Ethan saw text appear before his eyes.
[Item Acquired!]
[Item: Handgun (C)]
But just seeing the message wasn’t enough to understand its meaning.
“Glock 45? A handgun?”
Another set of text appeared.
[Archive Acquired!]
[Archive: Handgun (D)]
[Skill Acquired!]
[Skill: Marksmanship (D)]
Even before Ethan could ask what an archive, skill, or download was, he already had a rough idea.
‘A handgun is a weapon from Terra. Like an alchemically crafted cannon, it fires metal using gunpowder. But it’s small enough to be held in one hand, making it highly portable… I’ve never learned this knowledge before.’
Ethan glanced down at the handgun in his grip, then instinctively removed and reassembled the slide at a nearby table. He then pulled the slide back to chamber a round and aligned the sights in the proper stance.
‘I’ve never trained in this technique either…’
Demi spoke.
<An archive grants knowledge of another world, while a skill provides its techniques. By downloading these, you gain the knowledge and abilities of that world.>
When Ethan pulled the slide again, the chambered bullet was ejected. He caught it effortlessly.
“So, is this the dark magic of another world?”
“I see. So that’s what magic is called in your world.”
<No, that’s not quite…>
Ethan reflected on his new archive and skill.
“I understand that this magic can kill people. I can’t quite grasp it yet, but it seems remarkable. However, just this alone isn’t enough to make me a great mage.”
<You can gain greater power through ‘leveling up.’>
“Leveling up?”
Demi explained.
<To level up, you must gather ‘experience points.’ Experience is earned by completing ‘quests,’ defeating powerful foes, overcoming difficult challenges, or experiencing extraordinary events.>
“And quests?”
<They are missions assigned based on your current situation and goals. Now that the explanation is complete, your first quest is available.>
Once again, text appeared before Ethan’s eyes.
[Quest Initiated!]
[Quest: Pass Basic Magic Practice (D)]
Ethan read the message, looked down at the object in his hand, then glanced back at the text.
“That should be simple.”
<Shall we finalize the contract?>
Ethan responded.
“I’ll do it.”
“You stayed until the last class. How admirable. Is it the honour of a noble house?”
“Well, if it’s confirmed that I can’t use magic, it’d be more of a disgrace, wouldn’t it?”
A few hours later, Ethan ignored the chuckles around him as he walked down toward the lecture platform. He had always thought that having Professor Ribbelton’s Basic Magic Practice class in a tiered lecture hall was excessive. For someone unable to use magic, it was a humiliating setup.
Professor Ribbelton addressed him from the front.
“Ethan, this is your final practice.”
“Yes.”
“It’s prepared as requested. Does it seem acceptable?”
“Yes.”
Ethan had asked Ribbelton to set up a thin curtain, blocking the students’ view and only casting his shadow onto them with a backlight. It was common practice to obscure direct observation of magic, especially for non-basic spells or family magic, to protect its secrets. Though a reasonable request, some students still sneered at him.
Ethan paid them no mind.
‘So this isn’t a place of humiliation, after all.’
From the platform, he surveyed the students. For those proficient in magic, this tiered hall was actually a stage to showcase their spells. Typically, students would conjure a ball of light or project a palm-sized illusion—a chance to demonstrate even minor successes and be recognized for them.
“When you’re ready, begin.”
Ethan stepped behind the curtain, facing the armor-clad training dummy—his target for this session.
He drew the loaded Glock 45, aimed at the dummy, and pulled the trigger.
—Bang!
Even a mere 9mm bullet, propelled by explosive energy, produced a deafening roar capable of damaging one’s eardrums. Indoors, the sound echoed, amplifying its intensity. While Ethan and Ribbelton had expected the noise, the other students froze in shock at the sudden gunshot.
Ribbelton spoke.
“Is that all?”
“Yes.”
Before the professor removed the curtain, Ethan swiftly concealed the handgun.
Ribylton approached the fallen dummy.
“Impressive.”
Crouching down, he examined the dummy’s armor and began removing it.
“The sound alone is enough for me to pass you, but this will serve as a lesson for the others.”
He lifted the metal chest plate and held it up to a candle’s flame. Light seeped through a clean hole.
“A complete penetration. A remarkable combat spell, Ethan.”
“Thank you.”
“I can guess its classification… but this level of power is unprecedented. Is it an original spell?”
Original spells were self-created, not taught by others. Since Ethan intended to conceal the fact that it was black magic, he had to claim it as his own. Fortunately, Ribbelton seemed to mistake it for a form of alchemy rather than dark magic. In truth, its mechanisms did bear similarities to alchemical techniques.
“Yes, it is.”
“Excellent. I can’t discern its inner workings, but if it’s strong enough to bring down a knight, it certainly has practical use in battle. Though I wouldn’t recommend that path for you… Regardless, I assumed you were struggling this semester, but it seems you’ve been working hard behind the scenes. Well done.”
Ribbelton patted Ethan’s shoulder.
As far as Ethan could recall, no student had ever received such praise in this class.
“Thank you, Professor. So, my test result is…?”
“Why even ask? Of course, you pass.”
As Ethan returned to his seat, another message appeared before his eyes.
[‘Quest: Pass Basic Magic Practice (D)’ Completed!]
[Reward: 12 Experience Points]
[Reward: D-Rank Lottery Coupon]
After sitting down, Ethan asked Demi.
“A D-Rank Lottery Coupon?”
“You can obtain an item, archive, or skill of D-Rank. D-Rank is the lowest tier.”
Ethan recalled that the archive for the pistol was D-Rank. Certainly, the pistol itself and its usage were valuable, but simply knowing what a pistol was didn’t seem particularly useful.
“Can I draw now?”
“No. You must be in an unconscious state to perform the lottery. In other words…”
“I have to sleep?”
Demi was about to provide further explanation when Professor Ribbelton announced the end of class. Ethan decided to wait until he returned to his room to continue the conversation.
“Ethan.”
After completing the Basic Magic Practice, Ethan heard someone calling his name and turned around. It was his sister, Arca. She stood with her arms crossed, leaning against the stone railing of the second-floor corridor that connected the lecture hall to the dormitory, gazing at Ethan.
“What brings you here, sister?”
“I heard you passed the Basic Magic Practice class.”
“Yes.”
“For most students at a magic academy, me saying this would be unnecessary. Passing Basic Magic Practice is expected for some. But I know you, and I believe you won’t misunderstand what I’m about to say.”
“Please go ahead.”
“…Congratulations.”
Ethan smiled.
“Thank you, sister. It seems I won’t be able to accept the offer you previously made.”
“That can’t be helped.”
Arca averted her gaze for a moment before looking back at Ethan.
“But I’d like to know how you managed to use magic.”
Ethan had anticipated this question in some form. If it were anyone else, they might not have noticed, but Arca was well aware of Ethan’s limitations.
Ethan replied nonchalantly.
“Through repeated research and practice.”
“I’m sorry to say this, but your lack of talent isn’t something that can be overcome with effort. As Father once said, people as magically incompetent as you are incredibly rare. You’re a magic fool.”
Demi spoke.
“Are you not on good terms with Arca?”
“For siblings, I’d say we’re fairly normal.”
“Understood.”
Ethan told Arca,
“Regardless of what you believe, the important thing is that I used magic.”
Arca raised an eyebrow.
“So, it’s a secret? I see.”
Without pressing further, Arca left.
Ethan regretted it somewhat, but he couldn’t reveal the truth about using dark magic. He believed that Arca might understand him, and even keep his secret, but knowing about the existence of a dark mage and not reporting it was a crime. Telling her would put not only himself but also Arca in danger.
Demi asked, “Will it be alright?”
“She might cause trouble, but it should be fine for now.”
Just as Ethan was about to return to his room, he heard someone calling him from close behind.
“Ethan.”
The unfamiliar voice made Ethan try to turn around, but he couldn’t.
— Thud.
A horrifying sensation crawled up his spine from his side. He tried to scream, but only blood-tinged foam bubbled from his mouth.
Ethan felt his strength leave him, his body collapsing involuntarily. His eyes widened as he struggled to see who had stabbed him. But his vision darkened at the edges, growing blurry.
He barely registered that the attacker was wearing a school uniform, but in his fading consciousness, it was meaningless.
Ethan had died.
Ethan opened his eyes in darkness.
The walls around him were made of black bricks, giving off a vaguely familiar feeling, but this was an unfamiliar place. He soon realized he wasn’t alone in this space.
“You are…?”
“You have called me the Machine God, Demi. However…”
The figure before him was clad in sleek metal armor, but through the gaps in its joints, complex gears spun, pistons moved up and down, and wires strained as they pulled its limbs into place. Inside its translucent helmet, a single red light glowed vividly.
“In Terra, I was known as Deus Ex Machina, or in other words, the ‘God of Mechanical Devices.’”
Ethan scrutinized Demi carefully.
“A doll… is that what you are?”
“I understand there are also magically-operated machines in this world. You may think of me as something similar.”
Ethan looked around.
“And where is this?”
“This is Limbo, the boundary between life and death.”
Ethan flinched at the word “death.”
“Wait… then that means I’m dead?”
“Yes. Thanks to that…”
Demi extended a black box toward him.
“You can now draw the lottery.”
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