Dungeon Master 07 began by explaining that after using his authority to reincarnate into Fiendfell, he reincarnated for the first time also as a Highbreed. His parents were Highbreeds who had been raised in the faith and like many of those raised in that circumstance, they were the kind of highbreed who couldn't imagine separating themselves from it. Aside from the disdain we both felt for them for worshipping a so-called “God,” there was nothing particularly wrong with his parents.

  They were, by his words, "decent" people who gave him everything he needed in his most vulnerable years. If anything, it was a blessing that he spawned as the child of such parents, as it allowed him to directly infiltrate the faith he had planned to infiltrate. Had he been born a Verdenkind, one born of peons parents, he would have had to infiltrate the faith, something in which he was confident he could pull off, but still, it would take time. Being born the Highbreed he was, he spawned as a part of the matrix; all that was left for him to do was to advance within its construct.

  Dungeon Master 07 described himself as being born with nothing particularly special. Sure, as a Dungeon Master reincarnated, he was born with fully functioning sentience, at least within the limits of what his infant brain allowed it to operate, and had early access to the system. But aside from that, he didn't spawn with a unique or particularly powerful innate skill or ability. He was born with a skill called [Dominate] and an ability called [Lesser Healing Light].

  The former, [Dominate], allowed him to exert his will over weaker-minded creatures, giving him the power to control them for short periods. However, it had its limitations: it required intense concentration, couldn't be used on those with strong mental defenses, and the worst aspect of the skill was its astronomical MP consumption for a starter skill.

  The latter, [Lesser Healing Light], was a modest healing ability. It could mend minor wounds and alleviate pain but was far from the miraculous powers of legendary healers. It required a calm mind and a steady hand, with its effectiveness decreasing significantly if the user was distracted or exhausted.

  Sure, the latter didn't sound like a common Highbreed skill, but it was common for classes like warriors or knights.

  Dealt with those cards, Dungeon Master 07 understood that for those in the bottom tier of the faith, to which he and his family belonged, there were only a limited number of ways he could progress high up the chain unless he wanted to be stuck as a common temple healer like his parents.

  One way was to display extraordinary healing prowess, as healing-type skills and abilities were highly valued by the faith along with holy-type abilities. However, Dungeon Master 07 wasn't confident he would excel beyond his Highbreed peers in this area. Healing-type skills have a problematic tendency as they can't be linearly leveled up using the most common method of killing monsters. A large part of succeeding on that path required innate talent, and Dungeon Master 07 simply wasn't confident in that aspect.

  The second way was to display strength, a language loved by the world, be it sentient beings or monsters. Being strong enough guaranteed admiration and, with enough contribution, advancement up the ranks. This was the most straightforward way, but unfortunately, he wasn't strong, which meant he had to become strong, which involved going on experience harvest to achieve level up, a risky endeavor that could and usually result in an early death, which was the last thing he wanted so this second way was out of the question.

  The third option was a blend of both first and second method of advancement, as this one relied on another type of skill Highbreeds are known for: holy-related magic. Unlike healing-related skills, holy-related skills could be leveled up using the common method. For the same reason the first option wasn't viable, this too was not an option. Not only did he have low confidence in his potential for holy-type skills, but he also wasn't fond of them, considering how situational most of the holy-type skills are.

  With none of the common three paths to climb up the ladder to the top available to him, Dungeon Master 07 made a risky bet by drawing attention to himself through an unconventional route. The bet involved making it appear as though he was a prodigy for having accessed the system earlier than anyone should.

  The idea was one Dungeon Master 07 abhorred, considering the risk of him being found out. Nevertheless, having no other option and determined to carry out his mission, he chose to reveal to the faith that he, at the age of five, already had access to the system.

  As risky as the bet was, it quickly bore fruit. Though the news didn't spread as far as he feared, which was a relief, his existence soon caught the attention of the higher-ups of the local temple.

  Using his charisma and intellect, he entered their good graces, though "good graces" was a relative term. In this context, it meant that the higher-ups who noticed him wanted to see his full potential and were willing to invest in it.

  This part of Dungeon Master 07’s story reminded me of my earlier days of training as Faye. Like me, they put him through rigorous training, providing him with a certain level of "freedom" and resources. Making full use of the assets handed to him, he carved out a place among the higher-ups of the faith.

  Dungeon Master 07 was sure he didn't fully meet the initial expectations they had for him, but by the time they realized there wasn't much special about him after all, he'd already made quite a name for himself.

  Vittorio, the Prodigal Herald of the Seraphim of Love, that’s how by then he became known among the people, as he didn't miss an opportunity to work on his eloquence and charisma alongside his training.

  His goal being to get as close as he possibly could to the top of the faith, Dungeon Master 07, from a young age, did everything to ensure he would be seen and heard so that he could no longer be brought down the steps he put so much effort in climbing up.

  What better way to be seen and heard than having the appearance of a child paired with the eloquence of a guru? None. Or at the very least not many.

  By the age of fifteen, he had secured a place beside those who initially helped him and even opened up several clear paths to the ones he wanted to join the faith for.

  But he understood that his glorious rise, which opened up those paths, might backfire on him. His atypical beginning, his prowess as an orator from an early age, and his quick ascension might come across as very suspicious to those he wanted to be close to. That's why he decided to dedicate the next twenty years to do one thing but do it vicariously: leveling up.

  By the end of these years dedicated to level up, he had reached level 30, and he finally returned to finish what he joined the church for, to learn about the whereabouts of an authority and, by extension, approach our traitorous fellow reincarnate.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  ***

  As Dungeon Masters, upon acquiring our third authority from its wielder, we learned a sad truth: among those saved by our savior, some were ungrateful enough to abandon the very mission for which they were saved and granted their authorities, to unseal the master our savior serves, A42675, the Outer God of Corruption.

  The one from whom we reclaimed the authority that lets us reincarnate into Fiendfell, was One such individual. Though it may be argued that in his case it was more that he’d forgotten his mission rather than actively betraying it. But the one Dungeon Master 07 was after now? His betrayal was intentional, and such treachery could never be forgiven by us Dungeon Masters.

  It was to reach him that Dungeon Master 07 joined the faith. It was among them, or to be amidst the ones the faith worshipped, the seraphims, that the traitor, Shun Nagumo, hid himself. Leaning back in his chair, Dungeon Master 07 heaved a long sigh, as if he were about to drop a bomb on me.

  "You have no idea how much I've had to put in to get just close to that bastard, Shun Nagumo." Dungeon Master 07 looked at me with a solemn expression. "I have two updates we can consider news about him, well, three actually. With that, we have at least one good news to digest the other two bad ones. I'll choose for you, we'll begin with the good news. Shun Nagumo, or Jason as he now calls himself, is dying. That's the good news."

  Hearing the way he voiced it, one might assume that "dying" referred to some illness, as that's what dying is usually related to when it's not straight-up "dead." But we were talking about a man who'd been alive for hundreds of years. That man couldn't possibly be dying of a random illness. If he's dying, then the most logical explanation is that he ran out of time, just like the Wei? family's ancestors did.

  In this world, there is only one way to be impervious to the death brought about by time. It is to level up a skill named [Longevity] to level 10. It is one of the skills that can be found in all types of creatures, save perhaps shadows, creatures, elementals, and undead as those aren’t living creatures. It can also be found in sentients, be they humans, elves, beastfolk, angels, or demons, though the likelihood of acquiring the skill, and even less leveling it up, varies greatly between species. For humans, it is so rare that those who acquire it and level it up become like the Wei? family ancestor, kings, and the only one who managed to level it up to level 10 titled himself Emperor, the One and Only.

  At level 10, it grants the wielder immortality. At lower levels, it grants increased longevity to their wielder, allowing them a much longer lifespan than their race typically expects. The Wei? family ancestor, at level 4, was able to live up to 600 years.

  For Jason to have lived so long, he must have leveled the skill up to level 5 or 6. Tragic, but tragic only for him.

  To me, it was, as Dungeon Master 07 said, good news, even though I felt it was a shame that it wasn't done by us. That being said, I wasn't delusional enough to think I stood a chance against him or the seraphims he allied himself with. So, as long as it meant that he was permanently out of the way, it was good enough.

  Dungeon Master 07 said with a self-deprecating smile, "Glad you can at least see the good news for what it is, especially considering what's coming."

  "What's the bad news?" In my mind, I already had an idea of what it could be, and Dungeon Master 07's next words pretty much confirmed that.

  "Jason's eventual death won't change anything about the situation of the authority he wields. If anything, it'll get only worse as it will end up in the hands of a seraphim. That's one bad news."

  This one didn't surprise me much. As for the other, I had no idea what it could be. "What's the other?"

  "There's an alternative, where the authority doesn't end up in the hands of one of the three seraphims, but rather someone who'd be just as problematic as Jason, as they too will live protected by the seraphims."

  "Someone…?"

  Racking my brain, I wasn't able to think of someone who could be as problematic as Jason, other than the seraphims he joined hands with. Understanding that, Dungeon Master 07 said, "Don’t waste your energy thinking. It’s not someone I’ve ever mentioned before. It’s the child Jason decided to leave behind."

  "A…child? That bastard's?" That was something I'd never heard before, but the moment I did, it begged one question, "With who?"

  To tell the truth, when I asked that question, I had already figured out the answer. It was just that I needed confirmation from him, confirmation that I got in the form of him glancing at the white tunic and broach neatly ironed on his bed. It took a moment to digest the information. To think he, who for sure was a Verdenkind, impregnated a Seraphim.

  Sure, I knew before that it was his infatuation for the Seraphim of Love that had him turn his back on the God we are to serve, but I didn’t think he’d manage to pull that kind of stunt. While I don’t admit Seraphims as gods, I had to acknowledge, having lived quite a few lifetimes here in Fiendfell and understanding the difference between peons and what’s above them, that Seraphims have what’s needed to actually claim themselves as gods. So the thought of them having a child together was a slightly corny one.

  I asked Dungeon Master 07, "How is he going along?"

  One thing unites the sentient races other than the common consensus that they are sentient and sapient: the fact that they can reproduce with one another. Just like in this case, an angel can reproduce with a human. An elf could with a demon just like it could with a human, a demon, or a beastfolk, or even a dwarf. Though they’re rare, the most common one being elf-human interbreeding, they’re not unheard of. Those born from these unique unions are referred to by the system as half-breeds. As such, they have access to a unique leveling system, one that allows them to go down one of two paths, either the one of the father or that of the mother. Of course, there’s an option to walk both paths, but from what I understood of it, doing so is similar to going down the classless path, not something just anyone can go down. You'd need a lot of "luck."

  As a halfbreed, you won’t even be able to choose a class from either race, as each race has a unique system with a unique skill set and set of abilities. The same goes for classes. As a halfbreed, you’re merely half of each race you belong to, thus the system grants you none of the access a conventional human, elf, angel, demon, dwarf, or beastfolk would get. Making you more miserable than fortunate, the system is, however, not that unforgiving to halfbreeds, which it considers mongrels, as it offers them a form of redemption. What the system offers as an option at the early levels is to progress along, acquire experience, and with it, go through a process similar to what monsters go through, an evolution that cleanly removes the properties of one of the races the halfbreed is part of. That process isn’t obligatory, but it’s compulsory, as without going through that process, a halfbreed would be generally handicapped as one can be.

  So in that moment when I asked, how that child is going along, I was hoping that the answer was that for sentimental reasons, like the pride of being "human", Jason would’ve had his child become human, which is, let’s be frank, a much easier target than an angel.

  Almost like reading through my thoughts, Dungeon Master 07 said, "She, it’s a she, like her mother. She’s also an angel. And for how she’s going, well, she’s well nurtured by her parents. From what I know, she’s already an early to mid-level Archangel."

  "Already?!"

  This was worse than I expected.

  Dungeon Master 07 nodded, "At the rate it’s going, another Seraphim might be born in the next 300 years."

  For the one that we once were, 300 years would be more than an eternity. But having more than 10,000 years as a Dungeon Master, we have come to understand that 300 years isn’t much, even less when you consider the current predicament we are in.

  From the moment Dungeon Master 07 opened up the path for us to reincarnate into Fiendfell with the goal of recovering the authority from those undeserving hands, it was an objective prognostic to say that we were still far from being able to do so.

  As of now, I couldn’t even imagine myself being able to be a threat to a Seraphim. We knew that all three would fight with all their might to protect the authorities in Jason’s possession. But still, this was no reason to give up hope. Trying to dispel the foul, depressing mood that began wafting in the room, I said, "That just means that we have to get strong enough before that time frame to snatch the authority from that mongrel and his allies."