Cries once again resounded and echoed throughout the dungeon. This must be the nth time I have heard it. I can't discern whether it's a monster's or human's. From such distance, they all sounded the same. If those are human's, then I can't help but feel guilty for just sitting here and listening to their despairs.

Although, I can't do anything to help them even if I wanted to. All I can do is just sit here and convince myself that none of it is my fault. It isn't but still, the guilt is persistent to seep in.

Man, this sucks.

It's not like I enjoy sitting around and listen to the cries but I'm on guard duty at the moment.

Not long after we escaped the Serrators and fighting our way through more hordes of monsters, we found a small cave. Once I deemed it safe and inconspicuous enough, we took refuge here.

Everyone is tired. Clammis and Muo Li could barely even lift their swords. Tom and the goblins were so close to have their legs giving out. I swear that they would have collapsed if we discover the cave any later.

We made a camp -- well, something akin to a camp. There was no bonfire and no tents. The make shift beds are the solid ground.

We had some light meal just enough to keep us by. We ate light because it would hinder our performance otherwise and we don't have a lot to spare. For some reasons, Tom and the goblins are pushing me to eat more. They even went as far as giving me their share.

Chill. I'm not gonna eat you.

Yet.

I think.

After the meal, we decided to get some sleep but we ended up arguing on who will be keeping watch. Muo Li and Clammis were strong contenders for the role.

Strangely, I don't particularly feel tired. I'm exhausted from the running and Mana depletion but I don't feel like sleeping. In conjecture with this, I volunteer to keep watch. The goblins agreed to my volunteering immediately and dozed off the moment they hit the ground. Muo Li wanted to stay up with me to keep watch but I brushed off her unnecessary offer. I did the same when Clammis offered the same thing.

I can tell Tom was hoping the he won't be the one staying up with me. I can understand his caution. After all, I did ate his kind's flesh right in front of him. I wonder why I don't feel too bad about it.

Of course, I wasn't so wicked to make his nightmare into a reality. So, I assured them they could sleep all they want.

Ah~~~~ That meal tasted really good. I can still savor the aftertaste. Maybe I should have taken up Tom's and the goblin's offer of their portion.

I yawn. Must have been the third time now.

I feel sleepy but yet I don't think I need to sleep. I don't think I can.

I stretched my arms.

Hm.... This must be the first time I have stretched ever since I came to this world.

So now, I'm the only one awake and staring at the entrance that is barely visible from the outside. To be honest, we almost missed this place.

Now that I can take a breather, I resume my meditation which I didn't even started. I have planned to meditate back then by the lake but the ghost of the cyan vines had freaked me out so bad that I couldn't keep my teeth from chattering.

I have calmed down a lot ever since but my hands -- they are still trembling, intermittently.

Despite that, I tried to be still and calm as much as possible. I did not shut my eyes as there would defeat the purpose of me keeping watch.

I regulate my breathing. Still my nerves instead of steel. I focus on a pebble just right by the entrance. I focus my entire attention at the pebble, drowning out everything else. The reasons I chose the pebble is because I need something to help me to focus and if it's a pebble by the entrance, I would know if there are any uninvited guest. Though, I'm not seating in a very sophisticated manner. I'm actually holding my knees, not a very ideal posture for meditation but I find seating this way more calming.

After assuming that odd postion for a meditation, I felt that my surroundings is brigtening up and I don't mean it in a metaphorical way.

Different colored tiny spheres of light appear in front of my eyes.

[Light Drop]? No. I didn't cast [Light Drop]. This is not it. So, what are these?

Normally, people would freak out at such occurrence but I find it soothing for some reasons. In this hell hole, these lights seem to be the most comforting thing I have encountered so far.

What are these things?

A faint smile slowly forms on face.

They float closer to me. More and more follow after the first few. They look almost like they want to cuddle with me. They feel soft. Fluffy, I would even say, this tiny spheres of light, shiny and fluffy. Cute.

Cute little buggers. What are they?

[Spirit Magic Lv. 1 increased to Lv. 2]

Oh? What?

[Spirit Magic: Spirit Sight - Acquired]

Um.... I'm guessing these are spirits?

The moment I make that guess, the tiny spheres jump in joy. Oh, what the hell? They are so adorable.

The spirits who have latched themselves onto me begin flickering.

Eh?

Eh?

Eh!

Oh no. Oh no. Please, don't let it be that.

I panicked when I thought I might have trigger the appearance of that strange entity again but my worries proved to be in vain.

When the spirits stop flickering, I noticed my wounds are healed.

Oh?

[Spirit Magic: Spirit Mediation - Acquired]

Oh~ Wow~ So that's how it is. Is that really how I recover during the times when I was unconscious?

Wait.

If that's the case then wouldn't that mean that I already had spirit magic long before I fell from the upper layers? So why only now the message popped into my head?

Never mind that. Now it's a good time for me to recover my Mana.

And so, I sit still in my position, eyes focus on the pebble, more spirits gather to me. I wonder where these spirits are coming from. Just as I was about to dwell even deeper into my concentration, something broke me out of it.

"Hyx?"

"YEE~eek?" I almost gave a full-blown scream.

"Are you alright?" Muo Li asked.

Bitch, don't sneak up on me like that. "Yes. I'm fine." I replied in a calm manner after. What? You think I would yell back at her?

"You sure?"

Okay, why is she so persistent? "What makes you think otherwise?"

She inclines her head as she fumbles for a reason. "You're just too obvious?"

She told me. She sounded uncertain though. "How?" I asked.

"Your hands for one. They have been shaking. I thought it's the adrenaline but even when we were eating, I saw your hands.... they're not stopping."

Ah.... She noticed.

"And your eyes...."

I tilted my head at her words.

"They are.... blank. Hollow. Like they are not really looking at what's in front."

Her observations are getting a little bit scary here. "I'm surprised. You don't look very sharp to me."

"It has nothing to do with that." Okay..... she sounds angry and looks angry. "It's just.... When you see something like this too often, you will get good at spotting them."

Oh. I suppose I am still inexperience in such matters.

"And your expression...."

"There's more?" ..... Um.... oops. I let loose my inner thoughts and spoke out in a accent that might seems odd to her. Please overlook this.

She glares at me for a moment but drops her gaze immediately. I guess she decided to overlook it? "You were smiling when you were killing those monsters. One only smiles while killing when they are either enjoying it or trying to trick their own distaste for it. Seeing as how you froze when the women comitted suicide, I can pretty much guess which category you fall into."

Apparently the problem is not her, it's me. I'm just that obvious.

"Is that why you chose to stay up and keep watch? Are you afraid that those memories would come to as nightmares?"

I'll appreciate it if you stop analyzing and evaluating me now. "I suppose it is something along those lines." I relented.

"So, are you actually fine?"

"I am." I answered. "For now."

Her eyes said she's not convinced. "But you look like you were hallucinating, smiling at something."

Huh? "You don't seem them?" I point randomly at one of the spirits. The spirits have a gesture as if to say "me?" Cute.

Muo Li looks at where I'm pointing. She gives me a dumbfounded look.

"You can't see them?"

"See what?" She is even squinting her eyes.

"You can't see the spirits?"

Then, she widens her eyes. "You can see them?"

Okay. Judging from her reaction, having the ability to see spirits isn't common. "Yeah." I answered.

"...."

When I didn't receive a response from her, I turned. I see her staring at my face, even her jaws has dropped. She is stuttering on something.

"What?"

"Your wounds.... Th....They're gone."

Oh, that. "Yeah. It does that. Thanks to the spirits." I think.

"Seriously...." She said as if she remembered something painful. "You're just one surprise after another."

I can totally understand. I surprised myself too but that doesn't explain that facial expression. "What's wrong?" I inquired.

"It's....It's nothing."

I sigh. Your facial expression doesn't look like nothing. "Really?" I press on.

"It's nothing you already not know -- Maybe you don't really know but you changed a lot. I may have not known you for a long time but you left quite a big impression but I can't see any of that now. And your speech pattern is different and..... unusual, I can say?

I concur. My character is tailored by my time back at earth.

She continues "You barely resemble the Hyx Atlas I remember anymore."

Her face tells me that she thinks it's regrettable that I have changed. Okay.... I'm not aware that you see me in that sort of way or we are acquainted in that way? Maybe she's just a very caring person. Maybe, could be, hopefully.

"Was I really that different?" I would say yes since I'm suppose to be a scholar. I doubt my current attitude is befitting of a scholar.

"You looked so fragile back then." She began. "And you treated people like fragile things too. You are always so careful with your words, actions, behaviors, etiquette towards everyone. You give each person different treatment. You treat each person as a completely different individual."

"So.... you're saying I was very considerate?" Too considerate, in fact.

"That's putting it mildly." She smiles wryly at her own words. She was giving out a vibe of admiration. "Adventurers, soldiers, Templar Knights, we never could get along. During the first meet-up, the whole thing would have ended in a brawl but you cast aside your pride and begged for the whole thing to be concluded in a civilized manner. Your display was quite shameful but it did the job. It was really admirable."

Hmm.... Maybe I wasn't considerate. Maybe I'm just a very subtle asshole because it sure sounds like that to me. That Hyx Atlas might have been a bona fide psychopath.

"If you weren't there. This expedition wouldn't have been possible."

Ah.... That's starting to sound more like a blame than admiration. Or is she just simply saying what's on her mind?

Her saddened face went static when she seems to realized what she just said. "Ah? No no no no no." She was stringing the no's. "That's not what I meant. I'm not trying to blame you for all this.... Is just.... Is just...."

So, she's that kind of person. Caring but honest, interesting. I have never done this before back one earth. Or at least, I don't remember I have done anything like teasing a girl. So feminists, please overlook this. Let me have some fun.

"Is just?" I apply pressure on her.

"Uh..... Uh....." No answer came. Her face is only getting more and more flustered. There's some degree of cuteness to it but given her state, it's not really showing.

I had my fun, for now. I'll send her a lifeboat. "Is alright. I know you don't mean any of it."

"Ah?" Her flustering stopped. It changes into a pout. "You're a lot meaner now too."

"I guess I am." I do remember I'm always this much of an asshole back on earth.

"The spirits...."

The spirits?

"Are they still here?"

Huh. They still there and they don't look happy. They don't have any face but I can tell, somehow. I guess they're not happy from being left alone. "Yeah, they still there."

"Where?" Her hands reach out into the air. Is she trying to do what I think she's trying to do?

"Are you trying to touch the spirits?"

"I can't?"

Let me think.... "Well, it's not that whether you're allow to but I don't think you can actually touch them but if you want to try...." I pointed at where the spirits are, close to my chest.

She looks confused or rather, skeptical.

"I"m not lying." Truly, I'm not. "They are the ones who healed my wounds. Which is why they are on my body." I explained before she misunderstood the whole thing like almost every anime female characters. Honestly, I'm tired of those shits.

Still, she can't help but getting all red. I didn't think she was such a maiden. Didn't the goblins and orcs have their way with her? ..... Maybe not. She was strung up on a pole and used as punching bags. Maybe the goblins and orcs didn't touch her after all? Is her chastity preserved? But if I asked and the answer is otherwise, that would be boorish of me and awkward. Ah.... This is troublesome. Socializing is a headache.

"Then.... may I?" Her hand slowly and slowly getting closer to my chest.

"Sure?" I grab her hand and move it a little bit to the right, where one of the spirits are. I swore I heard a shriek for a split second but I'll be prudent to let it pass.

"Ah?" She utters when she touched the spirit which is slightly touching my chest. Of course, there's a layer of clothing in between. I'm not that lucky.

But anyways, I learned that even without spirit magic, you can't touch them but you can feel them to a certain extent. Jolly good to know.

"How does it feel?" I asked. Of course, I asked with some hidden intention.

"It's warm."

Good. Good. "And?"

"Soft."

"And?"

"It's like threading on silks..." She's completely mesmerized.

"And?"

"I could feel the concentration of magic...."

"Okay." Now to pluck the fruits of my labor. "And now, how does the spirit feels like?"

"Huh?" She looked up at me, completely stupefied. When she realized the meaning that my words hold, red once again taken hold of her face color.

Cute. A flustered maiden is one of the pinnacles of cuteness.

"Eh~~! No no. I'm sorry. I didn't...." Before her confusion gets even more out of hand, I cupped her mouth with my hand. I put my finger to my lips. I gestured for her understanding and compliance. She nodded.

I let go of her mouth. 'Sorry. I just couldn't help it." I look away to prevent her from seeing the mischievous smile forming on my face.

I can't see her face but I'm sure and I know she's pouting.

That was fun....

....

....

What the hell am I doing?

She has become quiet. Too quiet, in fact. So I look back at her.

There she was, looking down, her shoulders shuddering, her cheeks inflated and reddened. When she looks back up at me, she looks as if she was about to cry.

Really? You're going to cry from that?

"To think.... to think...."

"To think?"

"To think that you will even do something like making a maiden cry now." She said so, in a small voice. The "maiden" is especially low.

I may looked like a jerk right now but I like to believe I did help her in some way. I figured her mind must be having the incident with the goblins on a loop. The way she talks, the way she fights, the way she walks, it's almost like it's all done automatically. She must be really frightened. If I have to guess, I say she's frightened of me too but she's not that kind of person to show it. I feel bad if I really made her so frightened.

This might have take her mind off of those things for a bit. Granted, my purpose isn't that completely pure. I always wanted to tease a girl, although one could argue she is more of a woman than a girl. A young lady, perhaps?

I wanted to hug her and tell her everything is alright but I'm not sure even I believed that myself and I'm not keen on setting flags, so I'll refrain from that. I end up just caressing her head. Hm. Her hair feels nice and so is her warmth.

"Sorry. Just trying to lighten up the mood." I said. It's half a lie, of course.

"Is... Is that so?"

"So, why did you joined this expedition?"

She looks unsure on how to answer.

I suppose I can help. "Was there something this expedition that attracted you?"

"Um.... I guess it's the same reason as any adventurers. The fame, the money, the thrill? I guess I just want a little bit of each?"

Well, that does fit a mindset of an adventurer. "Can you use magic?"

"I can but...." She then looks at me. "Obviously not as good as you." She smiles.

Fuck. That's so cute. Poker face! Poker face! Where's the Poker Face skill when I need one.

"Ahahaha...." I laughed, nervously. "Is that so? But if you can use magic, why didn't you?"

"I suppose a talented person like you won't know about it. You don't even need to chant."

Hey. What's with the hundred eighty shift? Mind you, I don't remember jack shit. So listen here, you little cutesy shit. "Forgive me. I truly do not know."

"It's alright. No body is to be blamed. It's just one misfortune among the lot."

Well, that's depressing. With the way this conversation is going, I think it will only be more depressing. Let me change the mood, if I can.

"It's not all that bad." I said. "I have magic but I don't know the first thing about it. The things that I do know about magic so far, I just know them by coincidence and convenience. And I don't think that I can keep relying on coincidence and convenience. So, if it's not too much trouble, could you tell me more about magic?"

She looks surprise at first but then she smiles like she understood my intention. "Of course. What would you like to know?"

Now, let's see. Where is the list in my head? Um.... Ah! There it is.

"Why is it call Arcane Arts?" That's like one of the questions right on the top of my list. Instead of what, I want to know "why".

She has a wondering face that says "et~to~" but I don't think something like that will happen. "I'm not even sure about that myself." She said as she rubs the back of her head. "It has been called that for thousands of years now."

Thousands of years of history. That's long.

"But only Court Mages and Alchemists, researchers, scholars, and the likes call it in such way. I would say Arcane Arts is something like the official term. Everyone just calls it magic or spells."

I see. This world also cares about things like official terms and whatnot. I suppose it's not strange.

"And there are three types of Arcane Arts."

"Three?"

"Yeap. There are the common ones, the unique ones, and the legacy ones."

I don't really need her to explain since my nerd brain could already guess it but I'll just let her talk since she looks like she's into it.

"The common type is something that everyone can learn. Although, there is the degree of rarity and compatibility. The lesser the amount of people is compatible to an Arcane Art, the rarer it is. For the unique types, these Arcane Arts are specific and unique to a single individual. No two people at the same time can possess the same unique Arcane Art. And for legacy types, they are Arcane Arts that is inherent to a bloodline. Only the kin and family posses it."

Yeap, just as I expected. I'm starting to think spending all my time coping up in my room reading and playing fantasy stuffs is starting to pay off.

Now, what else do I want to ask? Hm.... Oh right. There's that. "What about aptitudes?"

"Aptitudes?" She doesn't look like she knows of such word.

Ah.... Okay.... maybe it's not called aptitudes but it is called as such in the status card though.

"Oh." She snapped her fingers. I immediately clasp her hand and put my finger to my lips.

"Ah~! Sorry. Sorry." She apologized when she realized the sound she made.

"It's okay. Just be more mindful, okay?"

She nods.

"So, you were remembering something?"

"Oh right. Aptitudes.... If I'm not mistaken, we call them affinities or talents -- our compatibility with each single Arcane Art. I guess aptitude is the official term? At least, that's what I heard the court officials often say. Affinities vary among each individual."

"Is there any way to measure them?"

"You can use an Affinity Crystal but..... there are other ways but this is the most common."

"Do you have one with you?"

"They are not something a simple adventurer like me can afford."

Does that mean I have to be loaded to check my aptitudes?

"But a magic shop or an alchemist shop would have an Affinity Crystal available for public uses. It cost roughly a silver for one inspection but of course, it's much cheaper than buying one."

When I heard the currency of this world is mentioned, I got curious. Must have been the way I asked of her about the currencies because she looks more frightened of me than before. Of course, I tried to rectify my unbecoming actions. Hope it works.

Anyways, the explanation I was given is that, copper is the lowest and white gold is the highest. A silver equals to a hundred coppers. A hundred silvers equals to a gold. And a thousand gold equals to a white gold. White gold comes in the form of plates instead of coins, and it's even considered rare to the high nobles.

Mental note, study about economics when I leave this hell hole.

Well, those aside, what else do I want to ask?

When I was about to ask a next question, a shadow went past us. It had stopped for a while just outside the entrance but it kept moving on eventually. I was indifferent to it but Muo Li literally froze for a single moment there.

"You okay?" I asked.

"It didn't saw us?" She asked, worryingly. Understandable.

Since I have recovered enough Mana to use [Mana Percepton], I have activated it ever since. So I am able to tell whether they have found us out or not. Which explains my indifferent reaction. "Nope, it didn't." I assured Muo Li.

"How can you be so sure?" She doesn't look convinced.

"Trust me." I said, putting on a reassuring smile while I gestured at my eyes.

She seems to understand my implications and accepted it. Good. I was not looking forward to do anymore convincing.

Now, back to the expositions and world-building. Does these count as such?

"What about rankings? I remember there's a alphabet rankings somewhere on my status card."

She ponders for awhile. "Well, there's two types of ranking. One's for us, the Sagax and the other one's for monsters, magic beasts."

Huh? I heard a hundred percent foreign word. "Wait, what's a Sagax?"

"Us." She said so naturally. "The fairy tribes, beast-kin, Majins, and basically every other races who are capable of speech, communication, restrain, and civility. That's how the books explain it."

I nod as I absorb her words. I see, Sagax are basically intelligent beings, sapient races. While it is to be expected but I'm still in wonder that there's a term for it. Amazing, as expected of an Isekai, another world.

"Who are the Majins?" I asked.

"They're demon-kin. They are said to be descendants of the Demon God, Indarus."

Oooh. That don't sound good. "They're evil?"

"It was thought of that to be the truth at first but not since Hero Ralov made a pact with them five hundred years ago. Ever since then, they have been considered as one of the Sagax races."

Huh. I have half-expected and half-hoping the world is at war with the demon race but that's not the case, I see. Nice going, Hero R..... whatever your name is.

"But don't be confuse them with actual demons. They are not the same."

Ah....? "How so?"

"Demons and Majins might have the same origins but they are two different species."

Um.... I don't really quite get it.

My confuse must be showing on my face. And Muo Li explains further. "Comparing actual demons to the Majins is like comparing us humans to the apes. We might have the same origins but we entirely different now."

Oh, so that how it is. But.... surprisingly, this worlds has the same theory of human evolving from primates. Huh.... I wonder how far their knowledge of science is on even grounds with earth's.

But.... I feel like we are deviating from a subject. What was it again?

Ah! Right. Rankings.

Seeing me, who has been listening attentively, Muo Li's eyes sparkled. She then became excited and as a result, her explanation becomes long-winded and sometimes she trailed off from the subject. Anyways, to summarize what she explained, the power ranking for Sagax from the lowest is, G all the way up to S. From D onwards, there's two tiers. A normal tier and an upper tier which is represent by a "+" sign. And there's actually a rank higher than S and that is V.

The V-ranks are treated as a higher position than a nation's ruler. They are even seen as demi-gods although they don't actually have any divinity in them but their powers are only second to the Gods. There are currently only four in the world.

As for the monster's ranking, while they do have sort of a similar ranking but there are some differences. First off, their ranks also range from G all the way to V but unlike Sagax's ranking, they don't have two tiers starting from D.

The way the ranking works is that for example; a B-rank monster does not actually equals to a B-rank individual. While it is not entirely correct to be said that way. Even the one doing the explanation herself is also at a lost but from what I can piece together, it is more accurately to say the party with the average rank of B rivals or equals to a B-rank monster. Since Muo Li is stuttering halfway through, I decided not to take her words at face value.

"So, what rank would this expedition party be?"

"I would say somewhere between a C and a D."

Really? That don't sound very smart.

"I know what you're thinking. Everybody is thinking that way too but...."

But....?

"They just can't help but wanting to have the first claim. The treasures and rewards awaiting for the early birds, the glory of being the first to conquer a dungeon, that sort of greed. Even the King of Farmas who formed this expedition was not exempted from the greed."

I ask her who this King of Farmas is and she tells me is the King of the nearest Kingdom to this dungeon, Farmas.

However, there is no law as to say which Kingdom a dungeon belongs to. By a law agreed by many nations, every dungeon is managed by the Adventurer's Guild but the credibility goes to the Kingdom which funds and provides for the expedition party. Although, a Kingdom can form their own expedition party to conquer it but in the end, the management still falls to the Adventurer's Guild but the Kingdom would receive a huge recognition and reward.

All in all, the Adventurer's Guild is one of the most powerful and largest faction in Evarenan.

I find it boring when I'm reading it from a book but hearing all these information from a young and cute maiden, really does have an entirely different feel to it.

Muo Li noticed my entranced gaze and she looks away while getting a little bit red. Too cute.

Now, was that something else I want to ask? I'm sure I do. Right on the tip of my tongue...... da da da da da da...... Ah! Right.

The four V-ranks. I'm really curious about them since they considered second to the Gods. I noticed she used "the" before gods which tells me she's referring to a specific bunch. Hmm... I'll just ask her later since I'm not interested about the Gods. I'm much more interested in mortals who can almost rival gods.

From what Muo Li knows, while not a whole lot of people have truly seen the four and know of their real name, they are mostly only known by the public by their monikers. There's Stormbringer, Fenrir, Dawn, and Jiuwei.

Hmm.... Jiuwei.... I muse at the last name.

"Is Jiuwei perhaps a nine-tailed fox?" I asked.

"Of course. The name Jiuwei actually means nine tails but I suppose you would already known about that."

Huh? "Why's that?"

"I mean.... aren't you a half Xin?"

"Xin? I don't know...."

"Ah.... You don't even remember about that too. I see. It's alright." She ruffles my hair.

What is alright?

"But basically, Xin is people like me. Yellow-skinned, black hair, black eyes. These are the definitive traits of a Xin."

A..... an Asian? If there's an Asian counterpart than there must be other counterparts.

"You're a Medivian and a Xin. I guess you aren't able to remember about this too."

I'm guessing Medivian is the other half of my blood. I've seen my face back when I was in the cell with a fragmented mirror. The lights were faint then but I was able to see some of my face. I looked like a American-Chinese mix. So, I'm guessing Medivian is the Caucasian counterpart of this world?

"What's more, not just Common or Yuewen, you also understand monster language."

Okay... what? Yuewen? Moon Language? It could mean "reading" too but I don't think that's it given the context. And apparently, it is called monster language.

"I suppose that's a given for a scholar."

"You're saying some memories are still inside my head?"

She nods. "Maybe you might eventually remember everything else if we give it time."

Let's hope so. "I suppose that's worth giving some thought to it."

Wow. This was.... educating and informative.

"Say, if you're that worry about.... your condition, do you want to look at your status?"

How? "How?"

"You can use mine." She hands me her status card. I accepted it on reflex or instinct, whichever one, I don't know.

"I can use yours?"

"The information can be overwritten if you the current owner allows it."

Oh wow. That's resourceful. Nice. Three R's is embraced here, I see. Recycle, Reuse, Reduce.

"How do I do this?"

"I'm not sure.... I never done this before....." She answered. Trying to laugh it off ain't going to help me here.

I suppose I can try pouring Mana but before that....

"May I?" I better ask first.

"Um....." At first, she seems lost on my question for permission but she caught up, eventually. "Oh yeah, sure." She permitted me.

Name: Zhang Muo Li

Gender: Female

Age: 27

Race: Human

Status: Stressed / Fatigue (Mild) (Alive)

Standing: Commoner

Job: Adventurer

Class: Swordsman

Tittle: None

Arcane Arts

Fire Magic: Lv. 1

Light Magic: Lv. 2

Earth Magic: Lv. 1

Magic Melee Arts - Sword: Lv. 5

HP : 420/420

MP: 100/100

Overall Power Ranking : D

Effective Combat Strength : 700

Oh? This is.... refreshing.... but.... only this much and she's already rank D. What about me, who's pack with some serious firepower? I'm also only D just like her. I wonder why?

She doesn't have much Arcane Arts.

Muo Li seems to saw through my confusion and explains. "Arcane Arts are just the magic that I have. Physical skills like sword, spear, axe, hand to hand, they don't count as Arcane Arts."

If that is so then.... I pointed at [Magic Melee Arts - Sword].

"Oh that's.... That's because it uses Mana. Simply put, as long as a skill or ability involves the usage of Mana, it will be considered as an Arcane Art."

I see. Good to know.

Damn. I learn a lot.

Hah. The world ain't so dark anymore. Or should I say, I don't feel like I'm too deep in the dark anymore.

Now.... what about mine?

I poured my Mana into the card and information of Muo Li is erased and replaced by mine.

Oh nice. It works. Don't know what I'll do if it didn't.

Name: Hyx Atlas

Gender: Male

Age: 15

Race: Unknown (Human)

Status: Fatigue (Mild) (Alive)

Standing: Commoner (Exiled)

Job: Scholar (Faith of the Nines)

Class: None

Tittle: Unparalleled Evolver / Monster Slayer / Pain Monger

Arcane Arts

Spirit Magic - Lv. 2

Spatial Magic - Lv. 4

Abyss Magic - Lv. 3

Mana Overseer (Unique) - Lv. 5

Soul Harvest (Unique) - Lv.-

Void Exalted (Unique) - Lv.-

HP : 400/400

MP: 800/800

Overall Power Ranking : D+

Oh. Okay.... Wow. Apparently my stats have increased a lot since then. I know that I have been getting stronger but looking at the results gave a different kind of impact.

Ah?

Oh.

Oh shit.

I forgot about it.

My race.

It's "unknown" with an open bracket, close bracket, human.

I look to Muo Li to see her reaction.

"Muo Li?" I called out to her.

She's just staring at my status. Her mouths agape and her eyes aren't but they're not moving either. She's is completely still. The shock had been so overwhelming that she's not responding to me.

"Muo Li?"

No response.

Well, forgive me for this. This is an emergency. She's breathing but I doubt she will still be breathing if I left her alone.

I flick her forehead with my forefinger.

She yelps. Loud enough to jolt everyone in the cave to wake up.

"Why? What's wrong?" Clammis already had her weapon ready.

"Enemies?" Tom prepares to chant.

For the goblins..... Well, the goblins are still asleep. They are even snoring.

"I'm sorry. You weren't responding."

"Ah?" Muo Li looks at me.

"You okay?" Now it's my turn to ask her that.

"Uh huh?" She uttered but not nodding.

"What's happened to her?" Clammis asked while slowly taking steps forward.

Um..... Should I? Maybe we can coordinate better if they know what I can do. So, I show them my status.

"Th....Thr....Three unique magic?" Tom said, his words faltering.

What about my race? Did none of you see my race?

Clammis was quiet. Did she broke like Muo Li?

I waved at her.

Unlike Muo Li, she responded. "I know you are strong but not this strong. Your Mana pool, your magics, yo...you have three unique abilities..... This is.... This is just absurd. Unbelievable."

I don't know why but either they aren't thinkin of anything regarding my race or they are being polite and considerate to ignore it. I guess I shouldn't worry about it unless they bring it up.

"How many unique Arcane Arts does one usually have?" I asked.

"One. Even a single unique ability is rare. Only about ten percent of the world's population has a unique ability and less than one percent has more than two." Clammis explains. The face she's making is starting to creep me out.

Oh. Oh. Okay. That is.... huge. Turns out, I'm a special snowflake but..... after what everything that happened..... I feel special alright..... but not in a good way. Is my luck the price I paid for having such abilities?"

"How did you...."

Oh hello. Muo Li.exe is finally responding. I was about to open task manager.

"I don't know. I woke up like this. Even I need someone to explain all these to me."

"Do you truly not know anything about this?"

Why would I lie? "You doubt my words?"

Wait....

There is one thing....

The loli voice.

But....

They not gonna believe that. Even I don't completely believe it's real. If I tell them about it, they might not even dare to come close to me after that. I'll just keep that to myself.

"You are a miracle one after another." said Tom. He seems to be the one taking in this the most well. I expected otherwise.

"But...."

What's with that face, Clammis? You look like you're about to say something really difficult. Brace yourself, Hyx.

"If this is your strength.... How are you only the one that survive? Wouldn't you be strong enough to protect others? Or have you been....."

Oh no, you didn't. You did not just go down that Old Man Lucy's road. I am not having that shit again. Why would you guys even think like that? Why?

"Like I said," I stare straight at Clammis as I begin my long explanation. "I don't know anything. What different does it make if I have such power? Just because you gave someone a godly sword, it's still nothing but a simple tool if one does not how to swing it."

"Hyx?" Someone called me but I ignored it.

"What did you expect from me? Tell me. I want to know. What do you expect from me? Save everyone? I saved you. I saved all seven of you. Forgive me for not being able to save everyone. Forgive me for being inexperience."

"Hyx!" Shut the fuck up, whoever is trying to interrupt.

"I'm not a hero. Never was, never is, and never will be. If you're looking for a hero in me, I can tell you it does not exist in me. What you will find instead, is a monster. A monster that is trying his damnedest to survive in this god forsaken place and it is doing that while trying to be as humane as possible. But so far.... look at me....."

"Hyx!"

"If you still doubt my words, you are welcome to rectify what you seen as wrong. You are welcome to convince me otherwise, not with your words but with your act....."

*Smack!*

I....

I was...

I was slapped?

"Calm down, Hyx." Muo Li said, her eyes have tears on the edges.

Ah? Ah.... I see....

My nails... they have become claws.... and I was.... I was cornering Clammis, literally. Before I realized, she was backed against a wall.

Her eyes held fear. Her body is trembling. And she kinda smelled. Did she also wet herself?

I did this?

I did this.

Why did I.... What was I so heat up for? I never knew I was such a person.

"Clammis. What were you thinking?" Muo Li asked her. "He's just a kid. What did you expect from a kid?"

A kid? Ah... that's right. I'm still just a boy. I might have been twenty in my previous life but I'm fifteen in this world. Twenty? Was it not eighteen? Huh.... Which is which.....

I sigh.

Doesn't matter. Not important right now.

"Hyx. Sorry about that. I know you're also under a lot of pressure so, forgive her, can you?"

I admit. I did went overboard too. "Yeah. I'm sorry too."

"Good." Muo Li nodded. She tries to force a smile but it didn't work. Her smile came out distorted. She can't do it. She was also intimidated. Damn it. "So just..... try to get some sleep, okay? Your status said your have some fatigue, after all."

Trying to ditch me?

"Don't worry. We won't abandoned you. Even if we.... if we.... if by any chance we are not seeing you in a good light, you still our best hope of getting out of here alive. So, just take a rest. Alright?"

I look to Tom for any opinion.

"It's alright. I have known what kind of person you are. My opinions of you remains the same." Tom assures me.

The goblins are still sleeping. The fuck, you guys?

Although I have doubts about their real intention, what they need now is a moment of peace and quiet without me. I think I can and should at least give them that much.

"Then... I'll be getting some sleep now." I said. I didn't know what else to say.

They just nodded. I guess they are also unable to find the right words.

And I slide down to sitting posture along the wall. Entrusting my weight to the wall and my mind to the ease, I slowly try my best to have as much sleep as possible without nightmares.

Perhaps I'll be greeted with their absence when I wake up.

But... I'll understand --

-- sadly....

Well...

Sweet dreams, me.....