In any gathering of emotional beings, a hierarchy would inevitably form,
where individuals would be ranked based on certain criteria.
It was an obvious fact that the higher one stood in this cruel food chain, the
more benefits they would receive. It was too natural to even need
explaining.
Therefore.
Jaekiel intended to take the top position in this hierarchy.
This place did not welcome new members. Rather, it was a place that
sought to thoroughly crush and exclude newcomers. Only by rising to the
top could one earn respect.
Benefits and disadvantages.
It was clear which of the two one would prefer.
"Wh-Wh-What…?"
A look of confusion crossed the face of the creature, with green hair, elf
ears, and antlers growing from her head.
"What did you just say to me…?"
The incident had already occurred, but the other members were merely
observing the situation, planning to decide their actions after gauging the
newcomer's abilities.
Jaekiel welcomed such an attitude.
The more they assessed his capabilities, the more they would side with him.
The antlered one brushed her bangs back forcefully.
"You piece of trash, repeat what you just said."
The antlered one showed anger like a bomb about to explode, but Jaekiel
remained calm.
"I just gave a light hit. Like, um…"
"You crazy…!"
Sparks flew from the antlered one's eyes.
She seemed truly enraged, but that was better. It was preferable to see her
face contorted with anger rather than arrogance.
But then.
"Hey, you wicked bastard."
At the moment, the antlered one released an enormous amount of mana.
Whoosh!
A tremendous weight began to press down on Jaekiel. It felt as though
gravity had suddenly intensified.
Such an overwhelmingly heavy mana.
'But it feels slightly different from real mana.'
It had a distinctively unpleasant sensation, as if the weight had been
artificially increased. Jaekiel realized that this was the effect of the
'corrections' within the virtual world.
'So, this is how it works.'
He was once again impressed by the intricate illusions of the Black World.
Ordinary magic was enhanced through illusions before being applied to the
opponent.
Jaekiel observed the opponent's condition.
[ Name: ??? ]
[ Occupation: Magician. Specialized in Mana Manipulation. ]
A magician with a specialization in mana manipulation was a far better job
compared to Jaekiel's lazy disposition.
The antlered one increased the pressure even more.
"Look me straight in the eye and say it again."
"Hmm."
Jaekiel slowly moved his fingers, becoming accustomed to the rules of this
world. The conclusion was simple: He was still the strongest after his
transformation.
He still felt incredibly light, even now.
"Why aren't you answering? Did you finally realize your place?"
The antlered one pressed Jaekiel.
The other members finally relaxed and began to snack on whatever they
had, likely thinking the troublesome newcomer was being subdued.
"For a piece of trash, you had plenty to say earlier. Ah, did I go too hard?
You're not going to die, are you? Maybe I should ease up a bit."
It was a lie. She was actually increasing the pressure.
Was her pride so wounded by Jaekiel's words? The antlered one was putting
all her strength into crushing Jaekiel.
Of course, Jaekiel was perfectly fine.
"I don't understand why you want to hear it over and over."
"Are you scared to say it again? Can't handle it?"
"I hit it as if I were hitting your mother. Lightly."
"…?"
Shock washed over the antlered one's face like a wave.
"Wh-What is this? I increased the intensity quite a bit…?"
The shock was so great that she admitted to her lie. It was a stark contrast to
Jaekiel's composed demeanor.
'At least she won't think I'm from the Imperial Tower.'
There were many things Jaekiel could say to offend her, but he deliberately
chose harsh words. The more he acted contrary to the Imperial Tower's
dignity, the better he could hide his identity.
It wasn't bad. It felt quite refreshing.
Meanwhile, the other members started to chime in.
"That's strange. It looked like he was under pressure."
"Maybe the newcomer is just stronger?"
"Either way, attracting attention from the start isn't good. Nothing good
comes from standing out at a secret gathering."
Some members were confused, while others were beginning to show
interest. Jaekiel's plan to firmly establish his place was progressing
smoothly.
"You wicked bastard, how dare you show such behavior while clearly
exploiting something…? How dare you…?!"
The antlered one's clenched fist trembled, but…
Jaekiel began to focus on something else.
Suddenly, the words of Seina, the elder of the Blue Tower, came to mind.
─A waste of time? No, absolutely not. This virtual world is helpful in
reality as well. Training here can have an impact on your real-world skills.
What Seina hinted at was simple.
For example, if a low-level magician practices mid-level magic in the
virtual world, the sensation of handling that magic could remain even after
returning to reality.
─In this virtual world, low-level magicians can experience mid-level magic.
It would be extremely helpful when breaking through their limits later on,
right?
How would it be for Jaekiel?
Would the experience of casting magic in his newly transformed state be
greatly beneficial in reality as well?
It was worth trying, and there was no reason to hesitate.
After all, there was someone eager to fight.
─So, Master, why don't you try the 'Duel' function with me later?! It's a
one-on-one battle feature, and the realism is no joke.
Seina added one more thing.
─There's a practice mode and a serious mode. If you lose in serious mode,
your ego in the Black World will be reset… It's a huge penalty, right?
Then, of course, he should do it in serious mode.
He quickly scanned the status window with his eyes.
Apparently, just thinking about using the Duel function was enough, as the
notification automatically appeared before his opponent.
"…?"
The antlered one carefully examined the notification in front of her, then
snorted as if in disbelief.
"…Duel? Serious mode? Are you kidding me right now?"
"You seemed to want it."
"It's childish, but if you want it, I'll oblige."
The antlered one accepted the Duel right away.
"They say a cornered rat will bite a cat, and it's no lie. If you'd groveled,
you could've at least gotten some scraps of information."
"…Why do you talk so much?"
"Shut your mouth, you piece of trash. No, you'll be silenced soon enough."
Rumble.
The surroundings changed as the Duel began. The location was a wide,
open plain, with only the antlered one and himself present.
'First, let's lightly raise the cold energy.'
He lightly began to manipulate the cold energy.
Whoosh.
"Even though this is a virtual world, the sense of pain is the same as in
reality, you arrogant─"
The antlered one, who had been talking nonstop, suddenly froze.
"…"
She stood rigidly still.
But it wasn't that she wasn't moving at all. Her body was trembling ever so
slightly.
"…Ah."
And the single sound the antlered one let out.
It was a sound Jaekiel was all too familiar with. It was the reaction he had
heard the most in his life.
The cold.
The sound of people writhing in pain from extreme, unbearable cold.
"…What? You're done with just this cold?"
Jaekiel muttered as if he couldn't believe it.
He quietly approached and patted the antlered one's shoulder.
She was shivering from the cold, but there was no other response.
"Even with mana wrapped around you, you can't get a grip."
Ordinary people might freeze easily with just a little cold, but magicians
usually have rapidly circulating mana around them. They shouldn't freeze
so easily.
Yes, that would be normal.
But the antlered one before him was frozen solid.
A magician specialized in mana utilization had been utterly defeated by
Jaekiel's cold energy.
"Wh-Wh-What is this…? What the hell…?"
The antlered one muttered in disbelief.
The health indicator floating above her head was still dropping at a
terrifying speed.
Jaekiel quietly pressed his thumb against the tip of his index finger and
brought it to the antlered one's forehead. It was an action commonly known
as a "flick."
"What else could it be?"
Flick!
With a clinking sound, the antlered one's head shattered.
"Your ego is beyond saving. Start over from the beginning."
A complete victory. His tone showed no particular emotion.
"…!"
After defeating the antlered one and returning to the original environment,
the other members' eyes widened in shock.
It was a natural reaction. Even after the match was decided, Jaekiel's health
indicator was still at its maximum.
The atmosphere in the secret gathering hall changed in an instant.
First, everyone began to avoid Jaekiel's gaze.
"Hmm…"
"Mm! Looks like we've got a proper new member."
Seeing those who had looked down on him suddenly change their attitude
was nothing new. Jaekiel waved his hand as if to say he didn't have time for
this.
"We've settled things; now let's get to sharing information."
"Not yet…"
"Not yet?"
When Jaekiel quickly turned his head, a beastman with a cat's head on a
human body took a few steps back.
"Wh-Why are you looking at me like that? We can't start yet. The host
hasn't arrived."
His way of speaking was peculiar.
But more unsettling than the way he spoke was the mention of the host.
"The host?"
"Th-That's right."
The beastman nodded, and the other members began to back him up, as if
he wasn't wrong.
"There's someone who leads this secret gathering."
"Who?"
"Of course, we don't know their true identity, but they're assumed to be an
extraordinary figure in reality. The information they handle in the secret
gathering is on another level."
"That's right…! Nothing works without them…!"
"It's amazing. Not only are they deeply knowledgeable in magic, but they
also occasionally share inside information from the Imperial Family."
Who could the host be?
And when will they arrive, with time being so precious?
As Jaekiel pondered such things…
Creak.
The door opened.
The members' faces brightened all at once.
"Oh, you've arrived!"
"Host, you have arrived!"
"Welcome, Host."
And then.
Jaekiel was visibly taken aback.
It wasn't common for Jaekiel to be surprised.
"That's…"
But he couldn't help it.
The scene before his eyes was shocking.
'That's… me?'
[ 'Jaekiel' has entered the secret gathering. ]
The person who appeared as the host of the secret gathering.
He appeared under the alias Jaekiel, completely mimicking Jaekiel's
appearance.