Entering Apocalypse in Easy-Mode

When he got an idea, about how he had to understand how to use the skill first and couldn\'t use it right away, Clyde decided to immediately drop the thought of the fire serpent.

If indeed what he thought was true, then Clyde could only use that skill when he left this Fortress. He had to look back at his Character Information and see the Skill\'s explanation.

Knowing that he couldn\'t do that now, Clyde only focused on using the skills he could use now. Clyde can only create fire with the sword, so he tries to combine his fire power with the sword\'s fire power.

It turned out, the results that happened exceeded his expectations.

*BWOOOSSHHH!!!*

Clyde raised the red bladed sword above his head, flowing Mana along with his [Skill: Burning Hand]. Then a fire vortex with a diameter of ten meters was created almost instantly.

The fire vortex swirled above Clyde\'s head like a cloud that was shading him. But instead of blocking the sunlight, it creates a brighter light around Clyde.

The heat created by the fire vortex was also so intense that it made the grass under his feet pushed downward. And that heat was not just felt around his, body but also spreading around.

Some of the people who were training in the plains turned towards Clyde when they suddenly felt a rush of hot wind.

"What else is that boy up to?" a man who looked to be in his middle age spoke with eyes full of astonishment towards Clyde.

"His fire power is getting greater. You don\'t want to challenge him anymore, Nikos?" a young girl with a mischievous look on her face asked Nikos.

Nikos, of course, chose not to answer. He had seen and experienced a fight with Clyde. It was an embarrassing and horrific experience.

Clyde\'s power has grown so much now. Nikos and the others saw how big the fire vortex was constantly spinning above his head.

They couldn\'t imagine how strong the vortex was to be able to send hot air from this distance. And what would happen if the vortex hit them?

Fortunately, Clyde chose a very far place. Nikos thought he must have realized what kind of destruction he would create if he accidentally aimed his attacks at them.

"Let\'s just continue our own training," the middle-aged man spoke.

Feeling it was pointless to keep staring at Clyde, they started to turn their attention to the training they were doing.

*BOOM!*

But a moment later, everyone in the scene was immediately forced to turn their heads back towards Clyde as a very loud sound, accompanied by a small earthquake-like vibration was created. When they turned around, they already saw a hole in front of Clyde.

The ground in front of Clyde was scorched and there was a hole as wide as the diameter of the fire vortex he had created earlier. The vortex of fire not only burned the ground in front of him but also created a hole.

They were all astonished, words seemed to leave their mouths and they could only gape with wide eyes. They had never seen such power in this fortress.

Even Clyde himself was stunned by what he could do. The reason was that he only concentrated a small amount of his Mana on that attack. But it turned out, the output of that attack looked like he was exerting an enormous amount of Mana.

Clyde nodded in satisfaction. He stared at his sword which was still burning in flames. And grinned because now he\'s got a good weapon.

"So, this is what the equipment of Celestials followers looks like."

The followers of the Celestials must be very well equipped. Whatever was in this Fortress could not be compared to what they had.

To gain power. Clyde definitely needs more powerful weapons and pieces of equipment. He just realized now that he could get those powers from the Celestials he killed.

His grin turned into a chuckle. Finally, he found a sure way to increase his power. All he had to do now was figure out how to meet those Celestial\'s followers.

"Senior Council," Clyde muttered to himself.

They knew about the party sent by the Celestials to retrieve the artifacts in the Ruin. One way or another.

Clyde felt that meeting Maethion was a great fortune for him. Based on their previous encounter, Maethion seems to approach him because he wants something.

That meant he had someone on the Senior Council he could turn to for assistance. Of course, Maethion will ask for something back but Clyde is ready with it.

He finished his practice today to not cause too much commotion. He realized that everyone was already staring at him from a distance.

Clyde put the red bladed sword in its scabbard and exited the plains.

~~~

A few days later a bird approached Clyde while he was alone at the cafeteria enjoying his breakfast. The bird is small and has a green color like a leaf.

Clyde frowned when he saw a bird suddenly come to his table. But he was even more surprised when the little bird opened its beak and spoke.

"Come to the lake."

After that, the bird flew away leaving dumbfounded Clyde behind. It was Maethion\'s voice. Clyde exhaled and chuckled then finished his meal.

~~~

Clyde came to the lake like Maethion said. Turns out, he was already waiting for him on a chair like before.

When he saw Clyde sitting next to him, Maethion handed him something wrapped in gray cloth. Clyde accepted it knowing immediately what it was.

"I heard from Samuel, World Masters can trace this sword," said Clyde.

"Not anymore. I made sure that the World Masters couldn\'t track it," Maethion answered with a proud smile.

Clyde had expected that much. After all, Maethion wasn\'t some stupid Elf who would take the sword out of the special storage without doing anything to eliminate its danger.

Clyde opened the gray cloth a little. Then nodded in satisfaction when he saw the clear bluish blade of the Elderglass Sword.

"May I ask you something?"

Clyde turned to Maethion. "Go ahead."

"What were you doing before the Selection Stage?"

The question made Clyde a little taken aback because he didn\'t expect to hear that question.

"I\'m just a student," Clyde answered curtly. He recalls his days as a student which was not a pleasant experience.

Now he realized it. His life before the Selection Stage feels so far away. It was almost like a nightmare he had and what was happening now was the true reality.

Even though this life is like a fantasy, Clyde feels more alive in his life now than in his life as a lonely and boring seventeen-year-old boy.

Thinking that, Clyde snorted, realizing how strange his life\'s journey had been until now.

"You seem to have realized something funny," Maethion said.

"Yeah. I think everyone in this place would feel this," Clyde replied.

"What do you mean?"

"We were all just going about our normal days without expecting anything to happen. Then suddenly, the Selection Stage occurred. From then on everything changed."

Hearing Clyde\'s answer, Maethion chuckled bitterly. "You\'re right. We never expected that something like this would happen."

"How about you? What did you do before the Selection Stage?" it is now Clyde\'s turn to ask.

"I was a prince in the Elf kingdom," Maethion replied.

Clyde snorted with a grin. "Your life must have been really fun back then. Unfortunately, the Selection Stage messed things up, huh."

Maethion stared ahead with blank eyes. Clyde immediately knew that the Elf was reminiscing about his life before the Selection Stage.

"Yes. My life is quite pleasant." Maethion turned to Clyde. "The Selection Stage ruined everything so I want my revenge."

Even though Maethion was smiling, Clyde could see the dangerous flashes in the Elf\'s eyes. Those flashes were something Clyde would imagine would also appear in his eyes when he talked about getting revenge.

Their situation seems different. Maethion wants revenge because the Selection Stage happened. Meanwhile, he was grateful because the Selection Stage happened.

The selection Stage destroyed Maethion\'s happy life. As for Clyde, the Selection Stage gave him an ideal life. 

So Clyde is actually grateful to whoever created this Selection Stage, and of course to someone who gave him his Private Attribute.

"Alright," Clyde said. He doesn\'t want to elaborate anymore about his life or the motivations that can keep him moving. Or it will only make his relationship with Mawthion strained because of their different reasons.

"Do you have some kind of mission like the one I did the other day with Samuel and his party?" Clyde asked.

"What do you mean?" Maethion frowned.

"Well, you must know about the order from the Senior Council that ordered us to take the artifacts and kill the party that Uriel sent," Clyde replied. "Do you have such a mission?"

Maethion stared at Clyde with contemplative eyes. After a while, he said. "I guess I have a few things in mind."

~~~