Mazuka stepped out of the dungeon, wiping the sweat from his brow. His heavy boots crunched against the gravel, but the fresh air, which should have felt like a relief, brought only a hollow sense of unease. Behind him, Mayra slid her twin blades into their scabbards, her sharp eyes scanning the horizon, ever alert.
"Another easy win," Mayra muttered, flicking dirt off her cloak as though brushing away the battle itself. "You're not slacking, are you?"
Mazuka forced a grin, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Guess I'm just getting stronger."
Mayra snorted, brushing past him, her stride as brisk and unapologetic as always. "Don't flatter yourself. Those dungeon monsters barely qualify as a warm-up."
Aya approached from behind, clutching her artifact staff, her shy gaze lingering on Mazuka's brown hair. "You… don't look too happy, Mazuka. Did something happen?"
Mazuka hesitated, his gaze drifting to the ground. "No… not exactly."
Something had been bothering him for a while now, gnawing at his thoughts. As they moved further away from the dungeon's ominous entrance, he flicked open his system interface with a thought. The translucent screen hovered in front of him, displaying his stats—strength, agility, magic power. But his attention wasn't on those. His eyes were fixed on a single, frustrating number.
**[SYSTEM UPDATE]**
- Current chance of defeating the Demon King: 50%
Fifty percent. It hadn't budged. Not after countless raids, battles, and victories. No matter how much stronger he became, no matter how many enemies they cut down, his chances remained stuck at fifty percent. It gnawed at him, this unyielding reminder that he was only halfway to achieving his goal.
Mayra threw him a sidelong glance as they walked. "You spacing out again? Or is your system reminding you that you're still only half as good as you think?"
Mazuka tried to laugh, but the tension in his chest refused to fade. "Yeah, something like that."
Aya's soft voice pierced the growing silence. "Is something wrong?"
He closed the interface with a flicker of frustration and shook his head. "It's nothing."
But it wasn't nothing. Their team had been flawless, gaining strength with each encounter. So why wasn't the system reflecting that progress? Why was he still locked at fifty percent?
Aya frowned, her expression full of concern. "Mazuka... you can talk to us."
With a sigh, Mazuka finally gave in. "It's the system. I've been stuck at fifty percent. No matter how hard we fight or how much stronger I get, it won't move."
Mayra raised an eyebrow, not missing a beat. "Fifty percent? That's still better than zero. Sounds like a win to me."
Mazuka shook his head, frustration seeping into his words. "It's not enough. It's been stuck there for too long. It feels like I've hit a wall, and I don't know how to break through."
Aya's eyes softened, her brow furrowing in empathy. "But we've all been getting stronger. How can that not show up in the system? It doesn't make sense."
Mazuka raked a hand through his hair, his mind swirling with uncertainty. "I don't know. It's like I'm overlooking something. Something important, but I can't figure out what."
Mayra scoffed, crossing her arms. "Maybe you're overthinking it. The system's just numbers. We've fought tougher things than percentages. If fifty percent's what it says, we'll just keep pushing until it changes. Simple."
"But what if fifty percent isn't enough when it really counts?" Mazuka shot back, a note of anxiety creeping into his voice. "What if I'm not ready when we finally face the Demon King?"
Aya stepped closer, her hand gently resting on his arm, her voice calm and steady. "You're not alone in this, Mazuka. We've made it this far together. Maybe the system isn't just about you. Maybe it's about us, as a team."
Her words hit him harder than expected. She was right. They had always fought as a team, each one playing a crucial role. But if that was true, why wasn't the system reflecting their collective strength?
Mayra clicked her tongue, her gaze sharp as always. "Look, worrying about numbers won't help. We keep going, hit fifty-one percent, and we know we're on the right track."
Mazuka couldn't help but chuckle, despite the weight pressing on him. "I guess you're right."
But even as they set up camp for the night, his mind kept drifting back to that number. Fifty percent. No matter how much they pushed forward, no matter how many monsters they felled, that nagging figure loomed over him, a silent mockery of all their progress.
Later that night, as the campfire crackled, sending embers flickering into the sky, Mazuka sat apart from the others, staring into the flames. His thoughts churned restlessly, replaying every battle, every decision. Aya and Mayra were talking quietly nearby, their voices a comforting murmur against the quiet of the night.
"What if it's not about strength?" Mazuka muttered to himself, thinking out loud. "What if the system's waiting for something else?"