Chapter 2
Res Limen.
The name of the city I was in. It meant "Threshold of the World."
When the gods disappeared, mysteries vanished along with them. But something called these mysteries back, and in reverence of its endless chasm of wonder, it was referred to as “The Abyss”.
Res Limen was built on top of this Abyss.
Plug of the Abyss, Heart of the World, The Focalpoint of the Continent, and the City of Cities.
If there was a way to return to Earth, it surely lay here.
Dimensional travel was the ultimate mystery, after all.
And the Abyss was the source of all the mysteries in this world.
If not the Abyss, then where else would clues about dimensional travel be?
Not to mention, it’s a place where even someone like me is ordinary.
Res Limen, where people like me gathered, was the largest city in the world. It had the largest population in this world as well as the largest flow of wealth. Even an outsider like me could blend into the melting pot of various races and species.
And the heart of this bustling city was none other than the Abyss Exploration Union.
The core institute of Res Limen, overseeing those who explore the depths of the Abyss. It managed and controlled all Abyss-related matters, supervising the guilds organized by the explorers and issuing explorer licenses to them.
It’s also where I currently am.
“I’d like to obtain an explorer license.”
“You’re applying for admission to the training center, right?”
“Yes.”
Without an explorer’s license, entering the Abyss was forbidden.
Unless you wanted to be on the run for breaking the law, that is.
Graduates of the training center received support in the form of basic equipment and mentoring. It was well worth aiming for—potentially killing two to three birds with one stone.
“Could you tell me your name, applicant?”
“Roman. Roman Sun.”
“Ro… man. Okay, you’re all set. You probably already know this since you’re applying for the explorer’s license, but the training center’s current application is for Mages. Even if you graduate, only Mages can receive an explorer license.”
“I understand.”
I casually nodded. Since it was just a procedure, the staff member moved straight to the next question.
“Your class?”
“Devil Sorcerer.”
Yes, I was a Devil Sorcerer.
The staff member’s expression suddenly went cold when they heard my class. The unintentional “Haa…” that followed was a clear representation of society’s perception of Devil Sorcerers.
But I was confident.
For good reason too.
I’m simply different.
It’s not just empty words—I truly am just him.
I was different from the other Devil Sorcerers that the public knew.
The biggest reason Devil Sorcerers are looked down upon, you may ask? Well, you’d normally have to pay a price all too devastating to borrow a Devil’s power.
However, I didn’t have such a flaw. Just living and breathing in this world fulfilled the terms of my Pact with Seir.
That’s right.
The exchange rates between this world and Earth were different.
Even on Earth, the value of currency dramatically shifted just from crossing a border. So, at the dimensional level, the scale was naturally much higher.
If I had to draw a comparison, it would be like sending an immigrant worker from a poor country to South Korea. Just as Korea, in its poor days, had sent miners and nurses to Germany to earn foreign currency. Or how people from oil-rich nations live without ever worrying about money.
In this abundant world, just living and breathing was enough to surpass the value of life back on the barren Earth.
I effectively had limitless mana at no risk to myself.
I had no reason to feel insignificant.
The only problem was I didn’t know how to control it.
But that’s what the training center is for.
Devil Sorcerers were at the top of the Union’s blacklist.
As a Devil Sorcerer whom everyone rejected, where else could I learn but the training center?
I had more than enough mana to use as fuel, so I’d be able to figure out everything eventually after some trial and error.
From now on, the real sunny days begin!
§
…Or so I thought
“The first step of training is team formation. Each team will consist of three people. Begin.”
The moment I heard the instructions, I thought, “This isn’t good.”
Forming a team on the first day?
Of course, it wouldn’t be easy.
My personality wasn’t the issue, but my class.
Devil Sorcerers.
To Mages, they were the lowest of the low. Once a respected class, now a relic of a bygone era.
It was no wonder why Devil Sorceres proudly held the top spot among the three lowest classes of Mages.
And why does a team have to consist of three members?
Are we explorers or treasure hunters? Do they expect three people to fight one enemy?
Still, I gotta give it my best shot.
Whether it worked out or not, I had to at least try.
Some people were already forming teams, most likely aware of the team requirement beforehand. Others, like me, looked around in confusion.
I approached one of them and attempted to spark up a conversation.
Then.
“A Devil Sorcerer is a bit…”
Rejected on the spot.
I immediately moved on to the next.
“A Devil Sorcerer dares to talk like a Mage? Get out of my sight!”
Chased away.
“What? You’re 20 and just getting started? And a Devil Sorcerer to boot? Hahaha, what an interesting fellow!”
“So…?”
“I said you’re interesting, but no. I don’t need you. You’d probably have a better chance at a circus troupe. They tend to hire interesting fellows such as yourself.”
Mocked.
“Guys like you are still around nowadays? Been a while since I last saw one. Let me give you some advice, forget being a Devil Sorcerer. The price you paid for the Pact might seem like a waste now, but it’s better if you just cut your losses. Pretend it never happened.”
“I’m completely fine, though…”
“Sure, man. You’re young and all, but trust me, you’ll be gone before you know it. Haa, why am I even saying this? Anyway, find someone else.”
Pitied.
“Are you serious? Why would I accept a Devil Sorcerer into my team? I’m not looking to get backstabbed.”
Dismissed.
This is the reality of being a Devil Sorcerer.
I understood it in my head, but experiencing it firsthand felt much worse.
The instructor said this was the first step in training. If I couldn’t form a team, I’d get kicked out.
This sucks.
Why start with a group project of all things?
Is there really no one?
The camp ran every quarter. If I get kicked out now, I’d have to wait three months for another chance.
Can’t be helped. I’ll just have to find two other loners.
Failing here would be disastrous.
[It is certainly a difficult test for a Pact-bearer without any friends.]
I nearly screamed in surprise.
Barely holding it back, I inwardly muttered, “Please give me a heads-up before you talk.”
[Heads up? What is that?]
How do you know some modern things without knowing some slang?
What I mean is, don’t just talk out of nowhere.
[Hehehe, were you surprised?]
Yes, so please—
“Excuse me…!”
“Whoa?!”
Damn, I couldn’t hold it in this time.
It was a pincer attack from inside and out… how could I?
I quickly turned to the source of the voice.
Standing behind me was a figure with their hood pulled down low.
“Um… have you f-found a, um, team yet?”
“Not yet.”
Despite not being able to see it, I had a vague suspicion that the face hidden under the hood was beaming.
“Then! Would you like to team up with me?”
“I’m fine with it, but are you sure? Just so you know, I’m a Devil Sorcerer.”
“Huh? Oh, um, that’s fine. I’m a Spirit Summoner, so… hehe.”
Ah, I see.
Looks like you also couldn’t find a team.
Whether it was me, a Devil Sorcerer, or the person before me, a Spirit Summoner, we were in the same boat. The three lowest classes. Spirit Summoners were proudly on that list.
“Shall we do some introductions? I’m Roman Sun. As I previously mentioned, I’m a Devil Sorcerer.”
“Ah! I’m Leaf. Leaf Youthglint.”
“Are you a noble by chance?”
“N-no, I’m not.”
I asked because her surname was unusual, but Leaf vigorously shook her hooded head.
Strands of dirty blonde straw-like hair slipped from the gaps in her hood.
I couldn’t see her face because of the hood, but from her voice and wrists, she seemed to be a woman. Her tightly wrapped outfit was certainly striking in this lingering heat.
At least someone teamed up with me.
She seemed timid from the way she spoke, but given that she approached me first to suggest a team-up, she must have some hidden resolve.
The fact that she’s a Spirit Summoner is a bit concerning, but what can you do?
And who knows, Leaf might be some kind of cheat-like Spirit Summoner, just like I am for Devil Sorcerers.
Now, we just need one more person…
Let’s see…
Someone who is alone, just like us…
“You.”
“...Me?”
“Yeah, you.”
I was just worrying about how we would recruit the final member of our awful Devil Sorcerer-Spirit Summoner team, but someone came looking for us first.
But what’s with all these hoods?
This hooded figure was shorter than Leaf, and while their voice was lower, there was a certain youthful quality that couldn’t be hidden.
I’m getting a bad feeling about this.
The second hooded girl abruptly asked, “A Devil Sorcerer, huh?”
“...Yeah, so?”
Are they trying to pick a fight?
Her tone was rough, and I had a feeling she didn’t come here with good intentions.
Or am I just imagining things, thinking the worst before we’ve even had a proper conversation?
Perhaps all the rejections I had received earlier accumulated into some sort of paranoia.
“Let me join too.”
“You want to join… despite knowing I’m a Devil Sorcerer.”
“Yeah. Got a problem with that?”
No time limit was given to form groups, and it didn’t seem like recruiting someone else would make much of a difference.
Maybe it would be better for me to go with someone who already knew I was a Devil Sorcerer and approached me anyway.
“Leaf, is that alright with you?”
“Oh, yes. I’m fine with it.”
“You heard her. What’s your name? I’m Roman, and this is…”
“Leaf Youthglint! I’m a Spirit Summoner.”
The second hooded girl, showing the bare minimum social skills needed to initiate a conversation, responded without hesitation. “Rei. Battle mage.”
If she had waited a bit to say that, I might’ve been impressed.
But what truly caught my attention was the latter part of her introduction.
Battle mage, huh…?
A Battle mage wasn’t a class with a specific magic system. In fact, it was such a mishmash of a class that it was nearly impossible to find two similar Battle mages.
In Mage society, Battle mages were treated as heretics since they solely viewed magic as a tool rather than a scholarly pursuit. Their magic was purely focused on combat.
Mages tended to look down on Battle mages, but it was different in Res Limen.
Here, brute force was an essential asset when challenging the Abyss, so no one cared if one was a Battle mage.
In fact, there were talks that the Union preferred Battle mages over other classes.
But Battle mages had one significant issue.
Their abilities lacked consistency, meaning it was difficult for them to develop. Not to mention, the variance was far greater than any other class.
While the name might sound impressive, in reality, Battle mages were just a bunch of unrefined fighters lumped into one class.
Remember when I mentioned that there were three classes of Mages considered the lowest of the low?
Well, those three are the Devil Sorcerer, Spirit Summoner, and lastly, the Battle mage.
More precisely, it was limited to those at the lowest spectrum of Battle mages.
Such as Battle mages who weren’t useful outside of combat, except even then, their combat power was low.
Powerful Battle mages were sought after by royalty, but the weak ones were ignored and often avoided.
So, which type was the second hooded girl, Rei, closer to?
Most people would say the latter. She didn’t exactly fit the image of a Battle mage.
Her build didn’t suit a Battle mage to begin with.
Haha… It seems we’ve gathered the three lowest classes.
Being on this team certainly wouldn’t be easy.
I might be the most normal one here, if anything.
Looks like I’ll really have to carry.
§
“Stop. Those of you who haven’t formed a team, move to the left.”
They could have just compromised and formed a team. I didn’t understand why they were being so picky and refused to join anyone.
Guess they just figured they’d be assigned a team even if they couldn’t form one.
What a “do it for me” mindset. That kind of attitude was just a straight-up no-no.
It seemed my thoughts were in line with the instructor’s.
“All of you are dismissed. Abyss exploration isn’t done alone. We don’t need stubborn people who can’t even form a team properly.”
Complaints rose in an instant.
However, they were quickly silenced by the menacing instructor.
When the loudest complainer at the front got shot down, the others quietly left, dragging their feet as they exited the training ground.
The instructor didn’t even bother to see off the dismissed trainees and immediately moved on to the next training session.
“The first drill starts now.”
Perhaps it was due to a noticeable chunk of people getting kicked out, but the trainees’ attitudes clearly shifted.
The instructor, with a faint smile of satisfaction, spoke again, “Now that you’ve formed teams, you’ll need to check each other’s abilities. We’re going to be having some team-based sparring.”
At those words, the atmosphere that had been somewhat composed instantly crumbled.
Murmurs spreading here and there shook the crowd into disorder.
The instructor's voice rose again at such reactions, “What did you expect? This is a training center, after all. Do you think we have the time to teach you everything one by one? If that’s what you wanted, you should’ve just gone to the academy. Anyway, we’re starting right now.”
The proceedings were swift.
After seeing multiple people get kicked out, everyone followed the instructor’s orders without hesitation.
Various forms of magic were displayed. There was an impressive sense of speed; it seemed everyone, at the very least, had physical enhancement abilities. The ground erupted, and lightning flashed—now, this was what real Mages looked like!
I carefully observed their magic.
Focusing on the flow and structure of magic power that I could now feel, I strained my eyes, trying to grasp even the smallest hint of how they cast their spells.
After a few rounds of sparring, my turn finally arrived.
“G-good luck, Roman!”
“Thanks.”
With Leaf’s encouragement in tow, I headed to the center of the training ground, which had turned into a sparring arena.
I deliberately slowed my steps, half-expecting Rei to say something, but no words came. I thought she would at least say something since she sought out a Devil Sorcerer.
What a cold-hearted guy… or should I say girl.
When I stepped into the arena, the guy who had pitied me with some advice earlier stood before me.
As soon as he saw me, he said, “You should just forfeit.”
“Hmm?”
“You’re a Devil Sorcerer, right? I didn’t even need you to tell me; I could sense it right away. That foreign demonic mana. You don’t want to pay the price, right? If you forfeit, you won’t be dismissed, but if you forfeit now, it’ll be a win-win, right?”
True
This sparring was just an extension of the team formation process. Since I was already a part of a team, I probably wouldn’t be kicked out.
Even those who lost in the sparring matches earlier weren't specifically dismissed. There's a possibility they might say, "Oh, you're dismissed~" later on, but if they were going to do that, they probably wouldn't postpone it and would just do it right away.
Still, my evaluation would surely drop.
“...You’re not wrong.”
He continued after hearing my mutter.
His face was utterly indifferent; it wasn’t a face one would make when trying to persuade an opponent. It wasn’t like he was trying to convince me to spar. He looked as if he was doing me a favor out of pity.
“Right? Let’s not make this harder than it needs to be. It’s not like I want to go around boasting that I beat a Devil Sorcerer.”
He dropped that line as if it were the most casual thing in the world.
Then, he muttered, just loud enough for me to hear, “Haa, a Devil Sorcerer in a place like this…? It seems like everyone and their mother is trying to be an Abyss Explorer nowadays.”
If he was trying to persuade me, he shouldn't have said that.
“That’s a punch-worthy statement.”