Javert's Iron and Justice (17)
A thick stack of rewards.
Layer upon layer of status window notifications greeted my vision.
Crouched in one corner of the hallway, I counted the chiming alerts one by one.
Ding!
[Sub Quest Cleared!]
-Title: About the Things We Regret.
-Objective: Clear Purgatory Floors 81-90.
[You have cleared the stage perfectly!]
First of all, my Purgatory clear had reached Floor 90.
With this, only ten floors remained.
'Smooth progress.'
Back when I enrolled, Purgatory had only been cleared up to Floor 69.
I had pushed that tower's progress all the way to Floor 90 in barely half a year.
At the same time, I had even handled the side quests along the way.
And if I had to name the part I put the most effort into, it was obviously this.
Ding!
[Main Quest Cleared!]
-Title: Javert's Iron and Justice
-Objective: Prevent the tragedy of Blue Night.
[Through a stunning performance, you have prevented the tragedy!]
-A reward will be provided. Please check your inventory.
A carefully built script, acting, and buildup.
The result had come from all those pieces fitting together.
Looking at that notification, I could feel a little relieved.
'Now the students won't be massacred, and Javert won't kill herself... probably.'
This had plenty of benefits in the long run, too.
Javert was one of Grandia's core forces, after all.
If she stood with us, she would be a great help in the hardships to come.
Even after getting put through the wringer for the past few days, my overall review was that it had been worth it.
'The more you try to take the easy way around these things, the more fucked you get.'
Some problems had to be smashed through head-on from time to time.
What? A bug-play specialist, unlicensed one-trick gamer has no right to say that?
That I used a ton of bugs this time too, so I shouldn't act like I didn't?
American cartoons.
(Not your mom. I mean American animation.)
'Let's check them first.'
I wanted to wrap this up fast and rest.
Shaking off my fatigue, I received all the rewards at once.
Ding!
[Sub Quest 'About the Things We Regret.' cleared!]
[You obtain consumable item 'Was-Is-Will-Be-Broken Clock (S-)'!]
Ding!
[Main Quest 'Javert's Iron and Justice' cleared!]
[You obtain special skill 'Broken Ironclad (B+)'!]
Two screens appeared.
The items were being settled.
One formed straight inside my robe, and the other was displayed within the status window.
Ding!
[Was-Is-Will-Be-Broken Clock]
-Category: Time
-Grade: S-
-Status: Was broken, is broken, will be broken
-Description: A clock left behind by a certain ancient architect. The architect is said to have cherished this clock greatly. But after Time began watching the architect, the architect, now untouched by the years, shattered the clock in tears. Since it was broken at the time, it cannot function as an ordinary clock. When activated, the phenomenon 'Past, Memory, Imagination' can be used once.
[Phenomenon: Past, Memory, Imagination]
-You can enter the deep consciousness of a designated target.
-This phenomenon can be activated regardless of time and place.
-This phenomenon cannot be defended against. It activates unconditionally on the designated target.
-However, this phenomenon only activates on targets that possess the form of a living creature.
I calmly read through the item description.
A clock said to have been cherished by some unidentified architect in ancient times.
'If it's an architect, then it must be that person.'
The person said to have built Purgatory.
Obtaining an item left behind by a human I had thought of as something close to myth felt strange.
On top of that, the item's effect itself was absurdly powerful.
It let me force my way into someone's inner world.
The key point here was that it activated unconditionally, regardless of time or place.
'It can't be defended against, and it activates unconditionally as long as the target is alive...?'
I had never heard of an effect like that.
It could ignore every mental-type spell and barrier, then break in.
It was a phenomenon that collapsed the basic structure, while its activation condition was simple and clear.
My fist clenched before I knew it.
This one thing alone was enough to call this reward settlement a success.
'Where should I use it?'
The item's value was heavy.
After enough thought, I would need to use it at the most fitting point.
I stored the clock in my inventory, then brought the explanation for the next reward before my eyes.
Ding!
[Broken Ironclad]
-Category: Special Skill
-Grade: B+
-Attribute: Mental, Dream
-Description: A mental-type barrier. When the skill is activated, the caster receives the 'Complete Immunity' effect for 30 minutes. While the effect lasts, the caster will not be affected by mental-type attacks, such as mental corruption, fall, madness, confusion, and so on.
'This is good too.'
A skill that put the mind in a state of 'Complete Immunity' for 30 minutes.
The short duration and long cooldown were a little disappointing, but it all depended on how I used it.
I grinned.
'The possibilities are endless.'
With that review, I moved the screen aside.
Then came the final remaining reward.
Ding!
[Hidden Quest 'Devotion and Love' completed!]
[You have obtained 10000 Merit Points.]
[Remaining Merit Points: 15783p]
'Kyaa.'
The Saint points filled up nicely.
Even though I was exhausted, I couldn't hide the corners of my mouth twitching upward.
It was a quest I had cleared after repeating death a whopping 349 times.
I rubbed my strangely aching neck and muttered.
'Dying was worth it.'
I moved my fingers.
By then, the Saint system had appeared in my vision.
[Base Stats]
Stamina: D-
Strength: E+
Agility: B
Mana Sensitivity: A-
[Remaining Merit Points: 15783p]
It was time to fill in the stats I had been lacking.
Since I had also made a contract with Javert this time, raising my base stats would help in many ways.
I operated the screen.
Ding!
[Merit Points consumed.]
-Base stat 'Stamina' grade increased by +1.
-Base stat 'Stamina' grade increased by +1.
-Base stat 'Stamina' grade increased by +1.
-Base stat 'Stamina' grade increased by +1.
-Base stat 'Stamina' grade increased by +1.
-Base stat 'Stamina' grade increased by +1.
-Base stat 'Strength' grade increased by +1.
-Base stat 'Strength' grade increased by +1.
-Base stat 'Strength' grade increased by +1.
-Base stat 'Strength' grade increased by +1.
-Base stat 'Strength' grade increased by +1.
-Base stat 'Strength' grade increased by +1.
-Base stat 'Strength' grade increased by +1.
[12300 Merit Points consumed.]
[Remaining Merit Points: 3483p]
Whoooosh.
A pure white gust swept up as if wrapping around my body.
Clear light seeped in, and a strange energy spread through my whole body.
My breathing settled.
[Base Stats]
Stamina: B-
Strength: B
Agility: B
Mana Sensitivity: A-
My stats inflated in an instant.
Stamina had risen by six stages, and Strength by seven.
With that, my average stats had settled at B-rank.
Considering I had been E-rank until half a year ago, this was a complete transformation.
'This was just when I needed to level up too.'
The calamities to come would be far more dangerous.
If I accounted for the butterfly effects that would soon come back around, I had to build up power as fast as possible.
I brushed off my hands in satisfaction.
My mind felt steadier thanks to the nicely packed rewards.
Letting out a weary breath, I rose from the hallway where I had been crouching.
'Time to go back.'
It had truly been an eventful week.
I didn't think I would go anywhere near Purgatory for a while.
Amid the cold breaths blooming from my mouth, I stared at the door to Floor 91 in the distance.
'Well, still... Purgatory Floor 100 is somewhere I have to visit.'
There was a being I had to meet there.
Of course, that was for later.
Right now, I wanted to go back to the dormitory and sleep deeply.
Staggering with each step, I crossed Floor 90, where winter had settled.
'That was long.'
It had been a terribly long time.
***
I returned to the dormitory after two days.
In the dark room, Her Highness was waiting, as expected.
'Mm.'
I had definitely told her beforehand that I would probably be away for a few days.
So why did I feel like a criminal?
On top of that, Carmilla's expression had sunk.
After fidgeting for a moment, I eventually knelt neatly in front of her.
"Why are you sitting like that?"
"Mm... Well, somehow, I feel like I did something wrong..."
"Enough. There is no need to watch my mood, so sit properly."
"But..."
"Tsk. I told you to sit comfortably."
I hesitantly corrected my posture.
Then Her Highness came closer and sat down on my lap.
We were facing each other.
Thanks to that, Her Highness ended up nestled snugly in my arms.
She was wearing thin pajamas, so I could feel her curves far too clearly.
Her distinct cool body heat and soft skin pressed against me.
Her silver hair fell as if soaked in moonlight, and her red eyes were clear enough to hold the boy in full.
Thump.
Her Highness brought her face close, then pressed her forehead against mine.
Our breaths mixed in that narrow gap.
Our lips were close enough to touch.
Her sweet scent, along with a little dampness, brushed the tip of my nose.
Her Highness wore a complicated expression, then murmured the one line she had been chewing over the whole time.
"Viktor."
"Yes."
"I missed you."
"I was thinking about you the whole time as well, Your Highness."
"Liar."
"......"
"You are a very wicked confidant."
"......I was being sincere, though."
"Enough. It is not as if I wished to hear empty flattery."
Thump, thump.
Her forehead pulled away lightly, then bumped mine a few more times.
It honestly didn't hurt. It felt like a cute little sulk.
I stroked Her Highness for a moment.
Her Highness pouted, then asked a few blunt questions.
"So... where were you, and what were you doing for the past two days? You said you would tell me once you returned, yes?"
"I did make that promise."
"Viktor, you are always going around doing dangerous things."
"That is, mm... I can hardly deny it..."
"Enough, tell me. Still, this time, you said you were certain it would be safe, did you not?"
"Of course. There is no way I could tell you a lie, Your Highness."
"Even that is a lie."
Thump.
This time, her forehead struck mine a little harder.
Putting aside the ringing sensation, I reported what had happened over the past two days.
'Honestly, it wasn't much.'
All I did was visit Purgatory, wasn't it?
And if I excluded Javert's sensitive personal history, there wasn't much I could say.
So I kept as much of the remaining parts alive as possible and described the situation in detail.
At this level, I didn't think there would be any problem reporting it.
Since I had just received plenty of rewards too, I could tell the story with a grin.
"And so, after breaking through Purgatory, I returned directly to the dormitory..."
"......"
But Carmilla's reaction was strange.
Her eyes had gone stiff, as if she were horrified.
Shock and sorrow soon swirled in them.
"......Are you insane?"
"Yes?"
The girl gripped my clothes tightly.
In the red eyes looking up at me, moisture slowly gathered.
Only belatedly did I understand the meaning of that gaze.
"In that place... how many times did you say you died?"
"Ah."
"Not three times, but three hundred...?"
I shouldn't have told her that.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter