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Chapter 30: Reward
🕑 Added 2024-04-19 07:39:37 +0000 UTCFirst off was my quest.
[Quest Completed! Evacuate and save 18 other Magical Girls and 1700 survivors of New Mesa]
[Description: An Aberrant class Anathema has appeared. It threatened to kill all Magical Girls and survivors of New Mesa. Buy time until the ferry arrives and save them. Have courage. We will try to send help.]
[Magical Girls Saved: 19/18. Survivors Saved: 1700/1700]
[Difficulty: Death Wish]
[Reward: 1 Wish +1000 Points]
[Secret Quest Completed! A Valuable Intel]
[Description: Valuable intel has been retrieved due to your unique ability. We will investigate further. Meanwhile, we will award you with an achievement and points!]
[Reward: Achievement, 300 Points]
"Secret quest?"
"It means you must not disclose any information about this. Doing so will result in penalties."
"Why?"
"I don't know. This usually happens when we need to cover up a human mistake to maintain morale and hope. But I can assure you that isn't the case this time."
"I see."
"Now, let's look at your achievements! You've earned Seraph's Halo! It is awarded only to a Magical Girl who has survived a Death Wish level quest! You should be proud, as those who have received this achievement and are still alive can be counted on the fingers of your hands globally!"
[Achievement Unlocked - Seraph's Halo]
[Description: You took on a Death Wish, succeeded, and survived. You held off an Anathema more than 250 levels above your rank, along with 1700 refugees, for three hours. A feat previously thought impossible, even for the Aces of Aces. You utilized everything at your disposal; your wit and perseverance are unquestionably the best of the best. Thank you for your service. You have brought hope to countless others.]
[Reward: +5 Strength, +5 Dexterity, +5 Vitality, +5 Agility, +5 Willpower, +5 Spirit]
"Hmm? What? Can still be counted on my hands? There have been that few Seraph's Halo recipients among all MGs in the past 30 years?"
"Surviving, let alone completing, a Death Wish was thought to be impossible, Yuri. We have issued over 200 Death Wish level quests. Only 50 were completed, and only 7 survived the quest. To provide some context, the next easier level, 'Very Hard', had a completion rate of 70 percent, with about a 5% fatality rate."
"I see. Those who can't complete a Death Wish…"
"We still consider their requests, of course. They have fought their hardest against impossible odds." I closed my eyes for a moment to pray for those who failed a Death Wish quest, wondering what they felt when faced with such a daunting challenge.
"Now, onto your next achievement: Hunter's Eye. This achievement will automatically unlock a skill from your slayer class at no cost."
[Achievement Unlocked - Hunter's Eye]
[Description: You have tracked, analyzed, and studied your enemies, learning their strengths and weaknesses. Unfamiliar Anathema did not deter you. In recognition, we support your endeavors.]
[Reward: Tracker Skill]
[Skill Obtained! Tracker]
[Description: Enables you to track your enemies after seeing them for thirty minutes. Tracking will be lost if the enemy uses a teleportation technique.]
"Hmm... my augment that gives mana eyes seems to be better. It can relay not only position but also video."
"Yes, that's the uniqueness of a Dark Magical Girl's augment. While some may mimic them, each is unique. However, this new skill also offers many benefits and complements your augment well."
"I see. So I could use the mana eyes in my augment to track enemies, too?"
"Yes."
"Wow, that seems really powerful."
"Find out the right combination of your skills. One skill might seem futile, but with the right combination, it will become deadly."
After reviewing my achievements and quests, here is my status:
"I think I'll buy that Icerail. The Darkeater was useless..."
"Your enemy was simply too powerful. The Icerail won't make a dent against such monsters either. Will you use the Icerail?"
"No, I'll stick with this naginata for a while. I'll let my points accumulate first. How much was that dimensional storage again?"
"Unlocking the dimensional storage skill costs 1500 points. Nyaa."
knock knock
"Come in."
"Good morning, Yuri-sama," my driver, Edward, entered and bowed deeply. "I have come to drive you to Guardian Academy."
"Morning, Edward. No need to bow so low."
"That won't do, Miss Yuri. You are the savior of mankind, after all."
"I see. So, you knew?"
"Yes, Kageyama and Osamu have informed me. They have also asked me to sign a geas to keep your identity confidential."
"Very well. Let us depart." I walked to the roof of the building, boarding the Seinjet our company owned. The smooth and futuristic design sat low, its body almost touching the ground to accommodate easy boarding. Two butterfly doors opened on its side, revealing four neatly arranged seats: one for the driver and three for passengers. Despite its name, the jet was operated using mana and could only be operated within sanctuary cities.
Just like New Mesa, the Guardian Command also housed governmental affairs as well as Magical Girls. The Guardian Academy, which I was about to enter, was also located there. Edward was a skilled driver and pilot. The floating SeinJet he piloted hardly shook. He should have been working as a Magical Soldier, transporting ammunition, not pampering a rich girl like me.
I transformed inside the jet before it touched down on the Guardian Command landing pad. Privacy was a severe matter for Magical Guardians. Thus, everyone had to transform for the entirety of their duration inside the Guardian Academy.
"Greetings. I am Magical Girl Black Lily. I'm here to attend the Guardian Academy in Eden," I greeted the receptionist in the lobby. My arrival via Seinjet rather than the more typical Magitec tubetrain attracted some curious looks.
"Oh, Black Lily? Ah, I see. You have submitted your form. Well then, please come inside. The Guardian Academy reception is located on floor 42, northwest section, block NW45. The entire northwest section of that floor is dedicated to the Guardian Academy. You can't miss it. Morning orientation will start shortly. Please hurry."
An electric car then drove me to the designated tube elevator that floated up to the specified floor. There, a large logo reading' Guardian Academy' was prominently displayed. The reception area looked more like something you'd find in a hotel than a school. The receptionist then walked with me, providing an orientation as we toured the building, which looked plain inside, similar to military barracks but without beds.
"I am Sisca, I am not a Magical Girl. I work here as a receptionist. Nice to meet you. Let me introduce you to the facilities provided here at Guardian Academy. This is the Hall for F rank and below. Many MGs gather in the Great Hall when idle. The receptionist will call you if there is a quest for you. Look, that's Magical Guardian Green Harvest, one of the instructors here."
"Oh! Is that the new MG?"
"Yes. Her name is Black Lily."
"Ah!, The emergency one, huh? Tough luck, kiddo. You've missed twenty sessions of training! You might fail the power level ranking that is due in three days," the Magical Guardian smirked at me. I tilted my head. Is he the instructor?
"Well, I wouldn't be so sure about that. She is a Black Magical Girl, after all," the receptionist said with a smile.
"Oh ho... well, introductions are in order. My name is Magical Guardian Green Harvest. I am an instructor for close-quarter combat alongside four other guardians and girls. I am B rank. You seem to use a glaive? No, a naginata? Let's meet up later in the virtual training room."
"Um… are you the teacher?"
"Huh? Teacher? Hahaha. Well, I am an instructor, that's for sure. There was a quest that required me to become an instructor here for six months. While we are called Guardian Academy, we don't really teach you if you don't want to. Everyone's combat style was different, after all. Even among the same colors and behaviors, such as red for the attacker or green for the defender, our signature made us unique. But we still needed to teach you the basic or mere fomorian hounds could kill you. Alright, see you. Please also visit the other training grounds."
I tilted my head, puzzled.
"Instructors are often B or C rank Guardians chosen to train newcomers. They are still active guardians." Felicia explained.
"Ah, so it's like college where professors share their experience. They are not trained to be teachers."
"Exactly. Next up is the cafeteria. If you want any food, you can order anything you want for free," the receptionist explained as she led me to a place that looked more like a family restaurant than a mere cafeteria. Before we could continue, a commotion erupted in the great hall behind me.
"Aces! The Aces are here!"
"What are they doing here at Guardian Academy?"
"Oh my god, Issen is so handsome!"
"Pink Heart, let me get an autograph. I want a magic build like yours!"
I looked behind me.
"Black Lily! You are finally here!" A certain pink girl lunged at me out of nowhere. Thanks to my strength stat, I didn't fall over. However, her hug was getting tighter and tighter, causing my shield aura to start decreasing. How could this be? I thought I was getting stronger.
"Shining..." I whined.
"There! Look, that's the Black Magical Girl!" Issen exclaimed, pointing at me like a child. My heart nearly leaped from my chest when he pointed his forefinger at me.
"Greetings, Magical Guardian Issen. My name is Black Lily. I am the new magical girl who just enrolled here today. Thank you for saving my life in New Mesa," I bowed to him, trying to be polite. Issen is one of the aces of Eden. One of the highest level guardians. Anyone who antagonized them, either a huge corporate or individual entity, might not live to see the sun the next day.
"Issen, are you a kid?"
"But this girl is the MVP! She held off that thing for 3 hours! Moreover, she's a Black!" He scanned me from front to back, inspecting me as if I were a rare animal. Alice beside me released her hug and bowed under the pressure from the aces.
"Guardian Issen, please try to be polite. Ahem, Dark Magical Girl Black Lily, please allow me to introduce ourselves. My Magical Girl's name is Pink Heart. This bonehead here is Magical Guardian Issen. We came here to see your proceedings and to welcome you. Having a new magical girl, especially someone as brave as you, is a boon for humanity." pink heart smiled. It was a smile I knew well. One of the customer service smiles; nevertheless, I didn't see any malice with it.
"Aces of aces welcoming a complete newbie?" murmurs from the crowd reached my ears. It was uncomfortable. Why did I get this much attention?
"Let's go to the training room! You specialize in melee too, right?" Issen excitedly exclaimed, only to be whacked on the head by Pink Heart. The booming sound her hand produced showcased how high her strength stat is, despite her being an all-rounder. The impact created a shockwave that made my long hair whip back.
"You are being rude! Let's leave!" She dragged him out of the room. "See you in two days at the promotion battles!"
Silence filled the room after they left. Alice then shook me as she asked with shining eyes.
"...You know them? And you know Pink Heart? She's my favorite!" Alice looked at me, horrified. "As expected of that family..."
"I've never met them in my life... except when they saved us in New Mesa."
"They remembered you by name. And they even specifically noted the power ranking you'll be doing in two days!"
"Well…" I shrugged my shoulders. I had no idea why they were so interested in me.
Two days later, the date for my power ranking finally arrived.
