Right now, I had thirty unspent attribute points waiting to be assigned. In preparation for the second scenario, maximizing my potential was crucial, but I chose to keep these points unused for now. Raising stats through training was significantly easier when the base values were lower, so assigning them prematurely could hinder long-term growth. Besides, I needed to stay flexible—if an emergency arose that required a specific stat boost, these points could be my lifeline.

Satisfied with my reasoning, I closed the status screen and turned to Boris and Michelle. “Let’s head back to District F to make some preparations.”

Although Boris wasn’t yet satisfied with the “exercise,” he was a smart man. He understood better than anyone what it took to survive in the wild—or even in unknown situations. With no objections, the three of us began making our way along the elevated walkway overlooking the Hall of Beginnings.

As we walked, the familiar scene of divine warriors gathered along the railing, chattering among themselves, came into view. It appeared that the latest group of summoned individuals had just appeared. A batch of four divine warriors had just completed the first scenario and came out from the Hall of Beginnings, with anxious and distressed faces.

Of the group, only two seemed remotely decent, clutching crude weapons tightly and standing with a semblance of confidence. The rest looked shaken, their bodies trembling as they nervously gazed around the unfamiliar surroundings.

Istellia must have terrible luck for all the summons this time to be Aleph-rank divine warriors. I stroke my chin in thought.

Typically, every two to three batches of summoned people, there would be at least one individual starting at Bet-rank or higher—people who had been extraordinary in their previous lives before being summoned to Divine Will. In a way, the entire summoning system resembled a gacha mechanic. And yet, Fantasia seemed to lack a strong influx of high-ranking divine warriors, leading me to one inevitable conclusion: Istellia’s luck was abysmal.

While the absence of a dominant force in this place was advantageous for me, it also posed a serious problem. The impending Battle of Divine Will that Istellia would inevitably face would be far more perilous without stronger divine warriors. And that, in turn, would implicate me, who would be in her faction.

“Another batch, huh?” Boris remarked, leaning casually on the railing while observing the scene below.

Michelle rested her hand on her hip, a mixed expression crossing her face. “It’s strange seeing them like that. Feels like we were just down there…”

“Because we were,” I replied steadily. Watching the new arrivals, I couldn’t help but remember our first moments here; it was impossible to forget, given that it had only been the previous day.

Just like us, the new group was greeted by none other than Elysia, standing before the Hall of Beginnings.

“Wait,” Michelle interrupted, brows furrowed. “Wasn’t Elysia at the Rift of Scenarios earlier? Why is she here?”

Interesting.

Elysia’s simultaneous appearances in multiple places weren’t exactly something that I would be totally surprised about. Perhaps she was not as simple as she let out. However, the secret was not something that even I could be certain about since each god had their way of managing their realm.

“Don’t think too much about it,” I said, shaking my head. Rather than dwelling on things difficult to figure out, it was better to focus on the problems at hand. Still, my thoughts drifted to the other three who had managed to clear the first scenario alongside us.

I hadn’t heard anything about Rex. Both Boris and Michelle said they hadn’t seen him since we parted ways. While I didn’t particularly care about him or the others—they wouldn’t be useful to me anyway—I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of curiosity.

As we continued our walk along the elevated walkway, a sense of unease prickled at the back of my mind. My gaze caught sight of a familiar figure—Scarface. The burly, dark-skinned man leaned casually against the railing, his jagged scar making his malicious grin all the more sinister. Beside him stood the entitled woman, wearing a smug smile as she cast a condescending glance in our direction, whispering something into his ear.

Scarface’s gaze locked onto us, and his dark eyes seemed to radiate… malicious intent?

Crap. That woman really is bad news.

Actually, I’d intentionally allowed the entitled woman to become a source of trouble by letting her cozy up to Scarface ever since I first saw him. My plan had been to deal with him later when the opportunity presented itself. However, I had clearly underestimated her talent for stirring up trouble—and her ability to hold a grudge.

Based on the information I got so far, Scarface led a mercenary band of about twenty men, and several of his underlings commanded subordinates of their own. Worse still, there were rumors that he had undergone his second class advancement quite a long time ago, making him a veteran Gimmel-rank divine warrior.

Boris and Michelle had overheard some of this in the bar, and I’d managed to confirm parts of it by questioning a few people at the inn. The picture painted by the pieces of information wasn’t pretty.

Michelle seemed to notice Scarface’s gaze as well as her hand instinctively tightened around the handle of her axe. “Ugh, that man looks like having bad intentions toward us.”

Boris chuckled, though there was a hint of seriousness in his tone. “He’s dangerous, no doubt about it. But if they mess with us, I’m more than ready to give them a lesson they won’t forget.”

“Change of plan,” I interjected firmly. “We need to do the second scenario now!” It was a reckless move, but it was necessary for several reasons.

Michelle blinked, clearly confused. “What? I thought we were going to rest first and gather more information before preparing—”

“No time for that,” I cut her off. “We need to grow stronger as quickly as possible.” I cast a glance back toward Scarface. I was certain he was planning something. While he might not have total control over Fantasia, his influence ran deep, and his network of eyes and ears spanned the entire city. Trouble was bound to find us sooner rather than later.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Boris grinned, flexing his muscles with enthusiasm.

Of course, deciding to tackle the scenario now didn’t mean rushing in unprepared. The unknown nature of the second scenario meant we had to be meticulous with our preparations.

One of the most overlooked details by newbie divine warriors was provisioning and camping supplies. Scenarios could stretch far longer than expected, lasting days, weeks, or even more. Scenarios that spanned longer than a day often had unique time dilation effects, where time inside moved faster than outside. The longer the time span of the scenario, the greater the time dilation. Understanding and preparing for such possibilities was essential.

Thus, without another word, the three of us quickly made our way toward the supply store, leaving the Hall of Beginnings behind. The streets of Fantasia were quite empty as usual, allowing us to navigate the city quickly without any delays.

I ensured that we purchased everything we needed: provisions, including food and water supplies, and camping equipment, such as tents and basic tools. These items were common and relatively inexpensive, so we managed to procure them all efficiently by splitting up. In total, we spent only 240 soul coins, which we divided evenly among the three of us.

Soul Coins: 620

The System allowed me to check my balance, and I made a mental note of the remaining amount. I briefly considered purchasing some potions for emergencies, but decided against it. There was no guarantee that an alchemy store even existed in District F, and if it did, the prices would likely be exorbitant. It wasn’t worth wasting time on a fruitless search.

“I guess we’ve got everything we need,” I said, glancing at the supplies we carried before putting them all into the inventory. “Let’s head to the Rift of Scenarios.”

We were so quick in our moves that no troubles had come our way so far, and we reached the Rift of Scenarios in no time. Elysia was there behind the counter, still with her warm, inviting smile that greeted us as we approached.

“Welcome, divine warriors. Are you here to challenge a scenario again today?”

“That’s right. We want to challenge the second scenario,” I said firmly.

“Very well,” she replied with a polite nod. “I must inform you that the second scenario is a party-based scenario where you need to form a party of no more than two.”

“You mean the three of us can’t go together?” Michelle questioned, raising her brow in concern.

“What kind of rule is this?” Boris frowned, crossing his arms. “No way around this?”

“Unfortunately, no,” Elysia answered patiently. “Of course, you also have the option to go solo if you prefer.”

“That’s even worse…” Michelle uttered.

Party-based scenarios were quite a common thing. The main advantage of such scenarios was that objectives were shared among party members — if one person completed an objective, it would count for both. However, this also meant that rewards, aside from the main objective reward, had to be split between the members.

Still, a party of two… There was no way around this. Each god had their own unique scenarios, and the rules were random. While I had suspected this might happen eventually, I hadn’t expected it so soon—in the second scenario, no less.

“I will go alone,” I decided firmly.

“Maxim…” Michelle blinked, clearly not expecting that response.

“Lad, don’t be reckless,” Boris interjected, pointing at himself with a confident grin. “Let me be the one to go solo. You go with Michelle. Besides, these muscles need a more thorough workout!” He flexed his arms for emphasis.

“Nope. Not this time, Boris,” I said, shaking my head. My tone left no room for argument. “There’s something I want to accomplish in this scenario, and bringing someone else along will only hold me back.”

I turned to Boris, locking eyes with him with a resolute gaze. “Instead, you go with Michelle and make sure the two of you complete the scenario.”

This was the path I had chosen to walk alone. The weight of my decisions, my burdens—no one else should have to carry them.

AstraMagically

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