With beads of sweat all over his face, young Judas ran back to his village, his legs moving in a blur.
"If I'm not home on time... mother is going to kill me."
It wasn't just the dungeon or Orario... monsters also roamed the surface world.
These were the monsters that had escaped the dungeon in ancient times, long before Babel was built.
Over the centuries, they bred with each other and repopulated to a terrifying degree.
Although surface monsters were weaker than those born in the dungeon, even a normal person would have a hard time dealing with the weakest of them... goblins and kobolds.
To slip out of the village without raising suspicion and making his parents worry, young Judas had analyzed and memorized every detail of his parents' schedules.
Every hour of every day of every week... he knew their routines like the back of his hand.
'At this time, mother should be on her way home after hanging out with the other housewives.'
'If she comes back and doesn't see me... I'm going to be in trouble.'
He wiped the sweat from his brow.
Knowing his mother was a Level 3 adventurer, he understood better than anyone that angering her was a terrible idea.
"Rawr!"
Two dog-like monsters burst from the bushes, blocking his path.
"I have no time for you."
Reinforcing his legs with mana, young Judas jumped, landing on a tree branch before leaping from tree to tree.
"Roar!"
A loud bellow echoed behind him, but Judas neither turned around nor spared it a glance.
After running for about half an hour, young Judas finally spotted his village on the horizon, surrounded by five-meter-tall stone walls.
'Wait! I can't go back looking like this.'
He glanced down... his clothes were splattered with blood and dirt from the earlier battle he had with those goblins.
『Clean』
A soft glow enveloped him, washing away the grime.
'That's better.'
After letting out a satisfied smile, young Judas narrowed his eyes toward the walls.
'There are too many guards patrolling today.'
His gaze shifted to the armored man standing proudly with a spear in hand.
This man was none other than his father, George Spade.
'I also have to get past father, who's on guard duty today.'
Young Judas hid behind a tree.
'Damn, I don't have stealth magic at the first tier.'
He clicked his tongue.
'A way to get past those guards without getting spotted...'
He sat down, crossed his arms, and began to think.
'I could use mother's magic... For some reason, I can use magic from this world without worrying about restrictions as long as I understand how it works.'
He tilted his head, recalling the two magics his mother wielded.
Shadow Blade and Shadow Veil.
Shadow Blade coated any weapon the user held with dark energy, increasing its power and inflicting a poisonous aftereffect.
Shadow Veil cloaked the user in darkness, allowing them to blend into shadows.
'Concentrate.'
Young Judas closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Mana gathered around him as a dark-colored magic circle manifested on the ground.
『Shadow Veil』
Tendrils of darkness rose and wrapped around his body.
Hidden, he crept forward and vaulted over the wall, slipping past both the guards and his father unnoticed.
"Hmm?"
George heard a faint rustle behind him.
He spun around, spear raised.
'Am I hearing things?'
Seeing nothing, he frowned and relaxed.
"Must've been the wind."
He turned back around and walked away.
'That was close.'
Judas, pressed under the shade of a tree, wiped a bead of cold sweat from his forehead.
He brushed dirt from his palms and sprinted off.
'I think I'm in Mr. Vestergaard's backyard.'
He looked around.
'My house should be in that direction.'
Blending into the shadows, he moved quietly, avoiding the villagers who were still out and about.
After a few minutes of stealthy maneuvering, he finally reached his destination... the familiar wooden cabin he had been born in. His home.
'Sweet! The window to my room is open.'
Canceling Shadow Veil, he dove through it headfirst with the grace of an Olympic diver.
'I think I made it in time.'
He thought as he heard footsteps approaching, followed by a knock on the door.
"Judas? Are you in there?"
His mother's voice came from the other side.
"Yes? What is it?"
He quickly grabbed a book from the table before opening the door.
"Nothing, just checking up on you."
Irene Spade stood there... mother and son, two sets of purple eyes meeting.
"Are you reading hero stories again? Oh? Is that the story of Argonaut?"
She eyed the book in his hands.
"Yeah... it's a nice story. I like it a lot."
He answered with a smile.
"That's my favorite story as well. But I think the one you have is the modern version. You should read the classic version... and the side story. There should be copies in the village library."
"I'll check it out tomorrow."
"Good... and by the way, dinner will be ready in half an hour."
She said as she closed the door.
A few seconds later, young Judas let out a long sigh of relief.
"Yeah... I gotta do something about this."
He muttered grimly, setting the book back on the table.
As he grew stronger, the time he needed for outdoor training increased.
Gathering mind and converting it into mana always caused commotion... commotion that attracted monsters.
That was why he always liked training in remote areas, preferably far from the village.
But disappearing every single day would only make his parents more suspicious.
'I need to be in two places at once... one who stays here, and one who goes out to train.'
That's when he made his decision.
"I'll just use that spell."
Stretching out his arms, he summoned a magic circle on the floor.
『Clone』
At that moment, the eight-year-old Judas didn't know... that this was a decision he would come to regret in the future.
...
Back in the present... inside Judas' dimly lit bedroom... the quiet creak of his bed cut through the silence.
"Haaa..."
His eyes snapped open, sharp and alert, before he pushed himself upright in one smooth motion.
For a moment, he simply sat there without saying a word.
"Why... did I have that dream?"
He raised a hand to his forehead, fingers brushing over the thin sheen of sweat trailing down the side of his face.
A sudden ringing shattered the stillness.
His magic stone–powered alarm clock buzzed insistently on the bedside table.
'It's already 4 a.m.'
Judas exhaled slowly, shoulders dropping.
He reached over and tapped the button, silencing the device.
With a soft sigh, he swung his legs off the bed and rose to his feet.
'...I better get ready for today.'
He headed toward the bathroom, washed his face, and brushed his teeth.
After slipping into his usual training gear, he was just about to head out when he heard footsteps approaching.
Turning around, he found himself staring into a pair of golden eyes.
"Ais?"
---
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