—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
I went back to my room to grab whatever I could, and I found more than I expected.
First, there was the sticky note that could be said to have saved my life. I picked up the note that was still pathetically rolling around on the floor.
If you find this note, gather your belongings and move.
“…”
I should have read it more carefully. This wasn’t just a simple instruction manual. It was a provision left for me, a warning about what was to come.
Money necessary for my future and items for my escape were neatly organized in a corner of the hotel room. I didn’t even know how to use most of them. Still, things like the subspace bag were convenient since I only needed to put things inside.
It felt like I received an inventory after finishing the tutorial. What a broken game.
“I don’t know how much these are worth, but this much money should be enough… What’s this?”
While rummaging through the items Oz had prepared, I found a few things that didn’t seem to fit the current situation.
“A photo?”
A photo of four children together. For some reason, their faces seemed familiar.
One looked like Oz, and a girl with white hair whom I felt I had seen somewhere before. Then, there were two redheads who appeared to be siblings.
“Speaking of red hair…”
The image of the assassin who had just attacked me came to mind. It seemed like they knew each other, but were they childhood friends or something? A strange bitterness welled up inside me.
“No, this isn’t the time to be concerned about this…”
Figuring out the story behind the photo was less important than what I should do now.
Oz, considered a genius in the game, couldn’t have been unaware of the [Mage King]’s decision. He had already made preparations for the future.
“But this…”
Oz’s hidden plan stated, “Execution in 3 days.” What could it be? The timing of the escape, of course.
I wondered why three days later, and I concluded that Oz couldn’t have missed what I saw. He must have also noticed the crack that appeared in the sky.
“…So, he was planning to escape Spellerge and cross the border in three days?”
The game was set to begin in three days. On that day, the sky would shatter, and the Chrysos Kingdom would fall. Oz was probably planning to escape during the chaos.
“Hmm…”
It wasn’t a bad plan. Escaping during the chaos meant relying on the situation, not brute force. The escape route Oz had planned was quite detailed and well-organized.
However, there was a serious problem.
“…Can I last three days?”
I wasn’t confident I could survive for three days amidst the onslaught of assassins that would surely come. I lacked what Oz possessed.
Oz’s abilities were probably aligned with the game’s story. He was likely a genius who used flashy and powerful magic. Lasting three days would have been entirely possible with Oz’s power.
But what about me? I was a joke character. I couldn’t use flashy magic like Oz, and all I could rely on now was randomly generated magic.
Reach the border within three days? In my current state, I might die the moment the next assassin appeared.
Oz’s plan was sound, but I felt there was no time to waste. I needed to leave immediately to have any chance of making it in time.
Moreover, if I followed this detailed plan and made even a single mistake, missing that three-day window, I would lose my means of escape. I had no backup plan. So, it was better to move as quickly as possible.
Therefore, if I had to start…
“Right now.”
I had to leave.
Before leaving, I checked the last sentence written on the sticky note. It wasn’t a warning Oz left for me, but a phrase that helped me make up my mind:
-May you find answers not in momentary luck, but in the path you forge yourself.
I couldn’t know everything. Ultimately, I had to trust not Oz’s abilities, nor skills relying on luck, but my own judgment.
I left the building and started moving blindly towards the Empire’s border. I knew the general direction. In the game, the location of every country was displayed on a simplified minimap. Of course, now that this was reality, there was no such detailed map. I couldn’t tell east from west. Still, my guide was clearly etched in the mystical purple sky.
“…Even ordinary people can see it now, huh?”
The crack across the sky had grown noticeably larger.
The fallen Chrysos was located on the far right side of the map in the game. And in the middle of the map lay the Helios Empire and Scientia Academy, the setting for the future.
So, I could at least figure out the general direction. I just had to turn my back to the crack and head forward. For now, the direction was enough.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Capture Prince Oz!”
“He’s moving faster than expected…”
It was impossible to pinpoint my exact location while being chased like this, unable to even tell front from back.
If I could just cross the border, I’d figure something out. Between Scientia and Spellerge lay the Empire, a wall. Oz had already negotiated with the Empire beforehand. They were supposed to help me if I crossed the border. There were no particular conditions from the Empire. They seemed to be fine as long as I made it across.
Of course, harboring a prince of another nation was valuable in itself. Especially a prince with such a natural talent for magic. They were probably planning to win me over.
So, all I had to do was enter the Empire. Then, those from Spellerge wouldn’t be able to touch me. That was why they were chasing me so desperately. This was their only chance to kill me easily.
[Contemplation – Activated]
“You’re too hasty.”
“Ugh?!”
Fortunately, the hastily assembled pursuers who started chasing me were less competent than the previous assassin.
It made sense. Who would have expected me to leave immediately after encountering the assassin? Salem’s intentions hadn’t spread yet, so their movements were bound to be hurried.
Thanks to that, most of the attackers were around R-rank in terms of character level. The red-haired assassin who attacked me was at least SR-rank, but this was all they could mobilize immediately.
Moving preemptively was the right call.
[Mana Dominator Lv. 1]
“Prince Oz is using magic!”
“Everyone, brace yourselves!”
“T-Too late! We’re dead!”
The chilling sensation from the refreshing mana flowing through me was brief. I unleashed magic, targeting all those chasing me. The wide-range magic that engulfed them all was none other than…
[Light Impact]
A skill used by N-rank characters which was immediately traded in at the shop upon summoning. Light attribute magic that emitted a faint light and a slight shockwave. The shockwave was only about as strong as a punch.
“This damn…”
Panic surged through me. I shouldn’t have relied on such a crappy skill.
[Erosion Rate 10%]
But this was all I had left. So, I had to contemplate even this pathetic magic.
[Light Impact]
Why was this light attribute magic created? If it was meant for hunting undead monsters, melting them with fire-attribute magic would be more effective than mimicking light.
Then, the focus must be on the effect, not the damage.
I cast [Light Impact] between myself and the enemies.
“Light Impact?”
It was nothing special. If it couldn’t deal much damage, its only use was to obstruct their vision.
This wasn’t a game, but reality. This was reality, not just damage numbers and status ailment descriptions displayed on a screen.
Even if I couldn’t expect a blinding effect, obstructing their vision was enough. And if their vision was obstructed, they would naturally feel a sense of fear.
“Be careful! Something big is coming!”
“Group up and prepare!”
“Too late to react.”
Yes, if I used the next spell during this opening…
[Mana Dominator Lv. 1]
[Cooldown – 10 seconds]
“…?”
This idiotic skill had a cooldown? It was a mana-guzzling hippo! Were the game developers crazy?
It was humiliating, but I had no choice. I gave up on a follow-up attack.
“I guess I have to run…”
It was embarrassing, but while the attackers were bewildered by [Light Impact], I turned and sprinted away.
They were still staring warily at the faintly glowing [Light Impact].
Right after the light from [Light Impact] faded…
“What’s with that speed…? Did he cast a physical enhancement spell?”
“A rational choice to conserve mana.”
The attackers stared at me running at full speed, spouting nonsense with dumbfounded expressions. They really were something. I wanted to see the face of whoever sent these idiots as attackers.
“Well, thinking about it, it’s not entirely unreasonable for them to be mistaken.”
My current physical abilities were quite high, comparable to an R-rank warrior. It was on a different level from ordinary people. Compared to mages who only studied magic in their rooms, it wasn’t strange that I appeared this way.
“No, this won’t do. Chase him!”
“How? He’s too fast!”
[Erosion Rate 6%]
Even so, the mages chasing me had pathetic stamina. I felt once again that this was a game. Shouldn’t they have at least some basic stamina to be selected as attackers?
“Fire!”
But I soon realized that judgment was wrong too.
Boom!
As soon as the words left their mouths, magical bombardments began to fall around me.
“Holy crap…”
This was brutal.
It was a moment I could understand their poor stamina if they considered themselves cannons. Still, there was no need to roll or deploy [Spatial Barrier]. [Contemplation] was showing me where the magic would fall.
Right, there was no need to prioritize mobility. Thankfully, there were no unavoidable attacks yet…
“Ready!”
“Then fire at will!”
Just as I was feeling relieved, my entire vision turned red. This was beyond my ability to dodge. The power was extraordinary. The ominous feeling I felt when the assassin came for me was now engulfing the world itself.
“…This damn mouth of mine…”
I couldn’t block everything with a fragile shield like [Spatial Barrier].
Right, then it was time for something decent to appear.
[Mana Dominator Lv. 1]
I had already made my offering with [Light Impact]. Now it was time for at least an intermediate-level spell to appear.
“Here goes…”
Mana flowed through me, gathering at my fingertips. This refreshing, chilling sensation. This time, it was a proper spell, for sure.
The decisive magic completed in this moment of crisis was…
[Dig]
Magic from an N-rank character whose name I couldn’t even remember. Magic that created a small hole at a designated location.
“No… Is this really not probability manipulation?!”
Flashing, colorful magic began to fill my vision.
The mages chasing Oz swallowed hard, waiting for the smoke screen obscuring their vision to clear.
The chase with Oz had been unexpected from beginning to end. He made a series of bizarre decisions that he would never have made normally.
They were caught off guard.
“Did we get him?”
“Even for Prince Oz, this is…”
The area where they had been chasing Oz was already devastated. Even the [Successor to the Mage King] couldn’t have survived that. The attackers narrowed their eyes, scanning the spot where Oz had been.
“He’s gone?”
Oz was nowhere to be seen. They wouldn’t have been so flustered if he had at least tried to block the magic.
“Not even a body left…? No, that’s impossible. It wasn’t that powerful!”
“Did he Blink in that short time?!”
“No, with Prince Oz’s skill, he might have Teleported! Contact headquarters immediately!”
Panic erupted. All sorts of speculations ran wild. The thought that Oz might be capable of such feats made them frantic.
It was an overestimation. But Oz was exceptional enough to warrant such an overestimation.
“Still, considering the time, he couldn’t have gone far!”
“Chase him! He hasn’t crossed the border yet!”
The attackers began to move chaotically. However, not knowing the exact direction, they had to spread out.
And in the place they left behind…
A twitch.
A pile of dirt began to twitch.
“Pwah!”
A moment later, Oz emerged from the dirt. He had learned to conceal his mana after his harrowing encounter with the assassin. It was that impactful of an experience.
‘Even though I learned it through [Contemplation]…’
It was good news that he could manipulate mana in ways other than [Mana Dominator]. He could only manipulate it for now, but using magic wouldn’t be a problem.
‘I don’t even want to imagine what would have happened if the magic that came out was something like [Light Impact]…’
He was alive thanks to [Dig]. He wouldn’t have escaped the barrage of magic if he hadn’t dug a hole beneath himself instead of targeting one of the many enemies. Even then, to survive, he had to deploy [Spatial Barrier] above him to avoid being buried alive…
‘I survived by relying on luck again.’
It would be dangerous if things continued like this. Oz wore a bitter expression, knowing this was no time to rejoice. From now on, he had to react appropriately to whatever magic appeared. No, he had to create a situation where it didn’t matter what magic appeared.
If that was impossible, he would soon be found dead. So, he had to get used to it. And stay calm.
‘At least this should have thinned out their encirclement a bit.’
Oz brushed off the dirt and cautiously moved forward. The direction was still opposite the crack. Towards the Helios Empire, the largest country in this world.
Countless attackers were likely stationed there as well, but it was too late to choose a different path. Time was not on his side. If more skilled and professionally trained attackers appeared instead of the clumsy ones from earlier, his hope would diminish.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
He reached the border, but of course, it was guarded. Moreover, their skill level was significantly higher compared to the previous attackers. Judging by their numbers, it seemed like the original border patrol had been reinforced by the forces sent to pursue him.
At a glance, there were numerous individuals who appeared to be SR-rank. Among them, there were even some who seemed worthy of being called SSR-rank.
“I’m cold and sleepy…”
I vaguely understood why animals hibernated. I was hiding under a pile of dirt, observing them, just like I had done earlier. A simple disguise.
Surely, the attackers wouldn’t think that Prince Oz, regarded as the [Successor to the Mage King], would be buried under a pile of dirt. They probably expected him to charge head-on.
They believed Oz would definitely do that. He was that arrogant, and he had the ability to back up that arrogance. He probably would have charged head-on in the original story as well.
No, if I had followed Oz’s original plan, there wouldn’t have been this many attackers gathered here.
In any case, it was my decision, and I only had one chance.
“A little further…”
I had been waiting for something since I arrived at this location. The moment the game began. Three days later, as per the original plan. I had barely made it in time.
At the moment the sky shattered, even the most skilled assassins would be distracted.
“That…”
“What in the world is going on?”
“Ominous. Haven’t the higher-ups figured it out yet?”
Frankly, anyone who didn’t look up at the sky shattering in real-time was insane. The crack was expanding in real time. Even from afar, in Spellerge, it was clearly visible. What about the people of Chrysos, who would be watching the sky collapse directly above them?
No, I shouldn’t think about it. There was nothing I could do anyway.
“Huh…?”
And the moment someone looked up at the crack and let out a dumbfounded sound…
I took hold of the dirt and braced myself, using that sound as my cue.
Crack–!
The gradually expanding crack began to grow exponentially…
“It’s breaking…!”
Kaboom!
Finally, the sky began to collapse. Everyone’s eyes fixed on the sky.
This was the beginning of the game. I rose from the dirt and immediately started running, staying low. Amidst the bizarre sound of shattering glass and panicked screams, I focused on running, resisting the urge to look back.
“It’s okay…”
I could get away. Considering the time and effort I had invested, it was entirely possible. I had already found the weak point in their encirclement.
“It’s okay…”
There was no time to look back. It was an incredibly intriguing sight, a historical moment that could be called the end of the world, but my world was ending right now. I couldn’t afford to be distracted. Everyone’s eyes would be fixed on the shattering sky.
The bizarre sound of shattering glass and the panicked screams would mask the sound of my footsteps. Just as I was reassuring myself by repeatedly muttering “it’s okay”…
“Ah, as expected.”
I made eye contact with someone. Confusion and a slight sense of relief washed over me.
And beyond all that, overwhelming terror.
“You were still here?”
A chilling red color and a smile caught my eye. The being I first encountered after regaining consciousness, the one I might have killed first.
[Frankly, anyone who didn’t look up at the sky shattering in real-time was insane.]
There was. The crazy assassin who had jumped out the window after me without hesitation.
“I found you, Oz.”
That woman, with a chilling smile, was looking only at me, despite the apocalyptic moment of the sky collapsing.
“…”
“Hee hee.”
[Erosion Rate 15%]
I felt the sensation of death creeping up my spine. By the time I noticed, she was already close. We were within arm’s reach. My heart, still racing from the sprint, began to turn cold.
It was too late. She was right beside me, looking down at me as I ran, crouched low. Time itself seemed to slow down.
“Uh…”
If she reached out, I would be caught easily. Even though it was just a split second, I couldn’t tell if the sweat dripping down me was from exertion or fear.
I had to react. But how? Whether it was [Spatial Barrier] or [Mana Dominator], even if they were fast, I would be caught the moment I tried to deploy them.
I was already in her line of sight. No, I had entered it. Even the real Oz wouldn’t have survived this.
I frantically searched for a countermeasure in this endlessly slowed time, but there was no answer.
And in that moment…
“See you next time.”
I heard a chilling, sticky voice, and my body brushed past hers.
“I won’t let you go so easily next time, during the ‘march.'”
She did nothing but speak those few words. Yes, she was just smiling and looking at me.
And so, I stepped across the border of the Empire.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
What.