Chapter 33: The Path to Strength: A Lesson in Power

Abet looked at Lucy with determined eyes.

“Teach me the secret to mastering high-level magic.”

As someone who aspired to become stronger, she couldn’t help but be drawn to Lucy—a peer her age who wielded magic comparable to ‘Great Magic.’

Lucy, however, was troubled. Even if she wanted to explain, the truth was that her magic mastery came from leveling up according to the game system. But she wasn’t sure if that system even functioned here. So, she had no real answer to give.

After a moment of silence, Abet suddenly grabbed Lucy’s hands, her jade-colored eyes flickering with determination.

“I absolutely must become stronger.”

Her resolve stirred something in Lucy.

She had already decided to support Abet, so naturally, she wanted to help. But if there was no method, there was nothing she could do.

They were fundamentally different.

“Even if I tell you the secret, it’s not something just anyone can achieve.”

“If it makes me stronger, I’ll do anything!”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Please! Just tell me! I’ll do whatever you say!”

Abet’s persistence made Lucy pause. She truly seemed desperate to grow stronger.

Then, Lucy had a thought.

‘Come to think of it, is it possible to level up here like in the game?’

In the game, leveling up was achieved through ‘defeating demons,’ ‘completing quests,’ and ‘simply living.’ If the system remained intact, then leveling up should still be possible.

“If the system has changed, I need to test how it works now.”

But Lucy, already at Level 100, couldn’t verify it herself. She needed someone at a lower level—someone competent enough to follow her instructions.

Abet von Lichberg was the perfect candidate.

“Can you really do whatever I say?”

“Of course! Just tell me what to do!”

Abet’s excitement was impossible to hide. Lucy, however, remained cautious.

“I’ll warn you in advance—don’t expect too much. Everyone has a different method that suits them, and if this doesn’t work for you, there’s nothing I can do.”

Abet nodded eagerly. “Of course! I’m grateful just to have this opportunity.”

With that settled, Lucy decided to check the level system. She only planned to test the basic mechanics—if it didn’t work, she would stop immediately.

After making that decision, Lucy and Abet returned to the testing room. Abet, following closely behind, seemed noticeably more optimistic.

When Lucy used a binding spell to capture a random demon beast—a rabbit-type—she received a perfect score from their instructor, Anderjan. Meanwhile, Abet secured the second-highest score with 80 points.

After the evaluation, Lucy explained to Anderjan about the earlier incident in the forest, where the demon beasts had gone berserk.

Anderjan frowned, deep in thought. “There’s a theory that excessive magic exposure can cause demons to lose their senses, but… we need further investigation. Anyway, I’m glad you weren’t hurt.”

“Yes.”

“And… what happened to the demon beasts? Did you kill them all?”

“No, I just put them to sleep. They should be awake by now.”

“…Ugh.” Anderjan cleared his throat awkwardly.

‘Was I that cruel of a person?’ Lucy wondered, slightly amused.

Soon, the test concluded, with the rankings as follows: 1st place—Lucy (perfect score), 2nd place—Abet (80 points), and 3rd place—Angelica (68 points).

While some students sighed in disappointment, others rejoiced. Angelica, however, protested loudly.

“Why did I score lower than Abet?!”

But when Anderjan calmly listed the reasons for her deductions, she turned red and scurried away.

Academy Infirmary

Just before the written exam, Lucy skipped class, feigning illness to avoid taking the test. Naturally, Anderjan panicked.

“I’ll call the royal physicians!”

Lucy barely managed to shake him off before heading to the infirmary.

Inside, a woman with a distinctive beauty mark beneath her lips greeted her. “Oh my, what brings the princess here?”

“I didn’t sleep well. I’d like to rest.”

“Please, come this way.”

The nurse led Lucy to a bed and covered her with a blanket.

“If you’re lacking sleep, should I give you some medicine to help?”

“No need. Just… don’t wake me up until the afternoon.”

“Understood.”

With that, Lucy successfully secured three to four hours of free time.

As she lay there, waiting, the door creaked open.

A blonde-haired girl entered—Abet.

She clutched a piece of paper Lucy had left in the drawer. “You told me to come here, so I did… but why the infirmary?”

“For training.”

Abet’s eyes lit up, but her excitement quickly turned to confusion. “What kind of training are we doing here?”

Lucy put on her coat and smirked. “We’re not training here.”

“Huh? Then—”

“We’re leaving the academy.”

Abet’s face paled. “Skipping class?!”

“Yes.”

“B-But there’s a barrier! Students can’t leave without permission!”

Lucy rolled her eyes. “It’s easy to bypass, and I have a way to avoid getting caught.”

Before Abet could protest further, Lucy cast an illusion of them sleeping in the infirmary. Then, she gently placed a hand on Abet’s shoulder.

“Let’s move.”

A brilliant blue light enveloped them. In an instant, they were outside the academy.

Abet gasped. “W-Where are we?! More importantly, how?!”

“Teleportation.”

Abet stared at her in awe before breaking into a wide grin. “Incredible!”

“Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

They had arrived in an alley on the outskirts of Helgen. Before stepping into the crowd, Lucy cast a disguise spell, turning her hair black.

“Lucy? Your hair—”

“Don’t call me that. From now on, call me Ruby.”

Abet quickly nodded. “Got it!”

“Where are we going?”

“Beyond the city walls.”

Abet followed Lucy through the meadows outside the city. Despite her initial excitement, she seemed nervous.

“Ruby, it’s dangerous out here. There could be demons, bandits, or even spies—”

Lucy interrupted. “Didn’t you say you’d do anything to become stronger?”

Abet swallowed hard. “Yes…”

“Then show some determination.”

She hesitated, then straightened up. “You’re right. I’ll do my best!”

Soon, a forest came into view. In the meadow before it, a herd of wild boars grazed.

“Are those wild boars?”

“Wild boar demons, Kuboya. Perfect for testing something.”

Lucy froze one with an illusion and handed Abet a pitch-black weapon—the ‘Harvest Sickle,’ which doubled experience points.

“Here. Cut it down.”

Abet gripped the weapon—but it was too heavy. It slipped from her hands.

“I-I’m sorry! Let me try again—ugh!”

Lucy sighed, watching her struggle.

‘We’ve got a long way to go.’