Chapter 18 : Side Quest [ 1 ]

As the duo stepped out of the dimly lit room, they were met with warm smiles from Aya, Eleanor, and Mary, who were thrilled with the success of their fight.

Despite the numerous restrictions placed on the mock battle, Lena emerged victorious against Leo in their one-on-one fight. The trio felt an immense sense of pride for their friend, who had become the first person to defeat Leo in a one-on-one fight. The battle had been highly anticipated, and they were ecstatic to see Lena come out on top.

Leo could only helplessly shook his head as he watched the four girls talk lively with each other, seeing his childhood friends getting along so well with Aya. He couldn't help feel envious as he think that maybe he should have made some friends he could talk to as well.

As Lo observe the group interact from a distance, he couldn't help but smile to himself. He remembered how, in the novel, Leo had been undefeated during the early stages of the story. 'He is just that strong,' he thought to himself.

As he continued to watch, his attention was drawn to Aya and her lively interactions with the others. He couldn't help but recall his earlier theory that she might be a regressor. However, as he observed her, he had already come to a conclusion in his mind.

Time flew by quickly, and before they knew it, it was Aya and Mary's turn to fight. Despite having only recently become friends, Mary was determined to maintain their newfound bond. However, just as she was about to speak, Aya interrupted her with an enthusiastic exclamation, "Let's do our best!

"You too, Good Luck," Mary replied.

As they stepped into the black chamber, it transformed into a snowy plain. The ground was blanketed in snow, and trees with white silver leaves and silver-grey trunks surrounded them. It was as though they had stepped into the legendary forest of the elves.

With determination in their eyes, Aya and Mary began their battle. Despite Mary's best efforts, Aya's recollection of past memories gave her a clear advantage, allowing her to flawlessly execute every attack, dodge every frame, and defend against all of Mary's incoming attacks.

As the battle between Aya and Mary continued, the other students watched with mixed emotions. On one hand, they were impressed by Aya's flawless execution of every attack and her ability to effortlessly dodge and defend against Mary's incoming strikes. On the other hand, they couldn't help but feel sorry for Mary as she was continually countered by every possible scenario.

The fight ended with Mary's loss, her frustration was evident on her beautiful face as she pondered, 'How was she able to see through my attacks? I even used [ Mirage ] to try and confuse her.'

[ Mirage ] is an B ranked skill that allows the user to create a convincing illusion, which can confuse and mislead their enemies. Surprisingly, the skill was not restricted by the system. this is due to the fact that all the restricted skills are overpowered skills that can instantly defeat enemies without moving an inch.

The reason behind the restriction on such skills is to maintain the balance of the fight. Skills like [ Absolute Defense ], [ Dawn Blade ], and [ Ice Mirror ] have been restricted due to their ability to destroy the balance of the battle. Therefore, the fact that [ Mirage ] remains unrestricted is a testament to its effectiveness without tipping the scales too far in favor of the user.

Mary approached Aya with a forced smile, trying to appear light-hearted. However, deep down, she felt depressed by her performance against Aya.

After hesitating for a moment, she finally spoke up. "How were you able to see through my attacks?" she asked.

Aya, who had already thought of a response before the fight even started, replied, "Your attacks were simple, and the flow of your attacks could be easily anticipated."

As the two emerged from the black chamber, they were approached by the Leo, Lena and Eleanor, who were waiting for them.

Upon noticing Mary's disappointment, Lena and Eleanor immediately went over to offer words of comfort and support. Meanwhile, Leo struck up a conversation with Aya.

"How are you able to see through Mary's [ Mirage ] skill?" Leo curiously asked, as his interest piqued.

Aya's smile widened at Leo's question, and quickly formulated a response in her mind. She had planned to catch Leo's attention from the very beginning, hoping to deepen their relationship and win his love for herself.

In Aya's past timeline, Leo maintained a harem consisting of four girls: Lena, Eleanor, Mary, and Aya. eversince the four entered into a relationship with Leo, they continuously schemed against each other to gain his attention.

"Well, it's all about anticipating the flow of her attacks," Aya replied, her tone confident and knowledgeable. "Mirage is a powerful skill, but it can only do so much if the user's movements are predictable."

Deep in thought, Leo nodded as he responded to Aya's explanation, "You seem to have a deep understanding of Mary's fighting style. Although I knew her attack patterns from our past sparring sessions, it's still impressive to see how quickly you were able to anticipate her attacks."

Aya's smile grew at Leo's compliment, and she replied, "I have always been passionate about martial arts and have trained extensively. I find it fascinating to study and analyze different fighting styles."

Suddenly, a voice interrupted the group. "Eleanor and Owen, it's time for the two of you to go in."

The group turned their attention to Eleanor, who smiled and said, "I guess it's my turn to fight now." She walked confidently towards the black chamber.

Meanwhile, Lo, who had heard the match-up, looked over at Owen.

In the novel, despite the mock battle being scheduled for a week later, Owen still suffered a crushing defeat against Lena. Being one of the top ten strongest students in the elite class, he couldn't accept the outcome and his inferiority complex began to take root in his heart.

To obtain more power, he decided to join the Nemesis, making him the first character to set off the first arc of the story. Nemesis was a notorious villain organization that had come close to wiping out the eight great clans, driven by their objective to eliminate them due to their corrupt practices. Many members of Nemesis held a deep-seated animosity towards the great eight clans.

The organization's ultimate aim was the complete destruction of the eight great clans, as they believed it was necessary for humanity to ascend to a higher level and achieve equality with other races.

Lost in his thoughts, Lo considered the possibility of altering Owen's fate and preventing him from joining Nemesis, which could potentially change the course of the novel. However, he quickly realized that such a decision could have unforeseen consequences, rendering all his knowledge about the story useless.

As he weighed the pros and cons, a translucent blue window abruptly materialized before him, interrupting his train of thought.

[ Side Quest : Path of Abyss

- Save the Alchemist within the Dungeon

Reward : All Attribute stat +2, ??? ]

"Side Quest?!?!?"