As the words "Wizard Quest" left Kaelen's lips, the chaotic hallway froze instantly. The air became heavy, and a wave of frantic whispering broke out among the hundreds of students watching.
"Wizard Quest? Is he insane?"
"There is no way he is going to accept that, Kaelen will erase him... there's no coming back from that."
Toya's hand tightened on the hilt of his sword, his eyes darting between Haruto and the smirking seniors. Even the three Goddesses lost their playful expressions.
Haruto, however, just blinked. He looked at the glowing leaderboard and then back at Ivory, his expression as bored as if he'd just been asked to do extra homework.
"Hey, Ivory," Haruto whispered back, not taking his eyes off Kaelen. "What the hell is a 'Wizard Quest'? Is it some kind of exam or just another flashy name?"
He could feel the Impossible Difficulty pulsing. To everyone else, this was a death sentence. To Haruto, it sounded like the perfect place to find a high-level glitch and finally delete Kaelen's arrogance for good.
Ivory's eyes flickered with data as she prepared to explain the nightmare Haruto had just been invited to.
"Haruto... take this SERIOUSLY," Ivory whispered, her voice laced with a gravity he hadn't heard before.
"This isn't just a normal school quest. It's an ancient ritual. It starts with a formal assembly in front of the entire Academy where both teams face each other on stage."
She lowered her voice further, her breath warm against his skin.
"The most dangerous part is that there are no pre-set rules. The rules are decided and negotiated by both teams right there. Once agreed upon, a Mana-Link Pact is signed. It's a soul-binding contract that cannot be broken. The winning team can take anything from the losers—their Levels, their Titles, their Powers... even their very Freedom."
She looked into his eyes, searching for a sign of hesitation.
"Haruto, you don't have the experience for this kind of high-stakes gambling. Kaelen is Level 8; he knows how to manipulate the Pact. We shouldn't take this risk."
Haruto felt a cold stone of insecurity settle in his chest. Ivory was right to be worried. Even though he had three Goddesses by his side, the God of Creation had been very clear: their divine powers had been reset. Because Haruto was only Level 4, they couldn't even tap into their full potential. They were capped by his limitations.
And then there was Toya. He was strong, sure, but he was a raw nerve. He hadn't learned to control his mana or his mind; in a high-stakes duel, a Level 8 like Kaelen could bait him into a fatal mistake before the quest even started.
Am I leading them into a trap? Haruto wondered, looking at the expectant, arrogant face of Kaelen.
But then, the words of the God of Creation echoed in his mind. He had stood in that white void and reached out his hand for the Impossible Difficulty. He had chosen the path where the rewards were as high as the risks were lethal. To back down now would be to admit he was just a Level 1 glitch playing at being a hero.
I chose 'Impossible' for a reason, Haruto thought, his eyes hardening. In a game like this, you don't win by playing safe. You win by rewriting the rules of the match.
"It's fine," Haruto whispered back, a sharp grin returning to his face.
"Kaelen might have the 'Level' brain, but I have you. You're the Goddess of Intelligence, aren't you? Just form the rules, Ivory."
Ivory shook her head slowly, her expression grave.
"It's not that simple, Haruto. In a Wizard Quest, only the Captain can negotiate and form the rules. The System won't accept anyone else's input."
She stepped back slightly, looking at the rest of the group.
"This isn't just a normal test where only raw power is checked. This is a trial of Absolute Trust. It tests the team's belief in their Captain, and the Captain's ability to truly recognize and utilize the power of his team. Without that connection, the Pact will crush us from the inside."
Kaelen didn't just laugh; he cackled, a sharp, grating sound that echoed off the high stone ceilings. He watched Ivory pull away from Haruto, his eyes gleaming with malicious delight at the fear he had managed to instill in a Goddess.
Ivory stepped back into her position, her face a mask of cold, concentrated worry. She had done her part; she had warned him of the absolute destruction that awaited the loser.
Haruto watched Ivory step back, her face pale and her eyes filled with a sharp, calculated dread. Even as the Goddess of Wisdom, she was trembling—not because she was weak, but because she understood the sheer weight of the "Impossible" stakes they were gambling with.
She's right to be scared, Haruto thought, his gaze lingering on her for a second. In a game where one glitch can delete your entire save file, you need someone who knows where the brakes are. If everyone in this family is just hitting the accelerator, we'll crash before we even reach the boss. Ivory is my reality check... the only thing keeping us from an absolute disaster.
But then he looked at Bellona, who was practically vibrating with a bloodthirsty itch to fight, and Lustra, who was looking at kaelen like it was an amusement park built just for her. Finally, his eyes landed on Toya, the "White Aura" warrior who was a ticking time bomb of unrefined power.
"Haruto," Toya said, his voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through him.
"You're the Captain of this group. Whatever you decide, it's absolute. If you want us to walk away, we walk. If you want us to burn this ritual down... we'll leave nothing but ashes. The choice is yours."
Haruto stood at the center of the storm, his eyes glazing over as he processed the "Impossible" weight of the situation.
If this world works like a game then if I back down now, the system can probably generate an even deadlier penalty for quitting, Haruto thought. I chose the Impossible Difficulty in that white void for a reason. This isn't just a school rivalry anymore—it's the first boss fight of a glitch game. If I reject this, what comes next will be ten times more lethal.
He felt the gaze of the Goddesses on him. Ivory was still a statue of logic, her mind probably running simulations of the contract. But the other two... they weren't worried at all.
Lustra was still clinging to his arm, her cheeks a deep, burning crimson. She leaned in, her voice trembling not with fear, but with a strange, high-stakes excitement.
"Haruto... the day we lost to you, we didn't just lose a fight. We found someone who could actually 'conquer' our fate. I'm not scared of a Wizard Quest. If it's with you, I'm excited to see what kind of chaos we can create together!"
Bellona let out a sharp, jagged laugh, her knuckles popping like firecrackers as she punched her palm.
"Count me in, Master! A ritual with no rules? A place where the strongest takes everything? That's not a threat—that's my home turf. I've been itching to see what these 'Elite' humans are made of when they're screaming for mercy."
Haruto's lips curled into a dry, dangerous smirk. The insecurity was gone, replaced by the cold focus of a pro-gamer about to exploit a system.
Haruto stood at the center of it all, his eyes glazed over for a moment as he began to calculate.
(Haruto's Inner Thoughts): A ritual designed to ruin... a contract that takes everything. Levels, Titles, Freedom. In a normal game, this would be a 'High-Risk, High-Reward' event. But in a glitch game... it's just a way to bypass the system's safety locks. Kaelen thinks he's inviting me to a slaughterhouse. He doesn't realize he's handing me the admin tools to rewrite his existence.
Haruto looked Kaelen dead in the eye. The senior was still wearing that smug, oily grin, radiating the confidence of a man who thought he had already won.
"What are you all whispering there? Come on, if you have the guts, then….." Kaelen challenged, his voice echoing with arrogance.
"Step into the ritual and let's see what's left of you."
Haruto let out a short, dry laugh—the sound of a player who had just found a glitch that broke the game's difficulty. "Challenge accepted," Haruto said, his voice dropping into a chillingly calm register.
"Let us begin the game."
The moment the words left his lips, Kaelen's Level 6 bodyguards felt a sudden, inexplicable shiver crawl up their spines. Without even realizing it, they instinctively stepped back, clearing a path as if a predator had just walked into the room. Kaelen, oblivious to his guards' instinctual fear, spun around on his heel.
"Get ready for your total destruction!" Kaelen shouted over his shoulder as he marched away, his boots clicking rhythmically against the marble. The entire corridor watched in stunned silence as the elite unit disappeared toward the auditorium.
Kaelen spun around on his heel, his cloak flaring with a dramatic flourish, but behind his arrogant smirk, his mind was a storm of frantic calculations.
I won't lose, Kaelen thought, his teeth gritting behind his smile. There is no world where a Level 8 King loses to a Level 4 glitch. Whatever power Haruto thinks he's hiding is probably just some flashy firework—a parlor trick to scare the weak. But still... There's something wrong with the air around him. It feels heavy, no no no I am just imagining things.
He glanced back at the three Goddesses, his predatory gaze darkening with a new, cruel intent. Change of plans, he thought maliciously. I'm done with the "marriage" offer. They rejected a King? Fine. Now, I won't make them my wives—I'll make them my slaves. When these "beauties" who talk about Godhood and pride are kneeling in the dirt, scrubbing my floors as Level 1 servants, all that arrogance and 'family' talk will turn into pathetic begging. I'll break their spirits until they forget they ever knew Haruto's name.
Haruto stood still for a second, then turned back to his group. He rubbed the back of his neck, a rare look of sheepishness crossing his face.
"So... I didn't just make a huge mistake, did I?"
Ivory, who had been a mask of cold seriousness just a moment ago, suddenly broke into a radiant, confident smile. She stepped forward and took Haruto's hand, her touch firm and grounding.
"A mistake? Haruto, they don't stand a single percent of a chance," Ivory said, her eyes shining with a divine light. "They think they are the hunters, but they've invited a group where every single member is Level 60 or higher. It's not a quest; it's a massacre waiting to happen."
Haruto felt a slight blush creep onto his face at her unwavering praise. Ivory stepped even closer, her voice soft but absolute.
"No matter what happens, no matter what rules they try to trap us with... I am with you until the end."
Lustra didn't wait a second longer. She grabbed Haruto's other hand, her face still flushed a deep, beautiful crimson.
"I'm with you too, I want to see you conquer them all!"
Bellona grinned, slamming her fist into her palm one last time before placing her hand over theirs.
"Finally, some real action! I'm in. Let's break their 'system' into pieces."
Toya was the last to join, placing his hand on top of the hilt of his sword and then over the group's joined hands. He looked at Haruto with pure, unshakeable loyalty.
"Aye, aye, Captain! Lead the way."