?The young deity slumped powerlessly onto the throne, carelessly tossing aside the dark box.

A burst of urgent music emanated from the box, the voices faded, leaving only the roars of monsters.

Had they… lost?

Observing the young deity devoid of any vigor, Ali felt uneasy.

“Ah, my dungeon scrolls! That idiotic sniper! If I ever see him, I’ll shoot him on sight! And that DPS! I’ll DPS him to death!” 𝑖𝘳𝑎.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Suddenly, the young deity burst into a tirade, furiously cursing before finally sitting up, gasping for air.

“What do you want?”

The young deity looked at Ali, who stood at a distance, scratched his face, picked up the flat black box, pressed it a few times, and set it aside, “Forget what you just saw.”

“By Nid above! My lord, I swear on my soul, everything I just witnessed will never be disclosed!”

Those possibly lost to the war, their sacrifices may forever remain unknown.

Silently, Ali mourned for them for a moment.

Seeing Ali’s serious and solemn demeanor, the young deity tugged at his ear, his expression somewhat conflicted.

“I think you might have misunderstood something… Never mind, anything I say now would probably be misinterpreted anyway,” the young deity shook his head, “I’m Nameless, just call me Nameless if we meet again.”

“Yes, Lord Nameless!”

Although Ali had changed how she addressed him, the young man did not deny being a deity, further solidifying Ali’s judgment.

“Speak then, what do you seek?” god Nameless raised his chin slightly, “If I find it suitable, I will fulfill your wish at an appropriate price.”

The crucial moment had arrived!

Ali focused her attention, observing god Nameless’s expression, and slowly articulated her desire.

“I seek the power to transcend the ‘level barrier’ of a magus!”

A silence ensued, as expected.

Begging for power was hardly a matter of pride, especially when facing the essence of the world.

There were countless more meaningful requests or wishes Ali could have made, such as asking Nameless to retrieve Lilianne.

Yet, she chose not to, understanding that a price must be paid by someone.

Sorovo’s death.

The deaths of Sorovo’s subordinates.

The death of Lorinda, an ordinary human.

Someone had to pay for these losses.

It might sound like justice, but Ali was well aware that this was merely her own sense of justice.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth; hardly more civilized than any other method.

“How interesting, truly interesting,” Nameless chuckled, as if he had witnessed an excellent comedy, his eyes twinkling with full amusement, “What is your name?”

“Kadori Zoman.”

Ali gave her full name, which for an advanced elf, was a significant secret.

Generally, elves used pseudonyms when addressing each other.

“That surname rings a bell. Hmm, let me think, the last Zoman… if we go by your timeline, it would be around seventeen hundred years ago, hmm… during what you call the ‘Pioneer Era,’ an advanced elf with that surname also sought me out, and he took quite a few things from here.” Nameless tapped his temple lightly with the index finger of his right hand, lifting his chin, “He must have become a great person after returning.”

“The Zoman mentioned by Lord Nameless must be my ancestor, full name Raymond Zoman. Though his life was notably short, he is hailed as one of the greatest individuals of the Pioneer Era, laying the foundations of what is now known as magicology,” Ali’s voice carried a profound reverence, for it was a name that illuminated an entire era.

“That’s not incorrect. What I gave him was merely a hint, but that child was indeed clever,” Nameless continued from where Ali left off, “You mentioned you wish to break the ‘level barrier’?”

“Correct.”

“What can you offer in return?”

“Everything, my life or my soul, whatever Lord Nameless desires. Of course, limited to myself. I can only govern my own being.”

“How intriguing, you indeed are fascinating.” Nameless slightly straightened up, scratching his chin, lost in thought.

After a few seconds, Nameless suddenly clapped his hands together, sitting upright: “I’ve got it!”

“I can grant you the power, but correspondingly, you must pay the price, a fair exchange, as it is the principle by which I operate.”

“I can bestow upon you a special ability, ‘Brave.’ ‘Brave’ is the name of this ability. Brave is a peculiar term; it denotes a kind of foolish people, those who know something is impossible yet pursue it anyway, chasing after the fireflies under the night sky in hope. But they are also very wise people because they always find a way to break through difficulties, with the only cost being a not so significant price.”

“The ability ‘Brave’ operates similarly; it will not cease as long as you haven’t given up hope. You will possess an almost immortal regenerative capability, and the mana sea will temporarily open its embrace to you. This means your mana flux will temporarily reach the level of a Level 2 magus, perhaps even a Level 1 magus. However, all this is predicated on your having courage. No matter the adversity, you must not step back because retreating means you have forsaken the name of ‘Brave.'”

“The cost for this ability…is your soul, along with your life! Of course, I won’t take it now—that wouldn’t be a trade. Every time you use ‘Brave,’ you will lose thirty years of your lifespan. For a half-blood of the advanced elf, this isn’t much. You would need to use it at least three times to truly feel its side effects. As for your soul, I will take it at the moment of your death, to prevent some shameless beings from meddling.”

“How about it? The decision is yours.”

A fist-sized, pure white orb of light formed, floating in front of Ali.

“If you want it, accept it. If you’re afraid or regretful, turn and leave. Time will start flowing from the moment the incantation was completed, and nothing will change.”

The choice lay in Ali’s hands.

She looked at the small, glowing, pure white orb, which contained the power to change everything.

Accepting it meant she would possess the power to cross the level barrier, not just once but as often as she dared to sacrifice.

The promise of an almost immortal regenerative ability and the temporarily welcoming arms of the mana sea were hers for the taking.

Not just for challenging a Level 2 as a Level 3, but even a Level 1 magus, Ali dared to try!

Thirty years of lifespan, and the soul after death, the price is certainly not low, yet they are both intangibles.

Ali’s lifespan, by her own estimation, should be at least around three hundred years.

Losing thirty or even ninety years would still leave her with two hundred years, considering she is only seventeen now.

The remaining lifespan is a long stretch of time, unimaginably so.

The decision for this trade doesn’t seem too difficult to make, just boldly accept it.

Yet, Ali is still afraid.

She doesn’t know what exactly terrifies her, but her hand just won’t lift.

“You’re afraid of death.”

“When the power directly tied to life and death is presented before you, you finally realize your insignificance and hence, feel fear. This is not uncommon and has nothing to do with courage. It’s human instinct. Nid, when creating you, once attempted to eliminate it but failed,” Nameless paused, “If you can’t overcome this fear, turning and leaving is the best choice.”

Ali didn’t speak; she just silently stared at the pure white orb, her fists clenched.

Taking a deep breath, she finally raised her hand and gently pressed it against the orb.

“Thank you.” A slight smile appeared on Ali’s face.

“Goodbye, Lord god Nameless.”

“Goodbye.”

Nameless smiled back, picking up the flat black box, withdrawing his gaze.

A flash of white light, and Ali’s figure disappeared.

Watching the flickering images on the black box in his hand, Nameless shook his head: “To be brave, yet seek help from the demon lord, truly interesting.”

…

Her soul seemed to pass through a luminescent white corridor, a faint buzzing echoing in her ears, her vision stretching forward to a pinprick of darkness that pulsated, expanding and contracting like a breath.

Gradually, the sound of wind arose, the luminescent corridor becoming abstract, the buzzing in her ears intensifying until it morphed into a high-pitched screech.

Eventually, her vision surrendered to darkness, slowly returning to tranquility.

Ali slowly opened her eyes.

The air vortex still surrounded her, mana needles gently rotating in midair, time silently stretching on.

Had the incantation ended?

What about “Brave”?

The recent events felt like a dream, yet they were vividly clear.

Subconsciously, Ali rubbed her palms together, lifting her left hand.

It was this hand that had touched the pure white orb, and now, a date pit-sized, pure white mark faintly glowed on it, radiating a gentle warmth.

𝘪𝑎.𝘤𝑜𝘮