two more chapter until we caught up with the other sites
Discimer: i do not own Bck Clover and Never will
"Nineteen!" Asta huffed as he counted his push-ups, his small body trembling with the effort.
"Twenty!" he yelled, finally colpsing to the ground in exhaustion.
[Quest Complete]
[Received: 0.20 EXP 0.020 STR]
He smiled as he read the screen in front of him. It had been a week since Asta first received help from the System, and in that time, he had grown more comfortable with his daily routine.
Rolling in the dirt to face the sky, he muttered, "Status."
[Additions Pending Please Rest to complete]
[Status]
Hp: 10/10
Mp: 0/0
SP: 102/102
Level: 1
Title: [Orphan]
Css: None
Race: Human
STR: 5.12008
AGI: 5.00010
DEX: 3.0289
STA: 15.0004
INT: 7.00024
WIS: 10
LUK: 1
Passive Skills
?Rest (Rank: EX): Mastery 100/100. Compresses 8 hours of sleep into 1; finalizes all stat gains.
?SP Recovery (Rank: E): Mastery 10/100. Increases recovery by 0.5% per 20 seconds.
?Dagger Mastery (Rank F): Mastery 0.18/100. Gives basic control and speed when wielding dagger type equipment
Active Skills
?Observe (Rank: E): Mastery 20/100. View status (Power: 5.00004). Cost: 2 Sta.
?Sprint (Rank: E): Mastery 20/100. Increases Speed by x0.005 AGI. Cost: 1% Total SP/sec.
He smiled as he read the numbers flickering in the screen in front of him. They were no longer just strange numbers; through sweat and stubbornness, he had finally learned to make sense of them. Each book he finished felt like another wall being torn down, sharpening his mind just as the push-ups hardened his chest.
He stayed there for a moment, his chest heaving as the cool breeze brushed against his sweat-soaked skin. But he needed to get stronger. After a short rest, he wiped the dirt from his palms and forced himself back up. He had a routine to finish, and he wasn't about to quit now.
[Quest Complete]
[Received 0.20 Exp/0.020 Str]
[Received 0.002 EXP / 0.002 DEX]
[Received 0.0001 EXP / 0.00001 Ag
[Received 0.00015 EXP / 0.00015 STA]
It was noon when he finally stopped. He had been circling the orphanage, but as soon as he saw his SP was nearly depleted, he switched from a simple jog to his [Sprint] skill. Not only did the quest grant more points that way, but he could see the skill level itself ticking upward.
Despite his progress, he couldn't hide from the heat of the midday sun. Grumbling, he pushed himself up from the dirt, dusted off his white shirt, and headed inside as the priest's voice echoed out, calling everyone to eat.
"What are you thinking about, Asta?" Yuno asked softly. He sat down with a practiced grace that seemed far too mature for a five-year-old, carefully bancing a steaming bowl of soup and a thick slice of bread on his pte.
It was lunchtime in the noisy orphanage, but Asta barely heard the ctter of spoons around him. He stared intensely into his own bowl, his brow furrowed in a deep scowl. Even after a solid week of doing the quest differently he always fail the second it starts.
"It's just this stupid thing I've been doing," Asta muttered, finally looking up. A smudge of dirt from the yard was still smeared across his cheek, contrasting with Yuno's perfectly clean face.
Yuno tilted his head, blowing gently on a spoonful of broth. "And that is?"
Asta remembered Yuno's high INT and WIS stats from the week before, and a lightbulb went off in his head.
"Well... maybe you can help me," Asta started, leaning in. He began to expin his struggle with a task he called Hiding from the Light. He described how, every morning, he tried to stay in the shadows, but no matter where he turned, the sun immediately found him.
"Are you stupid?" Yuno asked, his face a mask of pure dumbfounded. "You can't hide from the light."
"But let's just say you could," Asta countered, waving his spoon for emphasis. "How would you do it?"
Yuno didn't even have to think. "Well, I wouldn't hide at all."
"Huh?"
"Light moves, right?" Yuno expined calmly. "So, instead of trying to hide, why don't you just stay ahead of it? You don't hide from the sun—you outrun it."
Asta's jaw dropped. The logic was so simple, yet so far beyond what he'd been trying to do. He groaned, smming his forehead onto the wooden table so hard his soup bowl rattled.
"I'm an idiot," he muffled into the wood.
Yuno took a calm bite of his bread. "You're just now realizing that?"
[For finally understanding such a simple task, Wisdom +1]
Asta groaned and smmed his forehead against the table again the moment the screen flickered into view. Even the Gods were calling him slow. The two of them didn't talk anymore as they eat their food in silence.
After lunch, Father Orsi called out for him. Asta hurried into the kitchen, finding the priest standing by the wooden counter, staring down at a broken kitchen knife in his hand.
"Asta, my boy, could you do me a favor?" Father Orsi asked.
"Yes, Father?"
"Be a good d and head into town. This knife needs to be repaired by the bcksmith," the priest said, sighing as he looked at the jagged bde.
Asta tilted his head. "What happened to it?"
"It finally gave up after years of service," Father Orsi chuckled.
[Quest Receive]
[Bring the Knife to be repaired]
[Rewards: 5 exp +item tutorial]
"I'm on it, Father!" Asta's eyes lit up. He grabbed the knife—carefully avoiding the broken edge—and sprinted out of the orphanage, his small legs churning as he raced toward the distant sounds of the town.
"ill do I it father!" Asta lit up quickly and got the knife and run outside of the orphanage towards the town.
He skidded to a halt, his chest heaving as he gasped for air. A quick gnce at his status bar showed his SP hovering dangerously close to zero. Looking toward the horizon, his heart sank—the town was still a distant blur of rooftops.
Needing a moment to catch his breath and let his stamina recharge, he looked down at the bundle in his hand. Curious and without anything else to do, he focused his mind and whispered, "Observe."
Kitchen Knife (N)
Rarity: Normal
Type: Dagger / Tool
Level: 1 / 1
Durability: 0/100
Mana Conductibility: E
Description: An old, reliable bde forged from basic mana-conducting metals. It was originally a gift from the town's bcksmith to the Hage Orphanage.
The knife felt different from the other objects he had [Observed]. Usually, he only used the skill on his meager meals or the dusty books in the orphanage, but this was the first time the System had provided so much technical detail.
He watched his SP bar intently as it ticked upward. The moment it hit the halfway mark, he didn't wait another second. With a grin and a surge of renewed excitement, he kicked off the dirt and broke into a sprint, eager to see what other things he might discover.
"And who is this kid running around?" a man asked, his voice booming over the sound of a distant hammer. He was a well-built man with a jagged scar crossing his face, leaning over the counter as Asta skidded into the shop, drenched in sweat.
"The name's Asta, mister!" Asta announced, chest puffing out despite his heavy breathing.
"So, kid, what brings you here?"
"Father Orsi said to bring this to you," Asta said, hoisting the basket onto the counter. The man reached inside, pulling out the broken knife and a small pouch of coins.
"Ah, I remember this old thing," the man muttered, a hint of a smile touching his scarred face. "Take a seat for a moment, kid. It won't take long."
With that, he disappeared through a heavy door at the back of the shop, leaving Asta alone in the room filled with the smell of coal and hot iron.
[Quest Complete]
[Received: 5 exp]
[Tutorial: Would you like to begin?]
With a determined nod, Asta selected [Yes]. Immediately, a strange heaviness washed over him. He felt his body move on its own toward a wooden stool, and before he could even blink, a wave of intense sleepiness dragged him under.
When his eyes blinked open, he recognized the scenery immediately. He was standing under the same endless, starry sky that had hosted his first tutorial.
"Welcome, User," the guide said.
Asta blinked in surprise. This time, instead of looking like a mirror image of himself, the guide had taken on the form of the bcksmith—complete with the well-built frame and the jagged scar across his face.
"Hello, sir!" Asta chirped, giving a sharp, energetic salute.
"We will now begin the Tutorial for Weapons and Equipment," the bcksmith-guide stated in a deep, steady voice. "Are you ready?"
"Yes!" Asta yelled, his spirit practically on fire.
"In this world, there are countless types of items," the guide expined. "Some are forged by humble bcksmiths, while others are crafted by the gods themselves—though your chances of finding those are incredibly slim. To truly understand an item's purpose, you must use [Observe]."
A knife materialized in the guide's hand. It was identical to the simple dagger Asta had been using for his training.
"Use [Observe] on this," the guide commanded.
Simple Knife (N)
Rarity: Normal
Type: Dagger
Level: 1 / 1
Durability: 100/100
Mana Conductibility: E
Description: A simple Dagger
"Can you read the description?" the guide asked.
"Yes!" Asta nodded.
"Every item in this world is categorized by Rarity," the guide expined. "The rarer the item, the more powerful it becomes. Type defines the item's nature and Durability shows how long it can st before it shatters. Some items even have levels that represent their untapped potential. Do you understand?"
"Mostly," Asta said, his eyes scanning the glowing text.
"Then try observing this."
With a flick of his wrist, the guide repced the knife with a new one. It looked almost identical, but when Asta focused his gaze, the information that flickered into his mind was completely different.
Simple Knife (S)
Rarity: Special
Type: Dagger
Level: 10 / 10
Durability: 100/100
Mana Conductibility: A
Description: A simple Dagger made with better materials
"Can you see the difference?" the guide asked, his voice echoing in the starry void.
" I can see it know,"
"yes, rarity is from F,N,S,SR,SSR,EX in that order, now let me show you the higher rarity of the same item" then another knife appeared, it was still the same knife but asta can feel it was different from the others.
Simple Knife (EX)
Rarity: Celestial
Type: Dagger
Level: 100 / 100
Durability: (Indestructible)
Mana Conductibility: EX
Attributes:
+50 Agi
+100 Dex
Grants Skill: Double Ssh (EX): immediately ssh two times in quick succession
Description: A simple dagger forged from materials found only in the heavens.
"Wow!" Asta gaped, his hands shaking as he reached toward the floating bde. "Can I have it? Please?!"
"It is for tutorial purposes only," the guide replied ftly, pulling the knife back.
"Ohhh..." Asta slumped, his excitement defting like a popped balloon.
"Now, let us turn to equipment," the guide continued, his voice echoing in the starry space. "Like weapons, equipment consists of items a person can wear—clothes, rings, belts, and shoes. If it can be worn, the System cssifies it as equipment. Do you understand?"
"Yes!" Asta replied, standing a bit straighter.
"Then let us use your own clothing as a standard. Use [Observe] on yourself."
Asta looked down at his messy outfit and focused.
White Shirt (F)
Rarity: Poor
Type: Chest Armor
Level: 1 / 1
Durability: 15/20
Mana Conductibility: F-
Description: A simple woolen shirt
Tattered Pants (F)
Rarity: Poor
Type: Leg Armor
Level: 1 / 1
Durability: 15/20
Mana Conductibility: F-
Description: A simple, scratchy woolen shirt. It offers almost no protection..
Tattered Shoes (F)
Rarity: Poor
Type: Shoes
Level: 1 / 1
Durability: 10/20
Mana Conductibility: F-
Description: Simple shoes. The soles are wearing thin from all that sprinting.
Rope Belt (F)
Rarity: Poor
Type: Belt
Level: 1 / 1
Durability: 10/20
Mana Conductability: F-
Description: A rough rope used as a belt. Does this even actually work?
"As you can see, all your clothes are designated by types," the guide expined. "Keep in mind: a person can only equip one of each type at a time—with the exception of rings, of which you can wear two. Do you understand?"
"Yes," Asta muttered, looking a little defted by his Poor-rank stats. Then, he looked up. "Can I ask a question?"
"What is it?"
"I keep seeing those Descriptions at the bottom... what exactly are they?"
The guide's expression softened slightly. "Those? Those are what the gods think of the item. Sometimes, you can even see the history of an object hidden within those lines. Keep your eyes open; you might find something truly unique if you read closely. Any other questions?"
"Nothing else," Asta said, his curiosity satisfied but his mind racing with the possibilities.
"Well, that is the end of this tutorial. There are two more tutorials hidden out there for you to find. Goodbye!"
"Bye!" Asta yelled, waving both arms then he felt sleepy again.
When he woke up, he was still sitting on the wooden stool. After a wide yawn, he stood up with renewed vigor, his curiosity eating away at him. He began darting around the shop, his eyes scanning the various items scattered across the walls and counters.
Simple Sword (N)
Rarity: Normal
Type: Sword
Level: 5 / 5
Durability: 100/100
Mana Conductibility: C
Requirement:
10 STR
Description: A Simple Sword
Round Shield (N)
Rarity: Normal
Type: Shield
Level: 5 / 5
Durability: 100/100
Mana Conductibility: C
Requirement
12 STR
Description: A Round Shield
Metal Helmet (N)
Rarity: Normal
Type: Helmet
Level: 5 / 5
Durability: 100/100
Mana Conductibility: C
Requirement
5 STR
Description: A simple helmet made of simple metal
Asta used [Observe] on every single piece of equipment in the shop, but they were all rank C. Just as he was about to look for more, a familiar ding echoed in his mind.
[For continuous use of a mental skill1 Int 1 Wisdom]
Surprised, he quickly pulled up his skill menu to check his progress.
Skill: Observe
Level: 1/10
Mastery Rank: E (30/100)
He gasped at the massive jump in mastery, but the excitement was short-lived. A sudden wave of dizziness hit him, and he felt his stamina bottoming out. He remembered now. It drained his energy just like sprinting did. Panting slightly, he slumped back onto the seat to let his SP recover.
"Ninety-nine!" Asta barked, his arm snapping the knife through the air in a crisp, perfect arc, mirroring the phantom movements of the tutorial shadow.
"ONE HUNDRED!" He let out a final, guttural yell as he drove the bde home for the st time.
[Quest Complete]
[Accuracy 50%]
[Received Reward]
0.0005 EXP
0.05% Skill Mastery
0.0005 Dex
0.00005 Str
Two months had passed since his visit to the bcksmith. The sky was now a deep, dried orange as Asta finished his final daily task outside the orphanage.
Following Yuno's advice on the [Hide from the Sun] quest, he had managed to stay out of the sun's direct gre for a full ten seconds on his first attempt. But no matter how fast he ran or where he ducked, he couldn't break that ten-second limit. He had hit a "soft cap"—a wall that required more than just repetition to break through.
As the sun finally dipped below the horizon, leaving the world in a hazy, purple twilight, Asta stood in the middle of the clearing. His chest heaved as he wiped the stinging sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. Despite the deep ache in his muscles, a wide, eager grin spread across his face.
"Status," he whispered.
Name: Asta
Level: 2 (EXP: 93.18 / 100)
Hp: 15/15
Mp: 0/0
SP: 607.52./607.52
Title: [Orphan]
Css: None
Race: Human
STR: 8.12
AGI: 5.01
DEX: 4.34
STA: 75.94
INT: 17.01
WIS: 30
LUK: 1
Passive Skills
Rest (Rank: EX): Mastery 100/100. Compresses 8 hours of sleep into 1; finalizes all stat gains.
SP Recovery (Rank: F): Mastery 0/100. Increases recovery by 0.5% per 10 seconds.
Battle Continuation (Rank: E): Mastery 100/100 Activates when hp is at 1%, all damage will be directed to SP Cost: 10% SP per second Need 100 Sta to Level up
Dagger Mastery (Rank F): Mastery 3.18/100. Gives basic control and speed when wielding dagger type equipment
Active Skills
Observe (Rank: D): Mastery 01/100. View status (Power: 5.00004). Cost: 2 Sta.
Sprint (Rank: D): Mastery 01/100. Increases Speed by x0.010 AGI. Cost: 1% Total SP/sec.
Smiling at his progress, Asta decided to burn through his remaining energy. He activated [Sprint] and bolted toward the orphanage, his small legs moving in a blur as he wove through the trees.
As he cleared the treeline, his pace slowed. Looming over the small town of Hage was the massive, ancient skull of the Demon—a grim reminder of the world's history. Usually, he walked past it without a second thought, but today, fueled by his recent gains, curiosity overwhelmed him.
He came to a halt, narrowed his eyes, and focused every bit of his remaining intent on the colossal remains.
"[Observe]!"
The Demon's Skull (?)
Rarity: Ancient / Mythic
Type: Monument / Magical Residue
Level: ? / ?
Durability: 9,999,999 / 9,999,999
Mana Conductability: SSS
Description: The gargantuan remains of a Licht-transformed Ancient Demon. Though the life force has been extinguished for five centuries, the bone structure acts as a massive lightning rod for Mana. It remains the densest concentration of Forbidden Magic residue in the Clover Kingdom.
[Quest Received]
[Journey to ?]
[Enter the Mouth of the Skull]
[Rewards: 0exp +Dungeon Tutorial]
Asta's eyes widened, the blue light of the screen reflecting in his pupils. He remembered the guide's parting words: "There are two more tutorials left." If this was one of them, it was the key to his next breakthrough.
He looked up at the gaping, dark maw of the skull, then back at the darkening sky of Hage. The "Forbidden Magic" residue sounded dangerous, and his stamina was already flickering.
"Noon," he muttered to himself, clenching his fist. "I'll do it tomorrow at noon when the sun is brightest."
After returning to the orphanage, Asta took a quick "bath"—which mostly involved peeling off his grime-covered clothes and spshing himself with cold water before tugging them back on.
He sought out Father Orsi to borrow another book. The priest could only weep in a mix of pride and despair as he handed over yet another volume; his library was small, and Asta was burning through it at an arming rate.
Asta climbed into bed, noticing Yuno was already fast asleep. It took an hour of quiet reading before the heaviness of his training finally caught up to him. As his eyes drifted shut, the System chimed one st time.
[Quest Complete]
[0.0006 EXP, 0.0006 INT]
[Activating Rest: Computing Accumuted Rewards]
Name: Asta
Level: 2 (EXP: 95.18 / 100)
Hp: 15/15
Mp: 0/0
SP: 615.6/ 615.6
Title: [Orphan]
Css: None
Race: Human
STR: 8.15
AGI: 5.01
DEX: 4.40
STA: 76.95
INT: 17.006
WIS: 30
LUK: 1
Passive Skills
Rest (Rank: EX): Mastery 100/100. Compresses 8 hours of sleep into 1; finalizes all stat gains.
SP Recovery (Rank: F): Mastery 0/100. Increases recovery by 0.5% per 10 seconds.
Battle Continuation (Rank: E): Mastery 100/100 Activates when hp is at 1%, all damage will be directed to SP Cost: 10% SP per second Need 100 Sta to Level up
Dagger Mastery (Rank F): Mastery 3.18/100. Gives basic control and speed when wielding dagger type equipment
Active Skills
Observe (Rank: D): Mastery 01/100. View status (Power: 5.00004). Cost: 2 Sta.
Sprint (Rank: D): Mastery 01/100. Increases Speed by x0.010 AGI. Cost: 1% Total SP/sec.
When Asta woke up that morning, he felt the familiar, pleasant hum of his [Rest] skill finishing its work. He stretched his limbs, feeling the slight increase in his strength and the depth of his stamina. After returning the book to the still-sniffling Father Orsi, he bolted down a simple breakfast of watery soup and a thick slice of bread.
With his stomach full, he headed outside to begin his morning routine. He didn't waste a single second. From sun-up until the sun reached its zenith at noon, he pushed his body through a grueling cycle of sprints, exercises and his daily confession with sister lily.
By the time the shadows were at their shortest, he was standing at the edge of the orphanage grounds, looking toward the horizon. The time for training was over.
[Quest Complete]
[Received: 0.20 EXP 0.020 STR]
[Gained 0.20 Exp/0.020 Str]
[Gained: 0.020 EXP / 0.020 DEX]
[Gained 0.0010 EXP / 0.00010 Ag
Gained: 0.00020 EXP / 0.00020 STA
[0.00001 EXP, 0.00001 INT]
[Exp gained .999 exp .999 Sta]
The sun hung at its peak, beating down on the grassy fields as Asta approached the colossal skull. Up close, the gaping maw looked like a gateway to the abyss. For a moment, a wave of intimidation washed over him, but then he spotted a few birds casually building nests in the demon's hollow eye sockets.
The sight made him huff a small ugh, his nerves settling. It was just a pile of bone, after all.
He stepped forward, his worn shoes crunching on the dry earth. The moment he crossed the threshold into the deep shadow of the skull's mouth, a familiar, sharp ding echoed in his mind.
[Quest Complete]
[Received: 0 EXP]
[Tutorial: Would you like to begin?]
Asta gave a firm, determined nod. He reached out and pressed the floating [YES] button.
Instantly, a small, unassuming wooden door materialized out of the shadows in front of him. It looked completely out of pce against the ancient, weathered bone of the skull. Asta reached out, turned the knob, and stepped through.
As the door clicked shut behind him, it vanished into thin air. Asta didn't see the screen that flickered into existence where the door had just been—a screen that pulsed with a frantic, blood-red light.
[Error: High density mana detected]
[Interference level: SSS]
[Teleporting to New zone]
When Asta finally opened his eyes, the world he knew was gone. The familiar starry sky of Hage had been swallowed by a thick, oppressive darkness.
Then, the smell hit him.
It was a stench so foul—like rotting meat mixed with stagnant swamp water—that it bypassed his senses and struck his stomach like a physical blow. Asta doubled over, his simple breakfast of soup and bread retching out of him onto the cold ground. It took several agonizing minutes for his small, five-year-old body to stop shaking, his eyes watering as he gasped for air.
Every breath felt like swallowing a damp, mildewed rag—the kind he used to scrub the grease off the orphanage floors. The air was thick, heavy, and tasted of decay.
[Warning: Hostile Environment Detected!]
[Condition Obtained: Sickness]
[Effect: Total Stamina decreased by 50%]
[Current SP: 303.76 / 607.52]
"Where is this pce?" Asta's voice cracked, coming out as a tiny whisper in the vast dark. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, but he took a shaky breath and wiped them away with a dirty sleeve. He steeled himself, teeth clenched. He wouldn't cry. Not here. Not like this.
[Quest Obtained]
[Go Straight]
[Reward: Nothing]
With no other choice and the System as his only guide, Asta began to walk. As his eyes adjusted to the gloom, he noticed something strange about the terrain. The ground beneath his feet wasn't dirt or grass; it was ft—unnaturally ft, like the paved roads he had seen in the distant cities.
To his left, a slow-moving body of water trailed alongside the path. It wasn't clear like the streams of Hage. Instead, it was a swirling, oily mixture of deep bck, sickly green, and a dark, rusted red. It looked less like water and more like poison.
The water moved alongside him, matching his pace as if it were alive. Asta didn't know how long he had been walking; the scenery was a relentless loop of the same dark, ft road under a ceiling of infinite bck.
Suddenly, he skidded to a halt. Something was bobbing in the toxic current.
Floating on the surface of the bck-green water was a body. It was cd entirely in bck garments, but the fabric was shredded. Asta's stomach lurched as he saw the person had been impaled by countless weapons—jagged bdes and metal shards jutted out from the torso at every angle. There was no mistaking it; the person was dead.
With his heart hammering against his ribs, Asta forced himself to focus. He had to know what had happened here. He channeled his intent and whispered the command.
Name: Rond
Level: ?
Hp: 0/?
Qi: 0/?
SP: 0/?
Title: [The Bck Silence]
Css: Fixer
Race: Human
Asta stared at the screen, his mind racing. "Qi? Fixer?" The terms were completely foreign to him, and the Level was so high the System couldn't even read it. He tried to shift his gaze, focusing on the various bck-hilted bdes and strange machinery impaling the man, but the window only flickered with a stat-shattering [Error].
The weapons were too powerful for his current level to even identify.
A cold shiver ran down Asta's spine. Whoever this Rond was, he had been a warrior far beyond anything Asta could imagine—and yet, he had ended up here, drifting in the filth.
Asta knelt on the hard, ft ground. He closed his eyes and offered a short, silent prayer for the man's soul, just as Father Orsi had taught him. Then, with a final look at the "Bck Silence," he stood up and continued his journey straight into the dark.
Asta continued down the ft road, his eyes scanning the toxic current. Then, he saw it—something bobbing near the edge, separate from the tragic remains he had passed. It was a pair of sleek, dark gloves.
Steeling himself against the putrid smell, he reached into the oily water and fished them out. They felt surprisingly light, yet humming with a strange, dormant energy.
The Bck Silence Gloves (N)
Rarity: Ancient (Current Level: N)
Type: Growth Gear (Gloves)
Level: 1 / 9
Ki Conductivity: SSR
Attributes
Strength: +1
Dexterity: +1
Agi: +1
[Growth Logic]: every time a Mastered Weapon (A) is inserted, all base attributes increase by 5. At every 5th Level (Milestone), stats gain an +10 Perception
Passive Skills
Weapon Swap (EX): Instantaneous weapon transition.
Weapon Storage (N): A void within the palms. Stores one (1) weapon type. (Current Slot: Empty)
(Note: New slots are unlocked at every time a Mastered Weapon (A) is inserted.)
Grants Skill: Ki Sense: Allows the user to detect the presence, strength, and intent of Ki in others within a 15-meter radius.
Level up Requirements:
Next Rank Goal: Master Weapon 1 to Lv. A to unlock Slot 2.
Description: A pair of unassuming, matte-bck dress gloves that once belonged to a legendary Color Fixer. These gloves are embedded with a sophisticated, light-swallowing fabric and a localized Singurity that creates a silent vacuum around the wearer's strikes.
Asta's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he read the description again. SSS Ki Conductivity? Ancient Rarity? He didn't care if they were from a corpse or a cursed pool; he needed every advantage he could get.
Without a second thought, he slid them onto his hands. The wet, oily fabric instantly tightened, molding to his skin and—to his amazement—becoming bone-dry in a matter of seconds. The "Sickness" still weighed on his chest, but the 1 stat boosts and the silent weight of the gloves gave him a surge of hope.
He didn't linger. He walked with renewed purpose, keeping his eyes fixed "Straight" as the System commanded. Less than a minute ter, a door materialized out of the gloom. He didn't check for traps; he didn't look back. He grabbed the knob, threw it open, and practically dove inside.
[Quest Complete: A Certain End]
[Reward Cimed: The Bck Silence Gloves (N)]
[Status: Exiting Unknown Zone... Returning to Tutorial Space...]
Asta opened his eyes and gasped. The suffocating darkness was gone, but he wasn't back at the skull. Instead, he was floating—or standing—within a boundless void of shimmering starlight. He was back at this pce. Feeling a wave of relief that the stench was gone, Asta found a pce that felt solid enough to sit. He breathed in the clean crisp air, waiting.
Within moments, the Guide shimmered into existence. It had shifted its form again, now looking exactly like a mirror image of Asta—same height, same messy hair, same clothes—except its hands were bare, cking the void-bck gloves Asta had scavenged.
"Welcome, User," the Guide said, its voice echoing through the stars. It looked him over. "It seems there was an error in making the dungeon. You were not supposed to be there."
"I... uh..." Asta stammered, his mind still reeling from the sight of the body in the water.
"But it seems you passed the dungeon nonetheless," the Guide continued, its tone neutral yet acknowledging. "So, let me expin: Dungeons and Instances."
Asta gripped his knees, his face still a bit pale. "Can I please wait for a while? I'm still feelin' that st trip I made."
The Guide went still, its glowing eyes pulsing slowly. "Sure. Take your time."
After a long moment of silence amidst the stars, Asta took one st deep breath and gave a firm nod. The nausea had passed, repced by a sharp, growing curiosity. The Guide stood tall, its mirror-image face reflecting the surrounding nebue.
"Okay," the Guide began, its voice clear and instructional. "Let me first expin what a dungeon is. Dungeons are ruins left behind by ancient civilizations. Because they have been sealed for centuries, they are saturated with incredibly dense Mana."
The Guide swept a hand through the air, and images of ancient, crumbling towers and overgrown temples flickered into view. "This concentrated magical energy often warps the environment, creating surreal ndscapes and physical hazards that defy the ws of nature. The level of a dungeon is rated by the mana density within the zone."
Asta leaned in, mesmerized. It expined why that pce felt so wrong.
"To see the level of a dungeon, you must use [Observe] on the entrance," the Guide expined. "Let's test it out, shall we?"
With a snap of the Guide's fingers, a simple wooden door materialized in the starry void. It looked ordinary, but it pulsed with a faint energy. Asta narrowed his eyes and focused.
[Dungeon: Hage Nomotatoe Field]
[Level 1-2]
[Threat Level: F]
[Mana Density: F]
[Quest: Defeat Crows 5/5]
"Like items dungeons share the same ratings" the guide said and then continued "but be careful dungeons can only be conquered once, but the rewards are also deteremined by its rank"
"Okay," Asta said, his eyes darting between the two very different doors.
"Now, let us move on to Instances," the Guide continued. "Unlike Dungeons, Instances are constructs created by the System. They record noteworthy events that have occurred in specific locations. Once you have discovered a location in the real world, the System notes it, allowing you to revisit the 'event' without physically being there. For example..."
A second door shimmered into existence beside the first. But where the Dungeon door looked solid and wooden, this one was ethereal—a swirling rectangle of thick, silver fog that seemed to vibrate with energy.
"Try using [Observe] on this," the Guide prompted.
Asta focused his gaze on the misty threshold.
[Instance: Race]
[Level: 1]
[Threat Level: F]
[Mana Density: F]
[Quest: Get First Pce!]
[Daily Use 1/1]
g
[Partner Use: Yes]
"Now," the Guide asked, its mirror-face tilting slightly. "Can you see the difference?"
Asta nodded rapidly, but one word caught his eye. "Yes! But... what's 'Partner'?"
The Guide let out a small, mysterious hum. "You will have to find the st Hidden Tutorial for that, User."
"Aww, man! Okay!" Asta grinned, his energy finally returning. The idea of more secrets to find was exactly the kind of motivation he needed.
"Do you understand the lessons provided today?"
"Yes!" Asta shouted, his characteristic loud voice echoing across the starry void.
"Well then... goodbye, User."
"Thanks for everything!" Asta waved as the starry world began to dissolve into white light.
Asta's eyes snapped open. The starry void was gone, repced by the jagged, shadowed interior of the Demon Skull. He scrambled to his feet, checking his hands—the bck gloves were still there, matte and silent.
Outside, the sun was still high, casting a golden glow over the Hage outskirts. But as Asta stepped toward the "mouth" of the skull to head for the forest, he stopped dead.
Right there, hovering near the entrance like a ghost, was a wall of swirling, violent fog. It wasn't the calm silver of the "Race" instance; this was a deep, thrumming crimson. Asta narrowed his eyes, focusing his [Observe] skill.
[Instance: Battle]
[Level: 350]
[Threat Level: SS]
[Mana Density: SS]
[Quest: Help the Wizard King!]
[Yearly Entry 1/1]
[Partner Use: Yes ]
[Restriction: Level 300 to enter]
Asta's jaw dropped. His breath hitched in his throat as the sheer pressure of the information hit him. "Three hundred... fifty?"
It was impossible for now so he went back to the forest and test out his new gear.
After a quick meal at the orphanage, Asta sat on the porch, nursing his bowl of soup. Yuno sat beside him, tearing into his bread, but his sharp eyes immediately nded on Asta's hands. The matte-bck material of the gloves seemed to absorb the sunlight.
"Where did you get those?" Yuno asked, his voice suspicious.
"A good man gave them to me," Asta replied, trying to keep his voice steady.
"Who?"
"He's gone now."
Yuno stared at him for a long moment, sensing the change in Asta's energy, but he simply nodded. "Okay."
Once lunch was over, Asta waited for Sister Lily to be occupied before sneaking into the kitchen. He reached for the familiar iron kitchen knife he usually practiced with. But the moment his gloved fingers closed around the handle, the steel didn't just move—it vanished. It was gone without a whisper of sound.
"Wait—no! Where did it go?!" Asta panicked, his heart racing. But as he thought about the weight of the bde, his palms hummed. In a blink, the knife reappeared, held firmly in his grip.
Amazed, he spent the next few minutes pying with the [Weapon Swap] and [Storage] mechanics, making the knife flicker in and out of existence until it felt like an extension of his own body. Satisfied and grinning from ear to ear, he slipped out the back door and sprinted toward the forest.
Standing in a sun-dappled clearing, Asta pulled up the skill window.
Skill: Ki Sense
Rank: E (0/100)
Type: Martial/Sensory (Passive)
Resource Cost: 0
Description: Allows the user to detect the presence, strength, and intent of Ki in others within a 15-meter radius.
He closed his eyes. With the gloves on, the world was a map of glowing pulses—the frantic heartbeat of a bird, the slow hum of the trees. Then, he pulled the gloves off. The feeling vanished. The world went dark.
He didn't give up. For an hour, he sat in the dirt, alternating: gloves on to "see," gloves off to "feel." He was trying to find the bridge between the item's power and his own soul, His mind straining to memorize the exact vibration of the life energy around him.
Finally, a crisp Ding! echoed in his head.
Skill obtained: Ki Sense
Rank: E (0/100)
Type: Martial/Sensory (Passive)
Resource Cost: 1% Stamina per Second
Description: Allows the user to detect the presence, strength, and intent of Ki in others within a 15-meter radius.
But the System wasn't done.
[Ki Sense has combined with other skills calcuting]
Asta then felt a shock to his system then The world turned into a blur of raw white light and deep bck shadows. His legs gave out. Before he even hit the grass, his consciousness flickered and went out.
[System Update Complete]
Asta groaned, pushing himself up from the dirt. The orange glow of the sunset filtered through the trees, casting long, dancing shadows. His head felt heavy, like it had been stuffed with lead, but the moment he thought the word "Status," the crity returned with a vengeance.
Name: Asta
Level: 2 (EXP: 95.18 / 100)
Hp: 15/15
Mp: 0/0
SP: 615.6/ 615.6
Title: [Orphan]
Css: None
Race: Human
STR: 8.15
AGI: 5.01
DEX: 4.40
STA: 76.95
INT: 17.006
WIS: 30
LUK: 1
Passive Skills
Rest (Rank: EX): Mastery 100/100. Compresses 8 hours of sleep into 1; finalizes all stat gains.
SP Recovery (Rank: F): Mastery 0/100. Increases SP recovery by Ki SenseX0.5% per 10 seconds.
Battle Continuation (Rank: E): Mastery 100/100 Activates when hp is at 1%, all damage will be directed to SP Cost: 10% SP per second Need 100 Sta to Level up
Ki Armor (Rank: E): Mastery 01/100: Passively Reduce damage to stamina by Sta/Ki Sense
Dagger Mastery (Rank F): Mastery 3.18/100. Gives basic control and speed when wielding dagger type equipment
Skill: Backstab. Ignore Defenses when attacked from the back. (Current Chance 1%)
Threat Detection: (Rank E): Mastery 1/100. Automatically Detects ill intent. Ki Sence =Distance
Active Skills
Observe (Rank: D): Mastery 01/100. View status (PowerX Ki Sense). Cost: 200 Sta.
Sprint (Rank: D): Mastery 01/100. Increases Speed by x0.010 AGI. Cost: 1% Total SP/sec.
Ki Sense (Rank: E): Mastery 01/100. Detects Ki (30 Meters): Allows the user to detect the presence, strength, and intent of Ki in others within a 15-meter radius
Zetten (Rank E): Mastery 0/100 Uses Ki in Weapons Attacks: Consumes 100% Stamina per attack
"Whoa..." Asta whispered, his eyes widening as he scrolled through the updates. "What happened to me?"
There are many new things that updated in his system so he looked at it one by one.
Skill: SP Recovery
Mastery Level: F (0/100)
Type: Martial (Passive)
Resource Cost: 0
Effect: Increase SP Recovery by Ki SenceX0.5% per 10 seconds
Required Stat to level up: 200 Sta.
Skill: Ki Armor
Mastery Level: Based on Ki Sense
Type: Martial (Passive)
Resource Cost: 0
Effect: Passively Reduce damage to stamina by Sta/Ki Sense
Required Stat to level up: Ki Mastery (F)
Skill: Threat Detection
Mastery Level: Based On Ki Sense
Type: Martial (Passive)
Resource Cost: 0
Effect: Automatically Detects ill intent. Ki Sence = Distance (Current:30 Meters)
Required Stat to level up: Ki Mastery (F)
Skill: Observe
Level: 3/10
Mastery Rank: D (1/100)
Type: Martial/Sensory
Condition: Must be used within line of sight
Resource Cost: 200 SP per activation
Effect: Reveals the Status of a person or item. The crity and detail of the information provided are determined by the user's [Ki Sense Skill lLevelMastery].
Lower/Equal Level Targets: Full basic stats are visible; detailed attributes depend on Ki Level x Level Vs Target Int.
Higher Level Targets: Stats/information may appear as (?) if the level gap is too high.
Skill: Ki Sense: (Rank E):
Mastery Level: E (0/100)
Type: Martial (Active)
Resource Cost: 1% Stamina Per Second
Effect: Detects Ki (30 Meters): Allows the user to detect the presence, strength, and intent of Ki in others within a 30-meter radius
Required Stat to level up:
30 Str
100 Sta
1 Hour Meditation
Skill: Zetten: (Rank G):
Mastery Level: G (0/100)
Type: Martial (Active)
Resource Cost: 100% Stamina
Effect: Uses Ki in Attacks, Different Weapon Types uses Different Style of Zetten
Dagger (Zetten): Attacks from the Front are Considered 'Backstab'
Required Stat to level up:
Ki Sense (F)
10 Hour Meditation
"Yes! Another step closer to being the Wizard King!" Asta yelled at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing through the darkening forest as he finished reading his new stats.
Just as his excitement reached its peak, a loud, cavernous growl erupted from his stomach. Asta froze, feeling a bit shy even though he was alone. Realizing he was starving after all that training, he turned toward the orphanage and took off.
His first step was explosive. A cloud of dust and dead leaves erupted behind him as he tore through the woods, running faster than he ever had before.
[Activating Rest: Computing Accumuted Rewards]
Asta yawned, feeling as energetic as ever as he pulled on his gloves. It had been two years since that dungeon trip—his first major step toward becoming the Wizard King. Muttering "stats" under his breath, he watched as a blue screen flickered into life in front of him.
Name: Asta
Level: 24 (EXP: 198.8 / 2400)
Hp: 125/125
Mp: 0/0
SP: 6471/6471
Title: [Orphan]
Css: None
Race: Human
STR: 168.75
AGI: 5.37
DEX: 40.97
STA: 808.90
INT: 121.05
WIS: 100
LUK: 1
Passive Skills
Rest (Rank: EX): Mastery 100/100. Compresses 8 hours of sleep into 1; finalizes all stat gains.
SP Recovery (Rank: A): Mastery 0/100. Increases recovery by Ki SenseX1% per 5 seconds.
Battle Continuation (Rank: C): Mastery 0/100 Activates when hp is at 1%, all damage will be directed to SP Cost: 6% SP per second Need 1000 Sta to Level up
Ki Armor (Rank: B): Mastery 01/100: Passively Reduce damage to stamina by Sta/Ki Sense
Dagger Mastery (Rank C): Mastery 3.18/100. Gives basic control and speed when wielding dagger type equipment
Skill: Backstab. Ignore Defenses when attacking from the back. (Ignored Defence 15%)
Threat Detection: (Rank B): Mastery 1/100. Automatically Detects ill intent. Ki Sense =Distance
Active Skills
Observe (Rank: B): Mastery 01/100. View status (PowerX Ki Sense). Cost: 100 Sta.
Sprint (Rank: B): Mastery 01/100. Increases Speed by x0.10 AGI. Cost: 1.5% Total SP/sec.
Ki Sense (Rank: B): Mastery 50/100. Detects Ki (300 Meters): Allows the user to detect the presence, strength, and intent of Ki in others within a 300-meter radius 3% Stamina per Second
Zetten (Rank F): Mastery 0/100 Uses Ki in Weapons Attacks: Consumes 80% Stamina per attack
Dagger (Zetten): Attacks from the Front are Considered 'Backstab'
Asta smiled, thinking of his progress over the st four years. He let out a yawn and looked toward the still-sleeping Yuno. It occurred to him then that he hadn't actually checked his rival's stats since the very beginning. Focusing on the boy, he whispered, "[Observe]."
[Status]
Name: Yuno Grinberryal
Level: 25 (Exp: 0/3000)
Hp: 150/150
Mp: 3500/3500
SP: 320/320
Race: Human
Title[Orphan[The Lost Prince of Spade, [Loved by Mana, [Asta's Eternal Rival]
Css: Elementary Wind Mage (5/20)
Retionship Status: Rival, Brother in arms
Affinity: Wind
Stats:
STR: 15
Dex: 30
Agi: 55
STA: 40
INT: 250
WIS: 125
LUK: 777
Points: 0
Passive Skills
Mana Loved: Mana naturally gathers toward him, replenishing his MP at 5% per Second when in Combat
Mana Sensory: Can See Flow of Mana (1 Kilometer)
Star Magic (Premonition): Provides Massive Mp Boost, Increase Spatial Awareness
Wind Affinity: Greatly enhances natural ability to manipute and control wind, boosting power and refined control over wind magic.
Mana Efficiency: Increased MP regeneration and reduced mana consumption when casting spells.
Magic Power Amplifier: Refined Mana control, Multiples Magic output during Battle
Resilience: Resist damage from magical attacks. Increases Multipliers on Stronger Opponents
Active Skills
Wind Magic: Gale Palm
Wind Magic: Tempest
Wind Magic: Flight
His eyes widened in shock as he read his rival's profile. Four years ago, those [?] markers had been unreadable, but now they had turned into words. As he kept reading, he felt as though he'd stumbled upon a secret even his best friend didn't know.
Yuno's a prince? Asta thought, his heart hammering against his ribs. Beside him, the sheets rustled as Yuno began to stir. What should I do? Do I tell him? No, how would I even expin the screen?
"Morning, Asta," Yuno mumbled, his voice thick with sleep as he pushed himself up on one elbow. He narrowed his eyes at his friend. "I felt someone judging me. Was that you?"
"Me? Of course not!" Asta squeaked, waving his hands dismissively in the air. He felt a bead of sweat roll down his neck. "Good morning to you, too, sleepyhead!"
Yuno stared at him for a moment, unimpressed by the over-the-top reaction. "What time is it?" he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Still too early," Asta replied, forcing a grin while his mind raced at a hundred miles per hour.
"Well, I'm awake now," Yuno sighed, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "I might as well go start the chores."
Asta watched in silence as his rival stood and stretched, looking every bit like the orphan he thought he was. Asta opened his mouth to speak—to say something, anything about the royal bloodline—but the words caught in his throat. Instead, his gaze drifted back to the blue glow of the stat window.
"As expected of my rival," he whispered to himself, a determined grin finally repcing his shock. "Whatever secrets you're hiding, Yuno, I'll find out in due time. But for now... I need to catch up!"
Pumping his fist into the air, Asta scrambled out of bed. He spshed some cold water on his face to clear his head, then sprinted out the door to finish his chores before his daily quests could even begin.
"One hundred ninety-nine!" Asta's voice cracked the silence of the forest as he roared out his count.
He was deep into his daily pushups now. After a quick breakfast and a dead sprint to his secluded training ground, he had dived straight into his routine. His muscles screamed in protest, and heavy beads of sweat poured from his forehead, soaking into the dirt beneath him.
"Two hundred!"
With one final, explosive shove, he completed the set and slumped forward. He y face down for a moment, chest heaving, before rolling onto his back with a triumphant grin. It had been a week since he first pushed his limit to this number, and he could already feel his body changing; the gains were undeniable.
[Quest Complete]
[Gained: 2exp, 0.2 Str]
"Hell yeah!" Asta pumped a shaky fist into the air, his grin widening as he watched the numbers climb. But the celebration was short-lived. The blue light of the screen suddenly flickered, turning a sharp, pulsing crimson.
[Limit Reached: Changing Quest]
Asta's grin faltered, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Limit reached? What does that mean?"
He waited, staring intently at the floating text, but no expnation followed. After a few minutes of waiting, he thought If the system wasn't going to talk back, he wasn't going to stand around waiting. With a huff of determination, he ignored the strange warning and jumped straight into his next quest.
"Two hundred!"
Asta grunted as he hit his final rep, his core burning like it was on fire. He transitioned immediately into his sit-ups, his movements rhythmic and disciplined. Even though the strain of sit-ups was far more grueling than the push-ups, he had spent years building his tolerance for pain; he welcomed the ache in his muscles as a sign of progress.
He sat back, panting, and waited for the familiar chime of the system. And without any second te the usual blue screen flickered into existence, but before he could even read the rewards another screen appeared it's the red one like the previous one.
[Quest Complete]
[Gained: 2exp, 0.2 Str]
[Limit Reached: Changing Quest]
He tried to ask again but this time nothing happened, not waiting around he went and did is other quest.
[Quest Complete]
[Gained: 0.1exp, 0.1 Dex]
[Limit Reached: Changing Quest]
[Quest Complete]
[Gained: 0.1exp, 0.1 Dex]
[Limit Reached: Changing Quest]
[Quest Complete]
[Gained: 0.0003 EXP, 0.0003 Sta]
[Limit Reached: Changing Quest]
[Quest Complete]
[Gained: 0.006 EXP, 0.0006 AGI]
"This is strange," Asta muttered to himself, wiped a stray droplet of sweat from his forehead.
Other than his "Hide from the Sun" quest, every single one of his daily objectives had triggered that ominous "Limit Reached" notification. Yet, the actual changes hadn't manifested physically. Shaking off the confusion, he decided to move on to his next routine: finding Sister Lily.
Using his [Ki Detection], he felt her presence near the church gardens. He found her exactly where he expected, gracefully watering the flowers. Asta snatched a fresh daisy from the grass as he ran, sliding into a dramatic kneel before the nun.
"I love you, Sister Lily! MARRY ME!" Asta roared at the top of his lungs, thrusting the flower forward.
Sister Lily offered him a sweet, practiced smile—the kind that usually preceded a disaster. "How sweet, Asta. But, as always..." She raised her hand, her grimoire flipping open. "[Water Creation Magic: Holy Fist of Love]!"
A massive fist of pressurized water smmed into Asta, burying him several inches into the dirt
[Damage Received: 615]
[Activating Battle Continuation (C)]
[Quest Complete]
[Gained: 0.6156 Exp, 0.6156 Sta]
[Limit Reached: Changing Quest]
"Okay... now I definitely know something is wrong," Asta groaned. His voice was muffled by the mud, and his clothes were soaking wet. He watched, dazed, as Sister Lily calmly walked back toward the church.
Once he felt the [Battle Continuation] skill finally deactivate, Asta colpsed back into the grass. He y there for a while, staring up at the sky while his SP slowly ticked upward, the cool dampness of the earth grounding him. When he finally felt the familiar surge of stamina return to his limbs, he pushed himself up.
Dripping wet and covered in bits of garden soil, he trudged toward the orphanage. He needed to change out of his soaked clothes before Father Orsi caught him and started another lecture about "harassing" the Sister.
Young Asta, come here!" Father Orsi called out just as Asta finished pulling on a dry shirt.
Confused, Asta adjusted his headband and trotted toward the Father, who was busy bancing a heavy-looking basket in one hand and a thick ledger in the other.
"What is it, Father?" Asta asked, tilting his head.
"Come with me. I need some muscle to help me carry these supplies," Orsi replied, gesturing toward a stack of crates nearby.
"Where are we going?"
"Kikka Vilge."
Asta's eyes widened. "Isn't that a bit far?"
"It is," Father Orsi nodded, "but we'll be taking my broom. We should be back by nightfall if we leave now."
Asta paused, his eyes darting around the air in front of him. He waited for the familiar ping of a notification or the fsh of a blue screen for a "Delivery Quest," but to his surprise, nothing happened. The air stayed empty.
No quest? he thought, a bit disappointed. But a request from Father Orsi was more important than a screen, so he gave a determined nod.
He moved to the crates, grunting slightly as he lifted the heavy boxes of Nomotatoes. The dirt-covered tubers shifted as he hauled them out to the front of the church, where Father Orsi was already hovering a few inches off the ground on his broom, waiting to depart.
True to Father Orsi's word, it took less than an hour to reach the vilge. Kikka was massive compared to the quiet fields of Hage; the streets were wide and paved, bustling with activity. Asta watched with wide eyes as mages zoomed overhead on brooms or hurried through the streets, their bodies flickering with the glow of reinforcement magic.
Magic sure is convenient, Asta muttered to himself. He heaved the heavy boxes of Nomotatoes into the shop where the Priest was already negotiating with a merchant. He wiped the dust from his hands, feeling the solid weight of his own muscles. But the gods are on my side now. I don't need to envy them anymore.
"Asta, you can look around the area for a bit," Father Orsi said, distracted as he pulled out his ledger. "I have some business to take care of first, but make sure you're back here in time for us to leave. Understood?"
"Yes, Father!" Asta replied with a mock salute, his curiosity already pulling him toward the crowded market square.
Asta tried to explore the market, but the atmosphere wasn't as welcoming as Hage. Several merchants gred at his pin, dusty clothes and shooed him away before he could even look at their wares.
He grunted in frustration, but a sudden, massive explosion echoed through the streets, rattling the windows nearby. Turning toward the sound, he saw a towering colosseum in the distance. Vivid bursts of elemental magic—fire, lightning, and wind—trailed into the sky from within its walls.
He spotted a man in simple clothes nearby and hurried over. "What's happening over there, mister?" Asta asked, his eyes wide with wonder.
The man looked Asta up and down, a fsh of disgust crossing his face at the sight of a "commoner," but he answered anyway. "Today is the Magic Knight Entrance Exam. Now, scram, kid!"
"Whoa... Thanks, mister!" Asta chirped, completely oblivious to the man's rude expression. He took off at a dead sprint toward the colosseum.
When he reached the massive stone arches, however, a pair of armored guards blocked his path with their spears crossed. "Sorry, kid. Only participants and authorized personnel are allowed inside."
Asta bit his lip, his hand twitching. He wanted to use [Observe] on them to see if he could find a weakness or a way in, but he hesitated—he wasn't sure if a trained guard would feel the pressure of the skill.
"Right, sorry!" he called out, backing away. He began to circle the massive perimeter of the colosseum, his eyes searching for a side door, a low wall, or any opening that would let him get a glimpse of the action.
As Asta rounded a sharp corner, he didn't even notice the person walking toward him until they collided. Because of his intense physical training, he didn't feel a thing—it was like a bird had flown into a brick wall—but the panicked shriek of a girl caught his attention. Reacting with his honed reflexes, he snatched her hand just before she hit the pavement.
"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, pulling her back to her feet.
"Are you okay?" the girl snapped, her voice filled with indignation as she yanked her hand away. "You're the one who bumped into me!"
Asta blinked, finally taking a good look at her. His eyes widened. She was undeniably beautiful, though in a much different way than Sister Lily. Her silver hair was tied back into elegant twin-tails, and her purple eyes were currently boring holes into him with a sharp gre.
"So?" she demanded, crossing her arms.
"Yes?" Asta tilted his head, confused.
"Are you stupid? Where is your 'sorry'?"
"Oh! Right! Sorry about that!" Asta grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. He didn't let the girl's cold attitude dampen his spirits. Extending a calloused hand toward her for a shake, he introduced himself with a loud, confident beam. "I'm Asta! Nine years old!"
The girl stared at his hand as if he were holding a piece of garbage. Without a word, she turned on her heel and began walking away, her chin held high in the air.
Asta watched her go, wondering if he'd said something wrong. He turned to continue his search for an entrance, but a familiar chime echoed in his mind as a screen flickered to life directly in his path.
[Quest Receive]
[Appease the Girl; let her tell you her name]
[Additional Quest: Tell her about the system, Bonus points if she believes]
[Note: Do not use [Observe] on the girl]
[Reward, 0exp +Partner Tutorial]
[Additional Reward, Partner, Random Partner Dungeon]
Asta's eyes widened. The st tutorial! Realizing the importance of the moment, he shoved his confusion aside and sprinted after her. He skidded to a halt in her path, forcing her to stop. Now face-to-face, he noticed she was exactly his height.
"Hey! I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot," Asta said, his voice sincere as he ignored the "No Observe" rule pulsing in his mind.
The girl's expression hardened. "I don't talk to commoners."
Asta scratched his cheek. He had to get her name and expin the System? This was the hardest quest he'd ever faced. "Please, just let me expin! I really don't want to be rude," Asta pleaded, his voice loud enough to scatter birds from the nearby rooftops.
Noelle paused, looking him over skeptically. "Fine. I'm listening."
"Can you at least tell me your name first?" Asta asked, leaning in hopefully.
"What is it to you?" she countered, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes.
"It's important! I promise something good will happen if you do!"
Noelle's face flushed slightly with suspicion. "Are you... trying to harass me?"
"No! Please!" Asta's desperation hit a boiling point. Before she could walk away, he dropped to his knees and smmed his forehead against the stone pavement with a resounding crack. "Just listen! Please tell me your name!"
Noelle jumped back, startled by the sheer violence of the bow. She looked around, thankful nobody was nearby to witness the insanity. She let out a long, weary sigh, dropping her guard for just a second. "The name is Noelle, okay? Are you happy now?"
"Extremely!" Asta shouted, springing back to his feet so fast he was a blur. "So, here's the thing, Miss Noelle. I've been given a task by the gods themselves to learn your name."
Noelle stared at him, her expression shifting from annoyance to genuine concern for his mental health. "Are you actually insane?"
"No, no! Just let me show you!" Asta's gaze nded on a pin hanging from the sash at her waist. The System said not to use [Observe] on her, but it hadn't said anything about her equipment.
"I've been given a gift from the gods," Asta said, his tone suddenly serious. "Just... please, stay quiet for a second and watch. I'll deduce that pin of yours."
Noelle huffed, tucking a strand of silver hair behind her ear. "You get one chance, commoner. Make it quick."
Asta's eyes glowed slightly as the system window hovered over the jewelry.
House Silva's Royal Insignia (N)Rarity: Royal (Current Level: N)Type: Status Accessory (Insignia)Level: 1 / 1Mana Conductivity: C (up to B)
Description: A symbol of noble heritage representing the resolve of House Silva. Only those of the bloodline may wear it to awaken their magical potential.
Asta read the floating words aloud, reciting the description exactly. He looked up with a triumphant grin. "So? I couldn't have known all that just by looking, right?"
"It... it proves nothing!" Noelle stammered, her face turning crimson. Her hand instinctively flew to the insignia. How could a commoner know the specific mana conductivity of a Silva heirloom? "Anyone could have guessed it's a royal symbol! Try my wand, then!"
"Okay, I'll do it again!"
Before she could pull it away, Asta's gaze locked onto the catalyst tucked into her belt.
Noelle Silva's Childhood Wand (N)
Rarity: N
Type: Water Magic Catalyst
Level: 1 / 1
Mana Conductivity: C
Description: Created when Noelle was a child, this wand was a clumsy attempt to help her control her wild magic. Small and imperfect, it marks the start of something much bigger.
Asta read the words softly this time. As he mentioned the "clumsy attempt" and her "wild magic," the silence between them grew heavy.
"Now..." Asta looked her in the eye, the blue light of the invisible screen reflecting in his pupils. "Do you believe me?"
Noelle stood frozen. That wand was a private struggle—a reminder of the control she cked and the family that looked down on her for it. There was no way a boy from the boonies could know the intent behind its creation.
"As much as I don't like it... yes," Noelle whispered, her knuckles white as she gripped her wand. She looked at him with a mix of awe and genuine fear
"YES!" Asta roared, pumping his fist into the air. He was so busy celebrating the successful "persuasion" that he didn't notice the air around them beginning to hum with static energy.
[Quest Complete]
[Gained: 0 Exp]
[Calcuting Extra Conditions: 100% Complete]
[Gained: Random Partner Dungeon]
[Activating: Partner acquisition request]
As Asta read the blue screen, he heard the girl in front of him scream. An identical screen shimmered into existence directly in front of her face. Asta could see the glow, but he couldn't make out the words on her dispy.
"Okay, commoner, what is this?!" she shrieked, batting at the air as if trying to swat away a persistent insect.
"The name's Asta! And that... that is how the gods communicate!" Asta expined, his excitement bubbling over.
Curious, he tried to hop behind her to get a better look at her screen, but Noelle spun on her heel, keeping the window between them. She gred at him, her breathing shallow as she realized the floating light wasn't disappearing.
"What does it even say?" she demanded, her voice trembling slightly.
"You can't read?" Asta asked, tilting his head.
"Are you insulting me?! Of course I can read!" the girl snapped, her face flushing with indignation. She squinted at the floating text, her voice dropping as she read the prompt aloud. "'Congratutions. You are invited for a tutorial. Would you like to come?' And there is a 'Yes' and a 'No' here."
"Well, do you want to come?" Asta asked, grinning ear to ear. He didn't have a doubt in his mind; the System had never steered him wrong before. "It'll be good, trust me!"
Thinking for a moment, Noelle realized that being with this strange commoner was still better than waiting around for her siblings to finish. Besides, if there was even a chance the gods would help her with her magic, she had to take it.
She reached out and pressed [Yes].
"There! I pressed it," she said, crossing her arms to regain some of her dignity.
"Yey!" Asta shouted, jumping into the air with a fist pump.
As he nded, a new screen shimmered into existence,
[Find a Private Location]
"So, where do we go? I don't know this pce," the nine-year-old Asta asked, looking around the busy streets.
Noelle looked at him, then grabbed his hand and began pulling him back toward the town. "Follow me!"
She led him toward a decent-looking building with a sign that Asta recognized as a tavern. They stepped inside, and without missing a beat, Noelle tossed a gold coin toward the shopkeeper. The man caught it, his eyes widening, and he immediately handed a key over to her.
"If anyone asks..." Noelle began, her voice carrying a hint of her royal authority.
"Nobody entered," the shopkeeper finished with a knowing nod, pocketing the coin. "Trust my magic."
The two headed to the second floor. Noelle unlocked the door, and as soon as they stepped inside, she smmed it shut, locking it and using a quick burst of magic to reinforce the tch. She turned around, only to find Asta already sprawled out comfortably on the bed.
She looked at the screen floating in front of her:
[Lie on the bed to proceed]
Gritting her teeth and doing her best to suppress her embarrassment, she reluctantly crawled onto the bed. She y down next to Asta, who was staring at her with a confused, questioning look.
"Don't you dare tell anyone about this!" Noelle snapped, her face flushed.
"About what?" Asta asked, genuinely lost.
"Never mind!" she said as then they say a new screen in front of her.
[Starting Tutorial]
Noelle felt a heavy wave of sleepiness wash over her. She didn't even notice Asta grabbing her hand as her vision darkened and the world slipped away.
When she opened her eyes, she realized they were no longer in the tavern. The sky above was a deep, endless void filled with shimmering stars, and the ground beneath them was smooth, cool, and gray. She looked to her right and saw Asta, who was just blinking his eyes open.
"Where are we?" she whispered, her voice echoing in the vast space.
"This is the tutorial area," Asta said, standing up and dusting himself off. "I've been here four times now."
"What do we do?" Noelle asked, feeling a rare bit of uncertainty.
"Follow me!" Asta skipped ahead with practiced ease. Noelle followed close behind until they reached a strange setup: two chairs sat facing a rge white board, looking exactly like the cssrooms she had studied in back at the Silva estate.
As soon as the two of them took their seats, a figure appeared in front of them. It was blurry at first, but as the shape began to form, it shifted to look exactly like Noelle, though completely transparent.
"You look like Noelle this time, Guide!" Asta greeted with a wave. "I forgot—hello!"
"Hello, User," the Guide replied. "It seems you have found the final tutorial. We were certain you wouldn't unlock it for a few more years, but it seems your luck—even as small as it is—has made some accommodations."
"Sorry to interrupt, but who are you?" Noelle asked, her eyes wide as she stared at her own ghostly reflection.
"I forgot to introduce myself. I am the Messenger of the Gods; you may call me the Guide," the figure said calmly. "For the two of you, this is the st time I will appear."
"Hello then, Mr. Guide," Noelle said, still trying to maintain her composure. "Where are we, exactly?"
"Ask the boy ter," the Guide deflected. "We are here to discuss the final tutorial. However, if the boy would like to expin it to you himself, I will not get in the way."
Noelle turned her gaze to Asta. "Okay, you commoner—"
"The name's Asta!"
"Sorry... Asta. Where are we, anyway?"
"Well, it's like this," Asta began, his hands moving animatedly as he struggled to find the right words. He told her everything—the way the gods reached out to him, the [System] that tracked his every move, the [Quests] that popped up out of thin air, and the [Equipment] he'd earned through sweat and blood.
But the moment Asta mentioned "Stats," the color drained from Noelle's face.
"wait up," she whispered, her voice sharp enough to cut through Asta's excitement. She turned her gaze toward the Guide, her purple eyes filled with a mix of hope and sheer terror. "Is what this commoner said about stats real? Are they truly the numerical values that the gods assign to a person's soul?"
The Guide tilted its head, its transparent, Noelle-like face remaining eerily still. "It is more advanced than that, involving potential and current spiritual output—but essentially? Yes."
Noelle's hands moved to her chest, clutching her silver-trimmed robes. All her life, her siblings had called her a failure, a royal who couldn't even hit a stationary target. She had to know if the gods saw her the same way. "What... what are my stats?"
"Since you are a temporary partner for the new System, I will grant you a temporary skill," the Guide said, its voice echoing like wind through a canyon. A sharp ping resonated in the air as a screen flickered to life in front of Noelle's eyes.
[Skill Obtained: Scan]
[Effect: can view the user's stats]
[Description: the lowest kind of detection ability, nothing worthwhile]
"Now, try saying the word [Scan]," the Guide instructed, its translucent arms crossed. "It should appear immediately."
Noelle felt a cold pit of dread settle in her stomach. If the numbers were low, it would be the final proof that she didn't belong in House Silva. She took a shuddering breath, her eyes fluttering shut for a second before she forced them open.
"[Scan]," she commanded, her voice barely more than a breath.
A screen materialized in the space between her and the white board, glowing with a cold, unforgiving blue light.
Noelle stared at the screen, her breath hitching in her throat. Her eyes locked onto the word [Debuff] and the staggering negative numbers attached to her accuracy. The title—[The Burden of the Silvas]—felt like a physical sp to the face.
"What is this?" Noelle whispered, her voice trembling. She could feel the hot sting of tears forming in her eyes. "How is it this low? The gods... do they really see me as a burden too?"
The Guide stood motionless, its cold gaze unfazed by her distress. "Unlike the User here, all beings that hold mana have different growth rates. Everything is determined by the individual's will, environment, upbringing, and genetics," it said in a tone as frigid as ice.
The Guide turned its head slightly toward Asta. "Due to the gods' intervention, the User can choose and work his way up, unburdened by lineage or expectations. Whatever he grows is his own strength—nothing else. The [System] is merely there to facilitate his will."
"No! I meant the title!" Noelle cried out, her voice cracking as she pointed at the screen. "I'm a burden?!"
"Titles are merely reflections of how one's surroundings perceive them," the Guide replied ftly. "The gods have no say in that; they simply record the truth of your current reality."
"I won't accept this!" Noelle shouted, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. She turned her frustration toward the boy sitting next to her. "You! What are your stats? What makes you so unique that the gods would choose you?!"
"Um," Asta muttered, looking toward the Guide for permission. "Can she look at my stats?"
"Whatever you wish, User," the Guide said. A chime echoed as Noelle's screen flickered.
[Skill level up]
[Obtained: [Scan+1]
[Effect: can view the user's stats and (1) person]
[Uses: 1/1]
[Description: Still the lowest kind of detection. Still nothing worthwhile.]
Noelle read the notification, her heart racing. With tears still shimmering in her eyes, she turned toward Asta and hissed, "[Scan]!"
The screen that appeared before her made her breath stop.
[Status]
Name: Asta
Level: 24 (EXP: 198.8 / 2400)
Hp: 125/125
Mp: 0/0
SP: 6471/6471
Title: [Orphan]
Css: None
Race: Human
STR: 168.75
AGI: 5.37
DEX: 40.97
STA: 808.90
INT: 121.05
WIS: 100
LUK: 1
Points Left: 24
Passive Skills
Rest (Rank: EX): Compresses 8 hours of sleep into 1 hour
SP Recovery (Rank: A): Increases SP recovery by Ki SenseX0.5% per 10 seconds.
Battle Continuation (Rank: D): Activates when hp is at 1%, all damage will be directed to SP Cost: 6% SP per second effect ends when all SP is Lost or battle ends
Ki Armor (Rank: B): Passively Reduce damage to stamina by Sta/Ki Sense
Dagger Mastery (Rank C): Gives basic control and speed when wielding dagger type equipment, Backstab. Ignore Defenses when attacked from the back. (Current: Ignore Percentage 15%)
Threat Detection (Rank B): Automatically Detects ill intent. Ki Sence =Distance
Active Skills
Observe (Rank: B): View anyone's Stats (Observable value =Str X Ki Sense).
Sprint (Rank: B): Increases Speed by x0.010 AGI
Ki Sense (Rank: B): Detects Ki (300 Meters)
Zetten (Rank F): Coats Ki with Weapons Attacks: Consumes 80% Stamina per attack
Points Left: 4
Noelle's mouth hung open. She looked from the screen to the short, muscur boy and back again. "What are these absurd stats?!" she shrieked. "Even with only 5 Agility and 1 Luck, this is... this is insane! And you're only nine years old?!"
"Wait till you see Yuno's stats," Asta said with a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his head.
"Who?! No—that's not the point!" Noelle stood up, her regal composure completely shattered by the sight of his 808 Stamina. "How can you have no magic but have the endurance of a fortress?!"
"I trained," Asta said simply, as if having the endurance of a fortress was the most natural thing in the world.
"I won't accept this!" Noelle turned back to the Guide, her fists clenched at her sides. "Guide, make me a User too!"
"It is impossible," the Guide replied, its voice devoid of emotion. "Only the User possesses the [System]. No one else. As I stated before, you are only a temporary partner. Once the tutorial is concluded, your memory of this pce—and the System—will be erased."
"Then make me a permanent partner!" Noelle cried out, desperation finally breaking through her royal facade. "I don't care! I can't just stay like this... I can't go back to being a burden!"
"Only the User has a say in this," the Guide stated, shifting its gaze toward Asta.
Noelle turned toward the boy, her purple eyes shimmering with unshed tears. The high-and-mighty royal was gone, repced by a girl terrified of her own weakness.
"You!" she pleaded, reaching out toward him. "Turn me into a partner!"
"No!" Asta barked, crossing his arms over his chest.
Noelle flinched as if he'd struck her. "Why?!"
"Because you're rude!" Asta shouted, his golden eyes burning with a sudden, sharp intensity. "I already told you—my name is Asta! Not 'you,' and not 'commoner.' It's Asta! If you can't even say my name, why should I share the gods' help with you?"
Noelle looked at Asta, her anger slowly repced by a heavy silence as she reflected on his words. He was right. From the very beginning, she had been nothing but rude. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she stood up and walked directly in front of him. To Asta's shock, she leaned forward into a deep, formal bow.
"I'm very sorry, Asta," she said, her voice quiet but clear. "I was rude from the very beginning, and our first meeting was bad. How about we start over? Hi, my name is Noelle Silva. I'm nine years old."
She finished her bow and tentatively held out her hand.
Asta looked at her for a second, and then broke into a wide, toothy grin. He grabbed her hand and shook it with enough energy to make her arm jiggle. "Hi, Noelle! The name's Asta! Nine years old!"
"We're fine now, Guide," Asta called out, looking back at the transparent figure with a thumb up. "Can you make her a permanent partner now?"
"I cannot do that," the Guide replied.
"Why not?!" Asta shouted, his jaw dropping in disappointment.
"I must finish the tutorial first," the Guide expined calmly. "You may make your final decision at the end of the lesson."
Noelle let out a sigh of relief, but her mind snagged on that one word: Decision. What was left to decide? Wasn't the partnership exactly what she wanted?
"Well, let us begin," the Guide said, stepping aside as the board behind it began to glow with a brilliant, blinding white light. "The [Partner System] is the final and most complicated system in existence. That is why the gods intended for it to be revealed st. In truth, it is far too heavy a burden for a nine-year-old to witness... but I suppose Lady Luck had other pns."
The Guide's transparent eyes drifted between the two children.
"Moving on. The Partner System allows the User to share the System's power with another. However, this can only be used once. It is a singur, unbreakable bond. Not only will the Partner share in the System's growth, but their very soul will be removed from the threads of Fate. From the moment the bond is sealed, no seer or prophecy will ever be able to view your future again."
"In short," the Guide continued, its voice remaining unnervingly ft despite the weight of its words, "in the eyes of the gods, the User and the Partner are—for all intents and purposes—a couple."
"WHAT?!" Noelle shrieked, her face turning a shade of crimson that rivaled a sunset. She nearly fell out of her chair, her hands flying to her cheeks. "A c-c-couple?! With a commoner?! I'm royalty! This is... this is scandalous! It's—!"
Asta, on the other hand, just tilted his head to the side, looking genuinely puzzled. He poked his chin with a finger, his stomach giving a small, hopeful growl at the unfamiliar word.
"What's a 'couple'?" Asta asked, his eyes wide and curious. "Is it something I can eat?"
Noelle froze, her frantic sputtering dying in her throat as she stared at him in disbelief. She didn't know whether to be relieved that he was an idiot or even more insulted that he thought her "destined partner" status was a snack.
"That is why the User and the Partner will have to decide," the Guide continued, completely ignoring Noelle's scarlet-faced outburst. "And remember, this is only the tutorial. Moving on: special quests will now appear once a week. Much like the User's daily quests, new tasks tailored specifically for the Partner will begin to manifest. Furthermore, certain skills can now be shared between you."
The Guide tapped the whiteboard, and new symbols began to glow. "In short, anything the User gains, the Partner will also gain."
The transparent figure leaned forward, its voice dropping into a tone that was almost hauntingly solemn—until it let out a dry, flickering chuckle.
"In sickness and in health," the Guide joked, the words echoing strangely in the starry void. "Why do you think priests say that in marriage? In the eyes of the gods, the [Partner System] is literal."
Noelle's heart nearly stopped. The word marriage rang in her ears like a heavy bell. She looked at Asta, who was still blinking bnkly, and then back at the Guide, who seemed to be enjoying her internal crisis.
"Literal?" she whispered, her voice cracking. "You mean... our lives are actually tied together? Like a single thread?"
"Precisely," the Guide replied, its translucent face tilting. "If one falls, the other stumbles. If one triumphs, both ascend. You are no longer two separate entities in the grand design. You are a unit."
"Moving on," the Guide continued, ignoring the tension in the air. "Once a week, a random [Partner Instance] will commence."
"What is that?!" Asta asked, leaning forward so far he nearly fell out of his chair. His eyes were wide with the kind of excitement he usually reserved for a big meal or a tough fight.
"Unlike regur instances, [Partner Instances] have special bonuses that depend on what you draw," the Guide expined.
"Draw?" Noelle echoed, her brow furrowed in confusion.
With a flick of the Guide's translucent wrist, a massive, glowing roulette wheel materialized in the air. It hummed with magical energy, divided into four vibrant, distinct colors that cast a flickering light over the cssroom.
"Once every week, when the two of you are asleep, your souls will be transferred to the [Partner Room]," the Guide said, the wheel spinning slowly. "Whatever happens there will not be carried back to the physical world—meaning injuries do not persist—but any stats or skills you obtain will remain permanently. You may either spin this roulette yourself, or let your partner do it. It depends on the person's LUK stat, of course."
Asta looked at his LUK: 1 and winced. Noelle looked at her LUK: 15 and felt a rare, small surge of superiority.
"There are four types of instances," the Guide noted, pointing to the colors. "[Green: Race], [Blue: Escape], [Red: Train], and [Yellow: Rexation]. As you can imagine, the first three are designed to boost your skills and stats. The yellow one, however, focuses on your Retionship Status."
The Guide's transparent eyes narrowed slightly as it looked at the two nine-year-olds. "I truly hope for your sake that you do not nd on Yellow. the two of you are... much too young for the trials that one provides."
Noelle's face remained a deep shade of crimson at the mention of the "Yellow" instance, while Asta simply tilted his head, looking completely oblivious to the implications.
"Once you have finalized your partner," the Guide continued, "[Tokens] will begin to appear as rewards for your quests."
"Tokens?" Noelle asked, trying to push her embarrassment aside to focus on the mechanics.
" tokens are used for yet another system." The Guide gestured behind him, where a small table appeared. Sitting atop it was a strange, unmoving rabbit doll. "It is a [Lottery system.]"
"So... gambling?" Noelle noted, her brow furrowing.
"Precisely. Though you do not use money here," the Guide crified. "Each draw costs ten tokens. Once payment is made, the doll draws a card. Just like your items, these cards have rarities: N, R, S, SR, SSR, and EX. The rarity is determined by the color of the card's glow."
"And what exactly do these cards provide?"
"It varies. It could be currency, rare items, or almost anything else—though no high-level relics are included in this pool. Let me demonstrate."
A glowing coin with the number 10 etched into its surface materialized in the air. "User, please approach the doll."
With an excited skip in his step, Asta rushed over to the table. He pced the token in front of the rabbit. The doll's wooden arms suddenly jerked to life, shuffling a deck of cards with mechanical speed before drawing a single one. The card was a dull, pin gray—completely colorless.
As they watched, the card shimmered and transformed into a physical object.
"It's a Nomotato!" Asta cheered, grinning as he held up the familiar, low-quality vegetable.
"Yes," the Guide sighed, its voice dripping with a hint of pity. "Even drawing cards requires LUK. I strongly suggest you do not perform the pulls yourself, User. Your luck is truly terrible."
Asta scratched the back of his head sheepishly, the Nomotato still in his hand, as he trudged back to his seat.
"There is one more system," the Guide added, its voice dropping an octave as it looked at the two children. "However, as you are both still very young, that system is currently locked. It will remain inaccessible until you have reached an... appropriate age."
Noelle felt her ears turn pink again. She didn't need to be a genius to guess what that might imply given the previous conversation about "couples" and "vows." She quickly looked away, staring intently at the smooth, gray floor.
"And that concludes the tutorial," the Guide said, its form beginning to flicker and lose its Noelle-like shape. The whiteboard behind it dimmed, the glow fading back into a dull white. "Before we finish, do you have any questions?"
"Wait!" Noelle called out, leaning forward in her chair. "How do I remove my penalties? The accuracy... the mana instability... how do I fix it?"
The Guide tilted its head, its transparent face showing a flicker of something like mechanical pity. "why are you asking, exactly? As I stated, you will forget this entire conversation once you leave this space. Why seek an answer you cannot keep?"
"I... uh—" Noelle choked on her words, her hand reaching out as if to grab the information before it vanished from her mind forever. The frustration of finally finding a "cure" only to be told she wouldn't remember it was agonizing.
"Anyway," the Guide turned away from her, dismissing the royal as if she were already gone. "User, do you have any questions?"
Asta hummed, tapping his chin with a thoughtful expression. "Hmm... nothing else comes to mind! I really thought this system was just gonna be about getting more food, but seeing Noelle here, I guess it's a bit different." He gave a cheerful shrug, completely unfazed by the high-stakes magical contracts. "I have no more questions!"
"Very well then," the Guide said, its form beginning to dissolve into shimmering stardust. "Now, let us move on to the finalization."
"User, do you wish to keep this girl as your partner?"
A glowing screen materialized in the air before Asta, the options [YES] and [NO] flickering with a soft, white light.
Asta turned to look at the girl on his right. Noelle looked completely dumbfounded—and beneath that, she looked profoundly sad. The weight of her "Burden" title and the realization that she was about to lose her only hope for improvement seemed to have crushed her spirit.
Asta didn't press the button immediately. Instead, he looked her in the eye and asked a simple question: "Do you want to be my partner?"
Noelle blinked, startled by his tone. "Why are you asking me?"
"Like I said earlier, I don't know about most of this stuff," Asta admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "The books at the orphanage didn't cover things like couple or fate, but I can see that you need to be stronger than you are right now. And frankly..." He looked down at his own hands, his voice softening. "It's kind of sad that you'll forget me after we leave. I don't want that. So, I'm asking you."
"I—" Noelle's voice caught in her throat.
"What do you want, Noelle?" Asta asked, his golden eyes steady and sincere.
Noelle sat in a heavy silence, searching deep within herself. The implications were staggering. She was a royal of the House Silva; Asta was a nameless orphan from the forsaken outskirts. If this bond ever leaked to the public, it wouldn't just be a scandal—it would be a political hurricane.
But then, she thought of her cold, clinical stats. She thought of her siblings' mocking gazes and the crushing weight of her "Burden" title. Deep down, she knew the truth: if she remained as she was, her brother Solid or Nozel would eventually use her as nothing more than a political tool to be traded away.
Biting her lip until it stung, and with a fierce, burning blush spreading across her cheeks, she looked up and nodded.
"Please..." her voice was small, but it carried a new kind of resolve. "Please take me as your partner."
With a determined nod, Asta smmed his hand onto the [YES] button. Immediately, a new screen flickered to life directly in front of Noelle, pulsing with a warm, golden light.
[Do you wish to be his partner?"]
Without a second of hesitation, she pressed it.
[This bond is permanent, are you sure?]
Noelle didn't let the warning shake her. She pressed the confirmation again, her heart hammering against her ribs.
[Hold his hands and go to the guide]
Her face felt like it was on fire. Blushing furiously, Noelle reached out and grabbed Asta's hand. The boy looked at her with a confused tilt of his head, but she didn't give him a chance to ask questions; she simply pulled him along as they walked toward the shimmering, transparent figure of the Guide.
A final screen materialized in the air between them, glowing with a divine authority.
[Please recite the following "In front of the Gods: I Noelle Silva without any malice and with my own free will accept Asta as my partner"]
Noelle's voice trembled as she read the words aloud. Standing right in front of Asta, staring into his wide golden eyes, and the gravity of the "vow" finally hit home. Even the oblivious Asta began to flush a deep pink as the magical words resonated through the room.
Then, the same screen appeared before Asta, prompting him to speak his part. Asta began to stummer as he read his part.
Asta began to stammer as the words appeared before him. He read them slowly, his voice vibrating with the magical weight of the oath. As he finished the final sylble, a look of sudden, horrifying realization washed over his face.
"Now I know what this is!" Asta shouted, his eyes nearly popping out of his head as he looked at their joined hands. "This is a marriage, right?!"
"Took you long enough to figure it out, you idiot!" Noelle snapped, though her face was so red it looked like it might actually steam. "But... yes. Effectively."
"NOOOOO!" Asta wailed toward the ceiling of the void. "I can't! I'm going to marry Sister Lily! This is a betrayal!"
Noelle's embarrassment immediately turned into ft-out disbelief. She stared at him, her eye twitching. "Seriously? A nun? You're worried about a nun right now?"
Before Asta could unch into his usual speech about his love for the sister, a final, massive screen fred to life between them, bathing the entire room in a celebratory gold.
[Congratution: You found your partner]
[System Calibrating]
"Congratutions, User," the Guide said, its voice sounding more distant as it began to dissolve entirely. "The two of you will now be teleported to the Partner Room. A separate Guide will be stationed there to help you receive your initial rewards. Goodbye."
The intense magical pressure suddenly snapped, and the two of them instinctively yanked their hands apart. They stood there, two nine-year-olds in a fading starry cssroom, both blushing so hard they couldn't even look at each other.
A sudden, sharp jolt—like lightning coursing through their veins—hit them both at once. Their vision blurred, and they colpsed. Asta nded right on top of Noelle as they bcked out.
When they finally groaned and opened their eyes, they were no longer in the void. The room was pristine and modern, colored in sleek grays. It was far nicer than the Hage tavern and even more sophisticated than Noelle's royal chambers. A rge, plush bed sat against one wall, while the roulette machine and the rabbit doll stood ready in the corner. A warm firepce flickered at the edge of the room, and a strange, knobless door was set into the far wall.
"NOOOO! Sister Lily!" Asta wailed the moment he was conscious, clutching his head in despair.
"Stop crying, Bakasta!" Noelle shrieked. She swung her fist to clobber him on the head, but the moment her knuckles hit his skull, a loud THWACK echoed.
"Ow!" Noelle recoiled, clutching her throbbing hand while Asta didn't even blink. "Your head is like a rock! And shut up! You're stuck with me now, remember? Where was that cool guy from earlier who asked me what I wanted?!"
Asta paused his mourning, blinking up at her with wide eyes. "Really, Noelle? You thought I was cool?!"
"Shut it, Bakasta!" she barked, her face turning pink.
"It seems the two of you are having fun," a calm voice interrupted.
They both jumped and spun toward the sound. A transparent figure was sitting casually in a chair on the opposite side of the room, legs crossed. Unlike the previous Guide, this one seemed more rexed, watching them with an air of amused patience.
"Please, continue," the new Guide said, gesturing toward them. "I will be here until you are finished."
"Shut up!" Noelle barked, her face still flushed as she scrambled to her feet and smoothed out her dress. She turned her attention to the new figure. "Are you the Guide for this pce?"
"Yes," the figure answered in a perfectly deadpan voice, not shifting an inch in the chair. "But before we continue, please check your status. Miss Noelle, the [Scan] skill is no longer avaible to you. Since you are now a Partner, you have been granted [Observe]. Please, use it."
The two of them exchanged a quick, nervous gnce and then nodded.
"[Observe]!" they shouted in unison.
A new, more detailed screen flickered to life in the center of the room, dispying their information side-by-side. Asta looked as his with bathed breath.
[Status]
Name: Asta
Level: 24 (EXP: 0/ 2400)
Hp: 125/125
Mp: 0/0
SP: 6471/6471
Intimacy: 20/100
Title: [Orphan][Noelle's Fated Partner][Fate's Unknown Variable]
Css: None
Race: Human
Partner: Noelle Silva (Friendly 20/100)
STR: 168.75
AGI: 5.37
DEX: 40.97
STA: 808.90
INT: 121.05
WIS: 100
LUK: 1
Points Left: 0
Passive Skills
SP Recovery (Rank: A)
Battle Continuation (Rank: D):
Ki Armor (Rank: B):
Dagger Mastery (Rank C):
Threat Detection: (Rank B):
Red Strings of Fate (Rank EX): Increase Mastery Rate of skills when near partner
Vow of the Eternal Sentinel (Rank EX): Cant gain Exp, Double's Mastery Rate
Active Skills
Sprint (Rank: B)
Ki Sense (Rank: B)
Zetten (Rank: F)
Shared Skill:
Observe (Rank: F): Mastery 01/100. View status (ManaKi Sense). Cost: 100 Sta
Rest (Rank: EX): Mastery 100/100. Compresses 8 hours of sleep into 1; finalizes all stat gains. (1 per week)
Partner Skill:
Direct Message (EX): Allows messaging between partners, regardless of Distance
Castling: Swaps the Pces of the Couple
Dream Cycle: Passively Increase Intimacy Rate, Dreams will always connect the Partners
Multi Storage: Allows Storage of Items, Size Depends on Retionship Level
Noelle stared at the screen, her breath catching as she scanned the data.
[Status]
Name:Noelle Silva
Level: 15 (Exp: 0/1500)
Hp: 190/190
Mp: 1040/1600
SP: 160/160
Race: Human
Title[The Burden of the Silvas[Asta's Fated Partner[Fate's Unknown Variable]
Intimacy: 20/100
Css: None
Partner: Asta (Friendly 20/100)
Affinity: Water
Stats:
STR: 15
Agi: 30
Dex: 31
STA: 60
INT: 140
WIS: 50
LUK: 35
Points Left: 0
Passive Skills
Water Affinity1 (Rank C) : Increases the potency of water Magic
Mana Efficiency 1 (Rank C): Increases mana regeneration and reduces the cost of using water magic, allowing for sustained combat without quickly exhausting mana reserves.
Water Healing 1 (Rank C) : Water Magic has increased healing capabilities
Activated Royal Blood (Rank B): Increase Base Mana Pool and Doubles Mana Regeneration
Mana Instability (Rank F): Total MP Pool -35%
Subconscious Seal(Rank F): All Aoe Spells double Dmg, -50% Accuracy
Red Strings of Fate (Rank EX): Increase Mastery Rate of skills when near partner
Forced March: Double Exp Gain, Double Skill Mastery
Active Skills
Water Creation Magic (Rank F): Allows magic to make water into anything
?Water Ball(Rank F): Simple Attack Spell (Dmg=Int/Wis) Cost 20MP
?Water Shield(Rank F): Barrier Magic (Potency Int/Wis) Cost 20Mp per second
Mana Sensory: Sense Mana in the Surrounding (Max Distance 100 meters) Cost 2% Mana per second
Shared Skill:
Observe (Rank: F): Mastery 01/100. View status (Mana+Ki Sense). Cost: 100 Sta or 50 Mana, skill will Appear on both partners
Rest (Rank: EX): Mastery 100/100. Compresses 8 hours of sleep into 1; finalizes all stat gains. (1 per week)
Partner Room (Rank EX): Teleports both Partner souls to System Protected Space, finalize [Rest]
Partner Skill:
Direct Message (EX): Allows messaging between partners, regardless of Distance
Castling: Swaps the Pces of the Couple
Dream Cycle: Passively Increase Intimacy Rate, Dreams will always connect the Partners
Multi Storage: Allows Storage of Items, Size Depends on Retionship Level
Noelle stared at the detailed list of her new stats. For the first time in her life, the path to power wasn't a mystery or a source of shame—it was a set of numbers she could actually change. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away, trying to maintain her royal composure.
"I guess... partnering up with you was worth it after all," Noelle said softly, gncing at Asta.
Asta, however, wasn't looking at her. He was staring at his screen with an expression of pure, unadulterated horror. "MY POINTS!" he wailed, clutching his hair. "They're gone! And I can't gain any EXP! What is this?! I'm broken!"
"It seems you have questions, User?" the Guide asked, its voice as ft as ever.
"Yes! What happened to all my hard work?!" Asta demanded, pointing at his frozen Level 24 bar.
"The simple answer," the Guide replied, "is that your Partner 'ate' your points. The gap between your stats was too high for a synchronized bond. To bance the connection, your excess potential was diverted to Miss Noelle. Do not fret; once she reaches Level 24, your experience gain will resume. Is the trade-off not worth it? You now gain double skill mastery speed."
Asta slumped, his spirit partially defted. "My points... eaten..."
Noelle felt a pang of guilt, but she quickly turned back to the Guide to hide it. "I'll check my skills ter. For now... what are these 'Partner Skills'? They have strange names."
"Is it not obvious from the titles?" the Guide asked, a hint of dry amusement in its tone. "Well, you are both only nine years old. It makes sense that the nuances of a 'Soul Bond' escape you."
"And the [Rest] skill?" Asta asked, finally looking up from his mourning. "It's different now."
"Correct. The skill has been modified to accommodate both of you," the Guide expined. "You are a unit now. Your physical and magical gains will no longer finalize instantly. Instead, they will be processed and locked in every week, specifically when you both wake up from this room. It ensures your bodies grow in sync."
The Guide leaned back. "Are you both ready to receive the rewards?"
"Yes!" Asta then cheered up.
[Received: One Random Partner Instance]
"For this, you don't need to spin the wheel; the gods will automatically do it for you!"
Then the wheel next to the door started spinning. They watched as the arrow stopped on the blue tile.
"Congratutions, you got the [Blue: Escape] Instance! The tutorial will end after you finish the instance. Good luck and goodbye!"
Then the guide disappeared as the door changed colors to blue and a doorknob appeared.
"Let's do this, Noelle!" Asta jumped as he went to the door. Noelle nodded as they went to the door, and with a signal, Asta opened it and Noelle followed.
[Quest: Find the Exit]
[Hidden:?]
[Reward: 10exp, 1 token]
When they opened their eyes, they were in a small, dark room. It was filled with a scent the two of them didn't recognize. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, Asta spoke up.
"Let's do this! Now we need to find—"
Asta turned around and realized there was a door standing right in front of him.
[Quest Complete]
[Exit to gain rewards]
"That was... ummm," Asta trailed off, scratching his head in confusion.
Noelle stood beside him, her mouth slightly agape. After all the warnings from the Guide and the talk of "In sickness and in health," their first grand adventure as partners had sted approximately five seconds.
"Is that it?" she whispered, looking around the tiny room. "We just... walked in and the exit was right behind us?"
"Sorry, Noelle. I guess my luck was at fault again," Asta said, sighing as he reached for the doorknob to open it.
But Noelle quickly reached out and stopped him.
"Wait. Since we are already here, we might as well look around," she said, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the small, dark room. "The quest said we need to exit to gain the rewards, but it didn't say we had to leave immediately."
Asta blinked, looking back at the dark corners of the room. "Okay," he agreed, pulling his hand back from the door. "What are we looking for?"
"Why don't you go over there?" Noelle suggested, pointing toward a side of the room that had some kind of metallic objects. "I'll check over here."
Asta nodded and headed off. Noelle turned to her side of the room and noticed a bed made of materials she didn't recognize. They looked like parchment at first, but with a closer look, she realized they were made of something entirely different—soft and synthetic. She tried checking for mana using her new senses, but there was absolutely nothing.
"Noelle! I found something, but I don't know what it is!" Asta called out.
"Let me see," she replied, walking over.
Asta handed her the object he had found. It was a small, triangur piece of cloth. When Noelle stretched it out and examined the shape, her face suddenly turned bright red as she realized what it was.
"It's... it's fluffy and very soft," Asta remarked, completely oblivious.
Noelle's heart hammered in her chest. "Let's switch pces!" she shrieked scurrying toward the metal objects he had been investigating.
"Okay," Asta muttered, scratching his head. He turned toward a box that was emitting a strange light. He grabbed it, but it only continued to glow; he tried using [Observe], but just like the thing from earlier, the only thing that appeared was [Error].
He looked elsewhere and spotted something pced on a high rack. It was rge, made of wood, and colored in striking bck and gold. He reached out to touch it, but he was immediately rejected—a sharp jolt stopping his hand. He was shocked when a screen suddenly fred to life in front of him.
Noelle quickly hurried over to his side.
[Quest Change:?]
[Reward:?]
"What happened?" Noelle asked. As she stood close, Asta suddenly noticed her scent, though he quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts and pointed toward the item.
"There. I saw that thing. It looks like the weapons the militia near my vilge use when they're out on patrol."
"Let me see." Noelle stepped closer to the item and used [Observe].
[Crossbow]
[Rank:?]
"It's a crossbow!" Noelle excimed, her eyes widening. "Quick, let's get it!"
Asta and Noelle looked at the surrounding boxes and began stacking them on the bed. Once they were sure the makeshift tower was safe, Asta climbed up to grab the item. But just like before, he was rejected by a sharp force. He nearly fell, but Noelle reached out and caught his feet, standing on her tiptoes to steady him. Try as he might, he simply couldn't get close to the weapon.
"Please... I don't like guys touching me," a voice suddenly said, shocking both of them.
"Who are you?! Show yourself!" Noelle demanded. She whipped out her wand with one hand, her other hand still firmly gripping Asta's foot to keep him from tumbling off the boxes.
Then, something began to glow at the base of the crossbow. A small figure appeared; Noelle noticed it looked like a mouse wearing a tiny, elegant bck-and-gold jacket.
"That would be me, young dy. Sir Kowalsky at your service!" the creature said, giving a polite bow.
"It's a rat!" Asta shouted, pointing his finger at the little figure.
"How rude!" Sir Kowalsky barked, standing tall and puffing out his chest in indignation.
"Please excuse my husband!" Noelle blurted out, her face instantly turning a deep shade of crimson.
"Husband?" Sir Kowalsky asked, his whiskers twitching in surprise.
"What the hell am I saying?!" Noelle shrieked, clutching her burning cheeks and wishing the floor would swallow her whole.
"Kids these days... already married," the rat muttered, shaking his head as he looked at the two of them. He adjusted his tiny jacket before continuing. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"
"Asta, let me do the talking," Noelle whispered firmly.
"Okay," Asta replied, stepping back and trying to look as non-threatening as possible.
Noelle turned back to the mouse. "Where exactly are we?"
"We are at -," Sir Kowalsky answered casually.
Noelle blinked. "Come again?"
"-, specifically my creator's room," the rat repeated, looking at her as if the answer were perfectly obvious.
"Is it just me, or am I not hearing anything?" Asta asked, looking at Noelle with a confused frown. "It's like his voice just disappears whenever he says the name of this pce."
"Oh my... wait, I know what this is," the rat muttered. He looked at them intently, and they watched as his eyes began to glow a brilliant, piercing white. Suddenly, a notification screen fred to life between them.
[Sir Kowalsky is using "Observe" (EX)]
[System Checking Data]
[User cant block data]
Asta and Noelle froze as they felt an invisible force scan through their very souls. Sir Kowalsky's whiskers twitched as he processed the information.
"Oho... what do we have here?" he purred, a new spark of interest in his tiny eyes.
"What did you do?!" Noelle demanded, stepping back and tightening her grip on her wand.
"You can use the System?" Asta asked, his eyes wide with wonder rather than fear.
"It's a basic skill all spirits know, my young man," the rat said coolly, smoothing down the pels of his tiny jacket.
"You're a spirit?!" Asta yelled, leaning in so close that Sir Kowalsky had to take a step back.
"Yes. And it seems that you, young dy, were fated to meet me," the spirit said, turning his gaze toward Noelle with a newfound respect.
"What about me?" Asta asked, pointing to himself with a hopeful grin.
Sir Kowalsky gave Asta a long, judging look from head to toe. "Looking at your stats? You couldn't use me even if I let you."
"What about you, young dy? Do you want to have a truly great weapon?" the spirit asked, gesturing grandly to the bck-and-gold crossbow.
Noelle hesitated, her eyes darting between the mouse and the weapon. "Can I look at its stats first?"
"That's a big no-no," the spirit answered, wagging a tiny finger. "Just like that vow you two made earlier, this is a leap of faith. It's the joy of the reward, right? You have to choose it before you can know its true power."
"Yes!" Asta cheered, his eyes sparkling with his usual optimism. He turned to her with a wide grin. "So, Noelle, do you want a crossbow?"
[Quest Receive]
[Accept the Spirit Trial]
[Reward: Crossbow[?]
Noelle looked at the screen and then down at her wand. She had carried this wand for years; it was a symbol of her status and the only tool she had to try and control her wild magic. Seeing an unknown weapon—and one that looked so different from anything a Silva would use—made her falter.
The wand felt safe in its familiarity, even if it reminded her of her failures. The crossbow, however, felt like a door to a version of herself she didn't yet understand.
"What do you think, Asta?" Noelle asked, her voice uncharacteristically small.
"I can't make a choice for you, Noelle," Asta replied. His usual loud energy was gone, repced by a rare, quiet seriousness. "Even if we are partners... you are still you."
Noelle looked at the spirit, who was simply floating there, watching them with a patient expression. She looked at the bck-and-gold crossbow, then back to Asta, and finally down at her wand.
For a Silva, a wand was traditional, elegant, and "proper." But she had never been a "proper" Silva. Asta was right—she was still Noelle. And if she wanted to change, she couldn't keep doing the same things that had always resulted in failure.
"Fine. I'll accept your trial," Noelle decred.
"Good choice, young dy," the spirit replied with a satisfied nod.
"So, what do I have to do?"
"Just hold the crossbow," Sir Kowalsky answered simply.
Noelle climbed back up the stack of boxes while Asta held her legs to steady her. As she reached higher, she looked down and realized the angle.
"Don't look up!" she barked.
"What do you—?"
"I said stop looking!"
"Violet," Asta muttered absently, his eyes wide.
"I SAID STOP!" Noelle shrieked, her face turning a deep shade of crimson.
"Okay, okay!" Asta looked away quickly, his face turning red too.
Bracing herself, Noelle reached out and took hold of the crossbow. To her shock, there was no resistance at all—no jolt of electricity and no rejection. As soon as her fingers closed around the frame, the weapon erupted in a brilliant glow. It began to shrink and shift, its massive, heavy frame compressing until it was perfectly sized for her grip.
With the weapon firmly in hand, Noelle leaped down from the boxes and nded gracefully on the ground.
The crossbow was very different from how a normal crossbow looks. It had a specialized holder, and the strings were made of pure magic. There was even some sort of cartige-like material on the frame; it looked rusty, and the magical pressure coming from it was incredibly strong.
"Congratutions, young dy!" the spirit cheered as he circled around them. "It seems you have the aptitude! It will take some time for me to acclimate to your mana, so for now... goodbye!"
As the spirit disappeared into the weapon, a new screen appeared before them:
[Quest Complete]
[Reward: Crossbow[?]
[Hidden Reward Received]
"You got it, Noelle!" Asta shouted, beaming with pride.
"Quick, let's see what that item is!" Noelle said, her heart racing as she focused her power on the weapon.
A Certain Vilin's Crossbow (N)
Rarity: Ancient (Current Level: N)
Type: Growth Gear (Weapon)
Level: 1 / 5
Mana Conductivity: C (up to EX)
Soul Bound: Cannot Be used other than user/ Will Automatically Return to the user
Attributes
?Dexterity: 2
?Intelligence: 2
[Growth Logic]: The spirit Kowalski demands both mental acuity and physical fortitude.
Passive Skills
?Elemental Spirit [Sir Kowalsk (N): Adapts to Users Elemental Affinity, 1% Mana Regen per 10 Seconds
?Reload (N): Stores (1) Spell, All Bolts will Fire Stored spell Regardless of what spell equipped. (Current Load: None) (Reload Speed is Based on Strenght)
?Aim (N): 10% Increase Accuracy
?Mana Sight: Range will adjust to User [Mana Detection]
?Custom Bolts: Attacks Adapt to User Elemental Affinity, All shots will Consume Spells Mana, All Shots Must Be Manually Loaded Except For Micro Ballista
Active Skills:
Load Ballista: can use 6 types of attack, Mana Consumption will depend of the Spell Loaded
?Ballista Shot: Standard Shot (Aoe Spells will become Single Target) (SpellCost3% mana Per Shot)
?Piercing Ballista: Penetrates Target allows to hit enemy Behind (Aoe Spells will become Single Target) (SpellCost10% mana Per Shot)
?Enchanced Ballista: A Single Standard Shot that deals 3x Damage (Aoe Spells will become Single Target) (SpellCost5% mana Per Shot)
?Giant Balista: Large Balista that can hit mutliple Targets Aoe Spell Dmg 50% (SpellCost25% Mana Per Shot)
?Shelling Ballista: Single Ballista that can hit twice (Aoe Spells will become Single Target)(SpellCost15% Mana Per Shot)
?Micro Ballista: Small Ballista that can be rapid fired at fast speeds (Aoe Spells will become Single Target)(Spellcostx20.5% Mana Per Shot)
Spirit Dive: Combines Mana With Elemental Spirit [Sir Kowalsk and the surrounding Mana, consumes 5% Mana Per Second (Consumes Sorrounding Mana First)(once per day)
?Doubles Damage Output
?Ballista Auto Aims
?Remove Reload Penalty
?Quadruples Mana Consumption on Attacks
?x4 Mana Pool
?All Stats Boost x3
?Doubles Mana Shield Consumption
?If Stationary 50% Shield Penetration
?Hp Reduces to 1/2
?Mana will not Regenerate, Cancels All Mana Regeneration Skills
?Spirit can/will Prioritize User Safety
?Grants Ultimate Skill: Kowalsky's Hunting Time: Elemental Spirit [Sir Kowalsk Enters The Ballista, Can use A single Ballista Type and fire 6 times in Succession (Twice Per Day) Consumes 50% Mana (Surrounding Mana First)
Description: A weathered, ivory-wood ballista etched with fading mana-circuitry, crafted by a legendary Spirit Lover to channel raw intent over physical strength. Though its frame bears the scars of a fallen age, its core still pulses with the sentient [Spirit King Sir Kowalsk, waiting to condense the user's spells into devastating bolts
Next Level Requirement: 30Str, 60 Dex, 300 Int, Mana Attunement (C), Spirit Test (N)
"Oh my god! That is so cool!" Asta yelled, his nose practically touching the screen as he read through the massive list of skills. "Noelle, you can fire six different ways! And look at that 'Spirit Dive' thing! You'll be like... a super-wizard!"
Even Noelle was stunned. She ran her fingers over the weathered ivory-wood and the fading mana-circuitry. For the first time she felt she can do things.
"It says I need 300 Intelligence to level it up," Noelle whispered, her eyes shining with determination. "And I have to pass another test from that rat... I mean, Sir Kowalski."
"You can do it!" Asta cheered, giving her a thumbs up. "With that thing, you're gonna be the strongest mage!"
"Hmph! Of course I will!" she replied, though her blush gave away how much his encouragement meant.
[Instance Complete]
[Exiting tutorial]
As the surroundings change, asta looked at the girl who was holding the crossbow tightly and said.
"Well, this was fun, Noelle! Let's do this again soon!"
Noelle looked at the glowing thread of mana still connecting their wrists, then up at the boy who had just watched her fail, succeed, and accidentally call him her husband all in the span of an hour. She tightened her grip on her new ancient crossbow.
"We are literally tied together, you muscle-head," she said, her voice softening just a fraction. "So... yes. Let do this again."
next chapter is tommorow
