Growth
The night sky stretched endlessly above me, a sea of glittering stars that mirrored the constellations from my old world. I floated a few feet above the grass, hands folded behind my head, and gazed in silent wonder. It was uncanny. Every constellation, every celestial pattern was identical to Earth—my Earth. The thought tugged at me with a peculiar weight.
Could Earthland and Earth be the same world, but diverged by some twist in the event and actions? The theory wasn't far-fetched. History and legends here bore striking similarities to those of Earth, except for one pivotal divergence.
Back on Earth, the Abrahamic religions rose to power, quashing magic and mysticism in their crusade for dominance. But here? The witch hunts ended differently. The mages didn't cower—they fought back. When whole continents burned at the hands of the Church, the first magical guilds emerged, uniting mages against their oppressors.
Eventually, even the Church had to relent. Faced with the threat of dragon attacks and the undeniable strength of magic, they pivoted, declaring magic to be a divine gift. A compromise born from necessity, if not faith.
"Erza, why are we camping again?" I asked, absently chewing on a strip of fried monster meat. The taste was gamey, but not unpleasant—something between venison and chicken.
Erza was lying nearby, her armor traded for casual clothes. She was gazing at the stars, her scarlet hair glowing faintly in the firelight. Levy was curled up beside her on a soft camping mattress, her nose buried in a thick tome. Erza's fingers idly combed through Levy's hair, and the smaller mage didn't seem to mind.
"It's about understanding nature," Erza said without looking at me. "To hunt monsters, you have to live like them. Not in the comfort of an inn or a city, but out here, under the stars."
Her words were thoughtful, but I noticed the subtle smirk on her face. She was enjoying this.
I raised an eyebrow, letting her answer linger before responding. "That's poetic and all, but this happens to be the exact spot where monsters are known to attack campers. Our informant was pretty clear about that."
Erza finally turned her gaze to me, her smirk widening. "Exactly. We're the bait."
Levy snapped her book shut, staring at Erza in mock betrayal. "How could you? I was so invested in this book!"
Erza shrugged, clearly unbothered. "You can still read. Lucas is on lookout duty, anyway. It was his idea to come here."
Levy shot me a look, half-annoyed and half-amused. I grinned. "She's not wrong. I've been keeping watch this whole time."
I floated higher, scanning the surrounding forest. Trees swayed gently in the night breeze, their shadows casting eerie shapes across the ground. Bushes rustled faintly, but nothing alarming. Stones and boulders dotted the landscape, providing natural cover for potential threats.
So far, nothing. But that didn't mean we could let our guard down.
The night was still young, and danger had a way of showing up when you least expected it.
The monster was still nowhere in sight, the forest eerily quiet except for the soft rustling of leaves and the crackling of our campfire in the distance. A normal person might have relaxed, but I wasn't wired for idleness. My curiosity had a way of keeping me restless, even in moments like this.
So, naturally, I decided to train my magic.
Now, training right before combat isn't exactly the smartest idea—you risk burning out before the real fight begins. But when you've got the Infinite Mana Glitch, well, the rules don't apply to you. My magic reserves restored themselves to full capacity every second, which meant no fatigue, no cooldowns, and definitely no limits. It was the kind of power most mages could only dream about.
I hovered a little higher, the cool night air brushing against my skin as I focused on my latest project: recreating Skyrim spells in Earthland's magic system.
When I said "create," it wasn't entirely accurate. It was more like stealing concepts and techniques locked in the genetic memory of my Elven blood and adapting them to this world. Easier said than done, but I wasn't exactly lacking in resources. My Skill Beyond Belief and other magic boosters made this my wheelhouse. I was literally built for this.
Basic elemental spells and healing magic were already a success. Fireballs, frost spikes, healing surges—I'd nailed those in no time. Now I was working on something a little more complex. Conjuration, illusion, alteration—schools of magic that required finesse and a deep understanding of both the natural and supernatural laws of this world.
Sweat beaded on my forehead as I shaped raw magical energy into tangible forms, manipulating it into the frameworks I'd devised. A flicker of blue light danced at my fingertips, crystallizing into a ghostly ward spell. It shimmered like glass, solid yet ethereal, before collapsing back into mana. Not quite there yet, but close.
Hours slipped by unnoticed as I brainstormed and trained, lost in the flow of experimentation. The stars above seemed to shift in their endless dance, but I paid them no mind. This was the kind of work that consumed me entirely.
Then, suddenly, I froze.
A cold, primal sensation washed over me—danger. It wasn't a sound or a sight that triggered it, but a gut instinct honed from years of experience. My senses flared, scanning the forest below. The rustling leaves, once calming, now felt like whispers of a predator lurking just beyond sight.
Something was out there. And it was coming. As if my timing couldn't get worse as I froze.
Celestial Grimoire has updated. Now 100CP will be banked regardless of user's choice on perk.
Rolling….
You rolled: Yang Sword Vollachia [300 - Re:Zero]
An enormous greatsword, entirely crimson from blade to hilt. The Yang Sword is a mighty artifact from the kingdom of Vollachia, capable of creating enormous tongues of fire from the blade of the sword which can burn almost anything to cinders in moments. The blade appears when you will it to in your hand and can slice through all but the most powerful of magical artifacts. You may even control what it slices or burns, preventing the great blade from harming your allies fighting alongside you or burning yourself with the heat.
Cost: 300CP
A fuck you Sword that burns and cuts people easily as breathing? Sign me the hell up. I accept already, don't distract me Grimoire or this will be my last roll.
100CP Banked
100CP remaining
"Guys, stand the hell up. Right now!" I yelled, my voice sharp with panic—a tone I rarely used. Erza and Levy shot up from their mattress immediately, their instincts kicking in before their minds could even process my words.
Panic wasn't my usual vibe. Normally, I'd be the guy cracking jokes mid-battle, shouting "Justice for Gotham!" while decking a millennia-old Celestial Spirit in a full Batman costume. I'd once slain a wyvern with no magic to my name, just a rusty sword and armor that barely fit. I'd fought dark mages in nothing but a basic swordsman build.
I'd essentially been living Dark Souls.
But this? This was different. Whatever was coming out of the bushes triggered something primal in me—fear I hadn't felt in years.
"What is that?" Levy asked, her voice shaking but her hands steady. She spun her fingers with practiced precision, the word BARRIER forming in the air before bursting into life. Magic rippled outward, sprouting wires from every direction. They twisted and wove together, forming a massive birdcage that trapped not just the monster, but all of us inside.
Erza didn't hesitate. "Be careful!" she called, her tone commanding as her body lit up with a radiant glow. Her Requip magic activated, and the flash of light illuminated the clearing like a second moon.
Then I saw it.
The monster stepped into the light, its towering frame sending a chill down my spine. It was the size of a large wildcat but walked upright, its presence menacing. Its head was a deer skull, hollow eyes gleaming with an unnatural light. Its limbs resembled twisted tree branches, gnarled and clawed, while its movements carried the weight of the forest itself.
And the sounds—it brought with it the roaring of winds, the howls of wolves, and the harsh cawing of unseen crows. It was as if the entire forest had risen to life with malice.
"Oh, this is very bad," Erza muttered, her usual confidence flickering. Her armor shimmered again, transforming into her black winged armor, a dark blade materializing in her hand.
"How bad are we talking?" I asked, summoning fireballs in both hands, the heat radiating up my arms.
"S-Class Quest bad," she replied, her voice grim.
The monster roared, a screeching sound that grated against my ears as it charged. Its movements were erratic yet terrifyingly fast, closing the distance between us in seconds.
This was no ordinary creature. And this fight was about to get very real.
The Yang Sword of Vollachia materialized in my grip, its immense size almost rivaling my own height. The black blade shimmered in the firelight, the edges sharp enough to cut the air itself. As my hands burned against the scorching hilt, I clenched my teeth and bore the pain, pressing my will into the sword until the heat finally subsided.
This wasn't just any sword. It was alive, and it had deemed me worthy. Had it not, I'd have been reduced to ashes the moment I tried to wield it—if not for the safety protocols embedded in my Celestial Grimoire.
Erza launched herself at the monster, her blade gleaming as it tore through the air. "Hah!" she shouted, her swing nearly slicing the deer-skulled creature in half. But before her strike could land, the beast dissolved into black mist, dispersing like smoke through a mirror.
It rematerialized behind Levy, its clawed hand raised to strike.
I dived down, gripping the Yang Sword tightly, and slammed into the ground near Levy just as she conjured the word JUMP. The magic propelled her into the air, flipping her away from the creature's reach.
The monster shifted again, vanishing into mist and reappearing beside Erza. Its claws swiped, meeting her blade in a violent clash. Sparks erupted as Erza gritted her teeth, struggling to hold her ground.
Meanwhile, the Yang Sword struck the ground where the monster had stood, unleashing a volcanic eruption of fire. Flames exploded outward in waves, the intense heat turning the grassy ground into smoldering ash. The battlefield was now bathed in a fiery glow, and for some reason, the monster turned its hollow eyes to glare directly at me.
"What the hell? Why's it mad at me?" I asked, genuinely confused. It had dodged my strike entirely, but now it was fixated on me.
"Because you burned the grass and bushes," Erza said flatly, her tone unbothered by the spreading fire. The blaze lit up the clearing like a miniature sun, reflecting off her armor as if she were a warrior forged in flame.
The monster abandoned its attack on her, charging at me with a screech that cut through the night air. Erza used the opening to slash at its back, landing three powerful strikes that left visible gashes in its form. The creature howled in fury, dissolving into mist yet again.
As the heat from the fire spread, consuming everything but the distant trees, Erza's voice broke through the chaos. "I'm sorry," she said, her tone tinged with uncharacteristic desperation. "If I'd known what this was, I wouldn't have brought you here."
"Oh, snap out of it already," I said, frustration edging into my voice. "We're here, the monster's here, so just tell me what we're dealing with." The Yang Sword spun in my hands with an unnatural ease, releasing a faint wave of heat that danced across the battlefield.
Erza exhaled sharply, collecting herself. "It's a Leshy," she said. "A forest spirit, or more accurately, a demon. It's formed from humanity's collective fear of the forest, brought to life by corrupted Ether Nano—like other magical beasts. And its power depends entirely on the size of the forest it resides in."
My stomach sank. "Ah, fuck," I muttered, my grip tightening on the Yang Sword. Of course, it had to be this forest. Sure, it was near the town on one side, but the rest of it stretched endlessly. It took six hours by train just to cross these woods and reach Magnolia.
This wasn't a forest. It was a jungle. And we were smack in the middle of it.
"Okay, you guys remember when I said, 'Don't worry'? Let me rephrase that—you should worry," I called out, twisting in the air to dodge another tendril of black mist. The damn thing had it out for me, and it wasn't letting up. Every time I thought I'd lost it, the mist swirled back around, always just a step behind.
But it wasn't just fast; it was smart. It was adapting, learning from Erza's unrelenting strikes and Levy's flaming word constructs. This wasn't going to be easy.
"Flame Empress Armor!" Erza shouted, her body shimmering in a burst of light as she reequipped.
Her new armor was as stunning as it was intimidating—pink and red with sleek, fiery designs. It left her thighs and the space between her neck and chest exposed, but the rest was covered in yellow and black, leather-like plates that screamed power. Behind her, glorious wing-like capes fluttered in the heat, and in her hands, a red-and-black sword oozed fire.
The weapon bore an uncanny resemblance to my Yang Sword of Vollachia, though I didn't have time to question the coincidence.
Erza raised her sword and looked at us, her commanding tone cutting through the chaos. "Listen carefully! This thing is the embodiment of the forest. And what's the natural enemy of a forest?"
She paused, glancing at me as if I already knew the answer.
"Fire," she declared, pointing her blazing weapon toward the Leshy. "A lot of fire. But be careful—it can teleport and turn intangible because it's a spirit. Timing is everything."
With that, she launched herself at the monster. Every time it reappeared, Erza was there, driving her fiery sword into its form. The flames roared with each strike, but the creature refused to go down without a fight.
Suddenly, the Leshy let out a deafening roar—different from its usual battle cries. The air thickened as black smoke billowed from its body, coalescing into shadowy shapes.
Wolves.
A pack of snarling, feral wolves emerged from the smoke, their howls echoing through the burning forest. Above us, a flock of crows joined in, circling ominously and cawing like the damned.
"Oh, great," I muttered, gripping my sword tighter.
"And yeah," Erza said dryly, her tone biting despite the chaos, "since it's the spirit of the forest, the whole forest will back it up. That includes the animals."
As if to emphasize her point, the Leshy reappeared without warning, its clawed hand striking toward me. I barely had time to leap back, flames erupting from my blade in an instinctive counterattack.
"Noted," I said through gritted teeth. "We're fighting a forest's wrath. Fantastic."
Rolling…..
You rolled: Linguistic Talent [100 - Danmachi]
There are many types of language existed in this world. This grants supernatural insight and comprehension at learning new languages as this allows you to learn dead or magical languages with just hearing someone talking in that language over a prolonged time or staring at an inscribed word for a long time. Potentially you can even create your own language to prevent others from reading your notes.
Cost: 100CP
Okay, learning new language would not help in this situation at all, since that Leshy is mad I nearly started the forest fire. So no to this Perk!
100CP banked
Total: 200CP
"Okay, enough is enough," Levy declared, her voice sharp and determined.
She darted across the battlefield like a rabbit, hopping from one place to another with incredible agility. Her hands moved in a frenzy, writing spell after spell in the air with unwavering precision. Words like SPEED, CRITICAL, and ETHERNANO floated for a split second before colliding into us with an explosive burst of magical energy.
The effects hit immediately. My body felt lighter, faster—so fast that the world around me blurred. Erza's movements mirrored my own, her red hair and armor making her look like a streak of fire. Levy, now full of energy, bounced around with a newfound vigor that was contagious.
Along with the speed boost, I felt my magic reserves surge back to full capacity, though I didn't exactly need it thanks to my Infinite Mana glitch. And that CRITICAL buff? I could feel its power coursing through me—it was meant to amplify every strike, turning each blow into a devastating one.
"Come on, Levy! We may not be S-Class yet, but that doesn't mean we can't reach it together!" I shouted, my voice brimming with excitement. The rush of power was intoxicating. "Look at us, Erza—this is our true power!"
I blurred into action, my sword swinging with deadly precision. The wolves surrounding us growled in confusion, their predatory instincts failing them as they tried to track movements they couldn't see.
They didn't even realize they were already dead.
A series of high-pitched whines erupted as the wolves suddenly split apart, cleanly bisected by my blade. Their bodies collapsed in opposite directions, lifeless.
Meanwhile, the crows above panicked, their caws frantic as Levy continued her relentless assault. She didn't stop writing the word BULLET, and with every explosive bang, more and more crows fell from the sky, their lifeless bodies raining down like morbid hail.
"Keep it up!" Erza called out, her fiery sword cleaving through the remaining wolves as they charged her. Her armor glinted in the flickering flames of the battlefield, and her movements were a blur of elegance and destruction.
The Leshy screeched in frustration, its allies falling left and right. It writhed in the black mist, clearly sensing that the tide was turning against it.
"Not so invincible now, huh?" I taunted, spinning the Yang Sword in my hands. The heat radiating from the blade sent waves of shimmering air through the battlefield, illuminating the chaos around us.
For the first time, the Leshy looked cornered. But I knew better than to let my guard down. A cornered beast was always the most dangerous.
And the Leshy didn't disappoint. It became a black flash, zipping around us at speeds that made it look like a twisted version of the Yellow Flash from Naruto. Unlike before, it didn't rely on its intangible form, opting instead to teleport endlessly while remaining corporeal to attack.
But we weren't the same team it faced before. We were speedsters now, with critical attack buffs that gave us the edge.
"Erza, leave this to us! Do what you came here to do in the first place—evaluate us!" I shouted, laughing wildly as the Yang Sword sliced through the Leshy's wooden limbs. The blade met no resistance this time, cleaving through its form like an axe through deadwood.
Better yet, every time the sword made contact, the Leshy ignited. Flames licked at its body, spreading rapidly as though the sword itself demanded its destruction.
This sword was absurdly overpowered. Now I understood why that blonde chick from Re:Zero was so cocky when she wielded it. It was hard not to feel like a god with a weapon like this.
"Take this, you overgrown garden no one asked for!" Levy yelled, her hands a blur as she wrote words like CUT, DISMANTLE, CHAINSAW, and ACID in the air. Each word brought chaos upon the Leshy, the magic slicing, melting, and tearing at the spirit's form.
Now it was time to end this in style. After all, in this world, finishing moves had to have a cool name—it was practically a rule.
"Come on, Yang," I said to the sword like it was a person. "I can call you Yang, right? Let's make your debut kill one to remember."
The sword hummed in response, its fiery glow intensifying until it looked like it was about to explode. Erza, mid-battle, froze for a moment, her gaze locked on the blade. As a fellow swordswoman, she could feel the sheer presence of the weapon's soul. Its intent was clear: BURN EVERYTHING.
"By the power of the Great Sword of Power," I began, stepping forward as the Leshy reappeared. With a shout, I swung the blade, severing its limbs as though slicing through air. The flames danced along the cuts, reducing the spirit to cinders with every strike. "I shall perform your final rites!"
With a final cry, I plunged the Yang Sword into the Leshy's core, channeling all my strength into the blow.
"Star Burst!"
The Leshy howled as the sword ignited, cutting it five times in rapid succession, each strike burning brighter than the last. The forest around us glowed with the light of the flames as the Leshy's body twitched in agony, its form consumed by fire.
The corpses of the wolves around us were also set alight as I realized I could control the fire's spread. A wave of heat rolled over the battlefield as everything the Leshy had summoned turned to ash.
Finally, the Leshy collapsed, its charred form disintegrating into the ground. All that remained was a massive deer skull with equally enormous antlers. It was the perfect trophy.
I grinned as I picked it up, cradling it like the prize it was. The Yang Sword, satisfied with its work, dissolved into gas, its flames fading into the atmosphere. It didn't return to my Celestial Grimoire or my re-equip space—it simply lingered, waiting for my next call.
"That was awesome!" I declared cheerfully, hoisting the trophy in one hand as my adrenaline finally began to settle.
GBy the time morning rolled around, we finally managed to catch a few hours of shut-eye on the train back to Magnolia. Despite the exhaustion weighing us down, Erza seemed content as she sat with Levy and me in the small cabin, all of us wrapped in a warm blanket. Sleep came easily in the comforting silence of our shared space.
"So," I muttered, leaning against Erza's shoulder—a rare moment of softness from the usually battle-hardened warrior. Thank goodness she wasn't in her armor, or my chin would've been sore for days. "How did we do?"
Erza smiled faintly, her eyes glancing down at Levy, who was curled up and snoring softly on her other side. "You've grown so much stronger since we last sparred. It's astonishing how quickly you've improved." Her voice was laced with genuine pride. "And you helped Levy break through her limits. That's amazing."
I couldn't help but grin at her praise. "Thanks, but that sword probably stole the show."
"That sword…" Erza trailed off, her brow furrowing slightly. "How did you summon it?"
"Same way I got the Crystal Sword," I replied with a shrug. "It's from this old Grimoire I have. Sometimes it gives me swords, sometimes spells or skills. Honestly, it's like a lottery every time I use it."
Her expression darkened slightly, concern flickering in her eyes. "That must be painful. Doesn't it hurt having all that knowledge forced into your mind every time you get something new?"
"Not really," I admitted. "It's more like… remembering something I already knew. Like it was always in the back of my head, waiting to be unlocked."
"What could that mean?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
I gave her a half-smile, rubbing the back of my neck. "I dunno. Maybe I was some kind of swordmaster in a past life or something." That was enough to end the conversation for now, as the three of us drifted back into a peaceful slumber.
We finally woke up in the afternoon, groggy but rejuvenated. By the time we reached the guild, hunger had overtaken everything else, and we dove headfirst into Mira's cooking like starved wolves.
The peace didn't last long.
"They did what?!" Erza bellowed, slamming her fist onto the table. The entire guild froze, all eyes snapping to her in terror. Her glare was like a storm, and the poor table groaned under the pressure of her fury.
"I-I mean, uh…" Max stammered, trembling as he attempted to explain himself.
"What's this 'uh' nonsense? Speak properly!" Erza barked, grabbing the sandy mage by the collar and, with a single punch, sent him flying into the counter. Mira stepped out of the way just in time, sighing as she cleared her throat.
"What Max was trying to say," Mira began, her smile sharp enough to cut steel, "is that Happy stole an S-Class quest. Team Natsu is on their way to Galuna Island—the one rumored to be the center of demons and curses."
"And no one thought to stop them?!" Erza roared, grabbing Mira by the shoulders, though the white-haired beauty remained completely unfazed. Lesser men would've collapsed under Erza's demonic aura.
"We tried," Mira said smoothly, as if she weren't in imminent danger of being flung across the room. "But Gray went after them and hasn't returned. We presume he's joined them."
Erza's hands fell from Mira's shoulders as she closed her eyes. Her whole body trembled, fists clenching tightly at her sides. A dark, oppressive aura burst from her, radiating pure, unbridled rage. The sweet knight I had cuddled with just hours ago had transformed into an avenging demon.
"NAAAAAATTTSSSSSUUUU!" she screamed, her voice echoing throughout the guild.
I exchanged a look with Levy, who was hastily finishing the last of her meal. "Welp," I mutt
ered, leaning back. "This is gonna be fun."
I almost gave up on this story but a Guy (AI) we know and love how important this was, how much things were at the stakes for this story. Thus I was awakened and rubbed the quick one for the bro. I mean rubbed the paper, I mean paper.