Nearly thirty minutes into the game…
The pitcher's glowing eyes locked onto the batter, flickering with determination. Behind him, the catcher and referee watched intently, waiting for the next move.
Thirty minutes in and not a single strike. The bases were now loaded with sludge, and the pitcher was desperate to land his first. Meanwhile, the batter stood ready, aiming for nothing less than a home run.
*Whoosh—* *Whoosh—* *Whoosh—* *Whoosh—*
The pitcher hurled four balls simultaneously, each flying in from a different angle.
The batter gripped his sword tightly, eyes darting between the incoming shots. He drew a deep breath, ready to pick his first target.
For a split second, everything slowed. He could see each ball moving in slow motion—their angles, their spin, the exact path they'd take.
'Second ball from the left.'
This newfound clarity came from reading the pitcher's moves over the past thirty minutes. It felt surreal—like Jan could anticipate every motion before it happened.
It reminded him of his duel with Sophia, when he had dodged her strikes with precise timing. But this time, he wasn't just analyzing movements—he could actually see them unfold.
[Congratulations, your skill has improved: "Insight Lv.2"]
He blinked, trying to comprehend. Was this one of those skills Maria had mentioned? If this was just Level 2 of Insight, what would it be like at higher levels? Could he actually glimpse into the future?
It was a childish thought, but Jan couldn't hide his excitement.
'Well, it's called 'Insight' after all...'
"Jan, be careful!" Maria called, worry lacing her tone as she eyed the incoming projectiles.
"I've got this!"
*Thwack—*
Jan swung his sword, striking the first ball cleanly, then spun with the momentum to hit the next.
*Thwack—*
The first hit soared straight toward the Brute, but the second clipped the edge of his blade, spinning off to the side like a foul ball.
'Well, I'm only human,' Jan thought with a smirk.
With the remaining two balls approaching, Jan adjusted his stance for a powerful swing. The two were almost in line, forcing him to hit them both with a single swing.
*Thwack—*
His swing unleashed a small whirlwind beneath him, sending a gust that ruffled the hair of the two sisters behind him. They stared, wide-eyed, at the bizarre display of power.
Maria's thoughts raced. 'Is he even human?'
Sophia shook her head, trying to make sense of it. 'This power... it's like... No, that's impossible! Uncle Rollo would never fight like this... would he?'
*Thwack—*
With gritted teeth, Jan sent the last two balls flying—but they missed their target, crashing into the ground behind the Brute.
[Congratulations, your skill has improved: "Reflect Lv.4"]
'Yes!' Jan pumped his fist in triumph, grinning at the system message. 'Things are going as planned! Can't wait to see what happens at Lv.5!'
His plan was straightforward: since its weak spot—the eyes—could move freely within its body, he would keep reflecting its projectiles. With each attack, it would shrink, until it was small enough for them to trap.
"Hey, isn't it small enough already?" Sophia complained with boredom in her voice as she glanced at the shrunken Brute, now only a fraction of its original size.
"N-No! Just a little more!" Jan spun around with big, pleading eyes.
"L-Listen—"
*Crack—* *Thud—*
A metallic snap cut through the air, and half of Jan's blade clattered to the ground.
All three of them froze, staring blankly at the broken blade for a moment before looking up. Four more projectiles were already on their way.
"AAAAAHH!!!" Maria screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Y-You idiot! Why did I trust you?!" Sophia shrieked, sprinting ahead.
Without missing a beat, Jan scooped the screaming Maria up by the waist once more and dashed away—"I'M SORRY!"
The three sprinted without glancing back, stopping only when the sound of mud balls splattering behind them signaled they were clear. Maria and Jan exhaled in relief. But Sophia leapt ahead, sword blazing. "Finally my turn!"
In an instant, she was on the Brute, and before it could react, her sword was already dancing.
*Whoosh—* *Whoosh—*
*Thud—* *Thud—*
Her sword sliced through two of the Brute's arms. Now a third of its original size, the creature could no longer withstand her blazing sword.
*Thud—*
A leg was next to fall to the ground. The brute maintained its balance, stubbornly refusing to collapse, but the flickering light in its head seemed agitated, wavering uncertainly.
"Aim for the eyes!" Jan shouted.
"I know!" Sophia snapped back, and with a wide, decisive swing, she cleaved the brute cleanly in two.
*Thud—*
The upper half of the brute fell prone to the ground, and Sophia climbed atop it. She gripped her sword with both hands, raised it high, and thrust it deep into the brute's head, driving the blade between the glowing eyes and twisting it sharply.
The flickering light faded, dimming rapidly until it extinguished completely.
Sophia smirked in triumph as Maria jumped with joy. "Jan, we did it!"
"Y-Yeah..." Jan replied, a puzzled look on his face.
Something felt off—there was no message announcing the mission's completion, no notification of leveling up. A sense of unease crept over him.
'Could it be...?'
Jan glanced back at the brute's remains just as Sophia approached, grinning proudly. "Are you happy now?! We saved—"
"Sophia, look out!" he shouted.
A slimy, mud-like creature with glowing eyes lunged from behind, its body spreading wide as it descended over her.
Jan planted his foot and hurled his broken sword at it.
Sophia reacted just in time, ducking as Jan's blade struck the creature square in the head, throwing it off balance. From that low stance, she unsheathed her blazing sword and slashed through it in a clean diagonal arc.
*Whoosh—*
The burning blade sliced through the creature. The two halves ignited and, within moments, crumbled to ash that scattered into the air.
[Protect the Library 1/1]
[Protect the Librarian 1/1]
Ring— Ring—
[Mission Completed]
[Congratulations! You've completed the mission!]
Rewards:
1 Level Up! 100G Skill Book: The Song of Light and Water
[You've reached Level 40. You can now distribute your points!]
[You've reached Level 40. You can now choose a class!]
'A book?! Where is it?!'
Jan's eyes darted around eagerly, hoping to spot the promised reward, but he found nothing.
Did he misread the notification?
'No, I'm certain... There should also be 100 gold, but...'
He searched the area frantically, to no avail. Usually, gold would appear on the ground after defeating monsters, but this time there was nothing to collect.
"You damn liar… And I was really excited. And why am I not leveling up like usual?!"
He'd gained only one level—a sharp contrast to the last battle, where defeating Striders and Wraiths had leveled him up multiple times. This time, even after taking down the far more dangerous Brute, the single level came only as a mission reward.
"Cheating, lying son of a…" Jan grumbled under his breath, cursing the system and whoever had created it—until Maria's voice cut in.
"Jan, come over here!"
He trudged toward the sisters, his disappointment weighing on him. As he approached, he found that the brute's body had finally vanished, leaving something glowing on the ground.
"Items!" His heart leapt with excitement at the realization.
Jan quickened his pace, joining the girls mid-argument.
"No way! You spent my money last time, so you don't get to pick gold!" Maria was shouting.
"B-But, that's not fair!"
"No buts, no money for you!"
Before them lay an array of items: a strange-looking orb, two red bottles, a blue bottle, a pair of iron boots, a sword, a pile of gold, and an old, worn book.
"So, how are we deciding this? Rock, paper, scissors?" Sophia asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Rock, paper, scissors?" Jan blinked. "What's that got to do with anything?"
"It's how we decide who picks first," Maria explained.
Jan glanced eagerly at the book. "Oh, so that's how we decide… it could be any of us?"
"Actually," Maria said, her gaze drifting toward the items, "since Sophia spent my money, I think it should be between you and me. Don't you agree?"
Sophia puffed her cheeks and turned away; too proud to admit fault, but too wrong to argue.
Jan hesitated, but then noticed Maria's eyes lingering on the pile of gold.
"W-Well, in that case, you pick first…"
"Really?!" Maria exclaimed, her voice suddenly cheerful. "Then it's settled! We'll pick in order—me, then Jan, then Sophia. And I'm taking the gold!"
"Fine, then I'm taking the book," Jan declared.
"The book?!" the sisters exclaimed in unison, eyes wide with surprise.
"But it's just a filth—I mean, just an old book. Are you sure?!"
"Yep!" Jan said, clutching the book with a satisfied grin. He rubbed it against his cheek like a long-lost treasure, nearly bursting into a goofy laugh.
"Eww, whatever... I'll take the sword," Sophia grumbled.
"I'll take the orb," Maria added.
"..."
"Jan!" Sophia snapped, trying to get his attention.
"Huh? Oh, right…" Jan begrudgingly tore his eyes from the book. Without thought, he pointed at the next item. "I'll take this blue bottle, then."
Sophia slapped her forehead, exasperated. "I'll take the boots."
"And I guess that leaves the red potions for me, as the last to pick," Maria said with a sly grin—satisfied with how things turned out, aside from the fact that she didn't actually want the red potions.
She sidled over to Jan, who was still beaming at the book. "So, Jan, how about a trade? One red potion for your blue one?"
"Sure, take it," Jan replied absently, more focused on the cover of the book.
As he handed the potion to Maria, he was struggling to decipher the faded writing. He frowned, frustrated; the thing read more like an old manuscript than a proper book, and the worn text was barely legible.
"What's wrong?" Maria asked, catching the look on his face.
"I'm not able to read this."
"Let me take a look," Maria offered.
"Be careful with it," Jan said, his hand trembling slightly as he passed it over, clearly protective of his new prize.
Maria examined the cover and flipped through a few pages. "Yeah, it's pretty much unreadable. Let's see if I can identify it."
[Identify!]
[Type: Weathered Book]
[Title: Across the Endless Stairs: Seraphon's Chronicle]
[Author: Seraphon, a hero who lived three centuries ago and led his party on a long quest to ascend the Tower.]
[Summary: The chronicle of Seraphon's adventures and his struggle to climb the Tower.]
[Durability: 35/100]
"Looks like this was written by a hero named Seraphon, about three centuries ago. The title is Across the Endless Stairs: Seraphon's Chronicle," Maria explained.
"What else does it say?" Jan asked eagerly.
"Well, it's basically a record of his journey through the Tower—his adventures and struggles," Maria replied.
"Seraphon... a book about his journey..." Jan murmured, deep in thought. He brightened suddenly, taking the book back with a grateful smile. "This is amazing! Thanks, Maria!"
"It's no big deal," Maria replied, smiling as she watched Jan examine the cover again.
"Now that you mention it, I can make out the title and author's name — but it's still really hard to read. How'd you figure all that out?" he asked, glancing up.
Sophia, who had been listening in, slapped her forehead again. "She used a skill called [Identify]. You can use it too, you know."
Jan blinked in surprise. "Wait, really? No one ever told me that!"
"Then try it now! Just look at the book and say Identify," Maria suggested.
[Identify!]
[Type: Weathered Book]
A message flashed before Jan's eyes.
"It worked! But it's only telling me that it's a weathered book."
"That's because you haven't used the skill enough," Sophia added.
"So it has a level?" Jan asked, curiosity piqued.
Sophia sighed.
"Here, let me help you. I will use Identify and tell you exactly the level of your skill," Maria offered.
"Wait, you can identify people too?" Jan exclaimed, stunned.