Kingdom of Britain — Outskirts of Livingrown
Caravan of the Order of Light — Later That Same Day
By the time they arrived at the station near the sea, everything had already been prepared.
The sun was beginning to sink beneath crimson-stained clouds as the caravan set off along the paved road that connected the isolated settlement to Livingrown, the great southern port.
The knights' armor glowed like embers beneath the dying light, while the sound of horses' hooves blended with the clinking of steel and the mournful whistle of the wind.
At the head of the procession rode Inquisitor Hugo Keaton, imposing as a shadow forged in tempered steel.
Behind him marched the sacred procession of the Order of Light, with Cardinal Velpo riding at its center atop a black warhorse.
At his side rode Julie, her jade-colored eyes hidden beneath a dark veil.
And beside her was Lucia Ducking, the fire mage of the Flamesword bloodline.
Julie remained silent. The breeze stirred her dark veil, revealing fleeting glimpses of her delicate features. Her gaze remained fixed on the horizon, though her thoughts were still trapped inside the throne room.
Her sister's voice echoed softly through her mind.
"Don't assume anything just yet."
Lucia, riding beside her, stole occasional glances in her direction.
There was something unusual about the young woman.
She carried the solemnity of someone from an ancient age, yet there was also an innocent awkwardness in the way she held the reins.
The silence between them lasted several long minutes before Lucia finally spoke.
Lucia Ducking: —"You didn't seem very happy about being separated from your sister."
Julie slowly turned toward her.
Her voice was gentle, yet completely straightforward.
Julie: —"We're twins. We've spent our entire lives together... Neither of us likes the idea of being apart. But for the sake of this mission... duty comes first."
Lucia: —"Then... who exactly are you? Having an Inquisitor assigned to protect you isn't exactly normal, you know."
Julie tilted her head beneath the veil.
Her eyebrows rose in genuine confusion.
Julie: —"How impressive is it to be an Inquisitor?"
Lucia raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the sincerity of the question, but decided not to press further.
The southern wind carried the scent of saltwater.
Livingrown Harbor was already close, and the first towers of Marquis Eugenio Goldman's stronghold stood silhouetted against the sunset.
Cardinal Velpo raised a hand, signaling the caravan to halt.
The horses neighed softly as everyone reorganized into formation.
The Inquisitor rode ahead to observe the coastline before speaking quietly.
Hugo Keaton: —"By now the Marquis should have already received His Majesty's orders... Hopefully, the ship will be ready by the time we arrive."
The apprentice slowed her horse and looked toward her master.
Vivian Crosgrove: —"Even so, Master... I don't like how quiet this place is..."
The Cardinal studied them from beneath his hood, his expression stern.
Cardinal Velpo: —"Remain vigilant. We are not escorting ordinary travelers... We are escorting the bearers of a divine mission."
Julie lifted her chin slightly.
For only an instant, a trace of pride crossed her expression.
Julie: —"It's not "divine" yet... but it will be, if we succeed in proving its purpose."
Lucia turned toward her, trying to read something more from her words.
Julie simply kept looking ahead.
As they continued forward, the lights of Livingrown gradually came into view.
It was a heavily fortified city built upon a peninsula stretching into the Veridies Ocean.
Watchtowers rose like towering spears, while above the harbor floated the metallic silhouettes of magical airships resting upon enormous energy platforms.
The group crossed the drawbridge and was greeted by an escort of local soldiers.
One of them, wearing a blue cloak embroidered with the golden crest of House Goldman, stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
Soldier: —"Welcome, Cardinal Velpo. The Marquis is awaiting you at the main hangar... The Golden Bird is currently being prepared."
Cardinal Velpo: —"You have my gratitude for your diligence."
As they walked through the massive stone corridor leading toward the hangar, Lucia couldn't help glancing around.
Magical engineers inspected propulsion and defensive magic circles.
The magical cannons glowed with brilliant white light.
Runic seals emitted a low, continuous hum.
It was the cutting-edge technology of the Kingdom of Enath.
Yet despite its sophistication...
it still carried the soul of ancient war machines.
Julie suddenly stopped for a few seconds, captivated by the energy pulsing through the air.
Her pupils widened as she sensed the mana flowing through every mechanism.
Julie: —"Wow... That artifact... It almost feels alive..."
she whispered.
Lucia: —"What did you say?"
Julie: —"Nothing... I was just thinking out loud."
The group finally reached the main hangar.
It was an enormous vaulted chamber that echoed with the roar of magical engines.
Standing upon the boarding platform awaited Marquis Eugenio Goldman, a middle-aged man dressed in ceremonial uniform, sporting a neatly trimmed beard and the bearing of a veteran commander.
The moment he saw the Cardinal, he bowed respectfully.
Eugenio Goldman: —Cardinal Velpo... His Majesty has already informed me of your mission. My personal vessel will be ready to depart at dawn."
Cardinal Velpo: —"Thank you, Marquis... Unfortunately, I won't be accompanying them. I have matters that require my attention in Thonteón. These young ladies will be your passengers... and your highest priority."
The Marquis turned toward Julie.
For a brief instant...
he found himself speechless.
It wasn't her beauty that unsettled him.
It was her presence.
As though something about her didn't entirely belong to the world he knew.
Julie lowered her head without saying a word.
Eugenio Goldman: —"You will have the finest cabins and an elite escort... The voyage will take approximately four days before we reach the vicinity of the Dark Lands."
He paused.
Eugenio Goldman: —"However... I should warn you. Recently, we've detected unusual anomalies involving the monsters that inhabit the southern skies."
Lucia exchanged a glance with the Cardinal.
Lucia: —"Anomalies? What kind of anomalies?"
Eugenio Goldman: —"They're becoming stronger. I've tried everything to discover the cause... but every investigation has ended in failure."
The Marquis hesitated.
His eyes darkened before he continued.
Eugenio Goldman: —"The scholars and commanders I've consulted report the exact same phenomenon elsewhere. The Chairs Jungle within the Empire, The Sahar Desert of the Kingdom of Kemet. Unusual activity in the Balskit Mountains of Nordkrieger... Is your mission meant to uncover the reason behind all of this?"
Silence settled over the room once again.
Julie slowly lifted her gaze.
For the first time that entire day, genuine anguish colored her voice.
Julie: —"If what's happening in the Dark Lands... is the same thing that's happening in all those places... then we have even less time than we thought. We need to move immediately."
Everyone turned toward her.
Lucia looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and unease.
Cardinal Velpo: —"What do you know about this, Miss Solviers?"
Julie remained quiet for a moment.
Then she turned toward the horizon, where the sea slowly disappeared beneath the coming night.
Julie: —"It's still too soon for me to explain... but if what our goddess told my mother is truly happening on this scale... then eventually... everyone will know."
The Cardinal silently studied her face with growing suspicion.
Finally, he spoke.
Cardinal Velpo: —"Get some rest tonight. Although I must depart... the rest of you will leave at dawn.May the Goddess's Light guide your journey."
Julie nodded slowly.
Lucia looked at her once more.
Lucia: —"I don't know what you're planning to find out there... but I'll do everything I can to bring you back alive."
A faint smile appeared beneath Julie's veil.
Almost imperceptible.
Julie: —"And I'll make sure the risk is worth taking."
A gust of wind swept in from the sea, lifting cloaks and sending the hangar's banners fluttering wildly.
Night descended upon Livingrown.
High above, the first stars shimmered like ancient eyes silently watching over the departure of the chosen.
----
15 Hours Earlier...
Bepnis Strait — Mount Albur
Inside the Base
At last...
my weapons were ready.
Artia guided me toward a special room.
It resembled a soundproof firing range.
A place where she tested the effectiveness of experimental weaponry and measured its destructive capabilities.
Every weapon belonged to the same grade...
though each possessed entirely different specifications.
I had expected as much.
Still, the very first thing I wanted to fire...
was the Glock.
I hadn't even checked its specifications yet, so I decided to inspect them first.
"Glock 9mm Pistol"
(Unique Grade / Rank C)
"A firearm forged from a technology forgotten for countless ages, reborn in a new era."
Armor Penetration Chance: 40%
Firepower: 30%
Damage per Shot: 8,000 HP
Recoil: 10%
[System Note: A weapon from the distant past... yet the near future.]
The magazine was already loaded.
All I had to do...
was disengage the safety.
The target stood roughly forty meters away.
I tried focusing on it.
Instead...
my eyes remained fixed on the way I held the pistol with both hands.
They weren't shaking.
The obstacle that had plagued me for nearly my entire life...
my essential tremor...
was gone.
Natasha's words suddenly resurfaced in my mind.
Back when we visited a shooting range.
It had almost felt like a date while Caleband I were developing Raus.
"Brian... never touch a gun again. Leave that to the professionals."
A small smile appeared on my face.
"I wish you could see me now, Lissene... See what I'm capable of."
I steadied my breathing once more.
Locked onto the target.
Then...
I squeezed the trigger.
BANG!
Finally...
a clean shot.
It didn't hit dead center...
but it was a start.
A second shot.
This time...
I missed by only a few millimeters.
Memories of every online shooter I'd ever played flashed through my mind.
I smiled faintly.
But then...
that sense of accomplishment disappeared.
I missed everything.
And being good at this meant nothing...
if I couldn't find a way home.
And even if I did return...
I'd still be the same person.
With the same problems.
I forced myself to clear my mind.
Then emptied the magazine in a rapid series of shots.
Out of fifteen rounds...
only eight struck the target.
The only thing that surprised me...
was that I hadn't gained a single new skill.
So I asked Quincy.
—Hey... why didn't I get anything?
[Haaa... Master, don't forget that new skills are created by the System. ( ≖ ⍨ ≖ )✊]
[Creating an entirely new skill requires talent, comprehension, and specific actions... Those are the conditions necessary to create something new. \( ─ ₒ ─ )/]
—Alright... Thanks, Quincy.
And then...
The little peace I had left...
was taken away by those messages.
[System Notification:Time Limit Reached. All basic skills and access to the System are now locked for the duration of the permanent penalty.]
[System Message: Applying Permanent Penalty... "Conceptual Pain." Duration: Random.]
The moment I read the System's message...
I felt the air freeze around me.
Tears began falling from my eyes without any reason.
An abyssal pain struck my chest with the force of a speeding train.
I clenched my teeth, desperately trying not to scream.
Hundreds of memories flooded my mind at once...
Everything I had lost.
Everyone I had loved.
My entire life...
Their memories...
The precious moments engraved deep within my soul.
I tried to swallow.
But it nearly made me choke.
Every tendon in my body tightened.
I couldn't move.
The veins and arteries throughout my body burned as if electricity was flowing through them.
Yes...
Electricity.
Just like when I first arrived here.
I tried not to cry.
I tried to remain standing.
But my legs betrayed me.
The air escaped my lungs.
I couldn't stop it.
My mind betrayed me.
My body refused to respond.
Everything I felt within my heart...
Within my mind...
Within my soul...
Was...
Alone.
Continuous.
Pain.
The tears fell endlessly.
My own breathing became an obstacle.
My nostrils felt blocked, making every breath a struggle.
The floor was cold...
My entire body convulsed violently.
My heart felt as though it was about to explode.
BOM.
BOM.
BOM.
Everything...
Everything inside me was being assaulted without mercy.
I felt unbearable agony in every cell of my body.
Like electricity tearing through my muscles.
Fire burning through my nerves.
And acid melting my skin.
I clenched my teeth.
Desperately trying to resist...
But...
It was...
Completely...
Useless.
And right at that moment...
While my chest burned and it felt as though my heart was collapsing...
While the air escaped my body and my soul seemed to burn alive...
I tried crawling across the room.
Even my own voice betrayed me.
I couldn't stop myself from screaming:
—WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!
My scream received only silence.
An indifferent silence.
As I struggled to inhale oxygen.
As my entire body trembled like a piece of paper.
I tried to smile...
But my smile broke apart.
The tears continued running down my cheeks.
Everything inside my mind...
Was that damn pain.
Everything I had lost...
Everything I had received...
All that guilt...
For being who I am...
I stopped trying to crawl.
I stopped trying to move forward.
I simply stopped.
I was...
Alone.
Alone in my agony.
Alone in my pain.
Alone in my desperation.
My only companion was the cold floor...
And an indifferent world.
The tendons in my neck tightened.
My jaw trembled.
I didn't know if it was an illusion or reality...
But I felt as though my bones were cracking.
Everything I felt...
Every single part of my existence...
Was...
Pain.
I wanted to lose consciousness as quickly as possible.
Even death seemed preferable.
But I couldn't.
I couldn't even faint.
Remembering...
was becoming the cruelest torture.
The simple act of thinking only made the agony worse.
But feeling everything at once...
Was hell.
A damn hell.
I grabbed my legs...
While my body continued convulsing.
And with my remaining strength, I managed to curl into a fetal position.
Because the only thing I had at that moment...
Was...
Myself.
After an hour of agony...
After dying three times...
And being saved by Artia...
only for the torture to continue.
One deathcame from choking after trying to scream.
The other two...
were because my heart stopped.
Fortunately...
or perhaps finally...
the penalty ended.
My entire body was still trembling against the floor.
But not from the cold.
I still couldn't move.
I still didn't want to think.
Because if I thought...
I remembered.
And if I remembered...
it still hurt.
Time passed...
Until eventually...
I managed to stand.
My gaze was empty.
And the first thought that crossed my mind was:
"So this penalty... happens every fifteen days."
Artia contacted me through Consensus, speaking only to me.
[What was that? Why did you die three times?]
Before Quincy or Gideon could join.
I told her what happened was our...
"state secret."
I smiled bitterly.
"First random subdimensions every thirty days..."
"And now this..."
I looked at the ceiling and whispered to myself:
—Okay... I have to pay my biweekly and monthly subscription.
A bitter laugh escaped me.
And I understood.
"If those two penalties happen at the same time..."
"I'm going to die."
I took a deep breath.
At least...
my breathing no longer betrayed me.
—Fine... I can't cancel, avoid, or endure... those two Org penalties.
My tongue moved between my teeth.
I clenched my fists in frustration.
My head slowly began nodding in anger.
And then...
the pink screen appeared.
Along with the voice of my assistant.
[Master... are you alright? (. •︠ . ︡•.)]
—I'll be fine... I need to train.
[Master... your mental and emotional state concerns me a lot. (Ŏ_Ŏ)]
—I don't need your pity. Leave me alone.
[Understood, Master...(눈‸눈)]
[I will not speak with you any further... for the moment. (• - • )👍]
I exhaled in exhaustion.
I had no tears left.
Not enough to cry again.
My body trembled slightly.
"In moments like this..."
"How much I miss my music."
I whispered only to myself:
—If you think you're going to break me with this... you're wrong, damn System.
I learned that life is more than just pain.