Shun POV:

Water fell. It crashed against the stream before joining a gentle flow. Cascading waves carried the sound of burbling: soothing the mind and body.

Soft pebbles overlapped in layers. Their formation created banks that stopped the advancement of the encroaching vegetation. It was the area I first fought Katherine in.

‘...’

A massive wall to Jikki stood firm, unaffected by the light trail of rubble at its feet. The party had started doing Dungeon Runs again, but this was the result. Slow progress and slow growth.

‘Damn it!’

My fist struck the surface; its disinterest characterised by the lack of movement. The veins on the side of my head popped before I ended this stupid meditation.

Katherine recommended I take this approach to training, but one month passed, and nothing changed. What was there to gain when my mind was already calm? If it wasn’t, how would I have made it this far?

An aggravated sigh entered the atmosphere. It took away the built-up frustration, reminding me of past events and the need to keep certain... emotions under control; meditation helped in that regard.

‘!’

The first thing I saw was a flame: an orange hilt coated its radiant pattern and reflected the movement whenever the sunlight bowed its head. Coiling fire contained a mixture of hues that designed the scabbard before attaching to a thin waist.

Soft facial features balanced out the sharpness of her eyes. Orange and red maintained a distinct harmony that almost seemed to glow but added to the depth of her complexion. Braids merged into a tied fountain. Its water—curly hair spiralling past a moderate bust.

As radiant as her beauty was, only one sentence formed in my mind.

‘I can’t sense her...’

The woman’s presence forced me to stand; her fiery eyes expected nothing less either.

“You must be Shun.”

“And you are?”

She didn’t refer to me as the ‘Dungeon Maniac,’ the name I registered under Starcry, but by my real name instead. It was an important detail that highlighted her own connections within Chunhae.

“I’m Aliyah. I hear you have a vast information network you never use. Your fame has spread far beyond Chunhae after clearing that borderline S Rank Arcane Dungeon.”

Aliyah had a gentle voice, reinforced with slight sternness but polite nonetheless. However, she wasn’t a simple person. There were three issues with what she had just said.

First, the person with a vast information network was Phoebe, not me. The reason this mistake didn’t diminish the value of her connections was due to the fact they knew my name.

The second issue was the Dungeon Maniac didn’t become famous; Starcry did, yet Aliyah singled me out twice. It was likely that her previous mistake had conflated my status within Starcry, but no one would expect me to be the leader of the party.

The third issue was how far did that fame spread? Did she expect me to believe that even Vidris heard about Starcry clearing an Arcane Dungeon? Her loose clothes had tribal elements to them, so the probability of her living in Chunhae was low. Aliyah also didn’t seem like an Adventurer or like Mavis: a Monster Hunter.

Based on the way she appeared, she knew where I would be, and even how long I began meditating here for.

If my line of thinking so far was correct, then Aliyah wanted more than she let on.

“Get to the point.”

Aliyah’s lips spread into a firm smile. The slight dip of her head indicated a faint trace of approval; this went beyond what words could convey. We both recognised that in our own way.

“Do you know anything about Amaterasu?”

“...”

I already knew Koli was an anagram for Loki, but I had no way of confirming that hypothesis until now. For someone else to talk about a myth related to my world meant the similarities extended beyond the ecosystem and people; myths had a role here.

But what?

Despite living in Chunhae for several months, there was no mention of any Korean myth in passing or through proverbs. I surmised it was more likely for Amaterasu to be the name of a weapon or even a Ki Artifact rather than the myth herself.

So who was Koli? Was she not Loki then?

Her mischievous nature, enjoyment of my suffering, and lack of empathy matched Loki’s character. However, I had just experienced visions of my death; each one so real it became impossible to deny—verified by the pain that came along with it.

Could Providence be... another reflection of my mind? Did Koli not actually exist as a physical being? Wasn’t that exactly the same as The System?

‘...’

There were too many inconsistencies in how Koli was portrayed, so I lowered the likelihood of that explanation. As obsessed as I was with ‘getting girls,’ the underlying reason was only to confirm my new confidence. I wasn’t brought up to build a harem; the excitement simply planted those temporary thoughts The System utilised as fuel.

In other words, I would have never gone further than that incident with Chloe. Reality would have hit me soon enough, but I wasn’t given a second chance like others.

“The Ki Artifact?”

I made a decision.

Aliyah’s eyes narrowed, but her lips widened. I had thrown the bait. Now I needed to wait and see if she would take it.

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“I see.”

Aliyah turned around before glancing back at me. Her reaction was too obscure to reach any definitive conclusions, and her words left nothing to be dissected from them. That could indicate the information on ‘Amaterasu’ was either confidential or only known to a select few, so Aliyah had no need to elaborate on it.

Her misunderstanding came from believing I was the one with the vast information network. The question I asked proved I didn’t have what she wanted, but it wasn’t a complete loss in terms of information exchange.

Whatever ‘Amaterasu’ was, it was enough to make someone of her presence move in person, and that confirmed its importance.

[The Mission Log has been updated.]

[Mission: Impress Aliyah

Difficulty: X

You didn’t have the information Aliyah was looking for, but perhaps you can make a statement without it.

Reward: Aliyah’s Lessons + Aliyah’s Friendship.

Failure: Null.]

‘X again?...’

I didn’t need The System’s useless input to know how important Aliyah was. Her presence dominated the area she stood in, and the confidence in her eyes came from an understanding so vast I couldn’t grasp a fraction of it. Based on the rewards, Aliyah was lower than Juri in strength, but her friendship was equivalent to ‘Hidden Secrets’ and ‘Change of Fate.’

In other words, I needed to clear this mission; I had already failed twice before.

“That aside, I thought you’d be better than this. It’s a little disappointing.”

“Then allow me to use you to get past this damn wall I’m facing.”

Nothing about her posture changed. Her expression remained neutral with an amicable smile, yet her words said otherwise. Aliyah was probing me; she wanted a confrontation. Did I need to make a statement through strength? That would align with her hints aimed toward my capability.

It was plausible.

Her lips spread into a slight smirk once mine rose.

“Is this how you’ve made it this far? By forcing your way through everything? There’s a reason walls exist. Perhaps you should reflect on your approach and broaden your perspective.”

‘...A deflection?’

She encouraged me to engage but now was insisting I do the opposite. Those two intentions would result in nothing happening, so I had to make a choice: fight or don’t fight.

“I didn’t ask for your advice.”

“And therein lies your problem. Good day.”

No mission window appeared to confirm my failure. In the end, it didn’t matter what decision I made as long as I impressed Aliyah one way or another. So why make things difficult for myself?

I stepped in front of her, crossing the stream that separated us.

“I’m not done talking.”

Aliyah’s lips spread into a confident smile. She matched the intensity of my stare, batting away the darkness with her own heat.

“But I am?”

“You’re not going anywhere.”

Ki disturbed the tranquillity of the stream. It made the currents flow, then crash. Feet slid backwards, and fists angled themselves forward. This was a chance of a lifetime.

“You can take me much higher.”

Aliyah let out a sigh before shifting her gaze to the sky. She could act disinterested and treat me as insignificant, but that wouldn’t last for long.

“How high do you think the average Ki Practitioner at Monzen can survive a fall?”

A hand tapped against my chest.

“Shall we find out?”

“??”

7 seconds. That was how long it took me to realise my body had been ejected into the stratosphere.

“Keuk!”

Blood spewed out of facial openings. Black dots banded together in an effort to lull me into a deep sleep. A tap. A single tap had resulted in the air resistance smashing past my Ki Armour, leaving me helpless against this natural assault.

Aliyah ascended at the same speed; her hand rested against her cheek as she laid down on the air. This was nothing to her.

“...Wiz... ard...”

I forced the air to halt my momentum, but the cost left me drained. Sweat soaked the dark red cloak I wore; I was an Elementalist but an incomplete one just like Katherine.

“Ah, so these are the famous forms I’ve heard about.”

“It... doesn’t... matter how much you’ve heard.”

Currents of air rippled around me, bolstering my weakened body. The intricate control alleviated muscles and took on most of the burden instead. I peered down at Aliyah; this wasn’t going to be as easy as she thought it was.

“The results won’t change.”

“Well, you got that right.”

A yawn and a flick of a finger toward the ground.

‘...What happened?’

Black curtains peeled away. Aliyah... had just knocked me out? Without moving? My head shook around, struggling to process the exchange. Once her finger moved, my consciousness was cut.

‘Damn it...’

I ignored the blood and pulled myself out of the bedrock. A depression so deep all I could see were its walls, framing the enclosure. At the top stood Aliyah; her figure overlapped with the sun’s glare, yet there was no pride in her gaze.

“Shall we do hand-to-hand combat instead?”

“...Shinobi.”

It took everything I had just to perform Sha. The aches and trembles subsided with time, but this wasn’t good; I would fail at this rate.

“Spy.”

But... Growth had arrived.

The wall to Jikki crumbled a little more once I shifted into a stance. However, it became harder to rationalise how to proceed. Improvement knocked on the door: a path that had guaranteed my growth so far.

So I… let it in.

“Come.”

My lips curved upward at the new clarity of my mind.

“You come to me.”

I loosened my tie and stepped forward. There was no reason for me not to oblige when not just growth, but a legitimate opportunity had appeared.

“Hawkeye.”

My hands blurred with enhanced precision, but they never reached their target. Fists hit the air. Kicks struck the surrounding space, unable to land on the weaving motion.

‘!’

Hawkeye couldn’t see it. Aliyah moved in a manner that transcended common sense, yet I had dealt with situations similar to this before. So my shin shot toward her calve, but she stepped in, forcing me to change the angle.

I went high, and she went back.

The slight arch was enough for the instep to whistle past her nose. Every strike I threw was not only understood but disregarded. She broke it down with simplicity, showing the current limitations by the closeness of my strikes to the target.

‘She’s... incredible.’

It was enough for the wall to tremble.

The space widened, and Aliyah placed a hand on her hip. It wasn’t an opening, or was it? Her poker face was on the same level as her movements, but I didn’t care. My fist cut through the air, right toward Aliyah’s fac—

“Ah, look at the time. I’ve got to go now.”

Bouncy hair exited my peripheral vision. Despite the extended arm and Hawkeye’s elevation, there was no motion. This time, Aliyah had vanished in front of me.

“No, you don’t. I’ll break through this damn wall right here!!”

I grabbed her arm when my head slumped forward.

‘??...’

The darkness rolled to the side. The sound of water falling toward its demise, only to step foot on an alternate path of travel, reached a new companion.

‘Ugh...’

I shifted my gaze past the short tunnel and saw Aliyah shaking her hand.

“Careful. I’m a happily married woman.”

“Keuk... Wait...”

I ripped myself out of the earth’s embrace before using the wall as a support. Every footstep felt more laboured than the last, but I couldn’t care less about that. If she fought at this level, I wouldn’t be able to grasp anything; it already took everything I had just to see and implement the few movements she taught me.

At this rate, the wall would remain.

“Wait... right there...!!”

Aliyah cocked her head to the side. The brief pause in battle was an opportunity I could only watch pass by, and she knew it too. That was why her lips spread into a slight smile.

“Right, right. See you around, maybe.”

I hobbled toward her, desperate to get close, but a ball of fire closed the door on me. Its embers dispersed, and I was left alone.

“DAMN IT!!”

I gripped my aching head with both hands. How could anyone pass these stupid X Ranked Missions?! The damn difficulty was too high!! Who cares about Dungeons when I could have had Aliyah?!!!!

‘...’

I failed.

[The mission: ‘Impress Aliyah’ has been terminated.]

It was as I expected.

The veins on the side of my head popped at another realisation of this damn system. If every legitimate reward was ranked X, then how... would I ever get them?

‘That giggling idiot.’

I calmed down, not because I wanted to but because I had no choice. Their random nature meant there was no way to prepare for them in advance. They were missions not triggered by my own doing but by the target’s actions.

In other words, I had almost no control over X ranked missions. Either way, the underlying reason for failure remained the same: I was still weak.

“Dungeons. Let’s do some damn dungeon runs.”