Interesting situations I find myself in.

  The thought was completely coherent, unaffected by all the terror and panic he remembered feeling before passing out. Lev felt around with his senses. There was only one person near him currently, and he already knew who the sweetheart was.

  Keeping his eyes shut, he slowly broached the memories of prior events. They were… not as bad as he had expected. The half-human monster, whose name he still didn't know, looked just as utterly terrifying, but from memory alone, it felt incomplete. The answer stood out immediately.

  The monster had an aura strong enough to effortlessly bypass his mental defenses.

  Lev shuddered and thanked Monarch for still keeping him alive. He also thanked whichever deity could hear him. It felt right.

  "Lev?" Orianna's calming voice reached him.

  "I'm up," Lev opened his eyes. Her kind gaze met them, telling him he was lying on her thighs. It made him feel special. Checking around, he was in a large bedroom with several large sofas arranged around the bed.

  "Do you want me to call everyone else?"

  "Not yet," Lev replied and got up before giving her a tight hug. "I have a wall of notifications waiting for me."

  "I'll wait," she said with her same kind smile that Lev would happily die for.

  Giving her a thankful nod, Lev brought up his notifications.

  [

  You have slain [Mistcrawler Fiend - Level 200]

  …

  You have slain [Mistcrawler Juggenaut - Level 209]

  …

  You have vanquished [Corrupted - Weakened - Chaoswalker - Level 373]

  Mana Tempest has reached Level 165

  Mana Tempest has reached Level 166

  …

  Mana Tempest has reached Level 178

  Colorful Destruction has reached 3rd Level 3

  Unerring Volley has reached 3rd Level 3

  Superior Senses has reached 3rd Level 4

  Heavier Lifting has reached 3rd Level 3

  Mage Conduit has reached 3rd Level 4

  Aerial Maneuvers has reached 2nd Level 2

  Aerial Maneuvers has reached 2nd Level 3

  Aerial Maneuvers has reached 2nd Level 4

  Aerial Maneuvers has reached 2nd Level 5

  Aerial Maneuvers has reached 2nd Level 6

  -

  You have qualified for a title: Seen

  Seen:

  You have been noticed by both Mana and Chaos.

  Similar events are extremely unlikely to occur around you again.

  Title granted for compensation.

  -

  You have qualified for a title: Survivor I

  Survivor I:

  You have survived events utterly beyond your comprehension despite being at the center of them. The System recognizes your luck and efforts.

  +25 to all attributes.

  -

  Your title has evolved.

  ]

  The gains were absurd. Even Daunting Steps had evolved once more and gave +5 attributes more. He should have been ecstatic—if only there hadn't been another notification waiting for him.

  [

  // WARNING

  // YOU ARE IN THE PRESENCE OF A CREATURE OF CHAOS

  // NOTIFY CAPABLE PEOPLE OF YOUR RACE IMMEDIATELY

  // MAXIMUM ESSENCE GAINS APPLIED FOR THE VANQUISHERS

  ]

  "Is something wrong?" Orianna broke him out of his spiraling thoughts.

  "… Too many questions. You should call everyone else."

  Over an hour, people slowly streamed into the large bedroom. Sherron hugged him tightly, called him an idiot, and told him he had been out for over a week. Lev just blinked at the information and moved on.

  Alec's reaction was unexpected. Lev suddenly felt embarrassed for making him worry so much, only for strong arms to envelop him. His mentor checked Lev up and down, looking for any lingering injuries. When he was done, he looked at Lev's eyes.

  "Was it your fault?" Alec simply questioned. Lev shook his head. Very few things could ever force him to face that abomination. There was no way he would willingly go against it.

  "Good, then you probably made it out like a bandit. Make sure to be strong enough not to let this happen again."

  Lev barked out a short laugh before he could stop himself. Grinning, he hugged his mentor.

  "You best bet I'm gonna turn the plains upside down. Whatever that thing was, it was just a side-effect of something much greater. Better start preparing quickly."

  Alec's face hardened before taking a spot and waiting for Hakim to arrive. To Lev's surprise, Drakys entered the room, and to none of Lev's surprise, the princesses followed. He had always considered them the curious type, and this proved so.

  "Oh, it's you," Lev called out when Katarina entered. Just to be safe, he also shuffled closer behind Orianna before saying that.

  Katarina stopped and gave him a flat stare. Lara just passed her by with a grin.

  "Where did Diana go?" Lev asked, suddenly remembering he had almost died.

  If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  "The ravine. Her presence is one of the few lifelines there," Sherron replied. The answer made him even more grateful for her healing him.

  "That's just unfair. Why me?" Katarina kept her stare on him as she took a seat. "Why not her too?" she pointed at Lara.

  "You held me in place, remember?" Lev grinned.

  Katarina snorted in an unladylike manner but didn't deny Lev's claim. Drakys was looking at Lev intently, surely knowing something he didn't. Lev was determined to get some answers today.

  "How did you two find me, anyway?" Lev asked Lara.

  "Drakys told us. We were also free these days."

  "These days? You two have duties?"

  "Excuse me," Katarina interjected. "I will have you know that we are both part of a radiant mythril adventurer team. You may be absurd in your growth but we are no slouches either."

  That… is genuinely impressive.

  Lev slowly nodded. "I take back what I said. That is pretty damn cool."

  Katarina leaned back, triumphant. Lev didn't mind. He knew the princesses had to be absurdly strong, or they wouldn't have survived the trip to Monarch.

  Hakim entered at last, making Lev gulp because of his sheer presence. The room felt suffocating when he entered, though the effect vanished after a few seconds.

  "You sure know how to scare the soul out of someone, boy," Hakim voiced while glancing at Sherron. "The entirety of Windkeep now knows you are related to two Exalted. Not like it matters."

  "It doesn't," Lev agreed. "Should I keep it brief?"

  "That would be appreciated," Hakim nodded.

  "What is Chaos?" Lev asked bluntly. Hakim's gaze hardened, while Drakys let out a sigh. Only they seemed to know something, whereas the rest were just sad.

  Perhaps I should've been more tactful… ah fuck it, I want answers.

  "Do either of you have the Survivor title?"

  "Both of us do," Hakim eventually answered. "What did you find in that dungeon?"

  "Chaoswalker."

  Hakim went silent, and Drakys rubbed his face with his hands. Lev didn't know what he was expecting, but rendering two Exalted silent was not it.

  Nobody else spoke, giving the two the reins. Lev waited.

  "Chaoswalker… is a being corrupted by chaos," Drakys slowly began. "The results are usually lethal."

  Lev's mind however, was stuck on one detail. "Can humans be corrupted?"

  Drakys nodded in assent, eyes glazed over and lost in thought.

  "I'm assuming you both also got a warning about the creature of chaos?"

  "We did," Hakim replied, exhaling a deep, suffering breath. "That was a nightmare no one will ever forget."

  They're hiding something, and there's only one possible question.

  "Who was it?"

  "Lev, I don't think-" Sherron began but Drakys cut her off.

  "Martha. The woman I raised like my own daughter. The Empyrean Queen and the love of our people. She was corrupted," Drakys replied with eyes that wished they could still shed tears. They had dried long ago, yet the intense glare leveled at Lev was no less frightening.

  It didn't have the desired effect. Queen Martha and Emperor Blaine were two of Lev's greatest role models, the martyrs who made survival possible for all the remaining humans. Perhaps there were more survivors out there, waiting for the humans of Monarch to return. All because of them.

  Now, he was learning that someone he respected so much had been… defiled by chaos. It evoked an incredible mix of feelings inside him, predominantly hate and anger.

  "I will look for her," Lev declared firmly, arguements be damned. This could not stand.

  Drakys gave him a nod of recognition. Both of them shared a common goal now, and one was more prepared to carry it out than the other. It didn't matter who brought it to fruition first, as long as someone found the queen and put her to rest.

  Lev's declaration was otherwise met with silence. He paid close attention to the reactions of the two princesses. They were both holding each other's hand, barely blinking back tears. Just one more reason for Lev to go out there.

  Seeing nothing else was forthcoming, Lev debated what else to tell them. The seen title was his own baggage, and disclosing it benefited no one. He would much rather bear that burden alone.

  "There is not much to report this time. Everything went normally until the last fight. The dungeon monsters all started chasing me, so I circled them and killed them with arrows until the chaoswalker randomly ambushed me through the mist.

  "It was huge, much larger than any of the other monsters. Had a human face too, with four human arms. Half of its body ended in a tail. The aura coming from it was incredibly invasive, and I used all my mana at once in a panic attack.

  "Well, it perished. I was barely staying awake at that point and took out its core with a barrier from afar. The System warned me to dispose of it immediately, so I threw it away and ran as fast as I could without holding back any mana. Pretty sure that's the main reason I was so close to dying.

  "The reward is 14 levels and 30 points for each attribute. That's about it."

  Sherron sat down next to him on the bed and ran her hand through his hair.

  I mean, thanks? That feels nice.

  Lev wisely didn't question it and went with the flow.

  "You do realize the significance of what you just claimed, don't you?" Hakim addressed him.

  "Of course," Lev looked at him flatly. "I need to evolve beyond Exalted first to stand a chance. That much is obvious."

  "That's not all. How far away do you think the Empyrean lands are?"

  "… Very? How would I know?"

  "We don't know either."

  Lev took a few seconds to process that. "What?"

  "We don't know where our lands are."

  "Again, what?"

  "We were teleported to Monarch," Hakim answered properly this time. "That's literally all we know."

  "Teleported?" Lev echoed. "Just like that?"

  "Just like that," Hakim confirmed.

  What on Monarch? So it's not just me who has to face these random events?

  "But… what?" Lev repeated himself again. "This makes no sense. How did this even happen?"

  "One day, the ship was swallowed in some sort of dark dimension. There was literally nothing beyond the ship, just a darkness that ate even light. Yet humans were completely safe inside it. The situation lasted for over a week before we suddenly appeared above our continent," Drakys filled him in.

  "I now have even more questions," Lev let out an annoyed huff. "Things can never be simple, can they? I'm assuming Mara had a role in all of this?"

  "She evolved during the darkness."

  Oh… poor soul. No wonder she was muttering about slitted eyes.

  Lev didn't even want to imagine what she saw by divining the darkness. He could suddenly sympathize with her a lot more. Maybe he would've also become an airhead after such an encounter.

  "I… see. She sure has it tough, huh."

  Sherron snorted by his side. "Other than blaming herself, she's still the same."

  Blame? Was she the one to rile the volunteers to come here? Or did she just play a major role?

  Lev didn't ask any questions. It was not his place to inquire about her past that wasn't related to him in any way.

  "Ugh, fine. I have to explore a lot and hope to find the lost lands? Doable. With enough mana, I will find a way eventually. Is that all? Or are there some other world-shattering truths remaining?"

  Glances were shared. Lev's excitement surged a little but nobody said anything.

  … I think it is safe to call them all rude just this once.

  "How rude," Lev muttered, knowing everyone present would hear him. "Keeping mysteries from me. I will pry them out of your hands one day."

  ****

  When Lev had finished his report to Hakim, his dungeoneer title had upgraded too. Perhaps because he was given a quest of sorts directly by the guildmaster, it hadn't changed before that.

  [

  Solo Dungeoneer has evolved into Daring Delver

  Daring Delver:

  You have repeatedly challenged dungeons beyond your level alone and come out on top. The title is rewarded for your accomplishments and drive to make life better for your kind.

  +10 to any attribute of your choice (Wisdom)

  +15 to any attribute of your choice (Wisdom)

  ]

  The points obviously went into Wisdom. Lev was really loving having so much mana to play with so far, and he had just received nearly a hundred Wisdom. His next delve was going to be a cakewalk.

  [

  Name: Lev

  Class: Mana Tempest - Level 178

  Titles: Reinforced Mind, Extraordinary Soul, Youngest Prodigy, Goliath Slayer II, Daunting Steps IV, Daring Delver, Hunter, Seen, Survivor I

  Attributes:

  Strength: 125

  Dexterity: 125

  Constitution: 340

  Intelligence: 415

  Wisdom: 500

  Perception: 340

  Class Skills:

  Arcane Barrier Manipulation - 3rd Level 2

  Unerring Volley - 3rd Level 3

  Colorful Destruction - 3rd Level 3

  Barrier Armor - 3rd Level 3

  Superior Senses - 3rd Level 4

  Rapid Infusion - 3rd Level 2

  Heavier Lifting - 3rd Level 3

  Mage Conduit - 3rd Level 4

  General Skills:

  Advanced Mana Manipulation - 2nd Level 10

  Identify

  Aerial Maneuvers - 2nd Level 6

  Mana Perception - 2nd Level 10

  Arcane Archery - 2nd Level 10

  Barrier Carving - Level 6

  Wanderer's Repository - Level 2

  Mana Slash - 2nd Level 10

  ]

  Lev waited for a moment, unable to hold back a smile at the amount of Wisdom he had, but nothing congratulated him for hitting that milestone.

  Oh well. I am more than happy with the current rewards anyway.

  He was currently walking with Sherron to the merchant's guild. Both of his gauntlets were gone now, and he needed something that would last him till he evolved.

  Only, Lev was no longer inside the illusion armor. He still had the blocking stone stopping all attempts at Identification, but the armor had been damaged too much. Lev had simply given up on it. He looked old enough to have had a class for two years at most, and that was good enough.

  While they slowly walked, Lev's mind went back to the events after the brief report. Unexpectedly, it was Lara who broke down.

  Lev was looking at his new title when she suddenly grabbed him in a hug, with tears streaming down her face. Her aura was laid bare for him to see as well, and he could see so much gratitude in there that it brought Lev to tears as well.

  Amongst gratitude was a deep well of frustration at her inability to do anything, a roaring rage at the unfairness of it all, and a crushing sadness for the past that could not be changed.

  Needless to say, Lev's goal of space exploration had warped into something else entirely. His plans of meandering now had a concrete destination, which had lit a fire under all his resolve.

  Feels good to have ambitions with such a worthy cause, Lev thought and smiled to himself. It felt like another piece of the puzzle had clicked into place. Where he only had some general goals before, now he had a straight thorny path to traverse.

  Lev was more than prepared to give it his all… after a few days of rest.