The First Revision - III

One, two… three knights were approaching Roland. From their coordination and how naturally they moved to flank him, it was clear that they were a trained unit as well. Of course, what else would you expect from Imperial Knights like them?

The problem was that Roland had to face them.

"Tch."

Roland raised his sword and focused, tensing his body.

It was a chaotic situation. All around, students, instructors, imperial guards, and Heroes were fighting. Some against monsters, most against each other…

Roland knew that Evelyn and Marisa had things covered, so events wouldn't go too out of hand. But the sooner he could break away from these knights and rejoin them, the better. 

"...I respectfully request that you move from my path and allow me to return to my peers."

Just in case, Roland spoke those words. As a citizen of the Empire, and as a noble as well, Roland hesitated to harm its knights. But…

The sound of drawn steel. Fierce and quiet gazes filled with killing intent.

Roland sighed.

He didn't know how things had come to this. In fact, he didn't even understand how the suppression that had been forcing everyone's fighting power to Rank 2 had been removed. But he did know that he had to fight. So…

"Fine. Then come."

Roland's words were the start of the clash.

One knight rushed at Roland with a heavy overhead swing. Another charged to slash at Roland's left side, while the last charged to slash at Roland's right.

Fast.

Faster than Isaac or any other opponent Roland had encountered. But…

'I can do it.'

Roland clenched his hands around the hilt of his blade and focused. Straining his mind, straining his muscles, straining his eyes until they started to bleed.

It was possible. Painful, but possible.

These opponents were beyond Roland's level, but that could be resolved by simply fighting beyond his limits.

From Mari's research and his own experimentation, Roland realized it.

<Sword Saint> allowed him to see the flow of combat and choose the most optimal moves. However, his body couldn't keep up with that.

That was where <Healing Magic Affinity> came in. Due to his affinity towards healing magic, after some practice, his body naturally consumed mana to heal itself whenever it was damaged. 

If he forced himself beyond his limits, <Sword Saint> would let him fight at that level. And <Healing Magic Affinity> would sustain that forced limit break until it became his new baseline.

All that it would require was willingly breaking his body apart and facing death when he raised his blade. Something that even Alex could do with his frail body.

So why couldn't he?

Time slowed to a crawl while his vision was tinged red. 

Incredible pain swept across Roland's body as everything inside him broke and reforged itself with healing magic. A crimson haze carrying the foreign scent of blood filled the air. But-

'I can do it.'

-It was the price he'd pay.

The first knight was closest.

Seeing that, Roland kicked off the ground and swung his sword.

A burst of energy and crimson haze. 

Roland slashed through the knight's wrists, severing them and sending the knight's blade flying. But the force with which he slashed was too much and sent Roland flying upwards.

A loud clang echoed. The other knights who had swung their blades at Roland found themselves striking each other's sword as their target, Roland, was launched in the air.

…It was hard.

The slowed time rapidly began to speed up. At the same time, heavy fatigue swept through Roland's veins and his focus began to slip.

So he had to end it in one go.

The problem was, he didn't have anything he could do. Stuck in the air like this with a blade in hand, he was immobile. He could parry, but attacking…

No.

It was possible.

Alex would have found a way out.

So Roland just had to think like Alex.

A blade in hand. One too far out of reach to attack his enemies. Yet, a blade that had to end the battle now lest it end with his death instead of theirs. So…

'Honestly, I don't know how he gets these ideas, Roland. Using blood as a medium for magic… I can't tell if Alex is crazy or suicidal sometimes…'

A faint recollection of a conversation he had with Mari. Random, too.

Roland was confused on why he remembered something like that at this time.

But then he realized it.

Blood as magic. 

The crimson haze surrounding him.

If he used that…

A clear intuition. His hand moved by itself, and words spilled from his lips.

"<Blood Moon>."

A single swing of his sword. With it, the crimson haze he scattered suddenly erupted into blades, slashing just as he did with his sword.

And then it was over.

Roland landed on the ground. And when he did, three bodies collapsed around him.

Pain. Fatigue. 

It was enough to where Roland wanted to collapse then and there. But he didn't. 

It was temporary. He'd practiced enough with Mari to know that he just needed to wait a few breaths for his mana to heal his body and replenish the lost blood. 

So, while he took a breather, Roland took a look around to survey the situation.

Somehow, everyone had gathered together in a vast chamber within the labyrinth. And also, it wasn't just him who was in a desperate fight.

Some of the instructors were clashing against Imperial Knights and Heroes. Roland's fellow students had grouped up and were fending off both monsters and stray attacks. Meanwhile, Evelyn and Marisa were working together to hold back a horde of Rank 4 monsters closing in from every direction.

Isaac had taken charge of a group of noble students, directing them to fight back against some robed men who seemed to be controlling monsters.

All around, Roland saw familiar faces. But…

'Where is Alex?'

…He couldn't see his friend.

It was worrying.

Roland still remembered how Alex had acted in the first Gate they explored. And that was while he was with other people. In a situation like this, where he likely got teleported somewhere by himself…

'...He wouldn't do something reckless like try and wager his life to defeat an opponent he couldn't defeat again, would he?'

After all, Alex had friends now. And he was clearly getting close with Princess Evelyn. So surely that guy wouldn't-

"Lionheart! Dodge!"

Isaac's voice suddenly echoed from the distance.

Roland looked up and saw a giant ice blade shoot towards him. His eyes widened and he immediately jumped too the side. 

The giant ice blade grazed Roland's side, frost erupting where it collided with his armor. But then the blade continued forward and mowed down a horde of monsters rushing through a sudden crack in the wall.

Seeing that, Roland clicked his tongue. "Focus, Roland."

Right. This wasn't the time to be thinking extraneous thoughts.

Alex could take care of himself. In fact, he was probably working somewhere to clear this Gate on his own.

So until his friend finished the job…

Roland raised his blade and rushed to intercept a group of knights charging at some students.

===

I let out a deep sigh as I stuffed more drops into my inventory. The nerves were starting to get to me at this point. 

Nearly an hour had passed, and the center of the labyrinth was nowhere in sight.

Not because I got lost, but because this damned Gate was that big even with a direct navigation towards the center.

Well, at least I'd have a lot of raw materials to work with after we got out of here. But that aside…

"Hang in there for a bit longer, guys."

I glanced at the flashing icons on my navigation app and sent a small prayer. 

I hadn't received any messages for better or worse, so things were probably keeping steady. But I couldn't just depend on that continuing. 

After all, Prince Maximilian and Void Sovereign were competent villains, unfortunately. There were definitely countermeasures in place for something like this. The longer this went on, the higher the chances that either of the two pulled out something ridiculous to cause a full wipe situation.

…Or that Evelyn got corrupted early. 

I clicked my tongue and then picked up my pace.

There were about five minutes left until I reached the Gate core. Since my classmates and the instructors were causing a big disturbance, the monsters had been lured away from here, giving me a free path forward.

One minute. Two… and then I arrived.

The hallway in front of me opened into a wide circular chamber with an altar. And standing on that altar, there was a muscular man wearing the familiar black robes of the Void Arbiters. 

There wasn't a boss monster, but I could sense it. My intuition was telling me that he had taken the place of the boss, so if I killed him, everything would be over.

I continued to sprint, ready to cut him down. But a few steps before crossing the threshold into the chamber, my entire body was swept by a harsh chill.

I instinctively stopped running and then kicked backwards, moving away from the chamber.

And the moment I did, a message appeared in front of me.

> Warning! A <Fated End> awaits! Entering the Boss Chamber will be fatal!

"...Of course it is. Dammit, Rob. Warn me about this stuff earlier."

> The System is not omniscient or all-powerful.

"Yeah, yeah…"

I wiped the cold sweat off my forehead and then took a closer look at the man standing in the chamber.

Was it because he noticed my approach? The man had turned to look at me and was suddenly enveloped in black smoke. From within that, eerie violet light shone. And with that light, I could see that his face was cracked and glowing with violet lines.

Demonification. Similar to what Evelyn underwent at the end of the first semester.

It wasn't on the same caliber as it seemed to be forced compared to Evelyn's natural fall, but it was still dangerous.

A Demon used negative energy that completely disrupted mana on a similar rank or below. It was possible to work around that disruption if you were familiar with it, but it would be difficult.

Still, that shouldn't be enough for me to get a message about how entering the boss chamber would be fatal.

…Was it Void Sovereign's Authority? 

"Hm…"

Thankfully, the only path to the chamber was the one I was using, so I didn't have to worry about someone unsuspecting rushing in and getting instakilled in front of me.

But this was a problem.

I was expecting a gimmick boss of sorts coming here, but I didn't expect something like this.

"Void Sovereign shouldn't be moving this early… That ability's pretty costly, so then… is this a test?"

I had definitely gotten on that person's radar, but I didn't think that it was enough for Void Sovereign to invest in using their Authority just to test me.

But I was definitely wrong on that part. It seemed that I had underestimated my value, just like Roland kept saying. And it meant that I needed to increase the danger value for the upcoming events and rehash my plans. 

Still, that was a later thought. Right now…

"It shouldn't be something all-encompassing. That man seems to be the core for the Authority, so it's probably based around him…"

Void Sovereign's Authority was essentially Concept Enforcement. By speaking a <Command > into existence, reality would twist to ensure that command was enforced. Truly something worthy for the mortal avatar of the Demon God.

But while it seemed absolute, it wasn't all-powerful.

Like how I broke the suppressive Domain earlier, Void Sovereign's Authority had a similar flaw. In order to be Absolute, it must remain 'Absolute' with no exceptions. Well, since an Authority was a higher level, it wouldn't break down from just a single exception. Instead, it was very precise in the reading of the command.

For example, 'Kill the man in front of me' wouldn't work if the person was a woman or a non-human. Instead, the command would kill the closest man in front of Void Sovereign. But even then, something that abstract would take a lot of resources.

At this point… Void Sovereign should only have enough power gathered to use three <Commandments >. And extremely precise ones at that. 

It wasn't until after the Empire's fall that Void Sovereign could start using them willynilly like an omnipotent god.

Or in other words…

'I just need to find the parameters.'

I stared at the man.

He stared back.

Hm…

I conjured a small ball of ice and rolled it into the chamber.

The man flickered and then reappeared in front of the ice ball. One second later, he flickered again and the ice ball had turned into white dust. The second after that, the man flickered again and he was standing once more on the altar.

"An auto-attack for everything that enters the chamber? No, the commandments are like if-then statements, so… if something enters the chamber, then that man destroys it?"

I rubbed my chin and did some thinking.

If Roland was here and had awakened to Durandal, this would be simple. That cheat sword cut through even Divine Commandments due to its ability to create a 'miracle', so we could just blast the guy from here.

But he hadn't. 

"There should only be three conditions max. But Void Sovereign was smart, so they'd use something that was specific but broad too…"

I conjured a few more ice balls and tested a few more things.

One ice ball bounced into the chamber. Result? Dusted in mid-air.

Another I created a ramp to shoot right at the man's face. Result? Again, dusted.

One more, I rolled into the chamber, but at an angle away from the man. Result? Untouched ice ball.

Seeing that last result, I chucked an ice ball in a direction that wouldn't reach the man at all. Again, untouched ice ball. At least, until it started rolling towards the center of the room. When that happened, it turned to dust again after the man flickered and crushed it.

"...Sneaky."

It seemed like the main criteria was that anything approaching the man would get immediately destroyed by his full power. Not only that, but the man was emitting power beyond what he should be capable of to enforce that outcome.

But this was a problem. If anything approaching the man got destroyed, then you couldn't damage him.

Right?

'Wrong.'

"...Even though this is ridiculous, I would have prefered a proper boss fight instead of a gimmick like this. But I guess it's safer in the long run, so…"

I grumbled a bit and then held out my hand, focusing on the image of the magic I wanted to create.

Physical attacks were practically out of the picture, and ranged attacks were as well. Magic… well, it'd probably work, but it was better to do a sure bet rather than waste more time. 

Also, with my temporarily increased mage rank and mana pool, it should be possible to go a bit more extreme with my magic. So…

A wall of flames boxing the man in. Intense heat that would bake him as well as burn up all the oxygen around him…

"Be caged in fire. <Flame Cube>."

And words to confirm the vision with a spell.

Blue flames erupted, enhanced with <Aquaburn >, and boxed the man in. The moment they did, the air distorted, turning hazy like a mirage.

But the man didn't move.

Just like an NPC caught in a hazard trap, he was stuck there suffering indirect damage because nothing was meeting his trigger condition.

One second. Two. Three…

One minute. Another.

And then there was an explosion of shadows and violet light, snuffing the flames.

The man was gone, leaving just ash on the altar. And shortly after that, a floating blue crystal appeared over it. The Gate core.

If I shattered that, the Gate would be cleared and we'd be sent out. 

But before I did that, I quickly stored my new Tyrannical Mana Blade in my inventory along with Diamond Mana Galaxy. Just in case.

> You have physically unequipped <Tyrannical Mana Blade>

> You have physically unequipped <Diamond Mana Galaxy>

> You have equipped <Diamond Mana Galaxy> through the inventory.

> Your stats will be forcibly reset to a corresponding level.

> Your stats are now 20 (+10).

> You have reached Rank 3.

> You have cleared the Story Quest.

> Rewards will be calculated at the end of the day.

> The system will now undergo an update in response to User's new directives.

> Restarting…

A flurry of messages appeared in front of me before vanishing the moment I finished reading them.

An update, huh? Well, considering how it hadn't really been useful recently, I guess that was long overdue.

Now, to wrap this up and clear this incident.

I held up my right hand and conjured an ice ball.

Gate cores were pretty fragile, which was why they were usually guarded by boss monsters and hidden from view. So even a frail ice ball like this should finish it.

And just in case there was another surprise in store, I'd finish it off from here.

"Fly and break. <Ice Ball>."

A swirl of frost. The ice ball flying across the air towards the blue crystal. But right before it struck, shadows swept up to block it.

I clicked my tongue and palmed some gemstones in my pocket, quickly infusing them with mana.

It wasn't the same as reinforcing them with the system, but it should do for now. 

"As expected." 

An ambiguous voice echoed in the chamber. One that could be male or female. And soon after that voice echoed, its source emerged. 

A robed figure wearing a plain white mask. A slim build that was obscured by the volumous robes. 

And literally the worst person that could show up right now.

Void Sovereign slowly approached, tilting their head. "You possess the ability to shift the cogs of Fate."

Danger.

And of all times for the system to go down.

Was Rob leaving me out here to fend for myself?

I swear to god there'd better be compensation for this…

But first, I had to figure this out.

Void Sovereign was here in person when they should still be working from the shadows. It seemed ridiculous, but it was reasonable.

I'd shown capabilities beyond my limits. Yet, they were also 'reasonable' looking back. Nothing that I did was beyond belief other than the fact that it required a 'spark of genius' that no one had acquired. 

All that I'd done could be easily replicated once someone saw how it worked.

…And it seemed like what I feared had come true. This ridiculously competent antagonist had shown up here in person to either recruit me or test me after the stunts I'd pulled.

Still, this wasn't a 'bad end' just yet.

Void Sovereign wasn't inherently malicious. Rather than a 'villain', they were an 'antagonist.' They were also a calm and reasonable person. 

So-

*You shall not move from where you stand.*

Words that seemed to echo deep in my core.

My body became rigid, and I couldn't move at all. Not even to take a breath.

But I had been expecting something like that.

I released the mana on one of the gemstones in my pocket and cast a spell. A gust of wind to blow me backwards.

Void Sovereign took a step back, conjuring a glittering violet shield.

As for me, I fell flat on my butt. But because I did, I could move. I quickly rolled backwards and then hopped up to my feet.

Something intangible in the air shattered when I did. 

I couldn't tell exactly what it was, but I could guess. Since I wasn't standing in that particular spot anymore, Void Sovereign's <Command > was invalid and shattered.

Soft laughter echoed. Void Sovereign shook their head and then said, "Indeed. You are quite interesting, Alexander Smith."

I mean, objectively true. But I'd rather not hear those words coming from you, Harbinger of the Apocalypse…

Still, while I wanted to say a lot to Void Sovereign, I kept my mouth shut.

Look, I might think I'm decently smart considering I made this whole shebang, but I was definitely not going to test my wits against a character I wrote who literally showed up as the mastermind behind all things only to wreck half the main cast before summoning the Demon God after having gone under the radar for 3/4 of the story.

Not only that, but the fact that such a cautious person had showed up in front of me IN PERSON instead of through an avatar was raising all sorts of red flags.

For a moment, we stood there just staring at each other.

But eventually, Void Sovereign broke the silence and said, "I have lost today. And a certain someone will be furious… but it was quite a fruitful endeavor." They held out their hand to the side. And as they did, broken shards of 'something' gathered together.

…Ah, fuck.

I could tell. 

Even though the system wasn't active, I could practically see a message saying 'The consequences of revealing a hidden story setting emerge! Void Sovereign has comprehended the construction of Conceptual Weapons!' or something.

A sword emerged in Void Sovereign's hand. A crystalline blade with flecks of violet lightning trapped inside.

Something that was similar to the Tyrannical Mana Blade I made, but forged from fragments of Void Sovereign's broken Authority instead of a Domain.

While I couldn't see that bastard's smug face, I could tell there was a bright smile hidden behind that mask.

Tilting the blade here and there to examine it, Void Sovereign looked at me and said, "Normally, I would kill you and forcefully conclude this as it should. But since you've provided us many useful insights… would you like to make a wager?"

"...A wager?"

I couldn't help but respond. 

It was out of character. Void Sovereign was acting whimsical. 

But it was also a chance.

The main worry I had was that the Void Arbiters would just decide to step forward early, wreak chaos, and then go undercover for a dozen years or something.

If there was a chance to just stall them but keep things on course, at least long enough for me to make my own preparations…

Void Sovereign nodded. "That's correct. If you win, I will grant you one 'favor.' If you lose, you will join us."

I chuckled. "It sounds like I don't have a choice."

Void Sovereign chuckled as well. "You will always have a choice. After all." They swung their new sword and said, "You could test your strength against me now."

That was true.

…I might be able to win? If I went all out and pulled out a wild card from the deck I had, I could beat Void Sovereign 'once.'

But just once.

After that…

No. The gains didn't outweigh the losses. Not to mention I still had to deal with the prince too…

"Alright." I smiled and said, "I'm a fan of high stakes gambling. What's the bet?"

Void Sovereign laughed. "Bold. And yet also insightful. Indeed, coming here was worth the risks. As for the parameters of our wager… Try and stop the princess's demise. You may use any means necessary. Meanwhile, we will simply continue as we originally planned."

Although sinister and shadowy, Void Sovereign wasn't one to lie.

That meant that I could be sure of their words as long as I accepted the bet.

…But it was one where I wouldn't gain much. In fact, Void Sovereign would gain the most here.

While the Void Arbiters would move as they originally planned… which likely meant as they originally did in the story, that wasn't true for the prince.

After all, Void Sovereign didn't lie, but they didn't tell the whole truth as well.

Although I wouldn't have to contend with something ridiculous like today again, I likely would have to contend with Maximilian adapting to my moves instead.

In short, I was removing one of my opponents from the game at the expense of said opponent having free reign to watch how I played.

And all that would buy me was time.

…But while I didn't know about anyone else, time was all I needed.

So…

I held out my hand.

Void Sovereign tilted their head and stared at me.

"...What?" I frowned and said, "You aren't going to shake on the bet?"

Void Sovereign laughed. A genuine and sincere sound. After that, they sheathed their blade in shadows and stepped forward to shake my hand. "Indeed. You are quite the interesting individual, Alexander Smith."

"I could say the same to you. But I barely know anything about you."

Void Sovereign paused and then chuckled. "True. I suppose proper introductions are in order."

I nodded and said, "Alexander Smith. A hero-in-training… and I suppose your opponent."

"A pleasure. You may call me… Rei."

Rei? Like 'King,' huh?

I gave 'Rei' a firm handshake and then let go.

Void Sovereign… or rather 'Rei' chuckled again and said, "Today is a day of firsts… Mm. That man will be upset, but since we'll get more out of it…" Rei swung their right hand.

Shadows lashed out and struck the Gate core, shattering it. And with it shattering, the surroundings suddenly started shaking as the Gate started to collapse.

Rei looked at me and said, "I look forward to the results of our wager, Alexander."

I responded with a level gaze and said, "Prepare to grant me that 'favor,' Rei."

Rei laughed and then waved before walking into the shadows and vanishing.

I watched them leave.

And then I let out a long sigh.

…Time to reread my notes and start organizing things after we get back. 

Well. For now at least I should be satisfied that everything was resolved properly.

A crimson window popped up in front of me. One of the hallmarks of clearing a Gate.

[Ariadne's Dungeon (Modified) has been cleared.]

[All visitors will be teleported outside in ten seconds. Prepare for departure.]

So it was called Ariadne's Dungeon, huh? Made sense with the whole labyrinth theme- Wait. I shouldn't be sitting around thinking like this.

I quickly ran into the chamber and grabbed a few pieces of the shattered Gate core.

My inventory wasn't working because the system was down, but I had plenty of room in my pockets.

A timer counted down in front of my eyes.

Before it vanished, I picked up as many pieces of the core as I could, ignoring the cuts on my fingers.

And then, just as I scooped everything up into my pocket, a bright flash blinded me.

In the next moment, I was standing on an open field, surrounded by my fellow students. And instructors. And imperial guards. And heroes. And… a fully decked out party wearing the Explorer's Guild uniform?

"Arrest them!"

"Take any injured students to the healers!"

"Where are the traitorous Imperial Guards?!"

Chaos ensued.

In the midst of it, I tried to slip away. But…

"Alexander." Elio appeared out of nowhere. He glanced at my bloody hands and then at my pocket. After that, he raised an eyebrow and said, "Did you… clear the Gate? And grab the core fragments?"

"...It's complicated." 

"I can imagine. Now, can you explain what-"

Before Elio could say much, a golden blur rushed over and pulled me into a tight hug. "Are you hurt?! Where were you?"

It was Evelyn.

She looked a bit worse for wear, what with her uniform scuffed up and frayed here and there. But overall, she looked fine.

I chuckled and pried her away from me. "I'm fine-"

"IS THAT BLOOD?!"

I blinked and then remembered.

Oh right. I was bleeding.

And since Evelyn was probably worried about me…

Before I could explain, Evelyn scooped me up and threw me over her shoulder. "ROLAND! ALEX IS HURT!"

Hah… 

Well. I guess this is a decent outcome? Better light drama and slice of life than tragedy, right?