The cave is quiet.
Then—
[ Notice ]
[ Level up ]
Abel pauses.
[ Level up ]
The air feels still.
In front of Abel, a screen appears.
He smiled.
"Level 100. I've reached it"
[ Name: Abel MorningStar ]
[ Race: Human/? ]
[ Level: 100 ] [ 0.77% Of Original Power ]
[ Strength: 95 → 97 ]
[ Agility: 87 → 89 ]
[ Intelligence: 90 → 92 ]
[ Mana: 112 → 114 ] [ Mp: 9542/9546 ]
[ Luck: 79 → 81 ]
[ Class: None ]
[ Titles: Hunter of predators ]
[ Skills: Ghost, Void, Sonic Leap, Infinities Domain, Replicate, Soul Transmutation, Stealth, Skill fusion, Régénération ]
[ Attributes: Wind, Fire, Earth, Water, Shadow ]
[ Arcium: None ]
---
The screen fades.
'This is it'
There was a special reward for reaching level 100. That was acquiring a class.
Shiro steps out of the darkness and stops beside him.
"I got it."
He holds out a small container.
Abel takes it.
It's cold.
He opens it slowly.
Inside is a folded letter.
Nothing else.
No seal.
No mark.
Just paper.
He takes it out and unfolds it.
His eyes move across the page.
No reaction at first.
"What does it say," says shiro.
"House Celestia. One of the house of Senate. Supposedly, their patriarch had a vision of some sort. The end of the world would come, and—"
He pauses.
"What's wrong, shiro asks.
Abel stares directly at shiro.
"It looks like Claudia is at the center of it all."
Shiro just stares at Abel. There is nothing he can say.
"That's why they sent the assassins. To stop this destiny from coming true."
"...I see," Shiro responds. "If I may sir Abel—"
"What a bunch of crap."
Shiro sentence was cut midway.
"If they thought killing her could solve this, who's to say I can't find another way to save her."
Shiro once saddened face brightened up.
'if he couldn't find a way, he would make one.'
It reminds shiro of Noir, the god of shadows.
Abel folds the letter once.
Blue mana flickers in his hand.
The paper burns instantly.
No smoke. No ash.
Gone.
"It's better to leave no traces," he says.
The light fades.
The silence reappears once more.
Shiro watches him.
"...Your mana changed earlier."
Abel looks ahead.
"When I fought you before, I was trying my hardest."
Shiro listens.
"As I got stronger, I stopped needing to try."
A faint blue glow forms around Abel.
It's soft and calm, like the sea on a calm day.
"My mana changed with that."
The blue flickers.
It starts to change from a calm ripple to a tsunami.
The purple mana Shiro saw reappears once more. Only it seems to have grown more powerful, much sharper and focused.
Then it fades.
"When I start trying again, it changes back."
Only blue remains.
Shiro narrows his eyes.
"...So that wasn't your full strength."
"No."
Abel's voice stays calm.
"Not even close."
A short pause.
"Back then… when I was a god…"
He stops.
Then continues.
"What I can do now isn't even a percent of that."
Shiro remains silent, then lowers his head.
"...Understood."
He bows slightly.
Abel scratches his head, then turns.
"Alright, let's head home."
They leave the cave.
-----
The mansion is still alive, music plays. Voices fill the halls.
Nothing has changed.
On the surface.
A maid walks through the crowd with a tray.
Wine glasses lined neatly.
She moves between guests.
Unnoticed.
Then—
she bumps into someone.
"Oh—! I'm so sorry—!"
She steps back quickly.
Abel's mother stands in front of her. Kira MorningStar
"It's fine," she says.
The maid lowers her head.
"My apologies, ma'am."
Lady Kira looks at her for a moment.
"You look tired."
The maid hesitates.
"...I'm fine."
"You should take a break," she says. "Have a drink."
She gently gestures to the tray.
The maid looks down.
Then nods.
"...Thank you."
Lady Kira smiled before walking away towards her husband.
The maid takes a glass.
Lifts it, and drinks.
A sip, then another before finally lowering the glass.
"..."
Something feels wrong.
Her grip loosens.
The glass slips.
It shatters.
The sound cuts through the room.
She collapses.
Hard.
The music stops.
Everything stops.
"What—?!"
People rush toward her.
"Hey! Are you okay?!"
No response.
Someone checks her pulse.
Their face changes.
"...She's dead."
Silence spreads, then whispers.
"What happened?"
"She just fell—"
"No… she's gone."
Panic starts.
People step back.
Some freeze.
Others look around.
From across the room, Claudia watches.
Her body feels cold.
Her eyes lock onto the maid.
The broken glass.
The wine.
Her hand tightens.
"...That was…"
Her voice is faint.
Her eyes widen.
That glass, the same one.
Her breathing shakes.
'That was mine…'
Everything feels distant.
Then—
"...You okay?"
She turns.
Abel stands behind her.
Close.
Like he just appeared.
Her eyes soften.
Then fill with tears.
She steps forward.
And hugs him, tight.
"I'm so glad it wasn't you."
Her voice trembles.
She holds on.
Abel freezes.
His face turns slightly red.
"...Yeah."
A small pause.
"You too."
She holds on for a moment longer.
Then slowly lets go.
Behind her, the crowd gathers.
Voices overlap.
Tense and uneasy. The once vibrant party has turned into a murder case.
Abel looks past Claudia.
At the body.
Still.
Unmoving.
His eyes narrow slightly.
'Her soul still lingers.'
He says nothing.
Just watches.
Quiet.