I Hate Being The Protagonist

Infinity... It is something no being should be able to truly comprehend. Am I really about to transcend it, reach over it? Like stacking paper, I will gain a new height. Like ascending one more stair, I will reach the top. Standing above all the other beings, my very existence will sail across endlessness. Heaven will open its hands to lift me into its grace.

This felt like the 20th stage. It was distinctive, in a way where reaching it felt like traversing the first 19 stages again. Everything I've witnessed up to now seems like only a halfway point to reach this infinity.

Just a bit more, and I will feel what can't be felt, see the unseen. Exist beyond everything I considered existence to this point. The world is so much greater than I can comprehend...

A memory flashed into my mind, my mother's treasury and the only thing I couldn't grab. The unattainable pudding recipe. It had the same barrier I was about to transcend.

I touched the end of the universe, appearing on the other side of the border. As I stare into the universe held inside, I realize what it means to detach from all things finite.

"There is an end to everything, even to things with no end..."

My teacher's words caused an explosion in my mind. I realized it, I felt it. I could see it, I could hear it, I could smell it and touch it. All of my senses collided, and everything was clear. I could now feel the higher dimension, it was amazing! If it could be put into words, it would be written in our textbooks, but the experience isn't one that can be comprehended through mere language. There was a whole dimension of new mana, existing beyond my previous senses.

-

I awoke inside the metal chamber, with a newfound sense of greatness. After a year has passed for me in the dimension, I’d done it. The hatch opened, and my professor greeted me happily. He pulled me out, shaking my hand in congratulations.

He grabbed his head, shaking it in disbelief. "I can't believe it... After only a week, you've done it..."

I'm enlightened.

I entered my dorm like a superhero, flashing my newfound level of power.

"Mortals, I have risen!" I joked, grabbing my face like an undisputed champion.

"I'm no mere mortal. You should address me as your colleague," Dorian counters.

Dorian was placed in our dorm, replacing our former roommate, since that guy was better friends with another group. I could now sense his aura, while still being able to sense Evy’s. The difference in their aura couldn't be missed. Dorian had higher dimensional mana, while Evy lacked it.

My dark haired friend assumes a solemn expression. "You know, we'll be leaving you here to go and join the regular school program, now that we're enlightened," he tells Evy.

She waves her hand after a moment of hesitation. "Don't worry, I'll catch up soon enough. I should reach enlightenment in the next 3 months."

"What will you do without such awesome friends like us?" I smirk, putting my back against Dorian's.

"You've grown... I guess you're technically 11 now. Still younger than me," Evy adds.

"Not just that I'm younger, but I also reached enlightenment before you. Double beatdown."

Dorian leaned on me, pointing two fingers at his eyes, telling me that he reached it before me, being the first one of us three to achieve it.

"You're 5 years older than me," I exclaim.

"And still reached it before you did," he laughs, pinching my cheek.

"Fair enough," I sigh.

Dorian points behind him. "You've received a letter from someone unknown. It was here for the last two days so we just left it on your shelf.”

My eyes trail to the letter, inspecting the black envelope. Who sends a black envelope? The ominous dark letter peaks my interest, so I pick it up and glaze my finger across the smooth material. This isn't your everyday paper, as it has higher dimensional mana sealing it. This meant that non-enlightened individuals couldn't open it.

This arose the question of who and how. How did the sender know I would get enlightened, and who is it? That person must have insight into my personal life, as this can't be a coincidence. Although someone from school could open it—like my professor—it felt specifically tailored for me to open.

I inspect the crude handwriting. It has a specific style, something I've seen before. What could be inside? Opening the envelope, I'm met with a written message, white ink on the fancy black paper.

*Come by the haunted house if you want to see your butler alive,

Your dearest Oliver*

Oliver? That geeky asshole which ignored me after 'The Incident'. Has he gone mad? Abduction of Rache? How would he perform such a deed? Oliver doesn't possess even a speck of magic, and Rache could hold himself against pretty tough opponents.

Evy and Dorian saw my worried and puzzled face, asking what happened. I showed them the letter, explaining my situation with Oliver in detail.

I told them of his weird behavior, and the reason behind it. Explaining the haunted house and the man I saw next to the window, I remembered everything I saw and felt that day. It was a creepy experience for sure, but did it traumatize Oliver to such an extent where he would commit such a horrible act?

"Could it be some twisted prank?" Dorian asks, already concerned because of the heavy expression I carried.

"I don't think so... He never did anything like that before. Also, Rache isn't weak himself. Someone like Oliver could never gain enough strength to overpower Rache. With training in the military, he knows how to handle himself."

"And this Oliver isn't enlightened?" Evy asks.

I shake my head from side to side frantically, letting out deep exhales to calm myself down. "He wasn't enlightened and couldn't achieve it in this tight time frame. He isn't a prodigy like Dorian or myself. He was never talented in magic, even after he changed his appearance. The last time I saw him, he radiated no sensible aura," I assure to myself more than reason towards Evy and Dorian.

"Are you going to go?" Evy asks.

I hesitate at first, still unsure of what the best course of action would be. Should I inform someone of this? Should I contact the authorities and let them deal with it?

I decided to check it out myself, as there isn't a possibility of danger from Oliver. Even if he committed such a heinous act against me, I should be able to knock some sense into him as soon as we meet.

Deciding not to involve anyone in this matter except myself, I started to pack my bags. "I will check it out, just to make sure. If this is some disgusting prank, I'll have to teach my old friend a lesson. You can mess with me however you like, but touching my family is unforgivable."

I asked permission from my teacher to be dismissed for a day or two, to which I was allowed. My professor asked for a reason behind my leave, to which I lied that Rache had an illness leading to him being hospitalized. The reason stated for my leave was 'Visit of a hospitalized family member'. After I return, I will change dorms and enter the regular school program with Dorian, where we'll wait for Evy to get enlightened.

"I guess I'll see you again when you gain enlightenment. And we'll see each other soon enough," I say as I point my finger at Dorian.

"Good luck with whatever this is, and I hope you deal with that Oliver," Evy says while hugging me.

"Don't worry, I'm a higher being," I wink.

Bidding them farewell, I start my train ride back home.

I try to take my mind off of this, reviewing my body after gaining enlightenment. I did get a bit older biologically, since I spent about a year in the dimension, floating through the segmented stages of ascending.

I talked with Dorian a bit about it, sharing our own unique experiences. He relayed something similar to me, and also mentioned feeling the process be divided into 20 stages.

Something weird happened after I got enlightened. My mark glowed brighter, flashing its blue light. It was the only time I've seen it do anything since I've got it.

Gabriel never elaborated on it since he didn't know its origin himself, so I was left with his indifferent phrase "You're marked."

So much for the strongest Hand, not being able to trace its origin. I can only guess he didn't want to bother himself with such trivial matters, as his position in Eviansis is a demanding one for sure. Still, the only survivor of a royal catastrophe from a neighboring kingdom should spark some interest inside him.

Even if he didn't know what that mark was initially, he could've pointed me to someone who might know. There are many artificers and rune decrypters which could be of help. Being the de facto leader of this world's largest and most influential kingdom, it should pose no problem for him to find those people.

My magic seemed to get weaker, but my teacher explained how I'm at the bottom of the scale now. No matter how strong you were previously, you're set to zero once you gain enlightenment. By traversing infinity, you reach zero. The process of getting stronger is basically reset, as everyone starts equally powerful. How much you can progress afterwards is completely up to the individual, relying on your inherent potential.

My talent is still in effect as I'm already deepening my manapool and developing my magic as much as I can. I'm much more focused in the light and lightning affinity as those energetic affinities suit me better now.

During the train ride towards the center of Holdanis, I internally honed my magic and explored its abilities. There is a long way towards reaching the level of magic power I had before I was enlightened. It was a weird thing, being stronger than I've ever been—and could've been with regular magic—yet feeling like I'm at the weakest point of mana control in my life.

There was a certain upside to this, casting the seeming downside of 'weakness' into a shadow. I could feel higher dimensional mana in the atmosphere. Like a whole new sense, I could literally feel the effect of the divine protection from higher realms. The Overworld is protected by the Heavens, but for the first time in my life I could actually witness it with my very own senses.