[Stage Clear!]
['Serafina (★★★★)', 'Jonah (★★)', 'Shanny (★★)', 'Devisha (★★★)' levelled up!]
['Zecht (★★★)', 'Tarran (★★)', 'Yuxia (★★★★)' levelled up!]
['Ulrica (★★★★)', 'Matrias (★★★)' levelled up!]
['Djhotti (★★★★)', 'Vallerynne (★★★)' levelled up!]
['Graihan (★★★★)', 'Arian (★★★)' levelled up!]
[MVP – 'Serafina (★★★★)']
[Reward – 150,000G, Chimera's Core (Low-Rank), Cursed Essence (B), Chimera's Scale (C) x2, Chimera's Hide (C) x2, Chimera's Thorn (C) x2]
[Congratulations on clearing the twentieth floor, master!]
[Basic Weekday Dungeons have been opened.]
[The Exploration Dungeon, 'Great Taga Plain', has been opened.]
[The Exploration Dungeon, 'Northern Mala Lowland', has been opened.]
[The Exploration Dungeon, 'Central Arashi Plateau', has been opened.]
[A new facility has been unlocked.]
[The Dimensional Rift can now be opened.]
Upon the mission's completion, I suddenly felt myself weakened.
The infinite source of energy within me swiftly drew away.
My giant silver wings dissipated into thin air. The hovering grimoire also vanished in a soft pool of light.
['Serafina (★★★★)'s exclusive skill Blessing of Malaikat is no longer activated!]
['Serafina (★★★★)' has fallen into a state of exhaustion. All stats have been reduced by 90%]
As I was falling back to the ground, my consciousness was rapidly drained from my body.
I eventually felt somebody catching me.
But great fatigue restrained my eyes from seeing who it was and sent me into a deep slumber.
Weirdly enough, I was able to retain my consciousness to some slight extent.
I could feel my environment shifting, my body being transported somewhere else.
"Now that we're talking about your family's duties, has the situation gone that poor in your region?"
Someone suddenly spoke out.
I recognized the voice.
One that I had not listened to ever since I arrived in the forged land.
Headmaster?
I opened my eyes and found myself sitting at a small table adorned with simple tea set.
An old man with a long white beard garbed in fancy black robe sat opposite me.
Baron Harabon Elgar.
Head of the Elgar Household. Councilor of the Tower. Headmaster of the Fadrin Academy of Magic. And someone I deeply trusted.
"It is as you've heard, headmaster. Monsters have been tirelessly invading our land."
I said to him.
That was right.
I had received urgent word from my father to return immediately to Damai.
Large hordes of monsters were threatening to wipe out our homeland.
Father had ordered me to aid our army in fending those monsters off.
Headmaster was seeing me for one last time before I departed for my mission.
Thump!
I suddenly felt something powerful beating and resonating within me.
['Wings of Ananta (U)' is taking effect!]
['Serafina (★★★★)'s memories are being awakened!]
Headmaster Elgar sighed with a saddened face.
"It is truly concerning to hear that the rSEuEiDn in your land has started to spew out monsters."
Hmm…
There was an echo when headmaster spoke a certain term. As if he was uttering two different words at the same time.
But one word was clearer than the other. And I accepted that word as the truth.
"Although we've heard about what happened with the other SEEDS and prepared as much as we could, the monsters still managed to overwhelm the blockade my father had put in place."
I replied.
My headmaster gasped.
"Dear the Goddesses! To be able to overwhelm the Zeref army, just what kind of monsters were they?"
"They were relatively weak, individually and initially. But their endless number was what overwhelming us. And the fact that it was nearly impossible to kill them. They kept regenerating their bodies and turningstronger with each revival. Our defensive line is gradually being pushed back as we speak."
"No wonder you're eager to get back home."
He said with sympathetic eyes.
I nodded to the headmaster's statement.
"I can't stay in the academy while my homeland is being destroyed by monsters."
I clenched my fist, fueled by worry of my home and family.
"Though the battle might take forever and seemed impossible to win, I still have to go back and help!"
Thump!
Another strong resonance from within.
['Wings of Ananta (U)' is taking effect!]
['Serafina (★★★★)'s memories are being awakened!]
Familiar bluish-white light began to engulf my environment, including the headmaster.
I was soon enveloped within a shining blank dimension.
Once the light dissipated, I found myself standing in a massive courtyard.
On the far side of the court stood a giant silver palace with a thousand golden-domed spires.
I immediately figured out where I was from looking at the magnificent construct.
The center of the world. The imperial capital, Tsuaka.
And what lied before me was the imperial palace itself…
…where the Eternal Throne stood.
[0000th Dimension – Dunia]
[Floor 0]
[ϔϘ϶ϝώ҂ - Ң҈Ԯ*&#]
[@!+¶Æ - ØßƵƷȑȑɅɜ]
My consciousness had become whole.
I was fully aware of myself. Who I was and where I had been.
We just cleared the fourth Quintal Trial and I passed out from using my newfound power.
Yes.
That new power of mine. That seal.
It must be causing me to have this peculiar…dream.
I wondered what was it that my seal wanted to reveal through this vision.
[Manusian Palace]
[House to the Eternal Throne]
The hovering message box emerged before me as I walked up to the palace's grand entrance.
This was not my first time being in the imperial palace.
My family and I would visit here briefly during major noble functions or in grand celebrations.
But I was certain what lied beyond these huge doors would surprise me still by some extent.
Creeakkk…
As expected, a peculiar scenery welcomed me once I entered the palace.
Monsters of all kinds were scattered throughout the palace's grand halls and corridors.
Goblins, ogres, harpies, direwolves, wyverns, every monster that I knew of and did not were filling up the palace.
It was quite strange seeing them just standing side by side like this.
They did not seem to notice my presence.
But each and every one of them were agitated. Terribly frightened of something.
I walked past all the monsters and eventually made my way to the majestic doors leading to the throne room.
A row of knights cladded in black armor were guarding the doors. The insignia of a single-horned crimson bear was engraved on their breastplates.
[Viulan Elite Knight Lv.??? x20]
Their presence was no surprise to me.
The Viulan Household was tasked to guard the imperial family, which included their residence, the imperial palace.
These knights in particular, however, were some of the best in the Viulan knight order.
Even Ulrica, Djhotti, and Graihan altogether would struggle if they were to take on all of these knights as they currently were.
And their defeat would be a certainty if the silver-haired woman leading these knights were to join the battle.
[Sword of Doom]
[Florenzine Reingand Lv.???]
The head of the Viulan knight order. Loyal aide to Duke Viulan. And one of the finest swordmasters in all of Dunia.
Though born as a commoner, Lady Florenzine was adopted to the Viulan knight order and rose in rank through her immense talent. Placing her to directly serve the Viulan bloodline.
She was rumored to have slain a thousand foes with her sword before she turned fifteen.
Not an enemy I was looking forward to face.
Apparently Lady Florenzine and her knights could not detect my presence either.
So I walked past them and entered the magnificent throne room of the imperial palace.
Never had I seen so many powerful people gathered in one place before.
[Shenma the Blossom Blade Lv.???]
[Farhat the Sun Piercer Lv.???]
[Zulai the Shadow Beast Lv.???]
[Vestin the Thunder Axe Lv.???]
[Eklar the Immovable Lv.???]
[Magion the Obliterating Wave Lv.???]
[….]
Martial arts masters from Tchakra. Hardened warriors from the Great Desert. There were even several Guntur Near-Kin, dwarves, lycanthropes, and various sorts of distinct figures flooding the grand throne room.
Mighty people from all over had gathered in this place.
Like the monsters, they were all agitated in some way. A terrible dread disturbing their minds.
But they were also here to witness what was unfolding at the front of the throne room.
A group of people garbed in regal clothing and magnificent armor stood at the foremost of the huge crowd.
They were of the Great Houses. The seven noble families which served as the pillars of the empire.
Standing among the Great Houses were seven people whose black hair was encircled with white streak around the top of their head like a crown.
[Invincible Duelist]
[Gavlyn Tsang Manusha Lv.???]
[Mirage Conjuror]
[Termata Tsang Manusha Lv.???]
[Crimson Paladin]
[Deremor Tsang Manusha Lv.???]
[Divine Wizard]
[Marua Tsang Manusha Lv.???]
[Thousand Blades]
[Ilyana Tsang Manusha Lv.???]
[Heavenly Enchantress]
[Amare Tsang Manusha Lv.???]
[Enlightened Alchemist]
[Zanaru Tsang Manusha Lv.???]
The emperor of Tsatu had nine children.
Seven of them had been aligning themselves with the Great Houses despite their standing as royalties which should be neutral within the empire.
One other did not care to align himself with any faction due to his lowly standing. While the final one could not be bothered to align herself due to her extremely high standing.
The former of the two stood by himself in front of the crowd.
[Radjah Tsang Manusha Lv.???]
His Highness looked older than when I met him last on the fifteenth floor.
He was almost as tall as Jonah. A mature man in his twenties. The way I remembered him before I came to the forged land.
The lowly prince was facing the grand dais which was the main structure of the throne room.
Two knights in black armor were standing in front of the dais facing His Highness and the massive crowd.
A lady and a tall muscular man. They both had identic silver hair and crimson eyes.
The insignia of single-horned crimson bear was engraved on their armors as well.
[Blazing Berserker]
[Zaphyra Trias Viulan Lv.???]
[Head of the Viulan Household]
[Bloody Eclipse]
[Watcher Zachryon Trios Viulan Lv.???]
The patriarch of Viulan himself and his heir, Lady Zaphyra.
There was not much known about the prowess of Duke Viulan. Not many battle required his unimaginable talent with the sword.
But as part of her family's tradition, Lady Zaphyra once exterminated a whole pack of wyverns by herself when she was just thirteen.
Even so, these two people could not compare to the woman sitting on the throne of spectacular gemstones behind them.
Not even everyone in the room combined could match just a tenth of her power.
Though she was only cladded in a simple white dress, the aura she exuded through her golden eyes alone was brilliant like the sun.
The silver streak circling around her long dark hair was faintly glowing. It was as if she had a literal halo or a shining crown on her head.
A necklace of a coiling serpent over her neck was an indication of her superior prowess in magic.
But the seat of gemstones she was sitting on designated her as the most powerful being in all of Dunia.
She was the Descendant of the Great Pioneer.
She was the Binder of the Seven Watchers of the Realm.
She was the First Mage of the Tower.
She who held the entire world in the palm of her hand.
[Eternal Throne]
[Samesta Tsang Manusha Lv.???]