Karl DuFeu stared blankly at a piece of paper, barely registering the words on its surface. Instead, he was distracted by a small emerald green System screen floating in the corner of his vision. The Bronzen Dwarf Ailsa sent a message out of the blue, shocking Karl in the middle of his important paperwork.

Ailsa Kira's Human, ain't she? He hesitated for a full hour, weighing options for his response.

Humans were scary.

Terrifying monsters, willing to throw their own body into danger for fun and profit. Not just reasonable amounts of danger, fighting opponents on equal or lesser footing, but against monsters and creatures several times their own level! Traveling days without rest, able to survive weeks without food so long as they had enough clean water to stay hydrated... Their pain tolerance alone made them fearsome opponents in battle!

Humans evolved to hunt by following prey at a walking pace until the prey had to sleep, making use of that resting time to catch up and scare them into running again. Before they developed advanced trapping techniques and formation hunting, Humans literally heat exhausted their prey to death!

Broken arm? It's fine, I'll fight with the other one.

Shot in the chest? It missed my lungs and heart, I'll keep going!

That monster has teeth the size of my forearm, but it's fluffy so let's be friends with it!

If they were just muscle-bound meatheads, it'd be one thing. So what if they wanted to be the first to explore someplace new and dangerous? They're sturdy enough, let them!

But even scarier than their physical resilience, buffed as it was by them being an Origin species on their home planet... Even scarier than the Human Adaptability passive that built up their resistances every time they experienced something with their own body... Even scarier than their overprotective tendencies toward whatever they'd pack-bonded with...

Was their bureaucracy.

Methodical. Meticulous. Rules upon rules that dictate their social interactions, with even slight innocuous variations being seen as taboo. Humans survived in a world without magic through community-bonding and strict rules binding their actions. The needs of the many always outweighed the few. They were logical and organized, even with the vast diversity between their own cultures. Humans excelled at finding common ground then using it to their advantage.

But sometimes, just sometimes, those same logical organized humans were the type of Beings to continue consuming poisonous substances in different ways just to figure out the 'correct' way to eat it.

They were tenacious, intelligent, curious, and absolutely baffling!

In many ways, Humans were very similar to Fae. Probably why their people enjoyed such a long lasting alliance over the centuries? Each Clan was tied to a different Fae Court. Messing with Humans almost always meant messing with Fae too.

Their package deal was too much of a hassle. A 2-for-1 sale of trouble!

Kira was Clanless. A living 《 Relic 》, a genuine piece of the past able to speak fluent Enliss! She would be the treasure of whichever Clan she chose to live with. And whoever helped those Clans convince her to join them would surely be rewarded for their efforts, hence the political scramble of Atmont's Council. Earning the favor of specific individual Humans wasn't hard. But handing over a Clanless 《 Relic 》?

Whoever managed that would get to write their own check. Money, magic tools, skill books, tamed beasts. The influence and wealth of a Human Clan was nothing to sneeze at!

But what Karl worried over was what Kira would experience after being handed over to the Clans.

Humans faced other Beings as a united front. But internally the Clans weren't exactly best friends. If everyone got along, what would be the point of having separate Clans with distinct territories, all far away from each other?

They'd fight, they'd scheme, they'd backstab and manipulate and bribe and bully. Kira was only 14 years old, from a time before magic, when the only threats humanity faced were of their own making!

Or so the stories told.

Fae rarely intervened in inter-Clan Human politics. Like the Humans they befriended, they presented a united front to other Beings but their own civil politics were a different matter entirely. The threads between the Fae Courts and Human Clans were an intricate, tangled knot of bureaucracy.

Would Kira even understand political intrigue? Could she hold her tongue in a Clan Meeting when they spoke of her like an object instead of a person?

Karl sighed, rubbing his temples before sending Ailsa a reply. The Dwarf Shaman could be trusted, but... He still felt reluctant.

Karl If I tell you too much about her, you might get involved in a big mess. Ailsa I'm already involved, you scaley git! What, is she a princess or something? Karl I'm serious. You'll be in danger, it's best to train her and leave. I told you as much when calling in this favor, if you recall. Ailsa Karl, she's a kid. She's grieving over the loss of her family and needs people to support her, but she's gonna stand out at the Academia, she's just too remarkable. Readying a Demi-Elf and a Human are two different kinds of requirements! I need to know how much I have to prepare her for. Karl ...Yeah. She's Human. Ailsa And you hid this why? Karl She's Clanless. Ailsa Figured it was something like that, considering how much she's grieving and all. A Clanless Human kid... What else? Come on, you wouldn't kick up such a fuss unless there was more. Spill it, scaley. All of it!

In for a penny, in for a pound. If he told her the entire truth, she'd be involved and her own conscience wouldn't allow her to abandon the child. Karl braced himself, rubbing his temples before cracking his knuckles and inputting a long string of text.

Karl Kira's a 《 Relic 》. She was in a high-quality Training Gate since magic first existed on Gaea, but thought only two weeks passed due to a Haze effect. She saw the Proclamation with her own eyes, in her perception it happened a short while ago. I'm sure that's why the loss of her family hit so hard, she wasn't expecting to return so far in the future that she won't even be able to find out what happened to them. Everyone she's ever known is long dead and forgotten. Also she's using a Translation enchantment to communicate, since she only speaks Enliss. English, she calls it! Her pronunciation is truly something delightful! Somehow, Karl felt he heard a string of expletives drifting by on a breeze. He shook his head, rubbing his ear to clear the sudden ringing sensation. Ailsa An Enliss-fluent Clanless 《 Relic 》?! So that's why the old man was up in a tizzy! I thought Grandpa was off his rocker when he sent so many people to scour the streets in secret for one person, but he was looking for Kira?! Karl I told you not to get involved. Ailsa Get stuffed! This is gonna be great, I love thwarting you old Council fogeys! Though you're not the one being thwarted this time, count yourself lucky, scales. Karl ...I don't know how to feel. They always insist on reminding me of my youth, but you always call me old... Ailsa It's just perspective, don't molt about it. Karl Dragons don't molt! Ailsa Whatever, I gotta go. The kid just walked into her first goblin patrol! Karl Wait, what? Karl ...Goblin patrol? Karl Ailsa you Bronzen Menace did you take a 1-F Geomancer child into the Dungeon!? Karl AILSA

Three goblins milled about in the middle of the tunnel, blocking Kira's path forward. Not a single one was more than a meter tall, with hunched postures and wiry builds, their hides oddly gray and pebbly. Clusters of moss draped around their waists, and it was impossible to tell if they intentionally made clothing from the stuff, or if it grew naturally on their bodies.

They clutched crude stone clubs in their disproportionately large hands, and had squished pug-like faces with bulging eyes that left Kira feeling more than a little unsettled.

She glanced at the Scan information floating above the Goblins in compact display windows, then nodded. 'Yeah, I can see why Ailsa said I'm monstrous now. Maybe I'll ask my classmates if I can Scan them for more reference?'

【 Monster #1 】 Lv. 5-F Cave Goblin Pawn, Monster HP MP 9/9 2/2 【 Monster #2 】 Lv. 5-F Cave Goblin Pawn, Monster HP MP 9/9 3/3 【 Monster #3 】 Lv. 6-F Cave Goblin Pawn, Monster HP MP 10/10 3/3 【 SYSTEM: BESTIARY 】 UNLOCKED

《 Relic 》 title and Scan (Gold Quality) detected. Scan used on a monster at least 3 levels higher than the caster.

Minimum requirements have been met. Bestiary unlocked. Gold-tier access granted.

Beasts, Beings, Maju, and monsters you Scan now have detailed information unlocked in the Bestiary.

Scan Lv.3 required to highlight weak points.

【 BESTIARY 】 Added 'Cave Goblin' entry. 【 SYSTEM: DICTIONARY 】 UNLOCKED!

Added 'Definition' modifier to Scan spell. Scanning words for information on its meaning will not consume MP.

Scanned terms will be saved to an Index for later perusal.

【 DEFINITION: BEAST 】

A creature with no magical ability and limited intellectual capacity. Another term for 'beast' is 'animal'.

Horses, cows, dogs, tigers, and other mundane creatures you might recognize would be labeled beasts.

【 DEFINITION: BEING 】

A creature with sapience, language, and rationality. Most creatures are recognized as Beings if they have a lineage and culture of their own.

Sentience means the ability to feel things, the ability to perceive things. Most living things that have some degree of consciousness are sentient, monsters in particular are an exception. Sapience means the ability to think, the capacity for intelligence, the ability to acquire wisdom. Creatures are recognized to have obtained sapience if they can learn speech, converse, and learn subjects not directly related to their own survival.

【 DEFINITION: MAJU 】

A loanword adopted from Gaea's ancient Japanese language, 'Maju' refers to magical beasts that were once seen as terrifying demonic creatures when magic was first emerging in this universe. Though the truth has long since been revealed, the terminology remains.

Maju are beasts strongly affected by, or entirely formed of, mana. Some Maju have the intelligence and sentience of mere beasts, while others possess sapience. The distinction lies in a Maju's innate rank: Pawn, Knight, Chariot, General, Lord, and Monarch. Only Maju of General rank or higher will ever be capable of attaining sapience.

A Maju's rank is determined by species, though some outliers have been known to exist. Most use magic through instinct, but higher rank Maju can learn spells or skills.

Some Pawn and Knight Maju are raised as livestock.

【 DEFINITION: MONSTER 】

Monsters are corrupted Maju with high aggression and bloodlust. Some have their intelligence degrade, others lose their mind entirely. The most dangerous monsters are not high rank corrupted Maju who keep their intellect, but those who achieve intelligence after corruption.

The terminology is kept separate because monsters have no self-preservation instinct. Even on the brink of death they'll keep fighting to destroy their prey, heedless of injury or danger. Solitary-type monsters will fight anything, including their kin, while Social-type monsters group with others of their kind. Solitary-types tend to be more rare, but are stronger individuals.

If monsters breed, the aggression is passed on to their young for many generations. Monsters are ranked according to the Maju system, but their rank may change for better or worse upon corruption.

The exact reason behind Maju corruption is currently unknown, but many symptoms, causes, and theories have been researched.

'Ah, I can't see their base stats... That's too bad, it'd be nice to have a frame of reference.' Kira frowned as various System windows popped into existence, hovering around the edges of her vision to prevent obscuring the field of view. She appreciated its thoughtfulness, taking advantage of the monster's low perception to read her way through all the screens.

She was confident in her ability to sneak past the group considering they hadn't noticed her standing within arm's reach, but Ailsa gave instructions to eliminate all 'beasties'. Besides, the entire point of this is to help with her combat training. Running away or taking them out with 【 Throw Rock 】 would be missing the point.

If she sat and pondered her options, nerves would get the better of her. She vaguely remembered having that problem in the Gate, bits and pieces of hesitation when being confronted with the creatures that chased her around the forest. Trying to pick out specific memories was like trying to remember a very long and intricate dream sequence.

The first creature she remembered killing was a blue horned wolf. It shot weak sparks of lightning from its horn, and was alarmingly fast. A tenacious hunter, it chased her through the entire Gate until she got sick of running. She grabbed a bunch of rocks, threw them in her Inventory, and scurried up a tree to pelt its head with projectiles until it died.

She slept in the tree branches that night, after crying herself into unconsciousness.

A normal animal would have fled once it started getting injured. Thinking back on it, the creature that chased her then must have been a monster? While the Porin were likely Maju. 'Or maybe they were Beings? They looked like cute fluffy little animals, but they had storytelling and culture so...'

The Cave Goblins started making grunting noises and gesticulations at each other, dragging Kira out of her thoughts back into reality. 'Right! Fighting. Okay. I've killed monsters before, this will be fine. Even if these ones are humanoid, and that's new. It'll be fine.'

She took a few deep breaths, closing all the info screens and bringing up her music playlist. Once a familiar tune entered her ears, Kira bounced on her heels, readied her fists, and lunged forward.

Kira had a Strength stat of 4. As a Geomancer, she got +25% melee combat damage, doubled to 50% if she had bare skin touching a significant amount of earth. Being barefoot effectively boosted her Strength to 6 as long as she wasn't in a building or up a tree.

4 was already an obscene amount of Strength for a 1-F, 6 was unimaginable. But against 5-F opponents, even scrawny little goblins, 6 STR was on the lower end of acceptable.

WHUD!

-4 HP appeared in red above the goblin's head as her fist collided with the side of its skull. It fell over sideways, dazed, while the other two snarled and gripped their stone clubs. Kira clenched her fists and bounced back, avoiding a haphazard club swing by the skin of her teeth.

Their tactics were crude: swing weapon while jabbering and grunting. No attention was paid to positioning or not hitting their allies. The swing that missed her lightly smacked the other goblin in the arm, shaving off 4 HP.

Kira narrowed her eyes. Her purposeful surprise attack punch took 4 HP as well.

Just a glancing blow from a makeshift club did that much damage?

She planted her feet, bracing her arm to block a swing aimed at her ribs.

WHACK!

The force of the blow sent her staggering back a step, which she exaggerated to put a bit more distance between her and the angry goblins.

-7 HP! One hit dropped her HP by 7 points!

A ripple of light spread out across her arm at the moment of impact, iridescent and barely visible. Like a soap bubble that popped the instant she looked at it. That light was the HP represented by the System, protecting one's life and body. It broke upon reaching 0, inflicting the Vulnerable status which allowed for fatal injuries to be inflicted.

Minor injuries that didn't immediately threaten one's life could be inflicted through the HP shield, such as accidentally breaking a guy's hand or scraping one's knee, and the shield didn't block pain or status effects like paralysis or poisoning.

Kira held out a hand and activated 【 Earthshape 】. The clubs in the goblin's hands softened, squishing in their tight grips like soft clay that oozed out between their fingers. Kira took advantage of their momentary confusion to dash past them, attacking the dazed goblin lying on the ground.

WHUD-WHUD!

A swift double punch to its face erased the last of its HP. The HP shield shattered, dissolving in a shower of iridescent sparkles as her fist crushed the goblin's already squashed nose even further into its skull.

When fighting multiple opponents, it was important to maintain good positioning. Kira knocked one goblin out with her fists, then immediately moved away to face the other two. Without their stone clubs, the Cave Goblins were no threat at all. They rushed her with outstretched arms, leaping over the prone body of their companion.

5 levels of difference made them faster, stronger, but not smarter. Kira had a natural Agility score of 1, but she had a passive that didn't suit such a low base score:

【 Acrobatic 】.

She rolled to the side as they dove for her legs, bringing her limbs in close to prevent exposing any weak points. Then she sprang up and kicked the back of one goblin's knees as it grabbed the empty air where she used to be. Once her feet were squarely on the ground, she swung a right hook at the back of its head.

WHACK!

-10 HP! Critical hit on a weak point!

The HP shield shattered as the goblin crumpled to the ground. The third goblin saw an opportunity in her attacking its ally and grasped at her waist, its gnarled, clawed hands tearing through fabric and slashing the tender flesh beneath. It opened its mouth, revealing rows of sharp teeth that it sank into her left arm while the other was mid-punch.

-3 HP!

Kira snarled from the pain and flung her body sideways, slamming the goblin against the wall again and again, until its HP shield shattered. It kept scrabbling for purchase on her thin body with its jagged claws, tearing and scratching again and again until finally, one solid hit made the creature go limp.

She panted for breath, but knew better than to stop for a break. Vulnerable didn't mean dead, so she finished the three goblins off with a simple 【 Throw Rock 】 before they could get up and cause more trouble for her.

An odd jingling tone cut through the music still playing in her ears, and a shiny gold System screen popped up.

【 LEVEL UP! 】

Level: 1 ► 2

HP: 10/20 ► 10/40 (+20 BI*)

MP: 18/50 ► 18/70 (+20 BI)

STR: 4 ► 10 (+4 BI, +2 VTB**)

INT: 6 ► 10 (+4 BI)

AGI: 1 ► 7 (+4 BI, +2 VTB)

DEX: 3 ► 9 (+4 BI, +2 VTB)

*Base Increase: The base amount your stat increased for the level up, unaffected by other modifiers such as VTB**. **Vigorous Training Bonus: You have expended great effort to increase these values in the past. Effort is rewarded! First Level Up Bonus 【 Gaea's Pique 】(Passive)

Gaea has noticed you.

"Oh God... I really am monstrous..."