"You have to promise me. Don't miss your hospital check-up, alright?"
"I won't," Ashen replied for what felt like the fifth time already.
"You promise?" she pressed again, her eyes narrowing.
"Yes, I do. I promise I'll go for a full check-up," he repeated, sounding slightly tired.
Freya was relentless, disturbingly persistent, to the point of being hard to deal with.
"Good. I'll come back around the same time tomorrow to make sure you keep your word," she said, turning toward the door.
Ashen simply nodded and watched her leave.
When she was finally out of sight, he let out a long sigh. "Thank God, she's gone at last."
She's nice and kind enough to help him clean off the spilt blood on the floor and counter desk, but her incessant repetition of an issue made it difficult for Ashen to look forward to their next meeting.
If ever there would be one.
With her exit, the store became quiet again, and he finally had the time to think about what had just happened.
The feeling earlier hadn't just been random pain, it felt like something deeper had been engraved inside his very being.
It was as if a mark had been burned into his soul, leaving behind a sense of knowledge and purpose.
It reminded him of the moment when Fobias had first called him a Dimensional Crusader.
That strange notification he had heard, [Crusader Privilege Awakened]. It wasn't meaningless.
Ashen could already feel what it meant.
It was as if an understanding about his own existence had suddenly become clear, like he had been given insight into who he was, what his mission would be, and where he stood in the vast expanse of the universe.
He focused, and a clear thought formed in his mind.
Let's try this.
With a single mental command, glowing words appeared before him, a transparent panel floating in midair.
DETAILS
- Name: Ashen
- Energy Level: S
- Class: Dimensional Crusader
- Rank: Low Tier First Dimensional Being
FEATS
- None
Ashen stared at the glowing display. It felt like something out of a game, but he knew it wasn't. This was reality.
"This... this must be part of the Crusader Privilege," he muttered to himself.
The panel before him wasn't some illusion. It was the physical manifestation of his own awareness, the ability to visualise his current state, his class, and even his place in the grand scale of existence.
As someone with an S-Rank Energy Level, Ashen's energy was considered unreadable. That meant his power couldn't be measured by ordinary standards.
"It's not that my energy is unlimited," he murmured thoughtfully. "It's just far beyond what a First Dimensional Being should normally have."
Fobias had said the same thing before, praising Ashen for his unusually massive energy reserves. According to the Lord of Order, no one of Ashen's rank had ever possessed such raw potential.
That alone said a lot.
His Class, Dimensional Crusader, was directly tied to Fobias. It was a role bestowed by a being of higher existence, a title that came with authority, responsibility, and knowledge.
And with that came certain privileges.
Ashen now understood how to materialise information like this, how to see, feel, and comprehend the true nature of the universe.
He also gained the ability to understand the structure of Dimensional Tiers, how beings were ranked, and how they measured power across the cosmic hierarchy.
Through the Crusader's Privilege, Ashen learned where he stood in the endless expanse of creation.
A Low-Tier First Dimensional Being.
It sounded impressive at first glance, but the truth was… that rank basically made him human.
A simple, ordinary human.
Being a Low Tier meant he represented the base form of humanity, the weakest level among all living species across dimensions.
If he were a Mid-Tier First Dimensional Being, he would roughly be on par with an average human. Someone who could perform everyday human tasks and had a normal level of strength and endurance.
Those who reached High Tier First Dimensional status were the best of humanity, the peak of physical potential.
Elite athletes, professional fighters, soldiers, and individuals who had pushed their bodies to the limits through discipline and training.
In short, they were the definition of peak human capability.
Still, even those at the top of the First Dimension were confined to what humans could naturally do. No supernatural feats. No magic. No instant healing or lifting cars with bare hands.
Anyone who performed feats that defied natural human limits would no longer be considered a First Dimensional Being.
They would have crossed into the Second Dimension, where abilities beyond human comprehension began to exist.
Those were the meta-humans, or mutants, as people might call them.
In summary, any ability or power that broke the natural rules of human possibility belonged to beings of the Second Dimension or higher.
"There are also more ranks after the Second Dimension," Ashen muttered, thinking aloud, "but I don't think I need to get into that right now."
He was still stuck at the bottom, a Low-Tier First Dimensional Being. The weakest among the weak.
Even though his energy had awakened, that didn't mean his rank had changed. His rank wouldn't increase until he began to use that energy and achieve actual results, feats that the universe could recognise.
Only through achievements could his standing evolve.
"The universe measures us by what we do, not just by what we have," he realised.
Ashen decided to test something else. He spoke aloud, even though he knew words weren't necessary.
"Appear."
In an instant, a heavy book materialised on the counter in front of him, landing with a soft thud.
It was the same book Fobias had given him, the guide that would teach him how to control and refine his energy through Arts and Techniques.
The book was huge, like an old encyclopedia. Its thick pages looked ancient, bound by golden edges that shimmered faintly even with the bright light. The front cover had no title.
When Ashen opened it, the first page greeted him with a headline written in bold, elegant script:
[Introduction to Magic Art]
Ashen smiled faintly. "Magic, huh? I like the sound of that."
He started reading eagerly.
- The use of Magic begins with understanding the Fundamentals of Magical Theory and Energy Control…
He read a few paragraphs, but it didn't take long before his interest started to fade.
The opening chapters were filled with long explanations, history, concepts, theories, all of which he found dull.
"Too many words," he muttered, flipping through the pages. "Get to the actual part already."
He quickly skimmed through until something caught his eye.
- Basic Elemental Magic Art
Now that sounded more like it.
He leaned forward and began reading carefully.
- To use Basic Elemental Magic, one must first determine which of the core elements they have affinity for.
"Affinity?" he muttered. "And how am I supposed to know what element I'm connected to?"
He turned the page, hoping the book would answer that question.
Fortunately, the next section explained everything.
- To discover one's Basic Elemental Affinity, a test must be performed.
Ashen focused intensely, reading every line with full attention. The book listed a detailed set of instructions, materials, procedures, and even the conditions under which the test would work.
He took mental notes of each step, trying to commit them to memory.
"Hmm," he hummed, concern forming on his face. "But… will any of this even be possible to do in this world?"
From what he read, the test required certain magical tools, things that simply didn't exist here.
Ashen leaned back, closing the book halfway. "Probably not. At least, not with my current knowledge."
He sighed softly and stared at the floating panel still visible beside him.
This might turn out harder than he bargained for.