Extra's Magic



Mhmm...

Standing before a hologram hanging in the air, I scratched my head, observing complex patterns of data and colorful images swirling around before me.

It might seem like I was engaging in some kind of futuristic project, but in reality, I was just making myself familiar with the rules of diving into the voids.

After I officially joined the Serpent Guild, Ryland gave me a device called the HoloLink, which allowed me to access and interact with holographic projections.

It was a device powered by Mana that would allow me to access all the stuff available to a Serpent Guild Member of the First Order.

Usually, the holograms displayed things like maps, mission briefings, and other important information.

Anyways, I basically knew quite a lot about the Voids but being careful and thorough wouldn't bring me any loss.

I'd rather read the Void Diving Manual rather than die because of my overconfidence!

"Let's see..."

Weaving my hand, I interacted with the Hologram displayed before me, zooming in and out to get a closer look at the intricate details.

My eyes skimmed through the panels containing information about the different types of voids, the potential dangers within them, and the necessary precautions to take.

Everything seemed the same as I remembered...

Voids can be of different ranks, ranging from Level 1 to Level 5.

If at Level 1 you are just teleported to the outer realm of hell where low-rank demons roam, at Level 5, you're practically stepping into the backyard of the Great Demon families themselves.

Another thing to note is that voids are not just physical locations, but also temporal anomalies.

There won't be any Dungeon Outbreak, but rather temporary disturbances in the space-time continuum.

If a Void were to be not closed in time, some of the Dark Mana would start to seep into the Earth, slowly changing the environment of the Earth, making it increasingly hostile and inhospitable for human life.

It was a way of Demons slowly turning the Earth into Hell...

However, that was the reason such organizations as Serpent Guild existed. Their mission was to identify, explore, and ultimately seal off these dangerous voids before they could cause irreversible damage.

It might seem like most of the awakeners would try to join such facilities in order to protect humanity, however, it couldn't be further from the truth.

The Death rate of awakeners venturing into the voids was 80%.

The chance of you making it out of the void was basically a gamble with very slim odds in your favor.

Dungeons were nowhere close in danger compared to voids. While a Dungeon you could leave at any time, a Void was a one-way ticket.

You will only be allowed to return to the physical world if you succeed in closing off the void and preventing any further leakage of Dark Mana, which means killing all the Demons in the area.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention... There is a limited time constraint when dealing with voids. Sometimes the void can collapse and close itself while Awakeners are inside.

In such cases, those inside the void are either trapped in hell forever or until they find another Void leading to the Earth.

"Sounds scary..."

Brushing the blond hair getting in my face, I quickly gathered my thoughts, redirecting my eyes to another panel, displaying missions available for First Order Guild members.

Quests, information and all the other resources of the guild are organized into 5 Orders, each providing specific benefits and responsibilities to its members.

For example, being a member of the First Order Guild, I have access to quests and information related to exploration and sealing off 1 Level Voids.

To increase my Order I would need to successfully complete missions and prove my abilities in sealing off a lot of voids.

"..."

Gazing at the window filled with various charts, maps, and data, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the amount of information I was subjected to.

I know I'm not the brightest but there was no reason to highlight it!

I may not know what many of these displayed statistics mean, but I sure know how to swing my weapon!

Clap...

Hitting my cheeks, I came back to reality. I was getting off track.

Anyways, dozens of missions varying from investigating the weird activity in certain regions to closing off the low-level Voids were available for me to choose from.

Honestly, most of the missions were very far away from my current location, which meant I would have to travel extensively to complete them which wasn't an ideal situation.

Right now it was midnight on Saturday, so I only had a limited window of opportunity to select and complete a mission before school starts.

Although I could just delay my response until after school, it would be best to utilize the available time wisely and select a mission that I could complete within the available time frame.

Why?

Well, the next week is going to be the last week before the Midterm exams and I need to prioritize my study time and ensure that I am well-prepared for the upcoming tests.

I hadn't touched a scholarly book since coming to this world, so my writing exam might be doomed unless I dedicate sufficient time to study.

Since this Mid Term exam would grant as Ranks in the Academy, which came with its benefits there was no way I was going easy.

Especially, since I dropped my mindset of being a full-time shadow, wanting to be unseen at all times.

I've done it before and now I know that I'd rather give it my all rather than try to appear weak and lose out on all the resources the Academy will provide for the higher rankers.

Furthermore, after these Midterm exams, another important event would force me to leave the Academy for about a week.

The Shadow Dungeon... It would be time to raid it.

I closed my eyes for a second, recalling the Mana Art hidden within the Dungeon. If I were to acquire it, I would officially resign from being an Extra.

So... My schedule was really busy!

"What should I pick..."

Refocusing my attention on the golden window before me, I instantly filtered out the missions that required investigating some unknown phenomenon that might've seemed Demonic to some and focused on the missions that had something to do with Voids.

I needed some combat experience against Demons...

Narrowing my eyes I swiped my finger across the screen 3 times, opening a few missions that were the most appealing to me.

The First mission was to enter and explore the Void near the outskirts of town, it was even awfully close to the ruins me and Rose explored today, which was kind of unsettling.

Was this a coincidence?

The Second quest was to assist a group of experienced Void Hunters in diving into the Void and eliminating a powerful Demon within it. Although the Void was the 2nd Level since I would participate there only as a support, my participation was allowed.

And the third quest was to travel to the 27th District of the city, where a massive forest grew, surrounded by high walls to protect the city from the dangers within.

It was basically a park for people with strength above Rank B.

Anyways, the third quest involved diving into the Void, which was noticed by a passerby, and sealing it off before any Dark Mana seeped out of the hell.

"Which one should I choose..."

I muttered to myself, looking at the different options presented before me. The second quest was already thrown out of my possibilities since I had no desire to just walk behind all the experienced Void Hunters and simply watch as they massacred the Demons.

Instead, I focused on weighing the options between the first and third quests.

While one was to simply enter the Void and explore it without closing it off and reporting back to the guild, the other was to take immediate action and seal off the Void in the 27th District before any Dark Mana could escape.

It should be pretty obvious which one I'll be picking...

Click...

I swiped my finger across the Golden Hologram, highlighting the third mission and clicking the accept button.

For a second the Hologram froze, but in the next moment, a paragraph of information appeared in bold letters that garnered attention.

The information provided me with detailed information and the precise location of the Void, it went so far as to calculate the fastest route to reach the location.

"I will not regret this, right?"

I could feel a nervous smile beginning to form on my face as anticipation for the upcoming mission grew within me.

It wasn't usually like this since I possessed some control over my facial expressions. However, this time it was quite hard since I was really excited about this event.

My favorite task while playing this game was actually, to close off the voids, since the more you do it, the more resistance you get to the Dark Mana.

We all know where this is going...