''The Hundred Years' War was the spark that ignited the Shattering of the Skies. No one knows exactly when, nor how, he fell to Earth. There is only one certainty: of all the disasters that a hundred years of war had caused, he eclipsed them in just a few days.''
Lament of a survivor
The clippings about the Adepts were a jumble of yellowed pages, filled with brutal accounts mixed with half-truths, rumors, and contradictions. The more I read, the more it seemed there had never been a single cause — only distorted versions.
— Could that be why they almost turned into folklore? — I murmured to myself.
It was impossible to separate what was fact from what was lie. In war, after all, only the victor has the privilege of writing history.
A loud knock on the door snapped me out of my daze.
— Who is it?
— It's Lunara, Fly. Malaca is calling us.
— I'll be right there.
Her tone carried an unusual nervousness. My stomach tightened. Something had happened. I splashed water on my face in a hurry and went downstairs.
At the foot of the stairs, I found Malaca talking to Leonan. His posture was rigid, his expression heavy.
— Good morning, Mr. Leonan. Has something happened?
— Good morning… — He sighed, visibly irritated. — Yes, something has.
Malaca took over the explanation.
— The nearest city is asking for reinforcements. He wants to use your summons for that purpose.
— Malaca, you can't sum it up in just a few words. Anyway, the problem: there's been a spillover from the first floor to the outside.
A few minutes of conversation were enough for me to understand: something serious had happened in one of the cities where Leonan maintained a subsidiary guild. Dungeons could "spit" monsters out, but the causes were rarely clear. Usually, something in the deeper floors pressured the creatures, forcing them to move up and invade the lower levels. It was a chain reaction — monsters fleeing from something stronger — that ended up pushing the entire first floor to the surface. It wasn't an immediate flood, but rather a steady, persistent outflow. And that should never be treated lightly.
— We believe it's going to last at least a month — he continued — Vriu won't withstand this spillover.
Vriu, the affected city, was much like Strugar: small, poor, and with a level D dungeon. The dungeon's interior was made up of a vast grassland, repeated floor after floor, changing only in the creatures that roamed it. And now, that grassland was spewing hungry predators into the outside world.
— I'm sending most of my forces to protect Vriu, but I need someone to guard this city — and specifically, the dungeon.
The rules of the guilds were clear: it was the duty of resident guilds to protect the city where they were based. Leonan split his attention between two places, but he didn't have the manpower for both fronts. In Vriu, the situation was even worse: there were only two guilds — his, and another focused on trade and support, without combat capability. That placed the entire military burden on Leonan's shoulders.
— Demnetria is already on the way, but I need to send more people. I want you to guard the portal here — he concluded.
Malaca crossed her arms.
— So, besides breaking our agreement by taking Omega, who was supposed to protect Fly, you also want us to do our part? Don't you think that's unfair?
It was easy to understand Malaca's tone. Leonan was asking for a big favor, offering little in return.
— I understand, M., but you need to understand: this is the only way to solve it. I… will owe you one.
The request wasn't easy for him. It was clear he had already contacted Florenci and Bearnuld, and that he was willing to shoulder the weight of a debt to Malaca — which was no small thing.
— If you think you'll convince me to accept… — Malaca began.
— I accept — I said, cutting in without thinking.
They both stared at me, surprised. But it was true: I was tired of being only the one protected. Risky, yes, but guarding the portal would give me something in return — and a favor from Leonan, to boot. Besides, with Demnetria gone, it was still unlikely that anyone would try to attack me directly, since I'd still have Zion and Lunara by my side.
— Why exactly should we help him, Fly? — Malaca asked, narrowing her eyes at me.
— Because it might be a good opportunity to strengthen an ally. And besides, he's committing to owing us a favor. Honestly… I can only see this as a win-win.
Malaca took a deep breath, weighing my words.
— Well… put like that, it almost sounds like there's a real advantage. But if you think Fly is going to give any buffs, you can forget it.
Leonan quickly raised a hand.
— No, Malaca. That's not it. What I need is someone to protect the dungeon here while my entire security team goes to Vriu. It's an emergency measure… the problem is, I can't predict how long it's going to last.
— And what will you give in return? — Her tone was already close to a challenge.
— You know the protection payment goes directly to my guild. We could do… thirty-seventy.
Malaca's eyes lit up with that calculating expression I knew all too well.
— From what I can see, you want to place the entire burden of defense on Fly's shoulders. And, of course, on my guild, which will have to put someone in to cover the intervals when his ability isn't active. How about fifty-fifty? Thirty for Fly, twenty for Rhino.
At that moment, I realized she had touched on something I had never stopped to think about: how long, in fact, did my Card Soldiers stay active? The times I'd summoned them, I hadn't worried about their duration… Malaca, having seen the summon in action, suspected it was long, but was sure it wasn't infinite.
— Malaca… sometimes you take advantage of our camaraderie — Leonan said with a tired half-smile.
— We're colleagues — she replied with that sharp air — but above all, we're businesspeople in this terrible, hostile, dangerous world.
I decided not to get involved. She was much better at this game than I was, and with each sentence, it became clearer that having Malaca as my intermediary wasn't just useful… it was essential.
While they traded arguments, I realized that, even without physical presence or great skill with weapons, I still had the Card Soldiers summon as my main strength — and it was only for this reason that Leonan had come to ask for my help. But the truth was, I had no idea how that glove really worked… and even less how to evolve it. I only knew it still held two sealed abilities — and somehow, the feeling that I would need them sooner than expected began to weigh on my chest.
I knew, from Malaca, that Zomeia was available for my evaluation, and I wanted to take the opportunity to see if she could also examine my glove. Of course, I had already heard from Siman that it was a bound item and that it was unlikely anyone could determine for certain how to unlock the remaining two abilities.
Still, I needed an updated scroll.
My curiosity had climbed a few notches since the day before, when Malaca had surprised me with her explanation of what she believed my item to be:
— It's rare for an item to come locked — she said. — Those with such characteristics are usually called Ascension Items and release their power as the binder levels up.
What she said made sense. Activating the first ability had almost killed me — probably because I didn't have enough mana. In that case, it was logical to keep the more powerful abilities locked.
I had a state-of-the-art weapon… but with no ammunition to fire it. Frustrating.
— Good morning, Zomeia. If you're available, I'd like to update my status.
She didn't seem to be at a hundred percent, but at least she was in a good mood.
— No problem, Fly. At least you asked… That "protector" of yours came by here earlier. He's irritating… not even a "thank you" or "please." Where has the manners of these animals gone?
Well, she had a point. Zion was probably worried that, after what had happened to Malaca's father, she might not allow a free evaluation. Despite being a Brute, he was anything but stupid. But that was a matter for later.
— He's just like that… Actually, I wanted to ask you for another favor. I got an item and I need it evaluated as well. I can pay, if necessary.
— Oh, don't worry about it. Just hand me the item first.
As soon as she took the glove, it was clear she realized it was a bound item. Even so, she did what needed to be done — and, of course, I already knew what her answer would be.
— Here it is… but unfortunately, I won't be able to help you much more than this.
I took the scroll. As before, the letters were tangled, but when I focused, they molded themselves until they became readable:
Glove of the King of Hearts (Unique Mystic) — Inactive
1 — Card Soldiers: Unleashes the Dark March of the Card Soldiers, who advance relentlessly and claim the heads of all who dare to resist.
2 — Locked
3 — Locked
Nothing had changed.
— Did something happen? — Zomeia asked, noticing my expression.
I hadn't meant to show irritation, but I really had expected that, after everything I'd been through, there would be some change.
— Malaca said this item is probably an Ascension item… but nothing's changed, even after feeling like I leveled up.
Zomeia frowned, thoughtful, and then smiled.
— But have you… ascended?
— What do you mean?
— Leveling up is only the first step — she explained. — The second is using the points you've earned to adjust your new status. That's what really makes you stronger.
I admit I was confused, but she went on:
— You may not know it, but besides identifying, I'm also the one who helps you grow. I think it'll be easier to show you. Come with me.
A few minutes later, she generated a new scroll. I recognized it… but something was different.