In the middle of the night, the bedroom door opened, and the shadow of a boy slipped out on silent feet, black cloth covering half his face.
Aaron rolled aside and hid behind one of the flower-vase tables in the hall. His eyes swept across the corridor, searching for any trace of another person.
Behind him stood Skull, watching his foolish movements before saying mockingly,
"Do you really think that'll help you?"
The boy shot him a sharp glare, demanding silence, but the other kept grumbling and sighing in boredom.
Aaron whispered angrily,
"Can't you shut your mouth? We need to blend into the shadows so nobody notices us, so be quiet."
Skull smacked his forehead helplessly. He had thought this boy had finally become smarter, but alas, stupidity was apparently incurable.
"You do realize you're in a magical world, right? Especially inside the imperial palace."
Aaron turned to face him and placed his hands on his hips.
"So? Do you think I'm stupid enough to forget something that important?"
Tarak nodded before continuing,
"Yes, you are the biggest idiot I've ever known. Everyone inside the imperial palace is trained in magic—even the servants and infants. That means they can sense you from far away and pinpoint your location, you overconfident genius."
Aaron froze as realization hit him like a physical blow. He coughed, trying to preserve his dignity, but Skull had no intention of stopping.
"And what exactly are you wearing?"
He pointed at the black cloth sarcastically. Aaron raised a finger to his head and answered proudly,
"A disguise. These are techniques from the modern era. Ignorant people like you wouldn't understand."
Skull covered his mouth with both hands, trying to suppress his laughter before asking between breaths,
"Made from curtains? Pffft."
Aaron protested loudly,
"I'm a broke prince!"
...
The small flame of light danced with the wind. Inside the dimly lit room, where only that faint glow existed, a young man with black hair and silver eyes sat by the open window.
The moonlight fell upon him, illuminating his striking features as he gazed absentmindedly at the scenery before him.
In his hand was a letter sealed in dark crimson wax bearing the emblem of a serpent with golden scales coiling around a black sword whose hilt resembled unextinguishable flames—the imperial crest of the Empire of Vigveria.
"It seems there's a chase between the mantis and the cicada."
A faint smile crossed his lips as he rose from his seat and extinguished the light illuminating the room.
....
[Ding!]
<>
Title: Save the Maid Rianette
Description:
The maid Rianette is being held in the underground floor. Her life is in grave danger.
The host must find and rescue her before it is too late.
Time Limit: 2 hours
Rewards:
+2% of lost memories
+50 EXP
Penalty for failure or refusal:
Host's health will deteriorate
Host will be considered a threat to the imperial palace
[Mandatory Mission]
"Whaaaaat?!"
Aaron shouted in shock and disbelief. The mission he wanted to do as an act of kindness had become a mandatory quest by the system.
He blinked several times while rereading the system screen, then turned around with sparkling eyes.
"50 EXP, 2% of my lost memories—do you realize this? I hit the jackpot!"
Skull looked at him strangely before asking,
"Did you see the consequences?"
Aaron rolled his eyes carelessly before closing the system screen and rubbing his hands together.
"Consequences don't matter when the reward shines like gold."
In the underground corridor beneath the imperial palace, Aaron arrived at a dungeon containing thousands of prison cells. To reach this place, he had relied on Skull's maps specially provided through the system.
To avoid running into anyone, Skull cast an invisibility spell on him that would only last thirty minutes due to his low level—Skull's own level was restricted as well.
Aaron sighed in relief when he finally reached the designated cell. He hadn't faced any trouble along the way, and that itself made him uneasy. When things became too easy, it usually meant something was wrong.
He looked up at the chained girl. She appeared to be in her twenties, with pink hair and wide green eyes. Her hands were shackled to the wall while she knelt on the floor.
The cell was locked, and he couldn't speak without breaking the invisibility spell. After thinking for two seconds, he gestured toward Skull and smiled.
The latter said nothing. He simply raised his hand, causing black mist to spread through the corridor and knock out every guard present.
"Finally, I can talk."
The spell faded, revealing Aaron gripping the rusty prison bars. The sight reminded him of the auction house where he had once been imprisoned inside a filthy cell.
Aaron sighed before saying,
"Open the cell for me."
There were no keys hanging on the wall or carried by the guards, meaning the lock was magical. Skull snapped his bony fingers, causing the lock to shatter on its own as the cell door creaked open with an unpleasant rusty groan.
The girl was asleep and wouldn't wake because of the black mist. Aaron, meanwhile, hadn't fainted because the black cloth tightly covering his nose and mouth protected him.
"Knew my outfit choice was genius. The modern era remains undefeated."
Skull ignored him, stepped forward, and broke the chains binding Rianette, causing her to collapse onto the ground. He hoisted her over his shoulder before turning back to Aaron and asking,
"So what exactly are you planning to do with her?"
Aaron's expression faltered as he realized he hadn't thought that far ahead.
"Damn it, I knew something was wrong."
He rubbed his forehead irritably before leaving the cell and motioning for Skull to follow him.
"Let's get her out of here first, then we'll think about it."
Skull remained standing in place, staring at Aaron's finger rudely pointing at him. His eyes narrowed before he walked over and tucked Aaron under his arm.
"What… WHAT?!"
Before he could protest further, Skull vanished from the spot.
...
They appeared in an old district lined with ancient houses. In the distance, the sky was painted crimson and golden, announcing the sunrise.
Aaron watched in confusion as Skull approached one of the houses, placed Rianette in front of it, knocked on the door, and vanished into thin air.
..
Skull tossed him onto his bed before saying,
"Just sleep and let me rest."
He said it with obvious annoyance before disappearing for the thousandth time. Their protagonist was still stunned by what had happened. He had expected a proper explanation, but Skull left him hanging and vanished without a trace.
His shock was interrupted by the sudden irritating ringing sound accompanied by the appearance of the system screen.
[Ding!]
<>
Title: Save the Maid Rianette
Description:
Rianette has been successfully rescued from captivity.
Rewards:
+2% lost memories (Added)
+50 EXP (Added)
[The host has proven his courage]
..
Aaron's eyes shone with joy as he immediately opened his personal system.
Name: Aaron Visdevidia
✦ Rank: F
✦ Level: 1
✦ EXP: 50 / 100
[ Basic Stats ]
┏━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓
┃ Strength: 6 ┃
┃ Agility: 6 ┃
┃ Mana: 5 ┃
┃ Endurance: 6 ┃
┃ Intelligence: 18 ┃
┗━━━━━━━━━━━━━┛
[ Status ]
✧ Physical Condition: Unknown
✧ Mental Condition: Active
✧ Vital Energy: 100 / 20
[ Skills ]
☒ All skills sealed
└ Currently inaccessible...
[Unlock Requirements: Unknown]
[ Inventory ]
☒ Bag tightly locked
└ Inventory system not activated yet
[ Notes ]
A slight distortion has been detected in the mana structure
Intelligence level qualifies the user for analyzing supernatural information
It is advised not to attempt breaking the seals before activating "Lost Memories"
[ Active Missions ]
No active missions currently
⟦ Warning: System is in silent observation mode ⟧
⟦ Warning: System is in silent observation mode ⟧
Aaron reviewed the system screen while joy filled him. Only fifty more EXP remained before he could level up and escape Rank F.
After some thought, he concluded that high-risk missions carried massive rewards. That made sense in games, but experiencing it personally was incredible.
Although Aaron hadn't faced any real difficulty thanks to Skull, the consequences of this incident could have been disastrous. He could easily be branded a threat to the imperial palace because he infiltrated the prison.
Maybe he would've even been accused of treason and sent to the guillotine. Just thinking about it sent chills down his spine.
Aaron sighed before lying down on his bed.
"Damn it, I've been thinking too much lately."
He muttered softly before closing his eyes and falling into a deep sleep.
...
The Third Nightmare
Aaron woke up in a vast place with an incredibly high ceiling and floors made of ancient stone. It was a medieval stone castle—old in design, yet strangely captivating.
Aaron realized he was inside the same stone castle he had tried to enter during his previous nightmare, and he already knew what would happen next.
He immediately started running, trying to find an exit before it began. He didn't want to face that horror again.
"Damn it, where's the exit? Damn it, damn it!"
He reached a gigantic wooden gate. The stale scent of age lingered heavily in the air. He tried to push it open with all his strength, but it wouldn't budge. It felt like trying to move a massive boulder.
"Why this dream again? And why does it feel so real?!"
Aaron grumbled while pounding the gate in frustration. Suddenly, his body shuddered and his pupils widened in terror.
Slowly lowering his head, he whispered under his breath,
"No… no, not again."
A dark gray mist spread around his body. He turned around slowly, his eyes fixed on the floor.
Several seconds passed, yet nothing appeared. He released a small sigh of relief, thinking it was over—but no such luck.
From within the gray mist came faint whispers.
"Catch him..."
"Don't let him escape..."
"The seal… he is the..."
Rotten, rusty skeletal hands emerged from nowhere, wrapping around his body until he was completely covered.
They sealed his mouth and eyes shut. A crimson light glowed from his neck, burning his skin without fire as the mark appeared once more upon it.
A face covered in thin skeletal hands.
He felt hot breath against his ear coming from an unknown presence behind him. That presence traced the mark carefully before whispering,
"The seal... open the seal."