A Bug In Fate

Alden hadn’t even realized his hands were trembling until Vish pointed it out.

The psychological pressure was finally catching up to him.

He took several deep breaths and fell silent, seemingly lost in thought. Only after nearly two full minutes did the trembling stop, and a calm expression slowly returned to his face.

Vish didn’t interrupt him, giving him the space to gather his thoughts.

"Do you regret it?"

Vish’s voice broke the silence.

Alden turned toward her with a somewhat mischievous smile.

"Yes and no."

"Huh?"

Vish looked confused for a brief moment before she sensed something familiar in his tone.

"I can’t justify what I did, and I’m not going to search for their crimes just to make myself feel like some hero. People say every life is precious and that we should never kill anyone. Many of those same people would still kill if their king ordered them to, or if it meant saving someone they cared about."

He shrugged.

"So... it was just a fortunate or unfortunate encounter that brought us together. Nothing more."

Alden finished speaking before walking toward the boulder to collect the belongings he had left behind.

"Shouldn’t we hurry? I think it will be night soon."

Alden said as he looked up at the sky. The sun had already disappeared, and only the two moons cast a faint light over the land.

"Don’t worry. The city isn’t far away."

Vish replied before walking ahead, leaving the struggling bandits pinned to the ground.

The bandits remained silent. Not even the sound of breathing could be heard from them. If they could have stopped their own heartbeats without dying, they probably would have.

As they watched Alden and Vish walk toward the city, relief washed over them. They waited until the two figures disappeared from sight, and a silent understanding passed between them to finally try standing up.

But unknown to them, their fate had already been sealed the moment they crossed Vish.

Suddenly, the force pressing them down disappeared.

Before they could even feel relieved, it came crashing down again with even greater intensity.

Gravity itself was being manipulated to an absurd degree. A moment later, their bones began cracking under the pressure, their mana circuits shattered, and their bodies were crushed until nothing remained.

Soon, all that was left behind was a scene worthy of someone’s worst nightmare.

One might wonder why Vish hadn’t killed them together with Henry.

The reason was simple.

After realizing it had been Alden’s first time killing another person, she didn’t want to accidentally intimidate him by finishing the remaining bandits in such a gruesome way.

Ironically, Vish herself probably hadn’t realized she was being considerate.

Back to Alden, some time had passed, and stars were beginning to appear high in the sky. The two moons remained ever-present, as if watching over the world. The road had become wider, and Alden could see several smaller paths merging with theirs before leading toward the city.

"Um... can I ask you something?"

Alden asked Vish, who was finally walking beside him.

"Go ahead."

Vish replied in her usual calm voice.

"Um... that was a spell, right? The one their leader used at the end."

"Yes."

"Can you tell me how to learn it?"

"That Fireball spell?"

"Yes."

"Why do you want to learn it? That was just a basic spell."

Vish said, raising an eyebrow.

Alden felt slightly offended by how casually she dismissed the spell. He couldn’t help but remember a certain web novel character with infinite mana who had started with the very same spell.

"I just want to. It looks cool."

Alden said, though in truth he simply wanted to understand how spells worked in this world.

"Well, there are two known ways to learn a spell. Either through a spellbook or by using a specific method. Most people learn them through spellbooks."

Vish explained in her usual flat tone.

Alden paid close attention to every word. He didn’t want to miss anything important and regret it later.

"Hehe, I can’t wait to reach the city."

Alden said excitedly, already imagining himself throwing spells all over the battlefield.

"Unfortunately for you, you won’t be able to learn one even if you have a spellbook."

Vish replied, sounding slightly amused.

"Huh?"

For a moment, Alden wondered if the woman beside him simply didn’t like seeing him happy.

"One has to reach the Rupture Rank before they can learn a spell."

Vish explained.

"Why? Is there something only a Rupture Rank can do?"

"Yes."

"....."

Alden fell silent.

Just a moment ago, he had been excited about finally learning his first spell. His imagination had already run wild.

Only for it to shatter.

"In case you don’t know, there’s a huge difference between the Awakened Rank and the Rupture Rank. An Awakened can only use mana internally, such as enhancing their own body. A Rupture Rank, however, can project mana outside the body, allowing them to cast spells and use other techniques." Vish said in her usual tone.

"How many months do you think it’ll take before I reach the Rupture Rank?"

Alden asked curiously.

"Months? You haven’t even reached the Spark Rank yet, and you’re already thinking about the Rupture Rank."

Vish replied calmly.

Alden blinked.

"There... is a Spark Rank?"

He had completely forgotten there was another realm between Awakened and Rupture.

They rounded a bend in the road before continuing their journey.

"So the bandit leader was a Rupture Rank, huh?"

Alden muttered. He suddenly realized that if Vish hadn’t been there, that Fireball alone could have put him in serious trouble.

...Then he remembered the bandits had only attacked because of Vish in the first place.

His expression became slightly complicated.

What he didn’t know, however, was that most bandits didn’t need a reason to kill.

"Oh... then can you tell me how you did that?"

Alden asked.

"I simply increased the gravity in the area."

"But... I didn’t see you cast a spell."

"It’s because of elemental affinity."

Vish answered as though it were common knowledge, completely ignoring the fact that Alden knew almost nothing about this world’s cultivation.

"Oh."

A look of understanding crossed Alden’s face. He didn’t ask any further questions. It was probably something he could learn after reaching the city.

The rest of the journey passed quietly. No monsters appeared, though Alden wasn’t complaining. He guessed it was because they were getting closer to the city.

He wasn’t entirely wrong.

A few minutes later, Alden’s steps gradually slowed before coming to a complete stop.

Before him stretched a sight he had never imagined he would witness in another world.

At first glance, it looked as though the stars themselves had fallen from the heavens.

Countless lights stretched across the land, flickering beneath the night sky like a second galaxy. They spread farther than Alden could see, revealing countless buildings hidden beneath the darkness. Surrounding them all stood a colossal wall, rising like an ancient guardian that had watched over the city for centuries. Even from this distance, the city gates looked large enough for giants to walk through side by side.

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