level 250]

While walking here, I'd been using the System to inspect passersby, and most were below level 100. The few humans undergoing their Tutorials were all below level 20. It would have been wrong to assume everyone was as high-leveled as the Tamer and the exhibition monsters. Given their stats correlated to level 500 tops for a Tier 4 peak, it meant that even in this Tutorial Zone, truly powerful beings were rare.

Still, the number of people who, by my Mana Sense, read like Tier 1, 2, or 3 beings on the Mana cultivation scale suggested this land was overall much more powerful than the Human Kingdom of Luminosa. After all, the vast majority of people there couldn't even qualify as Initiates, let alone reach Tier 1.

We placed our order, and since it was free, I didn't ignore their generous offer. Of course, I didn't want to seem ungrateful or brazen, so while I ordered a fair bit for myself and my companions, I didn’t go overboard like last time at McTrump's. I wasn't in the mood to feast anyway.

"So what are your quests, guys?" I asked between bites. "I have to make sure you complete them. Do you know when the time limit ends?"

"Well, our quests aren't that hard to complete, I think," Sergio replied. "First, we have to gather three Silver Tickets, which we can obtain by exchanging ten Bronze Tickets each, completing a Major Attraction, or succeeding at a hard Bonus Objective in a Minor Attraction—and today, we both earned our first Silver Tickets thanks to you. We also need to reach level 20 and accumulate at least 1,000 System Points each. Of course, I had already met the level requirement, but for Alisa, this would be the hardest... at the very least, she wouldn't need to advance to D Rank, which would require her to earn another 2,000 Points."

"So another person can't just give you the points?"

"No, as far as we know, there's no simple way to exchange points, at least not in the Tutorial."

"The most important question is the time limit," Alisa added. "The Ever Happy Smiley Land will be open for 11 more days—two weeks total. But we don't have to stay until then. As soon as we complete our Tutorial quests, we can go to the portal and leave after talking to the Guide."

"The Guide?"

"Well, they control the portals," Sergio explained.

"Interesting. I thought the System would just send us back the same way we arrived."

"Maybe it just doesn't want to bother and uses a more cost-efficient method," Sergio mused.

"So, two weeks is the time limit, and we have 11 days left. Let me make sure—the days here are the usual 24 hours, right?"

"I talked to some inhabitants," Sergio said. "Usually, a day here lasts 66 hours. But it's been changed to 24 hours specifically for our Tutorial to make it easier for humans to adapt."

"The hardest part was earning the money," Alisa noted. "But thanks to you, we've accomplished that. Now we only need to survive two Major Attractions and three Minor Ones. Considering each attraction could earn us some points, it would be wiser to use our current points to make ourselves stronger."

"By the way, the System seems to like the number 6. Not creepy at all."

"Oh, I don't think it's the System to blame," Sergio lowered his voice as he looked around, "but rather the zone's overlord. Even if it seems like a nice place to stay, believe me, it's not."

"I have no idea how you even came up with that idea, dear." Alisa shook her head.

"Well, it's cheerful and has a seemingly nice atmosphere. But oh, you'll soon witness it. It's almost 6 o'clock."

"What happens at 6 o'clock?"

"Just look at the screen."

The large TV on the wall showed people having fun on the water rides. A familiar tentacle appeared from the shadows, grabbing one of them.

"Yeah, what a nice place to stay," I repeated the vampire's words ironically.

The clock in the corner of the screen showed 17:59. As soon as it turned to 6:00, the image suddenly shifted...

The image changed to a colorfully animated cartoon featuring a chipmunk character. At first, the animation style reminded me of those wholesome Saturday morning shows—soft edges, pastel colors, and exaggerated cuteness. The chipmunk turned to face the viewers, breaking the fourth wall with enormous sparkly eyes and rosy cheeks. His smile, though meant to be endearing, stretched just a bit too wide, revealing far too many perfectly aligned teeth.

"Five minutes, five minutes!" he announced in a high-pitched, sing-song voice that somehow made my skin crawl. "Five minutes of laughing prolongs your life by five days!"

Upbeat music began to play—the kind you'd expect from a children's show—but something about it felt off, like it was being played at midnight in an empty playground. The melody was almost too cheerful, with occasional discordant notes that seemed intentional rather than mistakes.

The cartoon continued, showing the chipmunk skipping through a kingdom populated by anthropomorphic animals. Everything was rendered in a sugar-sweet style—flowers danced in the wind, butterflies left trails of sparkles, and fluffy clouds smiled down from a perfect blue sky. The buildings were shaped like oversized mushrooms and gingerbread houses, painted in every color of the rainbow.

Yet despite the saccharine setting, everyone in the restaurant was transfixed. The manager abandoned the register, the waiter dropped his orders, and customers left their meals untouched as they gathered around the screen. I received a system message: "Please laugh. It should prolong your life."

The chipmunk began interacting with the other characters—adorable deer with big doe eyes, fluffy bunnies with floppy ears, and tiny squirrels with bushy tails. He approached each one with that same unnaturally wide smile, asking in his sweet voice, "Do you know where the wolf went?"

When each animal shook their head no, the chipmunk would sigh dramatically—and then things turned horrific. The animals didn't simply die; they exploded from within, their cartoon bodies rupturing in a spray of surprisingly realistic blood and gore. The chipmunk's expression never changed, that same cheerful smile plastered on his face as he stepped over the remains, his previously pristine fur now speckled with red, and approached his next victim.

The contrast between the cutesy animation style and the graphic violence made it all the more disturbing. It was like watching a preschool show directed by a horror movie veteran with a twisted sense of humor.

And yet, as soon as the disturbing imagery appeared, the entire audience erupted into uncontrollable laughter. It wasn't natural mirth; it was the kind of laughter you might hear in an asylum at midnight. The vampire and his wife doubled over, tears streaming down their faces as they howled with hysterical glee. Even the three hypnotized gangsters, who moments ago had been blank-faced and compliant, were now slapping their knees and gasping for air between fits of maniacal giggles.

I felt it too—an almost irresistible urge to laugh, even though I found nothing humorous about the carnage on screen. Sure, I'd seen similar dark humor before: that satirical cartoon about four kids in a small mountain town where one kept dying in increasingly ridiculous ways. But this was different. The entire establishment seemed mesmerized, caught in some sort of mass hysteria.

The scariest part was that I couldn't detect even the slightest fluctuation of Mana. This wasn't magic as I knew it, not even close to the Elements or Sins I'd encountered in Luminosa. Neither was it similar to the System's overly complicated Mana runes. This was something else entirely—something that sent cold shivers down my spine despite all my power and experience. After facing demons, monsters, and the Demon Queen herself, I thought nothing could truly unsettle me anymore. I was wrong.

"Please laugh, Mr. Anomaly. He-he-he-he." Barry's voice echoed in my mind, though the clown was nowhere to be seen. He was probably watching from somewhere, using his Space Element to send me the message.

Something deep inside me whispered that I should stop resisting, that it would be easier to just give in and join the chorus of laughter around me. And so, my last resistance crumbled as I watched a particularly tall giraffe disappoint the "poor" chipmunk with its ignorance about the wolf's whereabouts. I found myself laughing hysterically as its long neck exploded in a fountain of cartoon gore, each segment popping like bloody firecrackers from bottom to top.

The worst part? I couldn't tell if I was laughing because of whatever force commanded it or because I'd finally cracked under the sheer absurdity of it all.

As the cartoon drew to a close, the chipmunk turned to face the screen once more, his blood-spattered fur glistening in the animated light. Despite being covered in gore from his violent "playtime," his eyes maintained that unsettling sparkle.

"Did you enjoy the show?" he asked sweetly.

"Yes, Mr. Chuckles!" everyone, including myself, responded in perfect unison, our voices carrying an unnatural cheerfulness.

"I'm so glad you liked it too!" The chipmunk's face split into an impossibly wide grin, bits of viscera still clinging to his fur. "Let's all have fun and be ever happy and smiley in this promised land. Until we meet again..." His voice dropped to a stage whisper, "And don't forget to find me if you know where the wolf is!"

With that final reminder, he disappeared, and the TV screen went black instantly.

[Thanks for watching Happy Chuckles Time! You've received a free Bronze Ticket]

Chapter 14.

*** Thirty-five days after arriving in Luminosa ***

"Again!" Lia commanded, her practice sword blurring through the air.

I managed to deflect her first strike but missed the follow-up completely. The wooden blade caught me in the ribs, and even through the training armor, I felt something crack. Before I could recover, she swept my legs out from under me, sending me sprawling into the dust.

"Your Air Mana control is... decent," she said, offering me a hand up, "but you're still telegraphing your movements way too much."

We were alone in the training yard—most trainees only participated in scheduled training sessions under Sir Roland's command, but apparently for Lia, that wasn't enough. Almost every day at dawn, she was here, practicing.I'd started joining her, partly to avoid Princess Saella's morning "etiquette lessons," but mostly because these quiet hours had become the highlight of my days in this world.

"Why do you push yourself so hard?" I asked as we took a break, watching the magical flowers shift from dawn-purple to morning-gold. "You're already the strongest initiate."

She was quiet for a long moment, absently running her fingers along her practice sword. "You know how the nobility works here," she finally said. "The only guaranteed way for a commoner to earn a title is to reach Tier 4 as a cultivator. It's supposed to be impossible—most noble-born children, with all their resources and training, barely reach Tier 2. Cultivation is all about talent—if you have only one Element, forget about Tier 3 unless you somehow manage to gain a second one, either by using a priceless treasure or walking on the edge between life and death."

"You're different," I said. "You have two Elements, one of them Grand, right? The Archmage mentioned this should be enough to reach Tier 4. You have what most nobles lack—talent."

"Yeah, right. And yet, even among those with a Grand Element, nine in ten never reach Tier 4."

"But you will," I said with conviction.

"I have to." Her voice hardened. "My hometown, Rivermark, sits right on the border of the Demon Lands. The nobles who are supposed to protect it... they don't care. They host parties in their fortified manors while demon raids devastate the outlying farms. My father died defending our neighbors when I was eight. Mother followed a year later, trying to heal those wounded in another raid. Both of them were Tier 1 cultivators, and it made no difference."

She stood, pacing restlessly. "The Demon Slaying Corps is supposed to protect the borders, but they only respond to noble requests. So I'll become one. I'll earn my title, and then I'll make sure no other child has to watch their parents die while nobles feast behind stone walls."

Lia's words hung heavy in the air, the weight of her conviction palpable. I opened my mouth to respond, to offer some reassurance or encouragement, when a familiar voice cut through the early morning stillness.

"So this is where our future Hero hides instead of attending to what really matters—my lessons."

Princess Saella glided into the training yard, her ornate dress trailing behind her like a whisper of silk. Despite the early hour, she looked immaculate as always, not a single golden hair out of place.

I scrambled to my feet, bowing hastily. "Your Highness, I was just—"

"Wasting time with the rabble, I see," Saella finished, her rose-petal lips curving into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Rolling in the dirt with some lowly commoner isn't the way for a Hero to gain the power the kingdom needs. You already receive enough training with Roland."

Lia stiffened beside me, her knuckles white on the hilt of her practice blade. I could practically feel the anger radiating off her, but she kept her eyes down, knowing better than to challenge the princess directly.

"Apologies, Your Highness," I said carefully, trying to keep my tone even. "I simply thought some extra training—"

"You thought?" Saella laughed, the sound like shattering crystal. "Oh, my dear Hero, that's not your role. You're here to follow orders, not make decisions." She reached out, tracing a perfectly manicured finger along my jaw. "Now, come along. You still have so much to learn from me. And be grateful that I decided to give you personal lessons; that's a great honor."

I hesitated, glancing at Lia. I hated leaving her like this, hated the way Saella dismissed her so casually. But what choice did I have? Refusing the princess openly would only make things worse for both of us.

"Until next time," I murmured to Lia, hoping she could read the apology in my eyes. Then, with a sinking heart, I allowed Saella to lead me away.

The "etiquette lessons," as Saella called them, were little more than thinly veiled torture sessions. Whenever I failed to meet her exacting standards—a fumbled dance step, a misspoken phrase, even a slightly wrinkled cuff—she was quick to "correct" me.

Sometimes it was with her Sound Element magic—focused bursts of concentrated noise that left my head ringing and my vision swimming. Other times, she opted for a more hands-on approach, striking me across the face with enough force to split my lip or blacken my eye. She held back, of course; I was "delicate," after all. And she would ensure that her personal healer tended to my wounds.

"You must learn your place," she would say afterward, dabbing delicately at her knuckles as I struggled to rise. "A Hero must be perfect in all things. Anything less is unacceptable."

I endured it all in silence, burying my anger and humiliation deep inside. In the end, I was just a helpless teenager at their complete mercy.

But this wouldn’t be the case forever... oh no, it wouldn’t.

*** Current time ***

"Well... that was strange," I muttered, shaking my head as everyone around us seemed to snap back to reality, like puppets whose strings had suddenly been cut. Going back to normal after that show, though, was another matter. Not everyone recovered as quickly as I did.

For several minutes, we sat in silence. I found myself pondering what the puck that had been while my companions tried to regain their composure. Unlike me, they had been thoroughly mesmerized by the disturbing cartoon—their faces still showed traces of manic glee, slowly fading into confusion and discomfort.

The waiter finally approached our table, carrying our food with slightly trembling hands. "Sorry for the delay," he said, his earlier confidence somewhat diminished. "I completely forgot it was time for Chuckles Time. As an apology..." he trailed off, looking uncertain. "Well, I don’t know what we can do, considering we've already offered you free food, Mr. Apex Curious Creature."

The smell of the food helped break the lingering tension, but I couldn't shake the feeling that we’d just witnessed something far more significant than a simple cartoon show. Mr. Chuckles, it seemed, was determined to make sure everyone in his domain stayed "happy"—whether they wanted to or not.

The realization hit me hard: even Barry, a being of level 1000, was completely terrified of Mr. Chuckles. And my quest required me not only to meet him in person but also to survive the encounter. Now it seemed this particular objective would be more dangerous than any other. But there was time for everything, and right now it was time for food.

"Don't worry about the delay," I told the waiter. "With such an... interesting show, I can't blame you for enjoying yourself too much."

The food he brought resembled what I had eaten at McTrump's just yesterday—or rather, before the Tutorial. But with the first bite, I instantly noticed a significant difference. The food was enhanced, and while it didn't have the dense Aether concentration of Luminosa's cuisine, there was something special about it. In fact, it seemed to contain not just Aether, but a specific Mana pattern designed to enhance its taste.

"So you have a magical chef here?" I asked the waiter.

"Of course. Why would someone even work as a chef if they don't have a cooking-related Archetype?"

"Interesting. So the System isn't purely designed around combat?"

"Ha! Everyone can have an Archetype that fits their goals," the waiter shrugged before moving to serve other clients.

"So how did you unlock your Archetypes?" I asked my companions. "I unlocked a fair share after completing the side quest."

"Oh, so you didn't even read your System messages?" Alisa gave me a surprised look. "Everyone gets an assessment at the beginning and receives both their Archetypes and bonus System Points for their life accomplishments."

"Right, I remember this from the Tutorial difficulty description. But my System was installing the whole time, so it isn't exactly consistent. Plus, it gave me messages while I was busy with other stuff."

"Okay System, show me my assessment message," I commanded. The System proved quite convenient, responding readily to interface requests. I must have missed this particular message while fighting in the arena.

I had expected to see a long list of bonuses and achievements from my time in Luminosa. But, of course, that wouldn't be the case. The System seemed to have no idea what had transpired in that other world. Instead, it focused on my life on Earth, which wasn't particularly exciting.

[Life Assessment: Clinton Wyatt]

[A Life of No Particular Significance... Just Kidding! Or are we?]

You spent your life as a completely normal kid growing up in a single-parent family while taking care of your little sister. You didn't do a particularly good job with that (seriously, hiding her smartphone? That's your idea of discipline?), though apparently, she seemed to love you anyway. Stockholm syndrome much? Your dedication to being an annoying but protective big brother is almost admirable. Almost.

[Archetype Unlocked: "Big Bro" (Uncommon)]

Trait: Sis Loves Me - Your sister's presence enhances your abilities by up to 15%. Works only for biological sisters. What, you thought adoption papers could fool us? Doesn't stack. So someone with a hundred sisters won't suddenly become a god. But a secondary effect—being able to track your sister's location precisely—will work on all of them.

Innate Ability: Protective Surge - Channel your big brother energy into a berserker rage, temporarily gaining a boost to your Might, Grace, and Tenacity when your sister is in danger. The greater the danger to her, the greater the boost.

Cost: Very High

Cooldown: Long

Scaling: Might, Spirit

You were a talkative guy, though no one really liked your jokes or you. After all, you weren't particularly attractive or cute even as a kid, and your jokes weren't exactly funny (especially when they hurt other people's feelings. Remember that time with the math teacher? Yikes!). But hey, at least you developed thick skin and an encyclopedic knowledge of useless facts. That has to count for something, right?

[Archetype Unlocked: "The Nerd" (Common)]

Trait: Knowledge Seeker - Gain a 15% bonus to learning speed for theoretical subjects, -5% to social interactions. Don't worry, being socially awkward is part of the charm!

Innate Ability: Neural Mail - Create a temporary mental connection to transfer knowledge directly into an ally's mind. Warning: May cause headaches and a sudden urge to quote Star Wars.

Cost: Low

Cooldown: Short

Scaling: Mind

Your grades were average, and your social life was plain. Your grades could have been higher if you put more effort into studying instead of gaming. But still, you were rather good at what you loved - you even beat another kid in games so thoroughly that he eventually agreed to call you "Boss" (We're looking at you, Jimmy!). Seriously, who makes someone call them "Boss" over a game? You, apparently.

[Archetype Unlocked: "Gamer" (Common)]

Trait: Game Sense - Convert gaming experience into combat proficiency, increasing reaction speed by 20% and strategic thinking by 15% during battle. Those countless hours weren't wasted after all!

Innate Ability: Virtual Interface - Create a temporary HUD overlay showing levels, weak points, and predicted attack patterns of your targets. Note: No, you can't use it to quick-save in real life.

Cost: Low

Cooldown: Moderate

Scaling: Mind, Grace

And then, just before you could graduate from high school, you disappeared. No note, no trace, nothing. Your father became obsessed with finding you, and your sister never gave up hope. We'd make a touching TV movie about it, but you'd probably complain about the casting.

[Archetype Unlocked: "Dropout" (Common)]

Trait: Street Smart - Convert missed academic opportunities into practical wisdom, gaining a 15% boost to improvisation skills, -10% to academic pursuits. Who needs calculus when you can count cards?

Innate Ability: Street Smart
Momentarily deconstruct complex scenarios into simplified survival patterns, revealing hidden paths and quick solutions. Reality becomes a playground of strategic possibilities.

Cost: Low

Cooldown: Short

Scaling: Mind

But there wasn't a trace of your disappearance... Almost as if you vanished into thin air. Either you're really good at hiding, or something very strange happened. Our money's on the latter.

[Archetype Unlocked: "Find Me If You Can" (???)]

Trait: ??? (Error: Trait information corrupted or blocked.)

Innate Ability: There and Back Again - Creates a connection with whatever force took you out of your home world.

Cost: ???

Cooldown: ???

Scaling: ???

After 10 years, you suddenly returned as if nothing happened. Not only that, but you demonstrated some unbelievable feats! First, you showed your naked body right on the street. While it wasn't exactly Times Square, such a shameless display has earned you our attention... and probably several indecency complaints.

[Archetype Unlocked: "Exhibitionist" (Uncommon)]

Trait: Natural Defense - Gain armor equal to 5% of your Tenacity when naked. The less you wear, the tougher you get. Just don't get caught by the police.

Innate Ability: Invisible Armor - Create an invisible protective layer covering exposed skin. Finally, a practical reason to go commando!

Cost: Moderate

Cooldown: Short

Scaling: Tenacity, Spirit

Then you demonstrated some impressive abilities, showing that bullets are merely an inconvenience. We're not sure what's more concerning - your bullet immunity or how casually you proved it.

[Archetype Unlocked: "Bulletproof" (Rare)]

Trait: Impact Resistance - Reduce damage from kinetic weapons by 40% when not wearing armor. Yes, you're basically a walking tank. No, this doesn't mean you should volunteer for shooting practice.

Innate Ability: Kinetic Absorption - Your body dynamically redistributes physical impact, converting incoming kinetic energy into temporary resilience. Muscles tense, bones harden, and trauma dissipates through an instinctive biological dampening response. No fancy magic, just pure physical endurance.

Cost: High

Cooldown: Very Short

Scaling: Tenacity

You saved a couple from gangsters - quite the heroic display! Though your methods were... questionable at best. Still, points for style!

[Archetype Unlocked: "Vigilante" (Uncommon)]

Trait: Street Justice - Gain a 25% damage bonus against criminals and wrongdoers. The System judges intent, so don't try to rules-lawyer this one.

Innate Ability: Intimidating Presence - Project an aura that induces primal fear in those with a guilty conscience. Like a walking, talking lie detector, but scarier.

Cost: Moderate

Cooldown: Moderate

Scaling: Might, Spirit

And then you robbed the robbers of their memories and belongings. How ironic! We appreciate the poetic justice, even if your methods were... ethically dubious.

[Archetype Unlocked: "Robber" (Common)]

Trait: Urban Opportunist - Gain enhanced awareness of vulnerable targets and situational advantages. +15% to detecting unguarded valuable opportunities in high-risk environments.

Innate Ability: Value Perception - Temporarily see valuable items and potential marks highlighted through walls. Like a thief's thermal vision, but shinier.

Cost: Very Low

Cooldown: Moderate

Scaling: Mind

You also demonstrated that your gaming abilities reached new heights - even by our standards, your reaction time and strategic thinking are impressive. Did you know that you accidentally beat one of the world's champions at Cosmos Craft 2? He thought you were a bot or cheater.

[Archetype Unlocked: "Apex Gamer" (Rare)]

Trait: Supreme Gamer - Convert gaming experience into combat proficiency, increasing your Grace by 25% and strategic thinking by 35% during battle. Increases EXP gain by 10%. Your thousands of hours in games finally pay off!

Innate Ability: Hyper-Tactical Interface - Project an advanced AR overlay that transforms reality into a live tactical simulation, revealing enemy weak points, probabilities of attack patterns, and strategic vulnerabilities with godlike precision. Your vision becomes the ultimate gameplay cheat sheet. Yes, you can use this to win at poker.

Cost: High

Cooldown: Short

Scaling: Mind, Grace

You also showed that whether in basketball or street workouts, you're not half bad at either. Though showing off with impossible shots and one-handed muscle-ups might be a bit much. Ever heard of subtlety?

[Archetype Unlocked: "Superior Athlete" (Rare)]

Trait: Peak Performance - Gain a 30% bonus to athletic activities when not using supernatural enhancements. Yes, this means you're actually BETTER without magic. Physics is crying in the corner.

Innate Ability: Physical Overclock - Temporarily push your body beyond human limitations, ignoring muscle fatigue and structural limits. Your joints will hate you later.

Cost: High

Cooldown: Long

Scaling: Might, Tenacity

Well, after that, you just reunited with your sister and her boyfriend, who is also your bro. Nothing deserving an archetype here—sorry to disappoint you. Though we considered "Sister Complex" for a moment... just kidding! (Maybe.)

Your evaluation is complete. Sure, you did some impressive things after your return, but it wasn't long enough to earn you anything truly discernible. Most people have no idea about your existence. You're not famous and haven't done anything that would greatly influence the world.

Compared to truly important people, your achievements here on Earth are not that impressive. If you're curious, even the highest number isn't as astronomical as you might think—especially compared to financial success. The current record holder has 12 million achievement points—a billionaire who pioneered AI and space travel, considered by many to be the most influential person on Earth.

Who are you compared to him and others who advanced your civilization (which has already been destroyed)? So you should be satisfied with your final assessment.

An average person only unlocks a few Common and Uncommon Archetypes and earns 1,000 Temporary System Points. As for you...

Bonus Temporary System Points Awarded: 72,432 (These can only be used in the Booster Shop, and all unused points will disappear. That's pretty much a top 0.5% result, mostly thanks to your shenanigans after you returned.)

"How many Temporary Points did you guys earn?" I asked, shaking my head at the corny System and its "evaluations."

I expected to hear the answer from Sergio or Alisa, but the one to respond was actually the Black disco-ball man.

"Five hundred, Boss!" he said while chewing on chicken legs. Okay, that wasn't something I expected.

Chapter 15.

*** Fifty days since arriving in Luminosa ***

"Again!" Sir Roland's scarred face showed no emotion as he watched us train. The head knight's presence always added intensity to our spars—his critical eye missed nothing.

I faced two noble initiates. One favored Fire Mana, his strikes explosive and aggressive, while the other's Earth Mana made him unnaturally sturdy. Like me, they both used Mana Boost to enhance their movements, though each element provided different advantages.

They attacked in perfect sync—the result of years of training together. The Fire user's practice sword came at me wreathed in a subtle heat haze while his partner struck low, his weapon leaving faint traces of brown energy. I channeled Air Mana through my body, feeling the familiar lightness it brought.

The Fire Initiate's overhead slash met empty air as I weaved aside, ducking under the Earth user's sweep in the same motion. My counter-strike caught Fire's shoulder before he could recover, sending him stumbling. Earth pressed his advantage, but his enhanced stability worked against him—by the time he shifted his stance to attack, my practice sword had already found his chest.

"Better," Sir Roland nodded. "But still too wasteful with your Mana, Clinton. You," he pointed at Fire, "your aggression leaves you open. And you," he addressed Earth, "stability is worthless without speed to match." He turned to where Lia waited. "Show them how it's done."

The next few minutes were a harsh reminder that I still had far to go. Lia's Water Mana made her movements flow like a river, each strike transitioning naturally into the next. I never even saw the final blow coming.

"You're improving quickly," she said softly as she helped me up, her hand lingering on mine just a moment longer than necessary. "For someone who couldn't even channel Mana two months ago."

After training, we took our usual walk through the castle gardens. I noticed some of the noble girls whispering and giggling as we passed, but Lia just rolled her eyes and walked closer to me. The magical flowers shifted from afternoon gold to evening purple when she suddenly stopped.

"Want to see something amazing?" she asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and glancing around to ensure we were alone. When I nodded, she held out her hands, standing close enough that I could catch the faint scent of water lilies—her favorite flowers from the training yard pond.

"You're controlling it directly," I breathed, recognizing what I was seeing. "Without spells or physical enhancement. You're a..."

"A Primalist," she finished proudly. "Or at least, I will be. That's why I haven't advanced to Tier 1 yet, even though I could have months ago. I've been practicing this instead."

She let the water dissipate. "Same day next week is my fifteenth birthday. If I succeed in advancing as a Primalist, I’ll be the youngest in a century." Her eyes sparkled with determination. "It's the greatest honor a cultivator can achieve—to shape elements with pure will rather than crude spells or physical might."

I watched her demonstrate the technique again, my heart racing. The way she controlled the water was exactly how I manipulated Air. I was a Primalist too, and apparently an extremely rare one at that. But something held me back from sharing this revelation.

"That's incredible," I said instead, already forming a plan. "I'm sure you'll succeed."

She beamed at the praise, her cheeks coloring slightly. "Thanks. You know, you're the only one I've shown this to." She looked away quickly, pretending to be interested in a nearby flower. "I just... feel like I can trust you."

As we walked back to the castle, my mind drifted to the future. As Initiates, we were limited to Basic Elements, but I knew that would change with advancement—I’d gain command over Lightning and Darkness, while Lia had mentioned possessing an affinity for Mirage as her second Element. The thought sparked something in me—a vision of us fighting side by side, combining our rare talents against the Demon Queen. Perhaps Lia would become more than just a training partner, but a true ally in my destined mission.

I pushed the idle speculation aside, focusing on my immediate promise. By her birthday, I would master enough control to show her she wasn't alone on this path. For now, though, I kept my secret close, looking forward to the surprise on her face when she realized what I truly was.

*** Current time ***

After making sure that I hadn't heard it wrong—the supposedly mind-controlled guys acted like nothing—I gave a questioning look to our blood-loving hypnotist.

"S-Sorry, it seems that the cartoon shook off my influence, and they just seem to be quietly eating so far..." Sergio admitted sheepishly. "I also can't use this power too often on the same targets."

"Don't brainwash us anymore, please!" the Latino with panda eyes suddenly blurted out. "We're really sorry about earlier. It's just... you know how it is on the streets..."

"Yeah, yeah!" the Asian guy, Kusogaki, chimed in enthusiastically. "No need for that hentai mind control stuff! Though if it was some cute girl with tentacles instead—ow!" He rubbed his head where the Black man had smacked him.

"What my idiotic friends are trying to say," the Black man said with as much dignity as one could muster while being completely bald and wearing basic novice clothes, "is that we appreciate everything you've done for us. The clothes, the food... nobody's ever treated us like actual people before."

"Even after we were so disrespectful to you," the Latino added quietly.

"So if you'll have us, Boss," Kusogaki said, his earlier joke forgotten, "we'd like to stick around. Be your underlings or whatever. You seem to know what you’re doing in this crazy place."

"Plus," the Black man grinned, "anyone who can instantly recover from that creepy chipmunk show must be worth following."

I looked at their earnest faces, then at Sergio, who just shrugged as if to say 'they seem genuine enough.'

"Hold on," I raised my hand to stop the gangsters' enthusiasm. "First, let me hear about everyone's evaluations. You said you got 500 points?" I asked the Black man.

"Name's Marcus, Boss. And yeah, 500 points. The System said something about 'showing leadership potential in street culture' before roasting me about my life choices."

"I got 800," the Latino said. "José Martinez. Most of it was apparently for my 'artistic sensibilities' because I used to teach kids graffiti art at the community center. The System called it 'constructive vandalism.'"

"And I'm actually Kusuo Gyakuran!" the Asian guy beamed. "But everyone calls me Kusogaki since middle school, so the name just stuck. Got 5,450 points!"

"What?" everyone at the table exclaimed simultaneously.

"Yeah! The System said something about how my streaming career and that one video where I rickrolled an entire e-sports tournament had 'significant cultural impact.' Plus, I apparently have the longest active streak in some mobile game. I've been logging in daily for seven years straight!"

"How about you two?" I turned to the vampire couple. "It seems it counts only Pre-Tutorial achievements, right?"

"Well," Alisa smiled, "I received 10,500 points. The System seemed impressed that I not only accepted supernatural beings existed but actively sought them out. It called it 'exceptional adaptability to paradigm shifts.' Plus, I know five languages, have a six-figure job, and I'm beautiful and just charming!"

"The System wasn't as impressed with my more than a century of existence," Sergio admitted. "Only 4,000 points for 'maintaining humanitarian principles despite inherent predatory nature.' Though it did dock points for, and I quote, 'excessive brooding and poor fashion choices.' It's not my fault that fashion changes every decade!"

As we discussed points and evaluations, a small figure approached our table. A girl, no older than thirteen, stood nervously at the edge of our group. Her clothes—a worn t-shirt several sizes too big and patched jeans—had seen better days. Despite her disheveled appearance, she had a striking kind of cuteness that seemed almost too perfect. Her hair, falling in uneven pigtails, shifted between different pastel colors in the restaurant's lighting. Her eyes were similarly difficult to pin down—sometimes appearing amber, sometimes violet, like light refracting through crystal.

"E-excuse me," she stammered, her eyes fixed on our plates rather than our faces. "Could you... maybe... if you have any leftovers..."

Marcus and José exchanged knowing looks—they'd probably seen plenty of street kids in similar situations. Kusogaki stopped mid-bite, his usual goofy expression turning serious. Alisa's nurturing instincts visibly kicked in, but Sergio held her back slightly, his vampire instincts perhaps sensing something off that he couldn't quite identify.

I studied the girl carefully. In this place, nothing was quite what it seemed. My Mana Sense detected something unusual about her, but it was like trying to grab smoke—the moment I tried to focus on it, it slipped away. Still, she seemed harmless enough, and if there was one thing I'd learned in Luminosa, it was that sometimes the best way to handle potential threats was to keep them close.

"What's your name, kid?" I asked, already gesturing to the waiter for another order.

"Which one?" she replied, blinking her eyes cutely. "I have many."

Her response drew a chuckle from our group. Kids and their imaginary games— even in a place like this, some things remained universal.

"How about you pick your favorite?" I suggested.

"Hmm..." She tapped her chin thoughtfully, her ever-shifting pastel hair catching the light. "Today, I think I'll be Lucy!"

After we ordered her a proper meal, Lucy ate with surprising enthusiasm, though she remembered her manners between bites. Her eyes, changing colors like morning light through stained glass, sparkled with genuine joy at each new dish she tried.

"Thank you, mister," she said after finishing her meal. "Would you like to see a magic trick? As a thank you?"

Before I could respond, she pulled out a deck of cards from her oversized shirt pocket. The cards were well-loved, their edges soft from frequent use, with the kind of shine that only comes from passing through many hands.

"Pick a card, any card!" she said with childish enthusiasm. "But don't show it to me!"

I humored her, drawing a card—the Jack of Hearts.

"Now, look at it carefully," she said with a bright smile. "Really focus on it. Think about why you chose this particular card."

"Now, shuffle it back into the deck," she said, holding out the stack. After I did so, she made an elaborate show of shuffling the cards herself, her small hands moving with the practiced flair of a street performer.

"Your card..." she tapped my head playfully and somehow pulled the Queen of Spades from behind my ear, "is riding high! Oh wait, that's not your card at all!" she giggled.

She spread the deck with a flourish. "Your card is..." she plucked out the Jake of Hearts, "taking a wild ride!" She spun the card between her fingers before presenting it with a theatrical bow.

When I looked up to thank her for the trick, she was already skipping away, humming the tune from Mr. Chuckles' cartoon. But with her doing it, the song didn't sound half as creepy.

"That was a neat trick," Kusogaki said admiringly. "Though I could've sworn her hair was a different color when she left..."

I stared at the two cards she'd shown me; they were just normal playing cards. Was it a hint? A coincidence? Was that girl somehow special, or was it Barry's shenanigans again? If that was a hint, it could mean Leah and Jimmy weren't at the same place, but what did it change for me? I'd need to help them both, anyway.

"What would a kid do here, anyway?" I pondered. "Is the System so cruel that it sends even kids to Tutorials?"

"Actually," Sergio interjected, setting down his drink, "from what locals told me, children get a special difficulty called 'Carefree.' No death, no violence, just..."

"Like an actual amusement park visit?" Alisa finished for him.

"Exactly. Most kids here are either descendants of those who failed their Tutorials and couldn't leave, or..." Sergio hesitated, glancing around, "those who chose to stay."

"Chose to stay?" Marcus raised an eyebrow. "In this creepy place?"

"Some people apparently find it... appealing," Sergio said diplomatically. "Though after that cartoon show, I have to question their judgment. Not exactly the healthiest environment to raise children."

"Yeah," José muttered, absently shuffling the cards the girl had left behind. "Watching cute animals explode probably isn't great for kids' development."

"Still," Alisa added thoughtfully, "that girl seemed happy enough. Almost too happy, considering she was begging for food."

I pushed thoughts of the mysterious girl aside. There were more pressing matters to deal with—like figuring out how to survive in this twisted amusement park. With the vampire couple and the ex-gangsters looking at me expectantly, I knew I needed to get stronger, fast.

"Now, let's see the Booster Shop," I decided to check my options for the Temporary Points. And of course, the System had to screw me over here.

The Booster Shop is not available to you due to your special circumstances. As compensation, we will exchange your Temporary Points for debt reduction. We're so generous that we'll round up the points to reduce your debt by 100,000 points.

Thank you so much, you're so generous! I thought with a bitter smile.

If the System was truly interested in efficiency, it would let me keep more than 1% of my earnings. After all, if I could use those points to become stronger faster, I could take on more challenging missions with better rewards. A stronger tool earns more points—simple logic. But instead of allowing me to keep even 10% of my earnings to reinvest in my growth, it was content to take 99% for my debt and give me scraps. The System seemed more interested in watching me struggle than in optimizing its point collection.

Nothing unexpected here. In fact, I had a hunch about what the System wanted—for me to fail my Main Quest and become its slave. Then it would find plenty of fun ways to use me for its convenience. But, for better or worse, it still gave me fair chances here and there—and opened an entirely different path to power, which I was intent to take fully.

It was time to choose my first Archetype.

Chapter 16.

The System was generous enough to give me a brief explanation of its leveling system, and it turned out that even Common Archetypes weren't useless.

Kill enemies to earn EXP. You can also buy it for System Points. With enough EXP, you can gain a level. Each level gives you 5 free points to spend. There are level limits for each User Rank.

You start at level 0 and Rank F unless your starting Attributes total more than 100.

First, choose a Common rarity Archetype at level 0 to reach E rank.

At level 20, choose a Common or Uncommon Archetype to advance to D rank.

At level 50, choose an Uncommon or Rare Archetype to advance to C rank.

At level 100, choose a Rare or Ultra Rare Archetype to advance to B rank.

At level 250, choose an Ultra Rare or Epic Archetype to advance to A rank.

At level 500, choose an Epic or Legendary Archetype to advance to S rank.

At level 1000... when the time comes, we will tell you what to do.

Each advancement past the first requires paying a fee depending on the Rank and Rarity of the chosen Archetype. The rarer options require more System Points for advancement. You can't advance or continue to level up if you don't have any available Archetypes of the necessary rarity or enough points to pay the fee.

Now, choose your first Archetype from the following options:

The Nerd (Common)

Trait: Knowledge Seeker - Gain a 15% bonus to learning speed for theoretical subjects, -5% to social interactions. Don't worry, being socially awkward is part of the charm!

Innate Ability: Neural Mail - Create a temporary mental connection to transfer knowledge directly into an ally's mind. Warning: May cause headaches and a sudden urge to quote Star Wars.

Cost: Low

Cooldown: Short

Scaling: Mind

Gamer (Common)

Trait: Game Sense - Convert gaming experience into combat proficiency, increasing reaction speed by 20% and strategic thinking by 15% during battle. Those countless hours weren't wasted after all!

Innate Ability: Virtual Interface - Create a temporary HUD overlay showing levels, weak points, and predicted attack patterns of your targets. Note: No, you can't use it to quick-save in real life.

Cost: Low

Cooldown: Moderate

Scaling: Mind, Grace

Dropout (Common)

Trait: Street Smart - Convert missed academic opportunities into practical wisdom, gaining 15% to improvisation skills, -10% to academic pursuits. Who needs calculus when you can count cards?

Innate Ability: Street Smart Breakdown - Momentarily deconstruct complex scenarios into simplified survival patterns, revealing hidden paths and quick solutions. Reality becomes a playground of strategic possibilities.

Cost: Low

Cooldown: Short

Scaling: Mind

Robber (Common)

Trait: Urban Opportunist - Gain enhanced awareness of vulnerable targets and situational advantages. +15% chance to detect unguarded valuable opportunities in high-risk environments.

Innate Ability: Value Perception - Temporarily see valuable items and potential marks highlighted through walls. Like a thief's thermal vision, but shinier.

Cost: Very Low

Cooldown: Moderate

Scaling: Mind

Pit Fighter (Common)

Trait: Arena Veteran - Convert battle experience and audience attention into raw power. Gain Might and Grace equal to 10% of your Spirit when fighting in front of spectators (you should be watched by at least ten people to trigger this effect). Because nothing says 'entertainment' like showing off your moves while people bet on your survival!

Innate Ability: Crowd Pleaser - Temporarily enter a state of heightened combat awareness, where each successful strike builds crowd enthusiasm, converting it into increased combat effectiveness. The more they cheer, the stronger you become. The effect ends if no one is cheering for you… and can actually decrease your stats if the crowd is unhappy.

Cost: Moderate

Cooldown: Long

Scaling: Spirit

System installation: 87%

My choice was limited to Common rarity Archetypes. The Robber was immediately out of the question—the last thing I needed was for someone to check my Archetype and label me a thief. The Nerd, while offering some interesting utility, was fundamentally a non-combat Archetype. Its focus on theoretical knowledge and mental connections would be great for a scholar or researcher, but I needed something that would help me survive in battle. The social penalty was just the cherry on top of an already unsuitable choice, especially when coordinating with others was crucial for my quest.

Dropout was similarly misaligned with my needs. Sure, the street smarts and improvisation could be useful, but it was another Archetype better suited for someone avoiding direct confrontation. I needed power I could rely on in a fight, not just clever ways to find alternate solutions. Besides, my interrupted education wasn't something I particularly wanted to build my identity around.

In the end, my only options were Gamer and Pit Fighter. While both offered decent bonuses, Pit Fighter had obvious drawbacks. The requirement for spectators severely limited its usefulness—I couldn’t rely on having an audience every time I needed to fight. More importantly, the whole concept rubbed me the wrong way. I had spent enough time as the Kingdom's "entertainment" back in Luminosa, forced to prove myself while nobles watched and judged. The idea of building my power around amusing others while risking my life... no thanks.

The Gamer Archetype felt right. Not because of my recent arena performance, but because it represented who I was even before Luminosa. Those countless hours spent mastering games, developing split-second reactions and strategic thinking—it was the most authentic choice, an Archetype I had earned simply by being myself. Plus, the reaction speed bonus would always be active, not situational, and I was genuinely curious about how its Virtual Interface ability would look.

The moment I confirmed my choice, I felt the familiar fluctuations of the System's runes inscribing themselves on my existence. The runes were small, taking up little space or energy, but their complexity was staggering. My enhanced senses could detect their formation, but understanding them remained as impossible as comprehending the natural runes that governed my Elements.

The way Mana cultivation worked was easier to understand through metaphor. Think of it like a tree growing in soil with distinct layers. The deepest layer consisted of my body and soul—the foundation that determined how much Aether I could absorb and convert into Mana. The upper layer was my Condensed Mana, accumulated through cultivation and training. Just as soil holds water and nutrients, the quality of my body and soul determined how much Mana I could contain and utilize. Condensed Mana also served as a kind of sponge, increasing my capacity until it was converted into my foundation as I advanced to the next rank.

In my case, the "tree" produced three types of "fruit"—Air, Lightning, and Gravity. These were my Elements, manifestations of power that emerged naturally from my soul's resonance with specific types of Aether. The better I cultivated, the more powerful these manifestations became.

The System's modification added what felt like a third layer, distinct from both my natural foundation and my Condensed Mana. It was closer to the Condensed Mana in nature but fundamentally different—an artificial construct that didn’t interfere with my natural abilities. Instead, it used the groundwork created when the System extracted my Condensed Mana to establish its own growth pattern.

The Archetype felt like a metallic tree growing alongside my natural one, drawing from this new layer. My levels would add depth to this artificial soil, allowing both trees to flourish independently. While the metaphor wasn't perfect, it helped me understand what I was sensing—the beginning of a parallel path of power, one that would complement rather than replace my existing abilities.

The key difference lay in how these powers were understood. My Elements required months or years of practice to master truly, each new technique demanding countless hours of experimentation and failure. The System, however, simply granted knowledge directly through its runes, like downloading information straight into my soul.

The moment my Archetype settled, I decided to test its Innate Ability. Drawing a tiny amount of Mana—barely enough to notice the drain—I activated Virtual Interface. The sensation was unique, completely different from my usual manipulation of Elements. Instead of shaping Mana with my will, it felt more like flipping a switch, the System's runes lighting up in response to my intent.

My vision shifted subtly as information began overlaying reality. The most immediate change was seeing levels floating above everyone's heads in the restaurant—Sergio's level 25, Alisa's 7, Marcus's level 4, and both José and Kusogaki at level 3. Our dark elf waiter's level 250 was particularly eye-catching—far more convenient than having to deliberately query the System each time. The interface also highlighted potential movement patterns during combat, marking possible attack trajectories and defensive positions with faint lines, even in this peaceful setting.

Through my Mana Sense, I could feel how the ability drew power continuously but efficiently. I could maintain it for hours with just this minimal expenditure, though using more Mana would presumably enhance its analytical capabilities. For now, this basic activation was enough to familiarize myself with its features.

"Is something wrong?" Alisa asked, noticing my focused expression.

"Just testing a new ability," I replied, watching the numbers hover above their heads like some kind of RPG come to life. "Looks like my gaming addiction is finally paying off."

With the Archetype part of the System settled, I would normally need to choose my Skills next, based on what Sergio and Alisa had explained. Skills were supposedly even more useful than Archetypes, with options depending on your Archetype, level, and rank. You'd have to buy them for SP, but I had enough points for something basic. Of course, things couldn't be that simple.

System installation: 87%.

Quests
Achievement Assessment (Cleared)
Status

Archetypes
Skills [Unavailable]
Shop [Partial Availability]
Inventory [Unavailable]

Was the System intentionally keeping me weaker, or was there an actual problem with integration?

At least one important interface worked:

[You have leveled up!]

[...]

[You have leveled up!]

[Congratulations! You have reached level 8!]

Level 8? I couldn't help but shake my head. Wasn't the System being a bit too stingy? I'd defeated someone 357 levels above me. I was probably limited by some hidden restriction. Based on the pace of my companions, the first levels were supposed to be super fast to gain. But to be fair, I should have been around level 500 with my stats and normally wouldn't benefit from such weak opponents.

I opened my status screen. If the System was giving me points to spend, who was I to decline?

Status Screen

Race: Human*

Level: 8 (57%)

Archetypes: Gamer (Common)

Skills: None

Attributes [2573]

Might: 480

Grace: 620

Tenacity: 416

Mind: 56

Spirit: 1001

Free Attributes: 40

As I pondered how to distribute my free points, my gaze fixed on the race entry: "Human*". The asterisk caught my attention, and as if sensing my curiosity, more details appeared:

[Race: Human*] One of the common evolutionary results for mammalian species on worlds that achieve sapience. Very common among primates that develop brains capable of advanced thinking. While many species of humans exist, some are more sturdy and others more intelligent, you belong to the smarter strain. Your particular civilization has been advancing at such an unprecedented rate that your planet barely had time to Awaken before your technology could discover and utilize Aether. Had your world not connected to the System in time, your planet would have been forced to eliminate you to maintain balance. Thankfully, now that you are connected to the System, we will ensure your science develops along appropriate paths. You can thank us later.

[Unique Points of Humans]

●        Sophisticated cooling system allowing for superior endurance compared to most mammals (though birds still have you beat)

●        Hands capable of fine manipulation (though inferior to tentacles and other appendages of sapient species)

●        Physical strength is rather lackluster compared to body size, though trainable

●        Exceptional aptitude for communication and empathy (as well as murder and deviancy!)

●        You breed like rabbits if given enough resources and space

●        Have an unnerving tendency for self-destruction

[System Integration Notes] With the advent of Aether and Mana, your species demonstrates one of the most adaptable physical and mental codes. This grants humans access to a vast array of Archetypes and Skills, provided they prove themselves worthy. The chosen ones among you can achieve the peaks of power within the System. Your low starting point (below 100 total attribute points) allows the System to shape you advantageously in the long term compared to more powerful races that start at higher levels but lose some Archetype effects as a result.

[Special Status: Clinton Wyatt] You have been contaminated; your initial code has been altered to something else. However, this change was so natural and sophisticated that we could build around it, allowing you to follow the traditional human advancement path as if your initial attributes were below 100. There are very few beings quite like you. With our help, you could bring balance to the universe... or break it entirely.

[WARNING: Special Conditions] You require significantly more experience to advance levels. While this gap is almost tolerable at lower levels, it becomes increasingly noticeable as you progress. To fulfill your potential, you must fight increasingly powerful beings that you won't find in common worlds. Even Epic and Legendary Archetypes won't circumvent this requirement—you must defeat opponents many times your level. Unfortunately, we don't make all the rules (well, some of them we do, but others are beyond our control). We can't simply give you the most powerful Archetypes and Skills for free, no matter how special you are. We have to be fair, you know?

[System Status Update] Installation Progress : 87% Note: Your natural runes demonstrate remarkable defensive properties, resisting our interference. This makes integration... challenging.

Estimated time for complete System installation: 20 hours

I decided to invest 30 points into Mind, my lowest attribute, while leaving 10 for the future, just in case. The moment I confirmed this choice, I felt a distinct change—my Mind attribute jumped from 56 to 86. Through my Mana Sense, I detected an interesting phenomenon: new Condensed Mana forming in specific regions of my brain rather than spreading throughout my body.

This distribution of Mana was particularly telling. Different cultivation paths created distinct Mana patterns in the body. Fighters typically had their Mana spread evenly throughout their form, with minimal concentration in the head—perfect for physical enhancement. Casters were the opposite, concentrating almost all their Mana in the brain like a dense cluster of energy, maximizing their spell-casting potential. As a Primalist, I normally maintained a balance between these extremes, but this System-granted power—the addition to the Mind Attribute—was definitely brain-focused.

The boost was significant, but not in the way most people might expect. Even Casters with Mind attributes in the thousands didn't become super-geniuses; instead, their brains got more efficient at specific magical operations. Think of it as upgrading a computer's specialized graphics card rather than its general processor. But doing this would still improve the general performance, so to some extent things such as memory, math skill and so on enhanced as well. Your brain worked better, faster, but your IQ didn't change much. In more practical terms, the Mind attribute enhanced the ability to understand magical principles or runes and learn spells, while Spirit governed the actual manipulation of Mana and its efficiency.

The difference was still remarkable. I had been operating at above-human mental capacity since reaching the Third Tier, but this was different. Every cultivator, even at Tier One, processes information faster than normal humans, but raw processing power doesn't equal genius-level insights or creativity.

The System's enhancement seemed to build on my existing capabilities rather than fundamentally changing how my mind worked. With the differences between Archetypes and Elements, it was very possible that some people would utilize the Mind Attribute for science and discovery rather than for mere spells. And this... this was a scary thought. I couldn't help but remember the description of our race—it seemed that, whether due to the Atheos System or our planet itself, they perfectly understood how dangerous we could become using science. For better or worse, the System seemed to have some countermeasure in mind.

Before I could fully explore these new mental capabilities, a notification appeared that instantly derailed my train of thought:

[WARNING: One of your little geese has died. You should've taken better care of them.]

Chapter 17.

*** Fifty-six days after arriving in Luminosa ***

Today was a rare day of rest, with no training scheduled. For once, I could walk the castle grounds freely, without supervision. As the kingdom's supposed hope, I found this strange freedom unsettling, given how strictly I was usually monitored. The kingdom seemed oddly confident—either in their magical barriers and guards preventing any escape attempts or in their ability to protect me from potential demon assassins. Perhaps they simply didn’t yet place much faith in me or my importance. After all, what were the chances their enemies would target such an unproven "hero"?

Usually, I would have spent this free time trying to learn the local language. I still hoped to one day read their books perfectly and maybe even write down my experiences here. But today was different. In one of the most secluded spots of the Castle's Garden—really more of a small forest within the castle grounds—I sat in meditation, focusing my energy.

I tried to feel my Mana clearly, to become one with the air and wind itself. The promise I’d made to myself about surprising Lia on her birthday drove me forward. I wanted to prove I was a hero worth following. While everyone else treated me with skepticism or disdain, she believed in me, and she deserved to see my true potential.

After nearly an hour of deep meditation, I finally felt that elusive sensation of unity with the wind. I grasped it with all my willpower, feeling it resonate with both my condensed and free Mana. Almost half of my total Mana capacity stirred in response to this communion. Opening my eyes, I stood and faced a particularly thick oak tree.

I commanded my Air Mana to strike the tree. The attack landed with a thunderous crack, wind blades exploding chaotically against the trunk. After hundreds of attempts to perfect this technique, I had finally achieved enough control to use it effectively in combat. The tree's trunk was completely dissected where my ability hit, leaving a roughly shaped hole through its center that you could see straight through. In fact, I could probably pass through it and was a bit worried that the tree would fall, but it seemed sturdy enough to withstand such a "wound," at least for now.

As I laughed to myself, anticipating the shocked faces of tomorrow, I heard the distinctive sound of slow, deliberate clapping from behind me. For a brief, hopeful moment, my heart leaped—could Lia have somehow snuck in to watch my practice? Part of me felt both frightened and excited at the prospect. But I quickly dismissed the thought; no one except the Royal Family was permitted to roam these particular grounds, and only they would dare announce their presence so boldly. Besides, Lia would never be so dramatic in her approach.

The clapping continued, each strike of palm against palm echoing with practiced precision—the kind of applause meant to command attention rather than show genuine appreciation. I turned to face my observer, already dreading who I would find.

Princess Saella approached with characteristic grace, and my heart immediately sank. To say I wasn't fond of the princess would be an understatement. Though we hadn’t known each other long or interacted much, I already despised her. She might be as beautiful and elegant as any fairy tale princess, but she was also utterly cruel.

"It seems everyone here underestimated you," she said, sizing me up with an appraising smile that never reached her eyes. "Just like a fighting dog, I should say. But perhaps you truly are the hero our kingdom needs." Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Look at yourself—when you arrived, you were so dumb and ugly. Now... well, you're still not particularly handsome, but at least looking at your face doesn't make me want to vomit." She laughed delicately. "Don't be sad; that's actually a compliment. You see, I hate most people. They're all so disgusting. But when I see someone worthwhile, I treat them well."

Princess Saella's words made my skin crawl, but I forced myself to bow respectfully. "Your Highness honors me with such... generous compliments."

"Oh? You've learned some manners too." She stepped closer, her perfume carrying notes of night-blooming flowers. "You know, traditionally, a Chosen Hero would be considered a suitable match for a princess. When you first arrived, the very thought made me laugh." Her fingers traced patterns in the air, leaving faint trails of Mana. "But now... if you continue to prove your worth..."

"Your Highness is too kind," I said carefully, maintaining my polite facade. "But I must return to my world once my mission is complete."

She laughed, the sound like breaking crystal. "That's not a problem at all. As long as you leave behind a strong heir... someone to carry on your heroic bloodline."

"Surely Your Highness could find someone more worthy—"

The temperature dropped suddenly as her Mana flared. "Are you refusing me?" The princess's beautiful features twisted slightly, her eyes flickering with barely contained power. "Do you think yourself too good for a princess of the realm?"

"Not at all, Your Highness. Quite the opposite—"

"Ah, I see the problem now." Her smile returned, sharper than before. "You've been spending an awful lot of time with that peasant girl. Lia, isn't it?" She practically spat the name. "How unfitting for a hero to associate with such... common stock. Though I suppose even dogs need someone to play with."

I kept my expression neutral, even as my hands clenched at my sides. "She's my training partner, nothing more."

Even as I said those words, I realized how close in age Lia and I were, and how her fierce determination made her quite attractive in her own way. But I quickly pushed those thoughts aside—she reminded me too much of my little sister back home. Still, hearing the princess speak of her with such contempt made my blood boil.

"See that it stays that way." Princess Saella's Mana pressed down like a physical weight. "It would be a shame if something happened to disturb her... training."

Just you wait until I'm strong enough... strong enough to not bow to anyone. The thoughts burned in my mind, even as I maintained my submissive posture.

One day, I wouldn't have to pretend anymore.

***

The moment I saw the message, I checked the map. Sure enough, one of the dots had vanished—one of the pair at the roller coaster zone. While not entirely unexpected, given they still had revival points left, this was far from pleasant news. The one who died had only possessed a single revival point, which was now gone.

Damn, don't die before I even meet you, I thought, shaking my head. Before I could fully process this, another message appeared:

[WARNING: Hey, one more of your geese have died. You really are a bad mama goose. Shouldn't you take this more seriously?]

Again, it was a dot at the roller coaster. Then, as if on cue, another dot at the Ferris wheel—the one with only one revival—disappeared, leaving only one there with three revivals. Another message notified me of their demise.

[WARNING: Wow, you really don't care about your children, do you? Now three of them have died, and you did nothing to protect or avenge them. Is this how you want things to be done? Get a hold of yourself, you lazy ass.]

I clenched my fists, fury building inside me. Now I regretted listening to the clown. While Barry had seemed nice enough—if you ignored how creepy his mere existence was—he hadn't appeared to be an enemy. But now I couldn't help but question his motives for delaying me. It was strange... strange that only now did I truly understand the gravity of the situation.

Was it the cartoon, huh? I thought suddenly. Somehow I feel it's to blame. Even if I seemingly got out of its initial influence, it affected my thoughts and actions, making me more... optimistic? Less cautious? I don't know... I mean, there's no guarantee that the so-called revival is perfect, so there's a risk that I'd lose Leah and Jimmy for real... or just lost them. Damn it, pucking chipmunk... If I really lose my sister or friend... I won't forgive anyone responsible. Including myself.

"What happened?" Marcus asked, noticing the discomfort on my face and perhaps sensing the stirring of my Mana.

"Nothing. Just that some of the people under my care... they just died."

"Oh..." the three gangsters sighed.

"Sergio," I turned to the vampire, "I need an explanation about Revival. You didn't actually die when you lost your bet, right?"

"No," he replied. "I only bet my Revival Point rather than my actual life. So I wasn't killed or revived, just lost the point."

"And what happens when you actually die?" I pressed.

"It was like a dream," Alisa said quietly. "One moment my body was torn to pieces, the pain driving me mad... and the next, I was standing in the restroom at the entrance to the attraction where we had died."

"The restroom?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," Sergio added. "The System said it was the Revival Point assigned for this location."

"And what about when our glorious trio was dying?" I asked, glancing at the former gangsters.

"What? We lost Revival Points, but I don't remember dying," José said, confused.

"Yeah, must be a bug in the System," Kusogaki chimed in. "Though maybe I'm glad to forget my deaths."

I frowned. "So, did your actual body regenerate?" I asked Sergio. "Or did it disappear only to be recreated from scratch?" The implications of the latter possibility troubled me.

"I'm not sure," Sergio admitted. "But from what I saw, the bodies of dead users were indeed dissipating. I have no idea if they teleport to the revival zone or just... cease to exist."

"Oh, I see what you're thinking about, Boss!" Kusogaki perked up. "If our previous body just disappears, then perhaps revival doesn't actually revive us, but just creates a complete copy."

"What's the difference?" Marcus asked, scratching his smooth head.

Kusogaki looked at his friend as if he were asking the most obvious question in the world. "If it's just a copy, then it means you've already died. The real you is gone—it's just an alternate version continuing on. Think about it: if you're being replicated, it could happen even without you dying. Would that other you still be you?"

"Of course not," I nodded. "A part of what makes you yourself is continuity. Even a perfect replica wouldn't truly be you. But there's one more thing to consider—the soul."

"The soul?" Kusogaki raised his brows.

"Yeah. It's not as bad as it sounds, even if the body is recreated from scratch. I don't think it's possible to make an exact copy unless the soul is recreated as well, which I doubt even the System could do. Realistically, even in the worst-case scenario, only the body is made from scratch, while the soul remains the same during revival."

"So you're telling me souls are real?"

"Yeah, I can even perceive them with my Mana Sense if I focus deeply enough. On another topic, how long did it take for you to revive?" I asked the vampire couple.

"The System message said you revive after one hour plus ten minutes per level," Alisa answered. "It seems to apply even for deaths in the safe zones."

"Oh yeah, some nun-looking psycho just randomly killed me while I was standing in line to buy ice cream for Alisa..." Sergio added awkwardly. "Thankfully, it didn't take any Revival Points from me. So I can confirm that the revival works the same in the safe zones."

One hour minimum. Even so, that didn't mean I had to wait that long—not when there was still one more person on the Ferris wheel. And there was a very real chance that this would be Leah—if the mysterious girl's "fortune-telling" meant anything. I also didn't know if the people under my care would revive inside the attractions and be forced to continue them. Would they still be safe afterward, or die again like the gangsters? The one thing I couldn't let happen was for any of them to waste all of their Revival Points and die for real. That would be game over—for them and for me.

"Were you safe after reviving?" I asked Sergio.

"Well, yeah. We appeared in the restroom, and with our attraction quest failed, we left its zone and continued our normal lives—if you can even call it that," he shared a look with Alisa.

Of course, I hadn't forgotten that the gangsters had most likely revived inside their cage and died multiple times without the ability to escape. Just because Sergio and Alisa revived at a safe point didn't mean the same applied to every situation.

In this case, I couldn't waste time. First, I didn't know how easy it would be to enter the attractions before they officially opened or what consequences that might bring. But did I have any other choice? No. Whatever the clown had said, I now knew that I couldn't afford to wait.

"Are you certain you're safe in the attraction areas?" I asked Sergio and Alisa.

"Well, the System and the clown both said that even if we die, we can freely revive in the city," Alisa replied hesitantly.

"Is that so?" I mused thoughtfully. "But if someone drags you into an attraction against your will, you'll probably still die. That's what I learned from the gangsters' situation."

Both Sergio and Alisa nodded grimly, understanding the implications. At the same time, I had an idea... but I didn't like it much, and I believed they would like it even less. In either case, there was one more matter for us to solve before I could hurry to the Ferris wheel.

The people outside the Happiest Chicken had been bugging me with their presence for some time already.

Chapter 18.

"Hey guys! Thank you for the meal!" I said to the waiter as I stood up from our table.

"It was our honor to serve you, Champion," the dark elf replied with another respectful bow, though I noticed tension in his golden eyes as they flickered toward the entrance. "Though perhaps... would you like to stay for dessert?"

"I think we have an audience that's been waiting for us for a while," I said, glancing around the lively establishment. The other patrons had grown oddly quiet, and I realized no new customers had entered for at least ten minutes. Even the usual carnival music playing outside had taken on an eerie quality, as if the very atmosphere was holding its breath.

I led my group toward the exit, the former gangsters clustering close behind me while Sergio and Alisa brought up the rear. The dark elf waiter gave me a knowing nod as we passed—the kind of gesture that suggested he'd seen similar situations before and was glad not to be involved.

Through my Mana Sense, I'd already noticed a strange group that had been guarding the entrance for the last ten minutes or so. While I couldn't be entirely certain they were after us, I doubted there were many other reasons for such an organized force to surround a fast-food restaurant in an amusement park, no matter how good their chicken was.

"For the back door?" Sergio whispered as he finally sensed who was waiting outside. His normally pale complexion had somehow managed to become even whiter, and I could feel his Mana fluctuating with barely contained anxiety.

"No worries, Mr. Vampire. I won't let anyone else hurt you." The words had barely left my mouth when a cross-shaped throwing knife whistled through the air, its silvered surface catching the neon lights as it spun toward my vampire companion's heart before he could even step through the doorway.

I didn't bother using magic, simply catching the projectile with my hand. The metal was cold to the touch yet somehow burned with an inner warmth. Great, holy weapons. Because regular ones weren't annoying enough.

"It wasn't exactly a nice greeting," I said, stepping forward to shield my companions as I studied our welcoming committee.

The scene before us looked like someone had dropped a medieval crusade into the middle of a carnival. Exactly forty people—because apparently, holy numbers were important—stood in an orderly half-circle around the entrance. They wore either gleaming silver armor or pristine white habits, both of which seemed suspiciously clean considering the amount of sugar-loaded snacks floating around. Their synchronized movements and identical blank expressions made Disney animatronics look natural by comparison.

Their leader, however, was something else. He wore simple white robes with a golden cross, yet somehow managed to make everyone else look like they'd bought their outfits at a Halloween clearance sale. His face belonged on a religious motivational poster, complete with that "I love all God's creatures but some need loving through divine punishment" kind of smile. Every movement was deliberate and graceful, as if he were constantly aware of invisible cameras filming his holy highlight reel.

Beside him stood a woman who looked like someone's very inappropriate fantasy of a battle nun. Her habit did little to hide curves that probably counted as their own deadly sin, though her face had all the warmth of a church gargoyle. She was the one who'd thrown the knife, and she didn't seem very happy about me catching it.

I spun her weapon between my fingers, admiring the fancy holy runes. Seriously, who puts this much effort into making a throwing knife? It suddenly vanished in a puff of sanctified smoke—show-off—and reappeared in her hand.

"Mille, you were too hasty," the man said without looking at her, his voice carrying the kind of smooth authority that probably got a lot of practice telling people they were sinners but loved them anyway. "As the Good Book teaches us, 'Judge not, lest ye be judged.' I must apologize for her... overzealousness."

"I think my hand slipped when I saw this vile creature," Mille replied, her tone suggesting she'd probably try to "slip" again given the chance. She stared at Sergio as if he'd personally offended her entire family tree and their pets.

"Vile or not," the leader chided with the patience of someone used to dealing with overeager demon hunters, "we must show restraint before our future brother. Are we not taught that 'he who is without sin cast the first stone'? The path to salvation welcomes all who would walk it. Why don't you show some remorse?" His serene smile never wavered, though his eyes suggested something more along the lines of "some walking paths end in convenient cliffs."

At their leader's acknowledgment, Mille dropped to her knees with mechanical precision, as if someone had pulled her holy puppet strings. The rest of the group remained perfectly still, their blank faces reflecting the carnival lights like the world's creepiest church choir.

He turned to me with a slight bow that managed to be both respectful and condescending at the same time. "Mr. Clinton Wyatt."

Behind me, I heard Marcus whisper, "What the fuck?" which pretty much summed up my thoughts exactly.

Mille's sudden display of submission made me raise an eyebrow. "No need for that," I said. "I find displays of forced humility rather distasteful. Besides, you're blocking access to this fine establishment—not great for business."

"'Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's,'" the man replied, his serene smile unwavering. "I shall ensure the owner is well compensated. My flock needs sustenance as well." He gestured to his followers, who remained as still as statues. Do they even eat? They look more like they run on holy energy and righteous indignation.

"You!" Sergio suddenly exclaimed, his usual cool demeanor cracking like thin ice. "This is impossible! How—" He grabbed Alisa's arm with enough force to make me worry for her circulation. "Clinton, we need to leave. Now!"

I understood his unease. That cross-shaped knife hadn't been a simple weapon—it radiated enough holy energy to make a demon's birthday party look like a church picnic. Someone had clearly put a lot of thought into making something specifically designed to ruin a vampire's day.

"I see you know my name," I said to the leader, "but I don't know yours. Quite rude, especially when attempting to murder someone under my protection right in front of me." I turned to the kneeling woman. "Stand up, beautiful. If I wanted you on your knees, I would have put you there myself."

"Yes, of course. How unwise of me," the man's voice remained smooth as expensive communion wine. "I am Lucius the Third, Pope of the Church of Human Liberation. And as the scripture says, 'Pride goeth before destruction,' after all. As for this little lamb, she's Mille, one of my Cardinals."

The Pope made a subtle gesture with his hand, and Mille rose with that same uncanny smoothness. Even this simple movement carried an underlying power that made my Mana Sense tingle.

I activated my Player's Virtual Interface, not wanting to waste energy checking levels individually. Well, well, well. The System had been busy these past three days—every member of their faceless mob registered as equivalent to a Tier 3 Cultivator, with levels between 200 and 250. Not bad for three days of Tutorial.

Mille showed as level 450, which explained why she felt confident enough to try skewering a vampire under my protection. But their leader...

He was only the second Tier 5 being I'd encountered here, sitting at exactly level 519. Still far from Barry's power, but enough to make this situation delicate.

Something wasn't adding up, though. These levels—it shouldn't have been possible to advance so quickly, even with the System's support and whatever they bought from the Booster Shop. As I scanned their bodies with my Mana Sense, I could feel the distinct division of power within them.

The rank-and-file members' strength was a peculiar mix—about 60% seemed to come from whatever power they'd brought with them, while 40% was clearly the System's work. But the Pope and his Cardinal were different. Their power was almost entirely their own, with the System merely adding a thin veneer on top—perhaps 10% at most.

That original power... it was like looking at the opposite side of a coin I'd grown familiar with in Luminosa. If Sin Authority was corruption and degradation, this energy represented purity and order. The power of Virtues—something that made Sergio's vampiric nature recoil instinctively. I'd only encountered a couple of beings with this exact power in the other world, and it felt unusual to see so many bearers of it at once.

Great, I thought. Not only do we have religious zealots, but they're religious zealots with powers that predate the System. Just what this Tutorial needed.

Behind me, Kusogaki whispered something about "pay-to-win players," while Marcus and José shifted nervously. From their point of view, it indeed looked like a bunch of people had used millions of Temporary Points to boost themselves for free.

"So, Lucius—" I began, only to be interrupted.

"'His Grace' Lucius, or you may address him as 'Your Holiness,'" Mille corrected in that same mechanical voice, though now a hint of irritation cracked through her emotionless facade.

"So, Lucius," I continued deliberately, "first—why are you here? Second—how do you know my name? And third—what do you want? Make it quick and clear; I'm on a tight schedule."

"It's just as the Scripture foretold," Lucius replied, his voice maintaining that unnaturally perfect calm. Unlike his Cardinal, who looked ready to throw another knife, he showed no sign of annoyance at my irreverent tone. "You are indeed a man who strides straight to the point. As the Lord said, 'Blessed are the pure in heart.'"

His deep eyes locked onto mine, and something in them sent a chill down my spine. There was an uncanny quality to his gaze—like looking into the eyes of something wearing human skin. His emotions felt artificial, rehearsed.

"I am but a humble servant who follows a higher purpose," he continued. "I merely follow the Scripture and pursue my singular goal—to save humanity and guide it along God's path."

"God? Which one?" I asked. "Because I know of at least one Goddess, and I'm pretty sure she's not the only one. If the System's to be believed, we're dealing with gods aplenty."

Lucius shook his head as if I'd said something incredibly foolish. "I speak of the One True God, not those false deities. First, there was the Word, and He created humanity in His own image. I speak of the God of Humanity itself."

"So is He speaking to you?" I raised an eyebrow. "In your head or something?"

I couldn't dismiss him as just another religious fanatic—not when he wielded such power despite supposedly being from Earth, just like me. The source of that power remained unclear—it clearly wasn't granted by the System, yet somehow it had been received on Earth. While vampires could absorb Aether from living beings, their source of Mana was different. Earth, before its Awakening, had such minuscule amounts of Aether that reaching even the First Tier of cultivation should have been impossible. Perhaps there was some deity working behind the scenes, something with vast power similar to the Goddess who’d summoned me to Luminosa.

"Those who have ears to hear shall hear," he said, glancing at a book in his hands. "God knows all but speaks not to mortals. Yet through the Scripture, I follow His intentions."

What shocked me most was that I had not even noticed the book until he looked at it. Using my Mana Sense, I realized I still couldn’t properly detect it—as if it existed in a blind spot of my perception unless Lucius specifically allowed me to see it.

"And what does your scripture say about me?"

"The Lord reveals only what we need to fulfill His will," the Pope said matter-of-factly. His eyes shifted to Sergio. "And the scripture speaks of you as our greatest hope in defeating humanity's sworn enemies—the vampires."

"This one is under my protection," I said firmly as tension crackled in the air, nodding towards Sergio.

"That's not a problem at all," Lucius replied smoothly. "We only need one vampire—the Progenitor Queen herself."

"So you don't care about the others?" I asked. "Or do you plan to kill them all one by one after you get my help dealing with their boss?"

"It's fine either way." Lucius spread his hands in a gesture of divine reason. "Even their Clan leaders who think they rule the human race are worthless compared to her. Nothing but insects pretending to be dragons. Whether we get rid of them or not isn’t that important."

"The Progenitor is humanity's true enemy," Mille stated with cold certainty. "A genuine threat to both mankind and God."

"She doesn’t even exist—she’s just a legend," Sergio scoffed, though fear tinged his voice.

"Oh, ignorant little lamb," Lucius said, his perfect smile never wavering. "You're so insignificant among your kind that you have not the slightest idea. Not only is she real, but she now lurks in this strange place, gathering power. Earth's Awakening wasn't a coincidence—she's one of the few beings who can drain Aether directly from a planet's core. When she returns home with Earth's newfound power... well, let's just say even our combined power might not be enough to defeat her anymore."

I only met one being who could directly manipulate a planet's Aether—the Demon Queen, I thought. If this Progenitor had similar abilities, she could indeed be dangerous. And, based on how Sergio used the power of a Sin, the Progenitor could very well be a powerful variation of a demon. But so what?

"Honestly? Not my problem." I shrugged. "If she gets in my way, I'll deal with her. Otherwise, I won't go hunting her down. I'm not some hero in shining armor—I'm just a guy who cares about protecting the people right in front of me. I won't go out of my way to save everyone."

"With great power comes great responsibility," Lucius intoned solemnly, raising his holy book.

"I'm pretty sure that's not from the Bible," I chuckled. "Unless Uncle Ben was secretly one of the apostles?"

Behind me, I heard Kusogaki whisper, "He's got a point," while Marcus and José nodded thoughtfully, clearly more familiar with comic books than scripture.

"For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required," Lucius corrected smoothly, though a flicker of annoyance crossed his perfect features. "The meaning remains the same."

"Of course, it's give and take," Lucius continued, his benevolent smile returning as if our brief discussion of comic book philosophy had never happened. Even as Mille's eyes flashed with barely contained disdain at my irreverence, he pressed on. "The scripture says we can be useful to each other. I believe you will encounter the Progenitor sooner or later, and we would be far stronger allies than enemies. I speak not only of slaying her but of completing our impossible Tutorials."

Well, I thought, that was obvious enough. Someone as strong as he is would naturally be put in similar circumstances as me, with an impossible Tutorial forced upon him.

"You may be powerful," he continued, "but you are just one person. Some goals require numbers. Right now, you want to help those under your protection, but you can't simply leave these people undefended. You'll have to take them with you, which will restrict you greatly."

His voice took on that same paternal tone he'd used when quoting scripture. "I offer to place them under our protection while you deal with saving the others. Our cooperation wouldn't end there. We will continue to exchange information and lend our power to each other to achieve our goals. I believe sooner or later you'll realize we're on the same side—the side of humanity."

Remember how I mentioned there's a way to keep my companions safe for a while? I thought as I studied Lucius's expectant face. Yeah, they won't like it, but it seems I don't have much choice. Better than leaving them with these zealots.

"So you want me to trust my people to someone who surrounded us in an obvious display of power, whose right hand just tried to kill one of those she's now supposed to guard?" I shook my head. "Listen, it seems you still misunderstand something. I'm not the hero you're looking for. I'm not on humanity's side. I'm on my own side. As for the safety of my companions..." I turned toward my group with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, guys. I'll explain later. Maybe even apologize. Just kidding about that last part."

Gravity Mana gathered in my core as I spoke, condensing into tiny spheres no bigger than half an inch. Five perfect marbles of concentrated power, each as precise as a surgeon's tool. Through their ears they went, quick as thought—no blood, no gore, just the silent passage of invisible force. Kusogaki was mid-sentence about something involving anime, Marcus had opened his mouth to ask a question, and José was scratching his head in confusion. Sergio had just tightened his grip on Alisa's hand, perhaps sensing something wrong in that final instant.

Then, like puppets with cut strings, they collapsed. No dramatic sprays of blood, no agonized screams—just five bodies hitting the ground with dull thuds, their brains liquefied with surgical precision. Even Sergio, for all his vampiric resilience, couldn't survive having his gray matter turned to a fine slurry. His enhanced healing meant nothing when there was nothing left to heal.

Five deaths in less than a second. Clean. Efficient. Almost elegant, if you could call murder elegant. The System flooded me with notifications, clearly unhappy with my tactics. I ignored them all.

"Listen," I said to the stunned Pope, whose perfect smile had finally cracked, "I'm not a hero. I'm just a murderer with extra steps. If you want us to cooperate, you'll need to try better than this." I stepped over the bodies of my companions. "You ask me to help you, but you do so without respect. You don't offer friendship; you don't even think to call me Daddy. Instead, you come while I'm in a hurry and ask me to commit murder—for free."

Yeah, I loved that one old movie; I really did.

"How dare you—" Mille surged forward, the power of her Virtues crackling around her.

Wrong move.

A wave of Gravity Mana crashed down, driving her to all fours. The concrete beneath her cracked under the pressure.

"I told you that if I wanted you to kneel, I could force you myself." I looked down at her trembling form before turning to her boss. "Now we can speak without distractions, right, Pope?"

I met Lucius's gaze with a provocative smile. The message was clear: he wasn't making the rules.

I was.

Chapter 19.

*** Fifty-seven days after arriving in Luminosa ***

Dawn painted the training yard in shades of gold as I found Lia in our usual meeting spot. She sat on the stone bench, already in her training gear, watching the magical flowers shift from night-purple to morning-blue.

"Happy birthday," I said, holding out a small package wrapped in leaves—proper paper being too expensive for an outsider like me. Inside was a water lily I had carefully preserved using some basic Air Mana techniques I had developed. It wasn't much of a gift, but it was the best I could manage.

"You remembered." Her smile lacked its usual fierce energy as she took the gift. "Today's my last fight as an Initiate. After this, I'll advance to Tier 1—as a Primalist."

"About that..." I tried to keep my voice casual. "I prepared another surprise for you, which you'll see when we fight. Something to make your advancement day special."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And here I thought you'd just try not to embarrass yourself too badly in our final spar."

"Maybe I'll even give you a challenge this time."

She laughed, but it sounded forced. "You've improved, but..." She glanced toward the tribunes, where nobles were already gathering to watch the day's training. "Just... don't push yourself too hard, okay? After today, I'll be one step closer to my dream. Once I reach Tier 4, I can finally earn noble status and protect my hometown properly. The border won't defend itself."

The training yard filled quickly. News of Lia's advancement had drawn quite a crowd—though I noticed most were there to curry favor with Princess Saella, who sat in her usual elevated position, looking even more bored than usual.

Sir Roland called us to the center of the yard. "Today marks a special occasion," he announced, his scarred face betraying no emotion. "Show us what you've learned."

Lia assumed her stance, practice sword held with perfect form. I mirrored her, feeling Air Mana stirring in response to my excitement. This was my chance to show her she wasn't alone—to prove I understood the path she walked.

"Come on," I called out, loud enough for others to hear. "Show everyone your true power. Let them see what makes you special!"

Her eyes widened slightly, but then determination set in. Water Mana gathered around her blade, extending it like a living stream. The crowd murmured—such precise control was rare even among full cultivators, let alone an Initiate.

She struck first, her water-enhanced blade singing through the air. I dodged, adding just enough Air Mana to my movements to match her speed. Her second strike came faster, but I was ready. Three rapid slashes followed, each a perfect arc of water that could have severed stone. I wove between them, my reflexes enhanced by the Mana Boost, allowing me to predict her patterns.

"Not bad," she said, smoothly transitioning into a complex series of thrusts. Each strike left afterimages in the air, her water extension creating multiple potential attack angles. "But you're still holding back."

"So are you."

Her next attack came like a tidal wave—water spiraling around her in intricate patterns as she pressed forward. I gave ground, relying more heavily on Air Mana to evade her increasingly precise strikes. The crowd’s murmurs grew louder as I managed to parry attacks that should have overwhelmed me.

She shifted tactics, using her water to create a constantly shifting barrier around herself while striking through gaps that appeared and vanished like breaking waves. It was beautiful and deadly—the mark of a true Primalist’s control.

Then she caught me with a feint. Her water whip wrapped around my ankle just as I dodged what I thought was her main attack. I hit the ground hard, rolling away just as her practice sword struck where I’d fallen.

This was it. The moment I’d been waiting for.

Pride and eagerness overwhelmed my usual caution as I gathered Air Mana for the technique I’d developed in secret. The wind responded to my will, condensing into visible ripples around my blade—just like her water extension, but with my element, proof that I too walked the Primalist path.

She can handle this, right? I thought as power built within my blade. She's the strongest Initiate in the kingdom. My two months of training won’t be enough to overcome her, but at the very least, I'll show her that I'm worthy of my Chosen Hero title!

Her eyes lit up with recognition, a smile starting to form—she understood what I was showing her. But as I unleashed the attack, her smile faltered. The Air Mana, amplified by my excitement and desire to impress, surged beyond the power I’d demonstrated before. The force flowing through my blade became a raging tempest I didn’t know I was capable of.

Amazing! I thought. With this, I can win!

Lia tried to defend, raising a wall of water, but the compressed air tore through it like paper. The violent currents of Air Mana sliced through her right side even as she attempted to dodge, catching her arm, shoulder, and a portion of her face in the assault.

Her arm, decimated by the power of Wind itself, hit the ground with a wet thud, reduced to a mangled mess. Her face—disfigured. Her eyes filled with shock as she cried out in pain and collapsed to her knees.

"T-this can't be!" The words slipped out as horror gripped me. "Y-you should've handled something like this easily, right?! I thought... I thought you were stronger!"

I could never forget the glance Lia gave me at that moment. It was filled with a mixture of fear, anger, and... something else. In the end, to my complete surprise, she smiled before fainting in a pool of her own blood.

The world seemed to stop. Then, impossibly, I heard clapping.

Princess Saella was on her feet, applauding with genuine enthusiasm. "Magnificent!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with cruel delight. "Such power from our supposed hero! Finally, you show some promise!"

The other nobles quickly joined in, their faces alight with the savage joy that comes from reveling in others' suffering. Their applause echoed off the castle walls, mocking the notion of celebration.

Even Sir Roland nodded approvingly. "Excellent display of power," the knight remarked, as if we had just completed a routine spar. "The raw force behind that technique... truly impressive."

"No..." I rushed to Lia's side, my mind racing. Without immediate treatment, even if she survived—which I believed was nearly certain—the damage would be permanent. Even if they eventually managed to regenerate her arm, the Mana channels would never reform properly. Her dream of reaching Tier 4, of earning noble status and protecting her hometown—all of it would remain forever out of reach.

"We need healers! Now!" My voice cracked with desperation. "If we act quickly, there's still a chance to save her!"

"Oh?" Princess Saella's voice dripped with mock concern. "Whatever for? She has the Water Element, doesn't she? Surely a would-be Primalist can handle a little injury." She leaned forward, savoring the moment. "Though I suppose this ends her ridiculous dream of nobility. How fitting."

I looked up to see her smiling—that same cruel smile she always wore when inflicting pain on others. Only now did I fully grasp the meaning behind that smile.

"This is what happens to peasants who reach beyond their station," she declared, her melodic voice carrying to every corner of the yard. "Let this be a lesson to all who would forget their place."

The healers had started to step forward, but at her words, they hesitated. None would dare defy the princess.

"Please..." My voice broke as I cradled Lia, trying to staunch the bleeding with my bare hands. "Without proper healing now, she'll never advance beyond Tier 1!"

"Then she was never worthy to begin with." The princess turned away, already losing interest. "Come, everyone. I believe the kitchens have prepared a delightful breakfast. Let the peasants tend to their own."

The nobles followed her like obedient dogs, their earlier enthusiasm forgotten. Some continued to discuss my technique, debating its applications with academic detachment. Not one spared a glance for the fallen girl whose dreams they had just watched shatter.

Only Sir Roland remained, observing dispassionately as Lia's blood soaked into the sand.

"Well done," he said to me. "You've finally shown some promise. The raw power behind that technique... with proper refinement, it could become a signature move worthy of a hero."

Then he too walked away, leaving me alone with the consequences of my actions.

That was the day I truly understood the world I had been summoned to. Not a fantasy adventure, but a nightmare dressed in golden robes and false smiles. The day I learned that those people understood only one language. The language of power.

And somewhere in the back of my mind, as I watched Lia's life path crumble beneath my blood-stained hands, I made a promise: one day, I would make them pay—all of them.

Starting with that smiling princess.

*** Current time ***

[Warning! You've killed an E-Rank User at a Safe Zone. You receive no EXP. 1,000 System Points deducted.]

Yes, I killed them. My companions.

[Warning! You've killed an E-Rank User at a Safe Zone. You receive no EXP. 1,000 System Points deducted.]

Sure, they were strangers, but they trusted me. Relied on me.

[Warning! You've killed an E-Rank User at a Safe Zone. You receive no EXP. 1,000 System Points deducted.]

There was a risk that their deaths meant more than just waiting until their revival... that I just ended a "version" of them that would never be truly recreated.

[Warning! You've killed an E-Rank User at a Safe Zone. You receive no EXP. 1,000 System Points deducted.]

But did it matter when there was a chance—no matter how slim—that my sister's life was at stake?

[Warning! You've killed an D-Rank User at a Safe Zone. You receive no EXP. 2,000 System Points deducted.]

Now that they were dead, I had nothing holding me back.

[What a terrible Mama Goose! Killing her little babies... how cruel! Additional penalty: 5000 System Points. Hope it was worth it!]

No one the Pope could use against me if it came to us becoming enemies.

[Warning! You have a negative System Point balance.]

Funds: 2,900-11,000=-8,100 SP

The System Points? Betrayal of trust? Those were a price I was willing to pay.

[Ringmaster disapproves of your methods]

[Mr. Chuckles is watching you with great interest]

[You've unlocked a new Archetype: Cold-Blooded (Rare)]

Lucius didn't even glance at his Cardinal struggling under 100,000 pounds of force created by my Gravity Mana. "'Be still, and know that I am God,'" he said with practiced serenity, though I noticed the slight tremor in his voice. His plans clearly hadn't accounted for this. "It seems I understand what kind of person you are a bit better now."

"Yeah? Glad to hear that."

"You lack humility. But perhaps rightfully so. You don't want anyone to have control over you... or over what is yours. I understand, Clinton." His tone became more relaxed, perhaps revealing a bit more of his true self. "So, let me get straight to the point—what do you want, exactly?"

Honestly, I had been ready for a confrontation in the worst-case scenario. I wasn't afraid, but that would definitely slow me down and make it harder to reach my goals. It seemed my little bet paid off, and the Pope really wanted to borrow my power.

Mille was a monster in her own right for resisting such pressure from my Gravity Mana. Through my Mana Sense, I could feel her dual Virtues burning like white flames—Chastity opposing Lust and Charity countering Greed. Like me, she'd only recently begun to tap into the System's power, so she still mostly relied on her other abilities.

I took a few measured steps forward, approaching Lucius. Even as I stood close enough to reach him, he managed not to step back. Whether he truly wasn't afraid, believed I wouldn't attack, or just didn't want to lose face before his subordinates—I couldn't tell. Honestly, I didn't care.

"What I want, Lucius, is simple. I want sincerity. I want you to earn my trust."

"This... sounds logical," the Pope said carefully. "But perhaps first you could release my subordinate? I'm not sure she can withstand that pressure much longer. We don't want any losses before our cooperation even starts, do we? Unlike your companions, we people with Tutorial difficulty at Nightmare or higher don't simply revive after dying, even in the safe zone."

"Oh, I didn't want to kill her. Just making a point." I released my Gravity Mana, and the woman finally caught her breath. Her appearance was far from dignified.

"I don't know anything about you or your group, Lucius. And what I've heard doesn't give me the best impression. You know more about me than you're supposed to. So, I'm not asking much. If you want to cooperate, I have an idea."

"And what do you have in mind?"

I pointed at the Cardinal still on all fours. "I want this woman, Mr. Pope."

His expression froze. It seemed I'd finally cracked through his facade. "She is... with all due respect, she is a nun. And a Cardinal of our Church. I expected you to keep some decency, no matter how attractive you find her."

The woman in question looked at me with such ferocity that I half-expected lasers to shoot from her eyes.

"No, no, you're a man of God. How could you even think something like this? I mean, it's simple, really. Out of your entire group, she's just the right amount of useful while being harmless. If I chose you to accompany me, I'd have to worry about having someone by my side I don't really trust, and who has enough power to pose a danger to me. Your other people would just slow me down. As for her..." I grinned at Mille. "She can be helpful, but as I just demonstrated, she poses no threat. Who else could better prove you mean no harm and only good for me and humanity?"

"'The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak,'" Lucius quoted thoughtfully. He studied me with renewed interest. "You wish to take my most devoted Cardinal as... what? A guide? Or do you want to learn more about our faith from her?"

"Both, actually. I need someone who can keep up with my pace and help with reconnaissance. Plus, who better to tell me about your Church than one of its highest-ranking members?" I kept my tone light and reasonable. "Besides, something tells me the System didn't put us in the same Tutorial zone by accident."

Mille's shoulders stiffened at my words, her Chastity flaring like a supernova. She opened her mouth to object, but Lucius raised his hand slightly—a gesture so subtle I might have missed it if I hadn't been watching for this kind of interaction between them.

"And of course," I added, "having someone of her caliber around would make exploring these attractions much easier. The System seems to appreciate teamwork, after all. She's also a pleasure to the eye, so there's that."

"'Judge not by appearances, but judge righteous judgment,'" Lucius said, a hint of reproach in his tone at my last comment, though his smile suggested he was more amused than offended. "Very well. If Sister Mille is willing to serve as your guide through these trials, the Church has no objections."

"Your Holiness!" Mille's composure finally cracked. "Surely you can't—"

"'The Lord works in mysterious ways,'" Lucius interrupted smoothly. "Perhaps this is an opportunity to spread our message to one who might benefit from it most." His eyes met mine. "Though I trust you'll treat our Cardinal with the respect her position demands?"

"Of course. I'm not a complete barbarian." I glanced at the bodies of my companions, which had begun to dissolve into motes of light. Just a few hours for Sergio to Revive. The others should be back even sooner. "Just... occasionally murderous."

"We'll ensure your companions are properly oriented once they revive, unless you complete your matters beforehand," Lucius said, following my gaze. "They'll find themselves in the safety of the Revival point, given enough time. Consider our hospitality the first step in building trust between us."

I nodded. "Mille, shall we? We have some attractions to visit, and time is ticking."

The Cardinal straightened her dust-covered habit with as much dignity as she could muster. Her Virtues had settled into a steady burn, like twin pilot lights waiting to ignite. "As His Holiness commands," she said stiffly.

"Well then," Lucius gestured to his followers, "'Be fruitful and multiply'—our numbers at the Happiest Chicken, that is. I believe we have some business to discuss with the owner." He turned back to me. "Until we meet again, Mr. Clinton. May your path be... enlightening."

"Drop the act for a moment," I said, causing him to pause mid-turn. "You're not nearly as holy as you pretend to be. I can respect someone who gets his hands dirty for what he believes in, but this whole 'divine messenger' routine? It's getting old."

Lucius's smile shifted ever so slightly, becoming sharper, more real. "And you're not nearly as ruthless as you pretend to be," he replied, dropping the scripture quotes for once. "A true monster wouldn't care about keeping his companions safe." His eyes flickered to the dissolving bodies. "Even if his methods are... unconventional."

"Guess we're both playing our parts," I shrugged. "Just try not to get too method with yours. I'd hate to have to prove which of us is better at violence."

"Indeed." His gaze held mine for a moment longer. "Sister Mille, do try to keep our new friend from causing too much chaos. The System tends to notice such things."

I couldn't help but laugh at that. "Come on, Mille. Let's leave the good Pope to his preaching. We've got a Ferris wheel to visit."

As I walked away with my reluctant new companion, I heard Lucius beginning to organize his followers, his voice once again assuming that perfect holy tone. The man might be dangerous, but at least he knew how to put on a good show.

"We're in a bit of a hurry, so you can stop glaring at me and show if you can actually keep up with my speed," I said to Mille as I transitioned from a walk to a run. At first, I relied purely on physical strength, launching myself in powerful leaps that carried me over startled pedestrians and occasionally landing on the gaudy rooftops of carnival buildings.

Mille kept pace with surprising ease, barely drawing on her Virtues. The way Charity enhanced her movements reminded me of how demons used Greed for speed—different sources, similar results. Unlike the complex manipulations required for Elements, Sins and Virtues worked more directly, though they weren't as simple as they appeared. While each granted basic enhancements corresponding to their nature, they could also manifest in unexpected ways.

Just as Elements had their ranks, Sins and Virtues operated on similar principles—though they scaled with purity rather than raw power. Back in Luminosa, demons were classified by their Sin's Authority: Lesser, Greater, or Supreme. Lesser Authority was common among rank-and-file demons, while Greater Authority marked the nobility. Supreme Authority had been the exclusive domain of the Demon Queen herself.

Watching Mille's fluid movements, I estimated she wielded Greater Authority with her Virtues. As for the Pope... I could only hope his power hadn't reached Supreme levels. That would be an absurd amount of power for someone from Earth—though I still knew nothing about their true origins.

"Don't fall back," I called to Mille as I noticed her slight lag. She responded with a derisive snort that somehow sounded holy.

I channeled Lightning Mana through my limbs, transforming my movements completely. No more simple leaps—now I shot through the carnival like a human cannonball, each jump carrying me closer to the looming Ferris wheel. The neon-lit attractions blurred past us as we raced toward our destination, the twisted metal structure growing more imposing with each bound.

Mille poured more energy into her Charity Virtue, but the strain was becoming obvious. I didn't want to torture her, especially considering we had about ten minutes of travel ahead before reaching the Ferris wheel. Might as well use the time productively.

"So, your group—just devoted Christians, or is your faith different from what most people believe?" I asked.

"The True Faith isn't something ordinary people should know about," she answered reluctantly. Her tone suggested she'd rather fight me than engage in conversation, though I couldn't blame her given our recent interaction. "It's knowledge that must be kept hidden from common folk."

"What, like Scientologists or something?"

She coughed in disgust. "You're as ignorant as you look. But if you must know, both Christianity and Islam are based on the True Faith. They each use only parts of the True Scripture."

"So your god is different from the monotheistic one?"

"Indeed. Do you really want to learn about our God? That's the kind of knowledge that can have... consequences."

"Now I'm even more intrigued."

Her voice took on an almost reverent quality. "Our God, the God of Humanity, is the source of everything. He has no past and no future, yet He isn't born yet. He will be created by humans, and simultaneously, He is the one who created humans. We and God are one."

"What?"

"Those who know about Him have the responsibility to ensure God is born. For this, we must follow His command." Her eyes hardened. "Knowing about God while not following His Will makes you His enemy."

"Let me get this straight—your God doesn't exist yet, but at the same time, He created humanity, and now your believers' goal is to make sure He's born?"

"Indeed. God will be omnipotent when He comes into existence, but He can't change the past. He can only find His true power after He is born. Until then, it is our reason for existence to follow a path that will ensure His birth." She gave me a sidelong glance. "I don't expect you to understand the true profundity of our faith, but all the miracles we've witnessed, the Scripture itself—they're proof enough that our faith is the true one."

"And you were given power by this God as well? Not like those bloodsuckers who prey on humanity and use human life force to convert into Mana?"

"We meditate at Holy Grounds," she said sharply. "I've already told you too much. Even though His Holiness seems to place great importance on you, I remain unconvinced. I cannot trust someone so merciless to his own allies."

"Fair point. So now you want me to prove myself to you?"

"I'll be observing you to see if you're truly fit to be our ally."

"Surprising. I thought you just blindly followed Lucius."

Her eyes flashed dangerously. "If you dare insult His Holiness again, I won't forgive you. You can make me bow with brute force, but I won't acknowledge you."

"Actually, I don't need your approval." I shrugged. "I just want to know if there's any benefit to helping your group. So work hard to prove your worth, too. As for you inspecting me, keeping an eye on me—I don't really mind. Make your own conclusions. It's not like you're the one who decides your group's actions anyway. You'll have no choice but to obey Lucius. Seems hierarchy is strict in your faith."

She was about to reply when I raised my hand. "Now for the first test—let's see how well you can fly." I shot into the air as we approached the barrier preventing unauthorized entry to the grand attractions' premises.

With Air Mana guiding me, I soared upward. I wanted to gauge the barrier's true scale, and flying was arguably the most efficient approach. My companions had previously limited what I could do, but now I had no one holding me back. Most beings at Tier 4 could fly, or at least imitate flight, using their Mana alone—though it was less effective without an element or power compatible with flight. All my elements excelled at it.

The same could be said for Mille. Her Chastity Virtue, focused on mental control, worked similarly to how Primalists handled Mana. She could use her power directly like I did, though she generated pure force rather than elemental effects. As for her Charity, it could accelerate her on a fundamental level just like the Time Element could, which, by the way, was one of the Supreme elements, just like my Gravity.

About two hundred feet up, I hit the barrier. It wasn't like slamming into a wall—more like trying to push through thick syrup that grew denser with each inch. My Air Mana dispersed against it like water hitting hot steel, evaporating into nothing. Interesting.

I hovered in place, gathering Gravity Mana into a concentrated point. If anything could punch through this defense, it would be my strongest element. The dark energy condensed into a sphere the size of a marble, containing enough force to level a building.

"That won't work," Mille called from beside me, her form sustained in the air by pure Virtue energy. "The barrier adapts to whatever force you use against it. The harder you push, the stronger it becomes."

I released the Gravity Mana anyway, watching as the barrier absorbed it like it was nothing. She was right—I could feel the defensive field growing stronger where I'd struck it. The System had clearly thought this through.

"Worth a try." I shrugged. "Though I notice you didn't try to stop me from potentially causing massive destruction."

"His Holiness ordered me to assist, not prevent your foolishness," she said. "Besides, I was curious what would happen."

"I guess we'll try to get in the proper way." I started descending toward what I assumed to be the entrance. Mille followed, her movement graceful and controlled despite her apparent inexperience with flight. "After all, knocking on the door is only polite."

The only question was—would the door still be there after I knocked...

Chapter 20.

The entrance to the Ferris wheel's grounds was impossible to miss. Creepy balloon sculptures lined the path, twisted into shapes that seemed to watch visitors with hollow eyes. A massive gate loomed before us, its metal framework spelling out "Welcome to the Big Laughter Wheel" in letters that shifted colors like oil on water. The 'W' occasionally twisted itself into something resembling Mr. Chuckles' unsettling grin.

The crowds drew my attention—hundreds of people clustered around the entrance, their excited chatter echoing off the barrier that kept them at bay. Through my Mana Sense, I analyzed the gathering: most were clearly Tutorial participants, normal humans with disappointingly low levels. Scattered among them were more exotic beings—a three-headed merchant hawking "genuine" attraction passes, a group of floating orbs that might have been someone's evolved form, and what looked like a family of sentient origami creatures. More interesting were several figures carrying the same distinctive Mana signature as Sergio—other vampires, their Tier 2 and 3 powers radiating freely as they stood in elaborate noble attire, wearing expressions of practiced superiority. Well, except for one figure, completely hiding her appearance behind a black cloak and a white mask. They made no effort to hide their nature—why should they, in a place like this? I decided to ignore them for now.

But what truly stood out was the guard.

At first glance, I thought it was just another carnival decoration. But no—a giant gummy bear, pink and semi-translucent, stood at least five stories tall. Its gelatinous form pulsed with inner light, each beat sending ripples through its massive body like waves through strawberry jelly. Most disturbing was its face—a too-wide smile filled with teeth that looked anything but gummy-like, each fang crystallized sugar sharp enough to impale a car. Raw power radiated from its saccharine form, making my Mana Sense tingle with warning. The bear's Mana rivaled that of a Tier 5 creature, its aura suggesting it was more than capable of enforcing the attraction's rules. The crowd gave it a wide berth despite its seemingly cute appearance, especially when its head occasionally swiveled 180 degrees to track random passersby. Curious, I checked its status.

[Supreme Gummy Golem, Level 666]

Ignoring the protesting masses, I landed directly in front of the saccharine sentinel, Mille touching down beside me with notably more grace. The gummy bear's head turned toward us with a wet squelching sound that made several nearby people visibly nauseated. Its body rippled as it moved, internal lights creating strange shadows that seemed to form screaming faces within its translucent flesh.

"I need to get into the zone to meet a friend," I said, looking up at its gleaming black eyes, each the size of a dinner plate and filled with pinpricks of light that danced like trapped stars. "Will you let me in?"

I didn’t actually expect to hear an answer; why would I think it could talk? But the bear’s smile somehow grew even wider, stretching its translucent face until cracks appeared in its candied surface, leaking what looked suspiciously like strawberry syrup. When it—he, I decided, as referring to something that could talk as "it" seemed a bit rude—spoke, his voice was surprisingly melodic, like wind chimes made of breaking glass.

"Ooooh, what’s this? What’s this?" He bent his massive form down, his gelatinous neck stretching impossibly as he brought his face close to mine. "A shiny golden ticket from our lovely Exhibition! How wonderful, how wonderful indeed!" His teeth clinked together like falling icicles. "But rules are rules are rules, my special friend. Other guests are playing their turn, and we must wait for them to finish their game. Whether they win or..." He giggled, sending ripples through his entire form, "...other outcomes occur."

The bear straightened up, bits of his surface flaking off like crystallized sugar. "Two hours and fifty minutes remaining! Shall we all wait together? I do so love making new friends!"

"But what if I really, really want to enter now?" I asked, flashing my most innocent smile. "I’d very much like to help my friend who’s already inside. No harm in that, is there, Mr. Bear? Do you have a name, by the way?"

"A name, I do not need," the massive confection giggled. "But you can call me Sugar. Because yes, I like sugar!" His laughter, low and bestial, made several people in the crowd edge away nervously.

Before I could respond, a group approached us. The leader was unmistakably a vampire—and a powerful one at that, just a step away from reaching Tier 4. His attendants flanked him like well-trained guard dogs, their own power significant but clearly subordinate to his.

"Human," the vampire's voice dripped with centuries of practiced condescension, "surely you don’t think you’re so important that rules should be changed for you?" His lips curled into a sneer. "Why don’t you wait quietly like a good little mortal and stop bothering this... charming mascot?"

Something about vampires became clear to me—they all seemed to possess multiple Sins, though in varying combinations. Even Sergio, despite his relative weakness, commanded three: Lust, Pride, and Sloth. In fact, that was more than any of those, as they only held two. This one lacked Lust's mental manipulation abilities, but I could sense Envy among his powers. It was different from Lust's direct mind control, but under certain circumstances, it could achieve similar results through brainwashing—just like the power used by the exhibition's tamer and that demon who had tormented me back in Luminosa.

Before I could reply to the vampire's provocation, Mille had already launched into action. Her cross-shaped knife, accelerated by Charity and empowered by Chastity, flew through the air, aimed perfectly at the vampire's heart.

Part of me would have very much liked to let her knife find its mark, but I couldn't lose such a precious source of information—though that conversation could wait for a better time. Unlike my acquaintance Sergio, I could clearly sense that these vampires, like Lucius's Templars, had achieved Tier 3—or at least the peak of Tier 2—even before the System enhanced their abilities. Less than half their Mana seemed to come from System enhancement. Were they gaining their power by slaughtering innocent people? Or did they just raid blood banks and hospitals for "donations" to generate Mana?

Such questions could wait for now.

"Why did you stop me?" Mille demanded as I used my power to halt her dagger just inches from the vampire's heart. Despite his arrogance, he wasn't even half as powerful as she was.

"I can't kill people just because I don't like their tone or how they were raised," I explained calmly. Really, I just didn't want her losing System Points needlessly. "He's harmless." I turned to the vampire. "But be aware—my companion doesn't like rude people. Next time, I won't stop her."

"Dear gods, it's her—Cardinal Mille, the Death Dancer!" one of the vampires exclaimed, already looking for escape routes. Their leader had gone even paler than usual, his eyes darting between Mille and me.

"Damn monster," he muttered, checking her status through the System. "Level 450..." His voice trailed off, the number telling him everything he needed to know about his chances.

Swallowing hard, he managed to compose himself. "If you want to go ahead and convince Sugar, be my guest. I don't want any trouble."

He turned to leave, but Mille's voice cracked like a whip, "Stop! You weren't given permission to leave. Now you will answer all of his questions or die."

"Hey, hey!" I intervened. "I'm not particularly interested in interrogating him right now. Remember our goal here? We were in the middle of negotiations, right, Mr. Bear?" I asked the so-called Gummy Golem.

"Right?" Sugar pondered, his gelatinous form wobbling thoughtfully. "Or is it left? Sorry, I still confuse them. Is right the hand you eat with? Oh, I don't eat with hands; I don't even have them," Sugar giggled, his gelatinous form rippling. "I have paws, and I eat with my mouth! Ha ha ha!"

Clearly, this wasn't going to be a straightforward conversation. "So you stand here as a guard? Are there conditions for you to allow entry and open the gates, Sugar?" I asked hopefully. I could probably take the bear in a fight—he was intimidating, but not beyond my abilities. Still, I'd rather avoid violence unless I was certain it would actually solve our problem.

"Entering without waiting is no good, no good at all!" Sugar's massive form swayed like jelly in an earthquake. "But Sugar loves games! Yes, yes! If you beat Sugar at a game, you can pass!"

"What kind of game are we talking about?" I asked, already sensing a trap.

The giant bear's grin widened impossibly. "The Bite Game! Sugar's favorite!" His crystalline teeth glinted in the carnival lights. "Three bites on your opponent's flesh wins! Simple, simple!"

[Side Quest Available: Sugar's Sweet Challenge]

Defeat the Gummy Golem in its Bite Game to gain early access to the Ferris wheel. You should bite Sugar three times... it doesn't matter if he's dead or alive.

Warning: The guardian is protected by the same barrier type as the attraction zone.

Reward: Immediate entry permission to the Big Laughter Wheel Zone, System Point reward based on performance.

"Let me get this straight," I said, watching as Sugar's form rippled with excitement. "I have to bite you three times before you bite me three times?"

"Yes, yes! Though Sugar must warn you—" The bear locked his large eyes onto me as his grin turned positively predatory. "Sugar only needs one bite to eat you all up! Crunch, crunch!"

I studied the massive confection through my Mana Sense. The barrier around him wasn't just similar to the one protecting the Ferris wheel—it was identical, adapting to and strengthening against any force used against it. This wouldn't be as simple as overpowering the bear with raw strength. In a way, he wasn't just a Tier 5 monster... he was a so-called Enigma—the title given to those creatures whose strange and peculiar abilities made them seemingly invincible unless you knew the trick behind their powers and how to counter them. Pucks that had been giving me a headache back on Luminosa were a type of Enigma as well, some weaker and some stronger. And this was exactly why I wasn't afraid of the challenge.

"Bite Sugar if you can!" The bear giggled, his entire form wobbling. "But remember—Sugar bites back!"

Behind me, I heard Mille mutter something that sounded suspiciously like a prayer for my sanity.

"Are you out of your mind?" Mille's violet eyes flashed with genuine concern beneath her usual stern expression. "His Holiness believes you can serve a great purpose and join us in our cause of bringing humanity to greatness. And now you want to throw away your life for... nothing?" Her voice carried an edge of personal disappointment. "Don't disappoint me so badly, Clinton."

I gave her an awkward smile, noting how strange it was to see actual emotion from someone who'd tried so hard to act like she had no feelings. "What, didn't you want to see me in action? You sure don't seem to believe much in my power."

She shook her head, her Virtues flaring briefly with frustration. "Even I can feel that this monstrous creature, which is deadly on its own, also has the power of the barrier. Biting him? You won't even be able to touch his body." Her lips curled in disdain. "I won't even mention how ridiculous this entire game is. Just give up. It's not like your companion would die for real, or..." She paused, studying my expression. "Did they lose all their revival points already?"

"No, there's still a revival point, but don't you realize that revival is a bit too good to be true?" I watched Sugar's eternally grinning face as I spoke. "It's one thing if someone is replaced by a copy when I don't care about them, but it's another entirely when it's someone you love and cherish and want to protect."

That was the real reason for my sudden haste. Of course, I risked looking like a hypocrite considering I had killed my companions already. But to be fair, every one of them had already died and been revived—they were potentially copies of themselves.

And if that mysterious girl's prediction was right... even if it wasn't, there was a chance that Jimmy and Leah were two people under my care. Then I had already lost one of them. The thought, no matter how unlikely, made my blood boil with an intensity I hadn't felt since my days fighting the Demon Queen. What if they revived as just perfect copies of who they were before? What if the System really replaced the soul?

When my five companions died, I'd tried to track their souls with my Mana Sense, pushing my perception to its limits. But the results were inconclusive—their souls had instantly disappeared, like candles snuffed out in a dark room. I had no way of knowing if they were transported to new bodies or simply destroyed, replaced by perfect replicas. I would know for sure only after seeing them again, after looking into their eyes and sensing their essence. That was the only way to confirm.

Until then, I had an obligation to save that one person still at the Ferris wheel. Leah or Jimmy—I had no right to ignore either possibility, especially when the stakes were potentially higher than mere death.

"Well, I don't know," Mille said thoughtfully, her earlier anger giving way to contemplation. "In our group, no one has the right to revive anyway. Honestly, I think that's something only our god should have the power to do." Her voice carried the weight of absolute conviction. "This System takes too much upon itself."

I couldn’t help but chuckle at that—the irony of discussing divine rights with someone whose god didn’t even exist yet.

"So what, mister?" The gummy bear's voice interrupted my thoughts, his saccharine tone barely masking an underlying menace. "Will you play with Sugar? Or will you wait like a good boy until Sugar opens the gate? Until it's your turn?"

I looked up at its massive form, studying how its translucent body distorted the carnival lights into strange, writhing patterns. "Well, Sugar, would Sugar mind if I use a knife? After all, humans are used to eating with utensils. Don’t you think so?"

"A knife?" Sugar's crystalline teeth clinked together in amusement. "You want to cut a piece of Sugar before taking a bite? Sugar doesn’t mind. Sugar is tough. Sugar is protected." His gelatinous form rippled with dark mirth. "Knife or no knife, a human won’t eat Sugar! Ha ha ha ha!"

"Well, you said it yourself," I shrugged, even as I used my Mana to shield myself from his laughter. The sound waves directed at me this time carried enough force to stagger a normal person. It seemed that even before our game officially started, the gummy bear wasn’t holding back his power against me.

Obviously, if he hadn’t been suppressing his aura and energy, those waiting for the attraction to open would be in constant danger. The casual display of power made my decision easier.

Now it was time to finally summon my close, though annoying, companion—though he’d probably object to being called that. A part of me had hoped I would never have reason to use him again, that I could let him rest after we’d slain the Demon Queen together. But it seemed this Tutorial was pushing me a bit too far to let him remain dormant.

"Come forth, Antipucker!" I exclaimed, pressing my palm against my solar plexus. I focused on the deepest part of my Mana core, where my soul-bound weapon resided. I could already sense his indignation at not being called by his preferred title. "Your time has come!"

Chapter 21.

Golden light erupted from my solar plexus as I channeled my Mana into the deepest part of my core. The energy spiraled outward in elaborate patterns, ancient runes flickering to life in the air around me. Through my flesh emerged a hilt that practically radiated indignation at its undignified storage method—pitch-black grip wrapped in leather darker than a moonless night, crowned with a pommel shaped like a dragon trying to swallow its own tail. The dragon's jeweled eyes gleamed with intelligence, currently rolling in exasperation. The golden crossguard was shaped like wings spread in flight, with scenes of our victories etched into its surface that seemed to shift and move when caught in the right light, as if the metal itself was reliving those moments of glory. A constant pulse of power emanated from the ornate metalwork, making the air shiver with anticipation. Despite its grand appearance, there was no blade attached—the crossguard ended in nothing but air, as if a mere physical blade would be beneath its dignity.

"You insufferable brat!" A voice erupted from the hilt the moment it fully manifested. "Did you really plan to keep me locked inside your disgusting flesh forever? Being stored inside a man is just gross! Why couldn't you be a beautiful maiden? Even that stuck-up princess would have been better!"

Mille's eyes widened at the talking weapon, while Sugar's eternal grin somehow managed to stretch even wider with intrigue.

"Also," the hilt continued, his voice dripping with aristocratic disdain, "who exactly are you calling 'Antipucker'? I have told you a thousand times—I am the Grand Archblade Omnislayer, Sovereign of Steel, Devourer of Demons, He Who Cleaves the Very Heavens! Would it kill you to show some respect to the weapon that saved your worthless hide countless times?"

"I missed you too," I said dryly, gripping the bladeless hilt. Despite his complaints, I could feel his eagerness to fight again—the runes etched along the crossguard pulsed faster, like an excited heartbeat, ready to channel whatever Mana I chose to feed through him.

"Hmph! As if I missed being manhandled by a graceless oaf who can't even properly announce my arrival. Where was the ceremony? The gravitas? The ten-minute introductory speech about my legendary deeds?" He paused, finally noticing our opponent. "Wait... are you seriously summoning me, the greatest of all blades, to fight a carnival mascot? Have you finally lost what little mind you had?"

"Don't underestimate him, Anti. There was a reason I summoned you. I don't want to get stuck in that jelly," I said, pausing as the sword finally pointed toward Mille.

"Who is this, hmm? Care to introduce us?" the hilt's aristocratic voice dripped with sudden interest.

"If you help me defeat this giant bear, maybe," I replied. "For now, would you be so kind as to let the crowd know they should clear some space? We don't want anyone getting hurt when the bear starts moving."

"I will make sure no one gets in your way," Mille said. "Just... don't you dare die on me. I don't want to face His Holiness otherwise."

"Don't worry, I have no plans that involve my death," I said as I raised the sword. It took only a few minutes for the crowd to move to a relatively safe distance from the gate.

"Well, Mr. Bear, shall we start?"

"Yes, yes, Sugar wants to play!"

I had some experience fighting large opponents. First challenge: I couldn't just crush him with my Gravity Mana like I had with smaller foes. With his size, I needed to create enough gravitational force to affect hundreds of tons of mass to have even the slightest effect. He might be level 666, but there was no mistake—compared to humans, even those focusing on raw power attributes, large beings like him would naturally be more powerful in absolute terms. The disadvantage of such a large body would be speed, but... that was only in relative terms. And anyway, it seemed that the barrier itself made me unable to affect him.

I could feel that most of his power was based on System runes, marking him as a creature created by the System. However, there was also perhaps less than 5% of energy different from the System's—and that worried me most. It gave me the same feeling I'd had when watching Mr. Chuckles' cartoon. With that sort of power, anything could be possible.

When facing an Enigma-type being, caution was essential. I surrounded myself with Air Mana while simultaneously activating Lightning Surge.

I used Gravity to pull myself aside as Sugar's giant paw crushed into the ground, sending debris flying in all directions. Despite his colossal size, the bear could hardly be called slow—as expected of a Tier 5 being. A normal person wouldn't even be able to react before being crushed, and even Tier 3 humans would hardly escape.

"Hey, it doesn't look like you're trying to bite me, Sugar!" I taunted. "Are you sure you're playing by your own rules? Maybe I'll bite you after I turn you into pudding."

The bear laughed. "You're right! You'd probably be tastier if I catch you first. Thanks for the tip!" As he spoke, the golem tried to catch me with his paw like someone catching a fly.

There was no point in staying on the ground—I’d have a much better chance of getting close to him in flight. I dodged another attempt to catch me and shot upward before diving between his massive legs. Using the momentum, I curved my flight path sharply around his torso, aiming for the critical spot where shoulder met neck—a natural blind spot for any large creature. Except Sugar's flowing features had already begun sliding across his form to track my movement. But Sugar's features simply traveled across his gelatinous form, his eyes, mouth, and expression flowed from front to back like a ripple through water, leaving his front face blank before reappearing behind.

"You can't get behind me!" His smile grew even wider, stretching impossibly across both sides of his head.

As if this display wasn’t creepy enough, streams of pink gummy substance shot from his body like tentacles at a surprisingly fast speed—on a whole different level compared to his earlier movements. I pulled myself back just in time to avoid being touched. Something told me it would be very problematic if he managed to catch me with those sticky, candy-like appendages.

"You sure are tricky, but Sugar is trickier!" the bear said with glee as he waved his paw. Dozens of gum balls shot at me from different directions. Even as I avoided them, I barely had time to notice with my Mana Sense that the balls that landed on the ground bounced back up, targeting me again.

"How long will you continue to dodge? Just let me taste you! Sugar is hungry!" the golem said, his voice tinged with disappointment.

"The monster isn't wrong—you can't dodge forever," my sword chimed in. "Why did you summon me if you aren’t even using my powers, huh?"

"Well, I want to figure out my opponent's abilities first. Learn where the traps and weaknesses are."

"Like always, so cautious," the hilt chuckled.

"If I weren't, I would’ve died countless times already," I replied, dodging another volley. "Well, there’s no harm in trying to strike now. Also, there’s something else I want to check."

Just as I evaded another gum ball, I activated my Virtual Interface—the innate ability granted by my Gamer Archetype. The holographic overlay sprang to life in my vision, highlighting predicted trajectories but no weak points. Obviously, the ability was too weak to find any openings against such a powerful opponent. As for the display itself, while it wasn’t particularly impressive against an Enigma-type being, it at least helped me track the multiple projectiles better.

With my Virtual Interface and Lightning Mana stimulating my visual system, I studied the gum balls' trajectories carefully. Sugar's main body was protected by that adaptive barrier, but what about his projectiles once they left his form? A plan began to form in my mind.

Focusing on one of the gum balls, I wove my Gravity Mana around it in a complex pattern—not just pushing or pulling, but creating a spherical field that gripped it from all sides. The candy projectile struggled against my hold, its own momentum fighting my control, but Gravity was absolute. Layer by layer, I compressed the field until I had complete control, then drew it toward myself. As the piece of gum approached, I noticed my suspicion was correct—unlike Sugar himself, it lacked the protective barrier that adapted to attacks. A smile tugged at my lips as I opened my mouth and took a careful bite.

No messages appeared.

"You thought this would count?" Sugar laughed. "You should bite through Sugar, not a part of Sugar that no longer is Sugar, even if it contains sugar!" The bear's laughter echoed across the arena.

I grimaced. If it had worked, I would have won the easy way. Despite his role as a Tutorial guardian, there was something endearing about the childlike golem.Now, I wasn't so sure about my options anymore. The rules said I needed to bite Sugar himself, not his projectiles, but getting close enough to do that seemed increasingly difficult. His body was protected by that adaptive barrier, and those gummy tentacles would probably trap me the moment I got within range. There had to be a weakness—every Enigma had one; you just had to figure out the trick...

"Hey Sugar," I called out, "if something happens to you... do you revive like the Tutorial participants?"

"Sugar doesn't need revival!" he giggled. "Sugar is forever! Sugar is eternal! Master made Sugar strong! Now let Sugar taste you!"

This doesn’t explain anything. Is he just overconfident, or is there something deeper behind his words? Whatever. If he doesn’t want to play nice, I’ll just focus on killing him. I don’t want to use my greatest trump cards on a mere door guardian, so I’ll have to get a bit creative. And I already have an idea that might just work... though I doubt it will be pretty.

My thoughts were interrupted as Sugar's assault intensified. The bear spread his massive paws wide, and suddenly the air was filled with hundreds of gum balls, creating a deadly web of bouncing projectiles. Each one that hit the ground or walls would rebound with even greater speed, their paths becoming increasingly unpredictable.

"Sugar thinks you need more motivation to play!" the bear giggled, his voice echoing from multiple directions as his features flowed across his form.

I found myself in an elaborate dance of evasion, using every trick in my arsenal. Air Mana reduced resistance around me, while Gravity Mana allowed me to make sharp turns that would have torn a normal person apart. My Virtual Interface highlighted the most dangerous trajectories, but even it struggled to keep up with the chaos of rebounding projectiles.

"Are you quite done testing your opponent?" The hilt's aristocratic voice dripped with sarcasm. "Because I, for one, am tired of being a mere spectator."

He had a point. I channeled Air Mana through the ornate crossguard, watching as the ancient runes lit up one by one. The power condensed and extended beyond the hilt, forming an invisible blade of pure wind—a technique we'd perfected during our battles in Luminosa. With a thought, I could extend this air blade to slice targets from a distance.

"About time!" The sword's voice held equal parts excitement and disdain. "Though I suppose watching you dodge like a terrified rabbit was somewhat entertaining."

I channeled more power through the ancient runes and swept the blade in a wide horizontal arc. A dozen gum balls split cleanly in half, the cuts so precise they seemed to hover for a moment before falling. Not waiting for them to hit the ground, I spun into another strike, angling the wind blade upward. More projectiles fell into quarters, their momentum completely nullified by the precision of the cuts.

"Get ready," I muttered to my weapon as I spotted a particularly dense cluster of incoming balls.

"Oh please, I was forged ready!"

Focusing my Air Mana into an even finer edge, I launched into a series of techniques we'd perfected in Luminosa. Each swing of the hilt left multiple invisible slicing planes in the air—a variation of the technique we’d used to turn a charging manticore into diced meat. The gum balls flew into these aerial nets of wind blades and emerged as confetti.

Sugar's attacks grew more frenzied as I systematically destroyed his projectiles. I danced through the rain of pink fragments, the wind blade singing as it carved precise geometric patterns through the air. Three balls approaching in a triangle formation? One diagonal slash reduced them to perfect sixths. A wave of projectiles trying to box me in? A circular sweep of the blade turned them into perfectly symmetrical pink crescents.

Within moments, the ground was littered with precisely cut pieces of gum, none larger than a fingernail. Each slice was geometrically perfect—a testament to the control we’d developed over years of partnership, even if my companion would never admit it.

"Oh? The human has teeth after all!" Sugar's eternal grin somehow grew even wider.

"It seems you lost your balls, Sugar," I smirked as I flourished the wind blade in his direction. Even with nearly a hundred feet between us, the technique's range meant I could still strike his body. But as the invisible edge met his form, the result was exactly what I'd expected—the blade of condensed Air Mana, which could slice through steel like butter, produced nothing but an excitation sound against his barrier.

"Sugar is protected... and Sugar has caught you!" His grin turned predatory. Before I could react, all the scattered pieces of bisected gum balls split into thousands of smaller pieces and shot toward me like a storm of candy bullets. They filled every possible escape route, creating a sphere of pink death around me.

I moved to create a barrier, but Sugar's roar shook the air itself, the sound wave forcing me to split my focus. That moment's distraction was all it took—hundreds of tiny gum pieces slammed into me from all directions. Even with my Gravity Mana reinforcement making my body nearly invulnerable and my Air barrier deflecting most projectiles, I couldn't prevent them all from sticking.

This wasn't ordinary gum. A simple burst of Mana couldn't dislodge it, and as I struggled against the sticky substance, more balls launched from the ground, their trajectories too numerous for even my Virtual Interface to track. I redirected most with precisely controlled Gravity fields, but enough got through. The gum already stuck to me shot out tiny tendrils toward the new pieces, growing and spreading like some kind of candy infection.

I tried to slash through the gummy restraints with my wind blade, but the substance caught my sword arm mid-swing, quickly engulfing both my hand and the hilt. The sword's indignant protests were muffled by the sticky prison.

Sugar didn't even need to approach. He raised his right paw, stretching it toward me like taffy, creating a bridge of gummy substance that connected to my bonds. With agonizing slowness, he began reeling me in toward his waiting maw.

"Thank you for the meal!" the bear laughed, his crystalline teeth glinting as his mouth opened wider and wider, revealing an endless tunnel of pink darkness. The sword and I were now completely at his mercy, drawn inexorably toward those waiting jaws.

"Hey, Sugar," I called out, somehow maintaining a casual tone despite being slowly dragged toward him. "Are you really this hungry? You seem like someone who appreciates fine cuisine."

"Oh yes!" Sugar's voice bubbled with enthusiasm as his crystalline teeth sparkled. "Sugar loves trying new treats! Though Sugar really prefers sweet food to non-sweet." His massive tongue emerged to lick his lips. "And you, my special friend, look very sweet indeed!"

"You know, there's something I'd like to let you taste first." I smiled, even as the sticky bonds pulled me closer. "Have you ever eaten volts?"

"Volts?" Sugar tilted his enormous head, curiosity overtaking his hunger for a moment. "What are volts? Is it candy? Sugar loves trying new candy!"

"Well..." I focused on the sword's runes, watching them shift from blue to crackling gold. "I don't know if it's sweet, but I've heard it's incredibly spicy. Hot enough to light up your whole day."

"Ooooh!" Sugar's eyes sparkled like a child offered a new treat. "Sugar has never had spicy candy before! Is it like cinnamon? Sugar loves cinnamon!"

"Trust me," I grinned as Lightning Mana began coursing through the hilt, making the ancient runes blaze like captured stars. "This is going to be way hotter than cinnamon."

"Now I really want to try!" Sugar exclaimed, pulling me even closer to his waiting jaws. "Feed Sugar! Feed Sugar!"

"As you wish." The runes pulsed with building power. "Let me demonstrate..."

Chapter 22.

Lightning Mana coursed through my body, following paths I'd perfected over years in Luminosa. The electricity concentrated in my sword arm, finding a natural conductor in the ornate metalwork of the hilt. Ancient runes blazed with crackling energy as I channeled power through them in a way we'd never attempted before.

"Wait, what are you—" the sword's indignant protest was cut off as the first surge of electricity transformed his usual aristocratic tone into an excited hum. "Oh. Oh my. This is... rather exhilarating!"

The gummy substance entrapping us turned out to be the perfect medium—just conductive enough to carry the charge, but with enough resistance to heat up rapidly. Sugar's eyes widened as the first few thousand volts raced through his sticky tendril straight into his massive form.

"Ooooh! Tingly!" he giggled, still unaware of the danger. "Sugar likes this new candy!"

I hesitated for a moment. His childlike innocence made what I had to do next feel wrong. I could have used other methods—powers I'd gained in Luminosa that could bypass even this kind of barrier. But revealing such abilities here, in what was clearly a monitored Tutorial zone, would be foolish. The Ringmaster, Mr. Chuckles, and whoever else pulled the strings in this place would learn my true capabilities. Sometimes, kindness to one means greater cruelty to others later. Besides... he already made his choice by trying to eat me.

"You might want to reconsider your diet," I said before doubling the voltage.

The reaction was immediate. Where the electricity contacted Sugar's gelatinous body, his pink surface began to bubble and caramelize. His eternal grin finally faltered as wisps of steam began to rise from his form, filling the air with the scent of burning sweetness.

"Wait... too hot! Too hot for Sugar!"

A part of me still hoped that if real humans could revive, so could a mere sapient golem. But even if I was really about to end Sugar for good—well, I had done worse things for wronger reasons.

The gummy substance coating my arm had already started to melt, turning into a superheated syrup that conducted electricity even better. I poured more power through the hilt, watching as electrical arcs danced across its surface. The sword's runes pulsed with barely contained energy, each acting as a focus to direct the devastating current.

"Master, help! Too spicy!" Sugar wailed as portions of his body began to blacken and char. "Sugar doesn't like this candy anymore!"

"Consider this a cooking lesson," the sword quipped, though I noticed he didn't sound quite as gleeful as usual.

Sugar's body, composed mainly of sugar and gelatin, underwent rapid chemical changes as millions of volts surged through him. The water content in his form flash-boiled, creating pockets of steam that burst through his surface. Where the current was strongest, his pink coloring turned brown, then black as the sugars caramelized and carbonized.

Even as parts of him melted and charred, he maintained his hold on me—whether out of stubbornness or simply because his form was locked in place by the electrical current. The liquefied portions of his body only improved conductivity, creating new pathways for the devastating current to flow through his massive form.

"The voltage..." I announced, more to distract myself from the disturbing sight than anything else, "it's over nine thousand!"

A note: that was just a reference. The real voltage... was much, much higher than this. In millions, if not billions. I couldn't be too sure.

Molten sugar began raining down around us as parts of Sugar's form literally vaporized. The electrical discharge created a spectacular light show, with sparks flying every time a new portion of his body charred. His features, which had previously flowed so freely across his surface, now fragmented and distorted as different sections of his form underwent various stages of melting, charring, and crystallization.

"SUGAR IS MELTING!" His voice rose in a mix of confusion and panic. "SUGAR IS BURNING! MASTER, SUGAR NEEDS—"

The rest was lost in a thunderous crack as a particularly powerful surge caused a massive section of his torso to explode, showering the area with partially caramelized chunks of gummy bear. The air filled with the sickly sweet smell of burnt sugar mixed with ozone.

As the remaining pieces of Sugar scattered across the ground, I couldn’t help but wonder if I could've found a less gruesome way to win. But in this Tutorial, I couldn’t afford to show mercy just because an enemy seemed innocent. After all, that innocence hadn’t stopped him from trying to make me his snack. As for worrying whether Sugar could still recover from his current condition—thanks to the System, that wasn’t a concern.

[You have earned EXP for killing a level 666 Supreme Gummy Golem]

[You receive bonus EXP for killing an opponent of a much higher level]

[Mr. Chuckles is entertained, but also sad]

[Ringmaster is pleasantly surprised with your power]

[Barry the Clown is... displeased]

"You... shouldn't have done this." I heard the familiar voice of the clown, transmitted from a distant location, as I assumed. "Not like this."

"Not like I had a choice," I muttered to myself, not knowing if he could hear me. I didn't feel his presence even as I focused on my Mana Sense and the fluctuations of Space Mana carrying his voice over hinted that he was busy somewhere else. "Was he your favorite mascot?"

There was no reply. Whatever the clown thought about my actions, he didn't want to continue the dialogue. I continued to read the messages.

[You have leveled up!]

[...]

[You have leveled up!]

[Congratulations! You have reached level 20!]

[Leftover EXP will be distributed after you advance to D Rank]

D Rank advancement conditions:

●        Reach level twenty (+)

●        Acquire two Skills (-)

●        Pay the advancement fee: 2,000 System Points (-)

●        Choose your second Archetype (-)

It's not surprising that I received more EXP for killing a Tier 5 being than a Tier 4 one, but I also wonder how many more levels are still being withheld until I meet the D Rank requirements. Speaking of which...

Installation Progress: 89%

It seems the menu where I can receive Skills is still not available. Damn, and here I already decided which Archetype I choose next...

"Wow, you actually did it!"

The cheerful voice made me turn around. The girl with ever-shifting pastel hair was hopping between the scattered pieces of caramelized sugar, her oversized t-shirt fluttering with each bounce. She looked like any other kid excited to find candy on the ground.

"Look, look!" She picked up a piece of charred sugar and sniffed it curiously. "It's all crispy on the outside!" Without hesitation, she popped it into her mouth. "Mmm! Like burnt marshmallow! Want to try some?"

My Virtual Interface automatically displayed her status: [Just a Normal Human Girl, level 13]. Something felt off about that reading, but I couldn't quite place why. Maybe I was just being paranoid after everything that had happened.

"You really shouldn't eat things off the ground," I said, trying to sound responsible despite having just electrocuted a giant gummy bear.

She stuck her tongue out at me. "But it's candy! Besides, the ground here is super clean. They have cleaning robots and everything!" She gathered more pieces into her shirt, making an impromptu pouch. "I always wanted to try a piece of him, but he never let anyone get close enough."

"Step back from those remains," Mille ordered, though her usual stern tone seemed uncertain.

The girl blinked at her with wide, innocent eyes. "But I already claimed these pieces! Finder's keepers!" She paused mid-chew, then brightened. "Oh, but you probably need to take your bites too, right? Here!" She held out a particularly well-caramelized piece. "This one looks tasty!"

Well, of course. The Quest wasn't complete just yet. The goal wasn't defeating Sugar, but biting him three times. Too bad I couldn't achieve this without making him into candy first... But now there shouldn't be any problem with completion, and the bear had no way to resist.

"Let's see if the taste was worth it," I said, accepting the piece. It was still warm from the electrical current, and to my surprise, I could feel traces of Sugar's Mana pulsing within the crystallized fragment.

The first bite unleashed a burst of sweetness mixed with something else—a complex flavor that reminded me of Luminosa's enchanted confections. The residual Mana in the candy surged through me, unexpectedly invigorating.

[First bite registered! Two more to go!]

"Oh my, are we really sampling our fallen opponent?" the sword chimed in. "How delightfully barbaric! Though I suppose he is technically food now."

Even Mille, despite her earlier protests, found herself examining a particularly well-caramelized piece. Her stern expression softened slightly as she took a tentative bite. "It... actually tastes like divine ambrosia," she admitted reluctantly, looking almost guilty for enjoying it.

The vampire noble who had confronted me earlier approached with his entourage, his earlier arrogance replaced by scholarly interest. Selecting a piece that was nearly black from the electrical current, he studied it with centuries-practiced precision. "Fascinating," he mused after tasting it. "It's filled to the brim with such intense Mana, a mix of different types, completely distinct from the Mana our kin can manipulate... and yet, it's almost as digestible as the blood of the healthiest human..."

Other onlookers, seeing we hadn't dropped dead from eating the remains of a Tutorial guardian, began collecting their own pieces. Soon the area took on the bizarre atmosphere of an impromptu candy tasting party.

"See? Everything's better with candy!" The girl rummaged through her collection and pulled out two more pieces. "These ones got extra crispy!"

I took them both—one was perfectly caramelized, while the other had interesting patterns where the electricity had created branching burns through the sugar. Each bite sent a fresh wave of Mana through my system, like a sugar rush multiplied tenfold.

[Second bite registered!]

[Third bite registered!]

[Quest Complete: Sugar's Sweet Challenge]

[Reward: Access granted to the Ferris wheel zone]

[Calculating Total Reward...]

Congratulations! You've earned 500,000 System Points (+5,000 SP). You've unlocked new Archetypes:

Confectioner (Common)

Electric Menace (Rare)

Monstrosity Slayer (Ultra Rare)

Funds: -8,100+5,000=-3100 SP

Right on cue, the massive gates began to creak open, their mechanisms grinding into motion. The crowd that had scattered during the fight started cautiously returning, murmuring at the sight of the open entrance. Many were still munching on their pieces of Sugar, creating an oddly festive atmosphere for what had minutes ago been a battlefield.

"The path is open, mister!" The girl beamed at me. "Thank you for the show! And such a tasty reward! See ya later!" She popped another piece in her mouth and skipped away, humming cheerfully to herself.

I watched the girl disappear into the crowd before turning my attention to the now-open gates. The vampire noble approached with his entourage, maintaining a respectful distance. His earlier arrogance had been completely replaced by cautious reverence.

"If... if I may," he began, bowing slightly while holding up a particularly well-preserved piece, "this energy you wielded—I've never encountered anything like it. The way it altered the crystalline structure..." He hesitated, clearly weighing his curiosity against his survival instinct.

"This power is not your business, bloodsucker," Mille said, though her stern tone lost some impact with traces of candy still visible around her lips.

The vampire shuddered at her words, but I waved off her hostility. "It's not a big deal," I said. "Actually, I'm more curious about you vampires. Until a few days ago, I had no idea your kind existed, let alone that you could use magic. I'd like to learn more about your nature and the source of your power." I gave him an encouraging nod. "As for my Lightning Mana... let's just say it's a type of power that humans can develop under the right circumstances, though I doubt many around here have access to it."

The vampire—who had instinctively stepped back at Mille's presence—gathered his courage. "I am Constantin of the Moonlight Spire. My clan specializes in studying unique manifestations of power, though we've never..." He trailed off, realizing he might be talking too much.

His followers had already gathered near the gate, glancing nervously between me and Mille, as if uncertain which of us they should fear more.

"Planning to enter?" I asked.

Constantin's aristocratic composure cracked slightly as he spoke. "If... if you would permit us to follow in your wake," he said, unconsciously adjusting his perfectly tailored coat. "The System has not been kind to our kind. We have all been forced into Hard difficulty or higher, and now we need to gather three Golden Tickets just to leave this place." His pale fingers traced nervous patterns in the air as he continued. "For myself... I require a Platinum Ticket. The System seems to think centuries of existence warrant special challenges. Nightmarish ones."

He straightened, some of his noble bearing returning. "But with someone of your capabilities present, we might actually stand a chance at completing this attraction's normal objectives—much safer than attempting the bonus challenges of lesser venues." A calculated look entered his crimson eyes. "I assure you, the Moonlight Spire rewards its allies generously. Any assistance you provide would be... appropriately compensated."

"Okay, but I won't be waiting for you to catch up," I said. "I'll find the one I'm searching for, and then we'll discuss those questions I have about your kind. And if you can be useful to me. Deal?"

"Deal!" He shook my extended hand with practiced grace. Mille shot me a disapproving look, but I wasn't worried. I wasn't the one making a deal with the devil.

He was.

Chapter 23.

The giant gates opened into a sprawling carnival plaza, its paths winding between decorative topiaries shaped like various animals mid-laugh. Neon signs pointed in different directions, their arrows morphing into grinning faces every few seconds. The towering Ferris wheel dominated the sky ahead, its massive frame adorned with countless lights that shifted in hypnotic patterns.

As I stepped through the gateway and crossed an invisible threshold, system notifications appeared one after another.

[Welcome to the Big Laughter Wheel Grand Attraction!]

[Special Entry Permit Granted: No Ticket Required]

[Warning: Maximum Difficulty Setting Automatically Applied]

[Mr. Chuckles Hopes You Enjoy The Show!]

[Side Quest Available: The Wheel of Fortune and Misfortune]

You have been assigned a special role: Maintenance Guy.

Unlike regular visitors, you are responsible for ensuring the Big Laughter Wheel operates at peak condition.

[Universal Maintenance Tool (Unique)] will be provided.

Main Objective:

Fix malfunctioning Ferris wheel cabins (0/6). Reward: System Points based on performance, Golden VIP Ticket.

Failure: Well, you know the rules, don't you? Becoming an NPC, yada-yada.

Bonus Objective:

Complete the 9th Revolution Challenge. Reward: VIP Platinum Ticket.

Secret Objective: ???

[Notice: Flight is prohibited in this zone. Violators will face increased gravitational penalties]

Just as I finished reading the notifications, space warped before me. A tool materialized through a ripple of system runes, settling into my palm. It resembled a high-tech multi-tool, its metallic surface etched with intricate maintenance-related runes that pulsed faintly with stored mana. Various attachments—some recognizable, others clearly designed for more esoteric repairs—were seamlessly integrated into its compact form. The words "Very Happy" were discreetly engraved along its spine in a simple script that shimmered under the carnival lights.

[Universal Maintenance Tool (Unique)] "Because every attraction needs its mechanic!"

A well-crafted multi-tool that adapts to repair needs through mana manipulation. Created specifically for maintaining the Big Laughter Wheel's unique mechanisms. Perfect for those who need to fix things that probably shouldn't be broken in the first place.

Primary Effect - Adaptive Repair: Channels mana to transform its attachments into the most suitable tools for the job. Effectiveness scales with the user's Mind and Spirit attributes.

Secondary Effect - Structural Analysis: Provides detailed information about mechanical and magical malfunctions within its range because knowing what's broken is half the battle.

Warning: May occasionally produce unexpected but mathematically perfect repairs. The System is not responsible for any reality-bending maintenance solutions.

"Well, thanks for such a complete explanation," I muttered, studying the tool's shifting attachments before securing it in my pocket. Its weight was reassuring—solid and practical despite its unusual nature.

The crowd that had gathered at the entrance now streamed through the open gates. Most appeared to be regular inhabitants rather than Tutorial participants, judging by their relaxed demeanor and the casual way they discussed previous rides on the Ferris wheel. I stopped one of them—a three-eyed man with arms like tree trunks—who stood out even among the carnival's eclectic visitors.

"Hey, what can you tell me about this attraction?"

"Oh, you're the guy who beat Sugar!" he exclaimed, his surprisingly high-pitched voice completely mismatched with his imposing appearance. Through my Mana Sense, I felt he was around Tier 3, typical for the more powerful residents. "Never seen a fight like that before. Thanks for the early entry—and the free snacks!" He patted a pocket bulging with pieces of caramelized Sugar.

"So what's the deal with the wheel?" I asked, noting how Mille and Constantin had drawn closer to listen. "Everyone seems eager to ride it."

"The main quest is simple enough—enter a cabin and complete a certain number of rotations," the man explained, his three eyes blinking in sequence. "But simple doesn't mean easy. Each cabin is..." He hesitated, glancing around before lowering his voice. "Well, let's just say they're bigger on the inside. And what's inside isn't always friendly, at least when the cabin reaches the top."

"Interesting. And what's in it for you? Seems a bit too risky."

"For us, residents? It's mostly entertainment, though the rewarded Golden Tickets also have their uses. And even if something goes wrong, we get free revival in this zone." He straightened up, looking past me toward the wheel. "Speaking of which, I should hurry before all the good cabins are taken. And thanks again—you saved us all a Silver Ticket!"

He clapped me on the shoulder with one trunk-like arm before hurrying after the others. Despite the Ferris wheel's imposing size, there was still considerable distance to cover before reaching the boarding area. The winding path led through more of those animal-shaped topiaries, each one frozen mid-laugh in a way that felt more unsettling than festive.

The last stragglers filtered through the gate just as it closed without making a sound. These were a couple dozen humans, most wearing the same novice outfit as I was, with rare exceptions. Obviously, they were other Tutorial participants from Earth. Almost all of them seemed pathetically weak; I couldn't quite understand how they’d qualified to enter this zone. Based on the fact that they had been waiting at the entrance, every one of them somehow had earned a Silver Ticket, though it now seemed that my victory over Sugar made entry free.

Three of them approached me, led by a pale man in his mid-thirties who couldn't quite meet my eyes. "Could you help us survive this?" he asked, his voice wavering slightly. "We saw how you dealt with that giant gummy bear... You're clearly powerful enough to—"

"Listen," I cut him off, "I have my own goals. I'm not your babysitter." I paused, considering the irony. "Well, I am a babysitter of sorts, just not yours. If you doubt your ability to complete this challenge, you shouldn't have entered to begin with."

"But thanks to you, we got in without needing the tickets," he pressed, still avoiding direct eye contact. "It wouldn't be hard for someone of your power to—"

"No one owes you anything," Mille interjected coldly. "This is not a place where you can leech off strangers. Don't waste our time. Follow the crowd quietly."

The man opened his mouth to object, but Mille's glare silenced him instantly. He finally sensed what she was—someone so far beyond his comprehension that arguing would be futile. Without another word, he retreated with his companions.

I had to admit, I was impressed that he had had the courage to approach us at all.

"So you won't help us even if we ask nicely?" A voice like silver bells cut through the murmur of the crowd. A girl stepped forward from the group as others parted for her like she was a queen, her movement graceful and deliberately eye-catching. It was difficult to pin down her age—she had the fresh-faced look of someone in their late teens but carried herself with the confidence of someone older. Her beauty was almost unsettling in its perfection: startling blue eyes, peach-black hair that seemed to catch impossible highlights in the carnival lights, and a figure that made the Improved Novice set look like designer clothes.

Her face tugged at my memory—something about those eyes, that particular tilt of her head when she smiled. Maybe she was a minor celebrity or related to one. After ten years in Luminosa, I'd missed whatever fame she might have achieved on Earth, but something about her presence felt practiced, cultivated.

"What if I ask very politely?" She gave me a smile that probably broke hearts on a regular basis, her voice dropping to a honey-sweet tone. "Pretty please, with a cherry on top?" The words were childish, but her delivery was anything but.

I stepped away from the group, releasing a pulse of Gravity Mana that doubled the weight pressing down on each of the Earth humans. It was a gentle reminder of the gap between us, which caused most of them to lose their balance. Not the girl, though. She was the strongest of the group—and the strongest "normal human" I've encountered here so far—being in the realm of a real Tier 1 Cultivator. But why would that matter to me?

"Take care, guys." I shooed them away with my hands. "I hope you won't die—at least not forever."

The group began to drift away, following the flow of residents toward the wheel. As the mysterious girl passed, she brushed against my hand—a touch so light it could have been accidental, if not for the way she turned her head slightly to whisper, "This was the right decision. It's survival of the fittest, after all." There was an edge to her voice now, sharp as a razor. Then she melted back into the group of Earth humans with practiced ease.

"Wait, wasn't she... yeah, right, I could swear she's Arabella Dwyer!" Mille suddenly exclaimed, holding back her voice from being overheard by the departing group. "S-should I catch up to her and ask for an autograph?"

"What, you know who she is?" I asked, curious about her reaction. If the Cardinal of some mysterious Church knew about the girl and acted like she was a big deal, there had to be something more to it. Was she actually part of a shadow government? A daughter of a famous vampire hunter?

"How could you not know?! She's the lead actress in this amazing series, Midnight! It's such a great romance story!"

"Oh now, this is surprising." Constantin looked at the excited Mille with a raised brow. "It's really unexpected for someone from the Church to like something like this... isn't this a love story about a human girl and a vampire?"

"What do you know, bloodsucker?" Mille snorted. "I can differentiate between fiction and reality. It's a beautiful story, and the vampires in it are completely different from you! There are also werewolves that don't exist in reality."

"Hmm, I heard that it was based on a real story..." Constantin pondered.

"Nonsense!" Mille's Virtues flared for a brief moment.

"I see you two found a common topic to discuss..." I said as I turned away from the pair discussing some dumb book or movie, or whatever it was.

I decided to focus on my goal and expanded my Mana Sense to easily find the one I was looking for, but I immediately encountered resistance. The Aether density here was staggering—comparable to the oppressive atmosphere of the Demon Queen's castle, if not higher. In theory, this would be a cultivator's paradise. I could probably achieve twice the results with half the effort, but I had neither the time to cultivate nor the desire to linger in this unsettling place.

Something else permeated the Aether here, an undercurrent that set my teeth on edge. Each Element had its distinct "taste"—Air was crisp and vital, Lightning was sharp and energetic, Gravity was deep and absolute. But this... this was different. It reminded me of how Sins and Virtues manifested, but twisted somehow. It was not something you could cultivate like traditional Elements—like accelerating Water mastery by training in deep water.

I checked the map again, confirming my target's location in one of the wheel's cabins. They were on the right side, approximately halfway to the top. With Sugar out of the way, I figured a direct approach would be simplest.

I was wrong.

The moment I lifted myself ten feet off the ground, gravity crashed down like the hand of an angry god. Mille, who had attempted to follow, hit the ground hard enough to crack the pavement. I managed to resist for a moment—Gravity was my Element, after all—before landing near her.

"Well, it seems you won't be following me up there, Mille," I said, watching her pick herself up. The sensation had been oddly familiar—not unlike when she'd first experienced my gravity manipulation during our confrontation. Her slight grimace suggested she remembered that encounter too.

"You can't fly in Grand Attraction zones," Constantin explained, meticulously brushing dust from his coat with aristocratic disdain. "The path must be walked." His lips curved into a slight smile. "Though that's hardly a problem for most of us mere mortals who never had the luxury of flight to begin with."

"A vampire calling himself a mere mortal," Mille said with disdain. "That's something new."

"Okay, you guys go ahead and complete your main objective," I told them. "You need to enter a cabin and survive an entire revolution, right?"

"One revolution?" Constantin chuckled darkly. "That's only for those who took the Normal difficulty. It's three for Hard, and six for my Nightmare... Based on what I've learned, every cabin has its own challenge, which gets progressively harder with each revolution." He adjusted his collar thoughtfully. "The difficulty also scales based on the average power of those who enter. For this reason, it's actually wise to have some weaklings in your group."

"Why didn't you say so sooner?" I replied. "Perhaps you should join those weak users from before."

"What about you?" Mille asked, her stern expression revealing a hint of concern. "You don't need to ride the wheel?"

"I have a special role and different objectives." I looked up at the massive structure. "See you later, perhaps."

Mille touched the cross at her neck, her Virtues flaring briefly. "His Holiness assigned me to assist you. How am I supposed to do that if you leave?"

"By completing your own task first," I replied. "Besides, I doubt you could help much with maintenance work." I patted the tool in my pocket. "Focus on surviving your cabin ride. We can meet up after—assuming you make it through."

"Don't underestimate me," she said, but there was no real anger in her voice. "Just remember—if you die doing something stupid, I'll have to explain it to His Holiness."

"Then I'd better not die." I gave her a mock salute before turning away. "Good luck with your ride. Try not to kill too many vampires while I'm gone."

Constantin and his group wisely pretended not to hear that last part. I waved at them with a smile and took off into the air under their impressed gaze.

Most beings, even at Tier 5 and with a Supreme Element, would be unable to fly under such conditions. But I hadn't made gravity my bitch just to let it hold me back now. The pressure was intense—starting at 10,000 pounds and doubling every ten feet. Perhaps Mille could have flown higher if she'd been prepared for it rather than caught off guard.

As for me, even as the pressure grew exponentially, I managed to counter it with my own Gravity Mana. Though I had to admit, by 100 feet, it was getting ridiculous. I would need to rise about a mile above ground, and if the pressure kept increasing exponentially, I'd run out of Mana before reaching my goal.

Just as I was calculating how much power I'd need, the anti-flight magic showed its limits—the pressure plateaued at around 1 million pounds.

"Managing this gravity is exhausting," I muttered as I fought against the immense pressure, "but at this pace, I should still have more than half my energy left when we reach our destination."

"So this is your home world?" the sword's aristocratic voice dripped with disappointment. "I expected something more peaceful and carefree based on your endless reminiscing."

"Well, as you can see, I've returned to find myself in an entirely new shit show."

"You seem strangely eager despite the circumstances," the sword observed, clearly enjoying his freedom to speak again.

"Because I finally found what's truly important," I said, adjusting my course to compensate for another wave of pressure. "And I won't let anything stop me from protecting it."

"Still as cryptic as ever," the sword said. "Though I must admit, it's refreshing to be out in the open air again, instead of stuffed inside your core like some common trinket."

"I wanted to take you out... under different circumstances. Not to fight, but to, let's say, use you as a family heirloom or something. You can't feel the passage of time inside the core anyway."

"Here we go," I said as I finally reached the location where our dots nearly overlapped on the map. The Ferris wheel's skeletal frame stretched skyward like a mechanical titan's ribcage, its support beams thick as redwoods and decorated with shifting patterns. The structure hummed with barely contained power, massive gears grinding with a sound like a giant's heartbeat.

[You've found one of the malfunctioning cabins. Use the Universal Maintenance Tool to fix it.]

The cabin was a Victorian mansion in miniature, with ornate trim and decorative spires that had no business being on a Ferris wheel car. Mirrored windows wrapped around in elegant arches, each pane reflecting the bright sky while concealing the interior. Its shell was forged from some strange alloy, the surface rippling with iridescence like oil on water.

Every minute spent fighting the anti-flight barrier drained my Mana faster than even this Aether-rich environment could replenish. Time wasn't on my side. I needed to get inside and finally reunite with Leah—or whoever my quarry turned out to be if my guess proved wrong.

"If everything goes smoothly, we'll probably meet my sister soon enough," I told the sword.

"Oh?" The weapon couldn't hide the excitement in his voice. "Is she hot?"

"If you hit on my sister, I'll wash you in the toilet," I threatened. "Besides, she's married."

"Bummer."

"Well, you could always try your charms on that lovely nun," I suggested with a smirk.

"Oh no," the sword's aristocratic tone dripped with disdain. "She's far too severe for my tastes. I prefer my women cheerful and cute, not walking monuments to perpetual disapproval."

"To each their own," I shrugged as I scanned the cabin with my Mana Sense.

The cabin swayed with an unnatural rhythm that didn't match the wheel's rotation, lurching at irregular intervals like a wounded animal trying to shake off a predator. Each swing sent vibrations through the support beams that made my teeth ache.

I moved to the roof and pulled out the maintenance tool. It transformed into an enormous screwdriver with a crystalline core that pulsed in sync with the wheel's rhythm, perfectly sized for the gigantic bolts anchoring the cabin to its frame. Each bolt was decorated with the same shifting patterns as the wheel itself.

Even with my strength, turning them required real effort. The metal resisted both physically and metaphysically, as if the concept of rotation itself were being contested. I had to channel Mana through the tool, sending cascading ripples of energy through the cabin's frame with each turn.

Finally, the unnatural swaying ceased, and the structure settled into rhythm with the wheel's rotation. But the System didn't notify me of completing the repair. Something else needed fixing inside.

I couldn't scout the interior with my Mana Sense or hear any sounds—the cabin's walls seemed to absorb sound itself. At the ornate double doors, I found a lock of baroque complexity, with golden gears and crystalline components arranged in patterns that hurt my eyes. Or at least it tried, not very successfully.

I inserted the maintenance tool into what I hoped was a keyhole. It shuddered and transformed into what looked like a skeleton key from a giant's fever dream—all twisted spires and impossible angles that somehow felt exactly right for this lock.

"Well, a maintenance guy should be able to enter the cabins, right?" I pondered aloud.

"I'm just glad you don't have to use me as a lockpick," the sword muttered. "That incident with the Duke of Pride's treasury was quite enough."

What happened next wasn't quite what I'd expected. The moment I turned the key, Space Element energy surged around me, pulling me inside. I could have resisted with my Gravity Mana, but I knew this was part of the attraction's mechanics. In an instant, I found myself within.

The cabin's interior defied its external dimensions—I stood in what appeared to be a vast ballroom. The mirrors that had been opaque from the outside were perfectly transparent from this side, offering breathtaking views of the carnival landscape below. But what caught my attention wasn't the impossible architecture or the panoramic vista.

Congratulations, you've found one more of your geese, bad and murdery Mama Goose! Make sure to take care of her. Not the same way you did with five others! (6/9)

Among the five people inside the cabin, I immediately spotted the one I'd come to save. And currently, she was locked in a passionate embrace with a towering, muscle-bound orc.

I'd prepared myself for many scenarios, but this... this wasn't one of them.

Chapter 24.

The moment of my entrance caused a sudden, startled silence. The passionate embrace between the woman and the orc broke apart as five pairs of eyes turned toward me, all registering different levels of shock and confusion at my unexpected appearance.

Among them, I recognized Sarah immediately. No longer in the designer clothes she'd worn at our first meeting, she now sported the same novice outfit as the other Tutorial participants. Her perfect features twisted in annoyance at the interruption before recognition slowly dawned in her eyes—not the kind I'd expected. This wasn't the recognition of someone who remembered me; rather, it was the same predatory interest I'd seen when she'd first laid eyes on me in that dark alley.

"Well," she purred, already recovering her composure, "if we're getting unexpected visitors, at least it's an attractive one."

The orc, still processing my sudden appearance, let out a low growl. The other three occupants—two human men and an umbral elf woman, all in various states of tension—had already backed away toward the transparent windows, clearly hoping to avoid whatever was about to unfold.

[Cabin Dimensional Control Device Malfunction Detected]

[Error: Participants are locked in the cabin until the 9th Revolution is complete]

[Immediate Maintenance Required]

Through my Virtual Interface, I analyzed the cabin's occupants. Sarah was only level 15, while the two human men were both level 8—fairly typical for Tutorial participants. The orc warrior stood at level 240, his massive frame radiating raw physical power enhanced by the System. But the elf woman, at level 333, carried herself with the practiced grace of someone who'd mastered her abilities long before the System arrived.

"W-Who are you?" the elf woman, who had the highest level of them all by far, asked as she was the first to recover her composure. "H-How the heck did you get in here?"

"Don't worry about this, fair lady. I'm just a passing maintenance guy! Though I have to ask you a few questions first..."

"Hmm, just a level 20 pipsqueak," the orc growled. "I don't know how you got here, but why do you think you can act all bossy, huh?"

"Maybe because I can do this, my green-skinned fellow?" I said, decreasing his weight with Gravity and controlling his body with my Air, raising him midair. The orc flailed his arms helplessly as I sucked air from his lungs, making him suffocate. Of course, at such a high level, he would be able to hold his breath for... a very long time. That didn’t make it any less uncomfortable and humiliating. I let him go after a dozen seconds, allowing him to catch his breath.

The orc recovered from my display of power, glaring at me with wounded pride. "Cheap tricks," he growled. "If you're a real man, fight me the way real men fight!"

"And how's that?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"The ancient way!" the orc declared, raising his right hand and curling all but his thumb into a fist. "Like the Romans fought the Russians!"

I couldn't help but smile—how the puck did an orc know about Earth history? "Thumb wrestling? Sure, if that saves me time dealing with you."

The orc gave me a savage grin, his bottom tusks protruding. "Sarah, watch as I show this weakling who's a real man!"

Sarah's eyes sparkled with interest. "Go, go, mysterious stranger! Show the orc who's daddy!"

The orc's face darkened at Sarah's enthusiasm. I had to wonder—even with her memories erased and without my powers on display this time, why was she still so attracted to me? Considering how passionately she'd been embracing the orc moments ago, it seemed odd.

The match itself wasn't as easy as I'd expected. The orc's hands dwarfed mine, his fingers thick as sausages. He was clearly experienced at this particular form of combat—if you could call thumb wrestling combat. Despite our level difference, his Might attribute was probably higher than mine; it was my second lowest stat, after all. He seemed like the type to dump most of his points into raw strength.

But what I lacked in pure power, I made up for in Grace. Plus, I'd spent my childhood engaged in epic thumb wars with my little sister and dad. Though I had never managed to beat our old man, I picked up a few tricks along the way.

After five consecutive losses, the orc stared at his defeated thumb in complete disbelief.

"Truly impressive," the elf said diplomatically.

"You're so awesome, handsome stranger!" Sarah exclaimed, trying to hug my arm. I created an invisible barrier of Air Mana, keeping her at a safe distance. The last thing I needed was her clinging to me.

"So, does anyone else want to try their powers?" I looked at the dark elf, trying to redirect the conversation. "I'm still full of energy, my thumb at the ready! How about you, fair lady?"

"With all due respect," the elf replied stiffly, "I am a man."

Looking closer, I studied the elf's slim build and flat chest. Their features were undeniably feminine by human standards—just because a beautiful woman had a flat chest didn’t mean most men would assume she was actually a man. But there was something in their bearing, their voice, that finally registered as distinctly masculine. Beautiful, yes, but male.

"My apologies," I said. "You're just... the most womanly one here."

Sarah pouted while the elf frowned.

"In any case," the elf continued, "if you truly were assigned by the System the role of a maintenance worker, we desperately need your help. We've survived five revolutions. The sixth might be doable, barely, but from the seventh onward, things get absolutely insane."

"You seem experienced with this attraction."

"Of course. I've lived in this crazy but fun place for three hundred years. This is only my twelfth time finding myself in a broken cabin throughout all those years."

"Just twelve times in three hundred years. Sure." I shook my head skeptically.

The elf explained further: "I'm not worried about myself—I have some revival points, as do the Tutorial participants with us. But Grogar... if he dies, that's the end for him."

The orc, still nursing his wounded pride from our thumb war, bowed his head. "If you can get me out of this, maintenance guy, I'll owe you my life."

"Don't worry, my green-skinned friend. With me here, no one's going to die." I chuckled. "Unless I kill them, of course."

No one laughed except Sarah, who’d probably laugh at anything I said.

"Let me apologize for the misunderstanding again," I said to the elf, trying to lighten the mood. "But in my defense, I've met another umbra elf at the Happiest Chicken who looked quite manly."

"The Happiest Chicken?" The elf brightened. "Oh, so you met my wife! She's such a beauty, isn't she?!"

Well, that was awkward. "Yeah... such toned muscles... deep, piercing eyes..."

"I am Adriel, by the way," the elf introduced himself with a slight bow. "It's nice to meet a fellow man of culture, how can I refer to you?"

"You can call me the handsome maintenance guy," I replied, having grown used to not brazenly sharing my name during my time in Luminosa.

"A rather long name for a human..." Adriel pondered with a serious expression. "Though if I decided to share my full name it would take a couple of minutes, ha-ha!"

If there was a time to change the topic, it was now.

"It seems I'm here for not as important a reason as I first thought," I said, glaring at Sarah. "But I need to ask you a few questions to clear my doubts. Were there others in the cabin who lost their lives?"

"Yes," the elf said. "We started with ten people. As you can see, our number has halved. Three were high-level Land residents, and two were Tutorial participants from Earth."

"Did you lose one of those about forty minutes ago?" The conversation with the Pope and the fight with the gummy bear felt like a lot, but not much time had actually passed since I received the notification. I had been in a hurry, after all. "One of them could be the person I'm looking for... my relative."

"Yes. In fact, four people, including both Earth users, died in the previous rotation's challenge."

I carefully examined all five survivors, both visually and with my Mana Sense, looking for any sign of deception. If Leah had been here and died because of them, or if they'd killed her... well, a rather gruesome fate awaited them. The mere possibility of losing my little sister for good made my blood boil with an intensity I hadn't experienced in a while.

"Every challenge is slightly different," Adriel explained. "Usually the third, sixth, and ninth rotations involve combat. The others could be anything. This particular one wasn't fair—I'm surprised we survived with as many as we did."

Through my Mana Sense, I monitored their reactions. Nothing suggested they were lying; even the two weaker men showed no signs of deception in their heart rates or blood pressure.

"To be honest," Adriel continued, "with so many low-level users, the challenge should have been easier. Usually, low-levels complete their objective and leave after one or three rotations. But since our cabin is locked, we couldn't leave. With me and Grogar, plus two more high-rank residents, the challenges should have been trivial. Instead, the System seemed determined to mess with us." He paused. "Have you ever played Mafia?"

"Ah, you mean those social deduction games where a group has to figure out who among them is secretly working against everyone else?" I remembered playing such games back on Earth. The classics like Werewolf, where innocent villagers tried to identify the monsters in their midst, or more modern versions with different roles and win conditions. "Someone gets assigned as the killer or wolf, and the others have to figure out who it is before they all die?"

"Exactly. They called it 'Mr. Chuckles and the Wolf.' One person was labeled as Mr. Chuckles, three as Wolves, and three more as Rabbits; the rest were just villagers. Also, four NPCs were added to the mix, bringing our total to thirteen. We had no idea who was who—an NPC could’ve been a Rabbit, or one of us could’ve been a Wolf. And because we guessed wrong..."

The implication hung heavy in the air.

"Everyone had a vote for the Wolf after some discussion each round," Adriel explained. "And if someone voted for Mr. Chuckles instead of killing him, they would die. In between rounds, Wolves could choose someone to kill, and Rabbits could test if someone was a Wolf, as well as learn who the other Rabbits were."

"Wait, wait. If a Wolf chooses someone to kill, would they die for real?"

"Yeah, that's why I said the System screwed us," Adriel sighed. "It was basically a game where it was impossible for all of us to survive."

I frowned. It seemed very likely that someone among those people was responsible for the death of my charge, who may or may not be Leah.

"So who were the Tutorial participants?" I asked.

"They were actually two girls," Adriel replied.

"I knew all the girls even before this attraction," Sarah interjected. "In fact, we became friends very quickly in the last few days! They were nice girls, though not as cute as me." She paused, her usual flirtatious manner faltering.

The elf pointed at the two human men. "Those two surviving Tutorial participants, some locals and NPCs chose Emily as a candidate to be sacrificed as a suspected Wolf," Adriel continued. "As for the other girl, Vienna... she died when she voted for one of the NPCs who turned out to have Mr. Chuckles' role."

"It was so unfair that certain guys suspected Emily!" Sarah glared at the two men, who had the decency to look uncomfortable. Finally, one of them spoke up.

"It couldn't be helped! That NPC, Grimweld, was very convincing in his arguments! His logic was flawless!"

"Convincing, you say?" I raised an eyebrow. "Wait—you're saying one of the NPCs was that announcer from the monster exhibition?"

"Yeah, why?" Sarah didn't seem to find anything strange about it.

"Well, for one, he was killed less than an hour ago," I said.

"That makes even more sense!" Adriel said. "The System needs NPCs who aren't busy at the time. It can probably revive them faster than normal users. Sure, it might require more resources, but someone has to be present for the challenges."

"She was nice," the other human male said nervously. "But the System could've given any of us the role of the Wolf..."

"Actually... now that I think about it, her face was similar to yours." Sarah nodded to herself. "Was Emily the relative you were looking for? And you both have a certain kind of charm... if I were into women, I'd want to date her! Probably."

A rather perceptive observation. It wasn't easy to see similarities between me and Leah anymore, not after my transformation in Luminosa.

I had a suspicious feeling that Emily was actually Leah. As for why she had introduced herself with another name—well, Emily was the name of our mother and the username Leah tended to use in video games. She was also the type of girl who wouldn't trust random strangers, even though sharing your real name didn't mean much in this crazy place. My chest hurt with the realization that I could lose Leah, my dear sister, for good. That she could just be revived as a copy, completely recreated by the System from scratch... a mere fake. But even if she were fake, I would still treat her like my Leah, I decided. And that was only the worst-case scenario... Still, it showed me that in this new reality, I wasn't as almighty as I used to feel in another world. I needed to grow stronger. Much stronger.

A dark part of me wanted to crush the bones of those two guys responsible—no matter how indirectly—for her death. I was prepared to do it if the revival proved to be flawed and didn't bring her back perfectly, as intended. Perhaps I wouldn't hold myself back then. But for now, I decided to give them a chance. Still, this didn't mean I would suppress my urges completely... I hoped that the next challenge from the System would give me an opportunity to vent my anger... and helplessness.

Adriel sighed, his eyes betraying a hint of guilt. "The girl was one of the Rabbits, just like me. I knew she was innocent, but that damn gremlin was just charismatic enough to sway people into labeling her the most suspicious one... If she's really your relative, I'm sorry. At the very least, she had a revival point, if only one."

"We really didn't want such a nice girl to die!" The two men lowered their heads. "W-we were swept up in the moment... sorry!"

Was it just a coincidence? I pondered. No, I won’t believe for a moment that neither the System, that chipmunk, nor the Ringleader had nothing to do with such a nice "coincidence" that two of my charges ended up here at the same time, in a broken cabin, facing a challenge way beyond their capabilities while also having a guy I just killed as one of the NPCs participating in the challenge... Perhaps the disappearance of two other dots isn't random, either. It's Sarah who actually got lucky.

I guess I now knew everything I needed to know. Killing or torturing those two guys right now would be pointless and unnecessarily cruel. They were tricked—by the System, by Grimweld, and whoever else was pulling the strings. The guilt in their eyes seemed sincere enough. I sighed, deciding that I wouldn't place blame on them even if the worst came to worst.

"Oh yeah," Grogar spoke up, his deep voice rumbling. "In one of the back rooms, there's this weird black chest."

"It's giving off some strange vibes—I think it's Space Mana," Adriel added.

Part of me was surprised that someone here could recognize Elemental Mana to begin with. But considering I felt Shadow Element from the two umbral elves I had encountered, and that about a third of their total power had Elemental nature, it was only to be expected. Still, theirs had a different "taste," so to speak, compared to the usual Elements of cultivators from Luminosa. Their Shadow felt less pure but more intense.

I raised an eyebrow. "Space Mana, huh? Sounds like a job for the maintenance guy."

The orc led me to the room in question. Sure enough, tucked away in a corner was a sinister-looking black chest, its surface etched with eerie, shifting runes. As I approached, the maintenance tool in my hand began to change, its form rippling and distorting until it settled into the shape of a heavy hammer, its head inscribed with glowing sigils.

Hefting the transformed tool, I struck the chest with a resounding clang. Instantly, the runes on its surface flared to life, pulsing with an unsettling radiance. Through my Mana Sense, I could perceive the incredibly intricate weave of the System's power within, the patterns mind-bendingly complex.

The hammer melted and reformed in my grip, this time taking the shape of a flute of polished silver, its surface shimmering with iridescent light. Raising it to my lips, I played a haunting melody that seemed to resonate through the very fabric of the cabin. The notes hung in the air, pulsing in time with the glowing runes on the chest.

Gradually, I felt something shift—it was as if the entire cabin gave a subtle shudder, some unseen component clicking back into its proper place. The tension that had permeated the space eased, the air itself seeming to breathe a sigh of relief.

A message flickered into view:

[Congratulations! You have fixed your first cabin out of six.]

Chapter 25.

I lowered the flute, feeling a sense of satisfaction. One down, five to go. But I wasn't about to leave just yet. I had to make sure these people, my temporary charges, made it through the next rotation unscathed.

The cabin could only be exited at the bottom of the wheel's rotation, so I settled in to wait with the others, preparing myself for whatever twisted challenge the System would throw at us next.

In the meantime, as the minutes passed by, I checked the still-incomplete System interface. The shop was available to me, divided into three columns: one for weapons, another for armor sets (which I had already checked when I was level zero), and the last for so-called Relics which wasn't available yet.

None of the weapons piqued my interest. Of course, they couldn't even compare to my trusted companion, who had been keeping uncharacteristically silent since we arrived in the cabin. Sometimes, for some completely random reason, he just suddenly changed from talkative to a shy introvert. Just your normal bipolar sword.

The cabin continued its rotation, with occasional stops of varying lengths. These pauses were likely to allow new participants to enter their designated cabins.

Finally, after ten minutes or so, the cabin shuddered to a halt. A chime sounded, and the central floor of the main hall began to glow with an eerie light.

"It's going to be a battle," the elf said grimly, "and I have no idea how powerful the opponents will be. Before the System board appears, it calculates the difficulty based on the participants as well as the number of rotations, and there's also some element of randomization."

As if on cue, the board materialized, flickering with ominous text:

[Sixth Rotation Challenge Started]

[Calculating Difficulty...]

[Four E-Rank Beings Detected]

[One B-Rank Being Detected]

[One A-Rank Being Detected]

[Rotation Bonus Challenge Activated]

[Error: Anomaly Detected]

[Did you really think we would give you a simple challenge, Maintenance Guy?]

[Increasing Difficulty]

[Preparing Special Challenge for the Anomaly]

The System's text flickered as new messages appeared:

[Challenge: Blood-Bound Ravagers Slaying]

[As a maintenance guy, you are forbidden from delivering the killing blow to any Ravager]

[Dealing the last hit to a Ravager will automatically fail the quest and cause the cabin to detonate]

[Your objective: Ensure all five participants complete their own objective and survive]

[Each of the five participants must kill one Ravager]

[Each Ravager could only be challenged in its respective room]

"We're screwed," Adriel muttered as the first monster materialized in a flash of light.

The cabin, matching its external appearance, was indeed a small mansion with multiple rooms. Through my Mana Sense, I could feel the Ravagers appearing in different parts of it. I identified the one before us—its level 500 made it clear that the System wasn't pulling its punches.

The Blood-Bound Ravager that appeared before us was a grotesque sight—a hulking mass of raw meat that stood eight feet tall, its torso ending in a neckless shoulder crowned with a massive, tooth-filled maw. Where a head should have been, there was nothing but rippling muscle, and blazing blue eyes were set in its chest like burning sapphires. Its arms, thick as tree trunks and covered in pulsing veins, dragged along the ground. It moved like some nightmarish parody of a gorilla, except larger and infinitely more wrong.

"Don't worry," I assured them. "I can't deliver the finishing blow, but I can make it easier for you to get your kills."

Adriel said grimly, "Even if we manage to kill one, they have to die together. If there's more than ten seconds between deaths, they'll completely recover. No limit to how many times. I've seen groups fail for hours because they couldn't coordinate properly. And those were just two Ravagers at level 300..."

Before he could elaborate further, the Ravager attacked. The orc raised his twin tomahawks to block, but the difference in their stats was overwhelming—this was a monster at the peak of Tier 4, just a tiny step away from Tier 5. All its power was concentrated in raw physical capability, making it an absolute force of destruction in close combat.

I was already moving. Just as I'd done before with the orc, I used my control over Air Mana to lift the creature, making it flail helplessly. The Ravager tried to adapt, its arms morphing into weapons as another pair of limbs sprouted from its back. The sight reminded me oddly of that animated movie—Lola & Snitch and the alien little monster.

I quickly identified the creature's weakness: all its Mana went into physical enhancement. It couldn't use Mana for anything that didn't directly involve its biology. No shockwaves, no ranged attacks—just pure physical might. These were actually the easiest opponents for me to handle with Gravity Mana.

"Thank you for saving my life," Grogar said, lowering his axes.

I shrugged in response. Interestingly, there had been no orcs in Luminosa, which was unusual for a fantasy world that had elves, demons, and even goblins. Perhaps they'd gone extinct, killed either by demons or, more likely, humans. After all, humans could be quite xenophobic and had a particular taste for genocide.

"Even with complete control over it, I'm not sure I could kill it within ten seconds," Adriel admitted. "Even with my strongest Skills. And what about the others? If everyone needs to land a killing blow, that's ridiculous. We have three E-rank humans here!"

"Four, I'm an E-rank as well!"

"Yeah, right, sure," the elf just snorted.

"He thinks you're a liar," my bladeless sword laughed.

"Well, Adriel, I'd like to watch you try to kill it, at least," I said. "I can't deliver the finishing blow, but I want to see what you can do."

"Even if I kill it, it will just recover as long as the others are alive. Didn't you hear me?" Adriel asked.

"It's okay—I just need to see its limits, how much damage it can take. Then I'll make sure every one of you can get your kill."

"A level 8 user killing a top A-rank monster? That's impossible."

"I killed so-called A-rank beings when I was level 0," I said, to which the elf only shook his head in disbelief. He was still convinced that I was hiding my true level, and I couldn't blame him.

"Okay, I'll try my best," Adriel sighed.

The elf readied his bow—a surprisingly large weapon that seemed to be growing right in his hands, formed from living wood. The arrow he created crackled with his chaotic Shadow Mana, concentrated to its absolute limit.

When he released the string, the arrow flew like a rocket toward the suspended monster. Through my Mana Sense, I felt the System's magic take hold, causing the arrow to split into two, each carrying as much power as the original, if not more. This was what made the System so ridiculous—its effects defied my understanding of what Mana was capable of.

The arrows found their mark in the Ravager's eyes, guided like heat-seeking missiles. The monster roared as explosions of Darkness magic tore through its vulnerable spots. But it was still very much alive.

Adriel fired even more volleys, each empowered further by the System. It took seven perfectly placed shots, targeting the creature's maw and eyes, to finally exhaust all the Mana the creature was using to regenerate and finally kill it. Of course, just as we expected, after ten seconds passed, the monster fully recovered—its wounds healed and its Mana full again. It was even more ridiculous than I expected—healing was one thing, but Mana recovery was another. I used my Gravity Mana to suspend it before it could attack.

"Just like I said." Adriel shrugged. "It was pointless."

"Not at all, my elf friend, not at all. Now I understand its physiology and limits. A truly outstanding species."

"So, you have a plan?"

"I have good news," I said. "I've checked the other four monsters. None of them are quite this strong—three are only level 400. Grogar can handle the other 500, and our three weaklings will take out the rest."

"Very funny," Adriel scoffed. "Level 400 is still beyond what an E-rank can handle. Even if you completely restrain the monsters and break all their bones, someone with total stats below 200 couldn't pierce their defenses. It would be like trying to cut steel with butter."

I smiled. "Well, what if these monsters weren't quite so... healthy? What if they were at their last breath, mere moments from death? One more weak hit in their most vulnerable spot would be enough to kill them, wouldn't it?"

It would have been more problematic if these beasts weren't so full of vitality. I might have worried about killing them by chance and having the cabin detonate, and I doubted the System was joking about that. The others wouldn't survive the explosion—I wasn't worried about myself, but about my quest and my little goose.

"Alright, my friend, it's time for some dismemberment," I said, gripping Antipucker.

"I was forged ready," he replied as I poured Air Mana into the handle, creating a thin blade only four feet long. A shorter blade meant more concentrated cutting power, which we would need for these monsters.

Under Sarah's cheerful encouragement, I approached the frozen mass of raw power still struggling against my gravity control. I noticed a slight boost from her cheering and gave her a questioning look.

"Did you try to cast some support ability on me?"

"Oh yeah! I'm a Cheerleader, after all! That's my Archetype, and my Skills have a similar effect."

I didn't pay much more attention to her, focusing instead on my grim task. One limb at a time, I systematically dismembered the creature from its three pairs of limbs. I won't say my blade cut through its flesh effortlessly—it required both physical and magical effort—but the job got done. Even as I reduced it to a nearly limbless ball, its severed parts littering the floor, it still attempted to regenerate as it pushed its remaining Mana into healing. In mere seconds, the limbs regrew, showing how truly monstrous its healing capabilities were. Only those wielding the Time Element would have a chance to repeat such a feat, and only at the higher Tiers.

This was exactly what I wanted. The monster writhed in agony as I repeated the process, dismembering it a dozen times until it had barely any Mana left. More than half a hundred severed limbs lay scattered across the floor, the creature now a gargled mass bleeding out on the ground, tears of blood streaming from its eyes.

"It's not my fault you have so much vitality," I told the ruined creature. The floor had become a lake of blood—I stayed floating above it to keep my boots clean, but the others weren't so lucky.

One of the human men turned away, while the other threw up for the second time already. Sarah, strangely, watched me with admiration and curiosity in her eyes. I definitely needed to stay away from her in the future. Adriel and Grogar maintained their composure, though I could tell even they were disturbed by the thoroughness of my work. Like they should.

"As you can see," I told Adriel, "it's lost a lot of blood and limbs. Its Mana is completely spent, and it's just a hair's breadth from death. To help you cross that line even easier, I also rearranged its inner organs so that even a small wound can break the delicate balance of its life." Perhaps going so far wasn't necessary in Adriel's case—he had proven capable of killing such creatures even at full strength. I had to admire the elf's capabilities; he was quite powerful for his level and Tier.

"Though I'll probably need to check on each one of them one last time before we start the killing part. Even with their abilities limited, they could still pose a danger to the weakest of our group if they recover even a tiny amount of power."

"I'll do my part," Adriel agreed. "This plan... I think it can work. Maybe."

"Do you mind if I see those daggers at your waist?" I asked as I pointed at the beautiful runic weapons. "I think we should give them to our two guys."

I looked at the men—one still recovering from being sick, the other unable to look our way. If something as insignificant as torturing a monster could shake their spirits this much... Part of me wondered if the quest would have been easier if I'd killed these two. They probably still had Revival Points; otherwise, they would have told others, and Adriel would have mentioned them, not only the orc. Most likely, the challenge's difficulty would have increased instead. If they died, we'd likely face only three monsters, but they'd probably all be Tier 5. That would make things much harder for me, even with my power.

"My daggers aren't just weapons," Adriel said carefully. "They're a gift from my wife."

"They'll return them to you," I laughed. "Or what, you think they have the guts to steal from you? Or you don't want dirty humans putting their sweaty palms on your precious treasures?"

"You're right, that was silly of me," Adriel admitted. "I just thought you might have better weapons for them."

"I have just one weapon, and it's enough," I said. "As for the System shop, I can't buy anything useful—I'm in too much debt. You could say I'm dirt poor."

"I'll earn money for you, handsome maintenance guy!" Sarah interjected.

"I actually come from a wealthy family," she continued. "I already have a nice car and my own house on Earth."

Somehow, I doubted that any of her belongings still existed on Earth, not after that Aether shockwave.

"I doubt that he meant it this way," the orc said. "And I think I'm starting to realize why you preferred him to me..."

"Don't worry, you'll find a nice orc girl who will love you for who you are," Sarah patted Grogar's shoulder consolingly.

"That girl sure knows her way with words. And men," my sword commented. "But she's too easy for my taste—she lacks loyalty."

"Whether you like it or not, I'm going to lend you to her," I told the sword.

"So I'm not the only disloyal one? I thought we were brothers for life," the sword's voice dripped with fake remorse.

"Be glad; you'll have your fun with a woman after so many

years."

"Beggars can't be choosers, huh?" the sword said with a sigh.

And so I proceeded to repeat the process with the remaining meatball creatures, creating more pools of blood filled with dozens of severed limbs. It wasn't pretty, but it was nothing I wasn't used to. They were just monsters, even if their blood smelled surprisingly similar to humans'. I felt no more disgust than a butcher doing his job.

Only Sarah and Grogar followed me to watch the entire process. The orc felt some responsibility since I was saving his life and wanted to witness everything, no matter how unpleasant. As for Sarah, I had the unsettling feeling she found the process quite sexy, which confirmed that this woman wasn't just unusual—she was crazy. I wasn't one of those who thought they could fix a bad girl. I tried to avoid this type at any cost. At least she practiced her support Skills, so she was helpful.

After dealing with the last Ravager, I checked on each one again and administered any necessary additional wounds. This would ensure that even the three E-rank participants could deliver killing blows. The two men took their borrowed elven daggers and split up to their respective rooms.

Now I stood in the last room with Sarah. This part was actually the most problematic—if I used my own Mana on Antipucker, the System might count it as me delivering the final blow. I couldn't risk it. I had to make sure Sarah was capable of using the sword herself.

"Listen, Sarah, I entrust you with one of my closest companions," I said solemnly. "Someone who has served me for years. The greatest sword of all..."

"If you think I'm so great, stop calling me this. I have a name, Great Archblade Omnislayer—" the hilt complained, but I ignored its tirade.

Sarah laughed. "You get along so well! Thank you for trusting me with such an important object... or person," she said as she took the hilt in her hand.

"Okay, friend," I muttered to the sword, "I'm pretty sure she'll be completely unable to use you properly like I do, so it's up to you to draw her energy."

"I would really prefer someone else—a more cute and innocent woman. Maybe someone younger—"

"Hey! I'm young enough!" Sarah objected.

You see, my dear weapon had a thing for women, but of course, he didn't have any way to interact with them other than, like a vampire, consuming their Mana. Back on Luminosa, when I first met him, he was considered a cursed weapon that could only be used by beautiful, innocent maidens. But I managed to make him obedient, whether he liked it or not. The start of our relationship wasn't very nice, at least not for him.

"Well, at least she's beautiful," the hilt sighed as he activated the process.

Sarah let out a soft moan as the hilt started to gently but persistently drain her Mana. It was quite an interesting sensation, based on my experience. The woman who created this sword had unique tastes. Antipucker never told me the full story, but I had a growing suspicion about his original purpose. He was created as a dual-purpose tool: a weapon and... well, something else. Perhaps his peculiar personality was a result of this. But I didn't want to confirm this theory because it would feel just awkward if my greatest weapon was essentially a magical vibrator.

Sarah couldn't help but squirm as the Mana extraction continued, her moans getting more indecent. I turned away from her and focused my attention on the blade growing from the hilt.

"Whoa, this is such strange Mana. I've never tried it before," Antipucker said, and indeed, like Elemental Mana, it seemed the Mana of the System was quite different. If I had to guess, it all depended on what type of Archetypes and other abilities the user had.

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered as a pink blade materialized alongside cheerleader pom-poms that covered the dragon-shaped pommel.

I started to laugh. "Wow, you sure look super nice, my friend. An appearance fully fitting the Grand Archsword Omnislayer!"

"Thanks... what? What the heck is this?!"

Despite having only eyes at the pommel, my sword could perceive the world with his Mana sense, even if it was obviously not as powerful as mine and worked in a slightly different way. So he could totally see how he looked right now...

"It's already stopped," Sarah moaned with disappointment. "More... I want more..."

"No," the sword and I replied at the same time.

"That Mana sure was tasty, but I don't want to eat it again," the sword complained. "I am the grand slayer of demons. I don't like looking like this."

"Okay, Sarah. Next, you'll need to kill that meatball on my command."

"It seems to be in so much pain," she said as her eyes locked on the bloody creature. She definitely hadn't looked concerned about the monsters when I was dismembering them and didn't even mind standing in the puddle of blood here. Now, her boots were completely stained with it. It seemed she finally became a bit more normal.

"It looks pitiful, so I'll make sure it dies fast," she replied. "Just give your command, and I'll make sure to fulfill your order, sir!"

I showed her the best spot to stab the monster in the eye, then sent my voice throughout the entire cabin with Air Mana. "Prepare for stabbing, my friends! We'll start in 10 seconds."

After a short pause, I started to count: "Five... four... three... two... one... GO!"

I used my Mana sense to ensure everything went smoothly. Even if it didn't, the worst that could happen was that the Ravagers would revive. No, wait—now that I thought about it, if they did revive, they would probably slaughter everyone. Sarah would be the only survivor if I stayed with her. It might be unfair to the orc, who was the only one really risking permanent death, but my priority was still my formal charge. Each revival point mattered for my little geese.

Thankfully, I had weakened the monsters enough that there wasn't a single problem. Usually, their eyes were protected by their internal Mana, but that was the entire point of exhausting them. If I hadn't, the two human guys and probably even Sarah wouldn't have been able to pierce their eyes. It also helped that the meatballs didn't have eyelids; though in that case, I would have just cut them off. I watched as Sarah pierced the eye with her pink blade as the pom-poms fluttered.

She has some potential as an assassin, I noted to myself. She was the second one to complete her mission and kill her monster. The first one, of course, was the elf. I'd expected the orc to be faster, but it seemed he wanted to make sure his finishing strike was perfect, taking his time to focus. The two human men were quite careful, still anxious about proving themselves after their earlier mistake. They hesitated until I encouraged them with my voice carried to them by my Air Mana, and with steady nerves, they struck hard, finally causing enough brain damage to finish off their targets.

The challenge was finally completed.

Chapter 26.

We still had five more minutes before the wheel and our cabin reached the bottom, where we could leave. My Mana was only at 20% after all my work—inside the cabin, the Aether density was quite low and limited. It seemed this space was indeed separated from the outside world by Space Mana, which made sense; otherwise, people could just force their way outside.

As our group gathered in the main hall of the cabin, I checked the System notifications.

[You have contributed to killing a Blood-Bound Ravager Level 500] x2

[You have contributed to killing a Blood-Bound Ravager Level 400] x3

[You receive additional experience for contributing to killing monsters of a much higher level]

[Reach D Rank for the experience to be distributed]

[Sixth Rotation Challenge Completed]

[You receive 200,000 System Points for completing the challenge (+2,000 SP)]

[You receive 100,000 System Points for completing the challenge without casualties (+1,000 SP)]

[You receive 100,000 System Points as a bonus for entertaining Mr. Chuckles with your cruelty (+1,000 SP)]

Funds: -3,100+2,000+1,000+1,000=900 SP

Oh, I'm finally out of debt! Cool... I mean, out of my second debt, the System doesn't even show me the first one and how much I still have to pay it. But of course I keep track of the numbers, so this doesn't matter.

This challenge was definitely harsher than the challenges of the exhibition, and if there had been ten monsters instead of five, I wouldn't have had enough Mana to complete my mission, especially not after losing more than half of it just getting to the cabin while resisting the anti-flight barrier. Of course, I still had one last trump card to use, but it wasn't something I wanted to recklessly employ. The challenge wasn't easy even for me—the way I made it look effortless was just an illusion created by my competence.

You have unlocked new Archetypes:

Butcher (Uncommon)

Sadist (Uncommon)

Bloody Torturer (Rare)

Not even any Ultra Rare or Epic types. The System sure was stingy. But could I blame it, really? And I wouldn't be able to use even the Rare Archetypes for a while, anyway.

"This is crazy! I gained enough levels to reach level 20 in just one go!" one of the men said excitedly as we all stood in the hall, all traces of the bloody mess here completely gone.

Now, Sarah and the other two guys were at the peak of E-rank after just one kill. By a cultivator's ranking, that would be a top Initiate. But of course, their fighting power, even with the System's help, could hardly be compared to the Initiates from Luminosa, most of whom had been training since early childhood. Most likely, even all three of them together wouldn't be capable of defeating any single one of the Initiates I had trained with, let alone Lia. Thoughts of that bright girl made my chest ache; her bloody image resurfaced in my mind, making me want to kill something. Or someone.

Endure, Clinton, endure...

"Considering how little we contributed, I didn't receive half as much experience as I was supposed to. And I actually liked my previous level more; it was a nicer number," Adriel said. Checking his level, I found he'd gained 3, now standing at 336. The System really was stingy.

And of course, this also revealed that I required way more experience than normal users to gain the same number of levels, while also having an unfair advantage compared to those who had their full power converted into levels the right way. If I were A-rank, as they called it, with my level above 500, I probably wouldn't have gained even a single level for contributing to the deaths of all five monsters. This was just speculation, but I had a hunch it wasn't far from the truth.

"I am really grateful to you, mister handsome maintenance guy. I, Grogar the Furious Tomahawk, am forever in your debt," the orc declared, placing his right fist over his heart.

"Wow, you sure don't sound very sincere considering you can't even call me by my name. I do have a name, you know?" I said with a theatrical sigh and an exaggeratedly sad expression.

"Sorry, I'm not very smart, so I forgot it," Grogar admitted sheepishly.

"No, no, it's okay. Here I am, working my ass off to save you guys, and none of you can even remember my name."

Adriel shook his head, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "And why is that, I wonder? Maybe because you didn't tell us? You just introduced yourself as a 'handsome maintenance guy.'"

"Oh, no way! I would never do this!" I protested. "Do you agree, my pink sword friend?"

"Agree my ass!" the sword complained. "Stop fooling around and give me your Mana already! I don't want to look like this for one more minute!"

I ignored his protests and turned towards the group. "Okay, guys, I think you deserve to know my name after all. I am Clinton, Clinton Wyatt, at your service." I performed an elaborate curtsy like a noble lady. If there was one advantage to being tutored by that bitch Saella, it was that I eventually learned proper manners. I just hated showing them.

"You really saved us," Adriel said with genuine gratitude. "Clinton, without you, the challenge would have been different—not so absurdly difficult perhaps, but I have no confidence we would have completed it without casualties. And beyond that, we owe you for fixing our cabin."

Of course, I didn't tell them my suspicion that the cabin's malfunction was the System's attempt to put my geese in danger even before I could find them.

"By the way, what happened to the NPCs in the fifth challenge?" I asked. "Grimweld, in particular?"

"Grimweld ended up being one of the wolves, so we had to sacrifice him," Adriel explained. "He was also the most dangerous of them all. So now he's dead for the time being. Most likely he'll revive like normal later. After all, when an NPC is used for a challenge, they get free revivals."

"What about the surviving NPCs?" I asked.

"They just return to their home, or to the closest restroom if they haven't set a location for their return."

"I see. That clarifies some things." I smiled grimly. "I guess I'll pay our announcer friend another visit, see how many revivals he has left in his sleeve. Though I doubt it's enough to last until my anger expires."

After exchanging more pleasantries, the time had come for us to leave. The System notified us that the cabin would be open for one minute—we could either exit or stay and continue with the challenges. My five companions didn't want to stay for even one more second. As for me, I had no reason to wait and see how the System would try to scam me again with its challenges. After all, I had different objectives to complete. There were still five more cabins to fix, and I needed to recover my Mana.

Our group now stood outside at the bottom of the Ferris wheel. Interestingly, there were other people gathered outside—some Tutorial participants and some original inhabitants.

"We really were celebrating too early," a large woman said. She looked very similar to the guy I had questioned as I entered the Ferris wheel zone, likely from the same race.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Because we entered the attraction in the middle of its working cycle, it's already halfway through its challenges," the woman explained. "So even if we enter now, we will have to deal with far harder challenges than we're supposed to. On the one hand, if we survive, we get rewards worth six or more rotations without completing the previous ones. But on the other hand, as you can guess, most of us aren't confident enough to complete those to begin with."

I understood the situation a bit better now. "So everyone who entered was confident in their power, risking it even while knowing how dangerous it could be?"

"No, no. The first wave had no idea how it worked. After all, nothing like this has happened in a while. But some of us have ways to communicate, even if one of us is behind the space barrier. Information travels quickly."

I nodded, processing this new knowledge. Sarah's group decided to stay with the crowd and wait for the attraction to end—which would be after the wheel's ninth rotation. The gates were now closed anyway—there was no way to leave this place. Even outside the Ferris wheel, there were other challenges and secrets in the zone, as well as some eerie cafeterias scattered about. But people seemed more interested in waiting for the remaining participants to escape their cabins, and there was safety in numbers—unless those numbers included potential enemies.

"Well then, see you later!" I waved to Sarah and Co.

"I'll be waiting for you, Clinton!" The girl sent me a playful kiss... which I dodged skillfully, of course.

I jumped onto the roof of a passing by cabin and took the lotus pose. Before looking for the next cabin to fix, I had something else in mind. Leveling up using the System wasn't the only path to power known to me, and it was definitely not the most familiar one to me. Elements were cultivated fastest when there was an abundance of their corresponding Aether around. Another lesser-known secret was that having most of your Mana exhausted actually improved cultivation speed, rather than decreasing it, at least if you knew what you were doing.

Even as I sat idly on the cabin's top without actively flying, the anti-flight barrier still worked. Its other—and possibly primary—objective was likely to prevent anyone from having a free ride without entering the cabins. The pressure would be completely impossible for most others to endure. Even Sugar would have experienced trouble trying to replicate my current feat, unless his invincible barrier nullified the anti-flight effect.

The System's barrier was quite different from pure Gravity Mana, but it was still a resource of sorts. The strange, perhaps even corrupted, Aether here had great compatibility with my Gravity Mana—it would be foolish not to take advantage of this opportunity. Of course, I would also recover some of my Mana in the meantime. Just resisting the barrier so it wouldn't crush me was much easier, almost effortless, compared to trying to defy it and fly. I could fully focus on absorbing both the abundant Aether and the Space emanations of the barrier itself.

I created a field of attraction that pulled upon the surrounding Aether. Every Supreme Element had a trick that allowed for increased cultivation speed. The Time Element, for example, could distort time in a way that accelerated absorption—at least according to the books I'd read. I didn't know about Space and Energy Elements, but my Gravity allowed me to create a sort of gravitational field, like that of a planet, that pulled Aether towards me far faster than any normal cultivator could manage. Now I could fully focus on both recovering and growing my powers at the same time.

"Are you sure this Aether is safe to cultivate?" Antipucker asked. He could also feel the peculiarities in the Aether here.

"I make sure to filter out that strange energy. What should I call it? Yeah, let's call it Chuckle Mana," I replied. "It has the same type of resonance I felt when watching Mr. Chuckles' Time. I don't want to go crazy and laugh for no reason."

"Ah, so you know what's wrong with this Aether? And who's Mr. Chuckles?"

"You were sleeping inside me when it happened, so you don't know. This place has a chipmunk mascot named Mr. Chuckles, and even without meeting him directly, I can tell he's some damn dangerous creature. I'd rather face the Demon Queen again than him, but if it's just some Aether fluctuations from him, I can deal with them well enough."

"Huh, so this place has something more terrible than the greatest threat of Luminosa? You really can't catch a break, buddy."

"Yeah, right." I sighed.

Some people thought meditation required having their eyes closed, but that was a rule for beginners. True masters of meditation and cultivation didn't need such crutches. In fact, enjoying the glorious view from the Ferris wheel as it slowly but surely lifted me higher and higher gave me aesthetic pleasure—the type of emotion that would only improve my results. And the results I had. While I compared the Aether density here to the Demon Queen's castle, I'd never had an opportunity to cultivate there. Moreover, since I'd already reached the peak of the Fifth Tier once before, doing it again was much faster and easier.

One rotation of the wheel, as far as I could tell, took 66 minutes—nothing unexpected from this theme park. It would take me a bit more than half an hour to reach the top from the bottom. Half an hour of cultivation wasn't much, really, but it depended on the place. I created a vortex of Gravity Mana in my solar plexus that would attract both Aether and energy from the barrier while filtering out Mr. Chuckles' Mana. After I calibrated the process, the rest was pretty much automatic.

As I continued with the cultivation, a System message suddenly appeared. I checked to see if anything new had unlocked, and sure enough:

System Installation : 93%

Now I could finally choose my Skills, get a second Archetype, and advance to the next rank. My adventures so far had shown that I needed to grow my abilities if I wanted to handle everything the System threw at me, as every new side quest and objective was becoming increasingly dangerous. It was a time as good as ever to do this now, I didn't need to interrupt my cultivation for this.

I opened the Skill screen and examined my options. Some of what I saw surprised me; other, not so much. There was a brief explanation:

Skills are your bread and butter. Starting from E rank, you get two skill slots for every Archetype you choose. All Skills have Rarity and level—some start at level 1, but others at level 5, and all can be advanced to a maximum level of 10. The same Rarity limit that applies to Archetypes also applies to Skills, so for the two slots opened by an Archetype, you can't choose any Skills of a higher Rarity than it is. 

To choose a Skill for your slot, you first have to buy it. Rarer and more powerful Skills cost more, though even at the same rarity, the price can differ depending on how much complexity the Skill requires as well as its potential. Usually, the costlier Skills apply more complicated effects and are more powerful at higher levels.

Each Skill comes with a Rarity and level—some start at level 1, others at level 5, and all can be pushed to a glorious level 10. After your Skill reaches level 5, you can choose to advance it to a higher Rarity but start from level 1, or continue leveling it up. When at level 10, you can upgrade the Skill yet another time by two Rarities, but an already upgraded Skill can't be upgraded a second time. Usually, a level 10 Skill would be more powerful than a level 1 Skill even if it is two Rarities higher, so this option will temporarily make you weaker overall. So think before you leap if you don't want to become a joke.

Each new Rank unlocks a set of basic Skills available for purchase—the same for every user, because fairness (we're very fair, we swear!). You can also buy Archetype Skills, which are usually more specialized. Some Skills are mutually exclusive, and choosing one will prevent you from acquiring another.

I nodded to myself as I finished reading. So, I could get two Skill slots for every Archetype I had. This was finally something that would potentially give me an edge, as the stats from levels so far weren't that significant.

Of course, the fact that I had raised my Mind significantly wasn't without effect. Now I was sure that if I had to learn elemental spells, it wouldn't be very hard. My ability to understand runes had increased as well, and being better at math, while not directly improving my fighting abilities, was still a pleasant surprise.

As for the Skills, their usability was yet to be seen. First, I examined the Basic Skill Shop:

[Mana Boost] (Common) The most basic way to physically enhance your fighting capabilities with Mana. Because sometimes, punching harder really is the answer.
Cost: Low
Duration: Sustainable

Scaling: Might, Grace, Tenacity

Requirements: 50 Might, Grace, Or Tenacity
Price: 100 points

[Mana Bolt] (Common) The most basic spell in your arsenal. Uses concentrated Mana to manifest a bolt of piercing kinetic energy to attack enemies from a distance. What, you want fireballs? Try leveling this up, first!

Cost: Low
Scaling: Mind

Requirements: 75 Mind
Price: 500 points

[Mana Wave] (Common) The basic way of direct Mana control. Use your Mana to create a wave that can be controlled at will within a short range to push or attack enemies with kinetic energy. What, you think its price is a rip-off? It's not our problem that you're broke, loser!
Cost: Medium
Duration: Sustainable
Scaling: Spirit
Requirements: 100 Spirit

Price: 5,000 points

I didn't know if I should be surprised or not. These three Skills were basically the respective basic abilities of Fighters, Casters, and Primalists. The difference in cost was staggering, as were the attribute requirements. The descriptions were also less detailed compared to the Archetypes and their innate abilities.

One might think the Mana Wave Skill, with its much higher cost, was absolutely bonkers—something only the luckiest people could buy. But let me remind you that Primalists were one in 1,000 among cultivators back on Luminosa, and here, using the System, anyone could become a Primalist. Of course, that would be just Mana control without an Element imbued into it. I could actually use both the Boost and the Wave with only pure Mana, and these two Skills likely wouldn't be as effective as what I already was capable of. On the other hand, there was the possibility that my natural abilities and the System's Skills would stack together. But I could just invest more Mana into using pure Mana without an Element, which usually provided only half the effect. So even if that was the case, it wouldn't be very useful.

Next in line were the Archetype Skills. After checking them, I could only shake my head. They were quite costly, despite being more creative and interesting than the Basic ones. In any case, I still lacked the funds to buy the Archetype Skill I was curious about I wanted, and I still needed more points to advance to the next rank.

Finally, I smirked as I chose the Mana Bolt option. After all those years on Luminosa, after reaching the peak of human power as a Primalist, I still couldn't cast a single spell, despite hearing that some Primalists were capable of using basic spells of their element. And why? Most likely because I lacked the Mind attribute—if I had to guess, the minimal requirement was around 75 points. This was why so few could become Casters. With the System, though, I was sure that wouldn't be the case anymore. Anyone could just invest all their points into Mind and by level 13 they would have enough points in it even if they started from the average 10 Mind.

Funds: 900-500=400 SP

So why did I choose a Skill that would use my lowest stat? Because if I could figure out how spells worked, how they used Aether to empower themselves, perhaps I could replicate the same effect with my Primalist Waves. Even with my memory, I only roughly remembered the spells I'd tried to learn back on Luminosa. I inspected their descriptions and runes from the scrolls Casters used, but to no avail. It would take me a while to master them from zero without help, but now I had the System's assistance.

Now I only had 400 System Points left, but so what? Before using the spell, I waited for the cabin to reach the very top of its rotation. That's where I felt the Aether density suddenly flare. It seemed the peak of the Ferris wheel was a sort of center for the entire zone. The anti-flight barrier, which had reached its limit long ago, suddenly became ten times more powerful. If I'd reacted even a second later, even my enhanced body would have been crushed. Of the 80% Mana I now had, 20% instantly went into countering the pressure. That was the power of Gravity—using any other element, even a Supreme one, wouldn't leave me unscathed.

The Ferris wheel stopped for exactly 66 seconds, as usual. I was at the core of both Aether and the barrier that maintained this entire place. As dangerous as it was, it was also an opportunity. I focused entirely on the vortex inside my core to assimilate this powerful force.

I brought my utmost focus to both keeping myself safe and using this chance to get stronger. You see, whenever a cultivator found a good place for cultivating their respective element, the first time was the most important. While the power was still new and unfamiliar, it had some mysterious quality that increased results manifold.

By the time the cabin moved again, and I left the peak point, I had less than 10% of my Mana left. However, as I dissipated the vortex of my Gravity Mana, the leftover energy spread through my body, and a final wave of Mana filled my core, recovering all my energy in one go. It was a hint of a certain technique—my ultimate trump card—but only a hint.

I checked my status screen, and sure enough, both my physical attributes and Spirit had increased—66 points in total, which was a bit suspicious.

Status Screen

Race: Human*

Level: 20 (100%)

Archetypes: Gamer (Common)

Skills: None

Attributes [2669]

Might: 490

Grace: 630

Tenacity: 426

Mind: 86

Spirit: 1037

Free Attributes: 70

What a nice number of total points! I noted.

It didn't seem like much, but in perspective, it was crazy progress in such a short time. In fact, even the attributes I gained from the System represented progress that was normally unthinkable on Luminosa.

Even without my help, Sarah, for example, had almost reached E rank with her level 15, in just three days. I hadn't asked her how exactly she managed to level up faster than most others, but if I had to guess, she was one of the lucky people with a bunch of temporary points for her life achievements. I wondered what kind of achievements she had—cheating on her boyfriend a hundred times without being caught seemed like her style. And it would totally be something the System would approve of with its bonuses.

Mind: 86+70=156

Without thinking much, I put all my gained attributes into Mind. Why not? It was time to check my first spell ever, after all.

"You're a wizard, Clinton!" I chuckled to myself.

"No, you're a Primalist," Antipucker corrected me.

I could intuitively feel how to use the Mana Bolt spell, just as I knew how to use the Virtual Interface. I mumbled the incantation that appeared in my mind, as the runes formed before me, and between my hands appeared a bluish dart-like cone.

Of course, I could feel how truly weak the power was—even attacking someone with pure non-elemental Mana in the most barbaric way would have been more dangerous. The System didn't lie—it scaled only with the Mind attribute. However, what my extremely high Spirit attribute did was improve my control over the end result of the spell. So while a normal user would only have to use the spell in its intended way and send it straight as the runes programmed, I could use my Mana Sense and ability to manipulate Mana to control it in more creative ways.

But what was the most important part of any spell? As it formed, I could feel how it absorbed Aether from the surrounding air. And since this was an Aether-dense place, by my estimation, the attack would be at least twice as strong as if I used that spell outside the Ferris wheel zone.

"What's the big deal about it?" the sword scoffed. "Those Casters are nothing but show-offs. Their spells may be stronger than your Waves, but I've seen a fair share of them among humans, demons, and worse. Spells are so slow, I would cut those Casters a thousand times before they finish casting."

"You are not wrong, my friend, but imagine what if we achieve the same results and learn to reinforce you or my other abilities with Aether."

"Isn't this the same thing you already can do with your... trump card?" Antipucker expressed his doubt.

"Not exactly, my friend, not exactly. There is always a path to greater power. And I intend to explore all avenues. After all, who knows what challenges await us in this place?"

After these words, I created another set of Mana Bolts and sent them all at the cabin's roof. The end result was non-existent, of course. After all, the Ferris wheel itself was protected by the same barrier that surrounded the zone and its gummy guardian. But I still gained a better understanding of the Skills' properties.

Now that I had fully recovered and even gotten stronger, I had to complete my mission and search for the broken cabins. Thankfully, the System would notify me when I encountered one. So what I did was jump from one cabin to another clockwise as the Wheel rotated in the opposite direction, checking each one for new notifications. Of course, some of the outside malfunctions were evident to the eye as well. Soon enough, I found another cabin that required fixing—this time the System notified me my job was done as soon as I took care of the giant bolts. I didn't even have to enter the cabin.

[Congratulations! You have fixed your second cabin out of six.]

One cabin had its roof in need of repair, so my maintenance tool changed to a glue gun. Thus, another cabin was fixed, with three more to go. I had already passed the top of the wheel and was now down to the cabins that were descending. It was likely that one of those would be occupied by people who had entered after I opened the path, rather than from the beginning.

[Congratulations! You have fixed your third cabin out of six.]

Regarding the people in the cabins, if I had to guess, those whose cabins weren't broken would just leave when they felt they couldn't handle the challenges ahead or would decide to risk it on their own will. Then there were those who entered together with me without realizing they would have to deal with the sixth rotation challenge. However, if anyone had survived so far, they would have left already—unless they were confident they could handle the seventh rotation onward, or the System had ruined their cabin in the same way as Sarah's, making it impossible for them to leave.

My fourth cabin was exactly one of those I couldn't fix from the outside... As I moved between the cabins clockwise, I would have to deal with the next challenge as the cabin reached the top. I hadn't forgotten that my bonus objective was to deal with the ninth rotation's challenge. Now would be an opportunity to see if it was worth trying or certain death—which depended on how difficult the challenge of the seventh rotation would be...

Chapter 27

After using the key, a familiar sensation of Space Mana pulled me inside the cabin, which, was made from wood, unlike the one I had entered before. What greeted me inside the cabin was, well, a wooden cabin. It was a comfy place that would fit perfectly in the middle of a forest or maybe near a lake. It even had a fireplace. What else greeted me were the shocked eyes of, you won't believe it, six people. It seemed they had survived the sixth rotation well enough.

"Oh, I see familiar faces!" I waved my hand to Mille and Constantin. Other than them, there was the suspicious, cloaked vampire, one large gremlin of the same race as the exhibition owners, and two humans. Also familiar faces—the guy who had asked me for help at the entrance and Arabella Dwyer.

"I won't even ask how you ended up here," Mille said, her face completely flat and devoid of emotion.

"But I'll tell you anyway," I laughed. "I am your maintenance guy, and I am here to save the day."

"What?" Mille gave me a look.

"Let me guess, you guys can't leave the cabin, right? I'm gonna help with that! I see more of you survived than I thought."

"You guys are boring. No one is even making out this time," the sword said.

"Making out?" Arabella raised her brow. "Wait, your sword hilt can talk!"

"Of course I can, babe!" Antipucker laughed. Mille whispered something into the girl's ear, and she didn't ask any further.

"So how did you guys do with the last challenge? Was it hard? I assume your group started with ten people... and now, well, there're less than ten of you."

"Yes, indeed," Constantin replied, his eyes somber. "We lost one vampire from my group, as well as three humans. That was mostly our own mistake for underestimating the true difficulty of the challenge. And unfortunately, Fyodor was lost for good."

He and the other vampire were somber, though it was hard to be sure, considering that a mask hid the latter's face. Mille just shrugged. "It's all just your pride. You vampires tend to underestimate others, even if they are superior to you. I hope that you learned something from this."

Constantin glared at her. "Is that for you to say, considering how many more humans were lost?"

"Those were just weaklings who thought too much of themselves and challenged something out of their league," Mille replied coldly. "I wasn't responsible for their lives."

"Oh my, how cold!" Antipucker said. "This makes me hot..."

"Also, this particular challenge was designed to push each participant to the utmost of their abilities," Mille explained, ignoring the sword. "As you can see, those two," she pointed at the two normal Tutorial participants, "survived just fine even without my help."

"So what happened?" I asked, even though I wasn't that curious. At least this knowledge would help me understand better how much the sixth challenge I had undergone was amplified by my presence, and how the System was balancing things out.

"You see, there are multiple rooms in the cabin, and as the challenge started, we were separated by teleportation into three groups," Mille explained. "Different levels of opponents were waiting for us. I was with this guy." She nodded toward the thin gremlin, who waved at me with a smile. I already didn't like him. "The vampires were in their own group, and the normal human participants were left to their own devices as the last group. This was a rather fair challenge, if you ask me. The number of opponents was slightly higher than our own, and their levels were slightly above as well. But nothing someone who knows how to fight and utilize their powers can't handle."

"I agree with her assessment," said Arabella, who apparently was a big deal—a Hollywood star, no less. She looked rather composed for someone who just fought for her life and was about to repeat it again.

I checked the girl's level. She was already level 45—her entire power, as much as I could feel it, coming from the System. So this was what was possible for a human whom the System considered someone who had achieved greatness back on Earth. In just three days, she was already comparable to a Tier 1 Cultivator, very close to Tier 2. It had taken me almost a year to reach Tier 2 in comparison. Of course, she got a head start, and her growth would most likely slow down sooner or later. But still, I had thought that my 10 years on Luminosa had given me unthinkable power in a ridiculously short period, while other cultivators would completely stall after 20 or maybe 30 years of cultivation at most, limited by their weaker Elements. I advanced faster than any of them, becoming the only Tier 5 human in a mere 5 years—something impossible even for the most talented of them in five hundred.

But how powerful would some Earth humans be in 10 years? The only limits to advancement were the rarity of the earned Archetype, the amount of System Points, and strong enough opponents to kill for levels. Of course, it shouldn't be forgotten that it had taken me 5 more years to reach the peak of Tier 5 after advancing to it. The stronger you got, the harder it was to progress. And most people ended up stuck at some point anyway.

"Even inside the rooms," Arabella continued, "we were spread out in a way that would make us face our opponents on our own, at least for a while. The guys that died... well, they died because they couldn't fight well enough and weren't composed enough to stall until I dealt with my own opponent and helped them out. They panicked instead of forming a working strategy and following it."

I could have asked for more details, like what kind of enemies they faced and so on, but I felt we didn't have that much time until the next challenge. As I needed some reference points, I had decided to face the challenge of the seventh rotation, which was supposed to be even harder than the last one, but by how much was still an open question. The good news was that I didn't feel any responsibility for any of those people. Well, perhaps losing the vampire would cost me some information, and losing the nun would badly affect my relationships with her boss, and having a world-renowned star die would make her fans angry. But in the end, none of them were critical to my mission, and I believed that, at the very least, those three were unlikely to die as long as the challenge wasn't too unfair.

So, without further ado, I found the issue with the place. It was the fireplace. I eliminated the Space fluctuations, and my multi-tool changed and helped me reignite the fire, which seemed to be the source of this cabin's energy and Space manipulations.

[Congratulations! You have fixed your fourth cabin out of six.]

"Now you can easily leave the next time the cabin reaches the ground," I said as I turned towards them. "As long as you survive the next challenge, that is."

"Thank you again," Constantin said. "I have completed my objective with the sixth rotation. The same goes for Eleonora." He nodded towards his vampire companion, and only now did I confirm for sure that she was a woman—it wasn't very obvious because she wore a faceless mask with crimson tears under the holes for eyes and a dark cloak that covered most of her body.

"Your companion looks like someone who likes their secrets," I remarked.

Constantin laughed. "Don't worry about her. She's just very shy. Right, Eleonora?"

The woman nodded without saying a word. I had paid some attention to her before, but not that much. She wasn't much stranger than the other vampires or some of this land's residents. But now that I thought about it, she had a strange aura that made her harder to notice. Most likely, she was using her Mana to hide her presence and make herself inconspicuous even when in plain sight and looking rather eye-catching.

"Let me give you guys a choice," I said. "You see, I could probably leave the cabin right now, and then you would face the normal challenge of the seventh rotation. Or I could stay here, and the challenge will be significantly more difficult—but the good thing is that I would save your lives, or at least try, and probably the rewards will be better as well."

My words were met with silence as everyone tried to process what I had just said. I decided to give them a choice, after all for me it didn't matter that much if I completed the challenge with them, or waited for the next cabin and did it on my own. Though there could be a chance that the latter option would mean a harder challenge, it wasn't guaranteed.

"So, what do you guys think? Do you want me to leave or not? I think you have less than ten minutes to decide. You can vote if you want."

"With you, Clinton, I believe that there is nothing that could truly scare us," Constantin voiced his opinion first.

"A greater challenge? I'm in," Mille said. "I also would like to see you in action one more time. I bet you didn't show all of your capabilities when you fought the sugary golem."

"If you promise to at least try to protect me, then I would agree. Otherwise, I would like to ask you to leave," Arabella said. "Sorry if I sound presumptuous, but if you're right and the challenge will be more difficult, and you just ignore my struggles while I die without a chance to protect myself, then I'd rather have you leave. Of course, I understand that I can't order you, and if you want to stay, then no one here can stop you. I'm just sharing my opinion because you asked."

I looked at the actress with curiosity—she indeed was rather bold to voice her opinion when two of the stronger people here had already shared the opposite point of view.

"I think the same way, i-it would be unfair if we die without your help or... a chance to protect ourselves..." the seemingly shy man—the one who had asked for my help at the entrance—nodded despite being too scared to meet my eyes. It seemed he had decided to become Arabella's knight in shining armor. Or maybe he just had a crush on her; who knew?

Eleanor, the masked vampire, just shrugged her shoulders.

"It means she doesn't care either way," Constantin clarified.

The two ordinary Tutorial participants voted against me, I noted. Though to be fair, they just shared the opinion that they're against it only if I don't try to protect them, and I haven't replied to them yet. Well, let's see what the last guy says; I'd rather not waste my time negotiating with the girl.

"So now we have two votes for, two votes against, and one who doesn't care." I turned to the gremlin. "Wow, look at this. Now the decision lies entirely with... who are you again? A gremlinoid, right? You know, I don't exactly have the greatest image of your people."

The gremlin just laughed. "Oh, I am not different from you. I also hate the other gremlinoids— the System really gave us a funny name. I prefer to call us just gremlins, you know? And no one can truly hate a gremlin unless he's one himself. Only then will you truly know how petty, greedy, and envious our race is. Or should I call it our species? I don't know how it would be better put in your language; after all, the System's translation is far from perfect."

"We don't have much time, gremlin, so get to the point," I said.

"I'm here just to have some fun," the gremlin continued. "I don't care about dying. I have nine more lives. And haven't you realized where are we? It's called an attraction. That's a place for fun! And wouldn't it be more fun if the challenge is more difficult while we also have a more powerful ally? Of course, it would!" The gremlin laughed. "Just because I hate gremlins doesn't mean that I'm not as insufferable as most of them, by the way."

"I must say I disagree. I think I like you more than the other gremlins I've met here," I said. "Well, it's three votes against two."

"I just wanted to clarify that I wasn't voting for you to leave," Arabella said, giving me a seemingly shy smile, though her eyes remained calm. "I said that I would vote for you to leave, but only if you don't plan to help me in any capacity. And I don't think you answered my question... mister. Your name is Clinton, right?"

"Yes, I'm Clinton. Just a maintenance guy passing by. And to answer your question, well, I said it already. I won't go out of my way to save your ass when it puts my own life at stake. But if it costs me nothing, then why not? If it's a challenge that's personal for you and that you can realistically complete, then you should at least try. Otherwise, I'll take care of you all."

"That's just what I wanted to hear," she replied. "If it's like this, then I want you to stay."

"It wouldn't matter even if you wanted me to leave at this point," I said, "because the challenge is just about to begin, anyway."

[Seventh Rotation Challenge Activated: One Against All and All Against One]

[Main Objective - Kill all other participants.]

[All but the strongest living participant (excluding you) will receive Absolute Barrier.]

[Losing more than 10% of your health or more than half of your current Mana counts as your loss.]

[Failure Penalty: Being unable to leave the cabin until completing the next revolution challenge.]

[Reward: System points based on contribution and performance, Premium VIP Super Ticket.]

[Good luck killing those random strangers, hero! It would be so much fun!]

Instantly, the atmosphere became heavy.

"So guys, I'm not sure I even need to ask, but what is your challenge? Because mine is to kill you all," I said with a bright smile as I looked at their faces. Based on the challenge's description, it was more likely that it was all of them against me, rather than a free-for-all.

"We have to deal you enough damage for it to count as 10% of your health or lower your Mana to half," Mille stated as she prepared her daggers. Interestingly, with my Mana Sense, I found that she had the "Absolute Barrier," which meant she wasn't the strongest among the group. Only one of them was left without protection.

[Gremlinoid, Level 434]

It seemed that the System didn't just consider levels alone but something else. After all, Mille was level 452 already. Maybe it thought the gremlinoid, whose power was mostly gained from the System, was a bigger threat than the nun, who mostly relied on her own mysterious methods. Or maybe it just decided that giving her the barrier would make it harder on me.

"If we fail," Arabella added with a grim face, "we are going to die."

"Oh, is that so? I think this is obvious. Of course, you will die if you fail the challenge because failing would mean that you are dead," I laughed. "I wonder why the System bothered to clarify this."

"Yeah, it has a sick sense of humor," said the gremlinoid—the most dangerous opponent of them all and the only one without absolute defense. I felt more threatened by him than by Grimweld and Grigo combined.

"I think it's a nice opportunity to see the one who gave two of my boys a beating in action." He smiled again. "Oh, I probably should thank you for teaching them a lesson. They’ve been showing me no respect lately. That boy Grimweld even sent assassins after me—can you imagine? Well, I suppose I can’t blame them too much. I have thirty-two children, after all. Those two just didn’t get much of my attention growing up. I had much cuter kids, anyway."

"So, can we say their personality is the result of daddy issues?" I asked.

"Ha-ha, it may be!" The gremlin shrugged. "Or maybe it's because their Mom was such a crazy bitch. Hell if I know."

"I am sorry, Mr. Wyatt, but I don't want to die," Constantin said as he took a battle stance. "Eleanor, please don't hold back."

His companion nodded silently.

"So what will we do, Clinton?" the sword asked. He still had his pom-poms after being fed by Sarah, as I hadn't channeled any of my Mana into him yet. "I don't care about the men, but cutting those two... no, three, beautiful women feels so wrong!"

"What do you mean, my friend? Of course, we'll complete the challenge. Women or not, they are our opponents now." I smiled at those people, but this time my smile turned bloodthirsty. "Give it all you have, my little lambs. And don't worry, the System protects you, right? And yeah, Big Daddy Gremlin, I think I didn't catch your name."

"My name? I am Griswold Bubbleshadow. Yeah, we gremlins have shitty second names, all of us," he laughed. And as he spoke, I felt a thick wave of Mana gathering around him. It seemed that I had met a fellow Primalist, though his abilities were based on the System. If that was the case, perhaps the System didn't play favorites, and he was actually more dangerous than the Cardinal of a higher level.

The air around him turned toxic green, and I instantly knew what it was—poison. And a particularly deadly one to boot.

At the same time, the rest of my opponents finally seemed determined to fight. Even if they knew about my powers, they felt some confidence thanks to the barrier.

Well, good luck to them... they would need it.

Chapter 28.

Was it an easy challenge? It depended on the definition of "easy." Unlike the Ravagers, at least the gremlin and the nun were capable of flight, so I couldn't immobilize them with my Gravity Mana. Plus, I had to check how well it interacted with the barrier. Would my attempts to influence them with gravity be invalidated?

You see, I also had to be cost-efficient. When I displayed my strength before the Pope, it took 10% of my entire Mana just to make Mille kneel. That energy had been spent in mere seconds to demonstrate my power and swiftly neutralize one of the main threats.

Now, though, I was working with only half my Mana. So, I focused my Gravity on the weakest link—the human male participant who hadn't even reached level 20. A thousand pounds of force weighed down on him, yet he didn’t so much as flinch. That could only mean one thing: the System's barrier completely countered my abilities when used directly.

Great. That meant no pinning them down, no yanking them mid-air, and no crushing force to make things easier. I’d have to rely on something else.

"Guys, believe in the System. He can't hurt you. But if he kills me, then it's over," the gremlin said as his green aura spread through the room. "And don't worry about my own powers, either—with the barrier, you should have nothing to fear."

"So we're invincible, huh?" Arabella tilted her head. "Hmm, in this case, wouldn't we win easily if we just protect you? If we serve as a living shield... then even he won't be able to push through. As long as you're right about the barrier..."

"This is... this could just work!" Constantin nodded. "And we could still attack from the distance while the Death Dancer, makes Clinton busy..."

Inspired by the idea, the four "weaklings" surrounded the gremlin from all sides—the two vampires as well as two normal humans. As for the second-greatest threat, Mille charged at me, her Virtues flaring. Her Chastity flowed into the cross-shaped knives, creating blades of white power that reinforced their cutting capabilities, while her Charity increased her agility to a frightful degree.

Considering the barrier surrounding her, Mille was actually the biggest threat at the moment. After all, I couldn't easily hurt her as things were. I created an antigravity barrier that pushed away the green aura of the gremlin as I blocked the nun's strike with Antipucker.

"Damn, are you kidding me?" the sword shouted as his pink blade broke.

"Of course, a blade created from such weak Mana would break," I shrugged.

"You knew that would happen, right? You just wanted me to feel pain. When was the last time someone broke my blade? I will remember this!"

"Sorry, pal. I didn't think about it. I just thought that your form was too cute to change." We continued our conversation even as the Cardinal of the Church of Humanity pressed her fierce attacks.

The gremlin didn't just stand idle. His poisonous aura tried to break through my own barrier, eating away at it. As I sent Air Mana into my sword, an invisible blade extended. When I pushed Mille away with a kick—which still managed to send her flying despite the barrier, the laws of physics still worked—I swung at the gremlin, trying to behead him from an angle that would leave him unprotected by the four people surrounding him.

Unfortunately, my attack was blocked by the caped vampire, Eleanor. She floated in the air for a brief moment, facing the attack herself. This challenge really was not as easy as it sounded at first. I would have to get a bit more creative if I wanted to accomplish my goal.

I activated Virtual Interface, and it became easier to follow the multitude of attacks Mille was sending at me. It came just in time because, in the poisonous fog formed from the gremlin's aura, a new presence appeared. A humanoid creature made of slime materialized out of nowhere and tried to strike me from a blind spot. Of course, there was no such thing as a blind spot for someone with Mana Sense.

Without even glancing at it, I slashed my sword, splitting the creature in two. Or so I thought.

"We have a few tricks up our sleeves as well," the gremlin proudly declared. "I know that perhaps all our efforts will be futile, and you will kill us without a problem. But I will at least try to make you sweat a little."

The green slime humanoid didn't even flinch. The cut not only healed; it didn't seem to be meaningful at all, it was no different than trying to cut water. It seemed that this creature was completely invulnerable to cutting or piercing attacks. Trying blunt force? Why bother? I created a ray of lightning and roasted it in one go, just like I had Sugar.

The summoned creature exploded. It seemed that only part of the explosion was caused by my attack, while the other half was some kind of ability that tried to deal damage to whoever destroyed the summoned monster—but my Gravity easily blocked the impact even as I dodged yet another of Mille's attacks. But the gremlin didn't stop his offense, nor did he gave up. While I was dealing with the creature, he filled the fog with tentacles made of the same mucous substance. It seemed the gremlin had multiple abilities and Skills that synergized into what could only be called a skill set for creating a poisonous domain around him, where most opponents at his level would be quite helpless.

It was quite contrasting with Mille's more direct approach—she was a close combat fighter without many surprises... or maybe not. As her Charity flared, she split into multiple afterimages. With my Mana Sense, I could tell these weren't copies or illusions. While she exhausted her Mana at a tremendous pace, she truly moved at incredible speed between three different spots.

As if this wasn't enough, I felt a surge of mental energy hitting my mind as Constantin's crimson-red eyes stared at me. And the large bat wings of his vampire companion entirely covered the gremlin from all sides.

As for the actress, all this time she had been holding a cutesy wand in her hands, which she reinforced with her Mana, putting half of it into the weapon, which now gathered a fairly powerful charge. If it hit a vulnerable point on my body, there was a real chance it would be enough for the System to count it as me having lost 10% of my health, even though I couldn't be too sure as there was no "health" in the HUD.

The Virtual Interface was rather helpful at this moment as I could feel my mental thinking accelerate. The bonus points in the Mind attribute also didn't hurt. Along with my experience from Luminosa, I already had a wide variety of plans and counter-plans to deal with this group. But in the end, I chose a more direct approach—one that would take more of my Mana than intended but would also minimize the risks.

I activated Primal Lightning Surge. As the familiar sensation filled my body with energy that accelerated me to a degree that put even the flash-like Cardinal to shame, I managed to catch her between her instant movements and avoid every one of her attacks by moving my body at unexpected angles. In the end, there was still a large gap between our attributes and abilities.

As I passed by Mille, I channeled Lightning Mana into the sword, triggering its second form. Unlike before—when I had recklessly poured raw Lightning Mana into it to overpower Sugar—this time, my control was precise, refined.

Antipucker shimmered, crackling with energy, and then transformed. Arcs of electricity coiled and twisted, shaping themselves into a whip of pure lightning. Sparks danced along its length as I willed it forward, the weapon extending like a living serpent, ready to strike at my command.

Before anyone could truly understand what was happening, the tip of the lightning whip avoided all obstacles and the currently barrier-protected users, reaching the unsuspecting gremlin through a tiny gap between Eleanor's wings. Of course, he wasn't completely unprepared—a barrier of pure Mana appeared before him, but my electricity whip effortlessly broke through it and struck him right in the heart.

If even a powerful monster like Sugar couldn't withstand my full-power attack—granted, now my lighting sword was magnitudes weaker in pure energy output—it was still enough to take the life of Mr. Father of the Year. For better or worse, the gremlin didn't struggle much. Apparently, his Tenacity was rather low, so he died in a heartbeat.

At that exact moment, Arabella shot her magical projectile from the wand. It flared like a blue laser shooting toward me. Because I was focused on killing the gremlin and avoiding another offensive from Mille, I didn't have room to dodge, so I had to block the attack. Pretty impressive firepower from someone who hadn't even reached Tier 2 by Luminosa's standards. That was kind of like a spell, but better.

I gathered Gravity Mana into my palm, reinforcing it before raising my hand to meet the incoming magic beam head-on. For an instant, there was nothing—just empty resistance. Then, a faint sting bloomed at the center of my palm as the attack's energy finally burned out.

Barely a scratch. Nowhere near enough to count as 10% of my health. Obviously. But receiving a scratch from a Tier 1 being? Call me impressed.

"One down, four more to go." I smiled. Now the lovely Cardinal had no barrier protecting her, as she was now the strongest of their group, by far.

What was worse was the fact that the poisonous fog didn't immediately disappear with the death of the gremlin. Now Mille would have to use her own energy to counteract it. My condition wasn't perfect, either. The battle so far had taken a significant amount of Mana, bringing my current total to only 75%. By rough calculations, it implied that to deal with the rest of them, I would need more Mana than I could afford. But of course, that wasn't the case. Mille was the only one who could show me some resistance. As for the rest, I wouldn't even need to use any magic to deal with them.

As the tide of battle shifted, my opponents reacted instantly. Constantin and Eleanor sprang into action—he fired bullets of blood, each one infused with kinetic energy, while she soared to the ceiling, bat-like wings spread wide, her hands twisting into razor-sharp claws as she dove toward me.

They knew they had to be aggressive while the System's protection still held. What they didn’t realize, however, was that the barrier only prevented direct damage—it didn’t exempt them from the laws of physics. And in close combat, that was more than enough for me—a few well calculated kicks created some distance between us so they won't get in the way as I dealt with the Cardinal.

"You're really going to kill us, huh?" Mille said bitterly as her own Mana went dangerously low. It was at one-third at most. Now that Antipucker had become a lightning whip, she didn't have as much ability to move freely and was more limited in her actions.

"It's not my fault; the System started it," I shrugged as I kicked the vampire woman away from me and sent her toward the fireplace. Meanwhile, Constantin focused more of his blood bullets — of which I easily changed the trajectory of with the smallest amount of Air Mana — transforming them into cannonballs instead. Not like it would help him. As for the remaining two low-level humans, there wasn't much they could try.

"Show me all you've got, Cardinal!"

"Heavenly Father above, give me power. I am yours to command. I am your true blade," Mille chanted, her eyes filled with determination as she cut her palm with one of her blades.

"Ah, taking a note from the vampires," I remarked, watching as Mille coated the cross-shaped knife in her own blood. A surge of unease crawled down my spine—an instinctual warning flaring at the sight of the runes glowing on her weapon. Even without knowing the full extent of the technique, I could tell—it was dangerous. Worse, it reeked of something out of this world, somehow similar to the presence of Mr. Chuckles.

The air grew heavy with power, crackling with an ominous energy that sent every nerve in my body on high alert. The moment she uttered the incantation, I felt it—a shift, as if reality itself recoiled from what she was about to do.

The lightning snake of Antipucker coiled around her in an instant, striking out to ensnare her within its electric prison. But she was already gone, a burst of unnatural speed propelling her forward, leaving nothing but a flickering afterimage in its wake.

"Sinners must be punished," Mille intoned, her voice carrying a chilling finality. "Even if it kills me."

She raised her second knife, aiming straight for her heart.

A sharp jolt of adrenaline shot through me. No.

Primal Lightning Surge roared to life within me, electricity flooding my limbs. I moved. One moment I stood still, the next I was in front of her, seizing her wrist before the blade could bite into flesh.

"That's not good." I tightened my grip, feeling the charged energy of her technique pulse beneath her skin. "Why so serious? I don’t like the runes on this thing. You realize it could kill you if you finish it, right?"

Her gaze met mine—determined, unwavering. But I wasn’t about to let her go through with it.

"If you're going to kill me anyway, I'd rather fall with dignity." Mille's voice was steady, but the power swirling around her only intensified, feeding into the deadly technique she was about to unleash.

I sighed. "And here I was, hoping to test the limits of you guys. Looks like I overdid it."

She hesitated, if only for a fraction of a second. That was all I needed. With a single pulse of intent, I unleashed a devastating wave of Gravity Mana. The air thickened instantly, pressing down with crushing force. The entire cabin trembled under the weight of my power, but it wasn't directed at the people here, definitely not at vulnerable Mille.

And yet, this outburst achieved my purpose. Now, I had less than half of my Mana as the System notified me of my failure.

[Challenge Failed: One Against All and All Against One]

[You have failed to eliminate all participants before losing half of your Mana. What a weakling!]

[Penalty: You must remain in the cabin until completing the next revolution challenge (well, you can leave, if you're ready to start serving us, ha-ha!)]

[Mr. Chuckles finds your mercy... boring]

[The Ringleader approves of your kindness]

"Did you like my prank, guys?" I beamed at the survivors.

Chapter 29.

"What?" Everyone looked at me in shock as they received their own notifications.

"Did you guys misunderstand something? Did you really think that the System would be so crazy as to pit us against each other for no reason? Or kill me if I failed?"

"What do you mean?" Mille said, her body still shaking from the failed technique that would have used her life force and not just Mana.

"I mean, the only punishment for me failing this quest is that I would have to stay here in the cabin until completing the next challenge. I didn't plan to kill you all over this."

"But you killed the gremlin!" David exclaimed.

"Yeah. And he still has some revival points, doesn't he?"

"So do I..." the man added quietly.

I shrugged. "You can consider it a sort of punishment for the misbehavior of his kids."

"You really scared us there," Arabella said as she sighed with relief.

"So what's next?" Constantin said. "I had a hunch that you wouldn't really just slaughter us to achieve your goals, unless there's no other way. I assumed the System might tell you that you had to complete the challenge to survive, or at the very least, gave you a big incentive. But it seems that wasn't the case."

"Yeah, I just wanted to watch you in action, and let me say you're not half bad. The gremlin was the one who gave me a real surprise. He would be a menace on the battlefield. By the way, Ms. Cardinal, how much did the System help you? It seems you didn't use any of the Skills or other powers."

"Unfortunately, I could only use it to add to my attributes. I couldn't even get an Archetype," Mille said. "And without an Archetype, no Skills. Though, at the very least, I got some good equipment," she pointed to her daggers.

I nodded to myself before asking, "Are you not a bit pissed that the System evaluated you as weaker than that lord of poison, despite you having a higher level?"

"Not at all. While I am confident that I would have killed him in battle, I can't deny that his ability is more powerful in general."

"Or maybe the System just realized my plan and decided to play along," I added. "After all, if you were the one without a barrier, I wouldn't be able to kill him without killing you first. And then you would realize way too soon that I wasn't fighting you seriously. That wouldn't go well and wouldn't show me the true extent of your abilities. But next time, maybe try not to be so desperate to sacrifice your life."

"That technique I was about to use has a 10% survival rate, and those who survive it end up even stronger. The result depends on willpower and luck... and I have no lack of either."

"Well, whatever. Now you guys are safe. Is there anyone among you crazy enough to stay with me for the next challenge? You can leave if your mission is already accomplished, but I decided to complete all nine rotations," I said.

"And so do I," Arabella said, to my surprise. But I wasn't the only one shocked by her revelation. "Or rather... I have no choice, but to complete all the challenges."

"Wow, did the System force you into the Madness difficulty?" Mille said, looking at the other girl with pity.

"Force me? Why? No. I chose it. As soon as the System gave me the choice, I knew that I either reach the apex or die trying—just like showbiz; it's survival of the fittest."

"The fittest, you say? More like the luckiest." I shook my head. "The System says it itself—it's not exactly fair. It just wants to force a bunch of people into impossible situations and see how many survive. How do you think it works? Let's say ten million people on the planet choose Madness. Though some would be forced into it, like those who defy the 'normal rules,'" I pointed at Mille and Constantin. "And then among those who made this choice, with or without any serious achievements, some would just be luckier than others. In the end, only a few would survive. If you flip a coin, there's a 50% chance for tails and heads. But if 10 million people throw the coin, someone among them could hit heads 50 times in a row, not because they are special, but just because that's how big numbers work. And all other of your qualities? They wouldn't be nearly as important as this dumb luck."

"It seems you don't understand how I think," Arabella said with a faint smile. "My life was never easy, and my starting point was at the bottom. And yet, I worked hard my entire life to become someone worthy of recognition. In the end, I defeated all my competition and used everything I could to become the girl on the billboard. A celebrity. An idol, some would say. Some would badmouth me, and others would admire me, but no one would be neutral about me. I earned fame, I earned money, and I achieved what most people couldn't even dream of."

She continued after a grave pause. "And now everything is gone. In this new reality, would anyone care about some Hollywood actress? No. As soon as that mysterious message appeared, I knew that life as we knew it before had ended. Everything I achieved before no longer mattered—its only value was in the 500,000 temporary points I earned and spent."

"Wow! That's... a lot?" I raised my brow. That was more than everyone else on my team combined. And then some. And then some more. No wonder she had advanced so fast in such a short period of time.

"If I have to live as mediocrity, as someone whose fate lies in another person's hands, I would rather die. And I think I have way higher chances to succeed than most who choose this option."

I smirked as nodded towards the Cardinal. "Yeah, yeah, girl. And now look at this one. Her name is Mille, and she can kill you a hundred times in ten seconds. That's your competition."

"C'mon man, she's also a fierce girl," Antipucker added. "Arabella, right? Do you want to try the best sword in the world? I'll show you the peak!"

She looked at the hilt in confusion. "Calm down, bro," my finger tapped on the hilt.

"Now that I think about it, you didn't explain why your sword hilt talks," Arabella said. "Did you get it from the System?"

"Who are you calling 'it'?" the sword bristled. "I am he, I am a man, the all-powerful Archblade Omnislayer! I put all other men to shame!"

"Okay, Antipucker. Shut up," I said. "So, does anyone else want to stay? We don't have much time left before the cabin reaches the ground."

"I want to... uh..." the male participant said hesitantly as he gave Arabella a guilty look.

"Why are you looking at me like this?" Arabella said. "I don't care if you stay or not, David."

"But if I stay here, won't your challenges be easier?" he asked.

"Do you have any revival points left?" I asked.

"Only one."

I paused for a moment. I could try to convince him to stay, maybe ask Arabella to use her charms on him. But honestly, I doubted the difference would be that much. After all, the System obviously tried to screw me over.

Before I could make a decision, Arabella opened her mouth. "You can leave now. But then I'll know for sure that you're just a coward. I don't want someone who lacks courage to be a part of our team. I don't need icompetents by my side. I tolerated you and your group long enough. If you can't be helpful, then it's time we go our separate ways."

"I am not a coward!" David objected.

The girl looked right into his eyes. "You can leave if you want, but think about what's next? If you stay here now and survive, you will advance by leaps and bounds. Just think about what kind of reward awaits you. Honestly, that's your best shot at surviving until the end of the Tutorial and leaving it with some actual power. And if that's going to be the case, then I will see a reason to continue our cooperation. David, make your choice and make it carefully."

He closed his eyes for a moment before his face filled with resolution. "I will stay. Even if I won't do much, at the very least, this should lessen the burden on you all."

"You?" I looked at the vampire pair.

"We will leave," Constantin said. "Our levels aren’t low enough to decrease the challenge. If anything, our presence would make it harder. As the System just showed, it doesn’t pull its punches with you. I’m sure you’ll survive, Mr. Wyatt, but the risk of us becoming scapegoats is too high. It’s not worth it."

"Fine by me," I said. "See you later. Just wait until I complete the challenge—I’ll have some questions about you vampires."

I thought the conversation was over until Eleanor—the silent woman who kept her face and body hidden—tugged at Constantin’s sleeve, shaking her head vigorously.

"What? You want to say something, Eleanor?"

She started gesturing. If it was sign language, it wasn’t one I recognized—not that I knew much about it.

"You don’t want to leave? You want to stay?" Constantin frowned. "You realize how dangerous this is, right?"

She nodded.

"You’re staying no matter what?" He sighed. "If something happens to you, how do I explain it to the Elders? Are you sure I can’t convince you?"

She shook her head.

The vampire exhaled heavily. "I guess I can’t force you. Fine, I’ll leave you under his care." He turned to me. "Sorry, Mr. Wyatt. It seems Eleanor has made up her mind, and I doubt I can change it."

"She’s a capable fighter, from what I saw. It’s not such a big deal. And she’s a big girl already—she should know the risks."

"Yeah... a big girl. Right," Constantin muttered, glancing at Eleanor with a complicated expression. "I suppose she knows what she’s doing. Who am I to stop her?" His tone was uncertain, like he wasn’t entirely convinced himself.

Eleanor tapped his shoulder gently, looking at him with something between reassurance and apology. Constantin sighed again, rubbing his temple before finally relenting.

"Alright, take care, everyone," Constantin said with a bitter smile. "Looks like I’m the only one leaving. Guess I’m too old to take risks with you young people."

"Yeah, too bad," Mille said. "I was hoping to sacrifice you if things went south."

I shook hands with the vampire. Moments later, he opened the door, and Space Mana whisked him away as the cabin reached the lowest point of its rotation.

Now, I was left with four people—two relatively combat-ready, two not so much. But supposedly, their presence would make the challenge easier.

"I don’t know about you guys, but I really need to recover my powers. Who knows what’s coming next?" I said, settling down by the fireplace. Despite looking like a normal wooden cabin, there was no furniture here. "Wouldn’t a couch be nice? We’re spending half the ride just waiting to reach the top. The System sure is stingy."

The Aether density here was about the same as in most of the Tutorial zone, which was disappointing compared to the density at the peak of the Ferris wheel. But beggars can't be choosers. It could have been much worse if it were close to none, like back on Earth. I watched the fire flicker, its flames fluctuating with Space Mana.

After a few minutes, Mille joined me on the floor. "What an interesting technique you use to replenish Mana," she commented. "I haven't seen anything like it before." She tried to mimic me, taking the same pose and attempting to guide the Aether to her midsection, but, of course, she struggled to achieve any success. Even if she had her Mana Sense, it couldn't compare to mine. In fact, it was quite lacking compared to a typical cultivator at her level back in Luminosa.

There was also the difference—Fighters had worse Mana Sense than Casters, and Primalists were superior to both at the same Tier. As for Mille, she barely qualified as a Tier 4 Mana Fighter in this regard. I guessed her type of Aether cultivation wasn't great for developing one's spirit.

"Just use the method that feels familiar to you, Mille. Trying to mimic me won't help you short-term," I advised.

"If you don’t mind, can I ask what you two are doing?" Arabella asked. By this point, the quiet vampire had also joined us on the floor, though amusingly, she lay down in a pose reminiscent of a corpse. I wondered if vampires needed to cultivate too, and if they did, did they do it in sarcophagi or something?

"You know, talking doesn’t interrupt my meditation, so I can explain what cultivation is and how to recover your Mana properly," I replied. Sure, Mana would recover naturally over time, but using cultivation techniques, meditation, and focusing on recovery was much more efficient than distracting yourself with other stuff. I usually only did it when necessary, though—after all these years, it could get pretty boring and the increase in efficiency wasn't worth it.

I began to explain and even train the normal actress from Earth, as well as David, who turned out to be a programmer back on Earth. It was refreshing to have a regular conversation—until we hit the elephant in the room: how I was so strong. Even Mille gave me a curious glance.

"Why am I so strong? Well, isn’t it obvious? I’m the protagonist, and the author decided to make me strong," I said with a serious expression. "By the way, you’re all side characters, so you’re going to die sooner or later. For dramatic effect."

After a moment of silence, Mille snorted, and Arabella chuckled lightly.

"That’s a long story, and you probably won’t believe it anyway," I continued. "If I were you, I’d be more curious about that lady and the vampires. After all, they’ve been on Earth all this time, having superpowers like those from comics, movies or video games."

"That doesn't surprise me as much," Arabella said, "as I heard rumors among the higher-ups in Hollywood. They were just rumors, of course, but many believed there was some truth to it—that behind the scenes were influential people with supernatural powers. I thought maybe you were one of them."

"Nah, what influence? I was missing for the last ten years. I couldn’t even play my favorite games."

As we talked about nothing important, some more time passed before my Mana reached 90% full. Recovering 40% in just over half an hour was a great result. Mille, on the other hand, seemed to be still half empty—her recovery method wasn’t as effective as mine, plus she had pushed herself to her limits fighting against me.

We all were standing, waiting, preparing for whatever the System would throw our way next. We knew it wouldn't be pleasant. The stakes for me were higher than they seemed, since I was unable to leave the cabin. This time around, I was limited in the time I had to complete my main objective and fix all the cabins needing maintenance before the last of them finished its rotation and the attraction itself ended.

The System message appeared:

[8th Rotation Challenge: Chuckle Time Special]
[Objective: Watch Chuckle Time without dying or going crazy]
[Reward: System Points based on performance. Also, you won't die or go crazy!]

It was a rather short and bland description, yet it was terrifying in its own right. Because that was one source of power I didn’t understand, an existence that made me feel anxiety and even a hint of dread—Mr. Chuckles.

And now I had no idea if I was truly prepared for whatever challenge he was about to give us...

Chapter 30.

"So, have any of you experienced this strange show yet?" I asked as a large TV screen flickered to life above the fireplace. A mysterious force seemed to compel me to look directly at it. It was truly chilling. As the countdown from ten began, we had only a brief moment to communicate with each other and brace ourselves.

"We, the Tutorial participants, have the option to skip it, but the 'inhabitants' do not," Mille explained. "His Holiness advised us against watching this creepy show, even if it offers free bronze tickets. There’s something unsettling about how it affects people."

"I've never skipped the show," Arabella said. "I've watched every episode so far. The reward is worth it. After watching it six times, you earn a silver ticket."

"I only watched it once. That was enough for me," David added reluctantly, his voice trembling.

Eleanor didn’t speak; she just shrugged her shoulders.

As soon as the countdown reached zero, the show started. The background music was a jarring mix of cheerful and unsettling. An exaggeratedly cute chipmunk, teetering on the edge of the uncanny valley, smiled at me with its crimson eyes—at least, that’s how it felt. Compared to the last time I watched the show, the effect was even stronger. From the very beginning, I sensed it was on a whole different level, and resisting wouldn’t be as easy as before.

Suddenly, I recalled my joking remark about all the side characters dying. Now it felt unnervingly real and close to home. This wasn’t a challenge I could complete for everyone alone, like in the sixth rotation. Everyone was on their own now, relying solely on their strength, willpower, and luck—or whatever it took to survive. I couldn't be too sure that even Mille would make it out alive.

"And today in Chuckles Time Special, we have invited some unexpected guests! Welcome, dear spectators. I believe you will like it... no, you will love this show today."

In a serene, animated meadow, Mr. Chuckles was strolling through a park. At first, it was a calming scene—vibrant trees, colorful plants in full bloom, and birds singing sweet melodies. It resembled something out of a Disney movie. But as we followed Mr. Chuckles, watching him bounce happily toward the center of the meadow, what we saw was deeply disturbing.

There were people. Real people. They looked like flesh and blood, as if actual humans had been inserted into the cartoon. And the worst part—I knew two of them. Who else they were but Leah and Jimmy? I could swear Leah looked at me through the screen, her lips forming a silent plea: Brother, help me! I could read it in her expression.

In total, six people were in the meadow. There were no signs of them being forced there—they weren’t bound or anything. Yet they either stood or sat on the ground motionlessly, their faces twisted in terror as Mr. Chuckles approached them.

"Hello, dear friends," the chipmunk said, his tone sweet as poisoned honey. "You were invited here to have some fun, to enjoy a happy time and entertain our spectators. Of course, first, you must say hello to your favorite audience. So, who will be first? Let me think. Oh, how about you?"

The chipmunk approached a middle-aged woman who was still in her prime.

"Ma-ma-mama?" David whispered.

Every one of us, we were completely immersed in the scene. It was as if we were inside the show, right beside the meadow, rather than just watching it on a screen—closer to a very realistic 3D experience in IMAX. Then again, before I disappeared, I think there was some promise of full immersion, but I didn’t know if the technology had reached that level back on Earth.

Anyway, everything felt real. A bit too real. A cold shiver ran down my spine.

"Son, please save me," the woman begged.

"No, Mom," David replied, "I’m sorry, I don't know how to help you, I'm unable to do anything..."

I was prepared for what would happen next, but instead, Mr. Chuckles turned his attention to me, leaving the poor woman alone.

"Oh, I think I was a bit too hasty. After all, here's one member of the audience who is a special case! Indeed, Clinton, my dear friend. I invited not one person for you, but two, so it would be only fair if we start with them, right?"

Now the devilish creature approached Jimmy, who wore the same battle-ready clothes as the last time I saw him, his katana still strapped to his back. He sat on the ground, his arms supporting him from behind. As the chipmunk got closer, Jimmy tried to crawl backward.

"No, no, no, please, not me, just not me. How about you start with someone else?" Jimmy's voice cracked. "Yeah, you... there are two people for Clinton, right? There's no point to kill us both! Are you alright with just letting me go? You still have Leah!"

His voice was so pitiful that it sounded like a child's, not that of a grown man. This stark contrast emphasized the disconnect; there was no way the real Jimmy would say something like that, no matter how terrified he felt.

I could feel the show's mental influence working hard to convince me that everything was real, that it was actually happening. While I was almost certain that the so-called Emily was indeed Leah, who was supposed to be dead right now, nothing was stopping the System from reviving her prematurely, just as it did with NPCs. The question remained: even if it was Leah and Jimmy, would the System grant them a free revival point to participate in a trial? And the earlier question: would they still be the same after revival?

That was a silly question, of course, considering both of them most likely had already died once, if they were indeed in my care. Yet, I sensed that those thoughts weren’t entirely my own. It felt as if I were watching someone else’s story unfold, like a movie. I concentrated on resisting the show's influence.

What do you want, Mr. Chuckles? Are you trying to deceive me again? The same trick won’t work on me twice. Who do you think you are? I fought back my anger, even as a a chill run down my spine yet again. I wanted to lash out, to reach through the screen or smash the TV. But I held myself back; even a slight movement would be too much strain. Instead, I focused on what mattered most—maintaining my grip on reality.

"Now, Jimmy," Mr. Chuckles asked, "do you know where the wolf is?"

"I don't know," Jimmy replied, shaking his head. "Boss, do you know where the wolf is? Please tell me. I don't want to die, Boss."

Now he was starting to sound more like the Jimmy I knew. Was the show adapting to my thoughts? Perhaps. The idea was unsettling.

"Too bad," Mr. Chuckles smiled as he turned toward the screen, his creepy crimson eyes growing even redder. Then Jimmy lost his head—it exploded, showering Mr. Chuckles and the five other people in the meadow with bits of brain matter.

This time, I didn't feel the urge to laugh; instead, an unsettling sense crept in, as if my own death was just around the corner. For a brief moment, I recalled the clown's whisper. Before a smirk formed on Mr. Chuckles' face, I grasped the nature of this entire challenge and what I needed to do—I started to laugh out loud as if I had just witnessed the funniest thing in the world.

I mimicked the laugh from when I first watched the show, and as I did, Mr. Chuckles' expression softened, as if to say, "Good boy, that's how it is." Shame washed over me, yet I found it hard to stop laughing. By initiating it myself, I had allowed Mr. Chuckles to exert his influence over me once again, and this time it was even stronger than before.

I continued to laugh even as the next victim was chosen. It was easy to guess whose close relative or friend it was. The middle-aged vampire seemed to be the most composed among the six victims. He sat there perfectly serene, his posture impeccable. Yet he gazed at Eleanor, his crimson eyes pleading for salvation while his mouth spoke otherwise:

"Don't worry about me, lady. I am ready to die for you."

I couldn't understand why his demeanor was so different from Jimmy's. Perhaps Mr. Chuckles could read the woman's mind better, or he had more information about this vampire from someone else. I sensed that this was much closer to the vampire's true personality compared to Jimmy's.

"So tell me, sir, do you know where the wolf is?" Mr. Chuckles asked, bouncing up and down with excitement.

"The wolf lives in our hearts," the vampire replied solemnly.

"That's a nice answer, but still wrong." The chipmunk shook his head in disappointment.

In that moment, the vampire shook his head so vigorously that it burst open, splitting in two before his entire body was torn apart. It was something new. The remaining four people shrieked in terror, including Leah.

I couldn't stop laughing. I tried my best to shake off this mental haze and warn the others. They needed to laugh, to prepare, to resist the overwhelming urge. What was the solution? Without my guidance, they would realize too late and perish in an instant. Finally, I managed to control my mouth to some extent. I started to whisper "laugh," but my voice came out barely audible.

With a frown, Mr. Chuckles glanced at Eleanor, who stood completely still, her eyes locked on his behind her mask. Suddenly, she burst—causing Arabella, who stood right next to her, to flinch as blood, viscera, and fragments of Eleanor's brain splattered her. The mask fell, and Eleanor's body followed, landing on her back as she died. Part of me thought this wouldn’t be enough to deal with a vampire of her caliber, but she didn’t get up, and I felt no life from her.

I was filled with unexpected anger. How dare he kill the people I had chosen to protect? Stupid chipmunk, so full of himself.

"Laugh when he kills the people you care about!" I shouted for everyone to hear. "Laugh, but do your best to resist the urge to keep laughing. This is the key to completing this challenge!"

As my words left my lips, Mr. Chuckles turned to me with amusement, as if mocking my attempt to help the others and finding it hilarious that I hadn’t warned one of my companions in time. He reveled in my powerlessness to save one of my team.

Next, he turned to a middle-aged woman, David's mother, and asked without pause, "Do you know where the wolf is? I want to know the answer."

"The wolf is in the woods," she replied, her voice breaking.

Mr. Chuckles sighed as an invisible force began to tear the woman apart, limb by limb.

"David, laugh!" I commanded, my voice filled with authority.

The man opened his mouth, tears streaming down his cheeks, and he started to laugh. "Ha ha, ha ha." At first, it sounded forced, but soon he erupted into hysterical laughter, more persistent than I had shown moments before. Now I could only hope that whatever willpower he had would be enough. But my hopes were low; I was almost sure he was doomed. I could only wonder how this would unfold. I was the only one who overcame the challenge—at least a part of it, as I still had to endure Leah's death as well.

The next target was an old man, perhaps in his 80s or 90s. He looked at Mille, his gaze both empty and desperate.

What, is her most important person her grandpa? I thought.

Then he said, "Grandma Mille, I'm glad that I at the very least... could see you in my final moments."

What? Grandma? Grandma Mille? If I had been drinking, I would have spat it out. Mille bit her lower lip, gazing tenderly at the old man. Wasn't she supposed to be a pure, innocent nun? How could she have a grandchild? Perhaps their god wasn't that strict towards his followers.

To be fair, cultivators can live for a very long time while appearing young. For example, the King of the Human Kingdom was 200 years old when they summoned me. But somehow, it felt so out of place when it involved someone from Earth.

"It's all right, little Billy, everything is going to be fine," Mille whispered.

"Thank you for everything," the old man said, ready for death, despite trembling and barely being able to stand.

"Where is the wolf, Billy?" the chipmunk asked, his smile widening. The old man didn't reply even after a minute of silence, and Mr. Chuckles didn't ask twice.

The old man's death was particularly creative. He began to age rapidly, as if time itself had accelerated, until he transformed into a mummy and then a bloodless corpse, as though someone had drained his entire blood supply. His skin and muscles withered, leaving only a skinny skeleton. It may not have been as gory as the other deaths, but it was no less disturbing.

Knowing what she had to do, Mille burst out laughing—more naturally than even my own laugh. I couldn't discern her feelings at that moment, but her eyes, despite her cold, emotionless expression, concealed deep pain... and even a hint of insanity.

David, meanwhile, was still laughing, unable to stop. He laughed so hard that he could no longer breathe. His laughter grew dry; he only exhaled repeatedly. Soon, lacking oxygen, he began to suffocate as if submerged underwater. Yet his expression remained full of mirth. Even as he died, David still laughed. I could only hope that this experience wouldn't affect him too much after his revival.

So we were left with only two living people in the meadow, and the most disturbing part of the show was about to begin.

Next in line was a little girl, and a single glance revealed her connection to Arabella. Her eyes bore a striking resemblance to hers. This girl, no older than twelve, sat on the grass with her face covered, frozen in sheer horror, her body smeared with blood and viscera. At the start of the show, she had been crying, but now not a single tear flowed down her little face, which was coated in gore and the remnants of others.

I hated that chipmunk. I truly did. My anger intensified as I realized what was about to happen next. Perhaps it was hypocritical of me, given all the death I had just witnessed and even more back in Luminosa, but murdering children was crossing the line.

The actress ground her teeth as it became the little girl's turn.

"B-big sis Bella, I'm scared," the girl muttered, her voice echoing through the meadow that had transformed into a little hell. "Please take me out of here."

Leah—or rather, the show's representation of her—approached the girl and enveloped her in a protective hug. That, perhaps, was the most shocking development so far—my sister, or rather her representation or copy, was the first human who managed to move on her own before Mr. Chuckles. As she glared at the terrifying chipmunk, her voice rang out with fierce determination.

"Fuck you, you little beast! If you want to kill someone, kill me, but don't touch her. Don't you dare touch Dorothy!" Leah shouted, sounding just like herself, unlike Jimmy's portrayal. Also, it seemed as if... as if she knew the girl in question. Strange.

It was also peculiar that Jimmy had been depicted so unrealistically while everyone else remained in character. Did it take the chipmunk longer to scrape our memories for a more accurate portrayal? It felt that way, as each successive character appeared increasingly real, less exaggerated or simplistic.

Mr. Chuckles ignored Leah as he tipped his little paw on the ground. "Little Dorothy, I want to be friends with you. Why do you have such a sad face? Don't you want to be friends with Mr. Chuckles?" His voice carried a hollow sweetness. "Or could it be..."

"This bastard," both Leah and Arabella said, their voices barely audible as Mille's hysterical laughter continued. I could still see signs of reasoning in her eyes, though. I believed that she would get over this.

In the meantime, I could feel how the mascot's influence increased, especially with how realistically Leah was acting.  A part of me even began to doubt—perhaps Jimmy really would act this way in such a situation. Maybe I didn’t know him well enough. Perhaps the Jimmy I remembered, the shy kid and scaredy-cat, could betray his beloved woman like this.

But no, it couldn’t be true. Even if I hadn’t seen him in ten years, I knew he wouldn’t be that kind of person. This small flaw in the narrative kept me from immersing myself in the show as deeply as everyone else.

In the meantime, little Dorothy didn’t answer the chipmunk; she just stared at him blankly as he continued, blue tears appearing in his eyes only for a moment, "Little Dorothy, I asked you a question, and you just ignored me... not very nice! You make Mr. Chuckles so sad... You're such a bully!"

Bella trembled, even as Leah shouted, "Get away, you devil! Fuck off!" Her voice carried a desperate edge, despite her visible terror, as she glanced at what remained of Jimmy.

"But well, I'll forgive you, little Dorothy... just tell me, don’t you know where the wolf is?" Mr. Chuckles pressed. "I’m very curious. I want to find the wolf. It’s very important. And I won’t forgive anyone who tries to hide its whereabouts..."

"Fuck off!" Leah yelled, and Mr. Chuckles smiled even more brightly. Arabella kept her silence, most likely trying to control herself and the show's mental influence. Not bad.

"So you don't know, little Bella... Too bad then..."

I wanted to close my eyes or turn away from what was about to happen, but I couldn’t. I knew that even if I managed to look away, that mysterious power threatening to kill me would activate. I had to obey and watch as the horror unfolded toward its finale.

As the little girl and Leah began to scream, an invisible force intervened. Their bodies merged like Siamese twins, flesh intertwining through their clothes. When invisible pressure began to compress them from below, it turned their legs into a bloody paste. They shrieked in agony as the unseen force slowly destroyed their bodies from the bottom up. I could do nothing but watch, my anger boiling and a long-forgotten feeling—hate—surging within me. Princess Saella? She was nothing but a little mouse compared to this wretched chipmunk.

Even though I knew this was just a show, I clearly understood what this creature was—something that needed to be stopped, and if possible, destroyed. But it was so far beyond my current capabilities that I wasn’t ready to confront it. It felt as if our powers existed in completely different dimensions. I couldn’t face something I didn’t even understand. For now...

For a moment, my mind was engulfed by the screams and the remnants of my sister and Arabella's little sister—nothing but a gruesome paste. But I knew what I had to do. I started to laugh—not out of humor or necessity, this was a dark chuckle fueled by anger, a vow to ensure this creature would never harm my loved ones again, not even in a mere illusion.

As if on cue, Arabella began to laugh too. Her laughter was hysterical, and I worried about her sanity. But at that moment, one person stopped laughing—Mille. She had finally broken free from this torment. With my Mana Sense, I could feel that she had successfully recovered, overcoming the mind-destroying influence.

She deserved respect for this achievement. And now that I realized she was likely much older than I was, it wasn't surprising. Despite everything I had faced back in Luminosa, I was still a young man. Not even thirty, I was just a kid by cultivator standards—after all, didn't even reach one-tenth of my lifespan yet. As for her, who could say what experiences she had endured in her lifetime? Perhaps this show wasn't even the most disturbing of what she'd seen.

"It's just a dream, an illusion, a trick," Mille declared loudly enough for Arabella to hear, though I couldn't be sure the words reached her as her hysterical laughter turned more sinister. I wasn't much different either—this time, the power of influence had increased at least threefold, and I knew that, unlike David, I wouldn't simply die from a lack of oxygen. That was just the beginning. Losing yourself to this mysterious power would mean something even worse than death—losing who you are. In a way, it was not far off from the greatest challenge I had faced in my life. At least mentally.

Not so much the challenge itself—it wasn't that hard. It was the situation and what I would have to confront this eerie being. It took maybe three to five minutes for me to gather my thoughts and finally calm down. The scariest part of this experience was that it seemed unaffected by my stats. Even the Spirit attribute played a limited role. I had to rely on my personal qualities, like willpower, that weren't influenced by cultivation or even the System. It was a test of who I was as a person.

Of course, this also meant that even a much weaker person could pass this test. Just like Arabella—just when I thought she was lost forever and on the brink of her end, she fell silent, much like Mille. As for the screen, all those minutes I spent laughing were filled with Mr. Chuckles and animated animals dancing peacefully over the bloody remains of humans.

"Thank you for watching Mr. Chuckles' special. I hope you had as much fun as I did!"

The camera zoomed in on Mr. Chuckles—still cute and fluffy, despite being smeared with blood and viscera

"See you next time, my dear friends. And please, entertain me more, Clinton." The chipmunk winked at me. I wasn’t happy about it.

Not one damn bit.

Chapter 31.

"Wow, guys, you sure had a hard time. I'm so glad I'm just a sword and don't have to participate in all this nonsense," Antipucker said, his tone carefree. "Though I am really impressed with you. Isabella was your name, right?"

His words seemed to bring the actress out of her daze. "What? Yeah... you're the talking sword hilt... I'm Arabella, though."

"And I am Archblade Omnislayer!" he declared proudly before I interrupted him. "How about going on a date with—?!"

I interrupted Antipucker, "You don't have to listen to him or take him too seriously. He's just a sword with a few screws loose. His creator had a... unique sense of humor, you know."

"I see..." The girl sighed.

"Anyway, it's pretty bad that we lost two people already," I said, glancing at the spot where David's corpse had been. When my eyes fell on Eleanor's headless body, I was surprised. It was strange. Normally, she should have disappeared by now.

Suddenly, her hand moved, and the headless body quickly stood up. Right before our eyes, her head began to grow back, starting from the neck. The blood-covered bone formed the contours of her face. In just a second, it transformed into the face of a beautiful teenage girl. She looked around in confusion.

And then did the System message notified us that the challenge was complete:

[Congratulations on surviving the special Chuckles' Time!]

[5 out of 6 of you survived. Not bad at all.]

Congratulations! You've earned 300,000 System Points (+3,000 SP). You've unlocked a new Archetype:

The Chuckling Man (Rare)

Funds: 400+3,000=3,400 SP

The reward of unlocked Archetype wasn't that impressive, but the points were exactly what I needed. Now I had to complete my mission, and it seemed that the time for my reunion with Leah was drawing near. By my estimations, she should revive any time soon.

There was about ten minutes before the cabin reached the ground. But now I didn't have the limit on staying here—I could safely leave. Before that, I used my Mana sense to examine the vampire girl in more detail. The way she revived was unusual, to say the least. I was pretty sure she had completely died. Her revival gave me the same vibe as the Blood-Bound

Ravagers.

Eleanor, whose face was ethereally beautiful without the mask—her pale skin, pitch-black hair, and crimson eyes giving her an otherworldly vibe—opened and closed her mouth as if trying to say something, but no sound escaped her lips. It seemed it wasn't her choice to remain silent; she was simply unable to speak. She began to gesticulate, but I couldn't decipher her meaning.

"If I had to guess, you want to know what happened?" I said. "Well, you died, and then you revived."

She stood still for a moment before nodding, whatever that meant. When she revived, I didn't feel the influence of the System, so it wasn't a revival point that brought her back. In fact, I sensed that most of her power—almost all of it—was vampiric in nature, as she hadn't gained many levels after connecting to the System. And if I had to guess, she didn't receive an Archetype, so no Skills, either.

I guessed there was a reason why Constantin didn't worry about her. Even if I asked her, it wasn't as if she could easily answer. However, now that I considered it, she could use blood magic to control blood and form letters to communicate. Also, vampires were often rumored to possess mental powers like telekinesis. Reading thoughts and sending mental messages shouldn't be difficult. But what did I know? Perhaps she was just that much of an introvert and I could understand her feelings, somehow.

"Okay, guys, you stay here, and I'll go complete my mission. I'll be back before the next challenge starts."

"What? You can leave here?" Arabella asked.

"Well, of course. If I can enter here in the middle of a revolution, then I can leave as well. Have fun with gossiping among women while I'm gone, though I don't think Eleanor will join you two."

Before I approached the door, my maintenance tool transformed into a key. All I needed to do was open the lock and leave without any hindrance. Now I had to fix the remaining malfunctioning cabins. I flew higher, searching for my next target, and soon enough, I found it. Without much thought, I hammered the large bolts of the cabin, fixing it. Another one was located a few cabins later.

In the last one, I had to enter as it reached the top. Just in case, I waited until it passed the highest point—I didn't want the System to screw me by forcing another 8th rotation challenge. As I left the last cabin after fixing it, the System notified me of completing my main objective.

[Congratulations! You've completed the main objective of the Wheel of Fortune and Misfortune! ]

You receive a Golden VIP Ticket (another one!) for participating in a special role and fixing all the cabins.

Congratulations! You've earned 300,000 System Points (and get 4,000 added to your funds).

Funds: 3,400+3,000=6,400

That's good, I can now buy the Archetype Skill I wanted, I thought, before reading the continuation.

But you didn't complete the Bonus Objective and Secret Objective... Do you want to proceed with the Quest? Or do you want to mark it as completed and miss the additional reward? Hint: Completing the Quest prematurely will make it significantly harder to complete your Main Quest and get a Premium VIP Super Mega Ticket. Complete the quest?

[Yes.]

[No.]

Well, I had expected something like this to happen. After the last challenge, someone else would be unwilling to risk it again, but... I knew that I didn't have the luxury to avoid risk. Especially when my Main Quest was on the line. So of course I choose no.

[Okay, then continue with the Quest!]

[Warning: You should complete the Bonus Objective and complete the 9th rotation challenge, or the Main Quest punishment will be applied.]

As if that addition in the end changed anything when I already decided to make it to the end. At the same time, there was also a piece of good news:

[Hey! Congratulations, Mama Goose! One of your little geese just revived.]

I opened the map. A dot representing a person under my care appeared in the southern part of the Smiley Land, in the roller coaster zone. I expected another dot to appear in the Ferris wheel zone any time soon, but it didn't happen. There was one variable I didn't fully understand—what level would Leah be? It was very possible that, like Arabella, she had gained a fair amount of levels thanks to the temporary System points. Though I doubted that her lifetime achievements could compare to Hollywood star's...

Still, I decided to wait a little longer, just in case. I found the cabin with the girls and took a meditative pose on top of it. While waiting, I opened the Skills screen, deciding to choose the Skill I wanted to buy. The Archetype Skills were interesting and perhaps not as effective for battle as the basic ones, but they were more specific, and one of them was definitely a must-have long-term.

[Gamer Archetype Skills]

[Gaming] (Common): This passive skill improves the success rate and effectiveness of playing games. Each level in the skill boosts your game-playing ability by 5% from levels 1 to 5 and by 10% for levels beyond that. Gain additional effects at levels 5 and 10. Finally, you can win at tic-tac-toe! Maybe...

Price: 100 SP

This skill seemed pretty useless in most situations. However, perhaps it might apply not only to video games, but also to sports and even killing games. Would it work for challenges in the park? I didn't know, and I didn't plan to find out. If I had wanted this Skill, I would have bought it earlier.

Next was a bit more intriguing:

[Polygon Weapon] (Common): This skill allows you to use your Mana to create one of the following weapons: polygonal sword, gun, or shield. Effectiveness increases by 5% for the first 5 levels and by 10% per level afterward. New types of weapons can be unlocked every three levels. Technically, every weapon is a polygon weapon. But those actually admit it.

Cost: Medium

Cooldown: Medium

Scaling: Weapon-specific

Price: 2,000 SP

For an average person, this could be quite useful, although the cost was on the higher side. But I had Antipucker, and I was fairly certain these weapons would be useless for me. But why did they count a shield as a weapon anyway?

And the last skill was exactly what I needed:

[Gamer's Growth] (Common): Increases experience gain by 10%, plus 3% per level for the first 5 levels and 5% per level for the next 5. Unlocks additional bonuses at levels 5 and 10. Sounds simple? Sounds great? An awesome Skill? Yeah… until you see the price. Ha-ha.

Price: 5,000 SP

As the System had warned me about slower growth than normal, a skill like this, while not particularly helpful in a fight, would prove extremely useful in the long term. It was a must-have. However, its cost would likely deter anyone from choosing it. Anyone but me.

[Congratulations! You unlock the Gamer's Growth Skill.]

Funds: 6,400-5,000=1,400

With this, my future path would be a bit smoother. I now lacked enough points to advance to the next rank because I had chosen this option instead of a cheaper one. But honestly? I doubted that another Archetype and a few more levels would make much of a difference now. It seemed I would have to complete the last challenge before moving forward.

At this point, I had fully recovered my Mana, which hadn't diminished much during the last challenge, and even managed to cultivate a bit, though it wasn’t as effective as before. I still gained a few points in my attributes and was now ready for the final step in my

preparations.

I'd planned to avoid using this if possible, not wanting to reveal too many of my capabilities too early. However, after experiencing Mr. Chuckles' show and sensing the growing danger, there was no point in holding back if it meant risking my life—or worse, failing to protect those under my care.

Standing on the cabin's roof, I removed my Novice Set piece by piece. The simple garments had served their purpose, but what lay ahead would require something far more potent. As I sent the clothes to my Inventory, the cold air brushed against my skin, but I barely noticed it. My focus was entirely on gathering and shaping my power.

"Come, the Abyss Plate!"

I closed my eyes and directed my Gravity Mana outward. Unlike ordinary armor that simply protected, this was an extension of my power itself. Black fibers of concentrated gravitational force emerged from my skin like threads of darkness, weaving into intricate patterns. Layer by layer, they built upon each other—first a skin-tight undersuit that enhanced my control over gravity, then successive layers of actual armor plating.

The plates formed with geometric precision, each one a perfect convergence of gravitational forces that could bend light itself. They locked together seamlessly, creating joints that allowed full mobility while maintaining absolute protection. Where regular armor had gaps or weak points, the Abyss Plate became a continuous field of controlled gravity, serving as much as a weapon as it did

protection.As the final pieces settled into place, I opened my eyes. The armor was pitch black, but it wasn't flat or dull; its surface rippled with subtle patterns, resembling the way space bends and twists. Anyone looking at me would find their gaze slipping off the armor's surface, their eyes unable to fully process how it distorted the space around it.

This was more than just armor—it was a manifestation of my mastery over gravity, a declaration that I was done playing around. Whatever challenges lay ahead, I would face them with my full power.

"Finally, you look like someone worth wielding me!" Antipucker commended. "I like this attire much better."

"Oh my, you make me blush!"

But there was a drawback to this technique. Unlike typical Mana manipulations, I had to allocate a third of my full capacity to maintain the Abyss Plate. And if it were completely destroyed? Recovering fully would take a long time.

I took a few minutes to recover both mentally and Aetherically before returning to the cabin with about ten minutes to spare before the challenge started. "I'm back, girls! Did you have fun together?" I called out.

All three of them stood by the windows, gazing at the city. It was a bit surprising; I had expected them to be recovering Mana or cultivating. It seemed that ike me, they hadn't lost any energy in the last challenge and now were in their peak state.

"Hello, Mr. Wyatt. Or should I call you Clinton?" Arabella addressed me first. "Ahem, anyway, there's something I forgot to ask earlier. I was really shaken by that disgusting show. That girl who tried to protect my sister... At first, I thought she was there for me, but we hadn't been that close lately... She's Leah Wyatt. And if you're her brother, then you're Clinton Wyatt, the boy who disappeared ten years ago."

I squinted at her, suspicion creeping in as I tried to recall if I had met her before. "Who are you?" I asked.

"It's no wonder you don't recognize me. I didn't want to believe it was you, either. After all, you've changed so much—perhaps even more than I have. I think we met before, maybe three times. I visited Leah at your place a few times... it's me, Bella..."

"Could it be... Little Bella?" I finally realized why she looked so familiar, even though that sense of familiarity felt strange. When I first met her, she had looked completely different—thick glasses, acne, and braces on her teeth.

"I'm not little anymore..."

"Hah! So Jimmy isn't the only one who made puberty his bitch," I chuckled.

Arabella studied me with interest. "Now I'm even more curious to know how my friend's brother gained such power. And became so handsome, to boot while looking so young. That healthcare routine of yours must be something special."

I smiled. "Well, I'm not the only one who looks younger than their age suggests. And I won't say there's anything wrong with your skin, either."

"So you two know each other," Mille observed. "Interesting. And here I thought you were some kind of alien—just like the vampires."

"Me? An alien?" I shrugged. "Well, it's not a lie that I spent ten years away from Earth. So there's some truth to it."

Eleanor, who had donned her mask again, approached me. She pointed at my arm, flexed her biceps, and shrugged her shoulders. The gestures were clear—she also wanted to know how I became so strong.

"I just drink protein shakes every day," I said. The vampire girl nodded sagely, as if this explained everything.

"By the way, your new costume looks sick," Arabella said, eyeing my armor.

"I can say the same about yours." My pitch-black plate armor, formed entirely of Gravity aura, was indeed a sight to behold. It absorbed light like a miniature black hole. Using a third of my Mana to maintain it was worth it—who knew what the next challenge would bring? Meanwhile, Arabella wore a pink frilly dress that wouldn't look out of place in a magical girl anime. I felt System fluctuations from it.

"Did you buy it from the System?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's unique for my Magical Girl Archetype." A slight blush colored her cheeks. "I earned a small fortune after completing the last challenge. Now I can spend it on powerful skills and equipment."

"What about your temporary points? Do you have any Ultra Rare Archetypes or beyond?"

She touched her head thoughtfully. "Ultra Rare? Well, there is one, but I'm not sure if I can mention it without sounding boastful."

I smiled. "After what you showed during Chuckle Time, you've earned the right to boast. Most people wouldn't have survived that show."

"Well, it's called Apex Celebrity. It's my only Ultra Rare Archetype. As for the temporary points..." She hesitated. "It's like a gacha system, kind of. And my luck wasn't great."

"Gacha?" The term was unfamiliar to me.

She looked surprised. "You're not familiar with gacha games? Oh right—ten years away. Well, it's basically a form of gambling. You spend money, whether virtual or real, trying to win random items or characters. Sometimes you get lucky, but more often you don't."

"Doesn't sound as something that should be legal," Antipucker said. He had some bad experience with gambling...

"I did get some useful things," Arabella continued. "Like this Ultra Rare magic wand that I can use despite its high requirements. But the other item..." She trailed off. "It's just a ticket I probably won't be able to use even for the next two weeks of the Tutorial. And I'm not sure I can even sell it."

"A ticket?" That caught my attention. "What kind exactly?"

"Super Mega VIP Platinum Ticket." She sighed. "The System claimed it was exactly what I needed, but it feels like I got scammed out of half of my temporary points."

After pondering for a moment, I said slowly, "Actually, the System didn't lie to you."

"What do you mean?"

I met her gaze. "If you give me that ticket, I’d be in your debt. And having someone like me owe you a favor... well, that wouldn't be a bad thing in this Tutorial, would it?"

Her voice trembled slightly, probably recalling how I had dealt with Sugar... and then their entire team. "So you need it, huh? Even if you're my friend's brother, you realize I can't just give it away..." She said, biting her lip and avoiding eye contact.

"Hey, don’t look at me like that." I raised my hands. "Do you think I’d torture or threaten you for it? I'm an honorable man."

Antipucker's laughter echoed at those words, but I ignored him.

"Have you read the ticket's description?"

"It’s required for the Ultimate Attraction of the Zone, and..." She swallowed. "Meeting Mr. Chuckles. But after that TV show, I don't want to be anywhere near that creature."

I nodded slowly. The System hadn’t notified me about meeting Mr. Chuckles yet, so our cartoon encounter didn’t count. This ticket was a prerequisite for facing him in person. I doubted there were many ways to obtain one, and it seemed significant that the System had guided it into Arabella's possession. Yet again it was manipulating me with an unknown goal.

"Let's discuss the price. What do you want for it?"

"It cost me around half my temporary points—250,000 to be exact. But we both know points can't be directly traded." She glanced at me. "With your help, I've already completed one rotation... though I might have managed without you, probably. Perhaps we should discuss the price after the next challenge?"

"Hmm, perhaps. I don't need the ticket just yet."

Then, as if suddenly realizing something, she stepped closer, a calculating gleam in her eye. "I do have one idea. I think... you should like it, too."

"Oh?"

"Let's be friends, Clinton." Her smile was perfectly crafted. "It's only natural for friends to help each other in need, right?"

"What a sly woman!" Antipucker commented. He wasn't wrong.

This request for friendship was more than just a plea for assistance in her Quests. As a friend, I would be obligated to ensure her survival through the Tutorial and beyond. At least, that would be the case for someone with strong morals. Was I such a person? Perhaps yes, perhaps not. Though a friendship born from necessity might seem shallow, to me, such bonds felt absolutely binding.

"I'll think about it," I replied with a measured smile. Agreeing too quickly would only encourage her to ask for more—basic negotiation tactics. She might be Leah's friend, but I wasn't sure how close they actually were. There might be a history that would change my view of Arabella. I'd need to discuss this with Leah. "Let's finish this challenge, first. It's about to start."

As if confirming my words, the cabin finally reached its peak. I felt a surge of Mana that almost rivaled the Aether burst during Earth's Awakening. Almost. Though more focused and contained, its power was undeniable. The surge lasted only a few seconds—still good enough for cultivation if I'd had the chance. Then the System message appeared:

[9th Rotation: The Final Challenge]

[Congratulations on making it this far. Only a chosen few have reached this stage of the Happy Ferris Wheel, and even fewer have survived it throughout the entire history of Ever Happy Smiley Land. Will you successfully complete the objective?]

[To be fair to every participant, today's final challenge is double trouble. You will face two powerful beings. One will test the maintenance guy, and the other will play a game with everyone else.]

[The challenge will be broadcast online to the entire Ever Happy Smiley Land. Congratulations on your upcoming celebrity status!]

Bright light flooded the center of the cabin, revealing two figures. One was Barry the Clown, his massive form and unnervingly friendly face unchanged. The other was shorter, wearing a blue cloak and a fake beard that reached the floor, topped with a cylinder hat and a fake nose. Despite the glasses and stern expression, I easily recognized who lay behind the disguise.

The System displayed new objectives:

[Primary Objective: Face Barry the Clown above the Ferris wheel. The first to touch the ground with their feet or die is the loser.]

[Failure Penalty: Become an NPC serving our purpose. And dying won't exempt you from this!]

[Secondary Objective: Win quickly enough to intervene in the game between your companions and the Ringmaster.]

"Here we meet again, Mr. Anomaly," Barry declared, bowing toward the shorter figure. "Let me introduce my master, the one and only, the great Ringmaster!"

"Ah ha ha ha! Yes, I am great, the greatest in this land! Well, after Mr. Chuckles, of course." The figure's attempt at a deep, hoarse voice was almost comical. "I am the merciful, powerful, and very cute—I mean very terrifying—Ringmaster. I've heard great things about you, Clinton Wyatt. Though I don't approve of all your methods, I'll forgive you for now. While you play with Barry, I'll entertain these little girls. Don't worry; I have special games planned for you too!"

"Such an intimidating Ringmaster," I said, checking their stats.

[The Ringmaster. Level 13]

"By the way, thanks for the fortune-telling, Lucy."

"Lucy? Ha ha ha! I don't know who you're talking about. But yes, my clairvoyance is legendary! Ho ho ho!"

I shook my head, amused. The girl's disguise couldn't fool my Mana sense, and her distinctive hair was clearly visible.

"Lucy? The little girl who greeted us at the entrance?" Mille asked, confusion evident.

"No, no, I must have confused the Ringmaster with someone else. How silly of me."

"Indeed," Mille nodded seriously. "They look nothing alike. Perhaps she's his granddaughter?"

"Yes," Arabella agreed. "This is clearly an elderly man with a terrifying aura. Nothing like a little girl."

I studied their expressions—they seemed completely sincere. Was Lucy using some power to fool them? If so, why didn't it affect me? Or perhaps she simply hadn't tried?

"Now then, let's play some poker, girls!" the 'Ringmaster' announced. "Not ordinary poker—magical poker! You'll love it. And if you lose, ho ho ho, you'll join my collection!"

"Collection? You pervert!"

"Quick, Clinton, save us before he adds us to his harem—"

"What? What's a harem?" Lucy tilted her head innocently. "I meant I'll turn you into cards, like this!" She displayed a card featuring a trapped figure who waved weakly, their expression resigned to their fate.

"Enough introductions," Barry interjected. "Mr. Anomaly, our battlefield awaits." Space Mana surged as he took control of the cabin's core.

Fighting him inside while protecting the others would have posed a challenge. Thankfully, their situation seemed different. Though the hint about intervening if I won quickly suggested I couldn't completely ignore them.

Barry and I materialized above the Ferris wheel. The anti-flight barrier was even stronger here—double what it had been before. My Abyss Plate's enhanced control over Gravity helped counter it, and my earlier practice with the barrier's Mana proved useful. While I couldn't fully control it, it didn't seriously hinder me either.

But the System had clearly stacked the odds against me.

"How is this fair, clown? Even if the System counted my levels normally, I wouldn't even reach level 600. Yet you're not only level 1,000, but you also get an invincible barrier?"

"I don't make the rules, Mr. Anomaly," Barry shrugged.

"For better or worse," I added.

"Don't worry too much; I won't eat you. Though I can bite—just a little bit," Barry said cheerfully. "I'll go easy on you. How about this? Allow me to touch you once, and I'll just teleport you to the ground. This way, no one gets hurt. Am I not nice?"

"No, I'd prefer you show me what you've got," I replied. "I didn't want to go all out on my very first day here, but it seems the System really wants to push me to my limits."

"What can I say? Without it, I wouldn't be able to fly so easily," Barry shrugged. "Sure, I could've just stayed close to the ground while resisting the anti-flight effect, but that wouldn't be very fun. With the barrier, I can soar as high as I want. Maybe I should thank you—it's the first time I can see my beloved home from up here... but I won't. After all, you did offend me a little, Mr. Anomaly."

"Did I?" I asked. "When?"

"Did you?" Antipucker echoed. "When?"

The clown tilted his head, his eternal smile taking on a slightly wistful quality. "You know, if you hadn't killed my dear Sugar, perhaps we could have become friends. He was such a sweet boy... always sharing his candy. But now... I have to teach you a lesson, whether you like it or not. Prepare for a really fun time, Clinton!"

He looked at me as if I were the villain in this story... not him.

Such audacity!

Chapter 32.

The clown gazed at the sprawling attraction park below with a nostalgic look. From this height, Ever Happy Smiley Land stretched out like a twisted dreamscape - a maze of roller coasters writhing like metal serpents, countless attractions glowing with ethereal light, and at its heart, that massive circus tent that seemed to pulse with its own heartbeat. Dark shadows flickered between the structures despite the cheerful illumination, as if something lurked just beneath the park's colorful surface. It was indeed a sight to behold, but I remained focused on defeating my opponent. The sheer scale of the park reminded me of the power wielded by its masters - and Barry, floating before me with Space Mana crackling around his massive form, was one of them.

I didn't have much time to fool around and enjoy the review. Every moment wasted meant Arabella and Co were more likely to lose to the little girl. I'd had my suspicions about Lucy since first meeting her, but I never expected she was actually the Ringmaster. Even now, my Mana Sense couldn't tell me much about her true nature. She didn't even feel that dangerous, but... there was a reason why she was chosen as one of two opponents in the hardest challenge here.

While the clown was still overlooking the Smiley Land, I tested my Gravity Mana against the clown's barrier just to be sure it truly prevented my direct influence—and yes, it did. He felt my attempt and shook his head.

"Oh my, eager to start, aren't we? Well, I'll make it quick," he said, waving his hand.

A thick wave of invisible Space Mana rushed toward me. Through my Mana Sense, I analyzed his power structure - about half came from the System, slightly more than his natural abilities. He had likely reached the peak of Tier 4 with his Space powers before the System advanced him to Tier 5. The incoming wave contained both System energy and Space Element mixed together, suggesting he'd received an Archetype that complemented his original power.

Unlike me, he seemed to possess only one Element, which differed from how things worked for humans on Luminosa. There, to gain a Supreme Element like Space, you needed at least two lower ones. But perhaps this limitation made his single Element even stronger.

I tried to fly higher to avoid the wave, but it followed me with unerring precision. The moment it touched the tip of my leg, I felt that limb freeze in place completely. His strategy was clear - he meant to immobilize me piece by piece.

I countered with my own wave of Gravity Mana, forming it into a concentrated sphere that exploded within the center of his attack. The blast scattered his Space Mana, though some splinters of energy still reached me. My Abyss Plate absorbed them instantly, converting them into my own Mana and replenishing what I'd just expended.

But I couldn't relax for even a moment. My Mana Sense flared in warning as Barry teleported behind me, wielding what looked like a severely oversized carnival mallet—the kind used in a whack-a-mole game. The handle was a deep, glossy red, while the massive cylindrical head was striped in alternating bands of bright yellow and electric blue. It should have looked comical, a toy meant for rigged amusement park games, but the air around it rippled with barely contained energy.

The seemingly harmless weapon radiated immense power, an overwhelming force wrapped in absurdity. As Barry swung it toward my head, I felt space itself distort between us, stretching and twisting like a puppet string, trying to pull me into the inevitable strike.

I avoided the initial attack, counteracting the pull with my Gravity Mana, at the same time, I channeled Lightning Mana into my sword, manifesting a crackling whip that struck at the clown from behind. The attack met the absolute resistance of his barrier, accomplishing nothing.

Of course, I thought grimly. The real fight won't start until I deal with that barrier.

The clown’s first attack was just the beginning. Barry’s form blurred—a frenzy of motion as he struck from every direction at once. Above. Below. Behind. Dozens of attacks landed within a single second, too fast to counter them all.

I barely managed to block the hammer with my elbow as he struck from below. A mistake. The impact was devastating—my Abyss Plate cracked, agony lancing through my arm as my shoulder nearly wrenched free from its socket. The sheer force sent me hurtling upward, towards the top of the Ferris Wheel Zone.

I reduced my Mana output against the anti-flight barrier's pressure, using it to slow my momentum. Though constantly fighting against it drained my power and focus, I was beginning to sense a subtle advantage in its presence - one I could exploit once I fully adapted to its effects.

But I couldn't afford to wait that long. I'd gotten a taste of the clown's capabilities, and it was time to counter-attack. But I needed to wait for a perfect moment... this was when he made a mistake of attacking me from above.

I pushed more Mana into my forearms as they met with the hammer, despite it looking like a mere kid's toy. The destructive power behind it could probably level a house easily... or even sink a battleship. The Abyss Plate, made of pure, focused Gravity Mana, didn't hold much longer, and I was sent plummeting toward the ground at incredible speed.

"Get ready, my friend," I told Antipucker, "for your final form."

"I was forged ready!"

I smirked. "You already said it three times just today..."

The clown's posture shifted, a momentary slackening in his manic energy, and I seized the opening. With a surge of focused intent, I channeled the raw, crushing force of Gravity Mana into Antipucker, my steadfast companion. The blade shimmered, then underwent a dramatic metamorphosis. Gone was the ephemeral, nearly invisible edge of Air. What emerged was a solid, obsidian blade, the length of my forearm, a stark contrast to the vibrant chaos of the amusement park. It wasn't simply black; it was a void, a consuming darkness that seemed to swallow the very light around it. The air rippled, distorted, as if the blade itself were warping the fabric of reality. A deep, resonant pulse emanated from its core, a tangible thrum of raw, unbridled power. This wasn't just a weapon; it was a manifestation of gravity itself, a miniature black hole forged into a blade, radiating an oppressive weight that felt both terrifying and absolute.

I managed to halt my descent when only a hundred feet remained between me and the ground.

"And here I thought this would be the end," the clown laughed as he descended after me slowly, his giant hammer floating nearby. "Your new blade looks pretty. I would even be scared... if not for the System's protection."

"Did you hear it, buddy? He called you pretty," I chuckled, my pose relaxed despite my forearms crying with pain, even as my Abyss Plate slowly recovered. I activated Primal Lightning Surge, filling my body and mind with electrical power, heightening my senses for whatever the clown might throw my way next.

He didn't bother with new tricks, just teleporting behind me again. And just when I was about to dodge, he changed his position instantly. It was such a pain fighting someone using Space Mana - even back in Luminosa, I hadn't met anyone like this. But compared to the Demon Queen, the clown was nothing special. Perhaps my understanding of beings at the peak of the Fifth Tier was skewed because of my encounters with her. If this was the extent of his abilities, it would be over very soon.

Instead of dodging, I met him head-on. With a wave of Antipucker in his ultimate form, the Space power emanating from the hammer was sucked into it completely, disappearing. Next, I aimed for the clown's arm right at the shoulder. Barry didn't even bother avoiding the strike, perfectly confident in his barrier.

But this was a big mistake. In just a moment, my sword cut through the clown's unnaturally thin arm, making his eyes go wide.

There was a reason I called my sword Antipucker, and it wasn't just to tease him. Pucks had greatly bothered me back on Luminosa, their deep affinity with Mirage Mana making their forms completely untargetable. The only known way to kill a Puck, no matter how weak (though even the youngest was at least Tier 2), was to use an attack with the Mirage attribute. But I found a solution. When channeling Gravity Mana, my sword could cut through any barrier as long as it maintained contact, instantly sucking away all the Aether and Mana it contained. The System's barrier was no exception.

"Still laughing?" I asked, settling into a combat stance, the dark blade humming.

The clown's laughter echoed, sharp and manic. "Laughing? Of course I do! This is the most hilarious thing ever! You ripped through the System's barrier! The absolute barrier! Not so absolute anymore? Ha-ha! You're indeed an anomaly, Clinton and your sword... I've never seen anything like it. Though, my hammer's still my favorite. I admit, I underestimated you. No, no. You're going to be very entertaining."

"Ultra Rare or Epic?" I asked, curious. His weapon was obviously System-made.

"How about Legendary?" The clown grinned as he poured more energy into his weapon. The hammer grew even larger, its energy truly frightening now. It could easily squash an elephant like a mouse.

"Just kidding. It's Epic, Mr. Anomaly," Barry admitted. "Unfortunately, even I haven't gotten a Legendary weapon yet. But it's the next best thing, you know."

Now that the hammer had grown to ten times its former size, the gravitational pull as it swung at me from above was terrifying. I knew I couldn't just block it with my sword alone. Worse, the Space Mana flowing through the weapon wasn't pulling me toward it anymore - it was pushing me downward. Barry was done playing around and wanted to fulfill the more realistic win condition in one go. At our current height, if I took this hit, there was no question that I wouldn't be able to stop myself from hitting the ground.

I was forced to use my best evasion technique - one I called "Get Out of Dodge." It had saved me more than once, though it required significant focus and Mana. I created a pushing impulse of reverse Gravity while a hundred feet away I made another gravitational point that pulled me toward it. Lightning Mana shot from the opposite side, propelling me like a rocket, while I used Air Mana to create a perfect vacuum in my path, eliminating air resistance.

All of it happened in a mere moment, though I'd had to prepare the technique beforehand, knowing I would need it. Thankfully, the preparation had been done while the clown was boasting about his weapon's power. It wasn't exactly teleportation like Barry could do, but it was the next best thing - moving at Mach 2 speed, if not faster. Silently and flawlessly, I avoided perhaps one of the strongest attacks my opponent could demonstrate, judging by how around 5% of his Mana was depleted. As for me, I lost 10%, and considering his total Mana was almost twice mine, it wasn't a very fair exchange.

The sound of distorted Space Mana hitting the ground was deafening. Thankfully we were away from any buildings or people. A crater two hundred feet wide appeared, reaching just as deep into the ground. The earth and asphalt were completely pulverized.

"So you can teleport as well, Mr. Anomaly?" Barry tilted his head. "Or wait, no - you just moved at a speed higher than I could react. Rather sad. But let's see how good you are at dodging this: Pom-Pom Rain!"

His wide smile turned manic as his hammer split into a myriad of smaller ones. Some were child-sized, a few even smaller, but most were between normal hammer size and sledgehammer. Unlike Sugar's gummy balls, these weren't meant to just restrict movement - each hammer held serious attack power, and their number was enough to deal significant damage even through my Abyss Plate. One of the drawbacks of the plate was that I couldn't use it alongside Primal Gravity Surge, but having it act as an exoskeleton was good enough. I knew I couldn't dodge all of those hammers. I could only hope my armor would hold.

I created a helmet with additional Mana - if there was a vulnerable point, it was the head, especially against blunt weapons. The only saving grace was that since the hammers weren't directly wielded by the clown, they weren't protected by his absolute barrier. In fact, when it came to weapons, the barrier was a double-edged sword, as it prevented the clown from fully activating their abilities.

The hammers disappeared and reappeared all around me, surrounding me like I was in the depths of a deadly sea. My Virtual Interface gave me a slight but crucial advantage in predicting their behavior - my recent investment in Mind was already paying off. As the attack began, I grouped my body tight and clenched my fists. This was going to strain both my body and Mana reserves.

My first defense was a barrier of repelling Gravity, powered by as much Mana as I could spare from my plate. Meanwhile, I began creating something between my hands, carefully protecting it from the onslaught. While each individual hammer couldn't break through my barrier, every impact still resonated through my body. Even so, I focused on forming a tennis ball-sized cluster of pure power.

I concentrated as much Air as possible into this sphere, holding it together with Gravity and causing it to spin at frightening speed. The air was so compressed that it was only a matter of time until it exploded, but I wasn't done. At its center, I placed a concentrated ball of Gravity Mana, similar to what I'd used to kill those under my care, but much stronger. This was a technique of mass destruction I'd developed not for personal combat, but to devastate armies—the Tsar Sphere!

The sphere contained not just Air Mana but actual air itself - normal, non-magical oxygen and other gases. This was one of the tricks to making abilities more powerful than they should be: using physical matter controlled by your Element. My entire Abyss Plate was covered in cracks, and my Mana was depleting dangerously fast. All I needed was a single spark to ignite it...

The explosion that followed was devastating. Being my own creation, I absorbed back a part of its Mana, but still took some damage. The hammers got the worst of it - the vast majority were destroyed or damaged beyond repair. The blast reached the clown, but his impenetrable barrier ensured he remained unharmed. Still, that last attack had cost him about 15% of his Mana. As for me, my armor was in tatters, cracking or destroyed in most places, though slowly beginning to recover.

The explosion sent me closer to the ground, now only fifty feet up. Before I could recover both mentally and physically, the clown rushed at me. He moved incredibly fast, but this time without teleporting - there was an advantage to pure speed, as it gathered kinetic energy that could be transferred into an attack. His Superman punch with his remaining hand seemed almost silly, lacking his usual calculated precision. For a moment I hesitated, unsure whether to dodge or block. That split second was enough - I couldn't avoid the fist hitting my chest. I swung Antipucker at his head, but the blade passed by mere inches, only managing to cut a few strands of his hair and expose the skin beneath.

Instantly, Space Mana engulfed me. This wasn't just an attack meant to deal damage - he was trying to teleport me straight to the ground. No, beneath it. I had to focus nearly as much Mana as I had against the hammers just to resist the pull. Even then, I could only cut its power in half, ending up twenty-five feet from the ground. He changed tactics, creating a teleportation portal beneath me, trying to force me in. I barely escaped using Get Out of Dodge again, but my Mana was reaching dangerous levels - down to 30% while he still had 60%.

"The clown's form flickered, a sickeningly smooth transition, and he materialized behind me – his signature, infuriating move. The seamless blend of his innate Space Mana manipulation and the System's augmented abilities allowed him to bypass conventional movement, a terrifyingly efficient teleportation. I'd clocked a subtle, blindingly fast rhythm to his reappearance, a mere third of a second between each jump. A near-impossible window of vulnerability, but one I'd prepared for.

Another wild, telegraphed punch swung towards my head. I leaned back, letting the force of the blow pass harmlessly over me, my eyes fixed on the infinitesimal timer ticking down in my mind. One... two... snap. He appeared again, his form solidifying just behind my right shoulder. But this time, I was ready.

As his fist aimed for my ribs, I unleashed the prepared trap. A dense, localized field of Gravity Mana erupted from the ground far beneath him, not to hold him, but to act as a launch pad. I poured 5% of my dwindling reserves into the effect, creating a gravitational surge that propelled the ground upwards. He tried to teleport, I could feel the space around him twist, but my own Gravity Mana surrounded him, making the attempt fail as his Mana was suppressed.

His eyes widened, a flicker of genuine surprise replacing his manic grin. In that moment of disorientation, I seized the opportunity and did the simpliest thing ever - I grabbed him. His absolute barrier, while impenetrable to direct Mana manipulation, was useless against the force of my grip. Perhaps the seventh's rotation challenge was a gift in disguise as it allowed me to have a better understanding of how the barrier worked. With a final, brutal surge, I suplexed him downwards.

The clown became a projectile, hurtling through the rapidly ascending earth and asphalt. The impact was a deafening crunch, as he was driven through the makeshift platform. Thirty feet above the ground, the mass of earth and debris reached its zenith, then, with a thunderous roar, it collapsed, a chaotic avalanche of rock and shattered asphalt crashing down, the sound echoing across the twisted landscape of Ferris Wheel Zone.

But there was no victory message. The clown teleported above me, laughing as he shook off the dirt from his clothes, "Well, well, that was really close, Mr. Anomaly! You almost got me there."

"Almost? It seems the System didn't like my trick. I was almost sure it would work - after all the ground is the ground."

"No, no. There was nothing wrong with the trick, it would have worked if I didn't react fast enough. Do you remember your victory condition?"

Of course - with my perfect memory, I couldn't forget something so obvious. I had to make the clown's feet touch the ground.

"While you sent me through the ground, my feet never touched it. I made sure of that," Barry grinned. "That's how it is, Mr. Anomaly. Well, now I guess your plan failed. I see you're really trying your best to win, but... I don't feel like losing at this point, so should we finish the show?"

I sighed. I had barely 20% of my Mana left while his was more than half full. In absolute terms, the difference was now fivefold.

"It seems you can't avoid using it after all," Antipucker said quietly.

"Yes," I agreed. "He isn't quite as problematic as the Demon Queen, and the odds aren't as stacked against me as back then, but I'm not at my peak either."

"What are you blabbering about?" Barry asked. "Are you giving up so easily, or do you have another card up your sleeve? Because I still have a few tricks that will make you laugh." His confident words weren't empty, he seemed to ignore his damaged hammer, though he could probably restore it to its initial state. Our previous exchange had shown my superiority in close combat, and his regenerating left arm was only half-grown.

"To be fair... I have a trick that I really want to show you, Barry," I said, focusing on my ultimate technique.  The fact that I was pushed to such extremes on my first day here said a lot. All my remaining Mana flowed into my core, becoming a vortex of Gravity Mana far stronger than what I used for cultivation. It began pulling Aether toward me. This was why I'd invested in Mind attribute and chosen the Mana Bolt skill. If I ever managed to master this technique, it would take me to a whole different level of power.

"The clown didn't stand idle. A sickening, wet crackling sound echoed as black tentacles, thick as a man's arm and shimmering with an oily, multicolored sheen, erupted from his body. They writhed and pulsed, their tips splitting into smaller, grasping tendrils. His face, already distorted into a grotesque caricature, began to elongate and warp further. The skin stretched and tore, revealing glimpses of the pulsating, multicolored mass beneath. His eyes, once bright with manic energy, now became glassy and distant, as if something else were taking control.

"You see, Mr. Anomaly," he said, his voice rasped, a distorted echo of his former joviality, "I am an anomaly of sorts as well. Some mistakenly think I'm human, but I'm anything but. Let me demonstrate."

The transformation completed, and he now resembled a writhing cluster of giant, segmented worms, each segment slick and glistening, forcing their way out of what remained of his human form. The effect wasn't repulsive in the traditional sense; instead, the worms, with their bright, almost candy-like colors, resembled oversized gummy worms, their texture disturbingly smooth and elastic. The incongruity of the cheerful colors against the grotesque form sent a shiver down my spine, a twisted echo of Sugar's unnerving charm.

"You offended me by slaying my favorite golem," Barry continued, his voice now a chorus of rasping whispers from the mass of worms. "It took me ten years to create Sugar. Now, thanks to you, I'll have to recreate him from scratch."

"So you were his mysterious master?"

"Yes, and he was my precious creation. Of course, I couldn't create him without help from the System or Mr. Chuckles. Even our dear Ringmaster helped with the design, making him look so cute and sweet. Though that didn't stop you from destroying my dear Sugar." His tentacles shot toward me as he spoke.

Okay, let's infuse that confrontation with more vivid detail and a sense of urgency:

"So you’re made of sugary substance as well? Can I taste you?" I taunted, the words laced with a grim amusement, as tendrils of crackling Primal Lightning Surge danced across my skin, heightening my reflexes. The air around me thrummed with raw electrical energy, a desperate attempt to gain the speed needed to avoid the writhing, multicolored tentacles. My ultimate technique was nearly complete, its invisible vortex pulling at the very fabric of reality, but I needed to buy more time.

One of the thick, gummy-worm-like tentacles lunged towards my leg, its segmented body flexing with surprising speed. I slashed at it with Antipucker, the dark blade slicing through the slick, elastic flesh with a wet, tearing sound. A sickly sweet, almost cloying scent filled the air, a bizarre contrast to the violence of the moment.

Barry seemed to realize his direct attacks weren’t effective. With a sickening pop and a ripple in the air, a series of dark, shimmering portals tore open around me. The multicolored tentacles, now moving with a frenzied, unpredictable rhythm, erupted from these portals, their tips grasping and snapping like hungry maws. They appeared from above, below, and behind, their movements too rapid, too chaotic to fully anticipate. I felt the slick, gummy-like texture brush against my arm as I narrowly dodged a strike from behind. But his plan had come too late – my trump card was primed, ready to unleash its power.

"I am the Lord of Aether," I declared. "Aether Spring, come forth!"

The vortex in my core transformed. It no longer helped me cultivate - instead, invisible waves of Gravity focused purely on Aether spread outward. The technique consumed almost all my remaining Mana, but once complete, the Aether Spring fully recovered my capacity in mere seconds. Such incredible recovery speed was only possible due to the extreme Aether density in this area, but it put tremendous strain on my Mana channels. It was like forcing a powerful stream through a tiny tube.

The technique had another drawback - it required intense focus and made me almost unable to use Gravity Mana for other purposes. Fortunately, we weren't very high, and with Lightning Mana, I could still counteract the anti-flight barrier. My Abyss Plate also fully recovered. While I couldn't use Gravity Mana directly during this trump card, the plate had been created beforehand.

A positive side effect was that as my Mana channels widened to receive this massive influx, they also allowed for greater output. I could release power just as quickly as I gained it.

"What is this? You really are an amusing individual," Barry laughed as his tentacles broke through my constantly regenerating Abyss Plate. Using Air Mana, I took control of all air within two hundred feet, making it into my pond that helped my every move - possible only because I could afford to waste half my Mana on such an inefficient effect. My Primal Lightning Surge also received far more power than usual, its effect tripled by the tenfold Mana investment.

"Damn, this is dangerous," the clown said as I appeared at his side, my sword nearly decapitating him. Despite his inhuman nature, I sensed his head still contained his core and soul. Cutting it or piercing his heart would at least incapacitate him temporarily.

The transformed clown chuckled, "Whatever. You realize you're the one on the clock, not me. I can just run away and wait until your absurd technique expires. I bet your body won't take it for too long."

"Not so fast," I said quietly. I felt his teleportation gathering - if he reached the top of the barrier, catching him would be nearly impossible. But to teleport, he needed to activate his Mana, and Aether Spring wasn't limited to just enhancing my Mana abilities. Antipucker was now a conduit for the overwhelming influx of Aether, consuming my Mana at an impossible rate, and acting as a siphon. He wasn’t simply cutting, he was devouring magic.

A dark ripple pulsed around Barry, a telltale sign of his teleportation attempt. It never materialized. The ripple died, choked by the sheer, consuming power of Antipucker.

"Shit, how is this possible?" Barry growled, the chorus of rasping whispers from the worm-like mass now laced with a raw, panicked edge. His tentacles flailed frantically, their multicolored segments writhing and snapping in a desperate attempt to break free from the invisible absorption field created by my sword that even started to create ripples in the absolute barrier.

"Do you have any last words?"

"Wait, wait, don't kill me! I... I can't easily revive like the others. It would take too much time... years, even! I don't want to miss all the fun for so long!"

"Oh? So you even have revival. And here I thought I would permanently kill the one who tricked me into not saving my companions when I could."

"Hah! Tricked you!" A surge of raw, chaotic Mana erupted from the clown, a tidal wave of power. "So you were afraid all this time… afraid your sister and friend were gone forever? That the System’s ‘revival’ was a lie? You just laid bare your deepest, darkest fear, anomaly! And now, you will pay for that mistake. I admit, your power is… remarkable. But you cannot comprehend the real horror of my existence! Witness… the True Terror Strike!"

The clown’s form pulsed, a grotesque distortion of flesh and energy. He poured every last drop of his Mana, his very essence, into a single, devastating attack. It wasn’t just physical; it was a psychic assault, a violation of the soul. The System’s enhancements amplified it, turning it into a weapon of pure, existential dread. Even with the Aether Spring’s boundless energy, I could only wield half my Mana at any given moment, and he was unleashing double that in a concentrated, soul-rending strike.

His words echoed in my mind, a venomous whisper that ripped open old wounds. Leah’s fading smile, the cold, empty space where Jimmy’s laughter used to be. The crushing weight of ten years, the fear of reliving that loss, the soul deep certainty that without them, this world was nothing. A wave of icy dread washed over me, threatening to extinguish the Aether Spring’s radiant power. My grip on Antipucker loosened, the dark blade slipping from my fingers towards the ground as I threw my forearms up, a desperate, last-second shield against the onrushing terror. The impact hit like a physical manifestation of grief, a crushing force that threatened to shatter not just bone, but the very core of my being.

The impact was catastrophic, a brutal, concussive force that sent me hurtling downwards, my body a ragdoll against the raw power of the clown's attack. The ground rushed up to meet me, the pulverized asphalt a blur beneath my rapidly descending form. For a disorienting moment, I was adrift, lost in the swirling vortex of fear and memory the clown had unleashed. But deep within the chaos, a small, stubborn voice echoed, a fragment of a lesson learned long ago.

When on your back, don't let your feet touch the ground.

The words, a relic from my brief stint in Jiu-Jitsu classes as a kid, resonated with a sudden, desperate clarity. Despite the agonizing pain, the bone-jarring impact, and the sheer force of the blow driving me downwards, I forced my legs to remain elevated. I contorted my body, using the last dregs of my strength to angle my descent, ensuring the soles of my boots hovered mere inches above the rapidly approaching ground. The System hadn't announced my loss yet, a thin thread of hope in the face of overwhelming despair. I was battered, broken, my mind reeling, but I wasn't down. Not truly. Not yet.

The clown, his form a grotesque parody of his former self, descended towards me, his remaining Mana flickering weakly, barely registering at 5%. The Aether Spring, my lifeline, had been forcibly extinguished by his soul-rending attack, leaving me drained and vulnerable. Residual Mana pulsed through my battered body, but the pain was a roaring inferno, every nerve screaming in protest. My Mana channels, pushed beyond their limits, felt like frayed wires, a testament to the unprecedented strain they'd endured, even disregarding the brutal psychic and physical assault I'd just survived.

"You were very close, Mr. Anomaly," Barry rasped, his breath ragged, each word a strained exhale. "The System… it doesn’t play favorites, does it? Perhaps… a Jiu-Jitsu match would be more fitting now."

"I may have forgotten most of the moves," I managed, my voice a strained whisper, "but… I can try."

"Very funny." He waved a trembling hand, the remnants of his former power barely visible. "Just one flick of my wrist, and you’re an NPC. Any… last words, anomaly?"

"Oh, look," I rasped, my gaze fixed on a point just above his head. "A bird."

"That won’t work on me, Clinton," he snarled, his eyes narrowed.

"It already did." I smirked as I let my gaze drop to his feet.

And next, the System confirmed my victory.

Epilogue

[Congratulations! You've completed the 9th challenge of the Ferris Wheel! You defeated the clown... if barely. And here we fought that it's going to be the end for you...]

[Congratulations! You've completed the Bonus Objective]

[Rewards are being calculated based on performance... It can take a while. You can try to complete the secret objective in the meantime! What is it? It's called secret for a reason!]

The System’s message chimed, a stark, digital pronouncement of victory, as Barry’s gaze followed mine. His eyes widened in horrified realization as he saw the clean, precise cuts where his legs had been severed. In the final, desperate moment before impact, I had sent Antipucker, my sentient blade, flying, a dark blur against the chaotic backdrop of the ruined amusement park. With a final surge of my remaining Mana, I had calculated the precise trajectory, summoning him back to me. Even without the raw power of Gravity Mana, Antipucker, in his ultimate form, possessed the ability to return to my hand, a silent, deadly echo of my will.

Barry’s feet touched the ground, fulfilling the challenge’s grim requirement. They touched, but they were no longer connected to the rest of him. The clown’s grotesque form, a cluster of writhing, gummy-like worms, just smiled grimly. And then, he laughed.

The laughter started low, a guttural rumble that quickly escalated into a manic, high-pitched cackle. The writhing worms began to recede, retracting back into the remnants of his human form, which slowly reformed, the grotesque distortions smoothing out until he stood before me, once again the jovial, if unsettling, clown. His smile, though still wide, held a hint of genuine awe.

“Mr. Anomaly,” he said, his voice regaining its theatrical flair, “you truly are a marvel! I confess, I had my doubts. They said you were… exceptional. But to witness it firsthand! To see you carve through the System’s barrier, to wield Aether like the tempest, and then, that final, brilliant maneuver with Antipucker! Simply exquisite!” He clapped his hands together, the sound echoing through the entire Ferris Wheel Zone. “You have surpassed my wildest expectations! I haven’t been this entertained in… well, in a very long time. You’ve earned my respect, Mr. Anomaly. No, more than respect. You’ve earned my… admiration” He bowed, a flourish that seemed almost absurd given the circumstances. “Truly, you are a force to be reckoned with. And I forgive you for killing Sugar. Ten years I will spend reviving him... would be but a small price for such an entertaining fight!”

“Is it so? Well, then, as a gesture of goodwill… how about you send me back to the cabin? I think the girls might require some help.”

Even though our fight was incredibly intense, in reality, it only took a bit more than five minutes, most of which were spent talking and recovering between our bouts of offense. At our Tier, dozens, if not hundreds, of attacks were exchanged in mere seconds. The girls wouldn’t all lose so fast, right? They were playing cards, not fighting.

“Of course, sure! Though I doubt that your help will be required. You see, despite how she looks, our… esteemed Ringmaster doesn’t play around when she plays around!” Barry’s smile widened, a hint of something darker lurking beneath the jovial facade. “But, if you insist...”

Barry patted me on the shoulder and as I allowed the Space Mana to control me, the world around dissolved into a kaleidoscope of swirling colors and distorted shapes. The familiar disorientation of spatial manipulation washed over me, and then, just as quickly, it was gone. I found myself standing in the center of the cabin, the air thick with tension.

The scene before me was… unsettling. The Ringmaster, a little girl in disguise with a surprisingly agile hand, sat at a small, ornate table, her eyes gleaming with manic energy. Cards, shimmering with an otherworldly light, floated in the air between her and the three girls. Mille and Arabella, their faces pale but determined, stared at their own hands, their expressions a mix of fear and concentration. Eleanor wore her mask, her expression unreadable.

“Ah, Clinton! Just in time for the grand finale!” Lucy's voice was full of childlike glee, in direct contrast with the tense atmosphere. “The stakes are high, and the game is… well, let’s just say it’s not your average poker night!”

I could feel the strange energy radiating from the cards, a subtle hum that resonated with my Mana sense. This was no ordinary game; Lucy was weaving her powers into the very fabric of the contest.

“What’s going on?” I asked, my voice low.

“He’s… he’s changing the rules!” Arabella whispered, her eyes fixed on the shimmering cards. “Every hand… every draw… it’s like he knows what we have before we do!”

“And the cards…” Mille added, her voice trembling slightly. “They’re not just cards. They’re… they’re like… little prisons.”

The Ringmaster’s laughter echoed through the cabin, a disturbingly excited giggle, that didn't match the grave tone of the Cardinal. “Prisons? Oh, you’re too kind! Think of them as… personalized vacation homes! For an eternity!”

I knew then that I couldn’t afford to wait. Whatever game she was playing, it was clear that the stakes were far higher than mere cards. I had to intervene, and fast. Before they became trapped forever. But... as it turned out, I was already too late.

“And with this… I win!” Lucy, her old-man disguise still firmly in place, slammed a card onto the table. The shimmering light around the other cards intensified. Arabella’s face was a mask of disbelief, her hand revealing a perfect Full Flush. Mille’s expression was equally stunned, her cards showing Four of a Kind. But Eleanor, surprisingly, sat with a calm expression, her cards displaying five aces. Impossible.

"Well done, my little vampire!" Lucy clapped her hands. "You've passed my little test! You see, unlike your… companions, you understood the true nature of the game. And you've got a great hand! Five Aces! Just like mine!"

With a sickening snap, Mille and Arabella vanished, their forms compressed into the glowing images on the cards. Their eyes, wide with confusion, stared out from the tiny portraits, their voices trapped within the magical confines. Eleanor remained, her crimson eyes gleaming behind her mask.

I surged forward, a surge of power building within me, but an invisible barrier shimmered into existence, blocking my path. It was the System's "not-so-absolute-barrier the same one that had protected Barry, amplified and reinforced, a testament to its formidable strength. I wasn't about to attack a child with Antipucker, but I needed to get through. But it seemed that even the System itself wanted me to play by the rules.

[Attacking little girls is a big"no-no"! To defeat the Ringmaster... you should win them at their own game.]

"Oh, my dear Clinton, don't be so hasty!" Lucy's voice held a playful lilt. "You wouldn't want to ruin the fun, would you? I won, and so I got the prize, completely fair and square!"

"What have you done to them?" I growled, my voice low and dangerous.

"Just a little… rearrangement," she giggled, her eyes gleaming with an unsettling light. "They'll be perfectly safe. For now. But if you want to see them again, you'll have to come find me. At my circus. I'll be waiting. Bye-bye!"

[Bonus Challenge Failed: Mille and Arabella have been captured.]

She vanished in a swirl of light, teleporting away as the cabin continued its slow descent. I clenched my fists, frustration and anger warring within me. This situation was a disaster. Not only were my companions trapped, but the Super Mega VIP Platinum Ticket, the only known way to face Mr. Chuckles, was now lost with Arabella. And Mille? Now I had to explain to the Pope why his right-hand woman disappeared while accompanying me.

Exhausted and tired, I waited for the cabin to reach the ground as I tried to recover the little Mana I could. I couldn't even leave it on my own because as a backlash from Aether Spring controlling Gravity right now would be... problematic. To say the least.

"This is a mess," I muttered, "a complete and utter mess."

"Tell me about it," Antipucker chimed in, his voice unusually subdued. "First, we fight a clown, then a little girl traps everyone in cards. What's next, a tea party with a talking teapot?"

I ignored his sarcasm, checking my map. A dot flickered, a beacon of hope in the sea of despair. It was inside the Ferris Wheel Zone, in the restroom right at the Zone's entrance. Relief washed over me. At least I would finally meet Leah.

As the cabin almost reached the ground, I opened the door using the Maintenance Tool. With a surge of Mana, I took to the sky, flying towards the dot. I waited outside the restroom building that also served as a revival zone. I wasn't brazen enough to simply stroll into a women toilet, was I?

And then, a figure opened the door, the dot on my map clearly pointing at her. Except, it wasn't Leah. It was someone else entirely. Someone I recognized. To my shock. Sarah told me that the young woman was called Emily. And that she looked like me. Yeah, right. She didn't lie, not at all. Not even exaggerated.

Because before me stood a woman who should have been dead, unchanged from the old photographs, her eyes brimming with a kind, tearful gaze as she looked at me. An impossible existence who had been missing from my life throughout all those years.

"Hi, mom."

***Four years and three hundred seven days after arriving in Luminosa***

The castle hung suspended in the air, held aloft by the king's loyal Casters and Primalists—a last desperate display of royal power as rebels overtook the lower city. A hundred feet below, its original foundation lay shattered, the royal gardens trampled beneath fallen stone. The once-proud towers, gleaming in white marble and gold, now bore scars of battle. Entire walls had collapsed, and smoke poured from every window. The sound of distant fighting echoed through the valley as the revolution reached its violent climax.

I ascended through billowing smoke, my Air Mana creating a stable platform beneath my feet. Antipucker hummed in my grip, ready for the confrontation ahead. The throne room no longer had a ceiling—it had been blown away during the initial assault. What remained were the ornate marble floors, the tattered royal banners, and the throne itself.

King Alaric stood there, his golden armor dented but still gleaming in the late afternoon sun. Flanking him were four Royal Guards—veterans of countless battles, each at the peak of Tier 4. Among them stood Sir Roland, my former instructor, his scarred face betraying no emotion as he gazed upon his wayward student. They formed a protective semicircle around their monarch, their weapons drawn, faces grim with determination.

"So the Chosen Hero has become the people's villain," the king said, his voice amplified and resonating with Sound Mana that made the very air vibrate with royal authority. "You were given everything a man could want—status, wealth, power. And still, you betrayed us."

I landed at the edge of the throne room, my boots touching down on cracked marble. "Everything I was given was a prison. Every luxury, a chain."

"You ungrateful dog!" The king's composure faltered for a moment. "We treated you as family. I offered you the most precious thing in my life—my daughter's hand!"

"Your daughter?" I couldn't help the bitter laugh that escaped me. "Princess Saella was never a gift—she was a curse. A cruel, self-obsessed monster hiding behind royal blood."

The king's face darkened. "You dare speak of her this way? After all she taught you?"

"Oh, she taught me plenty." I took a step forward, and the guards tensed. "She taught me that power without compassion is nothing but tyranny. That beauty without humanity is just a mask."

"You've been corrupted by the rabble," the king said. "By their petty grievances and imagined slights."

"Imagined?" The Mana within me surged, my control slipping as anger rose like a tide. "Was it imagined when your tax collectors took half the harvest while children starved? Was it imagined when your daughter crippled an old lady for failing to bow deep enough?"

The king's eyes narrowed. "The strong must rule the weak. It is the natural order."

"Then why do you hide behind a crown that does your fighting for you?" I gestured to the ornate headpiece that rested upon his brow. The artifact gleamed with ancient power, runes flashing in response to my challenge.

"You know nothing of leadership, boy," the king spat. "This crown has been in my family for generations. It carries the weight of divine right."

"Divine right?" I shook my head. "I've met your brother, you know. The one you tried to have killed when he questioned your methods. Turns out he survived, and he's gathered quite a following."

The king's face distorted. "Impossible. Cedric is dead. The one you're talking about is a mere imposter."

"He's very much the real deal. And he reached Tier 4 in hiding—not through royal privilege but through his own merit. And unlike you, he listens to the people. He'll make a better king."

"ENOUGH!" King Alaric roared, his voice enhanced with Sound Mana that shattered remaining glass throughout the throne room. The crown on his head flared with blinding light, ancient runes igniting across its surface. Power surged through him—raw, primal energy that transformed him before my eyes. His muscles expanded, his skin hardened with crystalline patterns of Frost, while flames danced along his fingertips. His eyes blazed with white fire.

The Royal Guards backed away, even they feared what their king became when using the crown's full power. This was the kingdom's most closely guarded secret—an artifact that could temporarily elevate its wearer beyond normal limits. Of course, there was a price to pay, but did it matter when faced with me? King Alaric had just stepped from Tier 4 into Tier 5.

"I gave you everything!" the king bellowed, his voice distorted by power. "I raised you from nothing! I made you the Hero! And this is how you repay me?"

"You didn't make me anything," I replied, my voice calm despite the hurricane of power swirling around us. "Everything I am, I built from the ruins of what you tried to create. You wanted a weapon. You got me instead."

The king charged, moving so fast that the air cracked around him. The Primal Sound Surge wasn't a joke, even for me. His fist, now wreathed in a destructive combination of Fire and Frost Mana, aimed directly for my heart. The Royal Guards didn't even move, completely confident in the King's power. In fact, he probably could take them all at once. But so did I.

I didn't dodge his strike. I didn't need to. My own Mana surged in response—just Gravity. I caught the king's fist in my hand. The impact sent shockwaves across the floating ruins, shattering what remained of the windows. The king's eyes widened in disbelief. No one had ever stopped his crown-enhanced strike before. But they didn't have my Primal Gravity Surge.

This was what it meant to stand at the threshold of Tier 5 as a Primalist with a Supreme Element. Even if the king was temporarily on a higher Tier, he still was not a much to me. One final step remained, but I couldn't take it. Not yet. Not until I confronted the demons that haunted me since that day in the training yard.

"Impossible," he whispered.

"You keep using that word," I said. "I don't think it means what you think it means."

I pushed him back, and for the first time in his reign, King Alaric stumbled. The Royal Guards attacked in unison, their runic weapons leaving trails of Mana as they sliced through the air. They enhanced their bodies with Surges, enhancements on their armor shining in resonance.

They were powerful, but I didn't have to face them head-on. Not when I already started to prepare a technique that will defeat them all in one go. And I didn't want to just waste my time and risking injury, so I escaped their attacks with the Lightning Surge, and blocked some more with Antipucker.

The king regained his footing, fury etched into every line of his face. He gathered his Mana, as he summoned a spear that emanated strong Light Mana waves—his strongest weapon, even though the Element didn't quite match.

"You were supposed to save this kingdom!" he shouted, his voice attacking me as he imbued his Sound Mana into it, trying to take me off guard.

"I am saving it right now."

His spear launched forward, carrying enough power to level a mountain. I mean, a big damn mountain, not Everest, but a mountain half the size of it, but with all the energy focused on one place. I met it with the technique I'd been secretly preparing for the last minute, they probably thought that this was just an ordinary attack of Air Mana. Between my palms was a sphere of compressed air, held together by Gravity Mana, with a core of Lightning—the Tsar Sphere. My ultimate attack.

The collision was cataclysmic.

For a moment, the world went white. Pain lanced through my body as the backlash of my own technique tore through my Mana channels. The Tsar Sphere wasn't perfect just yet. Besides, I rushed its execution this time. 

When the light faded, the throne room was gone. As was the most of the castle... Only a circular platform of pulverized marble remained. The king lay at its center, his golden armor blackened and broken. The crown remained on his head, but its glow had dimmed to embers. The Royal Guards weren't in sight, but with my Mana Sense I found them scattered around the castle's ruins, groaning or unconscious. Though no, one seemed to be dead - too bad for him. Should've chosen the right side of the battle.

I approached the fallen king, my expression calm and composed despite the pain I felt from the backlash. 

King Alaric looked up at me, his eyes no longer blazing but filled with genuine confusion and pain. "Why?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Why turn against us? We gave you purpose."

"Purpose?" I shook my head. "You gave me chains. But I found my own purpose."

"With the rebels? With that peasant girl?" His lips curled in disdain.

"Her name was Lia," I said, my voice cold. "She had dreams of protecting her village. Of earning a title through merit, not birth. And your daughter destroyed her for daring to reach beyond her station..."

"The natural order—"

"There's nothing natural about what you've built," I cut him off. "Do you know where Lia is now? Living at the edge of the kingdom, hunting demons with one arm. Still trying to protect her people while you hide behind walls of marble."

His expression hardened. "You would destroy a thousand years of tradition for one crippled girl?"

I reached down and grabbed the king by his throat, lifting him effortlessly. His feet dangled above the marble floor.

"No," I said as I threw him to the ground. "I would destroy it for every child who starved while you feasted. For every village fallen to demons because they couldn't pay your taxes. For every person who died on your borders while you collected artifacts."

With a pulse of Gravity Mana, I forced him to his knees. The mighty King Alaric, kneeling before the boy he had once forced to kneel before him in this same place. I didn't miss the irony.

"Your reign is over," I said. "Your brother will take the throne. He's already promised reforms—to dismantle the noble houses and their privilege, to protect the border villages, to make this kingdom worthy of its people. And if he goes back on his word... well, the same fate waits for him."

Fear flashed across the king's face, but it wasn't fear of death. It was the fear of irrelevance. "You can't just—"

"It's already done." I leaned closer, my voice dropping to a whisper. "There's just one thing I want to know."

His eyes met mine, wary.

"Where's Saella?"

The king's expression shifted to something unexpected—grief. "Gone," he whispered. "She fled when the rebels breached the outer wall. Took her personal guard and her favorite artifacts. As for where... I don't know. She had always been a problem child, but ever since that day... it's as if she's possessed by something. Something that makes me shiver..."

I straightened, looking out across the burning city toward the distant mountains. So the princess had escaped. Part of me had expected it. I couldn't help but think that there was something more to her than met the eye.

"If you ever find her," the king said, a hint of his old arrogance returning, "tell her that her father never stopped loving her. Even when she became something he couldn't recognize."

I turned away without answering. The revolution had succeeded, but my journey wasn't over. Not while Saella remained free, not while my powers remained incomplete, not while demons still threatened the borderlands where Lia and thousands of other people lived.

There would be time for all of that. For now, I had a kingdom to help rebuild.

Afterword

Hello, and thank you for reading my book! I hope you enjoyed the ride. To be honest, I have mixed feelings about this first volume. Initially, I planned to cover the first few days of the Tutorial, maybe a week, not just the first day, but as I wrote, different events felt more logical than my original outline. Ultimately, this made the pacing a bit too compressed—a lot of events happen in a short time without advancing the main storyline as much as I'd intended. Most readers seem to still enjoy it as long as the events are interesting, but some feel that the pacing is off. This will also make my job harder in book 2, as I'll have to wrap up the ramining Tutorial Arc at a faster pace. Still, I loved working on this book; the main character is quite entertaining (if I do say so myself), and the setting offers a lot of room for imagination.

Anyway, I'm writing this afterword a few weeks after the release, and I'm really satisfied with the traction this book has received. It's my first book in a series to reach the top 500 on the Amazon Bestseller List, which is great news for those who enjoyed the book because it means I'll focus on Apocalypse Returnee as my priority series for now.

Sorry for ending the book on a kind of cliffhanger (though the main event was concluded fully), but fret not - book 2 is just around the corner, I plan to release it this summer, in late July or early August 2025. And I also already started to work on the audiobook version.

While you're waiting for the sequel, you can check my other books, available on my author page:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Constantin-Step/author/B098JK7B3N

My newest book—A Honeymoon in Another World / Newlyweds Isekai—which I co-authored with my friend, Denis, is also available for preorder for only $0.99 until April 25, 2025, and for free on KU after that.

Description:

"Rick and Mia have come a long way together. Friends. Lovers. Newlyweds. Demons. Wait, what?

Whisked to Illustria by mysterious wedding rings, the newlyweds find themselves cursed in more ways than one. Every wound shared, every victory doubled. And if one falls? Both do.
“'Til death do us part” suddenly hits different.

Between battling giant squirrels, escaping cannibal camps, and navigating corrupt city politics—and it's just day one—they'll need to adapt to this new world of levels, Classes and magic. And adapt fast. For Illustria is far from forgiving, and the clock on their demonic curse is always ticking.

In a realm where the strong prey on the weak and mercy is a luxury few can afford, Rick and Mia must decide how far they'll go to protect each other. How many lives are they ready to consume. To devour. Because sometimes the most dangerous thing about being cursed isn't the curse itself.

It's what you may become trying to break it."

https://www.amazon.com/Honeymoon-Another-World-Fantasy-Newlyweds-ebook/dp/B0F4PQR35X/

I also welcome any feedback, as long as it's constructive. It helps me to improve my writing and avoid mistakes, to learn of my strong and weak points as a writer. You can leave a vote or a review, either on Amazon or Goodreads. The best format for a review, in my opinion, is answering two questions, "What was done well?" and "What could be done better?". It helps way more than just a rant about something you didn't like, or blind praise. Also, if there are any duplicate paragraphs still left in the book, I'd be grateful if you mentioned them in the review.

Again, thank you for starting to read this series. I hope to see you in book 2!

Best regards,
Constantin Step.