Chapter 4

It was a few days later and I decided to take a rest from the dungeon. My status wasn't upgrading much other than the occasional 10 or 20 points. Ugh, I kinda wanted to ditch the new equipment but I didn't want to break my trust with Hachiman.

Danger gives more excellia to fill my falna. That was the ultimate truth.

Also, Emma has been working herself harder nowadays as she occasionally ventures into the dungeon by herself and doesn't even think of asking me.

Emma Flores is a kind person. A kind driven person. She probably has never felt envy and jealousy before so she's rationalising it that she just needs to work harder.

She could understand why people who have spent a long time in Orario are stronger than her but a newbie adventurer who spent two weeks getting close to her in power was probably unthinkable. She was getting stronger than normal at a fast pace but my pace was probably ludicrous and I had an idea why.

After all, I got a new skill. A trademark skill that I would probably get copyrighted for.

•Triforce Of Courage

▪All Limiters are deactivated as long as courage surges in the user's heart.

Now, I didn't tell Emma about this skill because of two reasons. One: Emma has no skills and her jealousy about having no skills would explode. Two: I forgot early on to mention it. I got it around the first time I broke onto the fifth floor. The white silhouette of a pyramid broken in three triangles would appear on my right forehand with only one triangle being golden which was the bottom right triangle.

Also that confirmed that I'm probably an incarnation of Link but I don't really care and would much rather think of myself as a reincarnation of Albert Edel.

I sighed as I was reading a book with Lefiya as my companion. This store had a lot of books and the storekeeper was a child with blue hair and golden eyes. She also looked at me a little confused as if wondering if she had seen me before.

The book Lefiya was reading was one about Riveria Ljos Alf and her diplomatic feats in the land of the elves and how she single-handedly stopped the magic-sword users from usurping their home.

She was pretty into it which was cute.

I was reading a book about magic and the most common way to attain it and from referencing multiple books it came down to something simple.

First, enter a trance or meditation which is pretty simple since I do the same thing when fighting different iterations of my past incarnations.

Second, imagine you're in the void with the only thing surrounding you is dark was which I already have experience with when I was in the world of nothingness before reincarnation and after death.

Third, imagine a face with no features other than the same shape and same hair and ears then I recognise it's me as it opens its blue eyes…

Then… I ask… what is magic to me? What can I define it as?

A miracle? A blessing? A new intrinsic ability? Something in between or everything combined.

Albert Edel would call it a miracle as anything that cannot be completely explained might as well be called a miracle.

Link The Hero would call it a blessing, a gift, from the deities that he didn't even particularly care about. A gift from those close to him, from the spirits of close friends that granted him new abilities to combat all the chaos in the world. To rise up and gift the world with the same blessing he was given.

Link Mario? An intrinsic ability. Whether it be a new tool to live and learn in this new life, or an old tool just discovered — it's something to use and show respect and gratitude towards even if it wasn't particularly sentient.

Now what form does it have?

It comes in many forms. An unstoppable fire that burns all, an instantaneous wind that teleports anywhere explored, a diamond barrier that prevents damage, a powerful spell that lets one continue even if they are killed with new life, a gale which flings one in the air on the same level as the birds above, a perfect yet limited barrier unlike the diamond one which allows momentum to bypass, a fierce lightning that pierces anything and more.

Many magics and many miracles and blessings but they are all essentially the same thing. An intrinsic ability to Link Mario created from the dregs of his previous self as Link The Hero, also fuelled by Albert Edel's willingness to move forward and adapt when necessary.

What do I seek with this power? What am I chasing with it?

Money? No, that's only a temporary goal to live. Power? No, that's only continuous goal to continue living in a dangerous world. Excitement? Partly, I like the feeling adrenalin running through me as the world stops so that I can cut my enemies with ease.

Oh, it was so simple. I even said it before.

"To live and learn."

That answer is the representation and definition of Link Mario. A mask he created that is a part of him even if it isn't entirely of him.

I see.

It was so simple.

Albert Edel + Link The Hero = Link Mario.

It's simple reasoning.

I opened my eyes and UNDERSTOOD.

Lefiya frowned as she thought I was simply asleep. However I ignored it and raised my palm.

Fire sparked, then lightning, then wind, then a miniature barrier.

I looked towards Lefiya and smiled such a genuine smile that Lefiya turned red and so did any nearby person in the library.

A gust of wind took hold of my figure and my vision shifted as I found myself back in front Deity Dia.

She looked at me with surprise, either from my blatant smile or new-found ability with magic.

I face-planted soon after.