*** Two weeks after arriving at Luminosa ***

My delusions of grandeur had thoroughly dissipated, and my withdrawal from modern conveniences hit hard in this medieval fantasy world. Simply put, I had nothing fun to do here. Even the royal chef's exotic dishes—meats infused with magical herbs and fruits that literally glowed—had lost their appeal. The lack of basic necessities like flush toilets didn't help matters. The chamber pots, despite being enchanted to banish their contents, were a constant reminder of how far from home I truly was. Though the Goddess's magic allowed me to understand their spoken language, I still couldn't read their flowing, rune-like script, so even the leather-bound tomes in the castle library were beyond my reach.

With nothing else to do, I could only practice the Aether absorption and Mana control exercises I'd been shown. I spent hours on the castle roof, where the air was clearest, trying to sense and draw in the invisible energy that supposedly permeated everything. More than ten days of training had passed, yet I still couldn't manage anything beyond creating a weak gust of wind that barely stirred my hair. As for my physical condition... well, the head knight, with his scarred face and armor that seemed to glow with an inner light, wasn't pleased. I remained the most pathetic among the trainees, barely qualifying as an Initiate despite my supposed destiny.

But if you asked me, my progress wasn't just good—it was phenomenal. Back on Earth, I couldn't even manage ten pull-ups. Now I could do thirty with ease, the Condensed Mana in my muscles making me stronger than I'd ever been. All my physical capabilities had increased dramatically. If I were back home, no one would believe I'd achieved this in just a dozen days. But that was how Mana worked here. While I still couldn't control it properly, my body had absorbed enough Aether to begin the transformation.

Just like usual, today's training session ended with me completely exhausted and thoroughly beaten by Lia in the sand-covered training yard. The only difference was that we had spectators—nobles in their silken robes and fellow initiates, all gathered to watch the supposed "Chosen Hero" fail yet again.

"For someone who's supposed to be a hero, you sure are pathetic," Princess Saella remarked from her cushioned observation platform. Her voice carried the same musical quality that had first enchanted me before I learned how cruel that beauty could be. She smiled sweetly as Lia dislocated my shoulder and broke my ribs with a kick that moved faster than my eyes could follow. I had learned early on that Saella preferred to administer "discipline" personally—her Tier 2 capabilities meant she could break bones with a flick of her wrist.

I held back my snarky comments and tried to recover my breath, enduring the pain in silence. The taste of copper in my mouth was familiar now—I had already learned that talking back to Saella led to nothing but humiliation and more pain, usually delivered by her own Mana-enhanced strikes.

Eventually, everyone was dismissed, and the princess lost interest, her jeweled slippers clicking against the stone as she departed with her entourage. An elderly Second Tier Wood Caster approached, muttering the complex phrases that would form his healing Spell. Green runes flickered in the air as his magic took effect. At least I wouldn't suffer any permanent damage from the training—the warm sensation of his Spell knitting my bones back together had become as routine as the injuries themselves.

"Sorry for today," she said, her usual stern expression nowhere to be found. Instead, her amber eyes held empathy.

"It's not your fault," I shrugged. "It's not like you have any say in the matter."

"Hero or not, it's completely unreasonable to expect you to be comparable to us who've trained for years since early childhood," Lia continued. "I started training when I was only five years old and became an Initiate at twelve. And you? You've been steadily progressing these last few days. It's kind of scary, actually. And yet they treat it as if you're failing."

She hesitated before adding, "To tell you the truth, I hate nobles, but joining their ranks is the only way to succeed in this world."

"So you're not a noble?"

"No. There would be no way for me to get in-depth training here if I wasn't the most talented Initiate in the Kingdom, considering my background."

"Huh? I thought they chose you to be my opponent because you were the weakest."

"Some of them actually believe that," she shrugged. "But no other Initiate could defeat me. And of course, I haven't shown you my full power either."

"I see. Well, you sure are different when you're fighting."

"I mean, I have a face to maintain." She smiled slightly. "Anyway, don't give up."

"I won't."

"Tell you what—you're not useless. It's only a matter of time before you overcome all of us, Mr. Hero," she laughed as we parted ways.

For a brief moment, I couldn't help but see my little sister in that thin and vulnerable silhouette of the girl who had been beating the shit out of me for the past few days. But her words gave me power, confidence, and motivation. I explored my newly gained abilities with renewed determination, and the next day I finally succeeded at Air Mana Boost.

Of course, I still got my ass kicked.

*** Current time ***

The awakening monsters quickly proved why they'd been deemed worthy of Exhibition. The Mirrorfang split into its dual forms, tearing through a group of overconfident warriors who thought to make a name for themselves. The crimson battle-hamster bowled through the crowd like a wrecking ball, its horn crackling with energy. Even the cat-wolves, working as a pack, made short work of several demon spectators who tried to fight back.

The arena's security forces emerged—what looked like smaller gremlins, similar to Grigo and Grimweld. But from my estimations, they were only at Tier 2 or 3 at most. Not much of a threat compared to the "curious creatures" they'd been containing. A few tried to establish a defensive line, but they might as well have been trying to stop a tsunami with their bare hands.

Was it too cruel of me to start a potential slaughter among these spectators? Well, these were the same people who wished for my death minutes ago, who bet their lives hoping to see me torn apart. Still, not all of them were evil—some had just come to watch a show, probably unaware of the true nature of this place. And not everyone here was weak or helpless. I didn't expect this to turn into a bloody mess—I just wanted to scare the crowd away and create enough chaos to cover my escape with my charges. After all, I had more important things to worry about than teaching bloodthirsty spectators a lesson about karma.

As for me, I created an Air Mana bubble around myself for the first time in a while. Yeah, didn't I mention I could fly? Well, you know now. With all the Mana restrictions gone, it felt good to use my powers freely again. The shimmering bubble of compressed air formed around me, almost invisible except for a slight distortion in the light.

"Hi there, familiar faces!" I flew toward the vampire and his wife, who were trying to escape in the middle of the panicking crowd. They looked more annoyed than scared by the chaos around them. "I guess you don't mind if I have a word with you." I used my Air Mana to lift them into the air, earning a surprised yelp from the wife and a resigned sigh from her husband.

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Then I did the same with the three traumatized humans who had been turned into part of the exhibition. The naked "disco ball" man curled into a fetal position as soon as he left the ground, while the "panda" eyes man kept muttering prayers. The one who had been acting like a dog actually tried to bark at me before realizing he was floating.

With my Air Mana carrying five people besides myself, I couldn't fly too fast—maintaining separate bubbles of controlled air around multiple targets required precise control. Then again, my definition of "fast" was very different from what most people would assume. If I wanted to accelerate, I could always decrease the weight of myself and my targets using Gravity Mana, though that would require even more concentration.

As for why I didn't want to stay in this area much longer, there were multiple reasons. It was possible that some individuals who could actually challenge me would arrive, like the mentioned Ringmaster. The way Grimweld had spoken of him suggested someone far more dangerous than these exhibition handlers. But more importantly, I had finally received my reward. With a thought, a map of the so-called "Ever Happy Smiley Land" appeared before me, with several dots marked on it. Six dots were clustered together at my current location—myself, the vampire couple, and the three former gangsters. The remaining four dots, representing my other charges, were paired off at opposite ends of the map. That positioning couldn't be coincidence—the System seemed to enjoy making things as complicated as possible.

I rose higher in the air to take a look at this Tutorial Zone, and what I saw impressed me. We were in the center of what could only be described as a New York-sized amusement park. The first thing to catch my attention was an absolutely gigantic Ferris wheel to the north—assuming the top of the map indicated north. It was easily more than a mile in diameter, looking like something built for giants rather than normal-sized people. Well, for all I knew, it might have been. The massive structure dominated the skyline, its metal framework gleaming in the strange light that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere in this realm.

To the south stretched a city of roller coasters, their twisted metal tracks interweaving in a complex network that seemed to span for miles. And at the center of the entire Zone stood an enormous circus tent—easily the size of a mountain—that blocked my view of the western portions.

Mentally commanding the map to reappear before me, I could see what lay in those western sectors: Haunted Houses, with the Hall of Memories as the largest and most dangerous. In total, the map marked five Grand Attractions, twenty-five Major Attractions, as well as one hundred twenty-five Minor ones, but from my current position about 200 feet in the air, I couldn't pinpoint most of them. I wanted to fly higher for a better view, but I felt resistance—some kind of barrier, much stronger than the one at the arena. Breaking through it would take considerable effort, definitely not something I wanted to attempt with five passengers in tow.

A few balloons here and there were bouncing off the invisible barrier, unable to fly any higher. Each impact caused a brief flicker of iridescent light, like a soap bubble catching the sun's rays. The balloons danced against the unseen wall, their movements creating a mesmerizing display of color and light.

As for the map, among the dots marking my charges, two pairs were at opposite ends of the park—one pair near the gigantic Ferris wheel and another in the roller coaster zone, both places being labeled as Grand Attractions. Without any labels on the dots, I had no way to know if Leah and Jimmy were among them.

A flood of new System messages appeared as I decided to check the older ones:

[Curious Creature Exhibition: Major Attraction Challenge Complete]

You receive a Golden VIP Ticket for participating in a special role and completing the challenge excellently, while also finishing the side quest and bonus objective.

Bonus points awarded for killing two important NPCs of the zone.

Warning: Such actions may have consequences.

[Calculating Total Reward...]

Congratulations! You've earned 200,000 System Points. You've unlocked new Archetypes:

* Pit Fighter (Common)

* Caged Beast (Uncommon)

* Entertainer (Uncommon)

* Gladiator (Rare)

* Curious Creature (Rare)

* Champion Gladiator (Ultra Rare)

"Consequences, you say," I muttered to myself as I focused on the most important part, only to hear a voice whispering right into my ear.

"Yes. Consequences."

Let me make a few things clear. First, sneaking up on me was a task that no one had accomplished since I'd advanced to Tier Five and became a Mana Lord. Second, I was currently quite busy flying with five people while reading System messages and surveying my environment. Third, I finally felt that I was... in the moment it started to target me.

The fact was, it hadn't snuck up on me at all. It just moved so fast—or rather, instantly appeared there in space. And of course, I felt those familiar fluctuations of the Space Supreme Element. Even on Luminosa, only a few beings controlled this elusive power, and most of them had been my enemies.

Not feeling any ill intention or hostile energy from the presence, I slowly turned my head to face the speaker. What I found was the most stereotypical clown imaginable—like something that had stepped right out of those old cartoons I'd watched as a kid, but with an unsettling twist. He stood at least two meters tall, with an impossibly round belly that seemed to defy gravity, dressed in polka-dot overalls stretched to their limit. His face was completely hidden behind thick white greasepaint, with a red bulbous nose and a painted smile that stretched far too wide to be natural. Rainbow-colored hair sprouted in tufts from the sides of his bald head, and his eyes… his eyes seemed to shift color with every blink.

"So who are you? Are you someone who wants to make me die from laughter?" I asked. "If so, you need to prepare your best jokes because I'm good at keeping a straight face, even when I want to laugh out loud. Believe me, I'm experienced at this."

"Oh, sorry, Mr. Anomaly!" The clown gave a theatrical bow, somehow bending his massive frame at an impossible angle. "Why so serious? Get it? Because you're good at keeping a straight face?" He let out a high-pitched giggle that sent chills down my spine. "I should introduce myself properly—I am Barry the Clown, though some call me Barry Scary! Nice to meet you, nice to greet you, nice to eat... oh wait, wrong script!"

He stretched out his thin arm, completely disproportionate to his round body, ending in an exaggeratedly large palm covered in a white glove. The hand was so massive that I could only shake his index finger instead of his entire palm, which seemed to amuse him greatly.

"I am here to give you a few messages from the Ringmaster," Barry said, somehow maintaining perfect balance as he floated cross-legged in the air beside us. His massive belly didn’t jiggle despite the height and wind. "First, don't worry about your escapades at the exhibition. The Ringmaster likes a good show, and you provided! While there were some unfortunate victims, we live in a place where death is just around the corner, and revival is available to anyone who has System Points to spare. I believe that you will continue to make our Smiley Land more cheerful and fun, and of course, sooner or later, you'll meet him and play the games promised by the System."

My passengers watched our exchange nervously from their Air Mana bubbles, the vampire couple trying to maintain dignity while floating two hundred feet in the air, and the ex-gangsters still in various states of panic.

"So, your Ringmaster is alright with me killing his subordinates if it means he's having fun? What a nice lad."

Barry's rainbow hair rippled in impossible patterns as he giggled, the sound like breaking glass wrapped in cotton. "Well, Grimweld still has three more revivals up his sleeve. As for his brother, that will depend on Grimweld himself if he wants to bring him back." His white-gloved hands made elaborate gestures as he spoke, leaving trailing afterimages in the air.

"What about the rampaging animals?"

"Oh, that's one of the reasons I'm here. I liked that T-Rex and want to bring him to our circus. Of course, he will be treated much better than he was in the exhibit. As for the octopus, he would be a nice addition to the water rides. Believe me when I say those animals would find a better place than the exhibition. Lately, it hasn't been bringing enough happiness and fun to the city. Mr. Chuckles has wanted to get rid of it for a while, and it seems the System sent you here to fulfill his wish."

"Mr. Chuckles the Chipmunk? So he is the actual ruler of this place or something? Or are you just messing with me?"

Barry's painted smile twisted unnaturally, and for a moment, his ever-shifting eyes settled on a deep, warning red. "You should be careful when speaking about him. After all, even walls have ears. And trust me, you don't want to find yourself on the wrong end of Mr. Chuckles' ire. It's a fate far worse than any nightmare your mind could conjure. Far worse."

Okay, that last part was not creepy. Not creepy at all.