SSS Ranked Awakening: All My Skills Are at Level 100

Leon stood alone at the edge of the field, the tall grass whispering at his ankles.

[Lord of Illusion and Mystery has joined the chat.]

A sudden, icy draft swept through the air, raising goosebumps across his skin. His pulse slowed, as if time itself had thickened.

W-What? Lord of Illusion and Mystery—shit!

Shit! Shit!

Don't panic. I have to act calm and keep up my act. No one will know anything.

He knew his identity and location were protected by the mysterious cosmic system.

His hands fumbled with the edge of his robe, knuckles white, legs bouncing in place as he struggled to stay still.

Just act cool

He just had to act cool, and nothing would happen.

If she decides to talk to me, I'll not answer… or give vague replies.

He suspected her reason for appearing might be him—someone claiming to be a Lord, just like her.

Which meant she came for him.

Lord of Illusion and Mystery: "Who are you, Elemental Paragon?"

Seeing her message, Leon couldn't just ignore it. His future career as a causality farmer might be in danger if she suspected he was an imposter.

He felt a bead of sweat slip down his temple, heartbeat drumming so loud he thought she might hear it.

He had to play the role of a mysterious master who had been in seclusion for a very long time.

It was not a choice but a necessity for him.

Elemental Paragon: "Why should I tell you, Lord of Illusion and Mystery?"

The woman with otherworldly beauty and an excited look on her face stared at the golden shimmering screen with growing intrigue.

Lord of Illusion and Mystery: "Fair enough."

Lord of Illusion and Mystery: "But I've never heard of you before. Where did you come from?"

Leon didn't overthink and answered again.

Elemental Paragon: "Why should I tell you, Lord of Illusion and Mystery?"

She—whose title literally contained the word "Mystery"—grew even more excited.

Her fingers traced the transparent chat screen, a predatory smile tugging at her lips.

People usually acted bland in front of her, except for her only cute and lovely Nys.

But now she had found a mysterious toy.

Lord of Illusion and Mystery: "Hehe… I like mysteries quite a lot, dear Elemental Paragon. So you don't have to tell me anything."

"But I do have an offer for you. You have to answer one question, and I can give you 100 million casualties for that.

"What do you think? You seem to like them. You must have just become a Lord or…"

"Then again, it's still a mystery to me what use you could have for them. They're just worthless to us Lords…"

A pause, and she continued.

"You're very interesting, Elemental Paragon."

Even for a Lord like her, 100 million was a decent amount of causality.

Leon, hearing her words, had stars in his eyes.

His breath caught in his throat, eyes wide. He nearly laughed out loud in glee.

Just answering one question would get him 100 million casualties? He could never give up on that. He needed to collect the cradle seeds of elements, which cost 790 million casualties. He would never have enough.

It's not like I have to answer if she asks something too complicated. I can dodge the question. I can't pass up this easy opportunity to earn some extra money.

As for her other strange assumptions about him, he decided not to comment. Let her imagination run wild all she wanted.

Elemental Paragon: "I would answer your question, but it will depend on what you ask of me."

Lord of Illusion and Mystery smiled faintly at his reply. If he had accepted too easily, she would've found it dull.

Lord of Illusion and Mystery: "Now answer me, Elemental Paragon—are you from the same universe as us or not?"

That was all she wanted to know. If he were from a different universe altogether, she would never be able to find him due to the Universal Wall surrounding their own.

She didn't understand how he had gained access to their cosmic chatroom—this had never happened before.

They didn't know what lay beyond the walls, but many Lords had similar theories.

And if another Lord had truly been born in their universe, the universal phenomenon triggered at such times wouldn't have gone unnoticed. So she was sure—something about Elemental Paragon was truly mysterious.

Even his name, when spoken, had triggered the cosmic phenomenon, which only occurred when someone reached their realm.

Leon heard her question.

She's asking if I'm from the same universe as her… I have literally no clue.

But it is a big deal to her. My earlier plan to act as a secluded master might have flopped. She already has her own theories about my identity. I don't know how much knowledge she has, but I'll play along and string her along her own path.

He was reasonably sure he was currently in the same universe as her—but what about Earth? What realm would that be considered? Did Earth even exist in the same universe to begin with? It had no magic at all.

He had no answer to that question.

He chewed at his lower lip, brow knitting as uncertainty twisted in his gut.

I'm technically from Earth—my previous world—and this new one too.

So for one, he was a bit sure that he and the Lord were in the same universe—but the other Earth, he wasn't so confident.

He didn't want to lie. No matter what, she was a Lord of the Universe—an existence even divinities trembled before. Lin Fang, the genius dark elf he'd mentioned before—those were just ants before beings like her.

He didn't want to deceive her and risk saying something that might backfire in the future.

Practically, his soul was from Earth. Maybe he was from both universes—if they were different.

Elemental Paragon: "I'm actually not sure."

Up until now, the Lord of Illusion and Mystery had been calm in her dimension. But seeing that reply, even she was a bit perplexed now as her eyes turned sharp.

A glowing, white-purplish ring formed around her colourless eyes—no pupils—just a rotating circular glow. It spun faster as her focus sharpened.

Strange white and purplish mist formed around her body. After a second, it vanished, and the glow faded back into her skin.

He's telling the truth.

The mystery around Elemental Paragon ran deeper than she had thought.

Lord of Illusion and Mystery: "Don't worry, my dear mysterious new Lord. I will find where you live… who you are… what your real name is… where you came from… where you were born… how you look…"

It continued. And continued. Her words turned more intense, more chilling, until a cold shiver crept up Leon's spine. He couldn't help but tremble in fear.

Lord of Illusion and Mystery: "Just wait for me, dear Elemental Paragon. This Lord will be paying you a visit soon. And we'll continue our chat… from there."

[Lord of Illusion and Mystery has left the chat.]

The silence pressed in, so heavy it felt like a physical weight on his chest. Every breath burned a little colder.

He could only stand there frozen in place, shaking. Her last message had terrified him completely.

The golden chat screen faded, and Leon was left alone in the silence of the field. The sky overhead seemed a little darker, the wind colder than before. His legs threatened to give out, and he wrapped his arms around himself, shivering. The scent of crushed grass and damp Earth filled his nose. Leon's heartbeat pounded in his ears, the echo of fear still burning in his veins.

A literal Lord of the Universe was now coming after him.

Fuck my shitty luck! Along with the thought, another notification, which he ignored, because his thoughts were filled with dread of his future.

For a moment, he almost convinced himself it was just an empty threat—until his legs gave way, and he sank to the ground, breath short and ragged.