Gregas Calendar – Year 176, Day 17, Month 6
A slow yawn escapes me as pale sunlight slips through the blue curtains of the inn room.
I stretch lazily, joints cracking one after another while warmth still clings to my body. Honestly, I wanted another hour of sleep. Maybe two.
Especially when Lilith and Lani were still curled against me beneath the blankets.
Last night had been…
intense.
After finishing one of our hardest missions yet, our adventurer party had officially advanced to Red Rank.
First-rate.
A rank reserved for parties acknowledged not only for strength, but coordination, trust, and adaptability.
Individually, I was already Silver Rank.
But parties climbed differently.
A strong group wasn't just about overpowering enemies. It was about surviving together.
Back when we started at Blue Rank, we were a mess.
Now?
We fought like a real unit.
Still not enough though.
Not for what's coming.
My eyes drift toward the ceiling.
It had been around a week since I fought the Earth Spirit.
A week since strange rumors began spreading across the continent.
The Elven Forest bordering the great plains had suffered a massacre.
Fifty thousand elves lived there.
Only twenty-six thousand survived.
Witnesses described dark-purple flames raining from the sky.
Some people burned instantly.
Others stood untouched right beside the fire.
That part bothered me.
Magic doesn't usually discriminate unless controlled deliberately.
Selective destruction…
That sounded intentional.
Calculated.
I exhaled slowly.
"…Shiro."
I didn't know why, but something about those flames reminded me of him.
Not because I believed he'd slaughter civilians.
No.
Because dark-purple magic like that was rare.
And because Shiro…
had been changing ever since arriving in this world.
Still, there was no point jumping to conclusions yet.
Right now, I just wanted another few minutes of peace.
I closed my eyes again.
BANG!
The door slammed open hard enough to shake the walls.
"…Of course."
Frana stood proudly at the entrance with both hands on her hips.
Morning sunlight framed her dramatically like she'd just conquered a kingdom instead of committing assault against a sleeping man.
"Good morning!" she chirped.
I groaned loudly.
"Frana… one day I'm putting a trap on that door."
Her cheerful grin softened slightly.
I sat up slowly, rubbing my face.
"When are you girls gonna stop waking people up like this? You're ruining your own sleep too."
Her ears drooped immediately.
Ah.
Crap.
I sighed before standing and walking over.
"Don't make that face," I muttered softly, patting her head.
"I just want you all to enjoy your lives while you can."
I kissed her forehead gently.
Instant recovery.
Amazing.
Meanwhile, Lani shifted under the blankets sleepily while Lilith buried herself deeper into the bed like she planned to hibernate until next winter.
I walked toward the dresser and grabbed fresh clothes.
White pants.
Black-and-red shirt.
Then finally—
my coat.
A white-and-gold hooded magic coat lined with advanced enchantments.
Magic amplification.
Spell dampening.
Physical resistance.
The thing was basically a portable fortress.
The downside?
Mana consumption.
A ridiculous amount.
Thankfully my regeneration was abnormal enough to maintain it for roughly two days under normal conditions.
Real combat though?
Three hours max.
Especially against monsters like Syrah or Shura.
Speaking of them—
golden light shimmered beside the window.
Shura appeared first.
Elegant as always.
Her silver wings folded gracefully as she watched me silently.
Guides were terrifying beings.
Rare even among divine summons.
According to Shura herself, only ten Guides existed.
And every single one possessed knowledge capable of driving civilizations insane.
She refused to explain further.
Honestly?
Probably for the best.
Then came Syrah.
The lioness emerged beside the bed with regal authority dripping from every movement.
Protectors.
Middle-tier divine guardians assigned to oversee solar systems.
Apparently each Protector managed up to twelve inhabited planets.
Only fifty existed per galaxy.
Which honestly sounded absurd even now.
This world kept getting bigger the more I learned.
And more dangerous.
There were Ten Great Gods.
All omnipotent.
All ruling over different concepts and domains.
Each selected dependents.
Champions.
Successors.
Weapons.
And the Successor Games…
were essentially a divine battle royale.
The dependents absorbed one another's divine essence until only the strongest remained.
A horrifying game disguised as destiny.
And somehow…
I was part of it.
I tightened my grip on my scythe.
Unlike some dependents, I wasn't handed overwhelming power immediately.
I fought for every scrap of strength I had.
And I intended to keep climbing.
Because if I stopped—
I'd die.
Simple as that.
And honestly…
once Shiro learned the full truth about the Games, I knew exactly what would happen.
He'd join.
No hesitation.
That idiot hated losing almost as much as I did.
We pushed each other constantly back in our old world.
Neither willing to stay second best.
But now…
Now the stakes were different.
This wasn't schoolyard competition anymore.
This was survival among gods.
I slid my enhanced shoes on and lifted my twin-headed scythe over my shoulder.
Behind me, Lilith and Lani remained asleep.
Exhausted.
Last night had been their first time drinking that heavily.
…Among other things.
I smirked slightly before quietly leaving them to rest.
As I opened the door—
two figures immediately straightened.
"…You're both coming too, huh?"
Frana blushed instantly.
"I-I'll be in your care today."
Beside her, Kara grinned shamelessly before wrapping herself around my arm.
"You don't mind, right?"
Of course not.
Kara was impossible to embarrass.
Holy princess.
Master healer.
Complete menace.
Her holy magic was extraordinary though.
Unlike ordinary Light Magic, Holy Magic specialized in miracles.
Healing.
Purification.
Undead eradication.
Support.
Honestly, our party would've died several times already without her.
Meanwhile Frana remained the emotional center of the group.
Too kind for this world.
Too forgiving.
The kind of person who'd apologize to someone trying to stab her.
Which was exactly why I protected her.
We headed downstairs toward a nearby diner.
The morning streets of Larkingdon were already alive.
Elves.
Beastkin.
Lamias.
Vampires.
Even intelligent undead walked openly through the streets.
The city itself was breathtaking.
Massive white structures supported by towering Roman-style pillars.
Grand arenas.
Hanging gardens.
Crystal lamps floating above streets.
We only arrived last night, so this was my first proper look at the capital in daylight.
And honestly?
It was beautiful.
Breakfast was simple.
Toast.
Eggs.
Cured meat.
Hot tea.
The basics.
"So," I asked casually while eating, "did you two sleep well?"
Frana nodded softly.
"Y-Yes. Very peacefully."
Kara smirked over her drink.
"It would've been better if you invited us again."
Frana nearly inhaled her tea.
I laughed quietly.
Never change, Kara.
After breakfast, we finally headed toward the Adventurer's Guild.
The massive three-story building buzzed with activity from morning adventurers.
The lower floor housed a tavern overflowing with noise and alcohol despite the early hour.
The upper floor acted as lodging for beginner adventurers.
And the second floor—
our floor—
held mission requests from across the kingdom.
Hundreds of parchment sheets lined massive boards like falling leaves.
Monster extermination.
Escort requests.
Dungeon exploration.
Political protection jobs.
Kingdom investigations.
Everything.
I scanned the wall slowly.
Today was supposed to be simple.
Relaxing even.
But somehow…
in this world…
things never stayed peaceful for long.