Nyx unraveled the adjustable dark cape covering her upper body, revealing a short-sleeved white shirt and long skirt—along with a petite, slender frame and light, smooth skin. Yet in stark contrast, her arms bore visible scratches and bruises.
Frowning, she looked down at her arms—seemingly staring at something unpleasant as she squinted her eyes. Still, no words were spoken, but true to her nature of overthinking,
'...Sigh, this is why I desperately needed to get this potion. If I were seen like this... I might get reported for domestic abuse if this were Earth. Of course, I'm the one getting abused. I also probably wouldn't be completely safe from suspicions in here.'
Nyx grimaced but quickly dismissed the thought, She then raised her right hand closer to her face to take a closer look at the crimson potion, Her grim expression shifted into one of intrigue.
"...I can't just start drinking this without knowing if it's even real—or rather, how am I even supposed to know?"
She laughed inwardly. While she did trust the innkeeper not to poison her, it was still hard for someone like her, coming from Earth, to just start chugging some red liquid as if it were water.
'If I remember right, in the game's description, there was something called pure essence, which means…'
Nyx closed her eyes. Just as she had learned earlier—preparing for the worst-case scenario—she was able to feel mana to some extent. As she concentrated her senses, she could feel something flowing faintly all around her. Then she directed all her focus toward the crimson potion in her right hand, and she felt a pure flowing essence.
'... It's definitely a real one.'
She then started to open the cap of the healing potion and started to bring it closer to her lips, but she hesitated,
'... Ahh, for god's sake, why does this thing look so red?!'
Closing her eyes, her face tense with reluctance. After a brief pause, she brought the potion to her lips and, with a moment of hesitation, swallowed it all in one go.
"Haa..."
A soft breath escaped her lips, while her eyebrows twitched in surprise.
"...it doesn't taste bad? Rather, it's quite nice."
Nyx then started to see the scratches and bruises in her body closing themselves up and healing in real time, but her expression was grim.
'... I had been having suspicions for a long while now... But, I couldn't feel any pain from those scratches and bruises at all.'
Nyx was puzzled. When she was transmigrated, she was genuinely able to feel her senses working even when she pinched her cheeks, she felt pain.
"... I'm not even surprised anymore, this is most probably because of the work of some skill."
Nyx opened her Status Window, and read the skill that's most likely to be the suspect,
---
[Hollow Born] [SS]
Type: Passive
Mana Requirement: N/A
Details: You are a half-born of a being of Destruction, the blood of a corrupted flows in your blood.
Effect: Your body is inherently resistant to magical debuffs and manipulation spells, and your regeneration is greatly strengthened.
Bloodline Traits: [Gravitational Magic [S], [Impulsive Desires [S]
---
In your typical fantasy RPG, you have Goblins, Ogres, and Dragons—each possessing unique racial traits, often bundled with special abilities known as bloodline traits. While those still exist in the game [Echoes of the Fallen Sun], there also exist beings infected with Corruption. Those who are completely swallowed by it become known as [Hollow]. Anyone can become an infected Hollow—except those...
'...who are already one, it's also probably the reason why Nyx can get a skill called mental corruption in the first place.'
Nyx thought, letting out a deprecating smile.
"... This is exactly the reason why Nyx was called a monster by her mother... that's also why—I couldn't exactly hate her mother for also acting like that..."
"But it also doesn't mean that she couldn't tell her very own daughter about it either, still...it's not my place to talk."
Nyx's expression was indifferent, yet her eyes showed a faint glimmer of sympathy.
Yet, Nyx was still puzzled as there was no mention of the question she was having currently.
"...Being immune to debuffs and manipulation spells, huh... That's a rather absurd ability. There's literally a whole class that focuses on debuffs, and yet this body of mine completely renders that class useless? And increase regeneration on top of that? But I guess it's expected... after all, considering this body's constitution. Still, it doesn't exactly answer my question..."
She skimmed through the skill, hoping it might hold the answer to the question that had been bothering her, which is what is supposed to be...
"... Uhhh, I can't. I'm too curious about what that gravity skill... Sighs. But I need to go down fast, or else I'm gonna raise more suspicions...
"Let's read it first—ehem—after all that, I believe I also deserve something for myself... It's also for self-defense. I can't protect myself with some knowledge that will just make my mood worsen, indeed."
Just as Nyx spoke those words, a faint trace of sympathy stirred within her—sympathy for herself. It felt as if everything she had endured was finally catching up to her, even the fragments of her life back on Earth. At the same time, she felt an even more indescribable sense of patheticness. Her sense of reality was beginning to close in. Though her voice remained composed, her words were nothing more than a mask—carefully worn to conceal the growing exhaustion of her mind.
'Ah... Damnit... So pathetic, at this rate— that damned skill is going to activate,'
She tried to compose herself. Despite the displeasure on her face, she forced her emotions down, allowing her rationality to settle back into its usual composed state.
"Sighs... Anyways, there's no need for such thoughts"
Nyx was about to put down the empty glass bottle on the desk, but decided not to do so.
—-
[Gravitational Magic] [S]
Type - Active
Skill Details: Grants substantial control over the surrounding gravity and the user itself. The effectiveness of the command scales with the caster's rank of [Mana Sense]. Stronger commands consume more MP, while weaker commands cost the minimum requirement.
Mana Requirements: 2,000
—-
"...I won't deny it, I'm slightly excited."
Magic, after all, is just a thing of fantasies.
Nyx tested the spell on the empty potion bottle, focusing her senses and trying to make it as light as a feather. She loosened her grip slightly, intending to let it float—but her instincts kicked in. It was glass, after all. So she just settled on throwing the empty potion bottle in the air so she could catch it if things went wrong.
—-
The skill [Gravitational Magic] [S] has been used!
You have used 2,000 MP
Maintaining the skill will cost around 100 MP per minute.
Current MP: 23,000
—
Nyx raised her head, looking up at the empty potion bottle.
'… that's definitely floating.'
The bottle floating in the air, not suspended but
gliding through it, after around a minute—She then stopped the spell, focusing her senses and cutting off the flow of mana.
Nyx let out a small smile her face brightening up, as her mood slowly recovered.
'... So, what if I use it on myself?'
She then applied the ability to herself and tried to make herself float.
She slowly let go of her footing—not to jump, but simply to break contact with the floor. To her amazement, her legs didn't fall. Her body followed suit, and within seconds, she was completely suspended in the air, a sensation of true weightlessness washing over her.
"...I-I'm floating."
For the first time since her transmigration, Nyx's lips curled into a wide, genuine smile—one from joy and wonder.
She let her arms drift gently to her sides and lay her back on the air itself, mimicking the posture of someone floating through water… only this time, she was floating through the air itself.
"Haah, this is pretty amazing... All these things might be worth it..."
***
After a few minutes of enjoying the sensation of weightlessness—something you'd only get to experience if you were rich back on Earth—she suddenly realized something.
"Wait... how much mana does this consume?"
She had completely lost track of time, fully immersed in the comforting sensation—that was also why her composure wavered, caught entirely off guard.
---
The skill [Gravitational Magic] [S] is currently active!
You have used 10,000 MP
Maintaining the skill will cost around 1,000 MP per minute.
Current MP: 3,010
---
Her expression contorted out of fear.
"Eek! I'm gonna fall at this rate, ah... I'm pretty far up too..."
Nyx wasn't that high up in the air, the room itself was small, and she was just floating mid-air—not even the highest point.
"...ugh damn it, I'm afraid of heig—'
With a loud slam, the silence of the room was shattered.
"...Gah! My butt... Damn it..."
Nyx's face contorted in pain, but her mood did not worsen,
"Hahahaha! That's so stupid, haah..."
Nyx lay down her back on the floor, her vision on the ceiling—yet she was smiling...until a growling sound was made... from her stomach.
Nyx's face turned a little red from the embarrassment.
"...I guess I'm pretty hungry "
***
Nyx wore the dark cape over her shoulders once more, stepped out of the room, and locked the door behind her with a key.
She appeared to be squinting as her eyes had not completely adapted to the bright sunlight.
'It seems to be noon... It feels like my eyes are going to burn.'
After arriving at the staircase leading to the 1st floor, she took a wide step seemingly out of instinct.
'...gah! I'm gonna die!'
Nyx closed her eyes as her survival instincts took over. Then, as if something was amiss, she squinted them open,
"...why am I not falling?"
She said as her face was practically touching the stairs.
---
The skill [Gravitational Magic] [S] has been used!
You have consumed 3,000 MP
Maintaining this skill will cost 1,000 MP per minute.
Current Mana: 10
---
Nyx sighed in resignation.
"...this is going to hurt."
Her body rolled over the stairs with a loud slamming noise as she hit the ground and her body was completely flipped over.
Dozens of people looked at her completely puzzled at the sight, some who were busily talking to each other even completely stopped and paused to look at the commotion.
Her face was completely beet red as if the embarrassment was too much to bear.
She then let out a grumble.
"...why is this body too short...?"
|Chapter 4 - The Hidden Heroine (4)