The air…
The air was different.
After the suffocating darkness of the dungeon, just breathing this fresh wind was almost dizzying. It felt like rediscovering the world: the vast sky, so brilliantly blue it seemed unreal; the carefree song of birds vibrating with freedom; the sun's gentle warmth on her skin—things once so ordinary, but here… they tasted like a miracle.
Her eyes burned, pupils narrowing, struggling to adjust to such light.
"At last… this torment is over. Thanks to this new skill," she sighed theatrically, her shoulders slumping as if an invisible weight of a hundred kilos had just been lifted from her.
A message still floated before her eyes:
→ [Void – Level 10]
Effect: Summons a black hole that swallows everything around it.
Amane swallowed hard.
"That's… terrifying. Good thing I didn't max it out… Otherwise I think I would've been dragged into the abyss myself. In that narrow dungeon, it would've been over."
A chill ran down her spine. She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath.
When she opened them again, the world stretched wide before her.
A vast clearing bathed in golden light, almost liquid. The grass, thick and supple, swayed gently under the caress of the wind, a green sea dotted with wildflowers in blazing reds, crystal blues, and bright yellows. After the crushing darkness, these colors screamed with life.
Around her, a crown of towering trees rose like a living fortress. Their branches rustled with the breeze, scattering shafts of light in glittering cascades. It was beautiful. So beautiful it tightened her throat.
Her fingers trembled as she touched the ground, stroking the blades of grass as if to reassure herself it wasn't an illusion.
"I'd forgotten… how gentle the air could be," she whispered.
Then, glancing down at her tattered, dust-streaked clothes, she let out a bitter laugh.
"First of all… I need new clothes."
She raised her hand. The floating keyboard appeared once more, familiar yet always strange.
→ [Instant Outfit]
With a snap of her fingers, her rags transformed. The shredded makeshift armor gave way to adventurer's gear: flexible, fitted, built for survival and combat. Leather blended with sturdy fabrics, offering protection without sacrificing freedom of movement. A light cape draped behind her, brushing against her legs as she walked.
Not opulence. Not disguise. A traveler's garb, a symbol of independence… and, somewhere within, the quiet elegance of a spirit refusing to break.
She now wore a supple dark leather jacket, reinforced at the shoulders and chest. Its fitted sleeves revealed the fine, firm lines of her arms. Beneath it, a light linen shirt with an open collar carried the comfort of a garment weathered by roads and battles. Nothing was new, but everything was well-kept.
"Wait for me, Yuki… I'm coming."
As she admired her outfit, a figure emerged from the forest—clad in black, hood drawn low.
"Hey, who are you? Don't come closer—I can fight, I'm warning you!" Amane shouted.
But the figure sank to one knee like a vassal, lowering her head.
"I am honored at last to meet you, my dear goddess."
A woman with pale, serious features and a cold expression. Piercing crimson eyes radiated inner strength. Her chestnut hair, light and slightly wavy, fell to her shoulders, a few strands framing an angular face. From her forehead curved a pair of dark, lustrous horns, like obsidian sculptures.
Amane's gaze locked on the demoness, the air between them heavy, fragile, as if a single word could shatter it.
The stranger's deep, controlled voice finally broke the silence:
"My name is Eleanor, one of the five commanders serving directly under the Demon King."
The weight of silence pressed again. Then, with surprising solemnity, Eleanor coughed lightly before adding with somewhat forced confidence:
"I knew it was you… the one the Demon King sent me to find."
Her firm tone betrayed the faintest hesitation. Her intense gaze flickered, shadowed by a brief uncertainty, as if even she no longer believed her own act.
Amane froze, eyes wide.
"She… she actually believes that?" she thought, half-stunned, her lips parted in disbelief.
To her astonishment, the demoness pressed on, almost cornered by her own conviction:
"I expected no less… from a goddess."
Amane blinked, speechless.
"I don't believe this—she really bought it!" she thought, torn between panicked hysteria and laughter. Her heart pounded too wildly for her to dare laugh aloud, but the urge was strong.
Struggling to compose herself, she spoke carefully.
"But… how did you get here so quickly? And… you're in human territory, aren't you?"
Eleanor raised her chin slightly, her red eyes glowing.
"It is my skill. I can travel through shadows."
Amane stiffened.
"So that's how she appeared out of nowhere… But wait—that's insanely cool! I'd love to test that someday," she thought, a spark of excitement breaking through her calm facade.
Her smile vanished quickly, replaced by furrowed reflection.
"But… how did the Demon King, who hasn't even been reincarnated yet, explain my situation to her?"
Eleanor's icy voice cut through her thoughts.
"…I sense presences approaching." Her eyes narrowed.
Amane followed her gaze. At the dungeon's entrance, six figures appeared in the distance—adventurers. Broad men in rough furs, bristling with weapons, marching with confidence. They looked like barbarians torn from an old war tale.
Her chest tightened.
"Damn… If they see me here with her, I'll look way too suspicious."
"Hide in my shadow," she whispered urgently.
"As you command," Eleanor replied.
In silence, the demoness melted into Amane's shadow, swallowed as if she had never existed.
Amane, meanwhile, summoned her keyboard with a nervous flick of her hand, fingers flying over the keys.
→ [Invisibility – Level 2]
Her body vanished into the air.
The adventurers strode right past her, laughing loudly and talking about the monsters they were going to hunt, never even noticing her. They crossed the dungeon's threshold and disappeared inside.
Amane held her breath a few moments longer before releasing the spell.
Eleanor emerged smoothly from her shadow, her crimson eyes glinting with faint amusement.
"Impressive. You immediately realized that at Level 3, your shadow would've vanished… and I along with it. So you chose Level 2."
Amane forced a weak smile, raising a hand in a shaky little gesture.
"Of course… I wasn't going to risk that," she laughed nervously.
"Phew… what a relief. I almost typed Level 200 in my panic. Thank god I didn't have the time," she thought, her heart still racing.
To distract, she summoned the keyboard again and typed quickly.
→ [Google Maps]
A second floating screen unfolded before her. The map of the world expanded in detail, yet wholly different from Earth's. And yet… the outlines of the continents mirrored those of her old world.
Her jaw dropped.
"I'm dreaming… This is really the map of this world. And everything's marked—towns, roads, mountains, even dungeons. I can zoom, set waypoints… It's better than any GPS!"
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Pretty neat, huh? We can chart our path in real time," she said, almost giddy like a child.
Eleanor watched impassively, as though unaffected by the display.
They spoke for a long while as they walked side by side, following the paths leading away from the clearing. The sun climbed higher, gilding the trees in dazzling light.
Then Amane snapped her fingers.
→ [Time Perception]
She closed her eyes. Numbers appeared clearly in her mind: 12:34.
She opened them again, triumphant.
"Yes! It works!"
Eleanor's brows furrowed slightly.
"What did you just do, goddess?"
Amane shrugged, embarrassed.
"…I just checked the time."
The demoness stared at her in silence, perplexed, but asked no more.
"Anyway," Amane went on, "I need to find a city."
Eleanor nodded.
"In that case, I recommend Tarnis. It's the nearest town… most likely where those adventurers came from."
"Perfect," Amane whispered. Then she cast a wary glance around them.
"But stay hidden in my shadow. You're not yet used to human customs… and I doubt the townsfolk would appreciate meeting a horned demoness in broad daylight."
"As you command," Eleanor replied in a neutral tone.
Eleanor, once more a docile shadow, slipped soundlessly at her feet. Amane resumed her walk with measured steps, her gaze fixed on the horizon.
Each step felt lighter than in the dungeon, but her mind was racing.
The keyboard appeared once again, floating before her eyes. Her fingers danced over the keys with the confidence of someone who had found her rhythm.
→ [Wind Blade — added]
→ [Earthquake — added]
→ [Lightning Blade — added]
A chime resonated in her mind, familiar yet always unsettling.
Divine Scribe ability leveled up to 3. New skill unlocked:
→ [Divine Eyes — Second Stage]
Unique Skill: [Divine Scribe – Level 3]
Effects: Ability to write and rewrite any skill on the stat board, and to adjust levels.
Bonus: Unlocks [Divine Eyes – Second Stage]: allows one to see the past and future of any individual simply by meeting their gaze. Linked to the stat board, a screen will automatically appear. (Cannot be leveled up further.)
Amane narrowed her eyes, lips pressed tight.
"…I'll have to lower my levels a little," she murmured under her breath. "If I show up with too much power, it won't go unnoticed. Better avoid trouble before even reaching the city."
A bitter smile curved her lips.
"Funny… Eleanor was always kneeling before me. Why didn't that make me feel anything?" She lifted her eyes to the sky. "Well… if she had stayed standing, I'd probably have been even more on edge."
Her steps carried her forward again, down the winding road leading toward the horizon.
---
At that same moment, far away, in the training yard of Elaria's castle, the air rang with shouts, clashing steel, and the crackle of magic incantations.
The students of the "elite group" were training with growing intensity.
"I'm faster than usual…" one thought, sword in hand.
"I can grasp the basics of magic in just minutes…" another rejoiced.
Perhaps the blessings granted during the summoning were not merely symbolic, after all.
Two adults observed the scene from the courtyard steps.
"They're learning quickly. Before long, they'll become great heroes," said a man in armor — the captain of the royal guard.
The priestess, hands folded in prayer, nodded softly:
"And your name, Captain, will be written alongside theirs in history."
Training pressed on. The lazier ones struggled but managed to keep up, groaning and sighing. Some shouted challenges:
"Last one to the training grounds gets a penalty!"
Others tested their skills like children with new toys — wide-eyed, amazed… and sometimes far too reckless.
A little apart, Yuki sat quietly, lost in her thoughts. Her hands rested on her knees, her gaze drifting into emptiness.
"Yuki? Are you okay?" asked a classmate, approaching with gentle concern.
The girl lifted her eyes, shadowed by unease.
"Don't worry… I'm just worried about Amane. She's still so vulnerable…"
Her classmate laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"You don't have to worry. She'll manage."
A silence lingered, then Yuki gave a fragile smile.
Her friend extended a hand toward her.
"Come on. Let's get back to training."
Yuki drew a deep breath, then took that hand.
"Alright."
---
Back on the road, Amane quickened her pace. The landscape shifted. The sparse forest gave way to wide plains.
And suddenly, she saw it.
A silhouette rising in the mist ahead: towering walls, spiked rooftops, spires piercing the clouds. The mist surrounding it was not natural — it glowed faintly violet, as if an ancient magic stood guard over the city.
Amane paused, the wind lifting her hair. Her eyes shone with renewed fire.
"…At last. A city."
A determined smile etched itself onto her face.
"Alright… here we go. Let's see what's waiting for us there."