[Black Old King]: “Seek the power you once lost.”

My eyes peeled. Him sitting on his throne. His powerful voice that makes my whole-body tremble in its quake.

[Black Old King]: “Seek the power to bend time itself.”

[Siola]: “Huh?”

[Black Old King]: “You shall not return before you obtain it.”

My old power. I kept searching through the back of mind if he had truly said what I think he just said. Chronomancy magic, one that I have from my past life.

[Siola]: “How.”

This is a game, I thought.

[Black Old King]: “You have question, Abyss?”

[Siola]: “I um… I’m not supposed to be alive. I um… came from the future.”

[Siola]: “4 years.”

[Black Old King]: “Indeed, one who wields time magic will always be the victim of it, especially so for one who worship the Great End King.”

A familiar name, one of my titles. A Devotee of the End Kings.

[Black Old King]: “You are simply not ready for what awaits you, Abyss.”

[Black Old King]: “Return to me, once you have reclaimed yourself.”

The clouds gather around and pushes me out of the Lost Realm. Dark all around, I see all three books flipped their pages as the darkness around becomes opaque. I returned to where I once was, the 25th floor of Dread Black Dungeon as the books shut themselves.

Grabbing them, I tuck them back into my inventory.

[Minty]: “Siola, good, you’re okay. How was it, what just happened?”

[Siola]: “I um, I don’t know. I need uhh, to sit down and think.”

[Minty]: “Oh, okay. Just take your time.”

[Siola]: “Time? Yeah, I’m taking my time…”

[Minty]: “?”

An NPC knows that I’ve returned to the past without me even telling them. The Black Old King. It knows something about me. About how I came here. I need to know more. I need to know why. But at this level, there is no way I’m going anywhere near Chronomancy magic.

This is so frustrating.

[Siola]: “FUCK!”

Minty jolted.

[Siola]: “Ah, sorry. It’s just… Haa… I got a Quest but there’s no tracking on it.”

[Minty]: “Oh? Another class evolution?”

[Siola]: “Yeah, I guess you could say that. Not that I’ll be able to do it considering what I saw. It’s all a little too early for me, I think. I haven’t even reach level 100 and I was standing against a damn giant of all things, can you believe that?”

[Minty]: “A giant? Through those books?”

[Siola]: “Yeah, they teleported me somewhere unpleasant. Thankfully, it wasn’t out to kill me. So, I’m here now. Let’s get out of here, I’m sick of this place.”

[Minty]: “You won’t have any objection from me.”

[Minty]: “But you sure you’re good to go? We have a long way up, you know.”

[Siola]: “Oh, gimme a sec.”

I cast a sign and aim my palm at the front, “Cosmic Aperture.”

A small wormhole, but enough to fit the both of us. On the other side is the image of the green forest above the dungeon.

[Minty]: “Woah, is that really a portal? Wait, how did you do it?”

[Siola]: “Heheh, thanks to this beautiful circlet.”

[Minty]: “Ohhhhh.”

[Siola]: “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

Passing through the wormhole is very different than any portal I’ve gotten. It’s a bit disorienting but the travel is instantaneous.

Breathing fresh air together.

[Minty]: “Ahhh, I so miss this. Everyone would be so jealous to know that we can open a portal. Speaking of which, can’t you do another one and teleport us to the capital?”

[Siola]: “Nope. Once every 4 hours. Plus, where is this capital? I can only teleport us to locations I know about.”

[Minty]: “Oof, guess we’re walking then.”

[Minty]: “There’s a town nearby though, we could go there, a little detour but it’s a good chance to relax and we can even open up our vendor store too.”

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

[Siola]: “Like, a walking distance close or what?”

[Minty]: “Very close, I promise.”

Following closely right beside her. The sun is high, but we’re somewhat resistance to the exhaustion now.

[Minty]: “You know what I think you should do, Siola?”

[Siola]: “Hm, what?”

[Minty]: “Equipment upgrade.”

[Minty]: “I mean what is that black nun outfit, you’ve been fighting in skirt, don’t you feel… I don’t know, restricted? There should be some outfit sold for cheap.”

[Siola]: “I guess it’s long overdue, yeah.”

[Minty]: “What do you fancy though?”

[Siola]: “Maybe, something like a—.”

Before I can even finish my sentence, there’s something in my line of sight. Just on the other side of the dirt road, someone is sitting by themselves.

[Siola]: “The hell? Is she talking to herself?”

[Minty]: “A streamer, probably. We shouldn’t bother her.”

How I wish she can be a little foul mouthed.

[Minty]: “Oh right, what are you going to do about the other Quest you have. You know, the Pyromancer one.”

[Siola]: “By the looks of it, both Psion and that one is subclasses so, I’d lose the stuff I’ve got from Psion if I want to be that one. I’ll decline the evolution when it comes up.”

[Minty]: “Wise, I think? I mean just by looking at those spells in that tome.”

[Siola]: “It’s not my priority for now. There’s the other book that I’m interested in.”

[Minty]: “Mad Dead?”

Shaking my head.

[Siola]: “The Black Flame.”

[Minty]: “Ohhh.”

[Minty]: “No wonder you rank up Faith, you still need what, 10 more Intelligence I think no?”

[Siola]: “Mhm, I really want this one called [Hex Flame], but 6 more Intelligence doesn’t sound too bad.”

[Minty]: “Hmm, I wonder if we can get stat-enhancing items, but they can be pricy.”

[Siola]: “We should be able to afford them once we sell some of the stuff we got. Or maybe just grind for them again?”

[Minty]: “Aha, I’d love that!”

[???]: “Wait, you two!”

Our brows raised as we look behind us. It’s the girl sitting on the other side of the road.

[???]: “You, are you heading to Ravenswood? There’s a horde of Stygian blocking the road, how about we party up?”

Glancing at Minty as she glances back at me. When the woman approaches us, Minty recognizes her.

[Minty]: “Hm? Wait a minute, you’re… miss Mona?”

[Siola]: “Who?”

[Minty]: “Mona. Mona! She’s the top ranker, number one in the world! Remember?!”

[Siola]: “Ahh.”

[Minty]: “A-Are you sure you wanna party with us?”

[Mona]: “I mean just… until we get to town.”

*Gasp*

[Minty]: “Really?! Goodness me, we’re going to party up with Mona!”

[Siola]: “Uhuh, well go on invite her already.”

[Minty]: “Okay, there you go.”

The woman looks nervous and hesitant after Minty sent her an invite.

[Mona]: “Hm? A… Level 138 Magic Marksman, and… Level 69 Psion?”

[Minty]: “Yep, that’s us.”

Glancing at Minty. She nods.

[Mona]: “I’ve never heard about those classes before, um, right. I’ll be in your care.”

! {New Party Member has been added}

* Mona / Assassin / Level 370 / Title: Elite Crucible

[Minty]: “Welcome to the party, miss Mona!”

[Mona]: “Ah-ahaha.”

Nervously laughing like that kind of irks me. I get that Minty has a somewhat bright and bubbly personality but if this girl ever thought of her as annoying, rank 1 or not—

[Minty]: “Hey, we were talking about whether you will update your name.”

[Siola]: “Hm?”

Oh right, I got that name from Ludwig. Why not, he bestowed it upon me anyway. And so, I updated my profile name to be Luosa as we continue to walk.

[Minty]: “So, miss Mona. I saw your forum post, and I completely agree! They changed too much and there’s just so many stuffs we could still explore, but now we have to reacquaint ourselves with the new system. And I can’t believe they make Realism Mode the default even though supposedly, it was deprecated. I mean they said so in the notes!”

[Mona]: “Haha, yeah.”

Her eyes kept glancing to a different direction than the one she’s talking to. It looks like she’s still streaming. Glancing at Minty, she probably hasn’t figured it out yet.

[Mona]: “That quiver you have is glowing, do you have a spell active or something?”

[Minty]: “Oh, just one of my passive skills.”

[Mona]: “Passive? Like, as Magic Marksman?”

Nodding enthusiastically, “Mhm.”

[Mona]: “I’ve heard of Magic Swordman before, but never marksman. How did you even get that?”

Minty’s eyes peeled as her smile still tilts up, but her tongue is hold. I don’t need to tell her, she’s already aware of what’s going on. Although not the whole picture, she knows.

[Minty]: “Heheh, is miss Mona… curious?”

[Mona]: “Eh?”

[Minty]: “Hahahaha, I mean of course you would, why wouldn’t you be. Even when I have it now, I still couldn’t believe it myself.”

[Siola]: “Enough about her though, miss Mona. We’re actually more curious about you. A level 370, a top ranker of the entire world. You must’ve played for a long time.”

[Minty]: “Of course, she is, dummy.”

[Mona]: “Mm, although not day one, I’ve been playing the same year as this game came out.”

[Siola]: “Impressive.”

Her eyes peeled.

[Siola]: “That kind of resilience is definitely what got you to the height you are at now.”

[Mona]: “Ah-hahah, not really. I mean a part of it, sure. But it takes a lot of hard work for it too.”

[Siola]: “Mmm.”

A load of horseshit. In the eyes of the world, sure you’re number one. But if she ever steps into any major league, you wouldn’t even fit in the thousands of its ranks.

[Mona]: “You’re a Psion, I guess you have something to do with a mind control magic?”

[Siola]: “Yep. A little telekinesis is all I can do for now though.”

[Mona]: “Ahh, telekinesis. So, like a physic, yes?”

[Siola]: “Mhm, do you wanna know how I got this class too, miss Mona?”

[Mona]: “Eh?”

A grin as I eye her. Minty looking at me nervously.

[Mona]: “I mean if you don’t mind.”

[Siola]: “Heheh, well you’ll have to wonder for a while then.”

Taken aback, flustered, her face flushed.

[Mona]: “Goodness, you two teases me too much. Fine, I won’t pry any further on those weird classes. And sorry for secretly streaming just now.”

[Minty]: “Ehhh, you were streaming, miss Mona?! Does that mean, I was in miss Mona’s stream? Me?!”

[Siola]: “You did, you did.”

[Minty]: “Ohhhh.”

[Mona]: “Your levels don’t match though. What’s up with that?”

[Minty]: “Well, Siola and me just started playing recently. I was actually going to carry her a bit but I ended up getting carried thanks to the update.”

[Mona]: “Right, the update. How long have you two been playing?”

[Minty]: “I’ve been for a few years, but…”

[Siola]: “Two weeks for me.”

[Mona]: “Eh?”

[Minty]: “Eh?”

[Minty]: “Wait, you’ve only been playing for two weeks?”

[Siola]: “I was only level 20 remember?”

[Mona]: “Level 20 is a big deal for a beginner too. Especially for two weeks, but you’re almost 50 levels above now, that’s really fast.”

[Siola]: “Well, I can thank that meathead over there.”

[Minty]: “M-Meathead.”

Seeing a horde of Stygian ape. There are a few dozens of them.

[Mona]: “There, see?!”

[Mona]: “Okay, you two. So, what we’re gonna do is—.”

Minty took a step before Mona can even tell us what we’re supposed to do.

[Mona]: “Hey, what’re you—.”

Aethonix Cycle bow loaded in ten arrows. Mona can see it, how Minty drawing it.

[Minty]: “Stellar Resonance.”

10 consecutive arrows were shot in line with a single draw. They fly, and when the first one hits, it sends a shockwave in 25-meter radius dealing damage to the surrounding apes. And it is repeated 10 times. Only a few were left alive, and they quickly flee.

Gasping, Mona’s eyes peeled.

I grabbed my Goblin Shiv and threw it. It’s the perfect chance for me to test it again, my telekinesis. One that I’ve finally reclaimed as part of Psion innate ability now.

And it works much better than I expected.

The knife accelerated in swirl and with trajectory is now under my control, it cuts all of the ape’s neck. Killing them slowly.

“Wh-What?” Head shifting back and forth, “Wait, how?”

Minty’s smile is the brightest one I have ever seen. And it’s the biggest one now.