I was in the garden, crawling like a dying lizard.
A strong feeling of fatigue overcame me.
“Aah, aah, my body… Feels heavy.”
It is said that the amount of magical energy in this world is determined from the moment you are born and hardly changes until you die.
However, in the Star Brave Fantasy I know, the amount of magical energy is just a value that can change. Moreover, there are several methods available, and it is possible to reach the maximum limit of magic energy from the very beginning.
One of these methods is the Exhaustion and Increase Technique that I am currently practicing.
This is a secret trick in which the magical energy is depleted so that the limit gradually increases.
Since the increase takes a considerable amount of time, most players know about this technique but do not use it.
This method, which does not require any special items or conditions, was very popular among some people, including myself.
So, thinking about constantly using the Exhaustion and Increase technique, I came up with an innovative strategy to tirelessly increase magic energy 24 hours a day. But… This strategy had one major flaw.
A fatal flaw, not in the game.
That’s exactly what’s happening to me now.
In this world, the depletion of magical energy means the depletion of mental and physical strength.
It really is hell to be like this all the time. It’s like being awake for three days straight, twenty-four hours a day. Please kill me.
“Guaaaah!”
I managed to get up at some point.
My legs were shaking like a newborn fawn.
I can’t give up halfway just because it’s painful. Securing magical energy is an essential requirement for the plan to avoid death.
If there is no other viable means, I must do it this way. My life is at stake. If I retreat now, the fate that awaits me will be merciless.
“What are you doing?”
“Ah, older brother.”
Kiaris looked at me pitifully.
On the other hand, I was shaking intensely with tears in my eyes.
“It seems you’re doing something strange again. Do it in moderation.”
“I appreciate your concern.”
“If you have the energy to move, come here. I’ll allow you to be my training partner.”
“Of course.”
A chance to bond with my brother. Even if I have to crawl, I have to face it.
I followed my brother with unsteady steps.
◇
People tend to get used to things.
After a month, the feeling of fatigue disappeared and exhaustion became commonplace.
I no longer know how much magic energy I have. I’m always using it up, so it never reaches its maximum.
However, I am sure that it is still increasing, and if I continue like this, I will eventually reach my goal.
To escape death, there is another problem I have to solve.
It’s about securing pawns that can operate in the shadows.
If Will Starfield dies, many enemies will appear. In fact, this is the main reason why the protagonist loses his best friend.
Even in my current state, I may be able to defeat them. But there is always a chance that this plan will fail.
This world is almost the same as the game, but it’s not identical. There are subtle but important differences in some aspects.
Enemies may appear that I can’t even face, and the number of enemies may be greater than I imagine.
In order to find a way to survive, it’s necessary to do everything possible and be prepared for any eventuality.
I used my knowledge of the game to gather convenient pawns.
In “Star Brave Fantasy”, an organization called “The Resistance” appears in the middle of the game. Their sole purpose is to destroy the enemy.
However, they are almost decimated halfway through. They become shields for the protagonist and all of them lose their lives one after the other. Yes, a fate similar to Will Starfield’s awaits them.
The foundation of The Resistance was laid by a single girl.
She was an extraordinary person, a survivor of the rare vampire race with the power of the Founder. After losing her family and childhood home, she swore revenge, gathered people in similar situations from different places, and formed a resistance organization that could be called the Third Force.
And at that very moment, the event that triggered all of this was about to happen.
I needed pawns to be my hands and feet. Loyal, efficient pawns who would never betray me.
She had surprisingly high stats in the game. She lived only for revenge and was, in a sense, the most reliable and straightforward personality you could ever find, paying no attention to anything else. I had to get her at any cost to secure my survival route.
“It should be around here. She was in the reference book, so I don’t think I’m wrong.”
I rode alone through the dark forest bathed in moonlight.
I was wearing a long black cloak and a steel sword at my waist.
Suddenly, the smell of blood filled my nostrils. As I advanced, the stench grew stronger, and soon the smell of burnt flesh hit me.
A red color peeked through the trees. Black smoke rose into the sky.
“This is terrible.”
Deep in the forest was a small village. However, the buildings were engulfed in flames, and bodies lay scattered throughout the area.
“Fuck, how dare they attack the village?!”
“We only need the suitable children. Kill the adults.”
A group of people in black robes and hoods were mercilessly cutting down men with swords. The man who spat out a lot of blood expressed his displeasure with an angry expression.
“Why…? Why us… At least save the children, please…”
The hooded men taunted the fallen man.
“This is the result of futile resistance. If you had handed over the children as ordered, they would have died painlessly. It’s a nuisance dealing with this trash.”
“These guys lock themselves within their borders and do not understand the consequences of defying the ‘Wisdom of Chaos’. Despite being a rare breed, they are still barbaric and ignorant.”
“Hey, don’t mention the name of the organization lightly. Do you want to die?”
“Sorry. It was a mistake.”
A young man approached the man who appeared to be the leader and informed him.
“We put the captured children in cages and brought them back to the base. After a final check, we have been ordered to withdraw.”
“Understood. Then, after a final search, we will return.”
“Got it. Huh?”
As the man reported, I sliced through him with my sword.
The man who spat out a lot of blood fell to the ground, and the one who seemed to be the leader stepped back.
“Who are you? Do you think you can do this to us with impunity?”
Hmm, there are five of them. Will I be able to handle them even in my current state?
“Draw your sword and eliminate this brat! Do not let him live under any circumstances.”
The men drew their swords as ordered.
I stood still and extended my left hand.
“Dance, shining stones.”
Countless lights came out of my cloak like bullets and reached the men. Four of them fell, and the man who seemed to be the leader, though wounded in the shoulder, remained standing.
Well, I left him alive on purpose.
“What kind of magic was that? Fire? Light? No, none of that. Ugh, monster.”
“Let me tell you something. There are no suitable candidates among the children you ordered to be captured. Unfortunately, you have wasted your efforts. What a pity.”
“How could you… Only the followers of our order should know this secret.”
“If you want me to tell you, then tell me the location of the next attack.”
“Tch! Burst Flame!”
The man launched a magical fire attack.
There was an explosion, and I was engulfed in flames.
“I did it. Although this was not planned, I must report as soon as possible.”
The man, without confirming my death, awkwardly turned his back on me.
“I am very sorry to tell you that I cannot allow you to do that… Oh, and something else. I do not intend to die yet.”
“What…?”
I shot a glowing stone into the man’s forehead as he turned. When the flames died down, the barrier I had created was revealed.
As I withdrew the barrier, the shining stones floating in the air returned to my cloak, leaving a trail of light behind.
“All right, where will the girl I’m looking for be?”
I walked into the village, among the burning houses. Suddenly I heard a voice and went towards it.
“Mom, Dad, wake up. Don’t leave me alone…”
In front of a burning house, a little girl, barely older than me, was clinging to two corpses and crying.
I approached the girl.
“I finally found you. I’ve been looking for you.”
“Who are you?”
The girl stepped back and assumed a defensive posture, with long, beautiful silver hair and crimson eyes. Her pronounced, sharp fangs peeked out from between her thin lips.
“I am Will Starfield. Like you, I hate these men.”
“Do you know who they are?”
“Of course. Don’t you want to avenge your parents who were killed by them?”
“I want to kill them! I won’t forgive them for what they did to the village, to Mom, to Dad. I want to see them pay!”
Such intense anger. Just the kind of person I need right now. All the effort to get here was worth it.
I held out my left hand.
“I will see to it that you get your revenge. Follow me.”
“Can you really do that?”
“It is not a question of whether I can or not. I will. I will give you the information you need, a place to stay, and I will even give you power.”
The girl approached hesitantly and took my hand.
“I’m Leia. Who are you?”
“I am the hope that will guide your destiny.”
A strong wind blew and quickly extinguished the fire.
In the darkness, the only light was the countless stars that adorned the sky.
“You are… My…”
