Chapter One

School Trip Disaster

Acquiring Strength Arc

All my life I have been different from the average person, in fact, I was way weaker. Everyone around me was born with levels and abilities that would make them excellent mages, meanwhile, I was stuck with… well it’s better if you just look for yourself!

Name: Makoto Kurai

Level: 1

Mana: 1/1

Abilities:

None

Let me explain why this is a bad thing. In this world, there are two races; humans, and monsters. Every single day dungeons appear in the form of Gateways in seemingly random locations throughout the world. It is the Mage’s job to defeat the boss that resides in each gate, thereby closing them for good. Each Gateway has its own level of difficulty, here how strong a gate is, is measured with stars.

The Mage Federation will measure the difficulty of a gate with their devices, and make a conclusion. A 1-Star Gateway would normally require ten 1-Star ranked mages, a 2-Star Gateway would require 10 2-Star ranked mages, and so on until the maxed rank that has ever been recorded, the 15-Star rank.

You see the problem here? I, with extremely low luck, was born with the worst abilities known to man, which is none. I mean, even my younger sister received 3 passive abilities and started her life at level 3! That in and of itself was a rare occurrence, I suppose I am also a rare occurrence, but not the good kind!

When I was a kid, I’ve always dreamt of becoming a strong mage, but man did that dream die quick before it even came to life.

Right now, I am on my way to the location of the school trip, the Shi Peak Mountains. I was sitting in the middle of the bus, just behind and in front of the infamous Bullying Quartet. Their Quartet is composed of, the leader: Takashima Kazuya, and his three lackeys; Duan Lin Tian, Kang Dae Seong, and Endo Keiichi.

Based on the names, anyone can probably guess that some of them are not native Japanese names. The reason for that is, this is the city of Han-Zhong. Here Japan, China, and Korea have come together on equal terms, and by doing so, they created the city of Han-Zhong which resides in Japan. There are three main ethnicities, and obviously, they are Japanese, Korean, and Chinese.

Just my luck really, the trip to Shi Peak Mountain takes around 4 hours, and in those 4 hours, you better bet the Bullying Quartet have their way with me. Be it empty candy wrappers they throw in my face, or kicking my seat every now and then, disrupting my sleep.

Their leader, Kazuya was one of the strongest mages in the entire school, with a level of 13. His lackeys don’t lag behind him either, with being just under level 12, their group even rivals the strength of the student council.

“Hey! Quit it!” The girl sitting next to me shouts at the 2 kids behind us. They had just thrown another empty wrapper at my face, looks like it annoyed her a little bit more than me. “It’s fine, Jeslyn. I’m used to it I suppose?” I say that, but I really didn’t like what they were doing.

It was, however, more embarrassing for someone else to stand up to my shortcomings. I had just accepted the fact that I’m weak, and that there was no changing that. In this world, everyone is talented. If they were not potent in their magic capabilities, they would be academically smart or talented in some other way.

One famous example of that would be Chou Shi Cai, the president of the Chou Corporation, leading in Magi-Tech. Although he showed very little potential in magic, his intelligence brought him to become the biggest company in Japan, and that was just one example, the majority of scientists were all impotent in their magic capabilities, but like I just mentioned, they are all scientists.

Meanwhile, there was me… someone who is impotent in both. You could say I am the opposite of the term “Jack of all trades”. I lacked in intelligence and especially magic. I took an online IQ test one time, and the results were… displeasing, to say the least. But the worst part was, I couldn’t even level up! Normally you’d get stronger and gain new abilities as your level went up, that was not the case for me, for I did not have the ability to level up.

Mana, mine being the record-breaking max capacity of one, was everything in this world. And the only way to level up was to cast spells that the caster themselves would create with their own mana, there was no other way. Even if I wanted to use a weapon imbued with magic, I couldn’t activate its mana, I don’t have the ability Wielder. Wielder was an ability that allowed the user to use preexisting mana inside a weapon. But enough talking about that, because the bus has just stopped at the campsite.

As we get down from the bus we settle into our rooms, I get paired up with a student that I have no record of talking to. I was truly anti-social. The activities we did were just that of your stereotypical school camping trip. Look at bugs, fill in a worksheet, look at more bugs, and fill in another worksheet. That basically summarized the entire first day.

“Hey, Um—Kurai, It’s time to get up.” My roommate, Ide Katsumi—wakes me up from my slumber. I wipe both my eyes and sit on my bed. After a quick stretch, I get on with the second day.

After breakfast, we gathered around the entrance of a cave. This cave was not uncharted territory, we were supposed to just go and fill in a worksheet about the geography and various kinds of minerals—standard stuff.

“Alright everyone, let’s head into the cave!” Our teacher, Takamura Kenji spoke up while gesturing his arm, leading the group of 20-ish students. As we traversed deeper into the cave, one by one flashlights started to turn on, illuminating the cave from the inside.

Quite deep into the cave--a small rock suddenly flew and hit the back of my head, blood splattered around my sides--luckily no one else was next to me, but the pain was still there. I jolted frontward almost losing my balance in response. I rub the back of my head and look in the direction said rock came from. I see the bickering of 3 students next to a Kazuya looking nonchalantly in the other direction, trying to avoid eye contact with me. I pick up my glasses from the ground, luckily they were still intact.

Oh my GOD!… that hurt, doesn’t he know what a “rock” is? One day, I’ll get him back for all the times he’s bullied me, for sure.

Kazuya then slides closer to Jeslyn standing quite near to him, his hands behind his head, she was probably trying to make sure nothing bad was gonna happen to me. He made a smug face and winked at Jeslyn, what was he trying to do? Flirt? How would anyone in their right mind consider harming others manly? Not to mention the audacity of this jerk.

Jeslyn pouts at him furiously and walks a bit faster to catch up with me. “Good lord! Are you okay? Here sit down while I take a look.” That was what she said, we slowed down until all the other students passed us, while giving us looks. We were now a good few meters and increasing behind the group, sitting down on a rock that protruded from the wall.

“I’m fine” is what I said, but in reality, my brain was screaming, “GOD THIS HURTS” But I’m pretty sure I kept it cool. I don’t want to look too weak despite the way I was. “You are not fine! I see the blood dripping down your hand.” She points at my right hand cupping the back of my head. A trail of blood slowly drips to my elbow.

“Oh… this—this is nothing to w—worry about, nothing a little spit and band-aid can’t fix.” I reassured her that I was fine, injuries like this were commonplace to me at this point. However… Kazuya was also the captain of the basketball team, so his shooting hand must have been honed to brilliance, meaning this “minor” injury could actually be worse than I think, and I just can’t feel much pain from the shock.

“Turn around.” She said to me. Her green eyes started to glow brighter. This could only mean one thing. I turned my back towards her and sure enough, I was right. She gathers the mana in her body to the palms of her hands and puts it close to the back of my head.

"This is the spell that I intone

Flesh to flesh and bone to bone.

Nerve to nerve and vein to vein,

And each one shall be whole again.

Achillea."

True to its purpose, the spell worked like wonders. I could feel the pain drift away. The stinging feeling that felt like my skin being peeled regenerated back to its original state. Although nothing much could be done about the blood, so she took out a handkerchief and started wiping the back of my head. It wasn’t a full clean, but it was something, to say the least.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“There we go. Isn’t that better Kurai?”

“Oh… um—yes, sorry for making you use a healing spell, a—and for getting your handkerchief dirty like that.” I said to apologize to her, this wasn’t the first time she has helped me. But Kazuya seeing Jeslyn help me only irritated him more, prompting him to be harder on me next time. It wasn’t really a win situation for me either.

I turn around to meet her smile, my eyes meet with her headlight’s gleam, she adjusted the light to avoid straining my vision. After she adjusts its position, she puts her golden hair behind her ear. “Give me your hand.” She said, as I extend my arm out she starts wiping off the excess blood.

“Y’know I don’t like the words “I’m sorry”” She said with a kind and soft voice. ”I’d prefer a “thank you” more than anything else. It makes me feel—appreciated I suppose?” She continued. In my mind I thought to myself, yeah, that makes sense I guess—maybe I should say “thank you” more.

I look at her eyes and parted my lips, “If that’s the case, then tha—“ Before I could finish my sentence, distant screams coming from the deeper insides of the cave echoed in our ears. In an instant, both of our heads alternated back and forth to the deeper end of the cave. Instinctively we both stood up and ran towards the screams.

We ran and ran towards the group while screaming names, but couldn’t seem to get any responses of them. It was a good thing we had our flashlights, I couldn’t imagine looking for something in the da--. At the end of this thought I bit my lips, we slowed down to a halt.

I just had to jinx it, didn’t I? I thought to myself, my flashlight was a very old one, it was still powered by disposable batteries, wasn’t a surprise that it went out after a little bit of running. But strangely, Jeslyn’s headlight also died. I would assume hers’ is powered by Magic Crystals?

“That’s weird… my light’s dead, and I just bought mine!” She uttered. It was completely dark and we couldn’t see anything anymore. I search in the dark for her hand. “Jeslyn? Can you give me your hand?” I felt something touch my torso, after further inspection, it was Jeslyn’s hand. I held her hand tightly as we navigated in the pitch-black cave, maybe it reassured her, but it most indefinitely reassured me.

“Hey--Kurai? Shouldn’t we go back and get help?”

“Why would you say that?”

“Well… isn’t it a bit weird that both of our lights died?”

“That is strange yes.” For hers’ maybe, but for my light--not so much

“And don’t you think traversing in the dark is a bit dangerous?” She continued, and I will admit she was right, but what if this was a prank? It wouldn’t be hard for Kazuya to rile up the whole class to get me back by pranking me. To do it to me was one thing, but to do it to an innocent bystander was another thing. I was ready to confront him when this was all over.

“I’m sure it’s just Kazuya’s doing, only he would pull something like this.” I said, but she didn’t reply, but then the thought came into my head. If this was a prank, then how did Kazuya turn off our lights?

As I finished the thought, my right leg suddenly didn’t land its next step, I lost my balance and fell outward—pulling Jeslyn along with me. “AHHHH!” we scream in unison. The pit we fell in was quite deep, after falling for about 5 seconds, a very loud “SPLASH!” halted our descent, it seems that we landed in water.

As we both got a grip on what just happened we floated on the surface. “GAAH! Jeslyn?! Are you okay?” I was still holding her arm tight. “Yes. Kurai? What about you?” she replied, still gasping for air.

“HEEEY!” A scream could be heard. We turned our heads towards the voice, both of us see light coming from what looked like a torch. A person with their arms out gestured to us to go over there. “Kurai? Jeslyn? Over here!”

We both recognized the owner of the voice, my glasses were gone from my person. They must have sunken to the bottom of the lake, it was pointless to look for them now. But miraculously as I turn my head back, I see Jeslyns glasses still attached to her head. Must be magic? Or it could just be that she held on to them tightly.

As we both swam to shore I called out to Kenji. “Kenji-sensei—what’s going on? And why don’t our lights work?” He puts down the torch he was holding and helps me to dry land, while other girl students help Jeslyn out as well. “I don’t know” he said, “ it seems we’ll be stuck down here for a while” he continued. “Why don’t we call for help?”

He then explains to me that all technologies seem to be dead. He continued and said that the only option was to keep moving forward. Another option would be to build a staircase made from ice all the way to the top, but judging by how far we fell, that thing wouldn’t hold long enough for even one of us to get out.

“At this rate, we’ll starve!” said one female student, “Calm down! I’m sure sensei has a plan.” Another student reassured. Murmurs in the group could be heard about how we won’t make it, or we’ll eventually starve to death. But then “Everyone calm down, I’ve got a plan to get us outta here!” Kazuya and co. stood up on a tall boulder, torch in hand.

“I need everyone to be quiet, and listen!” He exclaimed. As they were told, the students began quieting down until there were only cackles of the many lit torches and as well as… Flowing water! I thought

Kazuya points deeper into the darkness, one by one all the students have their ears cupped, “Isn’t that…” said one student “Bingo!” Kazuya replied “Flowing water—which means, there’s a river deep in the cave” And wherever there’s flowing water, it must lead somewhere outside, is what he meant. For an asshole, he’s not so bad. I thought.

“Alright everyone, stick with me and I’ll get us out in no time!” we continued with our trip making quick haste of the situation. The confidence of the strongest mage in the class infected all the other insecure students. Needless to say, it was what everyone needed right now.

As we kept on walking for another hour, the ground and walls around us started to change ever so slightly. The rough and textured walls of the cave turned into smooth and clean walls, but it seems that the only one who noticed was me. While sightseeing through the caves I accidentally bumped into the student that was in front of me, there seemed to be a bit of congestion up ahead, in a narrow path that led to a massive opening.

Me being at the very back of the group, looked up ahead. The narrow path was similar to that of two French doors that were only opened slightly. But you could hardly call them doors, because they blended into the wall so nicely, that one could say it was a natural generation.

A few more moments pass and it was finally my turn to get through, upon my entrance, a path of torches leading up to the center of the gigantic room we were in. everyone gasped with confusion and fear. Murmurs started appearing but soon stopped as Kazuya bravely follows the path forward.

The room was about the size of a stadium, it had a dome shape around the sides, but we couldn’t get a good look at them because the interior was completely dark, minus the torches that led a path to the center of the dome. We walked for about 3 minutes to finally reach the center. Before Kazuya lies a massive stone tablet about the size of the ping - pong table and the thickness of about a human head.

Kazuya raises his torch higher to get a better look at it, on the base of the tablet there seemed to be a hole with writing under it.

“A spirited jig it dances bright, banishing all but darkest night. Feed it fire, feed it light. Fulfill its needs, fulfilled be your plight.”

Kazuya recites the words he just read aloud. Students alternate their gazes, their eyes all spoke “What could it mean?” While confused gazes were being made, Kazuya scoffed at the “riddle” he just read. “Oh? You want me to fulfill your needs ay? Well-- have at you!” Kazuya put his right hand upon the hole and started chanting a spell.

“Monarch of flames, heed my call.

Light a fire in the shape of a ball,

Plunge the darkness, purge the night,

Give me your wisdom, give me your light!

Dahlia!”

Mana particles gathered around Kazuya’s hand as he chanted his spell. Suddenly, magic formed on the palm of his hand, taking the shape of fire. It danced inside of the hole before orange bright lines could be seen trailing to the top of the tablet. Some of those lines passed through words, legible words that could be read as seen, Kenji, stepping back a little--to read it aloud.

“The path breaks for the one that conquers.

His lands, his crops, his cattle, will prosper.

Darker than night, absent of light

Those who live, are those who fight.

Beyond time, with strength unlimited

Above all since the age of existence.

Dear travelers, grovel in despair,

Or be reduced to nothing, but a hair.

Beware of the—“

“Of the what?” is what everyone else thought at that moment. Kazuya stopped reading and looks around the tablet. A hole where there should be writing could be found. Next to the words, “Beware of the—“ is a perfectly cut rectangle fit for one last word. If it was a noun then—that doesn’t narrow it down much! I thought helplessly.

Kazuya stops exerting his mana and cancels the spell. And as such the bright orange lines begin to deplete and the tablet goes back to its original state. As Kazuya stops his spell, torches on the other side of the tablet illuminate the floor, shinning a path towards an exit. “Come on, nothing else to see here--let’s go.” Kazuya exclaimed, and naturally, the class follows closely.

I took another look at the stone tablet, there’s bound to be some meaning to this—right? I thought to myself, then as I was about to catch up with the group, I felt something odd when I saw the back of the group. It felt like there was one more—“aah!” I yelp as I fell face first. I felt something grab my foot making me lose balance.

“Bahahaha! You trip over your own shadow—Kurai-baby?” Kazuya yelled out, followed by other laughs in the same direction. It was then Jeslyn came to my aid, she helped me stand up as I wiped the dust off my mouth. It appears I landed my forehead on a piece of rock that protruded from the ground—no, wait, it looked too perfect of a shape for it to be formed naturally. “Are you okay?” utters Jeslyn, “yeah, can I see that torch for a sec?” She hands me the torch, I proceed to kneel and wipe the dust and rubble on the rock. When it came to a clear, that simple word was enough to make me shake in my boots. I grab Jeslyn’s hand that she extended to help me up, and I stared daggers into the group that was already two-thirds of the way there.

“Oh my god…” My jaw drops from the confusion--I recount the number of heads that there were present in the room. “What’s the matter, Kurai?” Jeslyn asked with a concerned attitude, which was a normal response, and I couldn’t blame her. “Jeslyn…” I asked, and she simply replied with a “hmm?” I swallow my dry saliva as I part my lips “How many people went in the cave?” She then explained that there should be 20 students plus 1 teacher, totaling 21 people.

“Then why is there…” I point at the crowd. “22 people…” Upon hearing that, Jeslyn almost twisted her neck trying to look towards the crowd. The thought then popped into my head, Shapeshifter—beware of the Shapeshifter! I turn to Jeslyn and whisper the words, “Shapeshifter…” I then yell at the top of my lungs. “GUYS—THERE’S SOMEONE ELSE HERE!”

The group stopped their tracks, most of them startled by my scream, and they almost all wore looks that spoke “what are you talking about?” Kazuya then talks in reply. “What are you blabbering about now?”

They won’t believe me, I’ve got to find the impostor—or something bad could happen. Based on the warnings on the tablet, this “Shapeshifter” was definitely something to be fearful of. I mean—“strength unlimited?” if it was even just half of that number, who knows what abilities it has.

“It’s true—look!” Jeslyn backed me up, a reliable source with proof nonetheless. Now they’re bound to believe me. “There are 2 Lin Tians!” Jeslyn backs up her argument with proof! The rest of the class alternates their gazes looking for Lin Tian. “She’s right!” “Look!” Two students yell out those words. Upon hearing that, the class steps a bit back to reveal the Lin Tians standing adjacent to each other.

This is bad… is what everyone thought at that moment.