The Challenger's Return: Rebirth of the Rainbow Mage - Chapter 6: Tutorial (4)

Mirian Castrella, a student in her final year of a magical academy, unexpectedly finds herself caught in a time loop and haunted by strange dreams of the Elder Gods. Her plan had been to become an artificer to support her struggling family, but when the Akana Praediar army betrays her country in a surprise attack, everything changes. Instead, she finds herself delving into the dark secrets of the world, mastering magic, finding allies, and uncovering a vast conspiracy. However, just because the time loop can save her life doesn’t mean it can save her from everything. Mirian must navigate a dangerous world changed by the magitech revolution. Her quest to save the world from the apocalypse will lead her to battle magi and beasts, into the unfathomable underground Labyrinth, across distant lands, and into forgotten ancient ruins. Only through becoming a master arcanist who understands the true nature of the world can Mirian hope to stop the apocalypse she relives through time and time again. If she fails, everything she loves will be lost. ‍ What to expect: - Slow burn power progression - A clever protagonist who changes as the story moves from arc to arc - Expansive world-building full of complexity and secrets - A focus on magic - Intrigue and spell-flinging fights - A rotating cast of characters in each arc - Starts slow, then picks up speed

One rule: Survive. Everything else is optional.Reika Kagetsu doesn’t want to be a hero. She just wants to feel—pain, fear, adrenaline—anything to remind her she’s still alive.Tenshiko Academy promised her that.What she got instead? Brutal training. No rest. No second chances. And monsters—inside and out.Now she’s fighting the Shikiban: creatures born from blood, madness, and buried secrets. But the deeper she goes, the more she begins to wonder...What if she’s one of them?Power always comes with a price. And Reika is about to pay it in full.

A young man named Alexander Ashbourne is looking for a job to support his studies. He applies to work as a waiter at a restaurant. The next day on his 18th birthday, a system appears that generates money simply by idling. This system also allows him to trade with beings from other worlds or even visit their realms. Watch as Alexander rises to fame across all the realms.[DeathlessOne: I just spotted this mortal, 'AlexanderTheGrate,' trying to trade his drink called Mountain Dew. I'm thinking of offering my Flame Sword for it.][ShadowEternal: Wait, what’s a Mountain Dew?][TimelessWanderer: Are you seriously considering trading your Emperor-grade sword for a mere drink?][DeathlessOne: It’s not just any drink. The taste is out of this world, It's even better than the heavenly wine.][ShadowEternal: {...}][TimelessWanderer: {...}][Everyone in the chat: {...}][RichNigga: You know what, I’m in. I’ll trade my Gold Deluxe Armor just to see if this Mountain Dew is worth all the hype.]

…Ring! [ The Unique Skill ‘Grand Devourer’ has been acquired! ]

That’s how it first started.
And then… it didn’t stop:

[ The Unique Skill ‘Evolve’ has been acquired! —
[ The Passive Skill ‘Jelly-like Shapelessness’ has been acquired! —
[ The Passive Skill ‘Resistant Body’ has been acquired! —
[ The Unique Skill ‘Dwell’ has been acquired! —
[ The Unique Skill ‘Skill Copy’ has been acquired! —
[ The Passive Skill ‘Mana Perception’ has been acquired! ]

Up until…

[ The Passive Skill ‘Consciousness’ has been acquired! ]

And then I was through—

Normally, monster-type creatures don’t just pop up in some random place—let alone a human place—out of the blue, and without notice.
Yes, if we’re talking ‘normally’, monsters belong more to places like remote, hostile grounds: they ought to be from dark, nasty forests, old caves, or abandoned, ancient ruins.
As I said, it was only so long as we spoke of the usual deal, however. For better or worse, I wasn’t your regular mob.
So, forget about all the remote, uneasy places humans hardly go to—all the abandoned forests, caves, or dungeons I, a monster, should have been from—and picture a bright, lively family restaurant, in an oh-so-peaceful human village. A restaurant where people ate, chatted, and jested together, all having a good time, blissfully oblivious to the fact that, very soon, I would be cutting them all down.

By magic, a monster-type creature spawned in such a place. It was me.
So far, for the few seconds I had been living, it was quite the good life… I got to listen to a fantastic story being told and shared a cool moment with people.
However! Following an uncertain course of events, I happened to be put up against a wall, with a sword aimed at my chest, before I was mercilessly killed.

I, a unique monster, just spawned in that restaurant, with no clue regarding what was going on.
All I knew was that I wanted to live and survive.
Also, I knew I wasn’t your regular kind of monster.
Thankfully, I’d been granted unique abilities before I showed up.
That is how I managed to survive.