"So that's it?" I ask Alex as he encourages Nero and Seras to kill the trapped fairies individually. "Yeah, pretty much. It seems easy because we've dealt with these things before, but they were a real pain when we first assembled." Yeah, that would make sense, especially if they've bought traps before starting this sort of mission.

  "Wait, so if I hadn't been the bait, what use would I be to the team? How were you planning to test me?" Alex suddenly ignores me as he starts pretending that I didn't just reveal his true motives all along. What a smart guy. I bet Alex wanted me in the team as much as all the other leaders, but he made me go after him instead of going after me. Man, that's smart.

  "That should do it! Come on, baby! Hit me with the EXP!" Nero exclaims as he finishes off the last batch of screaming fairies with his hands. To my surprise, he and his companions all start glowing at the same time as they celebrate, except for me, of course.

  "Damn! I leveled up an entire level with those suckers! YEAH!" Nero happily checks his advantage card as he receives the bonuses to his experience, which I assumed worked like some sort of videogame mechanic that I couldn't even take advantage of! Man being anti-magical sucks!

  I know that my curse can be useful, and it does serve a purpose, but I am so jealous of people! I mean, I die and reincarnate in a fantasy land where magic is a real thing, and I am barred from ever being able to use it! IT'S UNFAIR! I call for a redo goddess of reincarnation!

  Actually, I take that back. This body is probably the best I will get; my chances of being strong in the next reincarnation are low.

  Thanks to my vampire body, I have a high degree of strenght that I can work on with exercise; the best part about being a vampire, however, is not my incredible stamina, speed, or reflexes but the ability to heal deadly wounds with enough access to blood.

  I am still wondering what my physical limit will be once I finish mastering the KP engine. Since this world's magical system allows for constant growth with the help of magic, people can grow absurdly strong in this world, but will the same be true for me? Or will I hit a wall? There's only one way to find out, really.

  Buster's training increased my strength and stamina, but how much more can I grow with just physical training alone? I don't have access to much data about myself aside from my adventurer's card, which will explode as soon as I try to check my stats, so the only way to do it is at a guild with their quality reading stone.

  "What's on your mind, Annabel?" Seras asks me as I stare at the sky, thinking about my possible ceiling. I don't know how to say this, but I am not as strong as people think." I finally crack open before the team, who jumps on me and my weird statement right away.

  "Oi! Quit messing with us kid! A weak Adamantite!?" Nero seems to take my words like some sort of joke, followed by Alex, who says something similar, but I know it's true. "If I am to join your team, I better tell you that I am not magically powerful." Seras is the first to respond to my comment with a clear "Bullshit!"

  "It's not a lie or a joke. The truth is that I cannot even summon a fire spell." Alex and Nero both laugh a little bit before Nero pats me on the head and dismisses me with a bit of his usual silliness. "You don't gotta be that humble kid; we know you're stronger than all of us, but there's no need to sell yourself short."

  "It's not a joke! I am trying to be honest with you guys!" I yell for once with a bit of frustration that seems to get across to Alex as he finally starts taking me a little more seriously. "Alright, well, let's say I believe you aren't magically powerful; how could you explain your rank then?"

  "I am, how should I put it? I am immune to magic, to all types. No matter how strong or charged it might be, I am invulnerable to all." Seras looks at me for a few seconds before going ahead with her way to test my statement by launching a fire attack against me at point blank, which immediately clashes against my barrier.

  "What the hell!?" Seras exclaims as she puts all her might into her attack until she finally gives up after my anti-magical barrier simply destroys her attack, leaving no trace of her attack at all. "Woah! What was that!?" Nero is the first to question what he'd seen. "It's my power, my cursed weird power. I cannot use magic, but in exchange, I cannot be damaged by magical attacks of any kind."

  Alex looks the most perplexed of the three as he tries to control himself and come to terms with what he saw. "Do you have any idea of what this means?" Alex quickly turns me around to look at him eye to eye, which makes me feel a little uncomfortable. "That you don't want me on your team anymore?" I innocently ask.

  "No! It means you can defeat even royalty; you're stronger than royalty. If what you say is true, it could mean that you're the deadliest weapon known to man." What the hell!? I know that magic is vital for some people, but are the royals really that overpowered? "I cannot be enhanced, so my reflexes and speed are not going to get much better than they are now, which is why I need a team."

  "Of course! The world system runs on magic, and you can't level up since you are immune. Is that why you feel weak?" To my dilemma, Seras beats Alex to the punch as she hits the nail on the head. "You got it. While I am immune to magical attacks, physical damage will still be effective against me, so anything with blunt strenght can end me."

  "Even if that's the case, the ability to stop magical incoming attacks makes you the best kind of human shield. Most of the higher level enemies' adventurer's faces are magically powerful; having you around would be useful." Nero says as Alex brings him back to reality.

  "Yeah, but if she can't get stronger or faster, how can she keep up with our growth? We will eventually become too fast for her to keep up with us. Without the system's help, there's no way they can grow stronger." Alex is brutally honest, which I appreciate, and I follow up with another secret.

  "That's where my physical development comes into play. I have access to an outside-the-system power aside from my anti-magic shield. Do you remember the steam coming out of me at the guild?" I respond to Alex's comments, and he listens carefully along with his teammates. "Yeah, I remember, that was pretty weird," Nero responds.

  "That was the KP engine technique. I can tap this power for a couple of seconds, and from what I've been able to tell, it raises my strenght and speed quite a lot, but I still can't control it very well." Seras seems to recognize the name of the KP engine first as she goes through her memories.

  "I think I've heard of such a technique in the Empire before, but I can't pinpoint where." Seras curiously starts thinking as Alex comes to terms with what he is about to say next. "So you basically want us to protect you from physical threats, and in exchange, you will take care of covering us against magically powerful foes?" Alex goes straight to the point, as always.

  "Pretty much. As shown by that douchebag Martigan, if I am taken by surprise, even a dipshit like him can blackmail me into doing things with physical punishments for not obeying." Alex thinks carefully again as Nero rushes to accept the deal Alex places on the table in a heartbeat!

  "DEAL! Sounds like a good deal to me! If all I gotta do to get an invisible anti-magical shielder to cover my ass when facing magically powerful enemies is to protect you from the more physical enemies, then welcome to the team!" Nero exclaims, followed by Alex, who punches the guy on the head for rushing to accept.

  "I hadn't made a decision yet, you moron!" Alex angrily says to Nero, who quickly turns around to persuade him. "Think about it, Alex! With a kid like them, we could all become Adamantite-level adventurers in no time! We could go against more EXP-rich enemies like dragons and shit!" Nero says.

  "I know, but if we are to take on that responsibility, we would also have to keep her safe against everyone who will eventually take part of her pie. A power like hers is way too lucrative for any world army." Alex says to Nero, which I follow by interrupting their argument on my own.

  "Not if you all also keep quiet about my abilities. I just need enough time to master the KP engine. Then you can ditch me and reveal the truth if you want. I just need a little bit of protection until I master the Engine." I try to sound calm and controlled, and this seems to persuade Alex as he finally bites his upper lip.

  "Welcome to the team then. We shall keep the secret of your powers and accept the deal of reciprocal protection!"