My first memory wasn’t of a rural village like this.
Claire’s hometown was the city of Baderon.
A famous city in the southern part of the Empire.
Though not wealthy, her childhood had lacked for nothing, and her earliest memories were truly enchanting.
[Claire. Come here, dear.]
A blurry face she could barely recall now.
A gentle voice that lingered faintly in her mind.
Whenever she chased after that voice, her father would be waiting, smiling kindly with something in his hand.
[Ta-da! Isn’t it amazing?]
[Wow!]
Claire’s father was a Skill user who’d awakened his own power.
It wasn’t anything particularly grand.
The ability to make objects in his hand disappear from sight—just enough to delight the eyes of his five-year-old daughter.
It’s our little secret, okay?
But even such a modest ability was, to young Claire, the greatest Skill in the world.
So she must have boasted about it to the neighborhood kids with pride.
[My dad’s a Skill user!]
‘Why did I do that?’
[He can make things disappear and reappear!]
The words she’d blurted out herself would probably weigh on her heart for the rest of her life.
As she basked in the admiration and envy of the neighborhood kids, her pride in her father grew—and so did the rumors, spreading quickly.
Even into the dark back alleys of Baderon.
A paltry power that only made things invisible.
But in those lawless alleys, it was a rather useful ability, and it was only natural that ominous hands would reach out for Claire’s father.
Her father started coming home later and later.
Sometimes, he wouldn’t come home at all.
She didn’t know exactly what was happening, but even young Claire could sense it wasn’t good.
After all, the bruises and wounds on his body were impossible to hide.
Still, she never learned the real reason.
Her father would just smile weakly and pat her head.
But then… as usual, near their home—
Oh my, how horrible.
[What on earth happened here…]
***
‘Isn’t it obvious? Those back-alley gangsters again…’
When a brutally torn corpse was found.
Claire? Oh my, it’s Claire.
[What are we going to do…]
At that moment.
When she realized that the corpse was none other than her own father.
Not the gentle, smiling face she remembered, but a final expression twisted in pain and suffering.
Claire finally understood.
The terrible consequences brought by her small desire to show off.
That happiness for the powerless is, in the end, nothing more than a sandcastle doomed to collapse.
She became certain of it when she saw the back-alley thugs, rounded up at the lord’s command and executed atop the city gates.
To ordinary citizens like Claire, they were terrifying—disasters to swallow down tears of resentment, never daring to dream of revenge.
But even those monsters died helplessly at the lord’s word.
So Claire made a vow, again and again.
‘I’ll climb to the top.’
So that no one could ever look down on her again.
Not to be a helpless victim, but to be someone who could control evil from high above the clouds.
That was Claire’s goal and the driving force of her life.
A goal she’d wished for ever since seeing the lifeless faces of the criminals displayed for all to see.
A path so distant she couldn’t even imagine how to reach it, but now, for the first time, she saw a glimmer of hope.
A blinding flash, like a bolt of lightning.
That light appeared before her eyes, the very embodiment of the ideal she’d dreamed of.
A punisher of the wicked, an incarnation of fear.
Like the god of thunder who’d descended from the heavens.
“…Who are you, really…?”
She had so many questions she wanted to ask.
‘Who was he, truly?’
‘Why did he hide his power and live in such a remote village?’
‘What connection did he have to Heuka, the most notorious criminal organization and symbol of terror?’
‘And… how could she become that strong?
But she couldn’t bring herself to ask.
She doubted she’d get an answer, and even if she did, she had a feeling it would drag her into something overwhelming.
“I’ll… move forward too.”
Even so, Claire refused to give up.
No, seeing her goal living and breathing right before her eyes only made her resolve burn brighter.
It was as if oil called Hio had been poured onto a smoldering flame.
“…Let’s go.”
Claire stuffed her belongings into her backpack, quietly opened the door, and left the house.
It was still before dawn, the air rather chilly.
“…I have to go.”
With a bitter smile, Hio muttered.
“I didn’t think I’d leave like this, though.”
***
He hadn’t expected a tearful farewell, but at least thought he’d leave the village amidst warm goodbyes.
He’d grown rather attached to the people here.
But now that all the villagers had witnessed the power of the Thunder Emperor—
Hio had become something beyond their understanding.
A disaster who could kill them all with a mere snap of his fingers.
The savior of the village, yet a symbol of fear.
A terrifying hero.
Reading the fear in their eyes, even as rain poured down, Hio decided to leave right away.
“Well, I was planning to leave once I’d maxed out my Endurance anyway.”
With that, he comforted himself and opened his Skill window.
[Thunder Emperor]
An empty Skill window.
Except for the evolved ‘Thunder Emperor,’ every other Skill had been deleted as a penalty for violence.
‘…Still, it was worth it.’
After all, it was a top-tier Skill.
‘Who could say how many years it would take to evolve a Skill to top-tier?’
No, it might not happen even after years.
Even back when this was just a game, top-tier Skills were rare, but here, as long as you accumulated Endurance, you could keep acquiring them.
Losing two Skills was a small price for such a benefit.
Smiling in satisfaction, he opened the Point Shop.
[Point Shop]
[Stamina +1: 10pt]
[Strength +1: 10pt]
[Agility +1: 10pt]
[Mana +1: 10pt]
[Points Remaining: 16pt]
In Ventair, where there were no levels, the core system was the Point Shop.
From stats to Skills, Skill enhancements, and all sorts of items—the Point Shop had it all.
But since Points could only be earned through achievements and fame, purchases were limited.
Stats or Skills.
‘Let’s see about Skills…’
[Point Shop]
[Skill – Physical Acceleration (Lowest): 1200pt]
[Skill – Strength Enhancement (Lowest): 1200pt]
[Skill – Friction Enhancement (Lowest): 1000pt]
[Points Remaining: 16pt]
As expected, the prices were insane.
Compared to the ways to earn Points, the costs were absurd.
Even the lowest-tier Skills cost over a thousand Points—higher tiers increased exponentially.
That’s why, among the Rankers, many chose to buy stats to strengthen themselves rather than buy high-tier Skills.
‘But there’s a limit to that.’
There was a cap to how much you could raise stats with the Point Shop, and eventually, everyone ended up with the same stats.
In the end, you had to get high-tier Skills.
Just boosting stats wouldn’t let you face the monsters of the late game.
What you needed were achievements and fame.
The five Heuka members he’d taken down this time—
One of them seemed to be an executive, which made him quite a big shot.
If this had happened in a crowded city, he’d have earned hundreds of Points.
But since this was a small village with few residents, he’d only gotten 16 Points.
‘Still, it’s something.’
[Purchasing ‘Mana’ stat for 10pt]
[‘Mana’ stat increased by +1]
[Points Remaining: 6pt]
It was the most he could have gotten from such a tiny village.
And nearby was the place Hio had always been aiming for—
‘The Last Mage’s Tomb,’ wasn’t it?
“It should still be there, right?”
One of the reasons he had to visit the Mage’s Tomb was for the Skill Books.
Of course, they were low-tier Skill Books, but even those were considered sacred relics in this world.
No, Skill Books themselves were called Divine Tomes and sold for astronomical prices, so he absolutely had to get them.
“There are even two.”
Back when he played the game, he’d found two Skill Books there.
He could sell one and keep the other as a backup.
“…Let’s go.”
With his meager luggage packed, Hio left his house.
It was a pleasant morning, just before sunrise.
***
The two met at the village exit, not far from their homes.
Hio, with his light pack, and Claire, carrying a backpack nearly as big as herself.
Hio wore a dumbfounded expression, while Claire’s eyes burned with resolve.
Hio spoke first.
“What are you doing?”
How did she know he was leaving today, at this hour?
He thought, ‘She’s got an uncanny sense for these things,’ and looked at Claire.
“…Take me with you.”
Claire seemed determined, but Hio was firm.
“No.”
‘He could barely take care of himself, so how could he bring Claire along?’
Of course, he recognized Claire’s incredible talent, but she was two years behind, and Hio needed to move fast—she’d just be a burden.
Claire, perhaps surprised by the outright rejection, hesitated before speaking.
“I won’t ask. I’ll do whatever you say and never cause trouble… Can’t I come, too?”
“If I take you with me, what do you think Selly will say?”
To Selly, Claire was everything.
He didn’t know all the details, but after losing her husband, Selly cherished Claire more than her own life.
“I left her a letter. I’m sure Mom will understand.”
“Don’t be stubborn. I said no, and that’s final…”
Hio shook his head, then suddenly froze.
“Huu… Just follow me for now.”
With a small sigh, he led Claire out of the village.
The sun would rise soon, and villagers would start appearing, so he wanted to talk somewhere out of sight.
And then…
“I know you’re there, come on out.”
Thanks to his ‘Genius of Mana Resonance’ trait, he sensed the faintest trace of Mana use.
“Ahaha… Seriously, how do you always know?”
It was Jason Klarok, who popped up right next to Claire as soon as they stepped out of the village.
“What the…!”
Startled by Jason’s sudden appearance, Claire stumbled back, but Jason just winked and turned to Hio.
“So, something happened in the village, right? All those Burned Remains, what a mess.”
“Heuka thugs showed up.”
“Huh? Those crazy ghosts?”
At that, Jason glanced between Hio’s outfit and Claire’s backpack, then nodded.
“So you’re leaving? Didn’t expect you to take the lady with you, though.”
“I’m not taking her. She’s not coming.”
Claire, confused by the exchange, snapped back to her senses.
“I want to come too!”
“…You should go back, unpack, and get permission from your mother first.”
“No! I… I have to get stronger! Like you, Hio!”
“Haa…”
Jason, watching with amusement, laughed.
“Ahahaha! So the lady’s seen a side of you I never have… Come on, just take her with you.”
“You be quiet. Huu… Claire.”
Hio scratched his head, looking at Claire.
For some reason, Claire’s eyes glistened with sadness.
If she lost Hio now, her lifelong dream would slip away forever.
She’d mustered up so much courage to come here, but Hio still treated her like a child.
It was unfair.
Being told to go get her mother’s permission.
She wanted to protest, but nothing came to mind.
From Hio’s perspective, she probably did look like a stubborn little kid.
Maybe that’s why tears welled up in her eyes.
“I’m… I’m not a child… I want to get stronger, like you… someday…”
That’s why she felt so miserable.
The tears she’d barely held back finally fell.
Once they started, she couldn’t stop them.
“…When I said I’d protect you… you must have thought it was funny… But I really did try…!”
Words and feelings tumbled out, and Claire ended up crying like a real child.
Seeing herself like that only made her feel even more pathetic and miserable.
“Hey, hey… why are you crying?”
“Waaah! I don’t care, you meanie!”
Flustered, Hio went over and patted Claire’s back as she sobbed.
“You should listen to what people have to say. Just go home and get permission from your mother… I mean, I’ll send you to the Academy.”
“Sniff… huh?”
Claire stopped crying and looked up at Hio, sniffling.
At that, Hio let out a helpless laugh.
Taking her along was impossible, but sending her to the Imperial Academy—that much he could do.
It would be a shame to let Claire’s talent rot in this rural village.
He’d planned to look into it slowly, but seeing her so desperate, maybe he could push things a bit.
“A-Academy…?”
“Yeah. You said you wanted to go, right?”
“R-Really?”
“I’m telling you.”
“B-But the tuition’s enormous, and even famous nobles can’t get in easily…”
Even in her joy, Claire voiced a practical concern, and Hio turned to Jason.
Jason just shrugged.
“Even I can’t get you into the Academy. Bribes and connections barely work, and even if you manage it, the money…”
“No, I need a different favor.”
“A different favor?”
Hio nodded and closed his eyes for a moment.
‘Maybe it was a bit early to use this, but if he played it safe forever, he’d never catch up to the top five Rankers.’
“That guy. The professor I was sure was top-tier.”
Among the top five Rankers, there was one with an unusually high level of empathy.
He’d cared deeply for the NPCs, even though they were just game characters.
At this point, the only one who’d bother building connections as a professor at the Academy was him.
Ranked 5th.
Gonhyuga Gapsida.
“All you have to do is have your men deliver a message to him.”
That one sentence would make him shudder.
Two years was long enough to wait.
The unchallenged number one, whom no one dared to rival.
“Tell him Gijong Cheonma is looking for him.”
That name would once again be revealed to the world.
Claire is a character with a tragic past — she was the one who caused her own father’s death.
But I don’t see any sense of remorse in her, not even the slightest. There’s absolutely no growth in her personality.