BXBX NOVEL Chapter 96: Ezekiel 223.38 (3)
[Congratulations. You are ranked first.]
I glanced at the shattered training dummy and the notification window declaring my victory.
“……….….”
A long silence hung over the training ground.
“…Master,”
Seina finally spoke, her gaze fixed on the wreckage.
“How did you do that?”“What you saw is all there is. I just used magic.”
[1st Place: Verd.]
At least I’d managed to prevent the catastrophe of the Emperor’s name landing at the bottom of the rankings. Even with a mediocre Class and appearance, this achievement should boost his stats considerably.
Seina still sounded incredulous.
“That much power… with the ‘ Idler’ job? It shouldn’t be possible… there are no bonuses for mana manifestation or elemental manipulation with that job, your power should be significantly reduced….”
She scrutinized me from head to toe.
“Did you perhaps obtain a hidden Class?”
“A hidden Class? What’s that?”
“Think of it as a special perk. A Class that’s incomparably better than even the highest-tier Class. You get tons of bonuses for various actions.”
It was a plausible guess, but it turned out to be the opposite.
[Idler]
─ You dislike physical activity.
─ You lack motivation in all things.
─ 40% reduction in the power of all actions.
Despite suffering from all sorts of curses, I’d achieved the remarkable feat of securing first place. I had a hunch as to why.
‘Physical constitution adjustment ?’
The Black World had identified my physique as an error and modified it arbitrarily. Since it was a virtual world, it could be healed.
Perhaps that was the key factor.
At the same time, a possibility dawned on me.
‘Then, if I can correct this constitution in the real world….’
When the time came for me to break free from the shackles of my terminal illness by obtaining Sun Elixir… wouldn’t Ezekiel reach an unimaginably high level of power?
Surely, that would be the case.
The mere thought of it filled me with joy.
My resolve to acquire Sun Elixir grew even stronger.
Meanwhile, Seina still seemed deeply shaken.
“It must be a hidden Class, right? Right?”
“Hmm….”
“I’ve been in the Black World for years, and it’s absurd for you, who just started today, to be stronger. It has to be a hidden Class, right?”
“…………..”
There was a faint trace of desperation on her face.
Perhaps it was her pride as a veteran Black World player.
The unwillingness to be surpassed by a newbie, the desire to maintain her seniority… I could clearly see those complex emotions in her gaze.
As I hesitated , unsure how to respond …
Cawwww cawwww—!
A flock of crows descended towards us.
“Oh, it’s the administrators .”
Seina’s eyes widened.
“Administrators?”
“They probably want to investigate since a new consciousness suddenly took first place. Because this is a virtual world, sometimes there are entities that distort and misuse the environment.”
“What happens to those bad entities?”
“Permanent ban, of course.”
Caw! Caw!
Five or six crows surrounded me, examining me thoroughly , starting with my pupils.
“Master, did you perhaps…?”
“I didn’t exploit anything.”
“Whew~ To go through such elaborate lengths to play a prank … were you that determined to defeat your disciple?”
Seina seemed relieved.
She looked less like a respected Elder of the Blue Tower and more like a young girl in moments like this… It was rather endearing.
Unfortunately for her, I really hadn’t exploited anything.
[Examining …]
[No irregularities detected.]
[No signs of unauthorized interference or exploitation.]
Cawwww cawwww—!
After finishing their business, the administrator crows quickly dispersed.
“Huh…?”
Seina stared at their retreating forms, looking despondent.
“How is this possible…? I’ve invested so much…”
“You said your Class is a singer. You’re allowed to be weak.”
“Master, your job is an ‘Idler’…”
“……….”
Her arms and head drooped, like a ghoul rising from the dead.
I was pondering how to console her when…
“…Master!”
She suddenly grabbed my hand.
“You can’t abandon me! You have to stay with me until I become a powerful Ice Mage!”
“What’s gotten into you?”
“It’s not ‘suddenly’… The fact that you achieved first place without any exploitation means… your ice is so powerful that it transcends all the negative factors!”
Seina’s eyes sparkled.
“Overcoming adversity is also part of the Seolgwi’s spirit!”
“……………”
“Stay with me! Forever!”
“I’ll help you with your training, so calm down first.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Really? For real?!”
“Ask me one more time, and I’ll leave you here.”
“Gulp…!”
She quickly shut her mouth and cleared her throat.
“Anyway, Master, now that you’ve achieved first place, you won’t be randomly kicked out anymore, no matter where you go. What wonderful news.”
“Right. So what should we do now?”
“Well, all that’s left is the thing you’ve been so eager to do.”
Seina winked, a playful glint in her eye.
“Shall we go then? To gather information about the Magic Towers!”
• • • ₪ • • •
The place we arrived at was the front of a social club building.
Seina turned to me and smiled brightly.
“Ta-da! We’re going to gather information here.”
She gestured, and two mountainous gatekeepers approached us. It seemed they were familiar with Seina, as they immediately recognized her.
“Seina, same as usual ?”
“Yep. I want to attend the Secret Gathering.”
“The Secret Gathering, eh…? You’re not alone today.”
One of the guards narrowed his eyes.
“Seina, you know the rules, right? You can’t attend the Secret Gathering with someone else.”
“Of course, I know the rules. I’m not attending with him.”
“Then…”
Just as the gatekeepers were about to push me away,
“I’m transferring my Secret Gathering ticket to him.”
“…Transferring?”
The gatekeepers’ eyes widened in unison.
“You’re transferring it? Your Secret Gathering ticket?”
“You’re the first person to suggest a transfer. You, of all people, should understand that being able to attend the Secret Gathering is a significant privilege.”
“Why so many words? Just transfer it, already .”
Seina’s tone was unyielding.
“Hmm, alright. Let’s proceed then.”
The gatekeepers’ attention finally shifted to me.
“Hey, what’s your name?”
“Verd.”
“………….….”
There was a moment of silence.
“…………….”
The two guards exchanged glances, then looked back and forth between me and Seina; their eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and disbelief.
“…What’s your name again?”
“It’s exactly what you just heard.”
As if they couldn’t believe it, they sent me a friend request to verify. Seeing the same three characters as the Emperor’s name, they clicked their tongues in disbelief.
“Huh, you’re serious.”
“It would be a thousand times better if it were a joke. What on earth were you thinking using that name?”
The gatekeepers, visibly intimidated by the name alone, shifted their demeanor dramatically. They became both wary and excessively polite…
…But it didn’t last long.
“Your Class?”
“Idler.”
“Days logged in, level?”
“First day, level one.”
“………….”
Their attitude changed abruptly once more.
This time, it wasn’t fear, but rather a look of disdain, as if they were facing a troublesome ego.
“Seina, what kind of scum did you bring here?”
“He’s a malicious ego. We need to report him…”
Fortunately, Seina intervened.
“Bear with me. He has a hidden Class, so his record is a bit unusual. Take a look at the training dummy damage rankings. My companion is ranked first in the entire Black World.”
At the same time, Seina sent me a telepathic message:
─ Master, can I just tell them you have a hidden Class? It’ll be difficult to explain everything.
The gatekeepers quickly checked the damage rankings.
One second.
Five seconds.
Ten seconds.
“…………….”
Their expressions shifted rapidly, then settled into solemn nods, as if everything suddenly made sense.
“…It’s true. He really is first.”
“First place in damage on his first day… what kind of amazing hidden Class did you get? Did you stumble upon some Archmage class?”
Archmage.
Ezekiel repeated the word silently.
It had a nice ring to it. A goal he aspired to reach someday. It didn’t seem entirely impossible .
“To what extent should we transfer the information?”
“As detailed as possible, please.”
“Alright.”
The gatekeepers nodded.
“See the top floor of that social club?”
His index finger pointed to the fourth floor.
“There’s actually another floor above the fourth. It’s a space reserved for VIPs, and that’s where the Secret Gathering takes place.”
“What exactly is the Secret Gathering?”
The gatekeepers glanced at Seina.
“What? You really don’t know anything?”
Seina simply shrugged, as if to dismiss him and tell him to focus on his task.
The guard, slightly irked, continued—
“I don’t know their specific details, but it’s a gathering exclusively for mages who hold high positions in reality. Incredibly valuable information is exchanged there.”
“Is the information that valuable?”
“Well, it’s a gathering of influential individuals. And there’s no oversight from the Imperial Magic Tower. It’s a place where they can freely discuss anything, without fear of repercussions.”
“So, it’s a completely Imperial Magic Tower-free environment.”
“Heh…”
The gatekeepers frowned at Ezekiel’s words, as if he’d asked something incredibly obvious.
“Most of the information is sensitive. In other words, the kind of stuff the Imperial Magic Tower would love to get their hands on. Does it make sense for them to be involved ?”
“Of course not.”
Ezekiel nodded slowly .
He hadn’t asked out of ignorance. He simply wanted to reconfirm the nature of the place before entering.
“Hey, you.”
The gatekeepers stopped Ezekiel as he was about to enter.
“You just happen to know Seina and lucked out with a good Class… Be very careful. There are more VIPs here than you can imagine.”
“VIPs, huh.”
Well, I doubt there’s anyone more important than me.
Ezekiel murmured to himself as he ascended the stairs.
• • • ₪ • • •
Creak—
Ezekiel finally reached the fifth floor.
The room was smaller than he expected, with only a massive round table in the center. There weren’t many people either— only five were visible .
“Hahaha!”
“And then, you see, I…”
Thump— Thump—
The chatter stopped abruptly as Ezekiel’s footsteps echoed through the room; the heads of those chatting turned in unison to face him.
“………..….”
Observing, scrutinizing gazes.
“…Wasn’t it Seina’s turn to come today?”
“I’ve never seen this face before.”
Their tone was laced with hostility.
As expected of an extremely exclusive gathering, the atmosphere was thick with suspicion towards newcomers.
“Who is that?”
“I’ll check.”
One of them stepped forward — a mage with elf ears and antlers protruding from her head.
She quickly scanned him from head to toe.
“…A ‘Idler’ with a level of one?”
Her words, though brief, carried weight. And doubt clouded the faces of the others.
“There’s no way Seina would transfer her ticket to this weakling. How did he even get in here?”
She muttered to herself, then her eyes widened in sudden realization.
“Uh, uh…? ”
She blinked repeatedly, as if unable to believe her eyes.
“His alias, his alias…? Everyone, look at this…!”
The five members quickly gathered around, examining his alias displayed in her notification window; the look of shock spread across their faces like spilled paint.
“Is it even allowed to use an alias like that?”
“…Of course not.”
“Then what is he?”
A moment later, the antlered mage’s expression darkened.
“Hey, weakling. Tell me the truth. How did you manage to find this place?”
She strode towards Ezekiel menacingly.
“You’d better be honest. There’s an Imperial Magic Tower mage present. We could expose your identity and have you punished …. What are you going to do?”
Ezekiel scoffed internally.
‘An Imperial Magic Tower mage, my foot.’
Well, she might not be lying now. After all, Ezekiel was standing right here in the Secret Gathering chamber.
However, the behavior of the antlered girl was extremely irritating.
Pretending to be from the Imperial Magic Tower to intimidate newcomers and pry into their backgrounds — this was the very definition of a vile entity.
“You think this is the first time I’ve seen a malicious ego like you? This is your last chance to be honest.”
“The Imperial Magic Tower, you say? I’m so scared, my voice is trembling.”
My voice really did shake.
Not from fear, but from laughter.
Ezekiel casually raised his hands.
“I earned this opportunity by being recognized for my damage ranking. Seina herself transferred her entry ticket to me.”
“Damage ranking? How could you possibly… on just your first day…”
The Antlered Mage trailed off.
Ezekiel’s ranking, proudly displayed as first place, spoke for itself.
“…W-What, what, what? First place? How is that…?”
The Antlered Mage’s eyes bulged.
“What? Did he exploit the system? How is he…!”
She glared at Ezekiel, incredulous.
“Hey, weakling! I asked you how you did it!”
Ezekiel merely shrugged.
“I hit it like it was your mother.”
Even with a virtual body in a virtual world, Ezekiel’s mischievous nature remained intact.
The person standing here was Ezekiel.
That was all that mattered.
“…It shattered quite easily.”