I wake up the next morning not feeling very rested. On one hand, physical exhaustion helped me fall asleep early but, on the other, I've had nightmares about that Marco guy saying he's my fiancé. I didn't play much, but I have a good memory: In the otome, Bianca wasn't engaged to anyone. Which means that engagement gets broken before my academy entrance exam in just over a month.

Great.

When I get back home, I'll sound out the counts, see if they can annul it. It's not that the guy was ugly, but this body is barely eighteen, come on! I wasn't engaged in my twenties, I'm not planning to be at eighteen. I bet if I get married I'll end up doing boring noble tasks like managing house servants. I refuse. I want to level up and learn magic.

Speaking of magic...

I open my status sheet, which hasn't changed at all despite leveling up twice. Makes sense, the otome was stingy, it seemed like character progression was behind its romantic interests. Thinking about it makes me laugh, remembering Marco's face when I talked to him like I couldn't care less about him, with brutal lack of delicacy. Maybe he'll even run to the county to cancel the engagement. That would be wonderful. Back to what matters, I only have two points to raise and I don't see anywhere the possibility of learning more spells. In the game, at the academy you'd ask the magic professor to teach you the one you wanted and you had to study and practice it. Maybe that's it. I manipulate the translucent window in front of me, trying to access new areas, but there's nothing. It's a copy of what the status slab shows children when they put their hand on it.

Disappointed, I choose not to raise my two free points yet, since it would be stupid to put them in INT without knowing if I'll be able to learn an offensive spell. Same goes for spending them on STR or AGI, because while I wouldn't mind learning to use a sword properly, it would suck if I later needed them to make my magic do more damage.

To achieve my goal, I should enter the other dungeon but common sense from too many hours dying in games for being greedy holds me back. I don't know its difficulty and I'm so bad that if it weren't because the newbie one was full of slimes that are easily beaten with a torch, I wouldn't have been able to clear it. Best thing is to take advantage of the fact that no one knows it exists and clear it several more times. I just hope Marco doesn't know where it is. I let my tongue slip and said too much. A dungeon isn't owned by the noble who owns those lands, but by the king, who usually delegates its management to army treasurers. This way, the soldiers themselves train in dungeons and if anyone else wants to use them, they have to pay an entrance fee. The only exception is for whoever discovers it, as they're given a monetary reward that depends on the dungeon's level and they're allowed to enter without paying. Well, I don't think they need to find out if I take a few days to make my discovery official.

I call my maid to help me dress and do my hair, no choice, and I prepare to leave again after breakfast. I won't be able to gain much more experience with level 1 and 2 creatures and a level 2 boss. In fact, it takes three more times, three days, to reach level 4 and on the fourth day I realize that not even the slime boss gives me experience anymore. Then, I play innocent, like I stumbled upon it by chance, and report it. I don't hide that I've cleared it, so they know the first-time bonus has already been claimed. My father's steward at the country house is stunned hearing me. I hear a noise behind me and see that my maid has nearly fainted from shock. Well, it is what it is. Let them notify and come manage it. I have one more point to raise and I'm saving it. I think the game's NPCs couldn't choose where to put those points, they were distributed based on what they'd used most to gain that level. Good thing that's not my case.

_______

Of course, my plans for today are to go to the other dungeon. I know it's risky, but the newbie one doesn't give me experience anymore. The sensible thing would be to wait for the academy and learn some spells there; but precisely to get in I need to be able to pass the practical with good grades and I'm not going to achieve that by sitting cross-armed in the library pretending to study. I'm finishing packing a backpack with food, ropes, torches and a sheet I've cut into strips to make improvised bandages, when my maid knocks on the door.

"Miss, your friend Caroline Marrow has come to see you. She's waiting in the sitting room."

"Tell her I'll be right down."

I quickly check myself in my bedroom mirror: I look presentable. A blue dress with neither too much flow nor too much cleavage and braided hair. This morning, the maid complained about me wanting to wear my simplest clothes and such an unelaborate hairstyle. I didn't tell her I was planning to go dungeon diving, rather that for studying I preferred to be comfortable. She frowned and I could almost see what she was thinking, that I had changed, that before I must have been something like "better dead than simple." I didn't care. I preferred them thinking that hit to the head had made me half crazy than trying to pretend to be Bianca. And now that a supposed friend was coming to see me, well... what I was wearing would have to do.

I leave my room and go downstairs. The sitting room is a first-floor room with sofas and several tables suitable for receiving guests over tea and cookies. I'm more of a coffee person, but in this world they don't seem to know what that is. A young woman, sitting in one of the armchairs, stands when she sees me. She's definitely dressed up, wearing a dress more suited for a gala ball but anyway...

"Bianca, how are you, dear?" she comes toward me and gives me a hug.

They must have been close, she's another of the game's three yes-women. If nothing else, I have a really good memory and remember her name.

"Fine, fine, and you?"

"Same as always, studying and helping mother run the house. I heard you weren't feeling well," she tells me as we sit and the maid enters with a tray of, sure enough, tea and cookies. "I'm worried."

"How kind. It's nothing, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" She looks dubiously at my clothes and hairstyle.

"Never been better," I affirm while taking a sip of tea.

"Then wait for us to get to the academy. It's going to be amazing! My father managed to get us placed in the same dorm room like we wanted, so now all that's left is the easy part: passing."

Easy to pass? Maybe for her, who must have been studying her whole life like Bianca.

"Sure." I nod trying to appear confident.

"Hey, did your fiancé come to see you? My brother ran into him a few days ago and told me he was heading this way."

"Marco? Yeah, he came."

"He's so handsome!" she sighs. "You're so lucky. My parents could have arranged a marriage like that for me too."

"Handsome?" slips out.

Because I didn't even think of him that way, rather saw him as an annoyance since I didn't know Bianca was engaged.

"Yes. Did he come to set the wedding date?"

"Actually, I don't know why he came. He left quickly. I guess just a courtesy visit." I shrug.

Caroline looks at me with some envy and I quickly change the subject. We move on to talk about nonsense like the designs of the latest dressmaker who's become famous in the capital, where the queen resides. After an hour that feels endless, she leaves claiming she can't take more time away from her studies. She hugs me again and says we'll see each other at the academy. I watch the blonde girl as she leaves the room. She lacks the elegance proper to a villainess. Maybe that's why she's one of the three anonymous nobles who at the academy laugh at Sol's jokes. Sol is Faith's sister. Both are daughters of the kingdom's most powerful duke and villainesses of the otome game. They're brunettes, green eyes, pure elegance. They have something, a kind of high school cheerleader queen spirit that, along with their intricate knowledge of court intrigue and their position as daughters of the highest-ranking nobility, makes them stand out and shine. No wonder Bianca and Caroline idolized them.

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Well, I eat the cookies left on the plate and return to my room, to complete making the bandages and get my backpack. I'm wearing riding boots instead of court shoes, but it's not noticeable thanks to the dress's skirts. I finish getting ready and leave. It's still before lunchtime, though later than I intended. I'm deep in the forest, almost at the dungeon, when I hear it. They're growls, they sound like dog growls. Well, considering my Earth experience, all growls are going to sound like either dog or lion to me, and the latter only because of the scare one gave me at the zoo. I carefully step off the path and find myself in a small clearing where three wolves with white or light gray fur are about to attack a puppy. It's a wolf pup, but black as the darkest night. They haven't seen me; I could go back the way I came. In fact, it would be the wise thing to do. But that poor puppy can't be even a month old and looks fearfully at the other wolves. It looks so helpless...

Honestly, sometimes I could punch myself. Like now, when I draw my sword, the one I don't know how to use, and place myself between the little one and its attackers.

I could have at least slashed one from behind before they saw me...

The three wolves bare their fangs at me and growl more viciously. I know they're about to attack.

Common sense finally floods in and I crouch down, grab the pup and start running toward the dungeon. In my right hand I'm still gripping the sword's hilt. I immediately hear the wolves start running after me. I speed up with all my might, anticipating those claws that will dig into my back at any moment, throw me to the ground and be nothing compared to the teeth at my throat. And I'll die, with the puppy in my arms which I won't save.

Damn it!

How can I be so stupid and impulsive? Killing slimes has gone to my head, I don't have a single freaking combat skill.

That said, I can run well, with all my adrenaline pumping full blast, and miraculously I reach the dungeon entrance. I dive in, no hesitation. The wolves stay on the other side of what to them is just a stone wall, not understanding where their prey went.

Then two things happen, or rather two popup windows appear.

Congratulations, you have saved the seed of darkness.

Congratulations, you have entered a dungeon for travelers from other worlds. Your skills and spells have been unlocked.

Bianca L'Crom

Race: Human

Age: 17

Level: 4

Constitution: 6

Strength: 2

Intelligence: 3

Agility: 2

Wisdom: 6

HP: 6

MP: 6

Magic Affinities: Reevaluation needed after demonstrating personality change through actions.

Skills: None. Available to learn.

Spells: Earth Control - Beginner Level. Available to learn.

I let out a little shriek that I try to contain to not attract every living creature in the dungeon, while doing some excited jumps. I don't think this is very fitting with a noble's image but... my magic affinities are being reevaluated! That means I can have more interesting schools than earth. Which okay, it's not that it's bad (defensive walls, spiked pits at enemies' feet, golems...) but I'm more into other magics. So that's the first thing I point my finger at in that translucent window.

Reevaluating. Reevaluating. Reevaluating.

It stays like that for over a minute, which feels eternal. When the screen finally changes my mouth goes dry and my heart seems to stop.

Elemental Affinities: Air, Fire, Water, Earth. Non-elemental Affinity: Light. Four elemental affinities requirement unlocked. Recalculating. Elemental Affinities: Air, Fire, Water, Earth, Spirit. Non-elemental Affinity: Light.

I have affinity for all 4 elements plus one I've never heard about in the game? This is without doubt the most insane and powerful thing I could have imagined. My heart's racing and I'm on cloud nine, trying to process it. Elemental affinities are typical, 20% of mages have at least one. For light and darkness, a mage child reading the slab has a 10% chance of getting them. Having four... even the most broken characters in the game didn't have more than two, three was already legendary stuff. And spirit...

I smile broadly.

Looks like passing the exam is going to be easier than I thought. Whoever brought me here hasn't left me defenseless, quite the opposite.

I select my available spells. Apparently, I get one per affinity. For earth, since I already know Earth Control, they don't give me any extra.

These are my options: Light: Minor Light Orb, Minor Healing. Air: Minor Wind Blade, Minor Light Feet. Fire: Minor Fire Bolt, Minor Heat Resistance. Water: Minor Splash, Minor Water Breathing. Spirit: Minor Channeling.

I read through the information for each option. The light orb is exactly what its name suggests, a light that follows you and illuminates in darkness. It neither blinds nor damages enemies, at least not at this level. Minor healing is one HP. Wind blade, splash, and fire bolt are offensive spells that do 0-2 points of damage, depending on whether the target is vulnerable or resistant to the element. Base damage is one point. Light feet gives a small speed boost for sixty seconds, water breathing lets you breathe underwater for thirty seconds, and minor fire resistance helps you a bit not to burn for thirty seconds. I guess all this will improve as I level up. MP cost is one point per spell. Healing, however, has the drawback that it can't be used more than once every 24 hours. It doesn't resurrect and doesn't regenerate lost limbs.

Channeling costs no less than two MP points and lets me imbue an element into a part of my body or a weapon I'm touching. If it's earth, it increases the weapon's durability or that body part's defense. If it's any of the other three, it applies elemental damage. This is something none of the otome's warriors could do, I guess because they didn't have spirit affinity. Duration is sixty seconds. This spell, like all others except healing, has no cooldown.

Obviously, I learn it. As for the other four, I go with healing, fire bolt (I want offensive fire magic, the more powerful the better), water breathing, and wind blade. With six mana points, I can use channeling and four more. Seems balanced to have two offensive ones, one for healing, and another that could be very useful, since there are underwater dungeons in the game.

With five new spells, I feel capable of clearing this dungeon, of facing anything.

Well, let's not get too carried away, I don't even know if it's for newbies or higher level. I check out the skills.

Available Skills: Staff Mastery. Runner. Scholar.

The skills offered are based on your combat experience and main daily occupations.

Scholar... like I said, Bianca was good for nothing. I take a look at it, gives memorization speed and raises wisdom by one. Hm... not bad actually, that would increase my mana. In the game, wisdom determines your mana points and also its regeneration which, if you don't reach wisdom 10, happens every twenty-four hours and requires you to sleep at least eight hours. You wake up with full mana. I browse through the sheet and confirm it's the same, nothing's changed.

The other two skills, well... here I am with a sword hoping to learn sword mastery and since I've cleared a dungeon several times by torch-whacking... yep, staff mastery. Raises attack and technique, also gives one point to strength. The running one I guess is from fleeing with the black puppy. Raises agility by one point and lets you run a bit faster than normal.

I hesitate.

Truth is all three are useful but the one that raises wisdom is scholar. However, I don't want to study, I did enough of that on Earth to get my university degree. In the game, it's every many levels when they let you learn a new skill, and always after training with a master like those at the academy. It's wonderful to be able to do it without that requirement, but nothing indicates I'll have more skills available than others so I'm not choosing any for now. Channeling seems quite interesting for unarmed combat or with a weapon of your choice, and swords do more damage than staves. I'll wait until I have the option of either unarmed combat mastery or sword mastery. If it doesn't show up throughout the dungeon, simple enough to ask a professor at the academy.

I nod to myself and head deeper into the dungeon corridor. Or that's my intention, because to check my stats I had left the puppy on the ground and now it's whimpering and clinging to my leg.

Poor thing, if I leave it abandoned here I don't think it'll survive. But if I take it out of the dungeon those wolves that I'd bet are waiting for us outside will eat it.

"Look, I'm going to clear this dungeon and come back for you, okay?" I ask it.

It's adorable, a cutie, it looks at me with its big eyes and whimpers. I don't have the heart...

"But if I take you with me maybe I won't be able to protect you and they'll kill you, you'll be better here."

No use, it's going to follow me and I know it. I can't bring myself to yell at it to stay alone. It's so small... I pick it up and carefully place it in an outer pocket of my backpack. Not inside, I think, that face looks capable of eating my food without remorse. I sigh. A seed of darkness. I'm not going to adopt it, I'll leave it in the forest when we get out and it's safe. I don't even want to imagine what mess I've gotten myself into.