NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4
Chapter 4
—–CROW—–
I went back to the room to gather some belongings and found more than I expected.
First, the sticky note that could be said to have saved my life.
I picked up the note that was still pathetically rolling around on the floor.
If you find this note, gather your belongings and move.
“…”
I should have read it more carefully.
This wasn’t just a simple instruction manual. It was a provision left for me, a warning about what would happen.
Money necessary for my future and items for my escape were neatly organized in a corner of the hotel room.
Most of them were things I didn’t know how to use. Still, things like the subspace bag were convenient since I could just put things in them.
It felt like I received an inventory after completing the tutorial. Such a broken game.
“I don’t know how much it’s worth, but this should be enough money… What’s this?”
While searching through the items Oz had prepared, I found a few things that didn’t seem to fit the current situation.
“A photo?”
A photo of four children together.
Somehow, their faces felt familiar.
A figure presumed to be Oz, a girl with white hair I felt like I had seen somewhere, and two redheads who looked like siblings.
“Speaking of red hair…”
The image of the assassin who had just attacked me came to mind.
They seemed to know each other, but were they childhood friends? A strange bitterness filled my heart.
“No, this isn’t the time to be concerned about this…”
The issue wasn’t the truth behind the photo, but what I should do from now on.
There was no way Oz, classified as a genius in the game, wouldn’t have known about the [Demon King]’s decision.
He had already made preparations for the future.
“But this is…”
Oz’s real plan, hidden away, stated ‘Execution in three days.’ What could it be? The timing of his escape.
I wondered why three days later, and then I concluded that there was no way Oz wouldn’t have seen what I saw.
He must have also discovered the crack in the sky.
“…Escape Spellergy in three days and cross the border, is that it?”
The game would start in three days.
On that day, the sky would shatter, and the Chrysos Kingdom would fall. Oz must have planned to escape during the chaos.
“Hmm…”
It wasn’t a bad plan.
Escaping during the chaos meant relying on the situation, not force.
The escape route Oz had planned was quite detailed and well-organized.
But there was a serious problem.
“…Can I last three days?”
I wasn’t confident I could survive for three days amidst the incoming assassins.
What Oz had, I didn’t.
Oz’s actual abilities were probably tailored to the game’s story.
He must have been a genius who used incredibly flashy and powerful magic.
Surviving for three days would have been entirely possible with Oz’s power.
But what about me?
I was a meme character.
I couldn’t use flashy magic like Oz, and all I could rely on at this point was magic with high randomness.
Reach the border within three days? In my current state, I might die the moment the next assassin appeared.
Oz’s plan was good, but I didn’t have time to delay.
In my current state, I had to leave immediately to have any chance of making it in time.
Moreover, if I followed such a detailed plan and slipped up even once, missing the three-day window, I would lose my means of escape.
I didn’t have a backup plan. So, it was better to move as quickly as possible.
So, if I had to start…
“Right now.”
I had to leave.
Before leaving, I checked the last sentence written on the sticky note.
It wasn’t a precaution from Oz, but a phrase that helped me make up my mind.
-May you find the answer not in a moment of luck, but in the path you’ve walked yourself.
I couldn’t know everything.
Ultimately, what I had to trust wasn’t Oz’s abilities or skills reliant on luck, but my own judgment.
* * *
I left the building and started moving towards the empire’s border without a specific plan. I knew the general direction.
In the game, the locations of all countries were displayed on a simplified minimap. Of course, now that it was reality, there was no concrete map.
I couldn’t tell east from west, but the guide that would show me the way was carved large in the mystical purple sky.
“…Even ordinary people can see it now.”
The crack across the sky had grown noticeably larger.
The fallen kingdom of Chrysos was located on the far right side of the map in the game.
And in the middle of the map were the Helios Empire and
So, I could at least figure out the general direction.
I just had to face forward with the crack behind me. For now, the general direction was enough.
“Capture Prince Oz!”
“They’re faster than expected…”
In this situation, being chased so relentlessly that I couldn’t even think straight, pinpointing my exact location was impossible.
Once I crossed the border, I could figure things out.
Between
However, Oz had already negotiated with the empire beforehand.
They were supposed to help me once I crossed the border.
There weren’t any particular conditions from the empire. They seemed to only care about me getting across.
Indeed, harboring a prince of another nation was valuable in itself.
Especially if that prince possessed a natural talent for magic.
They were probably planning to persuade me to their side.
So, I just had to get into the empire.
Then, it would be difficult for those from
That’s why they were chasing me so desperately.
This was their only chance to kill me easily.
[Contemplation – Activated]
“But you were too hasty.”
“Ugh?!”
Fortunately, the hastily assembled attackers chasing me were far less competent than the previous assassin.
It was to be expected.
Who would have anticipated that I would leave immediately after encountering the assassin?
Since Salem’s will hadn’t spread yet, their movements were bound to be hasty.
Thanks to that, most of the attackers were around R-rank in terms of character level.
That red-haired assassin who attacked me was at least SR-rank, but these were the only troops they could mobilize immediately.
Moving preemptively was the right choice.
[Master of Mana Lv. 1]
“Prince Oz is using magic!”
“Everyone, brace yourselves!”
“T-Too late! We’re dead!”
For a moment, I felt a chill from the refreshing sensation of mana flowing through me, then I unleashed the magic, targeting all those chasing me.
The wide-area magic that engulfed them all was none other than──
[Light Impact]
A skill used by N-rank characters who were sold to the shop immediately after being summoned.
It was a light-attribute magic that emitted a faint light and a slight shockwave.
The shockwave was only about as strong as a punch.
“This fucking…”
Panic set in for a moment.
I shouldn’t have trusted such a useless skill.
[Erosion Rate 10%]
But this was the only means I had left.
So I had to contemplate even this useless magic.
[Light Impact]
For what reason was this light-attribute magic created?
If it was for hunting undead-type monsters, it would be more efficient to melt them with fire-attribute magic rather than imitating light.
Then the focus should be on the effect, not the damage.
I cast [Light Impact] between myself and the enemies.
“Light Impact?”
Nothing much. If it couldn’t inflict significant damage, it could only be used to obstruct their vision.
This was reality, not a game.
Reality, where damage numbers and status ailment descriptions displayed on a screen weren’t everything.
Even if I couldn’t expect a blinding effect, obscuring their vision was enough.
And if their vision was obscured, people naturally felt a vague sense of fear.
“Be careful! Something big is coming!”
“Group up and prepare!”
“Too late to react.”
Yes, if I used the next magic during that interval…
[Master of Mana Lv. 1]
[Cooldown – 10 seconds]
“…?”
This idiotic skill even had a cooldown?
A mana-guzzling hippopotamus? Were the game developers insane?
It was embarrassing, but there was no helping it. I gave up on a follow-up attack.
“I have to run…”
While the attackers were bewildered by [Light Impact], I turned and sprinted away, looking pathetic.
They were staring intently at the faintly glowing [Light Impact], wary.
Immediately after the light from [Light Impact] disappeared…
“What’s with that speed…? Did he cast a physical enhancement spell?”
“A rational choice to conserve mana.”
The attackers started spouting nonsense with dumbfounded expressions as they watched me sprint away.
They were truly remarkable. I wanted to see the face of whoever sent these idiots as attackers.
“No, thinking about it, it’s not unreasonable for them to be mistaken.”
My current physical abilities were quite high, equivalent to an R-rank warrior.
It meant I was on a different level than ordinary people. It wasn’t strange that I appeared that way compared to mages who only studied magic indoors.
“No, this isn’t right. Chase him!”
“How? He’s too fast!”
[Erosion Rate 6%]
Even so, the stamina of the pursuing mages was pathetic.
I was once again reminded that this was a game.
Shouldn’t they at least have some basic stamina if they were selected as attackers?
“Fire!”
But I soon realized that judgment was also wrong.
Boom!
As soon as those words were spoken, magical bombardments began to rain down around me.
“Whoa…”
That was intense.
If I considered them as individual cannons, their poor stamina was somewhat understandable.
Still, there was no need for me to roll or deploy [Spatial Barrier].
[Contemplation] was showing me where the magic would land.
Yes, there was no need to prioritize mobility. Still, thankfully, there were no unavoidable attacks yet…
“Ready!”
“Then fire at will!”
Just as I felt relieved, my entire field of vision turned red.
This was not on a scale I could avoid. The power was also extraordinary. The ominous feeling I had felt when the assassin visited me now filled the world itself.
“…This damn mouth of mine.”
I couldn’t block everything with a glass shield like [Spatial Barrier].
Yes, then it was time for this to make an appearance.
[Master of Mana Lv. 1]
Since I had gotten [Light Impact] earlier, I had made my offering.
Now it was time for at least a mid-tier magic to appear.
“Here goes…”
Mana flowed through my body and gathered at my fingertips.
This refreshing, chilling sensation. I was certain. This time, it was proper magic.
The ultimate magic completed in this moment of crisis was──
[Dig]
Magic from an N-rank character whose name I couldn’t even remember.
It was magic that created a small hole at a designated location.
“No… Is this really not probability manipulation?!”
Flashy magic of various colors began to fill my vision.
* * *
The mages chasing Oz gulped, waiting for the smoke that obscured their vision to clear.
The chase with Oz had been unexpected from beginning to end.
Considering his usual behavior, it was a series of bizarre decisions he would never make.
They had been caught off guard.
“Did we get him?”
“Even Prince Oz couldn’t survive this…”
The area where they had been chasing Oz had long been devastated.
Even the [Successor of the Demon King] couldn’t have survived.
The attackers narrowed their eyes and examined where Oz had been.
“He’s gone?”
Oz was nowhere to be seen.
If he had at least tried to block the magic, they wouldn’t have been so bewildered.
“Not even a body left…? No, that’s impossible. It wasn’t that powerful!”
“Could he have used Blink in that short time?!”
“No, with Prince Oz’s skill, he might have used Teleport! Contact headquarters immediately!”
Panic erupted at the scene.
All sorts of speculations began to fly.
The thought that Oz might be capable of such feats made them frantic.
It was an overestimation. But Oz was an exceptional being, worthy of such overestimation.
“Considering the time, he couldn’t have gone far!”
“Chase him! He must not have crossed the border yet!”
The attackers started moving frantically.
But without knowing the exact direction, they had no choice but to spread out.
And from the place they had left…
A twitch.
The pile of earth began to twitch.
“Phew!”
A moment later, Oz rose from the dirt.
After the intense encounter with the assassin, the first thing he learned was how to conceal his mana.
It was that impactful of a memory.
‘Even though I learned it through [Contemplation]…’
It was good news that he could manipulate mana in ways other than [Master of Mana].
It was limited to manipulation for now, but using magic wouldn’t be a problem either.
‘I don’t even want to imagine what would have happened if the magic I got just now was something like [Light Impact]…’
It was thanks to [Dig] that he survived.
If he hadn’t dug a hole beneath his feet instead of targeting one of the many enemies, he wouldn’t have escaped the barrage of magic.
Even then, to survive, he had to deploy [Spatial Barrier] above him to avoid being buried by the dirt…
‘I survived on luck again.’
It would be dangerous if things continued like this. It wasn’t a situation to celebrate, so Oz wore a bitter expression.
From now on, he had to respond appropriately to any magic that appeared, regardless of the situation. No, he had to create situations where any magic would be irrelevant.
If that was impossible, he would soon be found dead.
So, he had to get used to it. And he had to stay calm.
‘At least this thinned out their encirclement, right?’
Oz brushed off the dirt and cautiously moved forward.
The direction was still opposite the crack.
Towards the Helios Empire, the largest country in this world.
There would likely be numerous attackers stationed there as well, but choosing a different path now was impossible.
Time wasn’t on his side.
If more professional, trained attackers appeared instead of the clumsy ones from earlier, hope would become increasingly distant.
* * *
He had almost reached the border, but of course, it was guarded.
Moreover, their skills were far superior to the previous attackers.
Judging by their numbers, it seemed like the original border patrol was combined with the forces sent to pursue him.
At a glance, there were many skilled individuals who appeared to be SR-rank.
Among them, there were even some who could be considered SSR-rank.
“I’m cold and sleepy…”
I could vaguely understand why animals hibernated.
I was observing them, hidden under a pile of dirt, just like I had done before. A simple disguise.
Surely, the attackers wouldn’t think that Oz, the prince recognized as the [Successor of the Demon King], would be buried in a pile of dirt.
They probably thought I would try to break through head-on.
The belief that Oz would definitely do that.
He was that arrogant, and he had the power to back up that arrogance.
In the original story, he probably would have broken through head-on.
No, if I had followed Oz’s original plan, there wouldn’t be this many attackers gathered here.
Whatever the case, it was my decision, and I only had one chance left.
“Just a little longer…”
I had been waiting for something since arriving at this location.
The moment the game started.
Three days later, as per the original plan. I had barely made it in time.
The moment the sky shattered, even the most skilled assassins would be distracted.
“That…”
“What in the world is going on?”
“Ominous. Has the higher-ups not figured it out yet?”
Frankly, anyone who didn’t look up when the sky was shattering in real-time was a lunatic.
The crack was expanding in real-time.
It was like this even from
What about the people of the Chrysos Kingdom, who would be watching the collapsing sky directly below?
No, I shouldn’t think about it. There was nothing I could do anyway.
“Huh…?”
And the moment someone looking up at the crack let out a bewildered sound…
Taking that as my cue, I grabbed the dirt and braced myself.
Crack──!
The gradually expanding crack began to increase its range exponentially…
“It’s broken…!”
Crash!
Finally, the sky began to collapse.
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the sky.
The game is starting now.
I rose from the dirt and immediately started running, staying low.
Amidst the bizarre sound of shattering glass and the screams of chaos, I ran, focusing on not looking back out of curiosity.
“It’s alright…”
I could escape like this.
Considering the time and effort I had invested so far, it was entirely possible.
I had already found the weak points in their encirclement.
“It’s alright…”
There was no time to look back.
It was an incredibly curious sight, a historic moment that could be called apocalyptic, but right now, my life was apocalyptic.
I couldn’t afford to be distracted.
Everyone’s eyes would be fixed on the shattering sky anyway.
The bizarre sound of shattering glass and the panicked screams would mask the sound of my footsteps.
Just as I was repeatedly muttering “It’s alright” to calm my anxiety…
“Ah, as expected.”
I made eye contact with someone.
Bewilderment, and a slight sense of relief, washed over me.
And overwhelming fear that surpassed all of that.
“You were still here?”
What caught my eye was the eerie red color and the smile.
The one I first character I encountered after regaining consciousness, the one I might have killed first.
[Frankly, anyone who didn’t look up when the sky was shattering in real-time was a lunatic.]
There was one.
The crazy assassin who had unhesitatingly thrown herself out the window after me.
“Found you, Oz.”
That woman, with her eerie smile, even in this apocalyptic moment with the sky collapsing…
“…”
“Hee hee.”
Was looking only at me.
[Erosion Rate 15%]
A sense of death ran down my spine.
By the time I noticed, she was already close. We were within arm’s reach of each other.
My heart, still racing from sprinting, felt its warmth turning cold.
It was too late. She was looking down at me as I ran, staying low. Time seemed to slow down.
“Ugh…”
If she reached out her hand now, I would be caught easily.
Even in this fleeting moment, I couldn’t tell if the sweat dripping down me was from the heat or from a cold sweat.
I had to react.
But how?
Whether it was [Spatial Barrier] or [Master of Mana], no matter how fast they were, I would be caught the moment I tried to activate them.
I was already within her line of sight. No, I had stepped into it.
Even the real Oz wouldn’t survive this.
In this endlessly slowed time, I frantically searched for a countermeasure, but nothing came to mind.
And at that moment…
“See you next time.”
I heard an eerie, chilling voice, and then my body brushed past hers.
“Next time, at the ‘march,’ I won’t let you go like this.”
She didn’t do anything other than say a few words.
Yes, she was just smiling and looking at me.
And so, I stepped across the border into the empire.
—–CROW—–