Shin smiled as he heavily panted, exiting the portal after finishing the dungeon. He enjoyed the exhilarating rush after unleashing his ability without restrictions.
A week had passed since he first ran the Newbie Dungeon with the party, and it didn't take long for his last attempt with the team.
With every attempt, Lauren and Amy would test him, stopping his advances, just barely missing hitting him, and much more.
He glanced at the clock, silently cursing, realizing it was almost time for the school to open. He rushed to the door, stopping as he reached for the handle.
"Shin!" A voice called out behind him, and his eyes widened in shock as he stared through the door's glass.
He took a deep breath, sighing heavily, before he turned around, smiling at Lucy, "Good morning! I didn't think anyone else would be here…"
"Did you just exit the dungeon?" She asked, narrowing her eyes as she stared at him suspiciously.
"Of course not!" Shin said, smiling as he placed his hand behind his neck and cursed under his breath.
"Really?" She asked, raising her brow as she crossed her arms over her ample chest, shifted her body weight, and poked her hip out, staring at him in disbelief.
"Tch!" Shin clicked his tongue, turned to the panel next to the door, and entered the code, locking the door, muttering he should have done this before.
"Alright…" He sighed, turning back to Lucy, approaching, and shook his head, "Yeah… I was training."
"Solo? How do you have the attributes to handle that?" Lucy asked, stepping toward him as she tapped his chest, making him step back.
"I've just been practicing!" Shin said, backing against the wall and staring into her eyes.
"Share your status window with me." She demanded, stepping closer as her eyes locked onto his as she searched for the answers in them.
"You know I can't do that!" Shin countered, shaking his head.
"I'll show you mine if you show me yours." She replied, stepping closer as she pressed her chest against his.
Their eyes were locked on each other's, her breath tickling his lips as his heart pounded in his chest. Her scent permeated his nose and entranced him.
Shin was speechless; his face was flushed, unable to think straight enough to reply; his heart raced, and his hands became sweaty.
"Well?" Lucy asked, placing her hands against his chest, pushing him against the wall as she stared up at him.
"I-I-I'm… Sorry…" Shin sighed, shaking his head and rubbing the back of his neck as he averted his gaze, "You know it's against the rules to share your status window."
"So?" She countered, shrugging her shoulders as she smirked at him, "It's not actually enforced, and I've seen plenty of status windows."
"I'm sorry, but I can't." He said, turning his face away as he averted his gaze.
"Tch!" Lucy clicked her tongue, huffing in frustration, teasing him, "You're no fun. How about a little bet, then?"
"I think I'll pass." Shin said, turning to exit the portal room, unlocking the door as it slid open.
"Oh, come on!" She exclaimed, running up behind him and wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing her body against his back.
Shin groaned, and Lucy giggled excitedly as she knew she had won, jumping onto his shoulders as she leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
"If we come in first place in the finals, we'll share our status windows." She giggled, jumping off his back as the young man placed the tips of his fingers on his cheek, where she kissed him.
"Wait a second!" Shin shouted, rapidly turning around as the giddy young woman slipped past him, running down the hallway.
The young man narrowed his eyes as he glared at the departing woman and disregarded the bet as he never accepted.
He sighed and shook his head, muttering under his breath as he walked down the hallway, "I'll never understand women…"
Nearly two months later, Shin woke up on the morning of the commencement ceremony for the Graduation Tournament.
The young man quickly got dressed and ate before jumping into his pod and started up the game. When he opened his eyes again, he was inside his small room in the dormitories.
He grinned as he exited his room and made his way downstairs before rushing out of the dormitory and quickly through the streets.
Before the Graduation Ceremony, there was one final test for the students of the United Federation Grand Academy.
Unlike the Graduation Tournament, which determined the most desirable recruits, the Finals determined in which order the students would participate.
The final was a race for the party with the previously selected parties, and each team would be given one chance to complete the Newbie Dungeon as quickly as possible.
Shin had wracked his brain, looking for the best solution to win this task, but his only reasonable solution was to blitz the dungeon and leave the rest of his party behind.
Practicing his timing revealed that he was indeed the fastest in the class, but this method would be problematic.
Guilds wouldn't want to bring in players who couldn't play well with others. The vast majority of the game required full parties or even a max alliance in order to complete the most challenging content.
Not only that, there was also the bet that Lucy forced upon him. He sighed and shook his head before he shrugged and disregarded the downsides.
"Oh well!" He smirked, entering the training hall and passing through to the proving grounds in the center of the building.
He was surprised; his eyes widened as he saw his entire class already present. It wasn't every day that he was one of the last to arrive.
He quickly and silently made his way through the courtyard, finding the party of Lauren, Amy, Lucy, and Sienna.
He slipped between Lucy and Sienna and apologized for being late when Lauren turned around and unleashed a deathly gaze upon him.
"Good morning!" Director Kim shouted, a massive grin on his face, "Congratulations on making it here! Today will be the final chapter of this part of your lives, so let's go out with a bang!"