I took out a magenta-colored magical robe—with a beautiful design and black lines running throughout. Its long collar gave it the look of a cloak—and I passed it to Valerie. Her mouth parted, ready to say something, but I spoke before she could.
"It's a stamina-enhancing tool. It'll help keep your blood flowing—give us a bit of extra time."
Valerie's mouth closed as a look of determination replaced her initial surprise. She gave a tight nod, her fingers brushing over the robe's fabric as though drawing strength from it. The material shimmered slightly in the light, hinting at the magic infused within. I turned away, scanning our surroundings, thoughts racing. I was just about to suggest a course of action when someone in a yellow hooded coat—one of the assassins—threw something into the air.
It was a small black ball.
As it fell from the sky, it grew larger—much larger—and landed near the beautiful fountain I had admired earlier that morning. It struck an empty section of the street, narrowly missing the fountain's delicate stonework.
Thud... BOOM.
The ground shook as the black ball exploded on impact. It was a bomb—a compact, silent killer.
Thankfully, no one was hurt by that first blast, but its shockwave rattled the plaza. People began to realize that something was terribly wrong. Screams pierced the air. Panic surged like a tidal wave. All eyes turned toward the newly formed, burnt crater that now marred the elegant cobblestone square. The contrast between destruction and beauty was staggering.
"What's happening?!"
"Some kind of attack!"
"Get out of the way, you idiot—I'm not dying here!"
The plaza turned into a storm of confusion. In the chaos, my attention was drawn to a figure atop one of the nearby roofs—a spy. He pulled out a bag and hurled it into the wind. The bag burst open mid-air, revealing dozens of tiny black spheres. They floated above us like silent omens of death.
The bombs hovered in a strange, eerie stillness—until they began to fall.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Explosions rang out all around. Some were distant, others frighteningly close. Dust and debris flew into the air. Shrieks followed.
"Ahhh!"
"My leg!"
"Out of the way!"
It became a total mess. I looked at Valerie—she was already watching me, her eyes steely.
"I'll handle the bombs," she said, her voice unwavering.
I nodded, stepping back slightly as the air around her began to shimmer. A shift occurred—something unseen and powerful awakened. The very atmosphere responded to her presence. I anchored myself, grounding my feet and focusing all my senses.
The wind swirled around her, forming an invisible current, and a white tablet appeared before me:
+
[ The Existence 'Valerie Davison' has used Wind Manipulation Lvl.2 ]
+
Must be one of my passive benefits—perhaps tied to a skill I hadn't explored yet. I still couldn't access my Profile. Returning my focus to my surroundings, I noticed that more spies were hurling bombs from various rooftops. While they weren't hitting civilians directly, the surrounding architecture was taking serious damage. One building began to lean, its supports groaning ominously.
Valerie manipulated the wind with precision. She formed an upward draft, generating a neutral pressure zone—each bomb slowed mid-descent and froze in place, suspended in the air like ornaments of death.
My eyes darted across the rooftops, searching for more enemies. Ducas was already in motion. He yanked one assassin out from behind a carriage, slammed his head into the carriage window, and tossed him aside like a rag doll. With a single leap, he soared to the roof, moving so quickly he blurred
He really is a scam existence.
Valerie kept the bombs airborne. Ducas eliminated the rooftop threats. But the people in the plaza still ran, desperate to escape. The crowd surged, colliding, scrambling. The air buzzed with the collective fear of hundreds.
Suddenly, a jolt ran through me, as if I'd been struck. My ears rang. I instinctively ducked—something was coming.
+
[ Your Perception is increasing. ]
+
Another screen appeared. I twisted just in time to dodge a knife swipe—nearly identical to the earlier attack.
Thud… thud… thud… thud… thud…
Figures in yellow overcoats dropped around us, forming a circle. I stood tall, chest out, watching Valerie from the corner of my eye. Her complexion had gone pale—but she held firm.
I sighed. This wouldn't end cleanly after all, a little irritated because I thought it would be over without me doing anything, but it looks like it will not.
The plaza was utter chaos—people screaming, guards shouting, bombs lingering in the sky.
"Calm down!"
"This way, follow me!"
Some guards had gathered, ushering civilians out, restoring a hint of order. Their presence was a lifeline to the terrified crowd.
"Miss Valerie, how long can you hold the bombs?" I asked, scanning our attackers. They wore yellow overcoats, white trousers, samurai-style sashes, leather pads on their joints, and red-patterned white masks. The sight was as coordinated as it was intimidating.
"I can hold them for a while," she answered, "but I can't use two skills at once."
Right. Valerie had elemental skills for all types—exceptionally rare, like finding water in a desert—but could only activate one at a time.
"That's fine. As soon as Ducas handles the rest, blow the bombs mid-air."
She nodded. Above us, more rooftop spies still hurled bombs. Ducas would end them. When he would, Valerie would detonate the suspended explosives, ensuring no further casualties. With luck, today might still pass like a strange, tragic dream.
I turned toward the six spies who had surrounded us. I activated Prescient Description—the world blurred, then came into focus. White screens appeared over their profiles. None had Blessers, and their Agility stats were their highest attribute.
"You're not going to tell me anything, are you?" I asked, locking eyes with one through his mask.
"You should be afraid," he hissed. "Tke your damn hands out of your pockets."
I was afraid. But how much did fear matter now? This was my first real fight in this world. The assassin who'd spoken lunged with his knife. I might've looked overconfident—but deep down, I kind of felt that way.
He vanished into shadow, blurring as he moved. I barely saw it. Heart pounding, I shared agility stats with Persephone and glanced at my Points.
+
[ Points Possessed: 22,200 ]
+
A marbled, slate-like tablet with golden runic designs and text appeared before me. I had a great time playing riddles these past two weeks. I had accumulated so many Points—more than any normal existence here would believe. If I told anyone I earned this many Points in just two weeks, they'd laugh me off.
I earned a large sum from the Hidden Script I completed. Gumiho had spread word of it to many Nubeculas, among other things. Because of that, a lot of Nubeculas started observing me and donated Points while I asked riddles. It also helped with the interaction problem I'd sort of been having for a while now—since watchers demand regular interaction.
+
[ 5000 Points have been used ]
[ Strength Lvl.19 → Strength Lvl.29 ]
[ Stamina Lvl.19 → Stamina Lvl.29 ]
[ Agility Lvl.19 → Agility Lvl.29 ]
[ Magic Power Lvl.19 → Magic Power Lvl.29 ]
+
[ Your Strength has increased tremendously. The capability of your body has improved. ]
[ Your Stamina has increased tremendously. You will now tire less easily. ]
[ Your Agility has increased tremendously. You can now move and perceive things faster. ]
[ Your Magic Power has increased tremendously. You can sustain skills for longer durations. ]
+
Multiple marbled slate-like tablets appeared in front of me. They slid upward one after another, each disappearing out of my peripheral vision to make way for the next. I ignored them and focused on my muscles—feeling the movement of my toes and fingers—and on the world around me, which now flowed with different hues, painting the air itself.
I could've used more Points, but Points had other uses besides just evolving us. I preferred to keep them—for emergencies, or unknown situations in the future. Besides, I had other ways to deal with this mob.
+
[ The Benefit of the Soul Contract has been used. ]
[ The high existence 'Persephone' has shared her stats with the lower existence 'Arthur'. ]
[ Agility Lvl.29 → Agility Lvl.70 ]
[ Difference in stats is too high. A time limit has been placed. ]
[ Time: 19 minutes ]
+
I had Persephone.
My Agility stat jumped to seventy. The spy who had once moved so fast that he appeared only as a blur to me was now visible—clearly visible.
Investing Points in Agility only made my movement faster. It didn't exactly enhance my perception like I'd seen in BTWD. Even so, now that my Agility was at seventy, his stats were much lower than mine. I could follow his movements with ease.
As I watched him rush toward me, his knife moved in a quick arc toward my face. I tilted my head slightly to the left and dodged it.
His hand swished past my face, and his eyes—visible through the holes in his mask—widened in confusion. He quickly redirected the blade in a sideways arc, trying to slice my neck.
I bent backward with ease, putting strength into my back. The knife passed just above my chest, missing again. It wasn't hard. It felt like stretching during morning warmups.
I could sense his disbelief even though his face was mostly covered.
His voice came through muffled, intense.
"How—"
He couldn't finish the sentence. I kicked him in the stomach from below, thrusting upward. My foot connected with his torso, launching him slightly into the air before he tumbled sideways.
I hadn't increased my Strength further, so the kick wasn't particularly powerful. It didn't deal much damage, but it did create distance between us.
The remaining spies tightened their stance. They drew two daggers each, raising them defensively. The way they positioned themselves reminded me of something out of a video game.
The spy I had just kicked got up. His eyes were red with fury—he looked genuinely pissed. I guessed it was because someone he thought weak had landed a hit on him.
"Take us seriously, damn it! And take your hands out of your pockets!" he hissed, his voice brimming with rage. His eyes burned through the slits in his mask.
Huh? My hands were in my pockets?
I frowned slightly and wiggled my fingers. I could feel the fabric—yep, still in my pants pockets. I hadn't even noticed.
"Okay... Why are you taking this so personally?" I asked, pulling my hands out with a shrug.
I was about to raise my hands defensively when two spies dashed toward us—one aimed for me, the other for Valerie.
+
[ The Benefit of the Soul Contract has been used. ]
[ Strength Lvl.29 → Strength Lvl.61 ]
[ Difference in stats is too high. A time limit has been placed. ]
[ Time: 14 minutes ]
+
I didn't want to overuse the shared stats—doing so would strain my muscles and lead to greater exhaustion.
Still, I moved incredibly fast. The wind prickled against my skin like water under pressure. My stats were way higher now, and the spies didn't even see me move.
The one targeting me paused in confusion—I wasn't there anymore. I appeared in front of the one rushing at Valerie. Our eyes met. He faltered, stumbling on his toes. I didn't hesitate—I punched him in the stomach.
Gruhh...
This time my Strength was high. The spy let out a pained groan and flew toward one of the shop rooftops.
"What are you doing?! Attack all at once!"
The other spies flinched at the command. It was the same spy who'd first attacked me—seemed like he had higher authority. All five turned their attention toward me and advanced in sync.
I quickly scanned their Profiles again. All of them had high Agility—but still not high enough. I sidestepped easily, dodging strikes aimed at my neck and legs. It wasn't hard—I just shifted slightly out of their range.
I widened my vision, trying to take everything in. It was slightly blurred, but I could still make out the larger surroundings. I focused on the bombs still hovering in the sky—and Valerie.
One of the spies had slipped past and neared her from behind, knife raised. I dashed in, coming between them—and punched him square in the face.
"Thank you, Sir Arthur." Valerie's voice was strained but steady, her hands trembling slightly as she maintained the swirling wind currents above us.
"Focus on the bombs." I instructed, my eyes never leaving the circling assassins.
"Yes." she gasped out.
The bombs were still hovering over the plaza, looking like a massive flock of birds. There were easily more than a hundred bombs, which… was kind of weird, I thought. They were using far too many. Are these people terrorists?
I don't remember any terrorist incidents happening in Brimos. I am getting annoyed. First, I got tangled up with a higher existence, then Charlotte, Dianne, Timothy, and also The Church. I also had to approach Lisa for my future survival—along with all the other mess.
So many things had changed. And now this. I didn't know what the consequences would be. These were events that originally never happened.
But I reminded myself: Yet these changes were the price of survival. As I live my life, my foreign existence will inevitably alter the course of this world. My existence is like a boat drifting through a maze-like stream.
I might just have to go with the flow until I reach the end. Still, one question lingered: who is the real target of these assassins?
Is it me? Have I already done so much that someone now wants me dead? But I couldn't think of anything that would lead to this.
I did blow up the church—but that was in Brigians. No one knew I was involved. At least, no one alive. Ducas had already killed the underlings of the 'Fifth'. I still couldn't figure out why these people were targeting us.
As I was thinking, a yellow silhouette entered my peripheral vision. On instinct, I punched the spy, sending him flying into the wall of a nearby shop. The other spies jumped back, creating distance. Now there were four left, all looking at each other and nodding.
+
[ The Existence 'Marian Moreno' activated 'Shadow Walk Lvl.2' ]
[ The Existence 'Andre Stephens' activated 'Fading Lvl.1' ]
+
I tried to sense their next moves. One of the spies melted into his shadow; the second became half-transparent—almost invisible. The first had used Shadow Walk, a good skill that let him travel between shadows.
The second used a skill that bent the light around him. Not a great skill by itself, but paired with high agility, it could be used to create confusion.
The remaining two spies advanced without using any skills. One of them was the leader—the same one who'd attacked me first. He aimed his knife at my face again. I dodged, but this time he didn't hesitate and swung his knife in an arc, trying to cut my throat.
"Tch..."
This time, instead of leaning back like before, I bent my knees and crouched. The other spy saw this and went for my legs. I grabbed his arm—stopping the knife tip just centimeters from my clothes—while staying low in my crouch.
I was about to throw him aside when another spy emerged from my shadow, aiming his knife at my eye. I tightened my grip, twisted the first spy behind me, rolled on the ground, and stood up again.
+
[ The Nubecula 'Who Likes Cigars and Candy' comments: "Do it again. Do it again." ]
[ 800 points donated ]
+
I'll show you again—while kicking your ass, asshole, I thought, but didn't say it out loud. This is one of the reasons I hate these so-called gods.
+
[ The Nubecula 'Gumiho' comments: "You look so cool while fighting." ]
[ The Nubecula 'Raziel' comments: "He should practice more." ]
[ The Nubecula 'Hwang Jini' comments: "His movements are a little sloppy, but still good." ]
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[ 2,000 total points donated ]
+
Here I am, fighting people with supernatural movements, while being judged like a damn game character. It's frustrating.
I ignored the comments appearing on the marbled slate-tablet screen. The spies moved again, aiming for my vital points—neck, eyes, legs. Reading their movements wasn't hard, but dealing with three of them at once was a bit much for my experience. My cloak had been cut in several places.
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[ Some Nubeculas are enjoying your fight. ]
[ 800 points donated ]
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Enjoy while you can. I'll deal with all of you in the future. There will come a time when I'll be the one causing chaos—and then I'll laugh.
I dodged another strike and quickly scanned my surroundings. Valerie was still manipulating the wind, keeping the bombs in the air. I saw Ducas tossing spies off the rooftops.
Everyone was holding their ground. I just had to hold on a little longer.
I couldn't access my Profile, so I didn't know if I even had any combat skills. I hadn't acquired any new ones either. All I could do was rely on my stats.
I dodged a couple more attacks, then sensed movement from below. I grabbed the spy emerging from my shadow and flung him with all my strength—sending him crashing into another spy headed my way. Both of them flew and landed in the fountain.
Only one was left now.
"Who are you?" I demanded, locking eyes with him. His eyes shimmered yellow and orange behind his mask.
"You know I won't answer," he replied, his voice muffled but defiant—almost childish.
"Well, the situation's changed," I said, lifting my head and narrowing my gaze. His eyes were still glowing, but mine were looking down on him. "Tell me what you know."
At the start, they had the numbers. The whole city could've been blown apart. Now, the bombs were being neutralized, and most of them were down.
"That's not true," he hissed. I could see his eyes narrowing into a frown behind the mask.
"Look around," I said, motioning with my eyes. Just past my vision range, bodies in yellow hooded coats lay scattered around the plaza—dead.
The area was a wreck. Broken carriages littered the streets, and the citizens had mostly evacuated. Only those in yellow remained—some fainted, most dead, stabbed through the heart. The stains on their coats marked where they fell.