The crunch of gravel beneath my boots sharpens as I force myself into motion. Time hangs like a blade over my neck—if causality remains unbroken, the Ẁ̷͖͚̎͛͐͠e̴̻͙̟͌̈̈͑͜a̵̭̻̞̪͚̹̬̞̲͕͔̻̜̝̔͜v̸̢̖̹̳̲͙̅́̈́͌̈́͒ȩ̴̛̼͙̖͈̯̹̺̟̖̼̺͈̫̻̰͔̿ř̴͕̦̩̻̪̞͋̈́̏̋̂͊͛̏̀̓͗̕͘͠ ̵̢̲͓̙͈͔̩͖̭̐̊̔̌̀̎̑́̋̉̚̕͜͜ȍ̸̪̦̟̩̍̇̑̽̔͗̃̽̚͝f̷͖̲̪̭͖̌͑̊̔̈́̎̂͐͜ͅ ̷̢̩̞͋́̾͆̐͐͝L̸̢͉̪͎͚͈̪̺̯͚̱̮̼̓̃̊̊͜ė̷̛̖̤͈̆͌̏̈́͑́̈́̊͘͝t̵̢̛͖̤̗̹͓̯͔̲͚͓͔̪̻̪̀̔̿̈́͂̆ͅh̶̨̬͉̖̻̯͉̝͖͎͓̙̱̅ͅå̷̧̢̧̫̙̪̙̥͍̫͌̓̒͋̈́͒͜ŕ̸̨̫̼̮̣̦̀͆̂̽̓͘g̵̡͉̼̈͊̂̅̆͊̄̏̍͋̀͝i̵͇̾̽̌͐̈̋̓̐̇̒͘͝c̸̛̣̙͍͈̹̭̹̹̺͉͚̰̲̈́̑̍̃̇̒̓ͅͅ ̸̢̨̼̲͚͔̞̩̲̣͉̝͈̟͕͇̩́͆̓̏͂͑̌̔̀̄̓̅̕͠L̵̦͔̬̱̹͕̰͔̰̳̱͛͌̌̂ͅͅĩ̴͖͕͉̝̗̘̖̠̤̟̬͍̬̰̃g̴̞͈̥͎͚͔͙̹̫̳̘̳̈́̑̀̍̃͂̆̈̀͋̄̋̚ͅh̶̡͔͎̱̥͍̳̭̟̝͕̞̭͒̉̾̎̆͗͗͋̐̿̑̉̅̎͠͝͠t̷̳͉̖̟͍̝̫̲̐ will coalesce at this cliff's base soon.
My earlier death still haunts me: a flick of his wrist with his staff following, that languid cosmic hum preceding disintegration. My current survival probability? Absolute zero. Less than zero, if such cosmic mockery permits.
Yet my fingers twitch with phantom memories of mana. If I still can use spells…
"Temporal Anchor. Personal stats."
The air crackles as reality peels back. The cerulean interface shudders to life like a wounded machine, glyphs bleeding static:
Name: [ERROR]
Class: Anomalous Entity
Title: "Adept of the Howling Void"
Stats:
- Strength: 1-Star
- Vitality: 2-Star
= Agility: 2-Star
- Intellect: 5-Star
- Stamina: 87%
Attributes:
Temporal Anchor (Passive?): A reminder that you're an outsider, you have been granted the authority to 'perceive' into the inhabitants of this world — With sufficient usage, you may see more…
Hollow Frame (Curable Debuff): While the mind is expansive, the body is a hollow mimicry — merely a shell incapable of expressing full potential in the material plane.
Element Affinity:
Wind (Main Element): 2-Star
Mana Remaining: 14/250 MP
Theres no trace of my "Survival Instinct" attribute. It did warn me to not die twice. And I disobeyed, this my punishment. Actually, how was I brought back to life? What did the system mean by expending too much energy? What energy brings back the dead anew?
In EAA, there were no revival spells, only necromancy. But I'm neither skeleton nor Vethari—just flesh rewound, scars absent yet memories intact. A temporal paradox wrapped in confusion.
"Tsk, Dammit"
I'm an outstanding student with knowledge on all things science. Easily answering most questions I faced. But this? Newtonian cause-effect lies shattered, yet entropy still claims its due. What equation governs second chances?"
Silence answers. Always silence.
I kick a goblin head, sending it clattering down the pile of bodies. Scholar's mind, younger body, and a soul caught between. That 'boss' could arrive in minutes or hours— I have no sense of the time that passed.
Wait, before I was annihilated, 'he' said that I was a cheat code and he welcomed me to the true ending of Elenos. There's no way he could know what a cheat code is and especially what a true ending is.
Hypothetically, let's say that this was the true ending. By the end of the story, the protagonist should have defeated him by banishing him. So how? Is he another transmigrated? If that's true that means I'm not the only one who's been transported here. But really? How plausible is that?
I need a sense of time first so I can form a timeline. I nee-
My priorities crystallize: Elenos's Institute of Magical Academics. Nexus of the main storyline. Before and in death-void's, I saw a message about the main storyline being infected. If this is true, only God knows how much this 'plague' has spread already. Therefore, orientation is needed. I must head there to inspect the corrosion if not try and fix it.
Not to mention the security it provides. The Academy is protected by the headmaster, A Paragoned-Class Mage, approximately 17-Stars in terms of the EAA. His name, Headmaster Orthellius Sol Tharis. Holder of achievements such as:
"The Sigil of the First Spark"An award granted to esteemed mages who have made unconventional developments to magecraft, or as the game puts "where raw instinct meets arcane theory"
"The Prime Arcanum Laureate"An award to those who have dedicated their lives to magecraft. Those who have perfected the 4 main elements, I.E: Earth, Wind, Water and Fire
And most importantly:
The Oculus of Infinite ThesisAn hourglass given to scholars whose body of work becomes indispensable—their papers are literally woven into the kingdom's defensive wards. Only 1 exists in a single kingdom and will be passed on upon the holder's death.
But first, how will I reach the academy? Am I even in the Elenos Kingdom? Considering how vast the EAA's map is, it would be a fortune to be even put in a native kingdom
I climb onto a lichen-crusted house, scanning the horizon. The rising suns cast conflicting shadows—this isn't the tutorial zone. Southward, perhaps? This entire forest could possibly be the Rotshade Canopy seeing as there are goblins and myconids. That would put me southward of the Academy.
"Huh?"
I squinted my eyes against the sun. There. Half a league east: a jagged silhouette of a towering spiral protrusion from the earth. Stormbreak Spire piercing bruised clouds. It's a landmark of the game's first major act.
I sigh in relief
I know the Academy lies two days' trek beyond it and it's settled. I leap down, bones protesting, and begin sprinting.
.
.
.
Not a good idea, jeez how weak is this body? My lungs burned like I'd swallowed embers, and my legs trembled after only a few minutes of sprinting. I staggered to a stop, bracing my hands on my knees as I gasped for air. The main character traveling long distances made it seem never this punishing—then again, in the game, my character hadn't been some scrawny, untested body dragged straight from the real world into this nightmare.
A sharp crack echoed from the underbrush.
I froze.
The Rotshade Canopy wasn't just home to the Myconids. Lesser beasts prowled these woods too—things that wouldn't hesitate to turn a winded traveler into a meal. Slowly, I straightened, scanning the tangled foliage. Shadows shifted between the gnarled trunks. Too big to be a rabbit. Too quiet to be anything harmless.
I saw it. A Viperstag. 2 Meters approximately.
Its serpentine neck coiled back, obsidian scales glinting as its antlers—sharp as scimitars—lowered toward me. In-game, these things were Adept-Class Monsters. 4-Stars across the board and one class lower than the Myconids.
I think i'm only an Intermediate-Class Mage, 2-Stars…
The Viperstag hissed, its forked tongue flicking out as it lunged.
I threw myself under, hitting the dirt hard. Its antlers gouged the earth where I'd been standing. Scrambling back, I grabbed the only thing nearby—a gnarled branch—and swung wildly. The wood splintered against its skull.
It barely flinched.
[ Stamina: 24% ]
"..."
I backpedaled as it reared again, heart hammering. No weapons. Insufficient stamina. No plan—But I have mana.
At minimum, a spell of 2-Stars can hurt it. I did notice that every Wind Slash, a 1-Star spell I cast, cost approximately 20 MP. Therefore, a 2-Star Spell will cost about 40 MP. A 3-Star Spell costing 80 MP. I have 250 Max MP and currently 189 MP.
[ Remaining MP: 189/250 ]
Either, I cast four 2-Star Spells or put my faith in a single 2-Star Spell. Either four Bursts, Intermediate-Class or a two Gale Javelin, Apprentice-Class.
The Viperstag unsheaths its antlers from the ground, aiming for another strike. I prepare myself as well. Depending on the situation I'll class either spell suitable, the image of both an explosion for burst and a spear for Gale Javelin ready to be materialized at any time.
It's a standoff, a hungry serpent and a desperate human, both with killing intent. My right arm raised while its antlers pointed.