10 The first in History

{6000 words, sheesh}

-ALRIGHT! LET'S START THIS SHIT!!

'It was currently 8 Am, me and a bunch of other dudes were currently waiting for our teacher to say something.'

She has just been staring at us for quite some time... Is she using some long-cast Skill?

Or is she just so lazy that she won't start the class until it's exactly 8?

Most of the people in here aren't exactly who I expected. Based on yesterday, there were several more people with combat-related classes…

They probably went to the other instructors since they were much more welcoming than this girl…

Although I also saw several people who shouldn't be here. Most of these people are men.

Don't tell me… They are here to see the teacher in particular? If that's true… What a bunch of retards.

Is a beautiful dominator-type girl with tight clothes more important than your development?

Don't answer.

-Is everyone here?... 36?... I thought we would have more. So be it!

-I am not going to go over boring shit like tactics and whatever since I believe that before using tactics. You first need to know what the fuck you are actually doing!

-Let me ask you all a question. Just how many of you have actually held a weapon in your life? I am not talking about kitchenware or shit like that. I am talking about a tool made for killing!

'Everyone looked at each other before 12 or so boys lifted their hands'

This included me.

Come on, one-third of the people actually picked a weapon, our country didn't allow for the port of guns by civilians and I think most people in here never really picked on something like a true sword and ax.

-Hoo? How fucking pathetic… How many of you 12 actually killed something with it?

'Everyone took down their hands'

-Fuc… Forget it! Looks like I am going to have to start slow…

'But suddenly, a person raised one of their hands.'

-Excuse me Miss! Why do we need to learn how to wield weapons?

'Her expression told me she was looking at the stupidest person in the world'

It wasn't that hard to figure out why we need weapons.

But you could also make this question in order to find out what sort of enemies we will be facing.

Although both me and the teacher don't think that was his question, he looks too dumb to think of far.

-Why? For fighting of course.

-Why… Why do we need to fight anything?

-Because you were called here obviously!

-But I don't want to fight! Why would I put my life on the line?! We were taken into this place against our will and we now have to fight?! Where are our rights?!

Urg... This guy can't see the bigger picture... Those are the easiest to manipulate, plain dumb people.

'With this line, many others started to voice out their complaints as well'

Humans are social animals, if one acts, this gives a lot of courage to the next one...

-Yeah! I don't want to fight!

-Me neither!

-... Rights huh… Sigh. I need to calm down, if I beat any of these people Huhuf is going to make me deaf with his screams… I can't believe they are our hope.

'Berinou mumbled something in a low tone that most couldn't really hear, apart from me and a few others with some specific Skill.'

-I will be direct. This training isn't just for you to fight just for the sake of it. The world out there is dangerous, so as the hope of our Kingdom, you need to be at least able to defend yourselves.

-If you still think that fighting isn't for you, then you are free to leave and join any of the other 3 instructors. Although I am pretty sure the end result will be the same. At the very least you will find a better job for the pussy that you are.

-So go on, I am giving you 10 seconds to leave, everyone else that stays will be considered to be my students.

I am already Impressed she said all of that calmly.

'The people had different reactions to what she said, some had anger visible in their eyes due to the humiliation, others were pensive.'

And I just wanted this to end soon so that I could go back to the books.

-10!... 9!... 8!... 7!...

'Berinou started to count the time, and with that, many started to run away.'

-let's leave this crazy bitch! We don't need to fight!

-Yeah! Let's just go to the others! At the very least they will treat us with some respect!

And bla bla bla.

-...0!

'In the end, from the 36, only 20 were left.'

-Good. I prefer a few elites rather than 1000 idiots. Even if they go to the others, their destiny shall be the same. Listen to me here, you can't survive in this world if you can't fight.

-Unless you decide to be a farmer and stop growing stronger.

-Even a beggar on the streets is constantly trying to improve. If I go to the capital, I am sure I can find a kid with more balls than those guys.

-I wouldn't have complained if they had left after receiving my tutoring, as Huhuf said before, we are here to teach, not to limit you all. But they left before even trying due to fear and laziness.

-So even if they come back, I am not going to receive them, nor do I want any of you to defend them!

-Let's start!

'She pulled a large cloth revealing several stands filled with many shiny weapons and armors'

-Most of you should have received some starting gear right? Be sure to take it out! If you are missing something, make sure to get it over here.

-The most basic set of equipment for an adventurer is a set of armor and a weapon. But it's important to always have replacements. Even more so in your case! All of you have an inventory, an immense luxury. Make sure to use it.

I had to beg for a magician to make me one of those bags for months... URG!

-There is no need to hold yourselves back! But don't be greedy!

-If you have any questions or you need some help I am here! We will start in 10 minutes!

'The moment she finished speaking, some people removed their gear from their inventory, while others were slightly hesitant, but still followed either taking their own gear or just going to the stands.'

I was among the ones who removed their gear from their inventory.

After taking a better look at the quality of the gear in the stands and what the others had, I knew what sort of gear would best suit me for this situation.

Something that was decent but it wouldn't stand out too much.

(It's hard to think like that when Hunters equipment is already rather bizarre, but you need to think that everyone is wearing some sort of flashy gear)

I took out my Old Hunter gear and the Moonlight greatsword.

Yup, that was the setup I thought to be the most optimal for this situation.

The Old Hunter set isn't by any means my strongest set, and its simplistic yet stylish look is just what I need. While the moonlight sword looks rather bland in its normal form.

It looks like a normal knight's sword that has suffered through immense hardships, being chipped in some areas.

The sword's true power comes when you activate the hidden moonlight inside it. The sword's power seems naught inexhaustible.

But I am not crazy enough to do so, unless it's a special situation. Then I may reconsider.

When the sword is activated it can get a little... Flashy.

And as a bonus, it grows stronger when it's under direct moonlight, and it even has some special properties…

I looked around, seeing all of the people in all sorts of crazy gear. I felt as if I was in an anime convention.

I also looked at our teacher, Berinou Gargo, Sky rank adventurer… Unfortunately, as Dae said, the books were too outdated to help me in understanding the implications of such a Rank.

{That means she is fucking Badass}

! Don't fucking do that. And stop reading my mind unless you want another drink

{Not like I can talk with you using any other means… And please no… I was barely able to even walk after staying in the bathroom for an hour.}

We can talk about that later. Why did you contact me? Isn't that girl going to detect us?

{Talk about that later he says… Fine! I will have my revenge later!

… I just came to warn you. Berinou Gargo isn't as stupid and violent as she shows. That's just an act}

An act?

{Do you think it's easy for a woman to rise in a medieval-style society where strength and background rule supreme?

You can say they could resort to magic or something that doesn't require physical strength, but they need knowledge and time to even do such a thing in the first place.}

{The current position women have in this Human society is mostly due to the hard work of many generations of strong women over the centuries.}

… And what does all of this have to do with her?

{It has everything to do with her. She has to fake it because adventurers are a rather barbaric bunch. Keeping her true personality hidden, that of a very smart and observant woman.}

{You see, this is all because of politics. There are many strong adventurers out there, many that could actually rise to higher ranks, but they are kept in place by the organization known as "Adventurer's Guild".}

Okay…

{And Berinou was once such an adventurer. She was very strong, but due to politics and also because she was a woman, many didn't really put a lot of faith in her.

Because of this, she was unable to rise higher in the ranks}

And what rising in the ranks has to do with her strength? Couldn't she continue to be of a lower rank while continuing to train?

{Unless she wanted to be assassinated. The Crown isn't an organization that would allow the rise of such a low ranking, "fishy" citizen. It's fine if her strength is a little higher than her rank, but if she rises higher than that… Then it becomes a problem, an inconvenience.

For many people and for different reasons.

And although the people of this world can increase their State through hunting monsters, the efficiency of that is over a thousand times below ours. That's why they need the resources locked behind higher rankings. They need the support of an organization.}

(I will explain this better later)

{So, in order to continue on her career, she hides away her feminine side while slowly building this front of a strong and unbeatable woman. She killed hundreds of powerful monsters in brutal ways to showcase her strength.

Over time, she built a powerful array of connections and immense support from the adventurers in the Human kingdom, and as you can see, she was given a higher Rank.

With her growth not being suppressed anymore, she continued to grow and grow, eventually rising to the Rank of Sky.

She isn't a dumb musclehead Woman. She is a calculative mastermind that is also insanely strong and Talented}

… Just more reasons for you to not talk with me about this in here!

{If I told you everything I wanted in one sitting we would be there in the library for an entire week!

And anyway, although she is strong, she mainly focuses on her physical body and similar techniques. Such a method of Mind communication should be beyond her normal senses.

Although I wouldn't be surprised if she detected if someone tried talking in secret… Thankfully, I am a master and not some newbie}

Humble boasting.

{Hehe… Just be careful of her. Even more with us who shall be this country's future, and as she said, Hope.

She is paying much more attention to us than you could even imagine.}

I see… I am curious, how high is a Sky Rank adventurer?

{Starting from the Bottom we have, Earth, Hill, Mountain, Then we have the Metal ranks, White-Gold, Purple-Gold, Dark-Gold.

Earth and Hill are called "Low Rank" by the adventurers. Although it's an unofficial name, it's even used by nobles and royalty because of how 'catchy' it is.

Mountain Rank is a division, also called a plateau. Many stop there, without any hope of advancing. This is why this Rank alone constitutes the "Middle Rank"

And finally, we have "High Rank", consisting of all 3 of the metal ranks. And that is also the first "barrier" that adventurers meet with. In order to become a Purple-Gold and Dark-Gold adventurer, one has to pass the association exam… You know where I am going with this right?

They will give you something almost impossible to do, and unless you have the connections… It's over.

Beyond that, there is what they call 'Heaven', those at the very 'top' of this world.

Air, Sky, and Star. Those are the last 3 Ranks of the adventurers… Kind off.

This was also the place where Berinou was actually stuck in… She used to be an incredibly talented woman that rose to the Dark-Gold rank by the age of 26 even though she wasn't a Noble nor someone with an incredible "Role".

But she had to stay there for 10 years slowly building a large network only so she could progress more… Her potential was wasted yet she still managed to raise another Rank and reach Sky.

And if she didn't die so early, she might've become a Star Rank adventurer by the time she was in her 50's. She might've been a Star rank adventurer if she wasn't stopped midway...

There is still one unofficial Level beyond that. Reserved for the strongest adventurers in all of Human history. There is no one alive who can hold such a title, but one will be born in one year from now… But let's leave this event for later.}

So in essence. She is crazy strong, smart, talented, and even a hottie to boot?

{You can say so... Don't worry about her though. I plan to have her focus fully on me as to decrease the attention on you.

I will have to stop this for now since my head is starting to throb… But I have one request, I will meet you in the library sometime tonight}

See ya…

Our conversation lasted a few minutes, but there were still a few more before the time she had set for us.

…

'Time passed as I watched the school kids select their weapons.'

'That's right, school kids. There wasn't even a single University student in here for some reason.'

You might ask: What about Petter? Where is he?

How would I like to know!

-That's it! Time's up!

'She got up from her resting chair and cracked her knuckles'

-I see everyone is decently geared… Some more than others but I can pardon that for now. By the time one month passes all of you will have a certain understanding of combat and how to properly gear yourself.

'She went to the side and picked a small box, pressing a button on top of it.'

'The ground started to tremble as multiple holes appeared on it. And from those holes, several dark dummies rose to the surface, being carried by what I could only say to be a floating plate.'

'After that, the holes closed. Leaving exactly 20 mannequins on the surface'

-Before we start anything. You'll first need to know how to properly wield your weapons and how to use them while in armor!

-So let's start with… 100… 1000. Yeah. 1000 swings.

-...

-What are you all waiting for? Go on! Just hit your weapons on the dummies! I will be here to correct any mistakes you all might make!

'The first one to move was none other than Dae. He picked his sword and slashed at the Dummy.'

'His swing was so perfect that even Berinou was surprised.'

/Clang clang.../

'Dae continued to swing at an incredibly fast rate of one swing every second. What was even more impressive was that he was wearing heavy armor.'

He must be trying to train his body…

Dae used only the most minimal movement, consuming the least amount of energy with every strike.

People were thinking he would tire quickly but they couldn't be more wrong.

I need to start too. Nothing will come from watching him.

Grasping my sword with my two hands, I slashed at the Dummy.

The Hellish training had begun...

/First hour of training/

I kept slashing at the Dummy without stopping.

I tried to keep a constant rate of about 1 slash every 4-3 seconds, much slower than Dae 1-2 slashes per second but this is good enough for me.

Most people around me could barely even pull a decent hit every 3 or so tries. So I had to mess a little every once in a while.

But men, these Dummies are made of Bedrock or something?

Even after hitting it for an hour and fulfilling the 1000 swings, it didn't even have a scratch.

/Second hour of training/

After the swings, it was time to defend. The Dummies sprung to life as they started to swing metal batons at us.

"Defend 1000 hits she said..."

And so I did, or at least tried.

The Dummies would get faster and faster the longer they were without hitting you once, so no matter how good you were at defending, you are going to be hit eventually.

Unless you pass its maximum attack speed… Something I think I am capable of doing, but I can't for obvious reasons.

In any case, the hit wasn't even that bad, with my stats + my maxed armor, they hit as hard as a kid.

Although I would still like to avoid being hit in the face and in the balls.

/Third, fourth, and fifth hour of training/

One hour of defending later, it was time for the last exercise before we rested.

A full fighting exercise where we need to attack, defend, and evade 1000 times.

There is a catch, the Dummy will also attack, evade and defend.

No need to say that most of the people suffered immensely.

The only ones in my vision that didn't have that much difficulty were Dae, Swordsman Isshin, and another dude.

I didn't recognize him… I think he is from the outcast… Oh yeah! One of the 10 Strong! The dude whose hair makes him look like a Hentai protagonist.

Apart from those three, there were also a few guys who were doing alright so far, like the edgy kid with silver hair and the guys from the muscular group.

This included Partison, and some other dudes like the man with the strange translucent sword, and the dude with the Ruyi bang staff.

(The guy with the Fading swordsman Class)

And when I mean "doing alright" I mean they could at least hit the Dummy from time to time, most were just being beaten up.

-Alright! This is enough for now! We will have a 5-minute rest before continuing!

-...

'Everyone was exhausted after three consecutive hours of training, they weren't crybabies like the ones who left, but this was a bit too much...'

-Don't look at me like that! I obviously know you are all tired!

'She picked a box filled with glass bottles, all of which were filled with all sorts of colorful liquids.'

-Come and drink your potions! Haha! You need to enjoy this while you can! Resources like this are rare outside after all!

-Each of you will gain 1 Light medicinal potion, 1 Light energetic potion, and 1 Light refreshment potion. This should be enough for now.

'Although most were skeptical about those colorful drinks, they still picked them up and gulped down its contents'

'And all of their doubts went away faster than lightning flashes. Their soreness eased as their injuries healed, the exhaustion disappeared as they felt as if cold water had been splashed in their bodies.'

-This is… The best training supplement! I feel as if I can go through that training all over again! No! I am even better than before!

'Most seemed to agree with the muscular kid.'

-HAHA! Look at your faces! Let the potions do their magic, for now, we will continue in 5 minutes! So be ready for that!

She is surely energetic… Wasn't the first week reserved for theoretical knowledge and common knowledge?

Looks like she has her own plans.

'Time passed and we continued with the hellish training'

'We ran laps, lifted weights, fought more, but considering what I know about training, this is quite light.'

'Military training back on earth was much crueler than this.'

'We only stopped to eat and rest, our only chance of going to the bathroom was during those times'

'And after 8 hours of this, she finally had enough'

-Stop! This is good for today.

/Ploft!/

'Many fell on the ground as their knees gave in'

-We will rest for 10 Minutes this time then we will proceed with the second part of the training.

-Don't look at me like that! As all of you have read in the calendar, the first week is reserved for theoretical knowledge.

-So don't fall on the ground just because of some warm-up! Next week when we start delving into more practical knowledge, things will get much harder!

Was… Was that a warm-up?! That was what many thought when they heard her statement.

I just went to a rock and sat. My body was a little sore, but this level of activity wasn't even enough for a warm-up.

Perhaps I should unequip my Class…

{That's a good idea}

… I am not even surprised anymore… Don't you think you are going a little too far?

{There is nothing I can do about that. Unless I stop talking with you}

So just stop!

{But how will I give you advice?}

{You must've read some books in the library right? If you are so bothered about this, then how about I teach you this Skill later? If you have that at least I won't be able to spy on your mind anymore}

{Not like I am, I can only hear your thoughts when I send a message to your head, so you will always know when I am here}

Yeah… We should get this out of the way as soon as possible… But tell me, what was that about me removing my Class?

{As said earlier, I don't know exactly how your Skill works, but I do know that you can switch Classes. Because of this, you would occasionally experience strength variations.}

{You are strong right now… But your main body is still the most important. Never forget to always push it beyond its limits.

Just don't Level it up...}

… I know that. I guess it's not that late to try…

{Stop. Now it's too late, if you change Classes right now it's almost guaranteed that Berinou is going to notice it. Try tomorrow, and be sure to pick up another weapon, since I am sure that you in your normal body wouldn't be able to wield that sword in your hands.}

… It was my oversight…

{I know what is happening, you are thinking about too many things at the same time. This is removing your attention from simple subjects like these. So focus more on the present and leave the future for later, okay?}

Although that was kind of my fault. Giving him so much info might have messed a little with his thought process. Perhaps giving too much info wasn't the right call... But then, I wouldn't have been able to convince him.

In any case, I have to place his attention somewhere...

{{… You are right. Let's leave that for later. I will take a quick nap while we wait…}}

{See ya later}

…

-Enough rest! Let's start this!

'Everyone sat near the teacher in a circle position and waited for her to continue'

'For the next few hours, Berinou talked with us about many things. It was mostly geography and politics, but a certain amount of linguistics was included as well.'

She passed through everything quickly without stopping in a subject for too long.

Although I already knew most of this information, it is still helpful for me to learn from the perspective of a modern native of this world.

After all, for the 10Th time, those books were outdated. Although I will start to read more dated books from now on.

-We are done here for today, dismissed!

Finally, my ass hurts from sitting in this chair.

A few maids came and gave us some chairs mid-way through her lesson, that's why most people could even last so long sitting down.

What time is it?

Looking at the moon in the sky, it should be around 8Pm. Perhaps 9?

I will go take a shower and meet Dae in the library later. I am not in the mood to eat anything until I resolve some things.

'And so I left without looking back, not realizing that Berinou was looking at my back'

…

-He should be here at any moment…

It had been 2 hours since I started to read books in the library. It's currently 10:20 Pm, and the clock on the ceiling of the library is still ticking…

-When will that guy arrive?

…

Thankfully I didn't have to wait for too long since Dae showed up after 10 minutes.

-Sup Philip.

-Hey Dae, what took you so long?

-A few minor things… I don't have as much time as I had yesterday. And I also need your help with something so let's finish this quickly.

-This has to do with that favor you were saying earlier right?

'He nodded'

-There are many Skills I would like to teach you, but let's start with the one you desire the most.

'He sat on one of the chairs and relaxed

-First, we settle on a form, there are many ways to talk with someone over long distances, the way that I use is based on Mindpower, or Mind force if you wish.

-The Skill name doesn't matter much since it will most likely change but I will say mine either way.

-It's called 'Thought bridge'. And its most simple use is to send your thoughts over to someone else by creating a bridge between two people, but there are many more uses for this Skill…

-You should be honored, although this Skill is simple, it came from the combined knowledge of many masters…

-Keep the lore for later, didn't you say we don't have time?

-...

-Alright. The first step in developing this Skill is to have a decent understanding of Mindpower, which you do thanks to those books. Although there is still a lot to learn it should be enough for something to appear in your Status.

-The second is also the most important one. You need to have a sufficiently strong Mindpower. It doesn't matter just how proficient you are in using this energy if you don't have enough to initiate the technique.

-And considering your Trait, I think you have more than enough…

-Talking about Traits, it should still be absorbing it as we talk right?

-Yes, it has been dormant for some time now.

-Once it awakens I can proceed to teach you some cool stuff.

-But let's return to this Skill. You have the knowledge and you have the necessary amount, let me teach you the basics of how this works…

-First, you need to build a mind Palace.

-Mind Palace? Isn't that the name of a very advanced technique?

-Yes it is… At this time in the timeline, it's indeed something near impossible to make. Do you remember Eriny? The wizard we met yesterday?

-Even though she is an Archmage, she just recently built her own mind Palace… And after teaching us for a month, she will enter seclusion and miraculously advance to the 8Th Tier.

'He talks about the future in such an easy-going way...'

-She is only doing this because she needs time to settle the chaotic forces in her mind. Sigh...

-What? And you want me to build one right now? For such a "simple" technique, this Skill needs something rather complex.

-Sheesh… It's not as hard as you think, making a Mind Palace isn't that complicated at all, even a child can make one if he has all of the previous conditions, much less for someone like you who already has something similar.

-The current difficulty in creating a Mind Palace revolves around the rather crude level of knowledge the people of this world have towards the Mind, not because they are weak. The same thing can be applied to subjects related to the Soul.

In the future, all areas will experience a massive explosion of development in order to cope with the changes... Lost knowledge will come back and the organizations will be incapable of suppressing rising stars...

A very chaotic Era.

-So as long as you follow my instructions, building a Mind Palace should be a piece of cake, much less when you have that energy inside of you. Perhaps creating a Palace might accelerate the absorption rate.

-Sigh… The way you talk makes it seem as if they are the country bumpkins, not you, the newly summoned hero...

-What can I do?... You are kind of right…

-...

-To make a Mind Palace you first need to…

'For the next half hour, Dae told me all of the basic knowledge necessary to make a Mind Palace. It's rather simple, all that I need is to condense my Mindpower following a certain pattern and a Mind Palace should form on its own'

-I will teach you the best way to form a Mind Palace… Well… The most flexible.

-You see, there are many ways to construct a Mind Palace. Some focus on its defensive capabilities, others focus on its versatility, and many focus on its offensive powers.

-This ends up creating many problems since sometimes, the most suitable form for a Mind palace might not match the technique.

-What I am teaching you is a versatile way to make one developed by…

-Keep the lore for later.

-...

-Cough! Pretty much, this technique will allow your body to shape the Mindpower into its most suitable shape. And after a Mind Palace has been set, the rest is pretty simple.

'Dae pulled a paper with some pretty strange inscriptions painted in it.'

-Just memorize this paper and think about its contents while you condense your Mind force.

'The paper was filled with many strange runes interconnecting with each other, in fact, it seemed to be 3D in some areas.'

But...

-... Just this?

-Yes.

-... Wasn't this supposed to be harder or…

-I told you, this isn't that big of a deal. Although, you are looking at the combined efforts of hundreds of mages who sacrificed themselves for the future…

Dae seemed rather sad and angry.

-Memorizing this will be a pain though… Is this a 3D image?

-Yes, but in your case… You shouldn't have any problem.

-... Because of the Mental Library?

-Exactly! You see, you need to memorize this rune in your mind right?

-Yes I have.

-But isn't it being recorded in the Mental Library the same? Although you don't comprehend this knowledge, nor did you truly memorize it, the rune is still contained inside your mind.

-All of our problems are thus resolved.

-... You make some sense. Fine, just let me look at it for some time just to make sure that nothing goes wrong.

-Be my guest.

'Reading the rune wasn't difficult, even though I couldn't recognize the language it was written in, nor did my linguistic Skill trigger. I still managed to fully memorize the rune, much to my surprise.'

'Looks like my current mind is already beyond Human, even though I don't feel any different at all.'

-It's been 10 minutes. Are you ready?

-Yes I am.

-Good. Eat this tablet first, it will help you in condensing your Mind force, in case you feel as if you are lacking in strength to keep going, you can eat one of these pills. They are hard to swallow but make sure to not munch them.

-I will be here if anything goes wrong.

[Unknown Pill

Effects, It supposedly gives you more strength in the subject of the mind.

Its shape, appearance, and smell make it most likely to be Tranquil mind Pills refined by the...]

-... Where did you get these? Tranquil mind Pills?

-Bingo. Looks like that Skill of yours isn't as useless, no?

-... Let's just proceed, we already wasted too much time on this.

'Dae nodded and waited for me to start'

It's now or never.

'I ate the tablet and closed my eyes...'

/10 minutes later/

Good, he is proceeding at an incredible pace… He is truly talented.

With this, Philip will be more of a monster… A Mind Palace in the first week, no, third day right?… Hahaha! This will surely give him an incredible achievement!

If only I could do that first… Unfortunately, my mind doesn't fulfill all of the necessary conditions yet.

If I can't get it, it's better to give it to Philip, hence, he will owe me another one.

He already owes me a lot...

10… No, 5 more minutes should be enough.

/Poof!/

Suddenly, blue gas started to leave Philip's ears.

-!

So soon?!

…

ARGG! THIS HURTS! DAE KYOUNG! YOU FUCKER!

Just like he said, after I ate the tablet, I slowly felt as my Mindo force started to condense.

It's difficult to explain. It was like there was something compressing my brain, but it didn't hurt.

Not at the start at least.

After an unknown period of time, I started to feel a splitting headache from deep inside my mind.

But I did as Dae told me and resisted the pain.

And I did so for a very long time…

He told me the Rune would appear naturally as soon as I had gathered enough Mind force to form a Palace… But after so long nothing happened.

So I took a Pill, and another, and another…

It was only after 6 Pills did I feel as if I was 'stuffed'.

The Rune finally appeared in the dark void that was my mind right now, shining light everywhere.

Dae told me it was simple, but this is the complete opposite of simple! Maintaining concentration in this environment is already hard, much less if I had to remember a complex 3D image that was the fucking Rune.

But thankfully I had the Mental library.

After the Rune appeared, the pain rose by several degrees.

As if a hot iron had been poured inside my head.

And worse, my Trait isn't activating!

This was something Dae said might happen.

Since this is something inside my head my Trait might not work at all!

It can't protect me against something that happens inside of its walls.

So I resisted and resisted and…

Thankfully, I passed through horrible training in the memory, else I would have already crumbled.

...

But the excruciating pain finally ended. In its place, there was now a beautiful white castle on top of a green hill. It was surrounded by tall walls and I could even see a library deep inside.

It was like a small castle village.

[DING!]

[You have made an achievement never once recorded in history!]

I what?

...