Almost thirty minutes into the game.
The pitcher's glowing eyes locked onto the batter, a determined gleam in his gaze. Behind him, the catcher and referee watched intently, waiting for the next move.
So far, the pitcher hadn't managed a single strike, and with the bases now loaded with sludge, he was desperate for his first. Meanwhile, the batter stood ready, aiming for nothing less than a home run.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The pitcher hurled four balls simultaneously, each hurtling in from a different angle.
The batter, gripped his sword tightly, eyes darting between the incoming projectiles. He took a deep breath, ready to decide which one to strike first.
For a split second, everything slowed. He could see the path of each ball in slow motion, the angles, the trajectories.
'The second ball on the left.'
This newfound clarity came from reading the pitcher's moves throughout the last thirty minutes. It felt surreal as if Jan could anticipate every motion before it happened.
It reminded him of his duel with Sophia when he had dodged her strikes with precise timing. But this time, it was more than just analyzing movements—he could actually see it unfold.
[Congratulations, your skill has improved: "Insight Lv.2"]
Jan blinked, trying to comprehend. Was this the kind of skill Maria had mentioned? If this was just Level 2 of Insight, what would it be like at higher levels? Could he really glimpse into the future?
It was a childish thought, but Jan couldn't hide his excitement.
'Well, it's called 'Insight' after all...'
"Jan, be careful!" Maria's voice rang out, worry lacing her tone as she eyed the incoming projectiles.
"I've got this!"
Whoosh!
Jan swung his sword, striking the first ball cleanly. He used the momentum to spin around, hitting the second one right behind it.
Whoosh!
The first hit soared straight toward the brute, but the second clipped the edge of his blade, spinning off to the side like a foul ball.
'Well, I'm only human,' Jan thought with a smirk.
With the last two balls approaching, Jan adjusted his stance for a powerful swing. The two were almost in line, forcing him to strike them together in one move.
Whoosh!!!
His swing unleashed a small whirlwind beneath him, sending a gust that ruffled the hair of the two sisters behind him. They stared, wide-eyed at the bizarre display of power.
Maria's thoughts raced. 'Is he even human?'
Sophia shook her head, trying to make sense of it. 'This power... it's like... no, that's impossible. Uncle Rollo would never fight like this... right?'
Whoosh!!!
With gritted teeth, Jan sent the last two balls flying. However, they missed their mark and crashed into the ground just behind the Brute.
[Congratulations, your skill has improved: "Reflect Lv.4"]
'Yes!' Jan pumped his fist in triumph, grinning at the system message. 'Things are going as planned! I can't wait to see what happens at Lv.5!'
The plan was straightforward: since its weak spot—the eyes—could move freely within its body, Jan would keep reflecting its projectiles, letting it shrink with each attack until it was small enough for them to trap it.
"Hey, isn't it small enough already?" Sophia complained, her tone bored as she glanced at the shrunken Brute, now only a fraction of its original size.
"N-No! Just a little more!" Jan spun around, his expression pleading.
"L-Listen—"
Crack! Thud!
The sound of metal breaking cut through the air, and then half of Jan's blade clattered to the ground.
They all froze, staring blankly at the broken blade for a moment before looking up—four more projectiles were already on their way.
"AAAAAHH!!!" Maria screamed from the top of her lungs.
"Y-You idiot! Why did I trust you?!" Sophia shrieked, sprinting ahead.
Jan, without missing a beat, scooped the screaming Maria up by the waist once more and dashed away, shouting, "I'm sorry!"
The three sprinted without glancing back until the sound of mud balls splattering against the ground behind them made them pause. Maria and Jan exhaled in relief, but Sophia leaped forward, her sword blazing as she shouted, "Finally my turn!"
She decreased the distance between her and the creature in a second, and before the Brute could even react her blade started dancing.
Thud! Thud!
Her sword sliced through two of the brute's arms with powerful strikes. With the creature now shrunken to a third of its original size, her blazing blade could carve through its thick, mucky form.
Thud!
A leg fell next, but the brute maintained its balance, stubbornly refusing to collapse. Yet, the flickering light in its head seemed agitated, wavering with uncertainty.
"Aim for the eyes!" Jan shouted.
"I know!" Sophia snapped back, and with a wide, decisive swing, she cleaved the brute cleanly in two.
Thud! Thud!
With the upper half of the brute lying prone on the ground, Sophia climbed atop it, gripping her sword with both hands. She raised it high and thrust it deep into the brute's head, driving the blade between the glowing eyes before twisting it sharply.
The flickering light faded, dimming rapidly until it extinguished completely.
Sophia smirked in triumph as Maria jumped with joy. "Jan, we did it!"
"Y-Yeah..." Jan replied, a puzzled look on his face.
Something felt off—there was no message announcing the mission's completion, no notification of leveling up. A sense of unease crept over him.
'Could it be...?!'
Jan glanced back at the brute's remains just as Sophia approached, a proud grin on her face. "A-Are you happy now?! We saved—"
"Sophia, look out!" Jan suddenly shouted.
A slimy, mud-like creature with glowing eyes lunged from behind her, its body spreading wide as it descended over Sophia.
Planting his foot firmly, Jan hurled his broken sword straight at it.
Sophia reacted instantly, ducking as Jan's broken blade struck the creature square in the head, throwing it off balance. In one fluid motion, and from that low position, she unsheathed her blazing sword and slashed through the creature in a diagonal arc.
Whoosh!
The burning blade sliced through the creature, igniting both halves. Within moments, the fiery remnants crumbled to ash, scattering into the air.
[Protect the Library 1/1]
[Protect the Librarian 1/1]
Ring— Ring—
[Mission Completed]
[Congratulations! You've completed the mission!]
Rewards:
1. 1 Level Up!
2. 100G
3. Skill Book: The Song of Light and Water
[You've reached Level 40. You can now distribute your points!]
[You've reached Level 40. You can now choose a class!]
'A book!? Where is it?!'
Jan's eyes darted around eagerly, hoping to spot the promised reward. But there was no sign of it.
Did he misread the notification?
'No, I'm sure of it... There should also be 100 gold, but...'
He searched the area frantically, but there was nothing. Typically, gold appeared on the ground after defeating monsters, but there was nothing to collect.
"You liar! And I was really excited! Also, why didn't I level up like usual?!"
He had only gained one level, a stark contrast to the previous battle where he'd leveled up multiple times after defeating Striders and Wraths. Now, despite facing the far more challenging The Brute, he had only gained a single level, and that only as a mission reward.
"Liar, cheat!" Jan muttered under his breath, cursing the system and whoever had created it, until his thoughts were interrupted by Maria's voice.
"Jan, come over here!"
Jan trudged toward the sisters, his disappointment weighing on him. As he approached, he noticed that the brute's body had finally vanished, leaving something glowing on the ground.
"Items!" His heart leapt with excitement at the realization.
Jan quickened his pace, joining the sisters who were quarreling.
"No way! You spent my money last time, so you don't get to pick the money." Maria was shouting.
"B-But, that's not fair!"
"No buts, no money for you!"
Before them lay an array of items: a strange-looking orb, two red bottles, a blue bottle, a pair of iron boots, a sword, a pile of gold, and an old, weathered book.
"So, how are we going to decide this? Rock, paper, scissors?" Sophia asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Rock, paper, scissors?" Jan blinked. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"It's how we decide who picks first," Maria explained.
"Oh, so is that how we're going to do it?" Jan asked, glancing eagerly at the book.
"Well, since she spent my money last time, it's only fair if I or you get the first pick, don't you think?" Maria said, eyeing the pile of gold.
"W-Well, in that case, you pick first…"
"Really?!" Maria exclaimed, her voice suddenly cheerful. "Then it's settled! We'll pick in order—me, then Jan, then Sophia. And I'm taking the gold!"
"Fine, then I'm taking the book," Jan declared, reaching for it.
"The book?!" the sisters exclaimed in unison, eyes wide with surprise.
"But it's just a filt— I mean it's just an old book, are you sure?!"
"Yep!" Jan said, clutching the book with a satisfied grin, rubbing it against his cheek like a long-lost treasure, almost bursting into a goofy, carefree laugh.
"Eww, whatever... I'll take the sword," Sophia grumbled.
"I'll take the orb," Maria added.
"..."
"Jan!" Sophia snapped, trying to get his attention.
"Huh? Oh, right…" Jan was still lost in admiration for the book as he randomly picked, "I'll take this blue bottle, then."
Sophia slapped her forehead, exasperated. "I'll take the boots."
"And I guess that leaves the red potions for me, as the last one to pick," Maria said with a sly grin, satisfied with how things turned out—except for the part where she didn't actually want the red potions.
She sidled over to Jan, who was still beaming at the book. "Hey, Jan, how about a trade? One red potion for your blue one?"
"Sure, take it," Jan replied absently, more focused on reading the cover of the book.
Maria took the blue potion as he frowned, struggling to decipher the faded writing. It looked more like an old manuscript than a proper book, and the withered text left him frustrated.
Noticed his troubled expression. "What's wrong?" Maria asked.
"I can't read the words in the book."
"Let me take a look," Maria offered.
"Be careful with it," Jan said, handing it over with slightly shaky hands, clearly protective of his new prize.
Maria examined the cover and flipped through a few pages. "Yeah, it's pretty much unreadable. Let's see if I can identify it."
[Identify]
[Type: Weathered Book]
[Title: Across the Endless Stairs: Seraphon's Chronicle]
[Author: Seraphon, a hero who lived three centuries ago and led his party on a long quest to ascend the Tower.]
[Summary: The chronicle of Seraphon's adventures and his struggle to climb the Tower.]
[Durability: 35/100]
"It looks like this is a book written by a hero named Seraphon, who lived about three centuries ago. The title is Across the Endless Stairs: Seraphon's Chronicle," Maria explained.
"What else does it say?" Jan asked eagerly.
"Well, it's basically a record of his journey through the Tower—his adventures and struggles," Maria replied.
"Seraphon... a book about his journey..." Jan murmured, deep in thought. He brightened suddenly, taking the book back with a grateful smile. "This is amazing! Thanks, Maria!"
"It's no big deal," Maria replied, smiling as she watched Jan examine the cover again.
"Now that you mention it, I think I can make out the title and author's name, but it's still really hard to read. How did you know all of that?" he asked, glancing up.
Sophia, who had been listening in, slapped her forehead again. "She used a skill called [Identify] You can use it too, you know."
Jan blinked in surprise. "Wait, really? No one ever told me that!"
"Then try it now! Just look at the book and say Identify," Maria suggested.
[Identify!]
[Type: Weathered Book]
A message flashed before Jan's eyes.
"It worked! But it's only telling me that it's a weathered book."
"That's because you haven't used the skill enough," Sophia added.
"So it has a level?" Jan asked, curiosity piqued.
Sophia sighed.
"Here, let me help you. I will identify and tell you exactly the level of your skill," Maria offered.
"Wait, you can identify people too?" Jan exclaimed, stunned.