"What does magic mean to me?"
Maybe a miracle. The power of miracles that adventurers awaken within themselves, rewriting reality.
"What does magic mean to me?"
Something I was born with. A partner that moves like my own limbs, staying with me more than anyone or anything else.
"What kind of thing is magic to me?"
Hmm, many things, I guess? Fierce flames, bursting water, raging winds, roaring thunder. Magic is everything that manifests purely through the power of the mind, without needing any tools.
"What do you seek from magic?"
Miracles. Even knowing I can never quite reach them no matter how far I stretch my hand, I still want to reach for them, the kind of admiration that makes you want to grasp the impossible. Even if it's unworthy, even if it's impossible, I want to recreate those miracles, like that person, like that guy, with my own body.
"Is that all?"
Well, there's more. I want to challenge myself. To face countless powerful enemies, to explore worlds I've never seen. Even if my body is burned to ashes, even if it's torn apart, I want to face those challenges using every skill, every ounce of power I have.
"That's reckless bravery."
Yeah, I know.
"But that's who I am."
….
"…To…ki…"
My head feels fuzzy. My eyelids are heavy. Huh? Was I sleeping? And someone's calling me?
My mind slowly clears, and the voice becomes clear. The voice of someone who always watched over me back then and still does now.
"To-ki, are you awake?"
"…Good evening, Hermes-sama."
"Still half asleep? It's already evening, you know?"
…Evening? Wait, then why was I sleeping?
"What do you think about using the Grimoire Magic Tome?"
Grimoire Magic Tome? What's that?
I sit up and look at the desk where I was lying down. There lies a thick book.
"…Oh."
Bit by bit, I remember. Today is two days after the incident on the 24th floor. While we were discussing what to do with the gems and gold and silver rings that Lulune brought back as a reward, Hermes-sama declared that I should be the one to use the magic tome from the rewards.
Naturally, I refused. I already manifested magic myself, and someone like Merryl the mage or Asfi the guild leader would be far more suitable.
But the flow of the moment and the fact that I was the weakest yet most active person this time made everyone agree with Hermes-sama. No matter how good I am at negotiation, I couldn't win against Hermes-sama and the majority. So it was forced on me, and that's why I used it.
By the way, the Grimoire Magic Tome is basically a forced magic manifesting book. It's a rare item said to be created only by those who have mastered 'Magic' and 'Mysticism' in the 'Advanced Ability' category.
Its value is said to surpass the top-tier equipment of the Hephaestus Familia.
"Alright, since you've manifested magic, let's update your status!"
"…Sounds fun, Hermes-sama."
"Of course! I heard from everyone you played a huge role! I can't wait to see how much you've grown!"
I haven't updated my status for the past two days.
After barely escaping the 24th floor, I first went to the Dian Cecht Familia's clinic to treat my fractured left arm. Amid told me off a lot, saying it was harder to fix because I forced myself to move it and the bone was bent the wrong way.
Beet, who was getting treatment on his leg nearby, teased me, which made me really mad. I'll definitely scare him one day like before.
The next day, I spent my time selling the items we acquired. The gem tree was apparently valuable; after negotiating, I sold it for billions. I was so absorbed in the negotiations that I didn't notice Nelly and Lulune accompanying me looked really taken aback.
Lulune's reaction when I showed her the White Leaf was hilarious. She wagged her tail and her eyes shone bright. It was worth keeping it a secret. By the way, I sold it to Mercurius-sama and the Dian Cecht Familia, earning about 1 million total.
And all the rewards Lulune brought, except for the ones Asfi-san wanted for research, were sold off. The total… I didn't notice because I was so caught up, but it was definitely not the kind of money a mostly level-2 Familia should earn.
"Come on, hurry up!"
"…Hermes-sama, you're kind of annoying being so excited."
I said that as I took off my jacket. Even though I teased him, I was pretty curious too. Not just about the new magic, but after fighting so hard, maybe I really did grow a lot.
Hermes-sama's finger slid down my back and stopped.
"Hmm? Hermes-sama, is something wrong?"
"…Ra."
"Ra?"
"Rank Up!!!"
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
The shout was painfully loud.
…..
"Congratulations, Toki! Now you're an advanced adventurer!"
Hermes-sama was smiling bigger than usual as he showed me my updated status.
As for me, I was stunned, between his shout and how unreal it all felt.
Rank Up? What's that? A new magic? Or a skill? Rank Up… Rank Up!?
"H-Hermes-sama, is this for real!? I've only been an adventurer for about 35 days!"
"You actually counted the days since becoming an adventurer…? Well, whatever. Yes, that's right! You ranked up this time! And you even got new skills!"
"New skills!?"
I snatched the paper with my status from Hermes-sama and read it eagerly:
Toki Ortyx
Lv. 1
Strength: F341 → S957
Endurance: F327 → A872
Dexterity: E439 → S978
Agility: E461 → S999
Magic Power: D523 → S999
Magic
Infinite Abyss
Skill Magic
Nullifies 'Divine Power'
Kerykeion
Mimicry Magic
Requires having seen the magic before and understanding its incantation
Incantation:
"Now, raise the curtain on the stage,
This hand holds a staff,
A magic staff that creates all miracles,
Oh my God, if it is granted,
That vision seen on that day,
That overwhelming glory,
Let one miracle be performed."
Skills
Endless Abyss
Skill Magic
Nullifies 'Divine Power'
Challenger Flux
Greatly boosts all ability stats when facing higher-ranked opponents
The greater the potential difference, the stronger the effect
-------
"T-Total proficiency increased over 2700!? And my Agility and Magic Power are maxed out!? What's with this skill!? And what even is Mimicry Magic!?"
I'm overwhelmed with so many things to question about myself…
"Hahaha! That's not all! You've also unlocked a bunch of Development Abilities!"
"Th-There's more...?"
"Of course!"
Hermes handed me another sheet of paper. It had several words written in Divine Script Hieroglyphs. After decoding, it read:
"Status Resistance." "Hunter." "Alchemy." "Magic." "Healing Mind." "Assassination."
Six in total. And two of them are rare abilities!
"'Status Resistance' is a subtle but useful ability that protects against abnormal effects like poison. I guess I unlocked it after fighting those Purple Moths."
"'Hunter' boosts your stats against monsters you've fought before. Since Bell and I hunted monsters relentlessly, and I went wild against those man-eating plants on the 24th floor, it must have triggered."
"'Alchemy' improves the effects of potions you craft. Mercury-sama taught me some of this without me even asking, and I took it up as a hobby, so I think that's why it appeared."
"'Magic' boosts the power of your spells. I was using Infinite Abyss for a long time on the 24th floor, so that probably helped."
"'Healing Mind' seems to be an automatic regeneration of mental strength. I heard Riveria-san has it, but no one really knows how it activates, not even Hermes-sama."
"And finally..."
"'Assassination'..."
A heavy feeling rose in my chest. 'Assassination' is probably an ability that increases the effectiveness of attacks your opponent doesn't perceive.
Most likely, it activates from... mass assassination of living beings.
"So, what'll it be? Which one will you unlock? Personally, I'm thinking of 'Healing Mind'...
"...I choose 'Assassination.'"
"Are you sure about that?"
"Yes. My status recognized my Experience Exceria. Since it manifested itself, I want to make use of it."
Hermes looked at me with the concerned expression of a parent.
"And I feel this ability suits me. I believe it will help me someday."
"...Alright then. Let's do this Rank Up."
"Yes!"
I lay back down. Hermes's finger traced my back again.
I looked at my hand and clenched it. Memories of the past month as an adventurer flooded my mind, and beside me was always Bell.
"Bell, I'm going ahead."
"Done."
"Huh?"
Hermes pulled away. I opened and closed my hand, tapped my foot, but nothing seemed different.
"Um, Hermes-sama? Did I really rank up?"
"Yes. You might not feel it yet, but you'll notice soon enough."
He handed me a new sheet.
Toki Ortyx
Lv. 2
Strength: I0
Endurance: I0
Dexterity: I0
Agility: I0
Magic: I0
Assassination: I
I really ranked up. I can't quite feel it yet, but I understand it somehow.
"Wow, Toki's already Lv. 2. Even though the Sword Princess took a year, this must be a new world record... Damn, I never thought I'd regret my own stance this much!"
Hermes keeps the Familia middle-tier or below to stay neutral. If a world record holder appeared, it would attract attention and potentially expose some hidden flaws.
"Wait at least two years... no, one year... no, six months! Then I'll apply for rank up!"
"Honestly, even two years is fine with me..."
"Maybe I should just ditch my stance and apply now...?"
"Please don't! And why?"
"Because I want to brag!!"
"Stop changing your stance for that reason!"
We argued for a good hour.
"Phew, enough. Let's save this talk for another day. Now, I know you're curious about your new skills and magic, but today is the celebration! You're kind of the star, so come quickly!"
Hermes grabbed my hand and led me out.
Today we celebrate surviving the 24th floor, fighting, experiencing so much, and everyone returning alive. I funded most of the party with the money from selling the loot.
The rest remains in the Familia's savings, which have grown so large I worry penalties might expose some tax evasion!
While thinking that, we arrived at the venue.
"Sorry for the wait!"
"Hermes-sama, you're late!"
"We heard your scream from here!"
"Toki, you already ranked up? That was fast!"
Everyone was waiting, the preparations all done.
"Here, a glass."
Nelly handed me a glass. Smelling it, it was definitely alcohol.
"Well then, Hermes-sama... no, it's fine. Let's have you say a few words to Toki and toast."
"Eh!?"
Asfi-san's sudden request caught me off guard. I looked around but saw no allies. I took a deep breath and spoke.
"Through this quest, I learned the greatness of my seniors and faced myself honestly. I'm truly glad I followed all of you."
I really was. Without this experience, I'd probably still be just admiring from afar. But now, I have new feelings.
"Then, let us toast to the continued growth of the Hermes Familia!"
"Cheers!"
I'm really glad I was picked up by this Familia.
-------------
Notes: I'll explain Toki's skills in detail later. The skill names come from the Greek hero Heracles and the Fool, Heracles for his legendary twelve labors, and the Fool for the reckless bravery to challenge stronger opponents.
Next time, the training arc is planned.
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