Journey to Planar World

After lunch, the atmosphere in the house was eerily quiet, even the sound of spoons being placed on the table was clearly audible. Everyone sat in the living room, but no one spoke. Each of their expressions reflected a heavy burden on their minds.

Ichika sat leaning back on the sofa with her arms crossed, but there was no usual confident expression on her face. Her eyes stared blankly at the floor, uninterested in playing with her phone as usual.

Nino, usually outspoken, didn’t say a word. She hugged her knees, her body slightly trembling. Her face was tense, but her lips were tightly shut.

In another corner, Miku sat hugging a sofa cushion, her gaze fixed on the already switched-off TV.

Even Yotsuba, the most positive of them all, didn’t know how to cheer everyone up. It was her kind heart, which made her feel responsible for the misfortune that befell others because of them.

Seeing her gloomy sisters, Itsuki sighed, but none of them spoke to break the silence.

The only good news was that their father, Nakano Maruo, was one of the survivors of the Tokai’s Endless Night incident. Although Maruo was invited by his five daughters to take refuge in their hideout, he refused. The hospital was currently filled with injured people, his professional attitude as a doctor didn’t allow him to simply escape when there were patients in front of him.

Meanwhile, Fuutarou sat next to Raiha, who still looked terrified. As the older brother, he kept holding her hand to make sure his little sister felt safe. However, his face was full of worry about the uncertain future that he couldn’t hide.

This morning, they had witnessed something they couldn’t forget for the rest of their lives. In the previous two attacks, they all took shelter in the basement, unaware of the true extent of the danger that really lurked around them. But this time, they witnessed the destruction of Tokai City with their own eyes.

Countless clones attacked mercilessly, destroying everything in their path. The screams of the people being killed still echoed in their ears. They also saw clearly Aishia protecting them, preventing the bloodthirsty clones from completing their task, which was to kill them.

Not only that, the news of millions of casualties in Tokai City kept playing on TV all afternoon, adding to the weight of their mood. They knew the tragedy was a result of the attack that was actually intended to kill them.

The burden of guilt and fear enveloped them all. No one dared to say it, but they knew that staying in this house was becoming increasingly dangerous.

”...”

’The atmosphere feels suffocating. Well, their reaction is very normal when experiencing this situation. A person whose mood is unaffected, their personality is questionable...’

Charlie realized everyone’s mood, but he knew that words of comfort wouldn’t help much. Instead of speaking, he just observed their faces one by one, deciding not to burden them further with more worry.

Amidst the silence, Aishia sitting next to Charlie, suddenly spoke, ”Charlie, you’ve defeated so many clones. Have you ever thought about checking your status? Maybe you got a lot of Excelia from them.”

Her words caught Charlie’s attention. He hadn’t thought much about it before, but the idea made sense. By defeating so many clones, he should have gained significant Excelia.

”You’re right, I’ll check it now.”

Without hesitation, he began to take off his clothes, revealing his muscular and sturdy upper body. His muscles were perfectly defined, his stomach looked like a neatly arranged row of bricks.

However, the most striking was the large tattoo on his back, which resembled a royal emblem. The tattoo depicted a woman with a crown, surrounded by lilies, adorned with beautiful ornaments and a staff beside her—an image that seemed like a symbol of power and grandeur.

”Hey! What’s this? Why do you have to take off your shirt in front of all of us?” Nino exclaimed with flushed cheeks. She tried to look annoyed, but her voice sounded a little shaky with embarrassment.

On the other hand, Ichika tried to act more relaxed, although it was clear that her eyes couldn’t stay away from the tattoo on his back.

”Hmm... This tattoo is interesting. You never told us about this before, Charlie-kun turned out to be a bad boy?” She asked, pretending to be calm, even though there was a red tint on her cheeks.

Meanwhile, Miku and Itsuki immediately turned their faces away, their faces as red as tomatoes.

”He’s really an exhibitionist.” Nino muttered, trying to divert her attention from Charlie’s body.

Yotsuba wasn’t as shy as her older sisters, she just looked confused.

”That tattoo is cool, but... why did Charlie-san suddenly take off his shirt?”

”Don’t look, Raiha. This sight isn’t suitable for you.” Fuutarou hurriedly covered Raiha’s eyes with his hand.

”Um, Onii-chan.”

Raiha just nodded, although she had caught a glimpse. Compared to her skinny older brother’s body, Charlie’s body was very charming to her.

”...”

Charlie ignored the commotion coming from the girls around him. Calmly, he extended his hand into the air and opened the Space-Time Cache, a dimensional storage space in the form of a bracelet on his hand. From there, he took out a small bottle containing a soft glowing red liquid—Hera’s divine blood.

Without hesitation, he opened the bottle and dripped the liquid onto his forehead. As soon as the blood touched his skin, he activated The Chosen Savior Skill. Golden light enveloped his body, and the large tattoo on his back began to glow, emitting a sacred aura that captivated everyone in the room.

”What’s happening?” Miku whispered, her eyes curious at the changes happening to Charlie.

”That’s not a tattoo. It’s a Falna.” Aishia said calmly, drawing everyone’s attention.

”Falna? What’s a Falna?” Ichika asked, representing everyone’s doubt and curiosity.

Glancing at Charlie, as if asking permission to explain. Seeing him just remain silent as a sign of agreement, Aishia shared her knowledge with them.

”Falna is a divine blessing bestowed by the gods and goddesses who have descended to the lower world upon mortal beings who choose to become their followers. This divine blessing allows mortals to gain supernatural abilities and grow exponentially, transforming them from ordinary people into powerful individuals capable of facing threats in the Dungeon.”

”...”

Everyone listened intently, although some of them looked confused.

”Actually, we’re not from this world. The world we live in has many races, and even gods who descended from heaven to have fun. The danger that threatens the world is the monsters that come out of the Dungeon.”

”Before the descent of the gods, humans were already fighting monsters in the Dungeon. However, they had difficulty facing monsters due to their limited ability to fight them. The gods, with their extraordinary power, could only watch humans in the mortal world. Bored, the gods decided to descend from heaven to live among humans, form bonds with them, and live more intimately. To do this, the gods had to seal most of their divine abilities. However, they still had the ability to bestow blessings on humans who chose to follow them. This divine blessing is what is called a Falna.”

Aishia paused for a moment, giving them time to digest all the information. After a while, she ignored them and continued.

”Although Falna is often called a blessing from the gods, Falna is more than that. Falna acts as a stimulant used to awaken one’s innate power. The gods pour a little of their divine power, also known as Arcanum, into the mortals they have chosen, and the mortals receive a power boost. However, the power boost they gain varies from person to person, depending on their type and level.”

”...”

”So, it’s like... a level system in a game?” Yotsuba asked, trying to understand the explanation in a simpler way.

”More or less like that. But this isn’t a game, but real power given by the gods.” Aishia nodded softly.

Meanwhile, Charlie, who had been silent all this time, finished his update. He felt a surge of immense energy flowing through his body, forming a new layer of strength within him.

He then took a blank parchment from his Space-Time Cache and handed it to Aishia.

”Aishia, stick this to my back.”

Aishia took the parchment without hesitation, although everyone looked at them with curiosity. As she stuck it to his back, the Falna on his body glowed again. A bright golden light radiated, and the symbols on the Falna began to appear on the parchment, recording Charlie’s status and abilities.