Chapter 10 Part II

    Möbius's Second Class

    The emergency exit door located behind the alien visitor was blown outward with significantly different air pressure. Just as Möbius pressed the button,

    "Ha...!!!"

     The demon didn't let itself be sucked out so easily. It leaped toward Möbius almost at the same moment the door opened. Fortunately, it didn’t jump far enough to escape the immense suction, which significantly reduced its jumping speed. Möbius saw this and was sure it wouldn't reach him.

    However, things always exceeded his expectations. The demon, which should have been sucked into space, surged forward in mid-air unnaturally. Möbius saw this as the final piece of the monster's secret that only Cosmos and the system's justice knew before, but now he understood it too.

    "Mr. Cosmos, I'd like to answer."

    Möbius shouted loudly, and soon Cosmos's voice came from the same speaker.

    "Answer quickly, kid."

    "The secret of this creature is its power to control gravity."

    Möbius replied loudly. At that moment, everything around him stopped as if a video was paused. Only he could move, which made Möbius realize his answer must be correct.

    "And why do you think so?"

    Cosmos asked, intrigued.

    "Because when it appeared, it jumped down from the ceiling, causing the floor, which must be made of steel, to cave into a big hole, indicating it must be very heavy. But it could climb the wall silently without any noise and without any marks on the wall, which would be impossible if it weighed as much as when it jumped down.

    This shows it can control its weight. Later, when it was about to be sucked out through the emergency door, it surged forward in mid-air. If it could truly fly, it wouldn't need to climb the wall to reach me. There are few powers that can control weight, stick to walls, and change the trajectory of a jump, but the only invisible one is gravity."

    Möbius explained the hypothesis he observed throughout the fight.

    "Almost entirely correct, well done, young one. I thought you would take longer to answer this question. You've passed the test."

    Cosmos responded with an excited voice. He hadn't expected his first disciple to be so quick-witted. The old man confirmed Möbius's passage of the class, allowing Möbius to hear the system's voice as well.

    ‘Player Möbius has attained the second level of the Space Mage class.’

    ‘Player Möbius has acquired the special ability, Cronos (Unique Ability).’

    ‘Player Möbius has received the magic, Grativa.’

    ‘As Player Möbius has received the classs of Gunner and Space Mage, the system will compute a new class name, please wait a moment.’

    ‘Player Möbius has acquired the ability, Magic to Bullets.’

    Ability Window

    No.

    Name

    Ability Description

    8

    Cronos

    (Unique Ability)

    Accelerates brain function to its maximum capacity.

    Enhances analytical and calculation abilities (Magic Power: 0).

    (Can remain in this state for a duration equal to level × 1 second, within a 6-hour period. Unused time does not carry over.)

    9

    Grativa

    Creates a magic circle that alters the strength of gravity within its range (Magic Power used = size × change in gravity × duration).

    ×If in direct contact with a surface, it can also change the direction of gravity.

    10

    Magic to bullets

    Allows the user to infuse bullets with magical power. The effects of the bullets change based on the magic applied (Magic Power: 20) (No delay).

    "Now that you've fully become a Space Mage, Möbius, will you stop or keep fighting? Just so you know, there's no experience points for this, kid."

    Cosmos waited for the system's announcement to end before posing another question to Möbius.

    "I'll keep fighting. I want to try out my new powers."

    Möbius responded firmly, readying himself for battle. As soon as his voice fell silent, the surroundings began to move again, causing the alien creature that had been suspended in midair for a long time to lunge towards Möbius once more. He immediately tried to use his new ability:

    Cronos.

    As soon as he activated this ability, a familiar sensation returned—it was the same feeling he had when he traded his life with Giga Rafflesia. Time seemed to slow down as it could not keep up with his mind that worked faster. He watched the monster rushing towards him without blinking.

    His enhanced computational ability allowed him to precisely calculate its trajectory, almost foreseeing where and when the alien visitor would be. This allowed him to reach out his hand, waiting for the moment it would come into his grasp.

    "Hands of Möbius, White Hole, Giant Axe,"

    Möbius used his ability as the elongated head of his enemy perfectly aligned with his right palm.

    A giant axe burst forth from his right hand, striking the alien visitor's face forcefully, sending it flying back towards the emergency exit, nearly being sucked out into space. However, it suddenly changed direction midair and narrowly came down in front of the emergency door.

    "Grrraz..."

    The black demon growled in frustration, almost caught by Möbius and still unable to move away from there because it had to use a lot of power to create a massive gravitational pull. Naturally, Möbius didn't let this golden opportunity slip. He pulled out his Thompson light machine gun and started shooting immediately.

    35×5

    45×3 (Critical from ability)

    Even though many bullets hit critical parts of it, it was still able to maintain its gravitational pull, anchoring itself to the floor. With the air in the room nearly depleted, Möbius, starting to run out of breath, knew he needed to end the battle quickly, and he figured out how to kill it.

    Magic to bullets.

    The young man used another new ability to infuse his magic into the bullets of the pistol. He vividly remembered that the pair of pistols Inari had given him could fire magic bullets. In the blink of an eye, that bullet was ready in his white pistol. Möbius aimed his Ebony at the target and simultaneously activated another ability.

    Repeat shot.

    "Let's name this move Gravity Shot."

    The bullet, cloaked in black aura, hit the same spot as the Thompson's bullets he had fired earlier as if alive. When it struck the demon, a black circle of magic expanded, enveloping the unfortunate creature.

    "Disappear into the vast expanse of space."

    The black circle was the magic circle Möbius had infused into the bullet, and the ability he used reduced the gravity under the feet of the alien visitor, causing it to be flung from the room into space, leaving only its shrieking echoes.

    “Grraz…”

    ‘Congratulations, Mr. Möbius. You have successfully eliminated the alien visitor.’

    "Tougher than I thought, but these new abilities..."

    Möbius slumped to the floor, exhausted after the system confirmed he had eliminated his enemy. The young man looked at his hands alternately and smiled to himself. At last, he had abilities that really worked. His body then slowly turned into white light and disappeared from the room.

    After the Space Mage class test, Möbius was warped back to the fox village, at a square in the village. At one corner of the square, he saw Inari grilling a whole deer with silver flames, an unusual sight. The method of grilling the deer was similar to how Gumiho grilled wild boar, using intense fire to make the whole deer float in the air and rotate slowly. The mother fox greeted him immediately upon seeing him return.

    "Ah, Möbius, perfect timing. I’m almost done cooking."

    "Möbius, let's eat first, it's rare for Inari to use silver flames to grill venison like this."

    Just like Cosmos, who tried to sit near Inari while she was cooking despite being hit by several large sparks, he still encouraged his disciple to eat Inari's cooking, which she didn't make very often for him.

    "Hey Möbius, was the old man's class test difficult?"

    Gumiho, who was grilling another deer in the same way as her mother but with golden flames, asked Möbius immediately as the young man sat down next to her.

    "It wasn't hard, but it was really fun."

    Finally, Möbius had a relaxed moment to look at the Illusion Forest he had just saved. Starting from the village center where a new fountain was built with a large water jet and Moon Stones floating with the water pressure. The first time Möbius saw the light from the Moon Stone in the mouth of Giga Rafflesia, he felt it shone with agony.

    But now it emitted a gentle white light all the time. Möbius looked further into the forest, which yesterday was covered by more than half with toxic pollen fog. Even though the fog has now cleared, the trees that had died could not be restored, but the living part of the forest seemed more vibrant. Even though Möbius felt guilty about blowing up the Moonlight pond, considering the whole forest, it was worth it.

    "Here you go."

    Inari handed Möbius some of the venison she had grilled, which smelled so good and looked meticulously cooked. It would be better that he didn’t bring out the multi-colored potions, as they would severely impair the mother fox's cooking skills. But before Möbius could bite into the meat, a system notification sounded, reminding the young man that he still didn't know his new class name.

    'Congratulations, Player Möbius, you have received the new class "Space Gunner".'

    "Hahaha, a class named Space Gunner, that’s..."

    Cosmos was the only one who understood what it resembled and laughed so hard he ended up writhing on the ground, then managed to say to everyone,

    "Let's finish eating before we continue our discussion."

    Möbius and the foxes were puzzled by Cosmos’s laughter. After all, Space Gunner did sound quite cool.

    After everyone finished eating,

    "Möbius, congratulations on obtaining the 'Space Gunner' career."

    Cosmos offered a belt with an exceptionally large buckle that even featured a turbine in the middle, explaining,

    "This is a legendary accessory, Möbius, interested?"

    "No, thank you."

    Möbius immediately declined, feeling that the belt looked dangerously out of sync with his image, almost as if using it would subject him to endless teasing.

    "Okay, now I’ll throw in a robot too."

    Cosmos, who kept offering more, wanted his pupil to thrive in the Space Gunner career, something he had dreamt of being when he was young. But Möbius still firmly declined.

    "Ah well, can't be helped. Here, take this instead. Come on, take it and use it well. It's called the Cosmo Custom."

    Cosmos grumbled a bit and then tossed a revolver to Möbius.

    Item Details Window

    Name

    Cosmo Custom

    Level, Type, Element

    7, Revolver, depends on the bullet's element

    Durability

    150/150

    Specifics

    Attack Power 100

    Fire Rate: 20 rounds/minute

    Capacity: 6 rounds

    Special Ability

    Uses elemental crystals as bullets

    "Is this a gun that allows elemental attacks? Is it okay to give me something so valuable?"

    Möbius, looking at the Cosmo Custom in his hand, noted that it seemed like a weapon Cosmos might have crafted himself. It differed from a normal revolver mainly in the size of the cylinder, which was much larger than usual, and the very short barrel close to the cylinder suggested it might be difficult to use.

    Additionally, if it uses elemental crystals instead of bullets, he couldn't just fire recklessly. But elemental attacks were something he lacked. Möbius's bag contained a fair amount of fire and light crystals, and a few earth elements. Regardless, he was particularly fond of this new gun.

    Cosmos stood up and looked into Möbius's eyes, seeing a great potential in the young man to grow even more.

    "Take it, Möbius. From what I've seen of your goals, you'll need much more power. One person alone cannot win a war. So, from now on, you must journey to find trustworthy companions."

    "I will keep that in mind, Master."

    Möbius stood up to bow to his master. He shared Cosmos's sentiment, and though unsure of what challenges lay ahead, he was ready to advance, giving his master a look of respect. However, Cosmos turned away first.

    "Ahem... I'm just saying what needs to be said."

    He coughed out loudly before walking away, never imagining that having a disciple could make him so bashful.

    "It's the first time I've seen the old man so embarrassed that he had to walk away."

    Gumiho, who was playing with Inari, interrupted the conversation. Usually, the old man had much more embarrassing strange remarks. Möbius just smiled at the fox girl, then remembered something.

    "Oh, right, Miho. I've been meaning to give you this since yesterday."

    He handed over a pink lace bag he had gotten from the tree boss.

    "Seeing how you like to carry around lots of colored potions, I thought it'd be good to have a bag of your own to keep them in."

    "Really? Möbius, I really like it, hehe."

    Gumiho immediately took the bag from Möbius's hand and slung it over her shoulder, spinning around happily. The fox girl was thrilled that her companion was so thoughtful. The young man watched her joyful antics with happiness, unaware that Inari was observing him.

    "That’s right, Möbius, after completing the mission to help this village, what would you like? You've done better than I expected, even bringing back the Moon Stone. With this, no one can invade the Celestial Fox Village anymore."

    Inari turned to Möbius as she looked at the softly glowing Moon Stone, which seemed to respond to her words. The continuous power emanating from the Moon Stone allowed Inari to create a protective barrier that would safeguard the Celestial Fox Village for a very long time.

    "Um, I think this village has already given me a lot of good things. So, I don't need anything more right now."

    Möbius replied honestly, acknowledging how much Inari had helped him, making it easier than he had thought to change to his second class. He felt he owed more to Inari than he could repay.

    "Then, could you please accept this necklace?"

    Möbius offered a necklace with a red rose pendant to Inari, though he hadn't thought much about it, Inari squinted slightly as if she was pondering something.

    "Is this what you want in return for helping to save this village, Möbius?"

    Inari asked Möbius slowly, who didn't understand why she asked but nodded vigorously in affirmation, which made the mother fox laugh softly.

    "Xiao Chuan, everyone, take good care of yourselves if I, your elder sister, am not around."

    Inari told a small fox sitting nearby, surprising Möbius as to why Inari referred to herself as the elder sister of Xiao Chuan and the other foxes. It seemed the other foxes knew what Inari was about to do and nodded gently to her.

    "Why does Mother call Xiao Chuan a younger sibling?"

    Möbius couldn't hold back his curiosity and directly asked the mother fox in front of him, but it was Gumiho who answered this question.

    "Because all the foxes in this village are siblings. We call her Mother because she took me in since I was a cub. If we are counting for real, no one has managed to conquer the heart of the celestial fox tribe except one person."

    Gumiho explained the truth to Möbius, indicating that Inari was the first celestial fox born in this forest, which gave her more power than any other fox due to the system designed to make her the leader of this newly emerging tribe. Gumiho, a fox born from a special event, called Inari 'Mother' because she had raised her from an age she couldn’t remember.

    "I am happy to accept this necklace, Möbius."

    Inari accepted the necklace from Möbius and wore it before a voice from the system announced:

    'Congratulations, Mr. Möbius. You have successfully gained the Nine-tailed Fox "Inari" at a special rare level as your companion.'

    "Mother..."

    Before Möbius could finish speaking, Inari covered his mouth with her slender index finger.

    "Now that we are companions, Möbius. You can just call me Inari."

    Inari said, giving Möbius a charming smile like a beautiful woman, then wrapped her arm around his left and nuzzled her nose against his left cheek.

    "Sharing a taste like this, it's even more delicious~~~"

    Gumiho gave a bright, girlish smile to Möbius, then reached over to wrap her arm around his right, nuzzling her nose against his right cheek as well.

    Before Möbius could utter a closing remark, Cosmos, who had returned, was stunned by the scene before him. He collapsed to his knees and looked up at the sky, exclaiming loudly,

    "Why does the system's justice do this to me... Ahhhhhh."

    Window: Status (Summary)

    Name

    Möbius

    Level, Class

    30, Gunner

    Health, Magic Power

    1300/1300,1100/1100

    Companion Window

    Name, Race

    Gumiho, ??? (Celestial fox)

    Level, Age

    35,183 years

    Health, Magic Power

    3500/3500, 1750/1750

    Relationship Level

    55/100

    Companion Window

    Name, Race

    Inari, Celestial fox

    Level, Age

    40 ,185 years

    Health, Magic Power

    4000/4000, 2000/2000

    Relationship Level

    40/100