After successfully increasing my potential and its growth rate to <S> and <SS> ranks respectively, I didn't feel as excited as I had initially expected to be upon reaching that milestone.

I don't know, man..

I just felt hollow, empty..

Was it because it was too easy? Was it because I used the advantage I had to achieve it?

What if I had achieved this power through my own hard work without relying on the knowledge of the future? Would I be happier than I was now?

Only God knows.

Well, whatever. It didn't matter now.

Without the knowledge of the future, I might have already died back when I was trapped inside the flash dungeon.

So, there was no point in complaining about it.

Just let it go.

In the end, I would still utilize that knowledge to create a better ending for this world.

I still didn't know about myself, with Reina's words still ringing in my mind, telling me I was a native of this world.

But, if I was indeed a native, what did that memory about the whole book and novel 'The Hero Beyond The Light' mean? That had the same people, places, and storyline, albeit with some alterations, as this world.

I sat on the chair inside the tent where Ruby was resting, recuperating from her treatment.

One of the medics got her medical history from the main Medical Center in the USA. It stated there that Ruby was diagnosed with CHF (Congestive Heart Failure).

It was a serious condition in which the heart didn't pump blood as efficiently as it should.

I was surprised when I heard it. Because, if she was diagnosed with CHF, how was she able to move and fight against the goblin king like that?

At that time, I didn't even notice she showed a sign of CHF while fighting. It was only after the fight that she did.

Moreover, I wondered how could she even walk all the way to the hunting field despite the disease.

'Could it be somehow related to her wilder personality I encountered while she was fighting? Or her skills?'

She slept so soundly I could even hear her cat-like purr.

My mind suddenly recalled the scene where I found a black cat on my windowsill and in the park, I couldn't help but think that Ruby was Zia or that cat because of how much their hair, especially their eyes resembled each other.

A gemstone with red fluorescence. A ruby.

'Heh.. She even got her name after the gemstone that has the same color as her eyes.'

I retraced my mind back to the topic of the three individuals; Ruby, Zia, and the black cat.

Wondering if I should look into this. But..

'Is it worth my time to do that?'

I didn't want to do work that wouldn't benefit me in any other way. But, this time was different.

I could see Ruby's status screen with my Clairvoyance unlike Zia and the black cat. Because of that, I found someone with SS-rank talent.

It was only for this SS-rank talent that I considered the work to look into Zia more.

"Fuu.."

Leaning on the chair, I turned on my Nova Watch, using it to search for something about Ruby—the Ustrina surname, to be precise.

What I found on the very top search of the keyword were an article and someone's face photo.

A man with short black hair and red eyes similar to Ruby's. Below the image was written his name 'Aster Ustrina'.

His name rang in my ears with familiarity. I was sure that was the villain character's name.

Surprisingly, when I scrolled through the articles about him, news about his death was everywhere.

I frowned as I read those articles.

Aster didn't die in the novel, he was alive at least until Lux killed him in the year 2034. But, somehow he had died in this world. On top of that, the year he died was 15 years ago. That was before he turned into a villain.

As I read the articles, I found out why he died.

Here was the difference between what happened in the story that I knew and the actual story that happened in this world's history.

In the novel, he was becoming a villain after failing to protect his family from the dragon incident 15 years ago. In his desperate moment, his hero's partners never came to comfort him until finally, the Dystopia's leader recruited him.

But in this world, he succeeded saving his family and the other civilian but lost his life in the process as a hero. To commemorate his bravery and service, the Omega built a statue for him in the city that he saved and rewarded the Ustrina family with money and opportunities.

Ustrina Guild was created a year later and many local heroes in that city—which after the incident, changed its name to Aster City—joined the guild.

'So that's why Dystopia was less active than in the novel..'

Aster Ustrina was a villain, and quite a high rank in Dystopia, ranked 17th. He was the villain that actively terrorized the city, especially the metropolis.

I pondered the possibility and what else had changed after his death, the one that wasn't being told in the news and media.

'Ah.. The Tea Ceremony Club's event might not occur this time. Except..'

Except if there was an unexpected variable.. Like a new villain that was way stronger and more annoying than Aster. Or, the demonic human..

"Mmm.."

Turning off my Nova Watch, my eyes shifted immediately to Ruby who was just waking up. I got up from the chair and helped her into a seated position.

He stared at me for a long time before throwing her face away shyly.

"Thank you.."

"No problem."

As time passed by between us, the atmosphere started to feel awkward as none of us spoke.

Sighing, I walked toward the door that led outside. But as my hand reached for the knob, he called me.

"H-hey.. Where are you going?"

I turned around, staring at her with a flat face.

"Going home?" I said as I tilted my head.

"O-oh.."

The silence shrouded us again.

And again, when I was about to leave the tent, she stopped me.historical

"Wa-wait! I don't know your name yet.. Mine is Ruby. Ruby Ustrina."

Her lips formed a thin smile.

Twisting the knob and opening the door, I peeked over my shoulder.

"I'm Zio Varrez."

I walked out without intrusion.

At the same time as I just walked out of the tent building, someone—a woman in her 40s—ran inside.

I could hear Ruby's voice and the woman—who I guessed was her mother—as I walked away from the tent and left the hunting field.

On my way to the ECQ's branch in this country, I pondered about a way to save Ruby.

Because, jeez, she's an SS-rank talent! How could I let her die?

Chronic disease, especially something that she had couldn't be cured even with how advanced today's technology was.

As this was a fantasy world and not sci-fi even though there were cool and futuristic technologies, the superior logic of this world was based on fantasy things.

The only way to cure her disease was with a miracle. And I didn't mean that it was depending on luck or so whatever. But, magic.

If science couldn't do it, then maybe magic could.

And by magic, I meant not a spell but rather a potion. Oh fu, I guess it's alchemy then? Whatever.

The question is, where should I go when I need to make a potion?

Wizard shop? Yes. Alchemy shop? Yes. But, that wouldn't be enough.

Hear me out. If someone wanted the best out of the best. They should come to..

"Immoral Alchemist. Bell Walker."