Chapter 12: From Cafeteria Conspiracy to Conjuring
Three glorious hours of sleep. Not nearly enough to erase the bone dust from my pores, but enough to vaguely resemble a functioning human for school. First up: the dreaded Mathematics. Mr. Algebra, a man whose stern gaze could make numbers themselves cower, awaited. At least I had a new passive skill to help me through:
Ding!
[Passive Skill Learned!]
[Mathematics Lv. 1 (passive)]
[Description: You can now calculate… slightly faster.]
(System Comment: Prepare to be mildly less confused by fractions!)
"Thanks for the confidence boost, System," I muttered as I stared blankly at a page full of quadratic equations. Still, every little bit helped, right? Maybe I wouldn't fail quite as spectacularly today.
Lunchtime couldn't come fast enough. Forget the questionable cafeteria food; I had a much more pressing matter to attend to. I practically stalked the hallway outside Rhea's class, and the moment she emerged with her friend (whose name, in my post-dungeon haze, I couldn't quite recall – something starting with an "S"?), I did something completely out of character. I took Rhea's hand. And I marched. Straight to the cafeteria.
"We need to talk," I stated, my voice leaving no room for argument.
After grabbing some mystery meat and suspiciously green vegetables, we found a relatively secluded corner table. Rhea, looking both intrigued and slightly alarmed by my sudden assertiveness, raised an eyebrow.
"Okay," she said, her voice laced with a hint of amusement. "Shoot."
"I want to know all about… all of that," I began, gesturing vaguely in the direction of, well, everything weird that had happened.
Rhea gave me a look that said, "You have approximately three minutes before the bell rings and this cafeteria turns into a stampede of hungry teenagers. Condense."
"Right," I said quickly. "So, about those… creatures. The ones that attacked the museum. And… you know." I trailed off, unsure how much to reveal in a crowded cafeteria.
Rhea seemed to understand. "The monsters," she clarified, lowering her voice. "You want to know where they come from?"
I nodded eagerly.
She leaned in, her expression serious. "We don't know exactly. The most widely accepted theory is that they originate from another dimension. Some say a hell dimension, others the abyss, maybe even Tartarus. Whatever you call it, they definitely aren't native to this world."
"So, interdimensional beasties invading our world," I muttered, chewing thoughtfully on a surprisingly bland chicken nugget. "This is huge! Why isn't this on the news? Headlines screaming 'Demonic Incursion at Local Hoax Museum!'"
Rhea sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Because who would believe it? 'Giant Minotaur Spotted Near School Parking Lot'? The internet would have a field day with the Photoshop memes. 'Crazy Lady Claims Demons Stole Her Homework.'"
"True," I conceded. "There are those blurry Bigfoot videos. So, no one outside of… us… knows about this?"
"Pretty much," Rhea confirmed. "There are whispers, of course. Strange disappearances, weird events. But they're usually dismissed as accidents, urban legends… you know, 'Oh, that old building is just haunted.' They have no idea what kind of haunting."
"So," I said slowly, piecing it together. "You guys… you fight these things? Like, every school break you're off battling hellhounds in the boiler room?" My mind conjured images of Rhea wielding a glowing sword amidst a cloud of steam.
She chuckled, a wry, slightly weary sound. "No, no. We're just junior members. Think of it as… extra-curricular activities. More like advanced after-school detention with the possibility of dismemberment. Lots of training."
"More school? More training?" I groaned dramatically. "What happened to, you know, just getting stronger?"
Rhea gave me the kind of look that made me question all my life choices.
"Kyle. Did that goblin's club knock some sense out of you? This isn't a game. You don't just magically get stronger by hitting things."
"But… but… the stats… the skills… that feeling of leveling up, of actually getting stronger… none of that can be done? Even with these crazy monsters being real?" I asked, my voice laced with disbelief. It seemed the awesome power-up system was exclusive to me. Talk about feeling like the odd one out.
Rhea sighed again, a hint of weariness in her eyes.
"It's not a game, Kyle. We need to train. And yes," she conceded, "as you become stronger, you'll be tested. That's how you earn your higher-rank identity card. More responsibility, more dangerous missions… more reasons to die, unfortunately."
"Great," I muttered, the initial excitement of my "system" fading into a sense of being a very strange anomaly. So, even in a world with interdimensional monsters, progress wasn't as simple as grinding experience points. Everyone else had to, you know, work at it. I was the freak with the video game HUD.
"We can train," Rhea continued, her tone a bit more encouraging.
"In this country, there are maybe ten-plus A-level ability users. Two S-Rank, but one of them has been missing for a while, as far as I know."
Rhea explained, her tone shifting to something more serious. "For the rest of us, becoming stronger takes real effort. Training exercises, learning combat techniques, understanding the creatures we face. And yes," she added, her gaze hardening, "going into dungeons."
"Dungeons?" I echoed, a flicker of my gamer instincts igniting. "Like… loot and boss fights?"
Rhea's expression turned grim.
"No. Dungeons, as you call them, are transit nodes. These… demons, or whatever they are, use some kind of magic or technology far beyond our understanding to transport their minions to our world. Think of them as tears in reality."
"And the purpose?" I asked, a knot of unease tightening in my stomach.
"We don't know," she admitted. "They don't communicate. When they die, they just… vanish, returning to their own realm. Sometimes they leave behind… trophies. Magic crystals, occasionally even equipment. Very rare for us."
"So, when you raid a 'dungeon'…" I prompted.
"We storm into a hostile environment and try to kill everything before more of them can come through," Rhea said bluntly, her voice losing its earlier lightness. "It's not some heroic quest with guaranteed rewards. It's chaotic, dangerous, and sometimes… our assault teams die. That's reality, Kyle. Very tragic."
"But why not just… stay here?" I suggested, gesturing around the relatively safe-looking cafeteria. "Wait for them to pop out and then, you know, bonk them with a baseball bat?"
Rhea's expression turned serious again. "Because when they come out, Kyle, they don't politely queue up for a beating. They destroy everything. Think about those 'unexplained' natural disasters you hear about on the news? Gas pipe explosions that don't make sense? Building collapses with no clear cause?"
My eyes widened. "You mean…"
Rhea nodded grimly. "Half of those are monster attacks. If we waited for them to fully manifest here, the damage, the casualties… it would be catastrophic. Raiding the transit nodes – the 'dungeons' – is dangerous, yes. But it's a way to contain the threat before it spills out into the wider world."
"But… but we have guns," I stammered, my mind racing through action movie scenarios. "Missiles too! Can't we just, you know, blow them back to whatever hellhole they crawled out of?"
Rhea shook her head, a hint of frustration in her voice. "They work… if the monster's hierarchical level is low. Not like your game levels, Kyle. I mean their rank in their own dimension. The higher-level ones… they have some kind of force protection, a resistance to the physical laws of this universe. Our bullets and bombs do damage, yes, but it's limited. It's like hitting a brick wall with a pebble after a certain point."
She leaned forward, her gaze intense.
"The most effective methods are things that tap into universal energies. Spirit weapons, magic, inner energy… things that aren't bound by our normal physics. That's why… well, that's why we train the way we do."
Rhea smiled mischievously, a glint in her eye that suggested she wasn't quite as defenseless as she might seem. "You know I'm an D-class ability user, right?"
I blinked. D-class sounded… low. Like the participation ribbon of supernatural powers.
"So, about those peashooters you're thinking of," she said, leaning forward conspiratorially. "Even a bottom-of-the-barrel D-class like me? My skin's tough enough to shrug off a 9mm bullet. Trust me, it'd still feel like getting stung by a really angry bee, and an actual injection? Ew. But 'lights out' scenario? Nope." She tapped her arm with a surprising amount of confidence. "We're not exactly squishy."
Rhea chuckled, a hint of sympathy in her eyes. "Hey, everyone starts somewhere, right? If you train diligently, you could probably hit D-class in a year or two, no problem. It's all about dedication… and not getting eaten by interdimensional beasties."
"Right," I mumbled, feeling about as impressive as a damp sock.
"I'm the lowest of the low. F-class."
School had finally ended, and my brain was already buzzing with anticipation. Wizard time was officially in session. I practically teleported (okay, maybe just ran really fast) to the mostly deserted garden near our house. Living in a smaller city had its perks, like these surprisingly large, often empty green spaces – perfect for a budding mage to practice their craft without attracting too much attention (or concerned neighbors).
I held the "Basic Mana Manipulation" skill book in my hand. The digital cover seemed to pulse with a faint, inner light.
Ding!
[Want to learn Basic Mana Manipulation?]
[Yes/No]
My mental "YES" could have shattered glass. The book vanished, and a rush of pure information flooded my mind. It was like downloading a foreign language directly into my brain, complete with grammar rules and pronunciation guides for things that didn't even exist in the real world. I swayed on my feet for a minute or two, my senses overloaded, but then… clarity. I understood. Mana. This invisible energy that hummed beneath everything. And now, I could feel it, a faint tingling in my fingertips.
Ding!
[Basic Mana Manipulation Lv. 1]
[Description: A little proficient at mana manipulation.]
[Magic Attack +1]
(System Comment: You can now make your hand look vaguely like it's glowing! Prepare for lukewarm reactions from onlookers.)
I focused, a thrill shooting through me. And there it was. Wispy tendrils of light blue energy, like captured moonlight, shimmering into existence from my palms. It was… awesome. I felt an almost uncontrollable urge to shout a dramatic spell (even though I didn't know any). I spent the next fifteen or twenty minutes completely engrossed, shaping the mana into glowing orbs that floated and danced around me, the concept of time dissolving in the wonder of it all.
Ding!
[Basic Mana Manipulation Lv. 2]
[Description: A little more proficient at mana manipulation.]
[Magic Attack +2]
The blue mana at my fingertips felt increasingly responsive. Instead of just wispy tendrils, I could now coax it into slightly more defined shapes. I managed to form a small, flickering orb that hovered a few inches above my palm, pulsing with a soft, internal light. It wobbled precariously, threatening to dissipate at any moment, but it was there. My very own, miniature ball of magical energy.
I tried to push more mana into it, focusing with all my concentration. The orb grew slightly larger, its light intensifying, but then it sputtered and vanished in a puff of blue sparks. Okay, so sustained magical constructs were going to take some practice.
Next, I tried to direct the flow of mana. I extended my hand, imagining a thin beam of blue light extending outwards. A faint, shimmering line appeared, wavering like heat haze, extending maybe a foot before dissipating. It wasn't exactly a laser beam of arcane power, but it was progress! I spent the next few minutes tracing patterns in the air with these ephemeral blue lines, feeling a growing sense of connection to this strange, inner energy. It was like learning to flex a muscle I never knew I had.
Finally, after more focused practice, shaping the mana into a slightly more stable orb and even managing to make it float a little longer, another notification appeared:
Ding!
[Basic Mana Manipulation Lv. 3]
[Description: Moderately proficient at mana manipulation.]
[Magic Attack +3]
A surge of satisfaction washed over me. Level three! I was practically a magical prodigy (in my own backyard, with no witnesses except maybe a confused squirrel). Plus three to Magic Attack! I couldn't wait to see what other wonders this "Basic" level held in store. Maybe I could finally make something more impressive than glowing air.
I focused all my concentration, picturing a light bulb, then a glowing ball of light. I channeled the blue mana, trying to make it not just visible, but luminous. Slowly, hesitantly, the mana orb in my palm began to glow brighter. It wasn't the blinding light of a real bulb, more like a soft, ethereal radiance, but it illuminated my hand and the surrounding patch of garden with a gentle, otherworldly luminescence.
"Yes!" I whispered, a thrill of genuine excitement coursing through me. This was it. My first actual spell. Real-life Lumos!
Ding!
[New Magic Skill Learned! (Active)]
[Light Ball Lv. 1]
[Description: Can light up the immediate surroundings.]
(Congratulations, you've invented the slightly less practical, magic-powered nightlight! No need for an electric bill, but on the downside, you're now paying with your very essence. Choose your illumination level wisely, oh radiant one.)
I grinned at my little sphere of magical light, feeling a surge of pride. Okay, so it wasn't exactly going to illuminate a stadium, but it was a start. Fireball next! I focused, picturing a crackling sphere of orange energy. I poured my mana into the image, willing it to ignite.
Nothing.
I tried again, straining my mental muscles. Still just a faint blue glow in my palm.
(Ambitious, aren't we? Your current Mana Manipulation level is about as capable of conjuring a fireball as a toddler is of piloting a jumbo jet. Baby steps, sparky.)
"Rude," I muttered at the invisible voice in my head. "But point taken." Apparently, going from a gentle glow to fiery destruction wasn't as simple as just wanting it really badly. Back to basics, I supposed. More glowing orbs it was. For now.
Kyle (Lv. 11)
HP: 340/340.
MP: 260/260
SP : 340/340
Stats:
* STR: 16 (+5 from Great Sun inner energy ) (21)
* VIT: 16 ( +3 from arm guard ) (+5 from Great Sun inner energy )( 24 )
* DEX: 31 (+1 from title)
* INT: 16
* WIS: 15
* LUK: 30
* Unassigned Stat Points: 20
* Unassigned Skill Points: 38
Att: 31
Def:25
Eva: 32.5