"You've gotten faster—fast enough to grab my arm. Plus, look at you, Level 9 already. Did you finally receive the System?"
Remedy let go of Soren's wrist and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Y-yes. I received the System."
Suddenly, two women materialized out of thin air, flanking Soren on either side.
One was tall, wearing a vest that displayed broad shoulders, ripped arms, and chiseled abs—an incredibly athletic build, though still slightly shorter than Soren. Her ruby-red eyes, which perfectly matched her raven-black hair, locked onto Remedy.
"You really got the System?! Since when?!"
The other was of average height, with a slender silhouette draped in light combat robes. Her mysterious violet eyes, matching her hair, scrutinized Remedy without stopping.
"And you're already about to break through to the first Tier? That's fast, isn't it? What Class did you get?"
"Uh..." A torrential downpour of questions crashed over Remedy.
But this commotion didn't go unnoticed by the crowd.
"Look, that man and those two women... why do they look so familiar?"
"Yeah, you're right. That's them... The number two team of the Guild!"
"That's it! That's 'Iron Mirage'!"
Soren reached out and lightly patted both women on the head.
"Kaela, Myra. Keep your voices down."
They instantly quieted down, visibly pleased by the head pats. Remedy looked at them, feeling awkward.
Please tell me this isn't starting again.
"So, little brother?" Soren asked.
"Ah, right. I got the Enchanter Class. And it's been... what, two days now?"
"So you hit Level 9 in a single day? I thought it was too fast," Kaela noted.
"An Enchanter, though? I thought you'd be in the fighter category, given your style," Myra added.
Remedy smiled. Then: "Now that you can level up, are you going to bring out your 'Chain'?"
Remedy and Soren locked eyes. Kaela and Myra exchanged glances, frozen. Nobody moved.
Then: "Yes, I plan to."
Soren cracked a smile and opened his hand. A glass vial appeared. He tossed it to Remedy.
"Here. A Breakthrough Potion. It's up to you whether you use it or not."
Remedy caught it.
A Breakthrough Potion. It has its pros and cons. But basically, it's a catalyst to breach a Tier. I wanted to buy one if I could make some money, so...
He looked up. "T-thank you...?!"
The eyes of the two women gleamed. Seizing the opportunity, they lunged at him—Myra first, followed closely by Kaela. Myra pulled out three health potions. Kaela, in her haste, summoned a massive, 1.89-meter-long sledgehammer.
"Take these healing potions to patch yourself up if needed!"
"Take this hammer! With it, you can crush any low-level monster in a single swing!"
Items overflowed from Remedy's hands. Then they started bickering:
"What?! You're giving him a 500-kilogram sledgehammer? How do you expect him to lift that at his level?!" Myra scoffed, smiling behind the scenes, savoring her victory.
"N-no! He's about to break through to Tier 1, so he'll be able to use it! And you, why are you giving him healing potions? Are you wishing for him to get hurt, maybe?!" Kaela smiled triumphantly.
"What?! Not at all! What kind of logic is that?! It's to save him! And besides, I gave him three things!" Myra yelled.
"I-I gave him three things too!" Kaela countered.
Instantly, twin daggers appeared floating above Remedy's head.
"No, you just added that! That doesn't count!"
"But my gifts are more useful than yours!" Kaela turned to Remedy. "Right, Remedy?"
Myra didn't waste a second. "No, it's me! Right, Remedy?"
Together: "Tell us! Which one of us do you like more?!"
Remedy looked up, his gaze turning flat, cold, and utterly impassive. The two women froze. They knew what was coming.
"Neither of you!"
Their hearts shattered. They slumped to the floor in dramatic despair.
[Based on data analysis, it seems the two women are merely trying to impress you in front of Soren...]
Is that really helpful information right now, Ely?
Behind them, Soren was chuckling at Remedy's brutal, deadpan rejection.
"Alright, let's go. We've wasted enough time here."
The two women bounced back to their feet instantly, dusted off their clothes, and smiled—as if the previous scene had never happened.
"Yes, let's wrap it up for today."
"Yeah, this is good for today."
Remedy stared at them. His eyelids twitched imperceptibly. He barely held back a sigh.
"We'll let you get ready for your exam. We gotta go."
"Good luck with the exam, little brother!"
"Work hard, little bro. One day, we can run a dungeon together!"
"Yeah, thanks. Good luck to you guys too."
Then they turned on their heels and left, while the gifts dissolved into blue pixels, stored away.
[You two seem to get along well.]
Remedy watched them walk away.
Yeah. I owe them a lot... especially Soren.
[It seems like a brotherly bond between you two.]
He turned around, a faint smile on his lips.
Yeah. You could say that. And it goes for the other two as well... even if they're a bit annoying sometimes.
[What will you do now?]
Good question. I wanted to use "The Weight of a Feather" to "enchant" people's weapons, make some quick cash, and buy what I need. But...
He opened his inventory space. The hammer. The daggers. The potions. He mentally calculated what he would have needed to buy, versus what he had just saved. A soft breath escaped him, almost a laugh.
Then he pulled out his phone.
Now I'm just going to book a training room for my breakthrough.
***
Remedy walked down an empty hallway, his eyes locked on his phone screen. Another silhouette was approaching from the opposite direction.
It's room number five...
The two collided. The silhouette tumbled to the ground. Remedy rushed over to help.
"I am so sorry! Are you okay...?!"
His eyes froze.
Before him was a girl. Long, golden hair. Her eyes were covered behind a white silk blindfold, delicately tied into her golden locks. She tilted her head up. Her hands reached out and gently cupped Remedy's face, pulling his face closer to hers.
Remedy forgot to breathe for a moment.
End of chapter 9
📋 ITEM SHEETS (Fiches d'Objets pour l'annexe)
🧪 Breakthrough Potion
* Type: Advancement Elixir
* Rarity: Rare
* Rank: D
Description: An alchemical potion designed to help an individual at the summit of Tier 0 breach the biological barrier leading to Tier 1. It acts as a catalyst that violently stimulates the body and forces the reconstruction of the physical vessel.
* Effect: Temporarily boosts biological and energetic activity, facilitating the breaking of the human limit and granting access to Tier 1.
* Condition: Only works if the user is at Level 9, at the very edge of Tier 0.
* Risk: If the body is not sufficiently prepared, the overload can cause transformation failure or severe internal damage.
🧪 Healing Potion
* Type: Healing Elixir
* Rank: D
* Effect Duration: Instantaneous
Description: A medicinal potion designed to rapidly heal light wounds and restore basic physical capabilities. Its effectiveness depends on the user's level relative to the potion's rank.
* Effect: Heals 100% of wounds if the user is at or below Rank D. For higher-level users, the effect decreases proportionally. The first use yields maximum effect, but efficiency drops sharply with consecutive use.
* Limitation: Repetitive use causes the body to build tolerance or suffer increased stress, making the potion ineffective or even dangerous. Only works for physical wounds and light fatigue; cannot restore energy or heal fatal, higher-ranked wounds.
🔨 Sledgehammer
Type: Two-Handed Heavy Bludgeoning Weapon
Rank: D
Total Length: ≈ 1.80 meters (Handle: 1.60m + Head: 0.20m)
Weight: ≈ 500 kg
Durability: 1000 / 1000
Description: A warhammer of elegant and tactical design, rather than a brutish forge mallet. It features a dual-sided, runes-etched head forged from dense, reinforced alloy. This formidable head is mounted atop a reinforced, reinforced shaft measuring 1.60 meters in length, providing an exceptional leverage point. This extended reach makes it ideal for devastating, mid-range crushing strikes and sweep attacks, functioning almost like a reinforced polearm.
Effect: Deploys extreme crushing force, capable of shattering heavy armor, fortification walls, or multiple low-level targets with a single, wide-arc swing.
Condition: Requires High or Surhuman strength. Usable only by those with a confirmed minimum strength stat of 450 (or capable of lifting 500 kg); any other user attempts to lift or swing this weapon risk immediate and severe skeletal fractures or dislocated joints.
🗡️ Twin Daggers
* Type: Light Slashing Weapons (Pair)
* Rank: D
* Length: 35 cm each
* Weight: 1.2 kg each
* Durability: 500 / 500
Description: A pair of daggers perfectly balanced for close-quarters combat. The user can strike with speed and precision using both hands simultaneously. Their dark blades absorb light slightly, making stealth attacks more effective.
* Condition: Requires higher-than-normal agility and coordination to wield both daggers effectively at once.