Lucian grinded his teeth at my words. For several long seconds, silence stretched across the courtyard as he wrestled with his pride. Finally, he forced the words out of his mouth.
“I… yield…” It was less a surrender than a wound carved deep into his pride, spoken as though it cost him everything to admit.
The mont the words left his lips, the crushing weight of gravity receded. I released my grip and stepped back, watching him collapse onto the cracked stone floor. His face twisted with fury and sha, as if this defeat was the greatest humiliation of his life.
Truthfully, had the duel dragged on for even five more seconds, my mana would have been completely drained. Victory was only possible because I had trained diligently beforehand, consud the elixir that permanently increased my Magic Power, and even invested a portion of my free attribute points into the sa stat—sothing I normally kept in reserve. I had gambled resources I rarely touched, all to secure this single win.
Yet, as I stood there, breathing steadily while Lucian lay broken at my feet, I knew it had been worth the price.
Magic Power has increased by 1.
Basic Cryo Magic has leveled up.
Gravity Magic has leveled up.
Maximillian Anderson Lv. 14/60 (EXP 1196/2,960)
HP: 100%
MP: 112/658
Rank: Giml [3]
Patron God: Istellia (Goddess of Imagination)
Class: Paradox Incarnate
Title: One Who Conquered the Impossible (5)
Status: Normal
Strength: 341 37 34 | Dexterity: 341 24 34 | Stamina: 289 25 29
Mind: 212 21 | Magic Power: 303 30 | Luck: 300 30
Plausibility: 596
Free Attributes: 50
Signature Skill(s): [Absorb Plausibility], [Fabled Vessel], [God!$# Creation], [Grant Plausibility], [Gravity Magic Lv.2], [Scenario Manipulation]
Skill(s): [Basic Alchemy Lv.7], [Basic Cryo Magic Lv.6], [Basic Hand-to-Hand Combat Lv.7], [Basic Neutral Magic Lv.8], [Basic Shield Mastery Lv.8], [Back Stab Lv.3], [Berserk Lv.2], [Calm Mind], [Chantless Casting Lv.2], [Desperate Willpower Lv.8], [Divine Sermon Lv.1], [Extraordinary Agility], [Extraordinary Endurance], [Extraordinary Fortune], [Extraordinary Magic Power], [Extraordinary mory], [Extraordinary Power], [Fast Equip], [Heavy Slash Lv.7], [Heavy Stab Lv.6], [Inspect Eye Lv.3], [Interdiate Spearmanship Lv.2], [Interdiate Swordsmanship Lv.3], [Inventory], [Mana Manipulation Lv.7], [Mana Sense Lv.7], [ntal Tolerance Lv.5], [Negotiation Lv.6], [Night Vision], [Pain Tolerance Lv.6], [Paralysis Resistance Lv.3], [Poison Resistance Lv.3], [Projectile Defense Lv.3], [Predator’s Step Lv.4], [Weapon Manifestation Lv.3], [Wind Rush Lv.6]
Spell(s): {Frozen Icicle}, {Graviton Pull}, {Gravity Field}, {Mana Arrow}, {Mana Bullet}, {Mass Alteration}, {Spinning Mana Arrow}
Tuilë let out a whistle, planting her hands on her hips. “Well, well. Didn’t think you had it in you, Maxxy. Guess the so-called genius isn’t invincible after all.”
“Shut up, you,” Lucian shot back in a hoarse voice, his body trembling as he forced himself onto his knees. He turned to with a sharp glare, demanding, “Just what kind of magic was that? How co I’ve never seen it before?”
Michelle stepped closer from behind, her eyes wide with awe. “Maxim… that magic. I’ve never seen you use it previously, either. What was it?”
“It’s Gravity Magic,” I answered frankly. “Sothing I obtained from a to I received as a scenario reward.” I left it at that, unwilling to elaborate further since it served no purpose.
“Gravity… Magic?” Lucian repeated, chewing on the words as if they were utterly foreign to him.
Boris crossed his arms, laughing heartily as he strode toward . “Gahaha! Knew you were plotting sothing, lad. Didn’t expect it to end with the little boy eating dirt, though.”
Lucian’s hands clenched into fists at their words, his knuckles turning pale. Yet he could not refute them. His own rules had bound him, and by those rules, he had lost. At last, he exhaled through gritted teeth. “A deal is a deal. You’ve proven yourself superior in magic. I’ll follow your instructions unconditionally in the scenario.”
I nodded. “Good. That’s what I wanted to hear—”
“But don’t think this is over!” he shouted, cutting off as he jabbed a finger in my direction. “Next ti, I’ll crush you fair and square.”
Well, it seed that Lucian’s personality wasn’t as bad as I first thought. Still, to think I had gained yet another rival… First it was Erika, and now Lucian. Truly, one thing after another. As if my life hadn’t been without challenges already.
Nevertheless, I wasn’t soone who would back away from challenges. As a forr God-King, I had a pride I needed to uphold. Besides, dealing with Lucian was far simpler than facing Erika. She was superior in combat prowess, and truthfully, I had only managed to defeat her by sheer luck.
“Then you’d better train harder,” I replied evenly.
“Getting along already? That’s great!” Tuilë suddenly hooked her arms around both of us, much to my surprise—and clearly to Lucian’s displeasure—as she chuckled. “So what are we waiting for? Let’s jump into the seventh scenario imdiately, shall we?”
“Right now?” I raised an eyebrow. “I think tomorrow morning would be better since it’s… Hmm…” No… I can’t afford to stall. ‘That’ thing was already trying to revive Itself, and every wasted day would endanger . On top of that, I still didn’t know when the Battle of Divine Will would begin. Perhaps dragging things out was the most foolish move I could make under these circumstances.
I turned my gaze to Michelle and Boris. “Are you two prepared?”
Michelle gave a firm nod, determination flashing in her eyes. “I’ve prepared everything I need. No matter what scenario cos next, I’m ready for it.”
Boris thumped his chest with a booming laugh. “Hah! I was born ready, lad. If you’re not, just follow my lead.”
Finally, I turned to Lucian. “How about you?” I asked, noting that he was still slightly battered.
Lucian scoffed quietly, brushing dust from his robe as he pushed himself upright. “Hmph. Nothing a bit of magic can’t fix. This ti, I’ll prove why I’m the genius of the Athyst Magic Tower.”
Tuilë’s grin widened, eyes sparkling with excitent. “Perfect! Then it’s settled—we’re off to the Rift of Scenarios!”
“Wait, not so fast,” I cut in. “We should eat first.”
“Oh, right. I’m starving.” Tuilë rubbed her stomach dramatically.
“Gahaha! An empty stomach is no way to march into battle,” Boris agreed heartily.
“Mhm. I’m famished, too,” Michelle admitted. “Let’s eat before we go.”
And so, with the decision unanimous, we headed out to have dinner together—one last mont of rest before stepping into the trials of the seventh scenario.
***
At last, we arrived before the Rift of Scenarios. Now, the sun had long dipped beneath the horizon, and the moon had taken its place in the sky. The plaza surrounding the Rift was unusually quiet for once. Only a handful of divine warriors lingered here at this late hour, either lining up for their challenges or loitering in small groups. Most of the others were no doubt asleep—or drowning themselves in drink at one of the nearby taverns. Truly, this was a strange ti to attempt a scenario.
Because of this, we got our turn in less than a minute. Elysia greeted us with her usual cordial smile, unfazed by the late hour. It didn’t matter whether it was night or day; she always did her job diligently, as though she wasn’t human.
“Welco, divine warriors. It is a lovely night, isn’t it? Are you here to challenge the seventh scenario?”
“That’s right,” I confird.
“Very well. I shall open the portal to the seventh scenario,” she said.
A dark portal soon ford within the alcove before us, its surface swirling ominously. Without hesitation, the five of us stepped inside. At once, the familiar pull of displacent twisted my senses. Yet this ti, instead of searing heat, a biting cold swept across my skin. Brr… It’s cold…
As soon as my vision cleared, I found myself standing in a desert much like the one in the sixth scenario. However, instead of the blazing sun overhead, the land was shrouded in night. Stars glittered faintly through gaps in the drifting clouds, casting a pale, uneven light across the endless dunes.
“Huh, is it because we entered at night that it’s night here too?” Boris asked, scratching the back of his head.
No, that was unlikely. More probable that this scenario’s setting was fixed to the night regardless of when we entered.
At that mont, a clear chi echoed in my ears, and a translucent blue screen materialized before my eyes, displaying the scenario’s description.
Scenario #7 [To Protect Whom?]
Before you stretches the sa endless desert, but not far from your location lies the City of Saharan. Once a proud oasis of trade and knowledge, the city now stands on the verge of chaos. Foreign powers have successfully occupied the city, locking the citizens in and out. Within its walls dwells the one you must protect, yet their identity is shrouded in mystery. They could be anything—a noble, a soldier, a child, or even a beggar.
Mission Type: Protection
Difficulty: D
Main Objective: Protect the target and help them escape the city. (0/1)
Ti Limit: 2 days
Reward: 4,000 Soul Coins
Penalty for Failure: Death
Extra Conditions:
1. Help the true target with their goal. (0/1)
Reward: The target’s imnse gratitude
2. Defend the target from three consecutive assassination attempts. (0/3)
Reward: A Random Rare-Grade Skill Book
3. Uncover the hidden mastermind behind the attacks. (0/1)
Reward: Rare-Grade Elixir Voucher
“A city?” I muttered, scanning the horizon. Even with my Night Vision skill, I couldn’t make out anything that looked like a city in the darkness.
“Over there!” Tuilë suddenly exclaid, pointing off to my right while holding what looked like a pair of binoculars or so sort. As expected of a Magic Engineer, she would have many useful devices.
I squinted my eyes, focusing on the direction she indicated. In the far distance, faint silhouettes of clustered structures erged, encircling what seed to be an oasis. A city, without doubt.
“Who exactly are we supposed to protect?” Michelle asked, confusion written on her face. “Why is the scenario’s description so vague?”
“This is the great mystery that baffles most divine warriors who’ve cleared the seventh scenario,” Tuilë replied frankly. “The target changes. Each person ends up protecting soone different. It’s like the scenario doesn’t specify who the target is and just leaves it to us to decide.”
But was that really the case?
Scenarios weren’t arbitrary—at least, not in design. I knew this better than anyone because I was the one who had created them. Or strictly speaking, I created their structure and system. This ant that while I wouldn’t know every detail, I knew there had to be more to this than simple randomness. Sothing hidden behind the wording.
“Ah, I’ve heard the sa from folks in the training center,” Boris chid in. “They said nobody has ever managed to complete the first extra condition. Not once. Well, they said that the reward isn’t tempting, so they never really tried.”
That made it all the more suspicious. For one thing, the first extra condition used the wording “true target.” Perhaps those divine warriors had never found the real one… and yet sohow still managed to complete the scenario.
How interesting.
“Well, in any case, questioning the scenario here won’t get us anywhere. Let’s head toward the city and sort it out once we’re inside.”
They all nodded in agreent at my suggestion, and we began marching ahead.
User Comments
0 comments from readers