~~~
"What do you mean, no Vienna?" Rudy's voice cracked, the words barely escaping his throat.
"I mean," Jin said, voice steady despite the tremor in his hands, "in the visions I've seen... Vienna is erased. Burned to ash. Everyone we know—gone."
Wish I could tell him more, but the fucking author only wrote one paragraph about the whole thing.
Rudy stared at him, purple eyes wide with disbelief. His gaze darted between Jin and the massive labyrinth looming before them, as if searching for some anchor in a world that had suddenly lost all meaning.
"So what you're telling me…" Rudy's voice trembled, caught between anger and despair. "Is that no matter what we do, we die, anyway?"
He's spiraling. Can't let him fall into despair—not when I need him, not when survival depends on both of us.
Jin's jaw hardened. His chest felt tight, but something deeper—something forged in the crucible of his past life's suffering—refused to break.
"No. I don't believe in fate, not like that. To me, the future isn't chains—it's clay. Shaped by every step we take, every choice we make."
Yeah Rudy… I died once already. I'll be damned if I let this world's bullshit kill me before I even get started.
"If I'm going to die, Rudy… then I'd rather it be on my feet, sword in hand, than waiting for the axe to fall."
Rudy shook his head, almost laughing in disbelief. "Jin, we awakened a week ago. A week. We're not even Order-ranked—forget Mantle-bearers! We're ants in a storm."
For a heartbeat, Jin's mask cracked. Panic gnawed at the edges of his mind—the same fear that had consumed him in his previous life when faced with his own mortality. The memory of lying in that hospital bed, watching his body waste away while doctors spoke in hushed tones...
"Rudy." Jin's tone hardened, cutting through his friend's spiraling despair like a blade. "Look at me."
Slowly, reluctantly, Rudy turned to face him.
"So what if we're Order 0? So what if we're weak right now?" Jin's voice carried the weight of absolute conviction. "Being weak isn't a curse, Rudy—it's just where we start. The only real sin is staying that way."
That flicker. The slight narrowing of Rudy's gaze. Good. I can work with that.
Jin softened his approach, letting some of the vulnerability he'd been hiding creep into his voice. "Do you know what terrified me most about those visions? Not death. Never death. It was dying without meaning. Dying without leaving even a spark behind to light the way for others."
He placed a firm hand on Rudy's shoulder, grounding them both.
In my previous life, I had nobody. Just books and stories about people who mattered. This time, I have people worth fighting for.
Jin's grip tightened, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper.
"Amelia, Serena, Uncle Marcus, Uncle Matthew, Aunt Sarah, Aunt Helena... they made me feel like I had a home again."
"And you... We are brothers, Rudy. Not by blood, but by bond, by choice. If the world wants us broken, then we break the world instead. If death comes for us, we face it together—blade to blade, back to back. Until that moment, I swear on every breath in my body that I'll drag us both through hell itself to keep us alive."
Rudy's lips trembled, then twisted into the ghost of a grin.
"Back to back, huh?"
Jin returned the smile with iron resolve.
"Always."
Jin extended his hand toward his friend.
Rudy stared at it for a long moment, trembling still, then clasped it tight—fingers digging in with desperate strength as an unspoken oath sealed between them.
"Then let's be that spark," Rudy whispered.
Jin smiled, sharp and resolute. "That's my brother."
Thank God. That went better than I hoped. I can see the fire returning to his eyes.
"Rudy," Jin said, his voice stronger now, "before we charge into hell, I need to bring you up to speed on a few things."
"There's a plan?"
"Something like that." Jin ran a hand through his hair. "I chose this dungeon because of the vision of Vienna's attack. There were other options, safer places to hide, but a dungeon felt infinitely better than being caught outside during the first wave."
"First wave?"
"The cultists who hit Vienna—they're just the beginning. But that's a problem for later." Jin's expression grew serious. "Right now, we use this time to build our foundation. With my knowledge of what's coming, we can set ourselves up to actually matter when it counts."
Jin reached out with his hand, palm up in invitation.
"For now, I need you to trust me. And I need to see your Mantle, if that's okay."
Rudy studied Jin's face for a moment, then grasped his hand firmly, allowing the connection to form.
o__________________________________________o
NAME: Rudy Whitehart
AGE: 16
THE MANTLE OF THE COLOSSUS
❂ BOON
"What stands unmoved shall not fall; what rises unbroken shall not yield. The bearer's body is the fortress, the bearer's will the blade."
❂ AFFINITY
»»»» EARTH
❂ [ORDER 0] ENTITY
❂ ACQUIRED SKILLS
»»»» [Novice] Reading (13)
»»»» [Novice] Learning and remembering (11)
»»»» [Novice] Physical fitness (22)
»»»» [Novice] Physical Conditioning (11)
»»»» [Novice] Greatsword Mastery (24)
»»»» [Novice] Unarmed Combat Mastery (12)
»»»» [Novice] Brawling (7)
»»»» [Novice] Shield Mastery (15)
o__________________________________________o
Holy shit. Colossus? That suits him—and he already has an Earth affinity!
His combat skills are all high-level novice, too. No wonder he's always been so naturally gifted at fighting.
"Damn, Rudy. I didn't know you were hiding all this talent," Jin said with genuine admiration.
Rudy scoffed, but there was pride in his voice. "Dad's been training me since I could walk. Guess it shows."
Jin flexed his fingers and revealed his own aura.
The connection formed, and Rudy's eyes widened as he read Jin's Mantle:
o__________________________________________o
NAME: Jin Winters
AGE: 16
TITLE: The Soul Beyond the Stars of Fate
THE MANTLE OF HARVEST
❂ BOON
"What mortal hands would barely reap, the Bearer's touch shall always yield more—what earth gives forth through toil and seed, the Bearer's hand makes plenty's deed."
❂ AFFINITY
»»»» «None»
❂ [ORDER 0] ENTITY
❂ MARKED SKILLS [1/5]
»»»» [Novice] Appraisal (42)
❂ ACQUIRED SKILLS
»»»» [Adept] Reading (53)
»»»» [Adept] Learning and remembering (51)
»»»» [Novice] Cleaning (23)
»»»» [Novice] Physical fitness (12)
»»»» [Novice] Sword Mastery (9)
»»»» [Novice] Unarmed Combat Mastery (12)
»»»» [Novice] Unarmed Combat Mastery (12)
»»»» [Novice] Light firearm Mastery (21)
»»»» [Novice] Combat Mastery (15)
o__________________________________________o
"Harvest," Jin said. "No affinity yet, but growing. Different paths, same mountain."
"Can you see the quest details?" Jin asked carefully.
Rudy shook his head. "Only the title. Something about souls and stars? It's like there's a wall blocking the rest."
Perfect. That sells my lie…
Jin nodded, feeling relief wash over him. "Good. That's safer for both of us."
"Now, Rudy, let me drop another bombshell on you." Jin watched his friend's face carefully. "We can change our Boons."
Rudy's jaw hit the ground. "What... that's impossible. Everyone knows Mantles are fixed from awakening—"
"That's what everyone believes, but it's wrong."
Jin began walking toward the labyrinth entrance, forcing Rudy to follow as he continued his explanation.
"Mantles are pathways to connect with universal concepts. Mine connects to Harvest, yours to Colossus."
"These Boons are just representations of which abilities suit us best right now—a small part of the actual concept's power."
It'll probably take that person seven years to figure out the exact way out…heh.
"I'll tell you more later, but for now, we need to reach peak Order 0 and accumulate as much latent essence as possible. Don't break through to Order I before I tell you to, understood?"
"Why not?"
"Because timing matters. Break through at the wrong moment, and you may lock yourself into… bad potential paths." Jin's voice carried the authority of someone who had seen the consequences. "Trust me on this."
After a moment of processing, Rudy's expression shifted to something more vulnerable.
"Jin... if we can really do all this... does that mean we can help Serena too?"
Serena. Right. From my memory, I remember she has a troublesome boon…
Jin smiled, warmth creeping into his voice. "Yes, we can. But let's survive this hell first, what do you say, bro?"
"Yeah. Let's do that."
Jin paused near the labyrinth entrance, pulling gear from his spatial storage. "Stretch your body, Rudy. We'll be entering in a few minutes."
"I don't have my sword, though."
"Just warm up. I'll handle the equipment."
Of course, he doesn't have spatial storage. How did I miss something so obvious?
Jin reached into his pendant and withdrew the longsword he'd found in Uncle Marcus's room. Time to test his appraisal on it properly.
My Appraisal is at 42—just a little more practice and I can push it to Adept rank. That would be incredibly useful.
Focusing his essence, Jin activated his skill:
« [NOVICE] APPRAISAL (42) USED ON ITEM... APPRAISAL SUCCESSFUL »
o__________________________________________o
NAME: "Wensin Longsword "
RARITY: Uncommon Grade.
TYPE: Sword (Longsword)
STATE: Maintained – 85% Integrity
Manufacturer: Lauran Wensin Smithy.
➤ CORE ENCHANTMENTS
Edge Retention Sigil (Tier II)
Minor Mana Conduction (Tier II)
Durability Rune (Tier II)
➤ TECHNICAL DETAILS
Length: 92 cm
Weight: 3.1 kg
Material: Refined Orcus Steel, Silver Inlay
➤ VALUE ESTIMATION
Market Value: 80,000 - 120,000 Zens
Effective Use: ORDER I–II Power Levels
o__________________________________________o
Damn. That's a serious weapon—not as jaw-dropping as the Iron Howl, but it's still enchanted.
"Hey, Rudy, catch!" Jin tossed the sword to his friend, who caught it with practiced ease.
"It's called a Wensin Longsword, Uncommon grade. Should work fine for what we need."
Rudy tested the balance with a few practice swings, his face immediately scrunching into a frown. "It's not a greatsword."
"Make it work. That's all we have."
Beggars can't be choosers. At least it's enchanted.
Jin turned toward the looming maze entrance, feeling his Appraisal skill respond as they approached. The amount of information flooding his vision was staggering:
« [NOVICE] APPRAISAL (42) USED ON DUNGEON FLOOR… APPRAISAL SUCCESSFUL»
o__________________________________________o
[DUNGEON ENTRANCE: THE LABYRINTH OF SHIFTING STONES]
[HAZARD LEVEL: MODERATE]
[ENTRY CONDITIONS: NONE]
[GUARDIAN STATUS: ACTIVE]
[ARCHITECTURAL NOTES: WALLS RECONFIGURE EVERY 47 MINUTES | MAGICAL TRAP DENSITY: HIGH | RECOMMENDED PARTY SIZE: 3-4 MEMBERS]
o__________________________________________o
"Well, that's not encouraging," Jin muttered under his breath.
Shifting walls every forty-seven minutes means we can't rely on memorizing the layout. And we're two people short of the recommended party size.
Perfect.
"So what's the verdict?" Rudy asked, noting Jin's focused expression.
"A Guardian is waiting for us, which means something nasty is about to greet us at the entrance. Also, the walls shift every forty-seven minutes, so we'll need to move fast once we're inside."
Just like in the novel's dungeon mechanics. Conquest-type dungeons always have entrance guardians to test worthiness.
As if summoned by his words, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble. A grinding, mechanical sound echoed from within the maze—stone scraping against stone with the weight of centuries behind it.
"Jin..." Rudy's voice carried a warning edge as he shifted into a combat stance.
A section of the maze's outer wall began to rotate, massive stone blocks moving with ponderous inevitability. Behind the shifting stones, something glowed with inner fire—runes that pulsed like a heartbeat made of molten metal.
o__________________________________________o
[GUARDIAN DETECTED: STONE WARDEN]
[CLASS: CONSTRUCT]
[LEVEL: ORDER I ]
[THREAT ASSESSMENT: FAILED APPRAISAL LEVEL NOT HIGH ENOUGH]
[WEAKNESSES: ANALYZING... FAILED APPRAISAL LEVEL NOT HIGH ENOUGH]
o__________________________________________o
The Stone Warden emerged from its hidden chamber like a mountain given life and malevolent purpose. Twelve feet tall, carved from granite that seemed to absorb the dungeon's amber light, its surface was etched with hundreds of glowing runes that pulsed in complex, hypnotic patterns. Each footfall shook the ground beneath them, and its eyes blazed like twin stars captured in stone.
The construct's head turned toward them with mechanical precision, runes flaring brighter as it focused on the two intruders.
When it spoke, its voice was like avalanches given form:
"TRESPASSERS. THE LABYRINTH HUNGERS. YOU WILL FEED ITS STONES WITH YOUR ESSENCE."
Classic. At least some things haven't changed from the novel.
"Time to vent our frustrations," Jin said with a grim smile, drawing his gun and creating distance. "I'll provide support. You find an opening!"
"Got it!" Rudy raised the Wensin longsword, his stance shifting to accommodate the unfamiliar weapon's balance. "Just don't shoot me by accident!"
"No promises!"
The Stone Warden's massive arm swung down toward them with crushing force.
Jin squeezed the trigger.
"Get back!"
The blow descended like the fist of an angry god—
And their real test began.
~~~