Noor Chodhry didn’t like Kazi Hossain.
From the moment she laid her eyes on him in the forest, she knew he was different from her. She knew he was something in his old life. Besides the aura in his eyes, there was the perfection in his form. His personality, his physique, even his damn walk—Noor wasn’t able to discern a single flaw. During the incident on the train, he proved all her worst fears and more. Kazi Hossain was unquestionably great.
Then there was Noor. Born, raised, and eventually dying in the city of Malerkotla in India, living her life as a servant and nothing more. She was the lone daughter of a servant family and that was how she lived her life—as a servant. Nothing belonged to her save the alleyway they sat in. It wasn’t like her family served a particularly wealthy family either. They were ordinary among ordinary. So what did that make her? Nothing?
The mistreatment of being a servant was…expected. Nothing special. Sometimes, the father of the family would bark his orders a little too loudly or the kids would be extra annoying. That sort of thing. Since her youth, the stories of terrible, inhumane treatment towards servants ran rampant. For the sole blessing that she was treated decently, that she was merely disrespected and not hit, she was thankful. So, so thankful. She lived, she ate, and for that, she was blessed compared to others. Even so, there was something missing in her heart. Every day, her life felt stagnate and full of yearning.
All the yearning and dreaming in the world could not prevent sickness from taking her life. Noor died, surrounded by bugs instead of friends, her parents having left to work. She died without them knowing and she woke up to see a beautifully strange woman seated in front of her.
“You are dead.”
The words didn’t strike her as odd. She expected an afterlife because that was what her parents always preached. But it wasn’t what she was told. The afterlife wasn’t a paradise. The afterlife was a land of equal opportunity and power. A chance to seize her dreams and to experience the extraordinary happiness she dreamed of. She gained power and hungered after her ambitions. Gate 10 was no different, no matter how much everyone around her said otherwise. She would lust after her goals and seek the happiness that she never managed to attain before.
The island, to her disappointment, wasn’t such a place. She was good at memorizing and committing to what was on paper, not complicated riddles. The longship rocked gently on the calm waters as Noor stood alongside Lala and Carla, the shieldswoman of the Sapphire Order. Her eyes were locked on the island’s shore, waiting.
Keeping a distance was their only choice. There was something wrong with that island and without the necklace Kazi found it was impossible to stay there while recovering. Noor checked her HP and MP. ‘I’m back at full power.’
At that moment of brief inspection, of ripping her gaze from the island, the nothingness that lingered at the edge of the boat dissipated.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and her eyes went wide. “What the hell…”
A massive magical power had appeared in the epicentre of the island. Like a truck, the magical energy moved and appeared at the shores.
Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
Then, it began walking towards them. The living, breathing mass of mana walked on water. Noor didn’t understand.
“Is that…Kazi?” Lala asked, tilting her head. “What happened to him?”
‘What the hell, what the hell, what the hell! How did he—?’
Class five was the norm for players that reached the end of the Heavenly Games. Those that worked hard, levelled up, saved up points, bought a couple pieces of B or A-ranked equipment, and sharpened what skills they had. Noor possessed the Super Magic Sensitivity skill. She could tell the weak from the strong, from class one to class two. She was able to see levels, including Kazi’s. At least she used to be able to, because Kazi’s current level was unknown to her.
Kazi Hossain had gone from Level 30 to unknown, from class two to…honestly, she didn’t know what to make of him. Blue magical energy enveloped him like fire and upon stepping onto the water, everything and everyone felt it. The sea trembled at his step and the players beside her stiffened.
“Sorry about that.”
Kazi stepped onto the longship, the droplets of seawater clung to his tousled hair, glistening in the sunlight like diamonds scattered across a dark canvas.
“Shall we get going?” Kohl streamed down his face akin to tears, the wet powder like make-up gracefully ruined, yet also…divine. His smile, though genuine, seemed to conceal layers of emotions.
But what stunned the players were his eyes. His right eye was hazel and wonderous as ever, the pupil circular, focused, and human. The left was not. The left had shifted blue in tone and had gained a complex, interlocking pupil comprised of three triangles forming a knot-like pattern. Human or god...Noor wasn’t sure if she was looking at both or either.
“Y-yeah…” Lala exchanged glances with her. “Noor, um…”
“I got it.” Kazi raised a finger. “Breath of Eolus.”
The sail, once swaying gently in the breeze, now caught the enhanced wind with newfound vigor. The longship responded to the magical infusion, cutting through the water with an increased speed that belied the efforts of mere mages. The vessel surged forward, leaving ripples in its wake. The crew aboard the longship felt the exhilarating rush as the sea spray kissed their faces.
It was nothing like how it was with Noor. It was powerful yet not overtly so. Noor watched from the corner of his eye. ‘It’s like he has complete control of his magic…!’
It was as strong as her Breath of Eolus and he didn’t even need a staff! What the hell was going on? What did he find in the well!? Kazi had always been strong but this was too much. Before, they were something of equals. However, now…
“Hey, guys,” Kazi said, his voice overpowering the hum of wind and the sea. “Do you mind if I conduct the assault?”
“Huh? What? By yourself?” Carla asked.
“Yeah.” He smiled at her. “I don’t want you guys getting hurt and…I got something from the well that will help me end the navy battle.”
“Assuming it’s still going on,” Carla pointed out. “You were in there for a while, you know.”
“They’re still fighting,” he declared, heterochromic eyes forward. “Trust me.”
Noor swallowed.
Kazi Hossain had become something else entirely.
The longship slowed. In the far, far distance, several kilometres away, there were ships and the noise of battle. Kazi stepped on the edge of the longship.
“Sorry. I added you all to the friend list, right? I’ll message you and give you guys your rewards.”
“Err, okay—”
Kazi jumped and walked on a small ball of energy under his heel, effectively letting him walk on air. He went from walking to running.
Super Magical Sensitivity gave her several ranges. Ten metres: she was able to count every little thing with magic. One kilometre: she was able to identify whether there was a large or small group, or if it was a single object or person. Five to seven kilometres and she had a vague idea in terms of energy output and not much else.
In the following minutes, Noor experienced a massive drop in mana. Carla remarked that there was smoke.
Whatever happened, this much Noor could say:
Kazi Hossain had won the battle without killing a single person.