Proofreader: Me!

As I thought, the small paper inside the envelope read a simple location and date.

The Wilderness and Survival Club.

This coming Monday after classes.

The location was understandable, as she hosted a club to hold her followers. The reason we first years haven’t seen active clubs yet is due to them being inactive for the first few weeks. Students had always been dissatisfied with that rule, but the developers would rather players adjust to the game first.

Regardless, Krulia was very busy, hardly being spotted within the academy. Also according to the time at midnight, it would mean tomorrow after I wake up.

“Yawn…” I held my hands to my mouth feeling partly sour.

I expected some kind of notice, but that was still startling. I thanked Eien that Fen was a deep sleeper. That allowed me to go to sleep without having to explain anything.

My plans for when I woke up weren’t too complicated. On this last day of the weekend, I planned to go spar with Eren and then receive berating from Fjleora for not being able to breathe correctly. Considering a lot of things were happening now, told me what came next would become the calm before the storm…

It wasn’t exactly an exciting concept, having to push myself to the limits.

“But… it’s either that or I die,” I whispered to myself. “That’s what everything has come to.”

That thought I’ve been suppressing finally escaped the confines of my mind. Like a tide, the thoughts of anything positive had been washed away.

No matter how much I talked and kept an upbeat mood, the world I now lived in was cruel. It wouldn’t show its true nature, not until it was ready. If not one of us were to be prepared, death was the only foreseeable future.

I watched the sky outside the window, holding these grim thoughts to myself. My breaths were stable and deep under the watch of the two moons.

The first had a pale glow decorated with craters of familiar shape to Earth’s. The second, however, was a deep red, with a foggy contour blocking any deep observations of its surface.

Within the game, it had been widespread lore that one of those two celestial bodies was the remains of a Demon. One such power that required the unification of all the ancient races to unite as one.

Although, if one were to search deeper, it could be found that its existence was entirely misunderstood. The demon despite being kind, had so much power, that to all those around it, it had become an entity of fear. Thus, it was banished to the sky, forever to remain alone in an unfamiliar place.

Stretching out my right arm, I felt the air of midnight crawls into my body. I opened my hand and grasped out nothingness as if trying to capture a fleeting emotion.

Feeling it become strained, I let it fall onto my chest.

‘The end of the Demon was strangely relatable… haha…’

I wasn’t strong, alone, nor betrayed. But, there was a lot I’d left behind.

There have been times when I’ve clung to the memories of the past to keep myself grounded. And, there were also times when I’d have to remind myself not to get attached.

Yet…

It seemed I failed in that latter department.

-x-

I opened my eyes to the frightening persona of a violet storm.

I hid further into my bed, “Fen, what is she doing here?”

“No idea, but refusing her is a bad idea in itself!” He replied all dressed up. “Thank goodness I have a date to attend, good luck!”

Before I could call out his name, I felt the fearsome glare of an archmage.

Although I wanted to say something, I took the time to slip under the sheets and pick up my uniform from the drawer next to my bed. Obviously, I shoved it on under the covers.

“First!” I raised one finger from the bedsheets. “What are you doing here?”

In a clear voice, she answered, “Item.”

Serina attempted to hand me over a necklace, but I refused.

“Could… you sit down first?” I pointed at the chair on the shared desk me and Fen had.

She descended onto the chair, facing me with her usual deadpan expression. Her eyes, however, contained an excited energy.

‘I swear, her emotions are only ever shown in those two pearls of hers.’

I gulped, “May I ask why it took so long to find it?”

Serina looked away from me, staring into space as if thinking for a bit. Shortly, a faint frown appeared on her empty face.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

“I retrieved it a while ago, on the day you asked me. But, those people found issue with my unexplainable actions,” She explained with a clear resentment,

My hands gripped tighter, as I struggled to ask my next question. “Erm… who, exactly?”

“My family.” Serina’s uttering held a small hint of regret.

“Is there–”

‘No.’ I held my voice back. Whether or not I could find out more, there was a limit to prying into family matters.

“Ahem. Anyways!” I cleared my throat. “You could have simply met me outside, why appear in my room without notice?”

Serina visibly shook, not expecting me to shift the conversation. Her frown charmingly shifted upwards, revealing a small curve upwards on her lips.

“I wanted… privacy.”

My instincts as prey flared, sending fierce signals of danger to my body.

“Ah… a jo- joke, surely?” I stumbled on my words.

She tilted her head, “Joke? I am aware of the date between you and the Priestess.”

Sweat had started overflowing as my poker face was readily crumbling. A rhythm of death and embarrassment had started playing within the atmosphere.

‘Shit.’

I made one last attempt at salvation.

“It wasn’t a date… rather, it was a one-sided request I accepted to keep partying together as I value her as a healer!” I practically blurted out the word vomit.

Her devilish smile which held an aura of death around it… vanished. My instincts shut off, ending the stream of adrenaline that had been pumped at full blast.

“Of course,” She replied with a relaxed demeanour.

“Ah, yes, yes, now about the item,” I hurriedly moved to the point of the interaction.

Her ability to swap between auras was terrifying, I couldn’t imagine being her enemy.

“It is slightly damaged,” Serina mentioned.

Before picking it off her hands, I took glances at her expression to check if I was in the clear. Maybe, that was how squirrels looked when taking acorns…

I looked at its effects and was gladly surprised.

[Incu-Necklace] (B)

* Increases the wearer’s charm tier by one.

* Grants the wearer the [Compelling Voice] (C+).

Not only did I receive two out of the three items I needed, but it also had enough effectiveness to be used before it was combined with the rest.

“Happy?” Serina peeked at my expression curiously.

“Yeah, this is amazing… now I only need one more item,” I mumbled the latter part.

From what I found on the forums, this recipe was vital in Uriel’s playthrough. I never bothered to try her out, but now I fretted my past decisions. My memory was hazy, but I slightly remembered some comments at that thread.

[For those struggling with Bad Ending #13 - Priest Playthrough.]

Truth Seeker Mirus: Since the game’s launch, there have been many work arounds to get past this ending whether it be pushing off developments with the main cast, or launching complicated strikes on the beastman camp!

Today I present to you, the easiest and quickest method. Similar to my guides on the Paladin and Warrior paths, we’ll need to make a certain item. When I discovered it, I swear I thought it was a cheat or bug of some sort. Who would expect that you could resolve both the universal beastmen invasion, and a bad ending at the same time?

Anyways, what you’ll need is a Skele-Staff, Incu-Necklace and Fragment of Hope.

Now I know that many of you would be frustrated to give up that last item, but… what if I told you there were two of them?

We all know the prior two items are available as soon as questing is introduced, but this last one you’d think, ‘It’s only available late game!’ Well, thanks to a few friends, we found somewhat of a hidden secret, one of those hidden pieces we all love.

That was the start of the post, which then dove into an explanation of the last item’s obtainment. The only reason I ended up reading the post, was because of the discovery of being able to own two of those fragments. It was also due to the fact that the poster was one of the players I idolised at the time.

Mirus, as people knew he or her, was famous within the community for making large discoveries within small guides. Unlike me, who was famous for completing a true ending which no one had achieved on the mage path before.

Regardless, the only way I would be able to accomplish this was through the girl in front of me. I would need her on a specific outing, soon. At the latest, a week before the Bad End.

“Done thinking?” She asked.

“Yeah, but…”

“You need help?” Serina pushed.

I nodded, sighing while looking at her expectant eyes. Following the last time I asked for help, it was likely she would ask for something in return. What would be exchanged… I feared to imagine it.

“I need help in convincing a certain professor, to aid me in acquiring a specific item,” I explained.

Serina didn’t respond immediately, instead looking at me blankly. It was rattling for the human mind when a person with that level of beauty were to look at you without words. Although, within that short silence, her lips finally opened.

“Fragment of Hope?” She deduced.

“Yeah… why do you know about it?” I asked, pushing past my hesitance.

Her eyes turned cloudy and her mana flared wildly. Her lips trembled, disallowing for words to be spoken.

“Ah, you don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to,” I shrugged and leaned on the bedframe. “Rather, why don’t we go eat breakfast?”

Serina nodded with another soft smile, “Okay.”

-x-

From that point onwards, the day proceeded as normal: sparring with Erin, eating lunch, showering, and then learning from Fjleora. On a side note, I also had to explain the rest of my request to Serina, which she, as always, accepted without a thought.

‘But dammit man, the rest of the day would have been great, if it weren’t for this girl.’

“Good evening, it’s nice to meet you! We last talked before the Philos expedition if you don’t remember… Oh! Sorry, I forgot to properly introduce myself.”

The girl’s silver silky hair flowed down to her waist, it was nothing but the epitome of brightness. Complimenting their hair, her pupils were of a grey hue. Those two traits alone made her an exquisite beauty alone. Yet, her body was also slender and thin, following her position in a non-combative role.

Yet, somehow despite all of those traits which would be attributed to a young girl, her aura and gait… it was anything but immature.

“My name is Alicia Einsburg, the representative of the Northern Alliance, as well as its strategic advisor.”