Sub act four of the fifth arc of ICUWSA, Melissa's revenge.
Out of all the subacts in ICUWSA, this was by far the worst.
Melissa was just a childish woman with weird obsessions who couldn't get rid of her feelings for Ikenna, Kai's unfortunate roommate.
But Kai still persevered and read through the sub-arc filled with a bunch of Melissa POVs that readers didn't just have time for, but now he was proud of his decision.
"I think it was in the Ashborne Mountains."
The elixir of immortality, or so the author named it, but in reality all it did was to temper an awakened body, which was by no means weak, but still not enough to be called a cheat skill.
"Well, its effect does differ."
Kai suddenly came to an abrupt halt.
"I don't know where I'm going."
Kai had gotten overly excited at the thought of getting a power-up, and his mind hadn't fully opened up to the fact he was in ICUWSA.
Because of this same reason, he was aimlessly walking around a school he was unfamiliar with.
"The gate was meant to be around here, or was it here?" He looked left, then right, then left again, but it didn't help him solve his problem.
"If only I had Apple Maps."
But he didn't; the academy didn't provide any form of map to students since navigation was meant to be part of their curriculum.
'Damn that Lisa always making crazy rules, old granny.'
No matter how crazy Kai was, he couldn't say it out loud and just gritted his teeth and searched for someone to direct him.
Within a few metres, he saw a group of students who were exiting a small cafe on his left. As he increased his pace to catch up to them, he caught a glimpse of their faces.
'This academy is so large; how can I cross paths with not just one but two of the main cast?'
Kai immediately changed his direction and headed for the dorms again; this time he wasn't going to get lost, nor was he going to ask for help.
"I can't call myself a true man if I can't find my way."
********
After over seven attempts, Kai finally made it to the gate and left the academy. He needed an excuse, and using the standard excuse and the fact he had no family around since he was a commoner and his parents couldn't afford to come to buy him drugs.
Passing the gates, Kai's mind wandered as he walked through the street.
He knew he had transmigrated, but no memories of the previous owner of the body had come rushing in.
That meant he knew nothing of his background, enemies, friends or anything, which he didn't like one bit.
Being a step ahead of your enemies was the key to success.
Though it didn't guarantee it. There was still comfort in knowing that you are ahead of your opponent both mentally and physically.
Shrugging away the thoughts, he stood in front of a bus station that was next to a vending machine.
The world of ICUWSA was no different from Seoul at night, the only main difference with a few streetlights that were replaced by magic stones and the sky that looked unnatural, but he doubted anyone that didn't read ICUWSA could have noticed.
As he was deep in thoughts processing all the information he had and making sure it matched the world he was in, the bus came, stopping just metres away from him.
Kai had purposefully worn his uniform's jacket since he knew that all students of Noctis had free access to most public amenities.
Seeing his uniform, the driver smiled widely and gestured him to enter; he sat in the window seat in the fourth row.
The bus ride was smooth, but Kai couldn't help but feel nostalgia.
He was on earth in a bus, though not as grand as this, and not even a day later he was now in a world that he thought to be nothing more than fiction.
'Life really is unpredictable.'
The city was alive. Mundane humans went on their day without a care in the world.
The smell of cherry blossoms and fresh spring – all this couldn't help but make Kai feel like he was in his springtime of youth, as they called it.
Grocery stories. Malls. Karaoke. And even pubs were chicken with beer were being sold.
"Damnit, I'm now underage." He cursed under his breath. "Well, who cares? I am an adult in spirit."
He smiled at his comment before looking at his approaching destination.
The bus came to a stop directly beneath a towering mountain. The jagged peaks were covered in what seemed to be fog. And the surroundings was totally lifeless.
"Let's get climbing, shall we?"
*******
Kai tied his jacket around his waist and began his journey up the mountain.
He had no prior experience in climbing mountains but he had mana now, so who cared.
Grab. Release. Then repeat.
Kai had been following this sequence for the past thirty minutes, and he had made a significant amount of progress, at least to his destination.
The reason Kai wanted the elixir wasn't because of the body tempering – though that was part of the reason – but the main reason was because of his trait.
Traits were talents or root gifts that are unlocked after a person awakens to mana.
These traits that are awarded by the Cube are more like a foundation for your future abilities than an actual ability, though they could still be used but in a less practical sense.
When traits first appeared, they were all equal, but as time passed and the meaning of trait changed, so did the equality.
Normally traits gave someone the ability to control a specific element and form abilities relating to that element, how every other magic series went.
But ICUWSA took it even further by introducing what people called the quirky and inequality effect.
Basically, as time passed, the once grounded elemental-based powers started forming quirky attributes, like if in the past people who could control flames could all use flames but at different temperatures and with different applications, like through the hand or a weapon.
Quirky traits made elements go crazy, like a child who awakened with the wind attribute will touch someone, and they will pump up with air, and it will be named balloon pumper, or awakening with flames and immediately lighting a candle, but without them you couldn't light anything and it will be called candle wax.
This advancement made some abilities far more dangerous than others, and so the ranking system came into play.
The rank ranged from E to A and added three extra ranks, which were S, SS and X ranks. Each more potent than the last.
And the elixir served the purpose of purifying that trait and bringing out the best of it.
Since Kai's trait currently did not have a root element since his status was empty, that meant his awakening wasn't completed or it was hindered.
Kai would have left the elixir for the obsessive Melissa otherwise but he still doubted it since she wasn't just a total bitch but adding the fact that she hurt someone dear to him.
She definitely had to be stopped.
Soon Aquarius's tedious journey came to an end as he reached less than three-quarter of the mountain.
Beads of sweat formed on his face. His lungs were burning, craving just one breath of air. His breathing could have be mistaken for a monster.
"Finally, I can't believe I did cardio."
He lay down on the floor of a small opening in the mountain. Slowly his breathing regularised, and his complexion returned.
"Why did the author even place it here?" He muttered, still struggling to breathe.
'I guess the original owner did have a flight-related ability.'
He slowly stood from the ground and entered the dark cave.
He stuck onto the wall, traversing through the cave. He knew the inner structure of the mountain well since the author explained it in detail during Matthew's coven's rescue mission.
'No one is coming to save me, so I'd better keep my guard up.'
He closed his eyes shut before reopening them. 'Don't jinx it; please don't jinx it.'
His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden golden ray of light that shone from meters ahead; it felt divine, like nothing and everything all at once.
Kai opened his mouth wide. The novel didn't do it justice; it was just a small potion-like liquid inside a small alchemy flask, but Kai could tell just by looking at it.
It was anything but normal.
Kai slowly walked over to the potion that was placed in a small hole on the wall.
He knew no monsters were going to attack, not now at least.
According to the storyline. Melissa took the elixir of immortality and meditated for three hours; after an extra two hours, a pack of Siren Wolfsburg attacked her, giving her serious injuries before Matthew arrived and tried to save her.
'Considering how weak this body is, I can expect around four to five hours of mediation before I can accomplish anything.'
He activated the appraisal and scanned the room, as he thought the Wolfsburgs weren't originally here and were instead attracted by an external force. But what? He didn't know, but he also didn't have the leisure of waiting.
He called forth his vesper and set a standard camping trap around the cave.
"This should be enough."
He stretched out his hands and grabbed the elixir; it strangely felt smaller in his hands. The smell of freshly plucked fruits in an orchard soon spread across the cave.
"Why does it feel like I am about to commit suicide?"
He sat on the sandy floor, crossed his legs and gulped it all at once.
At first, nothing happened, but before he could voice his complaints, a sharp pain pulsed through his body.