Illimitable Fantasy Works

Surprisingly, after he returned from that world, the days passed quietly for him in that following week. If not for the fact that he retained his newfound powers and his new companion, it seemed like all what happened was anything but a dream.

Him becoming a Participant. The Dungeon World. Life-and-death situations. And his first companion after such inexplicable event...

Those events which he usually found only in a fantasy novel were actually happening to him. Saying that he was excited might be not an exaggeration, he surely was curious to why or how it could happen to him. Although, despite racking his brain on it, his only clue was about that mysterious app which had unexpectedly installed itself into his phone.

Pandora app. Its name reminded him about a story from particular legend in Greek mythology.

Lightly shaking his head, Rafi slightly increased his pace going to school after he glanced at the time shown on his watch. Unlike his blood-soaked attire in the previous Dungeon World, he seemed like a proper student now that he was back to his routine of being a student...

Winter started since few days ago, Rafi could be seen in his winter uniform as he walked slightly quicker to the school. His attire consisted of a white shirt, gold-lined red tie, sweater-vest, black blazer, black trouser, and a pair of dark leather shoes, with a crest emblem on his left c.h.e.s.t of blazer which signified a school that he went to, Tennouzu High.

Not long after checking the time, only an elongated shadow of his could be seen as he was slightly hurried to go to school.

...

Ding, Ding, Ding...

Sounds of ringing bell could be heard across the school, signalling an end for the first session. Their teacher lightly tidied his material before he left the class while smiling meaningfully as he glanced at his student's eager eyes. .

As soon as their teacher left the class, however, many students quickly rushed out of the class as they seemed to run with all their might. Their eyes burned with fierce light resembling a hungry wolf as they glared at each other while rushing madly to the school cafeteria. Just like usual, the intense competition for cafeteria's limited special dish, Morning Dew Pancake, has begun.

While Rafi looked partially disinterested as he saw his classmates went wild to their morning 'hunt'. In only a few seconds, the classroom was almost emptied as most students rushed to the cafeteria, leaving only a few who remained as they began to unravel their own bento.

Although he seemed disinterested, he admitted that Morning Dew Pancake tasted really good. To begin with, that pancake was so soft as if it could melt with a slightest bite. When it was bitten, a burst of sweet fragrance would quickly fill the mouth as if a sweet little explosion, leaving many people unable to forget such delicious aftertaste.

Just remembering that aftertaste, Rafi could feel his appetite was gradually rising. It was an understandable reaction, as that Pancake was one of the seven wonders of Tennouzu High due to its legendary taste. Relying on its unique flavor, that pancake had thoroughly conquered almost all parts of the school, teachers and students alike...

Though, these recent memories of him in Dungeon world flashed again in his mind, reducing his appetite while a frown could be seen on his face.

It was his first time killing another human being. Although he convinced himself that it was necessary act for his survival, but he wasn't fond of it.

What scared him most was the fact that he seemed unlike himself at that time, when he felt his emotion turned even colder the more people he killed.

That apathetic feeling which disregarded every lives seemed like something that was part of him since a long time ago, and his continued act of killings seemed to awaken that strange yet familiar part of himself...

Fortunately, her existence brought a layer of warm feeling as he could feel that his apathetic feeling seemed to subside, calmed down when he was around her.

'It's been a week since that time, and there is still no sign of new events from Pandora app. However, why do I feel slightly restless about it?'

'Hm, and there's also a problem about Rukino's identity. Although she feels content about it, but it won't be good if she always stays cooped at home all days... more importantly, how do I explain about her to Mom and Dad?'

'Not to mention her appearance which looks exactly the same with her animation... hehe, she will really bring an uproar, won't she?'

'Although her appearance can be settled using the excuse of cosplay, but in the end the problem is her identity registration.'

When his thought reached that point, Rafi lightly shook his head as he decided to do things a step each. It won't do him any good to mindlessly guess at the solution.

He believed that Pandora app should have an easy solution for her identification's issue, though unfortunately he still couldn't find it currently.

He guessed that he needed more Points if he wanted to quickly solve that identification problem using System's help. Remembering his Points which were almost emptied from purchasing his new abilities, Rafi felt slightly awkward to Saki Rukino as he felt like he neglected her immediate problem for his own gain previously. It was the one thing he noted for a future reference...

'Although, those abilities are really incredible, I feel that those abilities won't disappoint me.'

With just a thought, an almost unnoticeable arc of white holy lightning quickly flashed on his finger as it was flickering with warm and positive radiance.

It was a kind of sacred lightning, different from the usual lightning in the world as it possessed a divine/holy attribute inside it beside the usual lightning force.

Despite it had a divine attribute, Divine Lightning Manipulation was one of lower-ranked lightnings than the Deity Lightning Manipulation which was lightning used by God-class beings and the Primordial Lightning Manipulation that was possessed only by few Gods who stood on the highest position on each Pantheons.

Initially, he wanted to acquire one of those two lightnings, though unfortunately his Points at that time was too much insufficient to let him acquire it.

That's why he decided to settle on Divine Lightning Manipulation, one that was lower-ranked than those two lightnings yet also similarly possessed divine attribute.

The holy lightning started off gently as electric sparks on his hand, before it slowly spread outward until covering his whole body in a layer of lightning sparks underneath his uniform. Those sparks of lightning quietly crisscrossed, forming a thin web of lightning which looked like a chain mail armor.

'It greatly rejuvenates and enhances my body! But its MP consumption is quite great, and this is only a thin coating.'

'Without releasing its full power, yet it already costs that much... Hm, well, good skill is always costly after all.'

'Besides, this ability still have many chances for improvement. Who knows that I will be able to reduce its mana consumption in the future while maintaining its might, or even increasing it?'

'And if I can just blast this lightning at every enemies, won't that be much easier? Hahaha.

Moreover, it seems now I need to find a method to quicken my MP recovery beside increasing my SPI stats.'

When he wanted to try his ability again, he sensed that break time has ended and more students started going back into the class.

'Well, there are more chances to train it at home anyway', he thought quietly before he prepared himself for the next lesson.

The next session went on as usual before his homeroom teacher announced something surprising,

"Guess what, you boys are really lucky. Our class has just got a new transfer student, and a beauty at that. Please come in, Claire-san." Their homeroom teacher, Shizuka Fujiwara, said while grinning.

"...huh? Did you hear something along these line before, Hinata?" Rafi said in surprise to Hinata Mizuki whose seat was beside him.

"What are you talking, dude? There is a hot rumor about it already in our school since three days ago.

It said a beautiful transfer student would come to our school, although not much is known about her transfered class.

I don't think that this lucky chance will go to our class! Did you play too much galge that you are lacking in sleep now, Rafi?

Although, no matter if that transfer student is a beauty or not, Sensei is the only one for me!" Hinata Mizuki replied as he occasionally stared passionately at Fujiwara-sensei.

Hinata Mizuki, one of his few friends in the Tennouzu High. He was the son of a hospital director. Although, because of his slight excess meat and his shorter stature, he kinda looked chubbier and plump than he was supposed to. Hinata Mizuki was kinda into Shizuka Fujiwara-sensei as she was similar in both appearance and personality with one of his favorite character in anime OreGairu, Shizuka Hiratsuka, while they also had similar name as well...

"Hmm, well, nothing will change to us even if our class gets additional student anyway. We will still be our usual loner after all." Rafi looked disinterested as he then looked outside the window, seemingly not caring about the new transfer student.

Ah, how good it will be if school ends early? I can't wait to go home...

"Yeah, yeah,..." Mizuki said slowly, accompanied with a weak sigh.

Though, it was also at that moment that the classroom became strangely silent as a blonde-haired girl wearing a foreign uniform walked calmly in front of the class.

Her stature wasn't too short, though she also was not tall as her height was only around 156 cm. She had a slender yet well-proportioned curvaceous physique, just at the right ratio no matter from which angles one looked at her, as well as the addition of her soft skin which seemed as if it was glowing mildly all time along. She had green eyes that shone brightly as if emerald, while her eyes also radiated a splendor of bravery and courageous determination which was unlike her image of seemingly weak and tender beauty.

"My name is Claire P. Smith, a new transfer student from England. You can call me Claire. I hope we can get along well from now on."

Her elegant smile livened up the classroom as the students erupted in an uproar, whether they were boys or girls. Her beauty was like a universal infection as even the girls were highly attracted to her charismatic vibe, while the boys couldn't look away from Claire as if their eyes were glued to her...

"That appearance, unbelievable! Look, she is like a real life Artoria, Rafi!

She is cosplaying right now, isn't she?! If not, then she is really her look-alike! Ah, I can imagine how much shock she will bring in the next Comiket."

Hinata Mizuki said excitedly to Rafi while his eyes were still glued to the new transfer student.

"Although I am usually mistaken with one of a famous character, but I can say with certainty that I am not a cosplayer." Claire said with a wry smile as she looked at her new classmates' reaction to her appearance.

It also couldn't be blamed on others, as her appearance was highly similar to Artoria Pendragon from Fate franchise. And it was even more so enhanced after she merged with Saber in her Basic Mission, her first Dungeon world.

Both her appearance and her aura exuded a kind of inviolable dignity and held a special attraction to others. Although, it did cause her several headaches due to that characteristics of her...

After hearing his bestfriend praised her, Rafi couldn't help feeling curious over that new transfer student. That moment, when all his classmates were being enthusiastic at her introduction, Rafi slightly glanced at her direction as he felt a strange and subtle feeling quietly emanating from her.

It was not just Rafi who felt that, as Claire too could feel a familiar sensation from someone in that class. It was something she often felt when she was in Dungeon world or in Real world. The sensation of fellow Participant. Quickly, her gaze found the source of that familiar sensation as she finally saw him for the first time.

As if time came to a standstill, both of them felt like the world seemed to stop for a moment when their gaze met each other within that brief moment. And that, unknowingly, was the beginning of their continuous entanglements in the next future.