Masteria Online: Shattering the Dark God's Grand Scheme-Chapter 137 - Second Light

The old man was visibly satisfied. "I suspected as much. How else could you travel with the Knights on a mission, and be attacked by an Elite Guard?"

Lumi bowed on the spot as he suddenly remembered that crucial fact. "Thank you, Great Merath, for assisting in the restoration of my soul!"

"Oh, get up." Merath groaned, lightly annoyed. "Up, up now! A fine talent like you, what are you grovelling for. My, I can see the magic you have mastered."

Some spells didn’t have to be actively shown. From his eyes, he could see the mana well inside Lumi. The magic guard surrounding him at all times. His affinity for light and darkness.

Darkness.

Affinity for Darkness.

"Lumi." Merath didn’t chastise him. There was nothing wrong with dark spells in his eyes. However, was Lumi not the man who had refused to learn spells that did not correspond to Alton’s path?

Then, what was this? Why would he suddenly learn an affinity that contradicted it?

"Why do you have Dark Affinity?"

Lumi flinched. Not in fear, but mild surprise. It was obvious in hindsight that Merath would see his Dark Affinity. However, he had spent years in his past life and weeks in this one without it. Only now, on this day, did he acquire this.

"It was a gift from Rena." For only a second, Lumi debated hiding it. Rena was a Hero of Masteria. Would he disrespect her and leak the knowledge on the spot?

Then he realized his thoughts were illogical. She gave it to him on a whim. He was not asked to keep it quiet. And more importantly, this was Merath.

"Rena...?" Merath considered the information.

It made no sense to keep Merath guessing over every small implication. Lumi went ahead and narrated the story to him.

He finished up. "Rena claimed that Alton was an expert of both Light and Darkness, and therefore she gave me the second half of his knowledge."

"Tch." Merath couldn’t help but click his teeth. "That stubborn, stubborn boy."

Lumi couldn’t say anything. Merath was old. That didn’t mean he was in his eighties. Merath was old, old enough to have already been considered elderly hundreds of years ago when the Dark One made his first appearance.

To speak up for Alton against Merath was folly.

"Show me." Merath stated. There was a sharper tone to the voice of the normally calm man.

Lumi didn’t waste his time. "Dark Drop!"

Crystals materialized in the air.... and stayed there.

Merath had one hand balled up in a fist, tightening. Lumi’s magic was forcefully suspended in the air. A crystal was plucked from the aura of pressure, and Merath began to examine it.

He frowned.

Having come to a conclusion, he held no more need for the spell. "Dispel." With that single word, the spell turned into nothing.

His gaze shifted to Lumi. His gaze was deep and cold. It was not directed to Lumi, yet the small variance of his emotions made Lumi feel like he was in an endless abyss. "May you transcribe the knowledge for me, when possible?"

Lumi nodded.

"Good." Merath replied curtly. "I will not send you on a field mission. Here is the information you are entitled to."

He materialized several volumes of books in his hands and floated them over to Lumi. Lumi held them, looking up at Merath.

Merath continued. "Feel free to take them with you, or read in my library. I apologize for my rude behavior, but I require some time alone to think."

As soon as his final word dropped, Merath disappeared on the spot.

"..." Lumi stood, his heart racing. Nothing was scarier than an unexplained timeline variance. Merath was always a calm, composed man. Even in anger, it would be elegant.

What exactly was it about Alton having learned dark magic that affected Merath so much? He knew for a fact that Merath had no issue with dark magic as a concept. Then why did Alton knowing it become a problem?

Lumi shook his head. Whatever the issue was had nothing to do with him. Merath had met Alton back in the old days, over six hundred years ago. Whatever it was, it was about ancient memories.

Ding!

[Quest Complete: Rank Advancement 2]

[EXP +9000]

In the grand scheme of things, it was a mere drop of water in the well. Not even half of a single level.

Even with the Dark One actively accelerating player growth with the system, power had to come from somewhere. The EXP curve was massive. At the moment, for Lumi to gain a single level and get to 35, he would need 19,112 EXP.

He gripped the books tighter. With Merath gone, he had no need to stand here like a fool. He headed upstairs, the library automatically morphing to give him a private reading room.

He sat down, and placed the books in front of him.

[Class Advancement Opportunity Detected]

[Would you like to advance your class to: "Hero of Light: Second Light"?]

He accepted.

As soon as he did so, he felt a refreshing wave wash over his mind and body. He felt as if he had just gotten a nights rest, energetic, calm, with an exceptionally clear mind.

A new panel unlocked in his skills.

[Rank Two: Second Light]

He smiled.

It hadn’t even been a month. Even with him having significantly faster progress than most, in his past life, it had taken him nearly half a year to reach this point.

Every accomplishment was proof that when the time came, he would be different. The world would be different. The Dark One would not succeed. Not this time.

Ding!

Another... alert?

Lumi was entirely unsure what exactly he had unlocked, until he paid attention. He had unlocked nothing.

[System Alert - Player "Renee" is the first player to kill a thousand players. Extend our congratulations to "Renee" for his feat!]

Huh.

Lumi blinked, not because of the contents of the achievement, but the player. Renee. That name...