Spiral enameled stairs lead up to the mezzanine, where Circe and Zeke had chosen as their new, prefered spot. The moderate space made them feel more confined compared to the library’s roomy atmosphere. With a large circular window offering a bird’s eye view of the Salvador’s glamorous garden outside, the ambience was perfect for a calm indoor read while still basking in the warmth of the sun.
That only applies if they’d plan on simply reading, though.
”Your plan’s a flunk, Zeke.” A brief yawn escaped Circe’s lips, boredom oozing from her slumped form. She leaned her back against the railings as she watched Ezekiel crumble a piece of paper into a tiny ball.
”It’s not over until it’s over,” Hearing how lethargic his voice sounded, Circe had every right to believe Zeke may have already lost his mind. As he threw the ball into a pile of its own kin, he grabbed a fresh paper from a stack by his side. The ink pen in his hand quivered when he wrote on it. “I did say that things might not be the same because this isn’t a game anymore…But I just need the aptitude menu to activate and we’ll be good to go from there.”
“…” Circe looked genuinely concerned, having watched Ezekiel draw or discard magic circles for the past hour. The bloodshot look in his eyes gave her a frightening hunch that he may have not blinked this entire time either. “You don’t figure that maybe the aptitude mechanic is now more…realistic? Like, if you want to learn magic, you actually have to do it properly, unlike in the game.”
After placing his finished product on the successful stack, Zeke stared at her, sending a slight shiver down her spine at the crazed look in his eyes. “Are you implying that I’m wrong?”
Circe averted her gaze as she pursed her lips, nervous that her next words may be her last. “…Well, since you’ve definitely made over a hundred magic circles, and there’s no sight of the aptitude window…I’m just saying that maybe you should, you know…”
“I should what?”
“What the heck is wrong with him? He’s freaking me out.”
She decided best to keep her inner thoughts to herself, giving Zeke the calmest smile she could muster at the moment. As if trying to avoid walking on tripmines, she carefully handed him one of the magic circles he drew. “Try activating it instead.”
Momentarily, Zeke looked at her with an unreadable expression, the fatigue mixed with some unknown desperation may have conflicted with his inner logics, but luckily for Circe, he remained stable enough to at least hear her out. Flipping the Witch’s Codex to another page, Zeke made some modifications to the magic circle as per the book’s example.
“Wait.” Circe narrowed her eyes at the tome’s pages. The Witch’s Codex laid on Ezekiel’s laps, partially concealed by his arms as he bent over to write the papers on the floor, and yet she could barely make out its context just by the inconspicuous drawing of fire on one of its worn papers. “Zeke, you’re not thinking about lighting fire in a place filled to the brim with books, right?”
“…It’s a fireball spell, don’t worry, it won't spread.”
Circe cringed. “This is like trusting a toddler with a button for launching nuclear bombs. Zeke, how about you pick something like…an ice spell? It’s probably safer than—“
WOOSH!
A stuffed scream sounded in her throat as Zeke cut her off with the activation of the magic circle, the paper disappeared like ashes vanishing in a sea of fire, consumed instantly upon usage. As he promised, the small, fiery ball remained calm and contained, floating inches above his opened palm.
…
But nothing happened.
Zeke slowly lifted his gaze from the sphere, finding the violet eyes of a certain panicking girl. For a second, he looked as if he was thinking about releasing the spell straight into her face.
[Conditions fulfilled.
[Achievement Unlocked: 'Learn some Skills' - Unlock the
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
[You’ve gained some EXP!]
[
[Congratulations! You’ve gained the Aptitude:
With his focus now shifted towards the new notifications, the fireball in Zeke’s hands vanished, his surprised eyes now locked onto the panels before him. “…No way.”
Since the letters appeared inverted, it took Circe a moment to realize that Zeke’s shock hadn’t been because her methods worked. “M-Mana Overlord?”
< Aptitude Description >
Name: Mana Overlord
Rarity: Unique
Type: Magical/Combat
Effects
* Grants superior control over mana.
* Increase success chance in learning magic-based skills
* Increase magical insight of the
<<>>
[Conditions fulfilled.
[Achievement Unlocked: 'Classy~' - Unlock your first
[You’ve gained some EXP!]
[Due to the Aptitude
[Chances of gaining class-related skills and items increased.]
[You now gain one extra
Circe knew nothing about the hidden combat aptitudes of Dungeon Regime, but she does understand that ‘Unique’ is the highest rarity that an aptitude could possess. These one of a kind boosts to certain story-based interactions drove many players to insanity trying to grind them for their characters. At most, having a single Unique aptitude would be a blessing in itself.
Zeke had been staring at the aptitude’s description for quite some time, sitting as still as a statue with his mouth wide agape. But suddenly, tears began to roll down his cheeks, startling Circe with the unexpected reaction. “!? Zeke? Are you—“
“It’s Unique…” Zeke whimpered under his breath, it would’ve gone unnoticed if Circe hadn’t been standing so close to him. “This…I’ve played so many characters…this is my first Unique Aptitude…I…I…”
Since he usually acts so aloof, Circe never thought of Ezekiel as an emotional type of guy. Brushing it off as simply his fatigued mental state, she scooted closer and gave him a pat on the back. “There, there…You did great, it was worth drawing a hundred of these, right?” She picked up one of the papers as she spoke.
Zeke stifled his sobbings, taking the magic circle from her hand. “I’ll draw one for you.”
Circe unknowingly covered her mouth with her hands, staring at Zeke with sparkling eyes as he drew something onto the magic circle. “Oh, oh! I hope I get something nice too!”
With her excited squeal, Zeke handed the finished product to Circe, and she immediately poured her mana to activate it.
[Achievement Unlocked: 'Learn some Skills' - Unlock the
[You’ve gained some EXP!]
[
[…]
[But it failed! Better luck next time!]
The two of them stared at the notification screen in silence, but after a moment, Circe felt a slight pressure on her shoulder. Zeke gave her a blank look, tear stains still shading his cheeks, alongside the slight reddish hue on his nose. “…I guess you used up all your luck in the dungeon…Well, maybe you actually need to draw the circles a hundred times.”
“Right…It’s not like I need a mage’s aptitude anyway.” Circe could only respond with a dry laugh.
.
.
.
Because they’d spent way too long cooped up in the library, they decided to take a breath of fresh air in the garden before dinner time. Circe walked with her hands clasped loosely behind her back while Zeke followed close by, half-heartedly limping along with his cane.
Both of them casted a brief glance behind them, checking to see if anyone had decided to snoop around. The servants seemed pleased that their problematic young master had gotten meek after meeting with his fiancee, though some also wished to see the prospering of a youthful romance. Circe had to dismiss Lilia from trying to follow them earlier.
“This place really is huge,” the passing comment broke through the silence. Circe cracked a smile, noticing Zeke’s silent gaze on her. “What’s up? You look really out of it…”
“Mhm,” he answered softly as he returned his attention to the scenery before him. Flowers and hedges trimmed to perfection lined up the path, separated only by neatly lined rocks that barricaded the dirt below. Each plot of field had a different type of flora within them, not that he knew any of their names. “It’s just…maybe it’s because I’ve been tense this whole time, I feel like I can finally relax…The fatigue’s catching up to me now I guess.”
Circe opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly decided to keep her words to herself. The abrupt reconsideration got Zeke curious. “…You’ve got something to say?”
“It’d ruin the mood, though.” She didn’t look at him when she replied, instead she let her gaze wander to the flowers around them, the gentle smile on her lips growing slightly wider.
”…” He could just about guess what she wanted to say: It’s not over yet. “I know, we still have a long way to go, but hey, it’s a start at least.”
“Yep!” Circe’s cheerful voice brought his attention to her. He hadn’t realized how far she’d walked, but when she turned around, a sudden breeze blew over them, bringing with it the stray pedals and sweeping her gold bronze hair to the side. “But hey! At least we’ll have each other, right?”
Zeke responded a moment too slow. “…Yeah, you’re right.” Though it seemed that Circe hadn’t been paying much attention, he swiftly turned around, staring at the silhouette of the estate in the distance. “Let’s head back now, we should prepare for dinner.”
“Oh yeah! We have to eat with Marquess Salvador!” The sudden reminder got Circe rushing ahead of him once more, with the wind still blowing gently behind them, the scent of flowers began to overwhelm his nose.
“…Thank god she didn’t turn around.”
Despite the cool breeze, Zeke’s face felt as if it’d been set ablaze.