Levelling Up the Fallen God

Phinence Bledian (1)

The endless expanse of the sky stretched out before them, as they glided through the clouds on a ship. Five people, having just completed the tutorial battle, journeyed onward.

“Huff, huff… My flames have returned!” The voice of the elderly wizard broke the silence on the ship.

Does raising the Magic Power from 1 to 2 have something to do with it?

Although the potency of his magic might have slightly diminished, the mere fact that he had regained his own strength was somewhat reassuring.

“Hey, boss. You got any secrets up your sleeve?” One of them blurted out after a long pause, finally regaining his composure.

Phinence turned towards the voice, finding a guy who seemed like a mix of troublemaker and gangster. “What did you just call me?”

“Seems like everyone’s itching to know who you really are, don’t stay silent and spill the beans… Uh!”

The troublemaker quickly swallowed his words, sensing an unexplainable pressure in the emotionless Phinence’s piercing gaze. It was a whole different kind of icy chill compared to when he led them into battle.

“You’ve got no manners.”

“…”

“Remember who saved you during the battle.”

Phinence was taken aback by his own tone of voice and thought process. Back in his previous world, he wouldn’t have even thought to entertain the man’s words, let alone retort.

Is it because of the aftermath of the battle? Or is it because I’ve been consumed by the character’s setting?

He couldn’t quite comprehend how he effortlessly spoke the words, as if it had been his nature since birth.

“Haha… Y-Yeah, right. I almost forgot to say thanks.”

Witnessing Phinence’s serious demeanor, the man quickly backtracked. His hasty retreat made Phinence wonder if the initial rudeness was just a way to test the waters.

Once the minor disruption subsided, a hush fell upon the group. Amidst the whispers of the wind, Phinence surveyed the faces of the survivors.

The rowdy troublemaker.

The elderly wizard.

The male student with a tattered uniform.

The woman, still trembling, her hands stained with green goo.

And himself—five survivors who had made it through the tutorial, no less.

“Alright, I reckon everyone is burning with curiosity.”

Being the one to step up first, Phinence decided to spare himself future annoyance by sharing a few tidbits with the other four. He shared some basic knowledge about this world.

“If you’re wondering whether I brought you to this world, the answer is no. I, too, was dragged here without knowing why.”

“……”

“The reason I know more than you do… well, let’s just say I have a different eye for things.”

I won’t bother mentioning anything about “test play” or “Iron Monarch.” For now, I’ll stick around as their ally. I won’t spill everything to those who could potentially become enemies at any moment.

“Do you remember how the world suddenly changed when we passed through the distorted light in space?”

Some of them nodded their heads. Everyone remembered how the sky abruptly transformed into a field. And as soon as the battle ended, they returned to the ship from above.

“It’s called a dimensional rift. We entered a different dimension for a moment and then escaped from it.”

“A different dimension…?”

The boy in the school uniform murmured in a bewildered tone, prompting Phinence to provide a more detailed explanation.

“More precisely, it’s a fragment of a dimension. It’s the remnant left behind when a dimension is destroyed. This world has countless similar spaces. If you’re lucky, you might find items like credits and float stones inside, but… if you’re unlucky, you’ll die without even knowing why.”

“……”

“To sum it up, these dimensional rifts are essentially random stages, and the items you find inside them act as rewards for clearing them.”

Most of them appeared confused, but no one felt compelled to inquire further. In fact, understanding the intricacies of this phenomenon wasn’t crucial for their survival. If they managed to survive long enough, they would naturally come across such information.

“Excuse me, I have a question…”

The woman at the back cautiously raised her hand. She was the only female among the group, having survived thanks to receiving a dagger from the mercenary.

“Do we have to keep fighting battles like the one we just had in the future?”

That was a question everyone immediately became curious about. Even experiencing something similar to the tutorial, where half of them perished, just a few more times would drastically reduce their chances of survival. It was only natural to worry about what lay ahead.

Phinence pondered for a moment, recalling the past, and then spoke, “In the early stages, there won’t be many ruthless challenges.”

“Really…?”

“You’ll be fine for a while,” he reassured them. However, those who heard his words couldn’t truly find reassurance. Because that meant something significant was bound to happen eventually.

Whether Phinence understood everyone’s concerns or not, he began leading the group somewhere. “Follow me. I’ll tell you a few more details.”

“….”

As they descended along the stairs of the deck, a spacious area inside the ship came into view. Contrary to its rugged exterior, the interior space had an elegant and clean design reminiscent of historic European hotels.

“This is the cabin, and over there is the power system.”

Phinence gestured towards various places, providing brief explanations. It seemed as though he knew everything about the ship, as if he had spent a long time in this world.

As the group followed Phinence, they came to a stop in a circular lobby.

“This is the control center of the ship.”

In the lobby, there was a structure that they couldn’t quite tell if it was a table or a truncated pillar, standing alone. The moment Phinence placed his hand on that structure.

Wooom!

Illuminated symbols shimmered and rose, creating a three-dimensional hologram in front of everyone. It was a miniature version of a small section of Sky Islands.

“This is…”

“It’s the sky map.”

Everyone’s mouths hung open in surprise. The ship, with a design slightly more advanced than the middle ages, possessed a state-of-the-art system unlike any modern vessel.

Even without an explanation, everyone immediately understood that it was a map. On the three-dimensional map, their current location, the projected course ahead, and the ultimate destination of the ship were connected by vibrant blue arrows.

“Do not touch it casually!”

“Oops!”

The woman, reaching out her hand toward the hologram, flinched and pulled her hand back.

“It’s on autopilot. If you touch it wrong and lose the destination, the entire ship will turn into a ghost of the sky.”

“I-I’m sorry… I didn’t know…”

“If you don’t know, just stay still.”

“Yes…”

Phinence double-checked the map and instrument panel once again. 340 hours ahead until reaching the first island. A little over two weeks.

In mobile games, days could pass in an instant, but in reality, they would have to spend a considerable amount of time on the ship.

“If it takes two weeks to arrive, it will be quite a journey.”

“Can we return to Earth then?”

“No.”

Phinence shook his head in response to the boy’s question.

“That’s when the real hell begins.”

“…”

“If you want to survive, it’s better to forget the memories of the original world.”

Leaving the control room in a strange atmosphere, Phinence explained the remaining facilities to the group. The environment inside the ship was more pleasant than expected.

In addition to cabins, there were amenities like a lounge for simple conversations and a training ground to stretch their bodies. Most of the facilities were designed in a modern style familiar to everyone except the wizard from different realm.

“Lastly, let me show you how to use credits.”

The space between the cabins and the lounge. Phinence approached the statue of the goddess standing tall in the center of the circular lobby.

It was clearly not an ordinary statue. No, the statue itself was ordinary, but the phenomena happening around it were anything but ordinary. A faint greenish glow that gently swirled around the goddess’s body like a will-o’-the-wisp.

The elderly wizard, sensing the energy, exclaimed in surprise.

“Is that a spirit?!”

“Yes, it’s a lesser spirit.”

“Wow… to see a spirit with my own eyes…”

“It’s quite common here.”

The spirits were a crucial system even in Sky Islands.

“Rather than explaining with words this time, it’s better to show you directly.”

As Phinence reached out his hand, the faint green glow wrapped around his hand like a living organism. And after a moment.

[You have purchased a Rejuvenation Steak for 10 credits!] [Balance: 990 credits]

“What is this…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Wow!”

Various exclamations burst out. The sight of food materializing on a plate in thin air was truly magical. Although it was just a transaction with the spirit using credits.

[Rejuvenation Steak]

[Rapidly restores accumulated fatigue in the body.]

[Eating it will make you feel full for the entire day.]

“Spirits don’t just sell food. They also sell tools, potions, equipment that can be helpful in battles, and even abstract things like stats and skills.”

Phinence’s explanations no longer reached everyone’s ears.

Sizzle!

The aromatic smell of the sizzling steak on the hotplate was enough to make their mouths water.

Sensing someone’s gaze filled with saliva, Phinence extended the plate and asked, “Would you like to try it?”

“Is it really okay?”

“I permit it.”

Upon hearing those words, the troublemaker cautiously reached for the fork on the plate. But in that moment.

“What…?”

The man was startled, jerking his shoulders back. It was because his hand, like touching a hologram made of light, passed right through the plate.

Amidst the confusion, Phinence continued his explanation. “As you can see, you can only use your own credits for your own sake. That’s the rule of the spirits.”

“…”

“Take care of your own belongings.”

After a while, the man’s eyebrows twitched. He realized that he had been fooled, though he didn’t complain.

“I’m going to rest now.”

There were a total of 10 rooms. It was an excessive number for a group of five.

With the explanation about credits concluded, Phinence walked towards the cabin.

“You all should rest well too. There won’t be anything else happening today.”

Thunk!

He closed the innermost door and disappeared. And hours passed, but he didn’t return to the lobby.

***

I had a dream. The sky had the same backdrop. Strangely, there was no sword sticking out of my back. Moreover, unlike my usual experience of constantly plummeting, I found myself standing on solid ground.

Suddenly, I was overwhelmed by a sense of curiosity. I looked around and all I saw was the sky’s scenery, then what on earth was the ground beneath my feet?

To be certain, I approached the edge of the cliff.

Swoosh!

A jet-black blade pierced through my body and jutted out, the very same sword that had always been embedded in my dreams.

Someone was behind me…! But who? However, I couldn’t turn my head to see.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

In quick succession, two more swords impaled my back. The blades twisted within the wounds, and I felt a sensation as if the wind was escaping my lungs.

“Argh… Ugh…”

With immense pain, I stumbled towards the edge of the cliff. And just like before, my body descended from the clouds with three swords lodged within it. The blood flowed from my wounds, staining the blades a deep crimson.

In the midst of my descent, I glanced upward. I could see the silhouettes of three figures. They were likely the ones who had stabbed me in the back. Although I couldn’t see their faces clearly, I could sense the overall atmosphere.

One of them chuckled, seemingly enjoying the spectacle. Another one looked down at me with a gaze reminiscent of observing a bug.

“…”

And the last one, with the longest hair, nodded silently.

“…!”

At the sight of the three silhouettes, a surge of something unfamiliar rose within me. It was anger, a sensation I had never experienced before.

…

…

In an instant, Phinence jolted awake from his bed. As soon as he woke up, he instinctively spread his palms, only to find his clenched fists had left marks on his skin.

Staring blankly at the wounds on his hands, Phinence shook his head, attempting to gather his thoughts.

“What happened?”

Dreams always fade rapidly, leaving only vague remnants.

Phinence sensed that his dream had taken a different course, but he couldn’t recall any further details. Consequently, uncertainty gripped him even tighter. For some reason, his breathing was labored, and his body trembled involuntarily. An enigmatic blend of emotions kept swelling and dispersing within his heart.

“The summit…” Suddenly, Phinence murmured to himself. “I must reach the summit.”

It was a statement that even he couldn’t fully comprehend the significance of.

***

His mind quickly grew silent. As time went on, Phinence couldn’t believe his own actions.

Was I somehow hypnotized?

In the midst of this urgent struggle for survival, he found himself muttering about reaching the summit.

“I don’t know.”

He felt the need to clear his mind, so Phinence stepped out of his room. The stairs leading to the deck were dimly lit. Time had also passed in this world, with the sunset fading away and the night taking its place.

“It seems like everyone is asleep.”

The ship glided through the morning sky in utter silence. Occasionally, the sound of rocks colliding could be heard as the friction caused by the ship’s fuel source, float stones, resonated.

“No, not everyone is sleeping.”

Phinence narrowed his eyes as he noticed movement in the lounge next to the circular lobby. Just as the sound of footsteps echoed through the corridor, his gaze met with that of a woman.