Kapitel 20: The First Revision - II
The Gate was modeled like a labyrinth, and one that I didn't know.
Considering that was true for me, it must be especially true for the other students who were caught completely blind. Paired with the suppression effect going right now... "This is a complete death trap." I muttered and quickly wracked my mind on how to resolve this.
I was alone in a corner of the labyrinth without any allies or monsters. Considering that even a Domain had been laid out to restrict everyone to Rank 2, it was doubtful the Professors could help in time. While that didn't matter too much for people like Evelyn who was unaffected by such domains and Roland who was able to show overwhelming power through surpassing his body's limits regardless of ranks, it WOULD matter to people like Marisa and Isaac.
Which meant that I'd be seeing a bad ending for certain characters unless I resolved this quickly.
The main danger here was the Domain. Although the higher ranked monsters were a problem, the fact that everyone was being ranked down to my level was the killer.
I was sure that the students would find a way to survive if they had their full strength. So, although this might be pushing things a bit...
> You have selected the role of <Hidden Magical Genius>.
I straightened and took a deep breath to focus.
An oppressive aura hung in the air, wrapping around like a clamp and denying any abilities beyond Rank 2. But this wasn't done through an 'Authority' like the one that Void Sovereign could use, but rather a 'Domain.' Although it seemed like semantics, it made a big difference.
Meddling in events dictated by Authority was something that even I couldn't do without a lot of preparation and power. After all, that was the realm of the Divine. But if it was just a Domain, an arbitrary rule placed and enforced solely by the will of another...
It was possible. Not only just possible, but inevitable.
I closed my eyes and placed my hand over my heart. With my action, mana surged from the rings around my heart and wove across my body through the mana stars. But not only that, the ambient mana around me began to seep into my body, drawn in by the storm of attractive force.
A Domain was the unique enlightenment gained by an individual upon reaching Rank 6 as either a Mage or a Warrior. For a suppressive Domain like this, however, it was more likely to belong to a Mage.
That made this easy for me.
There were three ways to break out of a Domain. The first was to spread your own Domain and clash against it. In such cases, the Domain of the stronger individual usually won.
Of course, I didn't have a Domain, so I couldn't do that. It was possible if I brute-forced it again with a Mana Circle Overdrive, but I couldn't afford being taken out in a situation like this. So no dice.
The second way was incapacitating the owner of the Domain. It was common sense. If the owner was unconscious, the Domain would fade due to no one maintaining it. Well, there were some exceptions, but that was mostly true.
I ruled out that option though. After all, the Void Sovereign wouldn't be dumb enough to keep the owner of the Domain where they could be killed. Even then, it was likely the owner of the Domain was a level that they couldn't be killed easily. Not to mention too many would die before I even got a trace of that person.
That just left the third way: contradiction. Because Domains were 'absolute truths' that someone obtained with enlightenment, they had to remain 'absolute.' The moment that a flaw in that 'truth' was found, the Domain would crumble unless the owner could address that flaw.
Or in other words, absolute power came with the price of maintaining that absolute property. It wasn't granted for free and sustained indefinitely. That privilege only belonged to the Divine and the Transcendents who had reached Rank 10.
So it was simple. In a situation like this where the 'rule' was that 'everyone within the Domain must be of Rank 2,' if there was someone who existed beyond that rule, it would crumble.
And while most people couldn't break that rule... I was different.
> You have targeted <Diamond Mana Galaxy>.
> You have removed <Diamond Mana Galaxy> from your inventory.
> You have physically equipped <Diamond Mana Galaxy>.
> Your stats will be forcibly raised...
A mana storm unfolded in my mind's eye. Seven lights flared to life and forcibly ripped apart the vice grip clamping down on my strength. And the moment it did...
> The seven diamond stars are melding with your body.
> You have become a Rank 7 Mage-
> Error. You have suppressed the full potential of the diamond stars.
> You have temporarily become a Rank 5 Mage.
> Due to incomprehensible logic, the Domain <Absolute Tyranny> suppressing individuals to Rank 2 has been shattered.
I exhaled and opened my eyes. Power thrummed through my veins as the <Diamond Mana Galaxy> neatly slotted into my body and provided its strength. At the same time, something intangible in the air shattered.
Just as expected.
I clenched my right hand, forcibly condensing mana. A shining blade emerged, forged from the ambient mana.
> You have crafted <Tyrannical Mana Blade>!
> You have revealed the setting of forging Conceptual Weapons using Mana! +10,000 SP. Current SP: 110,000.
> Warning! Certain individuals have caught on to your revelation!
[Tyrannical Mana Blade]
An oppressive sword forged from mana and fragments of a Rank 6 Mage's Domain. When used to inflict a wound, chance to apply <Rank Down>, weakening the opponent by one rank for each application.
I glanced at the messages and clicked my tongue. "...This is going to be trouble later." It was completely possible I was going to win the battle only to lose the war like this... but I'd deal with that issue when it came up. For now...
"Let's save my fellow students, shall we?"
> Good luck!
"...And screw you too, Rob."
I muttered under my breath and then ran off.
===
In a subdimension overlapping the center of the labyrinth, a muscular mage wearing a robe suddenly screamed and clutched his heart. "Gah! What mongrel dared-" A sudden cough cut off his words, sending blood spraying onto the ground.
After that, laughter echoed. "I told you before to be careful, didn't I, Tyrant?" Another robed figure with an ambiguous form stood in front of the muscular mage.
Tyrant wiped the blood away from his mouth and glared. "I don't need you to make fun of me, Sovereign. I need you to help me fix this."
Void Sovereign frowned. "...A little levity goes a long way. Moreover... Have you forgotten your standing?"
Tyrant immediately crumpled on the ground, crushed by an invisible weight. "W-What-?"
"Tsk." Void Sovereign sighed and said, "Well. You were a useful card, but it's pointless now." The Void Sovereign looked off into space and watched as a certain brown-haired young man sprinted through the labyrinth with ease, managing to reach students just before they were mortally wounded. Almost like he was being guided from on high... or possessed foresight.
Tyrant pushed himself up. "M-My apolo-"
"Shut up."
Tyrant immediately collapsed again.
Void Sovereign sighed and said, "I wanted to play a bit, but he's a bit too capable. Perfectly camouflaging as a weakling while innovating magic in real time... I truly need to have a proper talk with him sometime."
"S-Sovereign...!"
Void Sovereign paused and then looked at Tyrant. With a sigh, Void Sovereign said, "I suppose there's still one use for you."
The suppression on Tyrant lifted, and he stood up. With a solemn expression, he gave a deep bow and said, "I-I live to serve! Please, one more chance-"
*You will descend as a monstrous foe and slay all who approach you in the center of the Gate. Lay down your life for our God.*
Tyrant froze. His eyes started to jerk and twist as his mouth opened and closed. But then an eerie violet light flashed in his eyes and he bowed. "As the Void Sovereign dictates."
Cracking sounds echoed before Tyrant's muscular body started cracking apart. But instead of exploding, violet light and miasma spilled from his body. With another salute, Tyrant stepped away, moving from the subspace to the Gate.
Void Sovereign watched a bit longer and muttered. "You have shattered a Domain, Alexander. But can you contest against the weight of Fate itself?" A grin cut through the darkness before Void Sovereign said, "Show me just how far you can go."
===
"Th-Thank you! Alexander, right?"
I kicked aside a Vorpal Bunny rushing for my head and then glanced back.
A haughty looking noble male student was bowing his head. Behind him, a group of similarly haughty students were cowering. Still, gratitude was clear in their eyes.
> You have saved students who once sought you harm and changed their minds!
> Your SP has gone up! Note: Total SP will be recalculated at the end of the quest.
"...Stay sharp." I held out my hand and summoned a three-fold barrier of wind, ice, and rock.
Immediately after, the surroundings shuddered as a silver crescent peeked through the rock barrier. The sharp crescent edge of an axe.
> Warning! A powerful Foe appears! Rank 5 Minotaur has arrived at your location!
I clicked my tongue.
"W-What should we do?!"
I stepped forward without looking back. As I did, five magic circles flared around me. "Work together and find either Evelyn, Roland, or Marisa. The instructors are compromised, so if you find some, pretend to go along but be wary."
The barriers shattered.
Although I heard some more words from the students behind me, I didn't have the luxury to pay attention.
A fearsome roar echoed as gleaming yellow eyes appeared in the dark halls of the labyrinth.
I felt cold lines cross my neck, the center of my body, and then my waist. In response, I ducked, pivoted to the right, and then slashed up with <Tyrannical Mana Blade>.
Black blood sprayed, followed by a pained roar.
> You have applied <Rank Down> on the Minotaur! Its stats temporarily weaken to Rank 4!
I drew my blade back and then held out my left hand. There wasn't time to imagine a spell or a lengthy incantation. But I didn't need to. After all...
"<Lightning>."
...Some things called an image to mind just by speaking them.
A flash of white struck the minotaur, sending it reeling back. Along with that, gasps echoed from behind.
"W-Were you hiding your power?"
"So the rumors about the one who cleared the Gate in the first Gate Exploration class were true?!"
I glanced back and said, "What are you idiots loafing around for?! Get going already!"
> Your peers are struck by your concern!
> Your reputation is slowly changing!
> Your role as <Hidden Magical Genius> is being played out well!
"Thank you, Alexander! We won't forget this debt!"
After some more words like that, the students ran off.
I clicked my tongue and glared at the minotaur. "Idiots, making me waste time like this..."
The minotaur slammed its axe into the ground and lifted up its charred body, glaring at me.
"<Lightning>."
A flash of white struck again. This time, at the metal axe in the minotaur's hand. It roared in pain one more time. And then it slumped to the ground, dead.
> You have defeated a powerful Foe in record time! Your SP increases!
"Yeah, yeah." I started running again while pulling up the navigation app in my phone.
> You have opened <Navigation>.
> Revealing closest friendly units...
Thankfully, Rob had some conscience. My phone showed me a list of all the students trapped in the Gate along with their status.
While quite a lot had been injured with their health bars in the orange, no one was critically injured or dead. Not only that, but Marisa, Roland, and Evelyn were going around gathering students as well.
It looked like the Eternal Knights were going to get a lot of free advertising after today... but either way, my goal in this was set now. "That should be the last of them..."
Ten minutes had passed. Enough to where the golden time for preventing deaths from fatal injuries would have passed. But thankfully, it didn't matter. According to the navigation app, most of the students had regrouped and were joining up with my trusty party members.
That just left me with the goal of clearing this Gate and getting everyone free. But...
> Story Quest update!
> You will succeed if you defeat the boss at the center of the labyrinth!
> Warning! 'Fate' cuts against you!
"...Tch." I cut down a few mobs that popped up in front of me and muttered, "Who was the genius who thought it'd be a good idea to give the bad guys a 'plot sword' since the protagonist gets a 'plot armor'? Who thought it was a clever way of balancing a traditional story? Hah..."
===
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein