---
After the Battle
Alden sat against the cave wall, breathing heavily as the last remnants of his adrenaline rush faded. His body was aching, his wounds throbbing from the brutal fight. The cold air of the dungeon did little to numb the pain.
He reached into his storage ring and pulled out a healing potion. The crimson liquid shimmered under the dim light of his campfire. Without hesitation, he uncorked it and gulped it down.
Warmth spread through his body.
His wounds closed slightly, but the deep exhaustion remained. The potion could heal injuries, but it couldn't restore stamina or mana.
"Tch… I pushed too hard."
Alden sighed, leaning his head back against the cold stone. His initial plan was to stay for a week, but after the last fight, he knew staying any longer would be reckless. He had used too much mana, relied too much on his Eclipse vision, and fought enemies stronger than he should have.
A mistake like that could get him killed.
"Looks like it's time to leave."
Shiranui, his sword spirit, chuckled. "Finally using your head, huh?"
Kurenai, the fox, scoffed. "Took you long enough."
Alden ignored their remarks and began packing his things. He retrieved his remaining mana cores, secured his weapons, and made sure he wasn't leaving anything important behind.
After a few minutes, he took one last glance at the cave before stepping out into the snow.
The journey back to the dungeon's entrance was uneventful. Most of the monsters had already been cleared out by his earlier fights, and he avoided the few remaining ones.
After about an hour of walking through the snow-covered terrain, he finally spotted the exit portal.
Alden took a deep breath before stepping through.
A bright light engulfed him.
And then—
He was back in the real world.
The chilling air of the dungeon was replaced by the more familiar cold of winter. Around him, adventurers were going about their business—some entering the dungeon, others leaving, and a few selling materials at the trading post.
Alden walked toward the transport station, where taxis and carriages were lined up, waiting to take adventurers back to the city.
He flagged down a taxi.
"Where to?" the driver asked.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Alden leaned back in his seat. "Academy District."
The taxi pulled out onto the road, the city lights passing by as Alden closed his eyes, letting exhaustion finally take over.
By the time Alden arrived at Solcrest Academy, it was already night. The towering white walls and grand gates of the academy stood tall under the glow of the streetlights.
Alden stepped out of the taxi, paid the driver, and made his way toward the dormitories. The academy grounds were quiet, with only a few students walking around. Most were already in their rooms, resting after the day's training.
Alden finally reached his dorm room, swiping his ID card against the door's scanner. With a soft beep, the door unlocked, and he stepped inside.
The moment he shut the door, his body relaxed.
He tossed his weapons aside, removed his blood-stained coat, and collapsed onto his bed.
"Finally…"
His entire body felt heavy. The injuries, the fatigue, the overuse of mana—it all hit him at once now that he was back in a safe place.
Shiranui's voice echoed in his mind. "You barely made it back."
Alden chuckled weakly. "Yeah… I know."
Kurenai yawned. "Get some rest, idiot. You're useless in this state."
Alden didn't argue. He closed his eyes, letting the warmth of his bed pull him into a deep, dreamless sleep.
---
Waking Up
Alden's eyes fluttered open. The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow across his dorm room. His body still ached, but it was a dull pain now—manageable.
"You slept like the dead," Shiranui, his sword spirit, remarked with amusement.
Alden groaned, rubbing his temples. "Feels like it too."
Kurenai, the nine-tailed fox, stretched lazily in his mindscape. "You pushed yourself too hard again. It's a miracle you didn't collapse before reaching the academy."
Alden sighed, pushing himself up. His body felt stiff, but the rest had done wonders for his recovery. He reached for the remote and turned on the TV, letting the background noise fill the room as he stood up and stretched.
---
Current Status
Before doing anything else, he pulled up his status window.
---
[Status Window]
Name: Alden Blackwood
Race: Human
Rank: D-
Mana Capacity: D
Affinities: None
Physique: Enhanced (Due to Purification)
---
Basic Stats
Strength: D-
Agility: D
Intelligence: C+
Mana: D
Stamina: D-
---
Skills
Eclipse vision:
Illusions & Mind Control – Can trap enemies in illusions or briefly control weak minds.
Enhanced Perception – Slows down movements and improves reaction speed.
Mana Manipulation (Intermediate) – Allows precise control over mana circulation.
Stealth (Basic) – Reduces presence and sound of movement.
Aura Control (intermediate) – Enables reinforcement of the body and weapons using aura.
Telekinesis (Intermediate) – Grants control over objects using mana and willpower.
Mark of Connection (Unique) – Allows Alden to imprint a mark on objects, enabling mana transfer, reinforcement, and remote interaction.
Voidstep (Trait)
Ability: Allows the user to phase through objects and enter a personal pocket dimension. They can teleport by stepping through space itself.
---
Weapon Arts
Five Forms of the Crimson Moon (5-Star) [1/5 Unlocked]
First Form: Lunar Severance – A devastating single slash that cuts through mana defenses.
Shadow Fang Dagger Art (3-Star) [30% Proficiency]
A fast, deceptive dagger art specialized in speed and misdirection.
Phantom Edge Sword (2-Star) [63% Proficiency]
A balanced style that blends offense and defense.
Swift Blade Style (2-Star) [70% Proficiency]
A sword art designed for rapid attacks and movement.
Shadow Step Footwork (2-Star) [72% Proficiency]
---
Voidstep Current Limitations
Alden frowned as he reviewed his mana capacity. His Eclipse vision was a powerful ability, but it came with severe drawbacks.
Voidstep, in particular, was extremely taxing on his mana reserves.
Current maximum usage: 16 seconds
F-rank mana would allow only 2 seconds of use
E- to D+ rank cores could provide an extra 3 to 7 seconds, depending on quality
But there was another issue—mana transfer efficiency.
Even though he could connect to mana cores, some of the mana was lost in the process.
Kurenai chuckled. "You need to increase your mana efficiency or boost your reserves. Right now, you're just throwing mana away like an amateur."
Alden sighed. "I know, but fixing it isn't easy."
Shiranui hummed. "You could try refining the process—improving how much mana you actually absorb from the cores."
Alden considered that. Right now, he could use his Mark of Connection to draw mana from cores, but the transfer wasn't perfect.
If he could reduce the wastage, he'd be able to use void step longer and more efficiently.
But that was a problem for later. Right now, he just needed to recover properly.
---
Watching the News
Alden grabbed a bottle of water and sat back on his couch, shifting his focus to the TV screen.
The news was still covering the demon worshippers' attack on the academy.
"The attack on Solcrest Academy has left several students dead, and the academy is currently investigating possible security flaws…"
Alden narrowed his eyes. He had already figured out that the difficulty of this world was not the same as the original game.
The Orc incident had been the final proof.
This wasn't normal mode. This was hard mode—or worse, something beyond even that.
"If this world follows hard mode, then the future is worse than I expected."
Shiranui spoke up. "Still planning to help the protagonist and his group?"
Alden sighed. "I have to. If they fail, then we all die."
Kurenai yawned. "Just don't forget to make yourself stronger first."
Alden nodded, his gaze sharpening.
Right now, his biggest priority was gathering more mana cores and refining his mana control.
And for that, he needed to get back to hunting.
But first—he needed to rest.
---
To be continued…