Ding-!
[◆ You were able to prevent the Nocturne Order from taking control of the Eastern Kasha.]
'Nocturne Order...? Is that what it is...'
I made a ntal note to myself while another notification popped in front of .
[◆ Main Quest Activated: Puppet Master]
: Character Progression 401%
: Ga Progression 17%
Failure
: Aoife K. grail 28%
: Kiera Mylne 32%
: Evelyn J. Verlice 26%
It was the quest window.
Looking at it, I suddenly saw a progression bar appeared above it.
◆ Ga Progression EXP 17%
Ga Progression: [0%----
-[73%]---100%]
I watched as the percentage rose to 73% and pressed my lips tightly at the sight. Just what was going to happen once the progression reached a hundred percent?
For so reason, rather than excitent, all I felt was dread.
...This was especially when I thought about the last ti the progression bar increased and Julien's shackles within loosened.
I took a deep breath and forced my mind to calm down.
"I'll need to take so ti later to assess my situation properly."
As of now, I was still weak.
While I was growing stronger, this was far from enough. Especially considering who I was dealing with.
Monts later, a surge of warm energy swept through my mind, and I felt my strength grow. The entire process was surprisingly pleasant, lasting only a few minutes before finally settling into a calm stillness.
Shortly after that, I waved my hand and brought up my status window.
-
[Julien D. Evenus]
Level: 57 [Tier 5 Magician]
Exp: [0%-[19%]-100%]
Profession: Magician
> Type: Elental [Curse]
> Type: Mind [Emotive]
Spells:
* Superior type spell [Emotive]: Sadness
Advanced type spell [Emotive]: Anger
Superior type spell [Emotive]: Fear
Advanced type spell [Emotive]: Surprise
Interdiate type spell [Emotive]: Happiness
Interdiate type spell [Emotive] : Disgust
Beginner type spell [Emotive]: Love
Advanced type spell [Curse]: Hands of Contagion
* Interdiate type spell [Curse]: Shackles of Alakantria
* Interdiate type spell [Curse]: Nightmare Hex
> Interdiate type spell [Curse]: Imrsia
Skills:
[Innate] Eyes of the Seer
[Innate] Etherweave
[Innate] - Lant of Lies
[Innate] - Step of Suppression
"Hm."
Staring at my status window, I started to look at all my skills carefully. Alongside my emotive magic and innate skills, I was in possession of my domain which granted several other unique abilities.
And yet...
"I can't help but feel like I'm not utilizing my skills to the utmost best."
After giving it so careful thought, I had to admit the truth-my fighting style was terrible. I relied far too much on my Emotive Magic and Domain, brute-forcing my way through battles with sheer physicality while only occasionally making use of my Curse Magic.
This all seed to work for for now, but I knew this was unreliable in the long term.
The stronger soone was the more likely brute force wouldn't work. Even my Emotive Magic wasn't going to work as efficiently against stronger people.
I had to quickly think of a way to fight more efficiently.
"But how?"
I carefully looked through my skills and pondered over them.
'Eyes of the Seer, Etherweave, Lant of Lies, Step of Suppression...'
A vivid image began to form in my mind as I sifted through the skills etched into my mory. The longer I concentrated, the clearer the idea seed to grow, yet, frustratingly, I couldn't grasp the full picture no matter how hard I tried.
'I'm so close, and yet so far...'
I ruffled my hair in frustration before lifting my head to look around .
The world around stretched out endlessly, barren and flat, beneath the oppressive gray sky. Above, the pale white sun hung motionless, its harsh light casting rays of light across the surface of the land, segregated by the distant peaks in the distance.
Squelch~
Feeling sothing touch my ankle, I saw a black root sprout.
The root coiled its way up my leg, spiraling steadily before halting at my shoulder. In a seamless, eerie shift, it morphed, twisting and reshaping itself into the form of an owl.
"Owl-Mighty."
"....How did it go?" Owl-Mighty asked, its legs firmly grasping my shoulder.
I frowned and pondered for a brief mont.
How could I describe the experience?
"Weird..."
Yeah, it was weird.
"Is that all?"
"It's hard to describe, but it appears like the barrier is rely there for decoration. Everything
about the place is fake."
"Like so sort of illusion?"
"Yeah, like what you created in the past. I managed to figure out it was all fake-probably
because they weren't even trying to hide it."
Perhaps my high ntal strength helped, but in hindsight, there were probably many more
powerful figures than who had entered the Citadel.
I was sure they'd also notice that it was all a 'dream'.
"Oh."
Owl-Mighty seed to have lost interest from that point.
I took the chance to look at my pocket watch.
"How long was I out for?"
"About half a day."
"That seems to be in line with the amount of ti I spent there."
I was a little worried that ti would flow differently in the Citadel but it didn't seem like it
did. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"If that's the case then I should take this ti to head bac-"
"That might be difficult."
"Uh?"
Suddenly cut off by Owl-Mighty, I raised my brow.
"What do you an that might be difficult?"
Without responding, Owl-Mighty swiveled its head to gaze into the distance. Intrigued by the
owl's unusual behavior, I mimicked it and turned my own head to see what had caught its
attention.
And yet...
"I don't see anything."
Regardless of how hard I tried, all I saw was a vast and barren land.
What exactly was this damn owl looking at?
Nevertheless, I stood up as my body tensed in preparation for what was to co. Owl-Mighty
wasn't one to joke around, despite its newfound understanding of emotions.
"They're coming."
"Coming?"
An idea ford in my mind and my expression changed.
Without thinking twice, I took a deep breath and cast [Lant of Lies]. As I looked down, I
watched my body disappear from sight. Lowering my breathing and calming my heart, I
blocked out all surrounding noise and retreated slowly.
This was the first ti I had tried the skill and as my body faded out of sight, I sensed a certain
disturbance in the distance.
It was then that I saw it...
'Ah.'
As if warping reality itself, they erged from the very air, their bodies twisting and
materializing in unnatural ways.
With vast, tattered black wings and faceless, hollow heads, they lood before . Each
movent seed to blend with the faint dry breeze that lingered in the air. Their long white garnts rippled, floating eerily in the stillness.
As they hovered in the air, their hollow gazes scanned the surroundings, passing by as I
held onto my breath.
With just one glance, I knew exactly what I was dealing with.
...And my entire body tensed at the realization.
'lanchony of Pursuit.'
*
Of the many things that Haven thought, Monster Classification and Recognition was one of
them.
The cadets were required to learn the nas and properties of over a thousand different monsters found in the Mirror Dinsion. Naturally, with such a vast number, morizing all
of them was impossible. However, those few that were essential to morize belonged to a class where such knowledge was vital.
That was because the few monsters that the cadets needed to rember fell into a category with a clear warning: If you encounter them, run.
Of such monsters, the lanchonies of Pursuit were one.
They had no eyes, no ears, and no sense of sll-nothing but featureless, smooth, and empty faces. Yet, in spite of their empty forms, they always found their prey.
Nothing could escape their sight, and as Julien looked at them, his breathing nearly stopped
as he continuously moved back.
Each of them was Terror Ranked.
He could take them out if he wanted to, but looking ahead, he saw that there were seventeen
of them.
Furthermore...
'I can sense several figures approaching from behind them. They're all quite strong.' Owl-Mighty's words struck Julien like a bucket of icy water, drenching him in a shock of cold
that seed to seep deep into his bones. The chills crawling along his skin intensified as the lanchonies, without a sound, twisted their heads toward him in unison.
Their faceless visages were empty, yet their gaze-if it could even be called that-pierced
through his disguise as though it was but a re cloth.
Julien's heart pressed tightly against his throat as he turned around and hastily recalled a green orb in his mind. As his legs tensed, he shot in the opposite direction like an arrow. His speed was quick, and before he knew it, the lanchonies were but re dots.
In spite of the distance, Julien didn't feel safe at all.
He knew.
He understood.
That there was no running away from the lanchonies.
Regardless of what he did, they would find him.
He couldn't run.
All he could do was delay the inevitable.
***
Not far from Julien.
Scrunch-
A single foot pressed against the dry ground as several figures materialized beside the
hovering lanchonies.
"He shouldn't be far off."
With his hand outstretched, several chains materialized from thin air, each one fastening to
the necks of the lanchonies. A faint, eerie 'clank' echoed in the stillness, as the chains
scraped and collided with one another.
"....This seems a bit of a waste."
Appearing beside the man, whose bulky figure towered over her, was a tall woman with long
flowing red hair and green eyes. Her sharp eyes gazed into the distance before settling over the lanchonies.
"We're hunting a re twenty-year-old. Using the lanchonies seems a bit of a waste." "That's where you're wrong."
Another figure spoke, his figure relatively short. His eyes were a hollow void, pitch black with
no hint of white, like two endless abysses staring into the soul. He blinked slowly, the motion
unnatural, as though it pained him, before turning his gaze toward the distance.
"As far as I'm aware, he's the current Summit winner. He's certainly talented and it's not like we're hunting him."
"Yeah, yeah. Detaining and hunting... It's the sa thing."
"No, it isn't."
The short figure spoke, turning his head to look at the nurous figures behind him.
"They've strictly told us not to kill him. His identity seems to be rather high."
"Ho, you don't say?"
Traces of amusent flickered across the woman's face.
"I wonder what's so special about him that would make all the Seats pursue him."
"That's not for us to care."
Blinking his eyes, the short figure suddenly began to bleed black tears. His face winced in pain
as he turned his head to face the bulky man beside him who silently released his grip over his
chains.
Clank, clank-
As the chains clattered to the ground, their heavy echoes reverberating through the air, the lanchonies suddenly began to dissipate, vanishing from view as if they were never there at
all.
Letting go at the sa ti, the figures stepped forward and similarly vanished.
"Let's make this quick."
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