Chapter 1113

〈Chapter 1113〉 1113. Dark Moon

I woke up in the dead of night.

I sneakily glanced at my wristwatch. 1:22 AM. The perfect time.

I carefully rose, checking on Instructor Lexi sleeping beside me. She, being a restless sleeper, had already half undressed herself in her sleep. Her hands were above her head, her shirt was bunched up, and her pants were precariously hanging on her thighs.

My eyes were drawn to the small black panties. I recalled seeing her female parts just hours ago.

‘Pink… no, now’s not the time for that.’

I shook my head. This was an important moment. Using Silence Magic to eliminate any sound from my footsteps, I headed towards the waterfall. Fortunately, the alarm magic was set outside the waterfall, so there was no risk of triggering it.

Upon seeing the waterfall, I frowned. It was pitch dark. Even with mana focused in my eyes, it was hard to see. Especially the inner part of the stream was completely invisible.

“Light.”

I cast the spell, and a sphere of light appeared in front of me, illuminating the surroundings. I controlled the light sphere with my intent, slowly lifting it upwards. Flying bugs swarmed towards the light like they’d been waiting for it.

Seeing the shadows of the bugs darting around, I felt an impulse to incinerate them with Fire Magic.

“If only I had more time, I would’ve done it.”

I wandered near the stream rather than its center, keeping my gaze down as I tried to recall memories from the game “Dark Moon” while searching for a special rock. Since I couldn’t sense anything with Mana Detection, I had to rely on sight.

“There it is.”

A rock partially submerged in water. Upon closer inspection of its surface, faint runes could be seen.

Rune characters.

One of the ancient magical systems frequently used back then. In modern times, due to the well-established system of magical symbols, runes have become less efficient and are fading out of the magical world. However, they’re still hot among treasure hunters and archaeologists.

“In the game, when the character approached, an activation button automatically popped up.”

But this wasn’t a game; it was reality. Activation had to be done manually. I placed my hand on the rock and carefully channeled mana into it, causing the runes to softly glow.

“The existence of these means the game’s gimmicks are intact in this world too.”

The secrets hidden in this world—I know them. Feeling an indescribable sense of superiority, I continued my work.

“The second stone was on the opposite side.”

It wasn’t difficult to find and activate it. The third one was a small rock under a tree.

“The last fourth one is behind the waterfall.”

Approaching the waterfall, my clothes got wet. I didn’t mind—it could be dried later with magic.

I felt around the rock behind the waterfall with my hands. Through my palm, I could feel the indented shape of a rune.

Just like with the other three runes, I sent mana flowing through it, and the rune softly lit up.

Kooong.

The rock behind the waterfall split open like an automatic door, revealing a space big enough for a person to enter. I canceled the Light Magic and recreated the orb of light on my palm, shining it into the inside. There was a staircase leading downwards.

With a slight tension, I descended.

I reached the floor. All sides were sealed off, and a sunken part of the floor was visible. I stared intently at the floor. Triangle, square, circle, diamond—four different patterns were drawn there.

“This follows the game too.”

The answer came to me immediately upon seeing it. My Earth memories were hazy, but information related to “Dark Moon” was crystal clear.

“The me from Earth found thinking tiresome. I didn’t play ‘Dark Moon’ to solve puzzles. Whenever a puzzle came up during gameplay, I just looked it up on the internet.”

That was my playstyle.

“The answer here is two triangles, two squares.”

Lifting my right foot, I stepped on the triangle twice, then the square twice.

Kooong.


The place where I fell opened a path leading downward. With two more puzzles solved, I stepped into the final chamber.

“The last gimmick ends when you light six torches.”

I moved around and lit five fixed torches. The sixth one was hidden. Of course, I already knew its location.

I tilted my head back to look at the ceiling. In the center of it, there was a circular pattern drawn. That’s the sixth torch.

“Fire.”

The flame reached the center of the ceiling.

UUUUUUUUNG.

The mana in the space trembled. Watching the movement of the mana, I swallowed hard. Each swirling flow of mana was intricately set.

The walls and ceiling moved powered by mana. Eventually, the mana gathered at the center of the ceiling. A hole opened up, and two items dropped down.

A short sword that fits comfortably in one hand and a red hood.

“The rewards are always the same, huh.”

I smiled with satisfaction.

The short sword is a 4th-grade artifact: an attribute blade. You can assign any attribute to the sword. Honestly, it’s not much help in combat, but the ability to assign attributes makes it useful in various ways.

“It’ll be helpful for solving gimmicks requiring elemental power.”

Of course, that’s in-game talk. Even though it’s only grade 1, it’s not very necessary for me who can use all elemental magics.

What I was after wasn’t the short sword but the red hood.

The Red Hood of the Wolf, a 6th-grade artifact.

This artifact has a simple effect: it allows you to use the Transparency magic.

“The Transparency magic disguises your character’s information.”

For example, if you have a level 50 mage character, using Transparency magic lets you disguise your level, job, and even stats.

“You could enter dungeons with conditions by faking your character info using Transparency magic.”

It allows you to bypass all restrictions like job limits, level caps, and stat requirements. Of course, there are special restricted areas where Transparency doesn’t work, but those usually involve different kinds of limitations unrelated to character data.

Just remember, Transparency only disguises your information. It doesn’t actually change your job or abilities.

“I can hide my true mastery using Transparency magic.”

I stared silently at the red hood.

Here comes the important part. I couldn’t possibly carry something like this around. I’m a soldier, sworn to duty. Carrying unauthorized property isn’t allowed, and if I bring it back to base, they’ll immediately inspect my belongings.

“If they find this during inspection, it’ll be 100% exposed as an artifact.”

And this is no ordinary artifact—it’s a 6th-grade artifact worth billions.

I took a deep breath and summoned my mana, starting the analysis on the red hood by flowing mana into it.

“I need to master the Transparency magic contained within this artifact. With my talent, it should be possible.”

No, it *had* to be possible.

I examined the magical runes etched inside the red hood. Complicated rune patterns flashed through my mind. I twisted my lips.

“The structure of these runes is unlike anything I’ve seen before. They seem to distort perception and senses—some kind of illusion magic?”

To analyze further, I’d need to deconstruct the runes embedded in the red hood. Only then could I thoroughly examine the deeper layers.

“…But doing so will render the artifact unusable. One chance. No room for failure.”

One failure, and it’s over. Feeling my wavering resolve, I reaffirmed my determination.

“I can’t stop here. For my goal, I need the Transparency magic. I trust myself. I trust my talent.”

I focused my mind.

My mana intruded deep into the red hood. Fortunately, there were no security runes blocking me, allowing me to observe the raw structure unimpeded.

Still, observation alone isn’t enough. I had to break apart the layered rune structures, understanding each piece one by one. During this process, the artifact began to deteriorate.

“Each layer of the runes… spins around in circles. Like a Möbius strip…”

This arrangement ensures the magic flows endlessly without escaping outward.

“…There’s no need for it to escape. It’s meant to deceive, to mask one’s own information. Yes, maintaining the magic would be easier with a Möbius strip-like formation.”

Drenched in cold sweat, I explored the Transparency magic runes.

By the time I finished, more than two hours had passed. At my feet lay the shattered remains of the red hood. There was no trace of magical energy left. The artifact had become trash.

“Transparency…”


“Runcy. It’s kinda hard to pinpoint the exact tier.”

I’ve modified part of the Transparency magic formula to suit me. Not focusing on deceiving, but rather concealing. Thanks to this, the difficulty of the magic plummeted.

“Still, I’d need at least a Level 3 proficiency to use it smoothly.”

I closed my eyes.

I urged the growth of Astral that I had paused. The quality of Astral increased and expanded. But it didn’t stop there—Astral began taking root in the world itself. This vast world acknowledged my existence. Or rather, I acknowledged this world.

Slowly, I opened my eyes. I could feel the presence of the 25 mana rods embedded within my body. The flow of mana felt smooth and refreshing.

“Transparency.”

I cast the magic meant to conceal my skills and level. The influence of Astral disappeared, and seven mana rods vanished from sight. To the outside observer, it would look like I’m only Level 2.

“Perfect. Even I, who cast the spell, am fooled by it.”

There was a drawback, though.

The moment I used the power hidden by Transparency, its effects would be undone.

“But since I don’t plan on using Level 3 magic in front of others anyway, it’s not a big issue.”

Having achieved my goal, I grabbed my attribute sword and headed toward the stairs.

“The attribute sword will probably just get confiscated by the squad if I bring it along, so I should hide it here. I can come back for it when the time is right.”

As I ascended, I scanned my surroundings with Light Magic.

Out of nowhere, a Water Slime came bouncing toward me. No surprise there—I already knew it would happen. That’s why I brought the attribute sword in the first place, to deal with these guys.

I channeled mana into the attribute sword.

The desired attribute: Ice.

A white chill coursed through the blade.

I swung the sword at the Water Slime.

SWISH.

It leapt out of the way, dodging my attack. My expression twisted in annoyance.

The Water Slime lunged at my head. My prepared Barrier repelled it. More Water Slimes jumped closer, closing the distance.

“Shit. Are slimes really dodging my attacks? Is my swordsmanship really THAT bad?”

I already knew I lacked talent in physical combat, but seeing even slimes effortlessly evade my strikes crushed my motivation. Any thoughts of learning swordsmanship flew far, far away.

Confirming that my mana was still linked to the attribute sword, I released my grip on the hilt. Instead of falling, the sword floated mid-air.

Level 3 Non-attribute Magic: Telekinesis.

With a flick of my right index finger, the attribute sword soared toward the Water Slime and pierced it. The icy chill seeped into the slime, which instantly froze and shattered upon hitting the ground.

“Hmph. If I lack confidence in wielding the sword myself, I can just use magic to wield it for me. Much easier. Though… telekinesis has the worst mental stamina efficiency compared to other spells… huh?”

I tilted my head in confusion.

Magic usually activates at a 20% mental stamina and 80% mana ratio. However, Telekinesis, being a Level 3 spell, follows a 90% mental stamina and 10% mana ratio. While it consumes less mana, mental stamina depletes quickly, making it unpopular among mages.

“As your proficiency in magic increases, the mental stamina consumption decreases, but telekinesis is different.”

Telekinesis has a simple formula; it relies more on willpower than anything else. Literally, “mind power.”

“But why do I feel fine after using telekinesis? Could it be suited to my aptitude? Now that I think about it, I don’t remember ever feeling mentally drained while casting other spells either.”

The Water Slime approached again. Shoving thoughts aside, I flicked my finger. The attribute sword, imbued with telekinesis, darted through the air, slicing the Water Slime effortlessly.

“Definitely much easier than holding the hilt and swinging it myself.”

I switched the sword’s attribute to Fire. Flames erupted along the blade. I spun it in the air like a wheel, sending sparks flying everywhere.

“With telekinesis, movements impossible while gripping the sword become possible.”

The rotating attribute sword mercilessly shredded the Water Slime. Steam filled the air.

“This time, wind.”

The steam swirled chaotically with the gusts of wind. Wind blades sliced through the Water Slime, splashing liquid everywhere.

“How about electricity next?”

ZAP ZAP.

A bright blue current coursed through the blade. The attribute sword left trails of electricity in the air as it eliminated the remaining Water Slimes. The dead slimes turned into puddles, soaking the floor.

I plunged the attribute sword into the ground. Electric currents traveled through the water, spreading across the entire floor—a flashy finishing touch.

“Telekinesis and the attribute sword… they might actually be pretty useful.”