Chapter 35

After five hours of sleep, I woke up in the evening. Groggily, I stretched my muscles and got off the bed.

The cold shower washed away the drowsiness, and I grabbed a fresh set of clothes I stored in my watch's spatial system.

Once dressed, I stepped out of the hotel room, and I was greeted by a female staff member waiting on the ground floor.

"Good evening, cadet." bowing slightly, she politely said. "Do you need my service?"

I looked at her, humming in a low voice to express my confusion. "The instructors from the Royal Academy have requested that we offer help to any cadets unfamiliar with the city."

I looked at her and thought for a moment, "Where are the other cadets? I haven't seen any since I got here."

The hotel had been empty. When I first arrived, I saw a few cadets, but now it seemed deserted.

She smiled apologetically. "The instructors advised the students to not roam around the hallway unless it's necessary, and only a few students are staying at this hotel."

By this time, most of the students must be in their respective cities to stay with their families. And after this incident, most of the students don't want to stay alone.

'Even I don't want to stay alone.' Staying alone would make me think about all that happened in the incident and what disasters will come in the future.

For now, going out to clear my mind is the best choice and to make a careful plan for the future.

"Can you tell me where the mall is?" I asked, deciding on a distraction.

Her expression brightened. "Certainly! You can't miss it. It's the tallest building in the city—Magiverse. Just head outside, and you'll see it immediately."

"Oh, okay, thank you."

"No problem; it's our duty to assist."

Nodding, I exited the hotel and began walking towards the skyscraper she mentioned.

Magiverse stood out against the city skyline, towering over the rest of the buildings. Even when I first arrived, its height was impossible to ignore.

It stretched high into the sky, its complex, pixel-like design catching the light of the setting sun. According to a local I asked earlier, the building was a staggering 489 meters tall.

The streets were busy, filled with people moving here and there, yet there was a distinct air of gloom.

Many of them looked like displaced refugees from the Royal City after the recent events. When I thought I could forget, their haunted faces and weary steps only reminded me of what had transpired.

'Well, let's focus on what I come for.'

As I entered the mall, a male employee approached, a business smile plastered on his face.

"Good evening, sir. How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for a store that sells martial arts techniques," I responded.

"Of course. Please, follow me." He led me through the wide hallways of the mall, the air conditioned interior a stark contrast to the cool evening air outside. Soon, we arrived at a shop tucked away on the second floor. The sign above the door read, 'Martial Mastery.'

"Thanks for the help." I said, stepping inside.

Another employee welcomed me as I entered. "Good evening, sir. What type of techniques are you looking to purchase today?"

"I need a technique that covers the basics of all types of weapons."

"Oh, sure, can you please follow me?"

"Okay," I followed the employee. Soon I entered a room filled with books that shimmered a little, indicating the book was filled with mana.

After searching for a few minutes, she picked up three books and came to my direction with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, sir, these are the only ones we have at the moment that cover the basics for multiple weapons, and they're all rated three stars.'

"Nha, it's fine. Can I check?" I asked, holding out my hand.

"Oh, sure," she replied, passing them over.

I could only open the first page of each book; the rest were sealed with magic, accessible only after purchase.

'Master of Weapons, it's the same as weapon master name.'

I read the important words marked with a line. 'Contains basic knowledge of a weapon master's weapon wielding style and the knowledge of 100 different types of weapons. 'I will just buy this.'

"I will buy this." I said, holding the book up for her to see.

"Are you sure?" She asked, glancing at the other two books as if considering whether I was making the best choice.

"Yes"

"Ok" She nodded and walked to the counter, quickly checking the price. "That will be 503,970."

"Damn," I unconsciously muttered.

"Is there any problem?"

"No, I will buy it." I handed her the required amount, trying not to think about how much it cost. 'So much for my savings,' I thought grimly. 'I'm practically broke now.'

I can't use any fancy or powerful techniques because of my body condition. So what I need now are normal techniques that can help me defeat and kill my enemies or monsters, and also this technique is crucial for the skill I'm going to develop next.

Not only that, because of my body's weakness, I can't confront them directly, so I need to learn long range, mid range, and shot range attack techniques.

To learn that, I need to know the basics of different weapons and various combat styles, so I can change my ways of fighting according to the enemies or monsters I face.

'For now, I will increase my strength to enter that dungeon, 'World of Lost Souls'.'

As the name suggests, it's a world for lost souls and souls who have lingering attachments to their lives and families. A dungeon for them to enjoy their lives to the fullest. Entering that dungeon means disrupting their joyful lives, so when I enter, it's like my fate was sealed.

'But I need to enter it; I need that skill at all costs.' The skill I want is 'My Pets', a perfect support type skill that works similar to necromancy with a flaw.

That's why I didn't equip the empty skill slot I created by engraving a rune in my hand.

After making the purchase, I left the store and headed back to the hotel. Night had fallen by the time I exited the mall, and the streets were even busier than before. People returning from their jobs filled the sidewalks, but my focus was elsewhere.

Thump! Thump!

Suddenly, my heart started thumping as an unknown feeling was evoked in me. The rhythmic sound was growing with each step, and my heart was... anticipating something. That's the feeling I'm getting now.

Sensing a gaze on me, I looked up—to be precise—to a certain building. I couldn't discern who it was, but I could tell it was a woman.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Seeing the figure of the woman, my heart started to beat frantically, as it would burst out of my chest.

"Huh, she's gone." Just as I tried to focus on her, she disappeared, vanishing without a trace. In her place, a glowing butterfly drifted down towards me.

Normally I would be alarmed to see a butterfly, an extinct insect, coming in my direction, but seeing the butterfly approach me, I lifted my hand and pointed my Intex finger so it could rest in my hand.

The insect was unlike anything I had seen before, a cross between a butterfly and a bee, its wings shimmering with a golden glow. It flew down gently and landed on my finger.

"It's got beautiful wings and eyes." As I uttered these words, I felt like the butterfly was looking straight into my eyes.

Thump! Thump!

My heart quickened as I felt allured by its eyes. No, it didn't feel alluring, but I couldn't understand what I'm feeling right now; the feeling was foreign to me, so I misunderstood it as if I was allured by it.

Puchi!

"Ow!"

Bling!

After stinging me with its stinger, with a sound, the butterfly burst into light particles, leaving me stupefied. My frantically beating heart slowly calmed down, and I felt like my mind was clearing.

"What was that?" I inspected my body with mana to find any abnormalities, but I couldn't find any; I didn't even sense any malicious intent from the butterfly.

***

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From a building, a woman who has lavish white hair mixed with golden strands observed the walking figure of a white haired boy with a slight smile.

"So, you can feel me, huh?" Her alluring rhythmic sound weakly resonated in that place.

"I hope I could see you... face to face." There was a slight sadness in her tone, but instantly she smiled.

"So, has your curiosity been satisfied?" The woman looked back, her gaze pausing on a white haired girl.

"Yeah, we can learn now."

The white haired girl nodded, her gaze pausing on a white haired boy who has tattoos on his neck. "So when will you move?" She asked the boy, her tone monotonous. "Because of the incident, you guys don't have

to wait much time. So enter okay."

"Yeah, I know. Something doesn't feel right, so I also think it's better to speed things up." The boy said.