"Tsk...!" Ace grunted as Artes' hologram disappeared, and sharp pain surged through his head once again.

Clutching his head, Ace still felt the throbbing pain of Artes' skills flowing into his mind, recalling every procedure, every skill set, every process of his crafting, all jumbled up and out of order, not knowing what goes where. He could remember a familiar weapon being built within his new memory, snippets of Artes crafting the infinity blade alongside others beside him.

"Urk..." Ace took a step back, still bearing the headache. He leaned on the nearby table where Darklin could only wait until Ace was fine.

After taking a deep breath, Ace's mind finally calmed down. He watched Darklin look at him with slight concern, then smiled. "I'm okay now. Hopefully..." Ace continued to huff and puff.

"You don't sound confident."

"It's nothing. Come on, let's loot this place."

After their small conversation, Ace recovered from the sudden influx of skill sets embedded into his mind. He looked around, remembering the enchanted map Artes had mentioned on the table. Upon closer inspection of the map, it was indeed enchanted. Ace could see his current position, as well as the varying locations of both explored and unexplored areas.

"This will prove beneficial," Darklin commented.

"Yeah... It's like a GPS. It even has names for various locations. It knows we're in the Creles Empire as of right now."

"GPS...?" Darklin turned his head. "What kind of word is that?"

Ace realised the foreign acronym he said to Darklin and immediately replied. "It's just an otherworldly term. You'll hear more unusual phrases from me. But this map only goes as far as the Hagi Kingdom, and they're the ones with the most cleared dungeons." Ace pointed to a certain section of the map.

"Do you think it's the work of other heroes?" Darklin asked.

"Probably, but it's the furthest kingdom away from here on foot. No, we need to sail to get there."

"With this dungeon cleared, shall we head to the next one if possible?" Darklin suggested.

"Not yet. At least we'll need some sort of plan. For now, let's take everything we can get from here."

Both Ace and Darklin spent time looking around the room. Ace took various metals near the crafting section but also took more notable pieces of equipment. The first was a magical ring, capable of storing more than the highest capacity of magic bags.

"Would you consider this a masterwork item...?" After equipping the ring, Ace found out he could easily summon his weapons to his hands rather than manually grabbing a dagger from the magic bag. The ring seemed to assume ownership of whatever Ace had put inside the ring's magical inventory. If Ace was within a certain range, he could recall an item that was previously stored at least a meter away. "I don't think I need one of those special bags if this is the case."

"Are you going to continue wasting time with Artes' works again?"

Ace replayed the scene in his head, where had continuously reactivated the shield out of amusement and surprise.

"I have to use everything with maximum efficiency." Ace retorted.

Darklin recalled Ace's amusement with the retractable shield. He didn't remember how many times Ace had activated the gauntlet's function to activate the shield. "Please keep it to a minimum. The shield experience was rather... unnecessary."

"I apologize," Ace said, as he grabbed a set of small knives. They weren't anything fancy, but they were of good enough quality to use as throwing knives. Although there were other weapons in the room, they looked rather unfinished, but they were built well enough to be used as they were. Ace also took a white dagger that far surpassed his previous silver one.

The last piece of equipment he looted was a prototype helmet. There were several notes and designs alongside it, but Ace needed it for both protection and to keep a low profile in the kingdom.

"I think you've taken most of the useful resources from this room, Ace," Darklin said.

"Then it's finally time to reach the surface," Ace replied.

As the two finished their business in the room, Ace walked up towards the warp point with Darklin on his shoulders. With concern that someone might see him, he equipped the helmet and held a shortsword in his hand, over-preparing in case one of the castle guards spotted him.

"Ready?" Ace asked.

"When you are."

In a few seconds, Ace and Darklin were engulfed in light and teleported out of the dungeon.

When Ace and Darklin found themselves at the dungeon entrance, Ace felt a sigh of relief. But this was only the first step. His objective now was to get out of the castle grounds as soon as possible without getting caught. Constantly hiding behind walls, Ace commanded Darklin to scout ahead, using his small body to effectively hide behind the statues and signal him if the coast was clear.

'I do not think there are any guards at all. It is already nightfall.'

Ace took his first steps outside, not knowing how many days he had stayed in the dungeon. He stretched his arms and took a deep breath, savouring the fresh air that his body had missed.

"To think I've missed the smell of fresh air..."

"Let us get out of these grounds first. I would rather let my guard down once we are outside," Darklin suggested.

"Good idea. Hang on tight. I'll be moving much more quickly."

In just a few seconds, Ace maneuvered his way towards one of the nearby castle walls, using his training from Razor to parkour on top. He made sure he was traversing through all of the blind spots from every potential window and opening, in case there were guards present.

'[Utility Art: Quick Step]'

Ace began to build up momentum with each jump, preparing for one massive leap that would allow him to dash across to the other side of the walls.

"Ace, wait a moment. There is a light owl present.'" Darklin communicated telepathically.

Upon hearing Darklin's warning, Ace quickly hid behind a nearby wall and scanned the area to locate the owl. He spotted it perched on the very top of a watchtower, surveying the area, but with too much ground to cover, it was unable to look at its assigned area all at once, leaving a small opening for Ace to slip through.

Ace peered at the castle gate and saw that the guards were engrossed in their conversation, not focused on their duties at all. Only the owl was on guard duty.

'To think their owls act as security cameras...'

Waiting for the right moment, Ace dashed behind a building, slowly making his way towards the higher districts. Eventually, he reached an area with crowds and adventurers where he blended in, looking like any other adventurer coming back from their quests.

"That was quite easy."

"We were lucky it's nighttime. *Sigh* Now, I'm not sure if Razor will be at the pub at this time."

"On your first day out of the dungeon, and we already have no place to stay for the night," Darklin noted.

"Let's start with the pub, we can always find an inn somewhere here."

After a long walk around the kingdom, Ace finally found himself in front of the entrance to the Adventurers Guild. Watching countless adventurers entering and exiting, he hesitated on entering himself.

"What's wrong?" Darklin asked.

"Nothing, really. I'm trying to gather my thoughts. I don't know what to say if I see Razor."

"Are you doubting if the man you trust won't assist you?"

"He's just an adventurer. I'm not really sure where his allegiance lies, the more I think about it."

"If the worst comes to worst, we can always leave this kingdom. You have learned to be a survivalist, after all."

Ace turned to Darklin's reaction amused by his comment. "You're right."

Entering the guild, Ace was welcomed by the lively atmosphere of the adventurer's livelihood. He observed them constantly drinking, telling tales of their quests and adventures, and enjoying themselves. It all seemed to calm Ace down. Experiencing human life for the first time, he let out a sigh of relief.

He walked upstairs, remembering the usual table Razor sits at.

"If you need me again, I'm usually at this table around this time on every odd day," Razor had said.

To Ace's surprise, he saw a familiar face - the same eye-patched man sharpening his dagger. Razor was in the middle of preparing to leave, and as Ace approached him, Razor responded to his movement with hostility.

"Out of my way."

"I thought you'd want to see your old pupil again.," Ace said. Although Razor could not recognize him, Ace's new helmet hid away his identity from everyone, and it did not help that the helmet was masking his voice.

"Tsk... give me a reason why I shouldn't beat your ass right now," Razor threatened, holding his dagger as if he was ready to stab Ace if he gave a dissatisfactory response.

"Because I'm Ace," said Ace, taking off his helmet. Razor's eyes widened as he saw his student once again.

"You... how...?!" Razor looked around before changing the volume of his voice. "I thought you died! Alright, you have a lot of explaining to do."

Ace and Razor went to the same table where they first had their drinks together. Ace told the story of how he survived the dungeon and introduced Darklin, explaining the reasoning for his survival. Not only did he tell Razor about his own survival, but he also told him about the threat of Vumor and their new uprising enemy.

"It's crazy that you've survived all that. You look a bit harder to recognize too."

"Huh...? Do I look different...?" Ace asked.

"Well, the streaks of purple hair and purple eyes surprised me." Razor commented.

"Really?"

"You haven't seen your reflection?"

"Not really."

'My eyes are purple now?'

Ace reached out to his eyes in surprise.

"And your new dragon is an extinct elder drake? To be honest, I imagined them to be a lot bigger," he said, eyeing Darklin.

"I sacrificed a lot of my power to keep Ace alive," Darklin replied.

"It talks too..." Razor observed, looking closely at the dragon. "I'm amazed you conquered the dungeon all by yourself. You even cleared the previous highest record that the king tells everyone to back off."

"You're wrong about that," Ace interrupted. Having sudden flashbacks of the corpses scattered around that floor, Ace gritted his teeth. "There's a reason why he wanted everyone to back off that floor. Remember "that' sword he looted from the dungeon? That's the very same blade that's killed all the Heroes, everyone that was with him."

"That shiny sword huh? What's so valuable about it that made him kill all the heroes?" Razor crossed his arms.

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"That sword is a masterwork. It's called the infinity blade and is capable of absorbing the strength of its slain enemies."Ace answered.

"So on that floor, you saw all the dead bodies covered in slashes and stabs made by him? Why am I not surprised by that? But that dark god thing, him ending this world in less than a few years, that's a lot to take in," Razor said, scratching his head. "Though, after hearing about some dark entity trying to kill you. It kind of makes sense."

"We don't have a choice, ignoring this Vumor means death to this world and possibly mine." Ace shrugged his shoulders. "Ah, before I forget, I need to give these to Olivia."

Ace produced two bags and an enchanted ring he had taken from David's body. To Razor's surprise, he recognized the ring and held a small smile reminiscing his memories of him.

"This is... wow you found David. Well, let's give these to Olivia tomorrow. She has to depart for war soon. But if you're here now, maybe you should let Aria know that you're alive, or is that a bad idea? If the King finds out that a surviving hero has conquered the dungeon..."

Razor had his thoughts on Ace's situation. Someone who just conquered the dungeon and knew of Regis' crimes would be considered dangerous to be kept alive.

'Ace right now... he's a bit different,' Razor thought to himself. But there was a name that Razor mentioned that bugged Ace. The moment Aria was mentioned, there was a slight reaction.

"Aria," Ace said softly.

"You know, she hasn't been herself when you supposedly died that day. But right now, you guys similar eyes, and yet... you both act very differently."

Ace looked up with confusion in his voice. "Razor... who's Aria?"

----------------------------------------

Razor was left dumbfounded by Ace's request. "What? The only reason you would ask me that is if... you-"

Finally, Razor's eyes widened in realization.

"If you're asking me something like that, wait- Ace, do you even remember who you came with? You know, when you were first teleported here?"

Ace tilted his head in confusion.

"I came alone. By myself."

Darklin noticed Razor's expressions as if there was something wrong with Ace.

"And who did you spar with when Olivia joined us?" Razor asked another question.

"Huh...? Olivia, of course," Ace answered while looking confused. "Razor, I just came back and you’re asking me all these unnecessary questions. You should know all this stuff."

"Because you don't remember your friends that came with you," Razor answered.

"...I knew something was off about Ace." Darklin

Ace held his head receiving an uncomfortable headache.

"Tsk, your suspicions make sense. My memory doesn't seem to make sense of how I entered this world in the first place. I can't seem to remember my high school days properly."

Razor sighed, scratching his head.

"Either two things, mental exhaustion or you simply hit your head, probably the former."

"Probably both." Ace replied.

"How many life or death situations did you have to strain for?" Razor asked.

"A few instances, but Ace has been able to retain his memory. He is not a mindless husk, currently." Darklin commented.

"I can see that." Razor sighed. "Ace, just remember when you undergo a mental strain you can subconsciously decide whether to overload your mind or use your blood as fuel for your next few arts. Overloading your mind means losing parts of your memory, do that more often you might become an amnesiac husk. Your memory will come back slowly if you don't overload your mind again."

Ace was quiet listening to Razor's explanation. He leaned on his head thinking about it. With a distressed expression, he tried to recall every memory he remembers.

"...That explains why I vaguely remember high school."

In his mind, Ace recalled all the faces of his classmates yet in his perspective, all their faces were blank, unable to make out who they were.

"Out of all memories, you forgot the people important to you."

"Would a healer suffice for Ace's condition?" Darklin asked.

"Not really. Healers can only heal physical wounds. You can't heal something cognitive like memories. Hmm... if only you could meet your friends in person that might do something but they're already dispatched for war. Even if they were here, it would spark a lot of commotion with the King."

"Not like I want to do anything with him anyway..." Ace said in a dejected tone.

Razor paid attention to Ace's eyes. His eyes were somewhat different than before not looking from a physical sense but Ace's current state of mind.

"After looking at your eyes... Why is it so dull-looking than before?"

"Huh...? Do they now?"

"Yeah, you look a bit lifeless, did something happen in the dungeon? You've been there for a while," Razor leaned on his fist, trying to come up with a definite answer.

"The person I wanted to find. She was one of the bodies I found on that floor. Someone I did remember." Ace answered in a dejected tone.

"So you're just going to feel doom and gloom finding this person dead?" Razor upped the tone of his voice.

"I thought I would have a chance to meet her again now that I'm here. But, I've lost my purpose."

"Now this is quite the surprise. You're just going to give up when you have people that care about you? I've told you, you didn't come to this world alone. Shouldn't you try to get your memory back while you're at it? What happened to the Ace that overtrained to protect his friends?"

"My memory...? If I cared so much about these people I would've remembered them in the first place." Ace replied in an aggravated tone

"It happens at random but usually the effect is only temporary. If you can put your mind to it can you try forcing yourself to remember?"

"...I'll try." Ace closed his eyes, holding his head together in discomfort.

He felt a sharp pain coursing throughout his mind with flashes of images playing as if a projector was showcasing a movie in black and white. As the images flashed Ace would recall words from familiar voices.

"Ace... you saved me once again. Honestly, I wouldn't know where I'd be without you. Really thank you."

"Honestly. I don't know how you did it. But you saved this school, Ace."

"Let's hang out Ace! The boys are planning a celebration!"

"Ace are you sure you're ok living alone? *Sigh* If you need anything you can always let me or my parents know alright?"

The flash of memories ended as Ace began to lean on his hand bearing the pain.

Huh...? These voices... who is... the first one...? The second one was... Vella, the third was Warren... and the last was... Freya... Of course, I would remember those three... we went to the same middle school. But who the hell is the first one... and why does she sound so... familiar.

"Hey, are you alright?" Razor asked with concern.

"I'm okay. I think... I'm starting to remember snippets but it's not enough."

"Take it slow, its a healing process you know."

"I hope so. Thank you Razor."

"What's your plan now?"

Ace turned his head in Darklin's direction and sighed.

"I know I have to prepare, probably stock up and head for the nearest dungeon. But I'll need allies, this isn't a one-person job."

"That's why you two came to me right? Well you can count me in, not like I have a choice anyway."

"For the onslaught we will need more people." Darklin added.

"I think I have someone for that. But for now, you two should crash at my place. It's getting late, and you have no where to sleep."

"I owe you one." Ace said.

"It's nothing." Razor smiled.

Ace and Darklin followed Razor to his house in the lower districts, a place that Ace had never been to before. The stark contrast between the poverty-stricken surroundings and the extravagance of the higher districts struck him deeply. Ramshackle houses, barely held together by battered wood and stone, dotted the area. However, amidst the poverty, Ace witnessed acts of kindness and unity, as a group of people selflessly aided one another. He was heartened to see a sense of equality prevailing, bridging the divide between Demi-human slaves and humans.

"This is where you live?" Ace inquired, his voice filled with curiosity.

"It may not be much, but it's better than residing in the higher districts," Razor replied.

After traversing a few two-story houses, Razor halted in front of a weathered stone building. Although its exterior appeared neglected, the moment Razor swung open the door, Ace's eyes widened in astonishment. The interior presented a stark contrast to the dilapidated exterior, exuding a warm and welcoming ambience. The house was meticulously maintained as if someone had been continuously cleaning the interior of every corner.

"Razor...! Welcome back!" A woman emerged before them, her well-groomed brown hair elegantly tied back. However, what caught Ace's attention were her fox-like ears perched atop her head and the tail gracefully trailing behind her. Adorning her neck was a collar, showcasing her status as a slave.

"Hmm... so you're that kind of person, Razor?" Ace's tone carried a hint of judgment.

Darklin muttered under his breath, "So slavery has found its place in this Kingdom..."

"Hey...! I'm not like that! This is Elora, my wife. If you have any questions, you can ask her directly," Razor retorted.

"Oh... who is this...?" Elora, having stepped out of the door, wore a curious expression.

"I'm Ace, Razor's student. The Dragon is Darklin," Ace introduced, gesturing towards Darklin.

As Elora turned her gaze towards Darklin, she smiled nonchalantly, seemingly unfazed by his extraordinary appearance.

"Nice to meet you," Elora greeted Ace with a polite bow before turning her attention back to Razor, whispering discreetly. "Didn't you tell me Ace had died...? Are you hiding him from the King, perhaps?"

"Something along those lines. Have you prepared dinner? I'll assist with anything you haven't finished. Besides, they will need to use the guestroom," Razor explained to her.

"No worries, I've already prepared a pot of stew. Come inside, Ace," Elora responded warmly.

"For now, make yourselves at home. It may not be as luxurious as the dorm, but it's still comfortable," Razor assured them, shedding layers of his attire until he was left with a shirt and pants, suitable for sleepwear.

Ace followed suit, stowing away his belongings in his newly acquired magic inventory—an enchanted ring discovered within the depths of a dungeon. As soon as Elora emerged from the guestroom, she presented Ace with a set of simple clothes for him to sleep in. Both Ace and Darklin entered the guestroom, and upon noticing a prepared basket with a cozy blanket inside, Darklin wasted no time in diving into it, promptly surrendering to sleep.

'To think he drifted off that quick.'

Razor entered the room, checking on Ace to see how he was settling in.

"Getting comfortable in the room?" Razor asked.

"It's perfect. Thank you for letting me stay." Ace replied gratefully.

"No problem. Olivia will come by tomorrow to collect David's belongings. The other bag contains his ashes, right?" Razor pointed towards the bags that Ace had set down.

"Yeah."

"Let's head to the dining room. There are some things I want to ask you about," Razor suggested.

"I'll join you there."

When Ace arrived at the table, he found a bowl of stew and a slice of bread already placed in front of an empty chair. Razor and Elora were still setting their own bowls and plates on the table.

"Please have a seat, Ace. If there isn't enough food, there's plenty more," Elora said with a warm smile.

"Thank you."

Ace took a spoonful of the steaming hot stew. With each mouthful, a comforting warmth spread through his body. Lost in the taste and the sensation, he unconsciously kept helping himself until the bowl was empty.

"Thanks for the food," Ace expressed his gratitude, bowing his head to Elora, who smiled in return.

"Hehe, no problem."

"So, I've been meaning to ask you, what did you obtain at the end of the dungeon? I've been curious to know. Regis claimed that the treasures found in the sacred dungeons are bound to help in the ongoing war," Razor leaned in closer to Ace.

"I inherited Artes' abilities, his skillset of crafting. I haven't had the chance to explore those skills yet, but I plan to try them out soon." Ace explained.

"Huh, is that all? Not quite what I was expecting. But if you're capable of that kind of craftsmanship... could you attempt to tinker with Elora's collar? I'd like to see it removed," Razor requested.

"Razor... you know that the only way to remove this collar is with the assistance of the Cait Sith, and we have no knowledge of their whereabouts..." Elora spoke with a tinge of sadness. "Haven't you spent enough time to free me from this burden?"

"The opportunity came from a Demi-god himself. It wouldn't hurt to try, right?" Ace reassured her.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt..." Elora conceded.

She stood before Ace, waiting for him to employ his craftsmanship skills to somehow remove the collar. Ace recalled Artes' memories of reshaping and transmuting metal, using them as a reference. He activated his [Transmute] ability on the collar. As soon as his hands touched the collar, the metal responded to his power, gradually transforming into a liquid state that wound itself around Ace's hands. He then shaped the collar into the form of an ingot.

"Huh...?" Elora exclaimed, surprised by the unexpected turn of events.

She felt the weight of the collar lifting from her neck, and for the first time in years, she experienced the surge of magic flowing through her body.

Ace examined the ingot in his hands and was astounded by its enchantments. The metal had been imbued with a spell that blocked mana and weakened the wearer's strength to that of a feeble adult. Utilizing his newfound abilities, Ace successfully dispelled the enchantments. However, he realized that Artes lacked the skillset to apply enchantments himself.

"So, that's how they keep them enslaved. These collars render them defenseless," Ace muttered to himself.

"You... actually did it," Razor said, his voice filled with astonishment.

"It feels strangely natural to me. I know I can craft, but I'm not entirely confident in my proficiency," Ace admitted, transforming the ingot back into a collar with the enchantments removed.

"Thank you, Ace," Elora said, tears streaming down her face. She attempted to summon her staff and turned to Razor with a joyful expression. "Hehe, I can use magic now...! Razor, look at me go!"

While Elora celebrated, Ace contemplated how the kingdom treated individuals like her and devised a solution for when she ventured outside.

"You should continue wearing this when you go out. I removed the enchantments, and you can easily detach the collar," Ace advised.

"So now it's a fake collar. That makes sense. The people in this neighborhood recognize Elora. If, for some reason, they see her without her collar..."

"It would draw attention, right?" Ace interjected.

"I suppose it would be for the best," Elora agreed, clipping the collar back on. "Oh... you truly removed the enchantments." She noticed that her flow of magic was no longer impeded by the collar.

Elora decided to cast a spell upon herself, altering her appearance to that of a more human-like form. Her fox ears and tail vanished, revealing regular human ears amidst her hair.

"What in the world?! You can do that?!" Razor exclaimed.

"Ah right, this is the first time you're seeing me use magic. I am a fox-kin, so transformation and illusions are my specialties. If we venture beyond the lower districts, this appearance should suffice, right?"

"As long as you won't be recognized," Ace reminded her.

"Truly, I don't know how to repay you," Razor admitted, at a loss for words.

"It's fine. I did say I owe you for letting me stay here."

"No it's not enough, I did say I have someone that might be able to help getting allies, and perhaps revenge on Regis for killing your friend. With the story you've given me, Regis might do the same to your friends out at war now."

"Revenge, huh...? I hadn't considered it. Killing him won't bring Luna back, but you're right that I didn't come here alone. It would be troublesome if Regis were to discover me. Still... if Freya and the other two are here, I want to prevent that same fate. However, there's also the Vumor issue..."

"It's okay, I'm sure my friend will take the Vumor situation seriously and make the necessary preparations, if he successfully ascends to the throne."

"Wait...! Are you referring to 'that' Vumor? The same Dark God who nearly brought ruin to the world?" Elora interjected, leaning closer to the conversation and slamming her hand on the table.

"Huh? Yes, it's the same one you know," Ace replied, slightly taken aback by the sudden table slam.

"So that's why the elder drake is with you."

"Darklin?"

"Mm...! He was our Kingdom's protector years before I was born. If Vumor is being mentioned now, then the prophecies are becoming true. It's fate, that you're here Ace. With my magic back I have more reason to assist you. I do owe you after all."

"He's more of a figure than I realised. Now I'm starting to see that this Vumor fight is possible for us."