The Diamond Extra

Saturday arrived before I even realized it. I'd spent the whole of Friday deep in training—losing track of time wasn't surprising.

> [Travel Club Bulletin] — A short excursion will be held Saturday for first-year orientation.

The destination? Caelus City. I zipped up my duffel, tucked my sidearm into my cross-sling bag, and made my way to the Diamond Portal Station.

When I arrived, the usual elites were already present: Saul Mayne, Gareth Reinhold, Lila Dawn, and Mira Roodes. None of them paid me any attention.

Not surprising.

Even standing near them was enough to get my nerves on edge. Something major was supposed to happen today. A triggered quest, the first real disruption in the "main scenario."

The club president arrived a moment later.

"Good morning! I'm John Hayun, your club president. To be honest, I didn't expect this many signups. You all must really like field trips, huh?"

John looked pretty ordinary—on the short side, round glasses, messy black hair. Soft-spoken type.

"Let me give a short overview of what we do."

He tugged a folded paper out of his jacket pocket.

"We go on monthly trips to help everyone relax. We don't do combat drills or sparring—this is strictly rest. Hence our unofficial name: The Healing Club."

That was it. No grand speech. Just a brief outline before he moved on.

"Today we'll head to Caelus for orientation."

And now, the random pairing.

"We usually theme our trips, but not this time. We'll form pairs and spend the day exploring."

I knew what was coming. There'd be a threat today—maybe not world-ending, but definitely dangerous.

> "As long as I don't get paired with someone who hates me…"

"Alright, draw your names," John said, holding out a small box of folded slips.

This would be luck-based for most people. For me, not quite. My trait [Observation & Analysis] let me scan each slip with a glance.

Mira went first.

I saw my name before she even opened hers.

"Paul Wayne."

My chest tightened.

Mira's expression didn't flicker. She just turned and nodded in my direction.

> "She's still mad about that vending machine drink, isn't she…"

---

The rest drew their partners. Saul got Lila, Gareth ended up with John, and Mira... well, she got stuck with me.

We regrouped at the portal gates.

Magical transit gates—or "Jump Gates"—were advanced spell-tech constructs that let people travel massive distances in moments. Caelus to Velnar? Five seconds.

"Cadet Paul Wayne. Verified."

The portal staffer handed me a shimmer-coded resonance badge. One scan and I'd be zipped across provinces.

John entered the swirling blue gate. Saul followed. Gareth. Lila. Then me.

For an instant, my vision blurred. A weightless pull tugged at me.

Then light.

I stepped into the Caelus Portal Station.

High ceilings. Polished walls. Blue crystal conduits humming with arcane energy.

"It's 11:00 sharp," John said. "Be back by 6 p.m. If you're late, you'll face penalties."

We each received local pass cards marked with "Young Station" and scattered into the city.

Mira walked beside me in silence.

Until she stopped.

"Let's split up."

"Huh? Oh… right."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Again."

I blinked. "What?"

"Don't speak to me like we're friends. That's your second warning."

Yup. Definitely the drink thing.

"Understood. Sorry."

She didn't respond. Just walked away without another glance.

We'd lasted barely three minutes together.

---

Navigating Caelus was still a pain. After some trial and error with the transit system, I finally arrived at the National Weapons and Relics Gallery—a museum that displayed famous weapon replicas and recovered battle artifacts.

This was where the event would begin.

"Daddy, look! Is that a magic sword?"

"That's the Lion Fang—an ancient relic from the Western Wastes."

Families crowded the museum, especially hopeful kids dreaming of future glory. Even with the swarm, two people stood out: Lila and Saul.

Lila was glued to a glass case showcasing a sleek longbow. Typical.

Nearby, Saul admired a rust-hued greatsword.

"Sever-Breaker?" I asked, recognizing the weapon.

Saul looked up, slightly surprised.

"Oh, hey. Didn't expect to see you here."

He gestured at the weapon.

"This one's based on the original recovered from the Wattard Ruins. Top-tier replica. Probably usable in a pinch."

"Nice."

He nodded toward another case. "Crownpiercer's Rifle is around here somewhere. Supposed to be a dungeon reward from the Drac Abyss."

That caught my attention.

I knew the Crownpiercer. It wasn't just lore—it was a real relic. But nothing in my system tagged it usable yet.

"No rush," I replied, pretending to be uninterested.

Talking to Saul always felt odd. He had that protagonist glow—unshakable presence, picture-perfect demeanor. The kind of guy who would inspire admiration and mild existential crisis at the same time.

My system pinged.

> [System Alert: Quest Triggered – Incoming Hostiles Nearby!]

"Anyway—"

BOOM.

A deafening blast shook the museum. The floor rumbled beneath us.

BOOM. BOOM.

Screams.

"Something's coming!"

Visitors panicked. The entrance floodgates began to lower as an emergency lockdown was triggered.

"Don't run outside!" Saul yelled. "It's safer in here!"

Outside, a C+ ranked beast and several D-grade underlings were rampaging. Not too dangerous by themselves—a hero would be dispatched in moments. But something else was wrong.

A Phantom Agent was on-site too—an assassin from the Syndicate. The real target wasn't civilians. It was one of us.

CRASH.

Glass shattered nearby.

"Lila!"

She'd broken open a case and grabbed the bow.

"You out of your mind?" Saul asked.

"Nope. I just don't like dying unarmed."

Museum alarms shrieked. In under ten seconds, magical defenses locked down every exit.

"People! Stay calm! It's safer in here!" Lila shouted. "We're trainee heroes—we'll keep you safe!"

"Get a weapon if you can. If not, stay back!"

A man in black—tall, pale, walking like death incarnate—appeared through the chaos.

"Target located," he muttered.

Without waiting, Lila let loose an arrow.

The shot hit his throat dead-on.

Or… should have.

The man raised a hand, caught the arrow mid-flight, and burned it into black dust with a swipe of corrosive mana.

His red eyes locked onto us.

The Phantom had arrived.

Saul's knuckles whitened. He shattered the case and grabbed the Sever-Breaker replica.

"Let's go," Lila said, taking position beside him just like how hero's do in movies.

I raised my gun.

I thought about stepping in… but instead, I stepped back.

I was still too weak.

If I moved wrong, I'd just get killed—or worse, expose myself as a threat.

> Stay low. Watch. Intervene only when you can guarantee survival.