Looking up at the sky, I saw the full moon out, lighting up the otherwise dark night. Closing my eyes and looking forward, I was walking behind three executives, while two were to my left and right. Behind me were the three, including Elise, who had been standing behind the executives.
I had seen they were Guild attendants, and after looking back I had wanted to ask Elise what was going on, but she had a stern face that only looked forward, not once looking at me. A feeling of unease spread through my stomach as we continued to walk through the nearly empty streets, catching the attention of adventurers and shopkeepers that were still out.
The streets became busier the closer we got to the Adventurer’s Guild as more attention came towards Alice and I. Alice hid her face away from all the staring, which I found a bit strange considering she hadn’t been bothered before, and I also started feeling frustrated by the staring. Doing my best to ignore it, I sigh as I saw we had arrived at the Guild.
Following the executives in, we caught the attention of everyone right away. Unlike when I had been brought here in chains, the room was silent as every person in here stared in our direction. It was so silent that the only sounds were the footsteps of the executives, myself and the attendants behind me. We walked through the crowd that parted way on a familiar path, and in the next moment, after opening a door, I found that we had arrived in the trial room Hillock had brought us to before.
As my stomach dropped, I felt myself panicking. So Alice and I had done something wrong and we were about to be trialled for it. As Xander moved towards the table at the back of the room, an annoyed sigh came from my side, the source being a young woman with blonde curly hair, an executive.
“Really, Xander? We’re questioning the young girl, not interrogating her. And why this trial room specifically? You should’ve been debriefed on what that idiot Hillock did.”
Turning to face her, Xander looked confused. “This is fine. It’s easier if she’s familiar with the room.”
As he was about to turn around, the female executive spoke again. “It’s not fine, just look at her. She’s obviously afraid that she’s about to be trialled!” Xander looks me up and down and frowns.
“She seems fine, so does the child.” Alice was still hiding her face in my shoulder, trying to make herself small. “It does not matter where we question her, does it, Amanda?”
Amanda sighs. “Clueless as usual, Xander. The girls are exhausted, one looks scared while the other is trying her best to hide and now you’re bringing them into a trial room where not long ago they were falsely accused of crimes that they didn’t even commit. Come, let's head to the executive lounge. Record it with a Memory Stone if you must.”
Leading us out of the trial room, we went down a passageway before we arrived before a large door. Placing a hand on the door, Amanda waited for a few seconds before pushing it open. Entering the room, I looked around and found it…luxurious to say the least. The first thing I noticed was the dense mana in here. I had never really sensed mana in my surroundings before, but it had become very obvious in this room.
The room itself was pristine, the couches alone looked expensive. The executives all sit down, leaving a single couch for Alice and I to sit down. Sitting down while Alice sits next to me, I nervously look at the executives. I wasn’t used to being in front of powerful people who were looking at me with stern expressions.
Amanda looks behind me, towards the attendants. “Go prepare.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Hearing the three leave, the doors closed behind them. A tense silence fills the room as I wonder what is going to happen. As minutes passed, Xander spoke up.
“What did you do in the-”
“Damnit Xander.” Cutting him off was once more Amanda. “You really need to know how to talk to people.” Smiling towards me, she smiled. “Sorry, he’s a bit dense. He doesn’t understand how to speak to others, though for someone with one tone of voice he does okay sometimes.”
Amanda smiles softly at me while I return it a bit nervously, still wondering what was happening. Xander takes out a familiar blue gem and places it on the table as it starts giving off a small pulse of mana.
“Alisha, can you tell us in full detail about what happened in Battlefield of Eternity? Completing the True Route is truly a fantastic achievement, and to potentially assist others in doing so we’d like to hear your experiences. Of course, if you’d like to withhold that information we won’t share it, we do however need to know what happened.” Speaking while still smiling at me, Amanda looked at me intently.
Breathing in, I explained everything that had occurred from when Alice and I entered the dungeon. From Alice pointing out where the Darkness was, finding the entrance as well as what occurred. Each of the executives interrupted to ask various questions, and I also explained the quest I was given, the updates as well as my lack of actually doing anything as Alice had resolved most of our problems.
The only thing I left out was about Tessa coming to my aid, opting to instead tell them I had used Night’s Fury at the pool, ending the situation. I could tell they knew I was lying about the situation at the end, however oddly they chose to ignore it. Afterwards, they sat there pondering about what I had said, just as the doors to the room opened once again.
One of the attendants had arrived with food and drinks, and judging by the smell it was very high quality, even though none of it was infused with mana. Not feeling very hungry, I stuck with a cup of tea and before long, Xander clears his throat.
“Young adventurer, are you aware of how dungeons work?” Speaking once the attendant left, Xander leant forward. Shaking my head, I honestly did not know anything about dungeons, I just knew they were there. Telling Xander this he grunts and taps the table with his fist. “Some Dimensional Dungeons are believed to be snippets of the past, of minor and major events that have taken place.
“There are many types of dungeons and multiple ways one may complete them. Dimensional Dungeons have four potential paths. The first path is a normal path of killing your way to the Guardian. This path has no secrets, sometimes a puzzle or trial, no True Routes or anything and is the most common type. It was believed the Battlefield of Eternity was like this, though many believed that due to low performance ratings there might’ve been an alternative way. Until today.
“The second path is the normal route but there is a True Route available. The third is the True Route. The last is when there is a True Route and what you have just accomplished, the Path of Rewriting History. The fourth route is extremely difficult from the accounts we’ve heard and from what you have informed us of, not all dungeons have them.
“True Routes are when you follow the history of what happened and the Path of Rewriting History is when you interfere with the history on such a massive level that you alter the course of what happens. There are very few cases, most minor like yours, and only one recorded big change, but that at most was destroying a city. You have to perform specific actions to start down the Path of Rewriting History, it’s not as simple as destroying a building. No one knows what actions to take however, since any dungeon that has had its True Route completed or history rewritten disappear.”
As my head spun, I thought over everything that he had said. A lot of it was rather confusing, the rest I got. Not sure what to say about all of this, Amanda saved me.
“Basically, you’ve become a part of history in a minor way. You may think you did not contribute, but you did directly influence the outcome of a moment in time. From your retelling, you defeated a level 50 Guardian and though you hid a lot of aspects about the Manifestation of Fear, in the end you did disrupt its summoning. You can stand tall and proud of that, don’t belittle yourself. Both you and Alice accomplished something that barely anyone in history has accomplished.”
Nodding at her words, I felt at a loss of what to say. I had thought it was just the System telling me about what happened in the dungeon, not that I had changed history itself. Feeling overwhelmed by that fact, I kept thinking it over as Xander spoke once more.
“The only problem now is that a very popular dungeon has disappeared, with it being unknown what will take its place. This will generate some animosity among a few adventurers who relied on that dungeon for money and experience. We will handle those who hold any hatred for you, however it is imperative that you remain on guard as some adventurers can be a bit heated over such a thing.”
Understanding what he meant, I leaned back while I took everything in. Alice and I had done something amazing according to everyone here, and at the same time we may have created hate for ourselves. I had very little care for those that would be hostile towards me, I’ll simply kill those who tried anything. And if they dared to touch Alice…
Glancing at Alice, who had been petting my tail for the last hour since she didn’t hold any interest in talking, I smiled slightly while feeling a bit guilty about what had happened in the dungeon.
“Young girl.” Turning to an executive named James who had just spoken, he tapped his chin before asking “Have you claimed the reward from the quest yet?” Shaking my head, he nods and says “Do it now. Right now you’re in the most secure room with the most powerful people here, if there is anything of value you have no risk of it being stolen or of you being killed for it.”
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Hesitating for a moment, I looked around and decided to do so. Afterall, these executives were far more powerful than I was, meaning they shouldn’t hold any value for anything I receive…right?
Quest: Defeat the Unknown completed.
Dungeon Performance: SS+
Rewards:
2,000,000 experience
1x Tome of Ancient Magic: Gravity
1x Tome of Ancient Magic: Dark Corruption
Memory Stone of a History Rewritten: Battlefield of Eternity
1x Armour of the Star-filled Night
10x High Grade Celestial Eclipse Mana Cores
10x Pure Cores of Darkness
New Talent: Historian
A Hidden Condition has been met.
You have levelled to 50!
You will not receive any excess experience.
Gained the following Stats:
Strength: +140
Agility: +200
Intelligence: +100
Toughness: +8
You gain 10% more Stats due to Aspiring Hero, you gain the following:
Strength: +14
Agility: +20
Intelligence: +10
Toughness: +0
Health increased to 8,000.
Celestial Eclipse Mana Increased to 125,000.
Evolution is available. You can not gain anymore experience until evolution is complete.
Talent: Historian: As one who has experienced and influenced history, you have gained a unique understanding of a past long lost.
Gain 10% more experience from all sources.
As a pile of items landed at my feet, I gritted my teeth as some pain worked its way through my body. Breathing out once the pain ended, I looked up to see the executives talking.
“Quite the haul you have there, Young Alisha.” Giggling slightly, Amanda smiled while nodding at the two books. “Don’t let anyone, and I mean anyone, know you have those books. Wars have been fought for less.” Looking around, the executives nodded at the same time before looking at me. They then all swore an oath at the same time, all stating the same thing; they would never speak a word of the items I had obtained, else they would lose their lives, with their souls to be tortured for eternity.
Shocked at how seriously they took the oath, I saw five oaths show on the System. Before looking at what I had received, I glanced at my Stats.
Stats
Elite Aspiring Hero, Alisha
Strength: D+ 1,165 (+233)* Agility: C+ 1,777 (+355)* Intelligence: D- 844 (+168)* Toughness F- 139 (+28)*
Current Bonuses: Monster Title
“For now, store everything except those Mana Cores. You’re ready for evolution, correct?” Nodding at Amanda’s words, she looked at me seriously. “We have prepared the top floor for you. This is our reward to you for your accomplishment. It’s a reward we only do for those who accomplish something extraordinary. You’ll be the 5th person in the last decade to receive this reward.”
“The top floor is a room that is dense with mana in the purest form we can achieve. We use this room for one purpose, evolution. It has been prepared for you now, and we wish for you to do it at this moment. As you are the disciple of Alexander, we will also ensure your safety, so you need not worry about any sudden attacks from the Church of the Moon Goddess. In fact, if they were to attempt anything, I’d wipe them out.” Speaking after Amanda, Xander explained it to me.
Blinking for a moment, I wasn’t sure what to do. Things were moving a bit too quickly for me, in fact I had thought I was about to be punished, but yet here they were offering me such a reward.
“Mummy!” Turning to Alice, she pets my head. “Alice ok!” Alice hugs me as I chuckled. She must’ve felt more worry through our link and was comforting me. Turning to Xander, I nod.
“Good. Before we lead you up there, have you got any items that may be for evolution?” Nodding, I told Xander they were at my house.
“I’ll go fetch them for you. Where do you live? Where are they stored?” Speaking while leaning forward, Amanda gave me a soft smile. Deciding to trust her, I gave her the key to the house and told her where they were. With a nod of her head and a snap of her fingers, she disappeared, leaving a white flame that burnt out quickly.
“Let us head up. The room will have been prepared by now.” Getting up while I pick up Alice, I follow Xander and the other three executives.
***
After walking up several flights of stairs that went from the executive lounge, we arrived before a set of doors. Taking his Ruby Grade plate off, Xander placed it into a grove on the door and with a flash, the doors started opening. Following him in, I looked around. We were in a large room, a heavy blue mist floating around. If the executive room was dense with mana, this made it pale in comparison. The mana in here made me feel a bit overwhelmed. Amanda suddenly reappeared by my side as she turned to Elise.
“The blue mist here is condensed mana. Elise.” Elise, who was standing at attention by the doors along with the other attendants, bowed when her name was spoken. “Look after Alice.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” Stepping forward, Elise arrived before me, still with the stern face on. Understanding now wasn’t the time to speak to her casually, I looked at Alice.
“El El!” Jumping from my arms onto the ground, she gave Elise a hug as Elise led her out of the room. The doors closed behind them.
“Right, Alisha, follow me.” Following Amanda, I looked at the ground and could make out strange engravings on it. Quickly realising it was a massive magic circle, I found myself surprised to see one this big. We arrived at the centre of the room, where several lines from the magic circle lead to.
“Sit here.” As I did, I saw the other executives sitting in a circle around me. Handing me a bag, I looked at the contents to find the Shard of a Dying Star and Vial of Mystical Moon Energy. Pulling them out, Amanda nodded.
“Drink that before you start.” Pointing at the Vial, she then points to the Shard of a Dying Star. “Put that on your lap. Those mana stones, place them around you.” Nodding, I set the Vial aside as I placed the Celestial Eclipse Mana Stones around me as Amanda joined the others sitting down. “Begin when you’re ready. Take your time.”
Closing my eyes, I tried to relax but felt tense from the suddenness of everything. I had thought I was in trouble, only to be asked to retell my story, followed by them assisting me in my evolution, even though I had just levelled to 50. Clearing my mind the best I can, I open them, open the Vial and drink it before closing my eyes again, accepting the evolution.
Evolution has begun.
Confirming potential evolution paths:
Race Lunar Mystic Fox is unrestricted.
Detected Shard of a Dying Star.
Detected Mystical Moon Energy.
Detected High Grade Celestial Eclipse Mana Stones
Multiple Hidden Conditions have been met.
Alisha is the Chosen of the Moon Goddess.
Current Race is unique and S+.
Mutated Mana Realm and Veins Aligned to Celestial Eclipse Mana.
Alisha is a human and monster Hybrid.
Only one evolution path is available:
Celestial Nightweaver Fox, SS+ Race, unique race.
Alert, body reconstruction required for new Race.
Warning! Deep slumber is required due to overwhelming changes to the body. Beginning reconstruction, 0.001% complete.
Warning! Insufficient energy for reconstruction. Evolution may mutate.
Update: Energy will be provided by Celestia. Sufficient energy has been provided.
Feeling a heavy sleepiness hit me, I didn’t resist as I fell into a deep sleep. Seconds later, my eyes snap open. Blinking, I found myself in a familiar garden as my eyes met Selenia, who looked at me with a soft smile on her face. Gesturing to a seat opposite her, she said "Come and sit. I wish to answer a question that you wish to know. The question that has lingered on your mind ever since you first became level 20."