Walking towards her ending,
Was it because of the rank up? Or because of Rob revamping the system?
Either way, when I checked through the shop, I saw that everything was cheaper now.
For example, the
Not only that, but as I scrolled through the shop, I saw that all the various affinities were cheaper now too. A whole zero removed from the total cost. Like everything had been divided by ten... a whole magnitude- Oh. "I see."
The stats system was logarithmic.
I had noted that earlier, but I didn't realize that it applied to everything as well.
Now that I was on-par with my peers at Rank 3 (even if through a rank-up via my equipment), all the Traits were a whole magnitude cheaper.
It made sense. After all, that gave me a logical progression. Just like a game should.
Every rank up, all the Traits and general prices... except for stats, it seemed. They would get slashed by ten.
At this rate, when I got to rank 6, and with Trait fusion available to me... "No. I can't be too flashy." I murmured to keep on task and then tapped on my notebook to focus.
Alexander Smith. Alex for short.
That was the identity I had taken on.
As a consequence of the actions so far, Alexander Smith was known to be a magical genius and a master of monster and gate knowledge. He also had a keen talent to dance on the edge of life and death in combat and just barely survive each time.
That gave enough plausibility for a few hijinks and shenanigans. But if I suddenly pulled out something like Durandal or magical affinities that I didn't have before, I'd trigger all sorts of red flags.
As nice as it would be to speedrun the story by blitzing Maximillian, Void Sovereign, and the Demon God, that was a bad idea.
After all, I'd have to live with the aftermath of that. And I was pretty sure that I'd be made out to be the next big bad the moment I pulled something like that. That was the sort of setting I designed 3D-ED to be, after all.
In reality, people only believed in heroes if there was 'plausibility.' A genius, or a person who continually pulled off miracle after miracle would be supported by the people. But a person who was unproven that came out of the blue with unfathomable resources or powers would definitely be marked as a danger to everything and everyone.
So... one step at a time. I sighed and purchased
For a split second, there was a soft pressure spreading from my head throughout my body.
And then I felt light. A sort of... intuition that I could use just about anything. And to test that, I casually spun the pencil in my hand.
A black blur formed as it spun in a perfect circle, just like a knife.
"...Alright. The foundation is there."
Just like when I was writing 3D-ED the first time, it was important to carefully set down the pieces and line everything up. And right now...
I closed the menus and read through my notes again. As I did, I muttered, "I can't save you, Evelyn."
The carefully crafted executioner's blade hanging over her head and the seamless coffin that was her 'ending' couldn't be undone or resolved. But...
"...That doesn't mean I can't make you live."
A quick search on the phone pulled up the notes on
===
[Mana Body]
The unique trait given to those destined to inherit the Eternal Empire. Allows usage of all magical affinities. Allows intake of all energies.
===
The reason for Evelyn's death was in that last sentence. The Demon God's energy planted in Evelyn by Maximillian was a death sentence. Once sparked, it would either consume her entirely, erasing her ego and turning her into just a vessel for the Demon God's power...
Or if she resisted, it would simply turn her to ash, burning up her entire existence.
I had written it like that. And since I did, there was no changing it at this point. So I had to find a way to add to what was already completed.
There was nothing that could resist the Demon God's energy. And even if there was, that energy had been so entwined with Evelyn's very existence at this point due to
I carefully reviewed all the notes and resources I had available. And as I did, a faint plan began to form. A few, actually.
In the best case scenario, all of this would be resolved without any hassle, danger, or even notice by Evelyn. But in the worst case...
I closed my notebook and muttered, "I'll kill her myself."
The role of Evelyn's executioner could only fall on one person. That blade could only be held by one person.
Me.
I had taken her life once before, and I refused to let anyone else take it again.
...But it was still a bit too soon to worry about that. Right now, we were just a little past mid-terms. There was still a month and a half until that fatal and fated moment. And during that time...
I quietly tucked the notebook in my inventory and muttered, "I can at least make her happy."
If it was impossible to stop Evelyn's death. Then, this time...
"I'll make it so you die with a smile, Eve."
...I'd send her off with love instead of callous disregard.
===
The days continued to slip past.
For Evelyn, each was wonderful. Unlike at the start of classes, she had friends who she cared for and cared for her. Although there was a bit of hassle with the nobility who tried to join the
And the main reason for that was Alex.
Evelyn knew that the status gap between herself and Alex was great. And she knew of all the whispers that went about as she spent time with Alex as well.
It was one thing for the Imperial Princess to spend time with a Baron's son and the Sage's heir. But it was another thing entirely for the Imperial Princess to fraternize with a commoner, especially one without a shred of backing or background like Alex. No matter how skilled, knowledgeable, or hard working he was.
Evelyn hated that fact. And so she ignored it. For once in her life, she was being selfish. And even if it was only for this short period they were at the academy together, Evelyn was determined to fill every day with as much happiness and love as she could.
And like that, the days continued to pass filled with warmth, fun, and more than a lifetime's worth of memories.
But as they continued to pass by, Evelyn noticed that something was weird with Alex.
It started shortly after the mid-term exam. The day after they returned, Alex began to spend more time with her. Not only that, he was a bit more affectionate. He listened, talked, and smiled warmly whenever he saw her. He even casually hugged her or tapped her arm every now and then.
At first, Evelyn's heart raced. Surely, this meant that Alex had finally noticed her feelings.
But as the days continued, a pattern was clear.
The average person... No, the average girl might not have realized it. But Evelyn did. Since Alex was always on her mind, she began to see it.
There was a certain desperation to his actions.
And Evelyn couldn't understand why.
It was true that Alex had always been one to risk his life for a bit of progress...
That was something Evelyn was trying to change in Alex with the help of Roland and Marisa.
But it wasn't that. There was a certain air about him now that hadn't been there in the past. Like there was something Alex had to do no matter what.
And it was something that he wasn't telling Evelyn. Whenever she brought it up, Alex simply laughed and said Evelyn was imagining things... but she knew she wasn't.
Alex had a secret. And, while he didn't say it, for some reason...
Evelyn felt like it involved her.
And as the days turned into a week, and as Alex slowly began skipping classes and leaving with Uncle Elio to explore Gates until late in the night, Evelyn made a decision.
"Thank you for coming here, you two." Evelyn set out refreshments on the table in the Eternal Knights Headquarters and looked across the table at Roland and Marisa. "I appreciate it, truly."