Chapter 6

Page 1/3

Claire glanced at Raymond, hoping he would do something more.

Raymond merely raised an eyebrow and said, “As long as you don’t disturb the other students’ practice, you decide for yourselves.”

Keane focused intently on Ellis, curious to see what expression she would show.

“This is indeed fair,” Ellis said. “I have no objections.”

Seemingly to prevent another round of arguments, Raymond promptly finalized the procedure: “There are still open slots at the shooting range, children.”

Ellis glanced at him and headed towards the range, while Raymond patted Keane on the back, signaling him to follow.

“I want to see what she can do…” Keane sneered.

But they were not the only ones paying attention to Ellis.

After Ellis approached the target, the students standing at the adjacent positions looked at her in surprise, puzzled about how she ended up here—anyone being here wasn’t strange, but this was Ellis.

When Ellis raised her dagger toward the target, the surrounding noise quieted down.

Most people instinctively paused their practice, their gazes filled with anticipation, curiosity, scrutiny, and schadenfreude, all fixed upon Ellis White’s slender back.

“Why hasn’t she moved yet? Is she going to hold that pose forever?”

“This must be a bluff, right? I remember she can’t cast spells at all.”

“…I’ve never seen her practice. Doesn’t she always slack off in the corner during practical lessons?”

“Keane is a jerk, but he wouldn’t lose to Ellis. She’s too impulsive.”

None of these murmurs reached Ellis’s ears; she was fully focused on the target before her, feeling the flow of magic within her body.

She closed her eyes and entered a meditative state, reshaping the magic inside according to the method described in her meditation technique.

The process was incredibly fast; she could feel the tangible power flowing through her body disperse and recombine into a brand-new type of magic she had never possessed before. The attribute transformation went smoothly beyond her expectations.

She understood that this was the result of the former Ellis White’s countless grueling days and relentless practice despite every discouraging failure.

Ellis opened her eyes, refocused on the target, and silently recited the incantation for Fireball.

In the next moment, magic within her surged like water rushing toward its intended destination, as if shackles long repressed were suddenly broken, the flood of magic celebrating its rebirth.

Ellis clearly felt her magic was so vibrant, so full of life.

—At that moment, she felt invincible.

Light leapt from her fingertips, flowing along the dagger’s blade to its tip, where a dazzling fireball erupted and slammed heavily into the target.

The impact echoed through everyone’s ears.

After the silence, someone in the crowd shouted almost at a scream, “…She actually succeeded!”

“She did it! My god—”

All the prepared mockery was swallowed back, replaced by astonished exclamations and disbelief.

Keane was stunned too, rubbing his eyes as if trying to wipe away an “illusion” he had just seen.

Raymond, more experienced than the children, also parted his lips slightly in surprise. Because he knew better, he understood how formidable Ellis’s Fireball was—on an entirely different level from the other students.

After Ellis proved herself, the pressure shifted to Keane. The doubtful gazes didn’t disappear but simply transferred from one person to another.

Keane’s dry lips muttered, “…What if it was just a fluke? Ellis only succeeded once…”

Before he finished, another fireball hit the target.

The target, half-burned, collapsed to the ground, its smoldering embers still glowing on the damaged surface. Keane’s eyes caught this scene, and he swallowed nervously.

If once was a coincidence, what about twice? Or thrice?

Raymond’s thoughts ran deeper; from initial amazement, he grew silent, and no one knew what he was thinking.

Ellis stepped down from the stage. She had been a bit tense earlier, gripping the dagger too tightly, her posture too stiff. Now her arms ached slightly as she shook them to relax while descending.

No matter what, she had succeeded. It was a profoundly meaningful success—thinking this, Ellis genuinely smiled.

When she rejoined the crowd, she noticed the atmosphere had turned subtle.

The students who had been standing close to her had retreated about a meter away, automatically creating a vacuum zone around her. Everyone looked at her with the gaze one reserves for a rare creature, their faces full of disbelief.

Even Claire appeared a bit dazed. When Ellis approached her, Claire blinked in surprise.

“I succeeded,” Ellis said, wrapping an arm around Claire’s shoulder and leaning close. “Thanks to your help, Claire.”

“Me? I didn’t do much…” Claire instinctively tried to deny it, but Ellis held her tighter.

Claire was left puzzled.

“You’re so kind, Claire,” Ellis said sincerely.

She simply trusted what she had seen.

Claire had always stood by her, supported her, and helped her without any concern for personal gain. It was precisely because her support was free of self-interest that Ellis treasured it deeply.

With that, Ellis embraced her more tightly.

Claire blushed and tried to push her away: “What are you saying… This is so cheesy in front of everyone.”

Ellis didn’t mind; Claire helped her because she wanted to, and Ellis now wanted to hold her because she simply desired it.

“Sorry to interrupt your touching moment,” Raymond approached with a smile. “Ellis, being able to use an extraordinary technique means you’ve already become a first-tier transcendent. Congratulations.”

“Thank you, Mr. Raymond,” Ellis replied. “I remember leveling up grants credits?”

“Yes, there’s a five-point reward, and if you reach second tier, you get ten points.” Raymond always treated talented students well. “I’ll report your score and register your rank. Afterward, you can start picking up new tasks at the office. You can check it out this afternoon.”

Page 2/3

“All right, I’ll go if I have time,” Ellis said.

“There’s one more thing I should remind you…” Raymond continued. “After becoming a transcendent, remember to regularly monitor the status of your sacred mark inside your body. Don’t miss the chance to advance.”

Ellis nodded obediently.

She had already read about this in the textbook.

After becoming a transcendent, a sacred mark unique to each individual will emerge within the body. These marks usually consist of nine lines forming a pattern, representing the nine ranks of a transcendent.

When using extraordinary techniques, one resonates with the sacred mark, illuminating its lines. Lighting each line signifies ascending to the next rank.

Raymond warned, “The first line is usually simple and can be fully resonated with diligent practice. But from the second line onward, only specific extraordinary techniques can illuminate it… Unfortunately, each person’s sacred mark has different requirements, so no one can use another’s as a reference. Ultimately, you can only rely on your own diligence, effort, and a bit of luck.”

Ellis understood this using her experience as a gamer—

The nine lines of the sacred mark equal nine experience bars.

Each time you use an extraordinary technique meeting the current bar’s requirement, you gain experience.

Filling an experience bar advances your level.

After Raymond’s passionate explanation, Ellis politely thanked him.

When Raymond turned to leave, Ellis noticed Keane eyeing her from the crowd.

She flipped the dagger lightly in her hand, smiled at Keane, who panicked and hurried away.

...Good, no one will disturb her practice now.

=

After repeatedly channeling magic, Ellis roughly calculated her magic reserves. She could easily cast five to six Fireballs, equivalent to about twenty to thirty Magic Missiles. She was quite satisfied with her stamina.

She was only first-tier; her magic would increase over time. With her mana pool, she would never fear lack of firepower.

This was the first time since arriving in this world that she felt secure.

During a break, she meditated and observed her sacred mark.

It was a six-pointed star locked within a circle, with an overlapping crescent moon in the center, exactly nine lines in total.

After casting a few spells, one of the lines lit up.

After practice, she and Claire went to eat. Ellis hadn’t had lunch and was already hungry.

When Ellis arrived at the cafeteria to pick up utensils as usual, the attendant told her she could now use the first-tier marked utensils.

Transcendents of different ranks received different treatment. Ellis could tell her meals had improved significantly. Even the previously sparse soup now contained meat, the vegetables and meat were noticeably fresher, and portions were larger.

She felt that following this meal standard, she would soon reach a health level comparable to her peers.

Her plate held a large piece of potato, rye bread, peas, carrots, and pork.

Perhaps due to magical cooking methods, the pork had no unpleasant odor. But after taking a bite, Ellis noticed Claire staring at her.

Claire’s hesitant expression made Ellis’s heart skip a beat.

...What’s wrong?

In just a moment, Ellis found the problem in her memory.

In this land full of devout believers! She hadn’t said a prayer before the meal! That was certainly out of character.

Feigning shock, Ellis said, “I—I was too hungry… uh, I didn’t mean to forget.”

Apparently, Ellis’s nervousness made Claire feel a bit embarrassed, suspecting she might be overreacting.

She hurriedly said, “It’s okay. Sometimes forgetting is normal… Let’s pray together.”

So Ellis followed her memory and mimicked the motions of the Holy Church emblem over her chest. Afterward, she began eating.

While eating, Ellis looked at her attribute panel. Her rank was now [First Tier].

In the innate techniques section, a new skill appeared—Mana Surge.

[Innate Technique: Mana Surge (First Tier)]

[Description: Increases mana flow speed, mana recovery, and casting speed.]

What a plain, unremarkable skill… Ellis thought as she sipped soup.

As the saying goes, speed conquers all in martial arts. In a duel, speed is an advantage. The note that it was first-tier meant the skill could improve. Ellis was quite pleased.

Another skill panel changed: her bloodline ability was unlocked.

[Bloodline Ability: Shadow Fiend (First Tier)]

[Effect: Summons a Shadow Fiend.]

[Description: Shadow Fiends dwell within shadows. Often mistaken for magical creatures, this is a misunderstanding. They have no consciousness. Shadow Fiends are partial extensions of the Dark Folk—new organs acquired after becoming transcendent, not mere summons.]

Ellis pondered the description on the panel, then solemnly set down her bowl and looked down at her shadow.

Soon she felt a strange connection, as if part of her body had grown anew.

She tried stepping on her shadow—no sensation. Ellis breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the “new organ” hid within the shadow, not the shadow itself; otherwise, she’d have to worry about the pain of people stepping on her shadow daily.

Claire finished quickly and drank some water to soothe her throat. “By the way, Ellis, after graduation, do you plan to stay with your family or join the church?”

“I just reached first tier and haven’t thought about it yet. What about you?”

“…I’m considering whether to join the church.”

Ellis noticed her hesitation. “If you don’t want to go, then don’t. It’s not like joining the church is mandatory.”

Page 3/3

“But if I don’t join the church, I don’t know what else to do. I don’t want to stay at home,” Claire said. “But I haven’t considered what kind of life I want… Do you have any dreams like that, Ellis?”

“A simple job with regular hours, stable income, sleeping in on weekends, eating what I like, reading what I like, and having enough money to spend,” Ellis summarized.

Claire looked up at her. “I thought you’d say something about becoming a family elder…”

“…Sounds complicated,” Ellis said. “Actually, I just want a peaceful life, thank you.”

She added silently in her mind: though that seems a bit hard to achieve right now.

If she weren’t burdened with the Dark Folk bloodline, perhaps she could stay with her family thanks to her talent, secure a stable job and a meal. But Ellis knew the stability she sought was not here. She would have to work hard to find a place in a fantasy realm that could hold the future she desired.

Thinking this, the taste of black pepper potatoes in her mouth faded slightly.

After dinner came free time. Ellis first returned to her dorm to change clothes, then attempted to summon a Shadow Fiend from her shadow.

A black silhouette burst forth from her shadow, rapidly condensing into a slender body. It was pure black, nearly two meters tall, featureless, with thin, somewhat deformed limbs, and sharp, pointed fingertips.

…It really looked like a copy of the Slender Man.

It could morph at Ellis’s will, with no delay in commands. Just as the system described—the Shadow Fiend was like an extra organ growing from her body.

Ellis felt comforted; this meant she had gained a new trump card. But soon she realized she was prematurely joyful:

“If this ability is exclusive to the Dark Folk, then I can’t use it openly. Being seen would be like exposing myself as one of them.”

Good news: you’ve unlocked a new hero.

Bad news: this hero is permanently banned on this map.

After dismissing her emissary, the Shadow Fiend, she prepared to stroll down Golden Locust Street.

She couldn’t always use the family’s rented weapon; she needed to buy one to carry. Besides, she had to shop sometime, so it made sense to learn the prices and see if she could find ways to earn money.

Another thing: the system’s first reward was a key to Golden Locust Backstreet. She wanted to know what kind of place it was.

Before going, she rented an old weapon to carry.

The night was chilly. Fortunately, the winter clothes she hadn’t had before suddenly “magically” appeared before she left, giving her enough to keep warm.

It was her first night in this world. Standing at the White family estate’s entrance, Ellis looked up at the night sky. The stars were sparse, the moon’s edges blurred by clouds, emitting a faint, hazy light. She thought she saw cracks in the moon and a ring of stars circling it.

…At least it was more normal than the red or blue moons from novels she’d read.

The streets were not very crowded at night. After Ellis entered Golden Locust Street, the surroundings grew lively. Many vendors had their own lights, illuminating the commercial street brightly.

She scanned the stalls—everything was on sale: books, transcendent items, mysterious materials, and dark potions that looked dangerous to try.

A whole new world unfolded before her eyes.

Ellis browsed the shops one by one. Weapons commonly sold included long staves, short staffs, daggers, and crystal pendants.

After a while, she figured out the prices—ordinary weapons cost up to three silver coins, good quality ones started from five silver coins.

Ellis currently had four silver coins and seventy copper coins, so finding a cost-effective weapon within budget would require time and effort.

Just as she finished browsing half the street, someone blocked her path at a corner.

“Want some health-enhancing elixirs?” a sharp-faced man shook a bottle of dark green liquid toward her. “Don’t mind its appearance…”

Ellis thought: Is this bad? It looks awful!

Under her gaze, the man slowly corrected himself: “Okay, it does look terrible, but I improved the taste—it’s minty… But that’s not the point. The point is, one bottle can radically transform your body—make you tall and strong like me.”

The man was indeed tall but hardly strong. His voice was sharp and grating, his old cloak ill-fitting with short sleeves that made him look awkward.

Ellis noticed he staggered unsteadily when walking.

…Could there be addicts in this world?

Thinking so, she stepped back half a pace.

“Uh, looks like you’re not interested,” the man noticed Ellis’s coldness but persisted. “No worries, I’ve got plenty of good stuff. I saw you checking out weapons… I’ve got some too. Though secondhand, they’re top quality. How about 30% off?”

He used his cloak to conceal and pulled a leather-wrapped object from his jacket pocket.

Ellis maintained a safe distance as he slowly drew out a jet-black dagger.

“Only four silver coins,” he boasted. “This is a precious heirloom from my grandmother…”

“You’re willing to sell such a good thing at a discount?” Ellis asked.

“I’m a bit short on cash now, but rest assured, once sold, it’s yours—no after-sale claims.”

Ellis was inexperienced at appraising weapons. She wondered if she could get it into her bag first and let the system appraise it.

“Let me examine it,” she said.

“No problem,” he replied, about to unbuckle the sheath when suddenly someone rushed out from behind and grabbed his shoulder.

“I finally found you, you damn liar! How dare you show up here!”

A young man angrily pushed him against a wall, then looked at Ellis. “Hey, don’t let this guy fool you…”

But upon seeing Ellis’s face, his words faltered.

The young man’s eyes widened, his neck flushed red.

“It’s you! You’re the assistant to that Ebony Wood swindler!”