My legs were barely holding up as Ken and Emily guided me through the ridiculously polished halls of what used to be our school gym. Now? It was a castle straight out of a fantasy RPG—except it wasn't an escape room or some overpriced amusement park attraction.
No, this was real. Too real.
The walls shimmered with faintly glowing runes, casting soft, otherworldly light over everything. The polished stone floor made me feel like I was walking into the lair of some smug noble who'd taken "luxury" as a personal challenge.
But hey, I wasn't complaining. Better this than being outside with whatever else was lurking out there.
Ken, ever the cheerful giant, gave me a toothy grin. "Still with us, Avi?"
I groaned. "Barely. If one more person thanks me, I might just pass out again. Consider it a warning."
Speak of the devil, a group of players turned the corner ahead, most of them wearing various makeshift pieces of armor that looked like they'd been cobbled together with duct tape and desperation.
"Oh, here we go," I muttered under my breath.
"Hey, Avi!" one of them—a swordsman with a thick bandage wrapped around his left arm—called out. "Thanks for saving us back there. We'd be toast without you."
"Yeah, you were amazing!" another chimed in, a younger player whose wide eyes sparkled with admiration.
I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling all kinds of awkward. "Uh, sure. No problem. Just, y'know, doing my job or whatever."
Ken leaned closer, clearly enjoying my discomfort. "You've got fans now, Mr. Hero."
"Great," I deadpanned. "Do I sign autographs later or…?"
More players passed by, giving me nods and murmured thanks, but what caught my eye was a small group of younger kids. They huddled together, stealing glances at me like I was some kind of mythical creature. One of them even mimed swinging an imaginary weapon, clearly reenacting my "heroic" moments from the battle.
Ken chuckled. "Adorable, aren't they?"
"Yeah, adorable," I said. "Until they start asking me to babysit."
When we finally reached the central pavilion, I was half-tempted to throw myself into the nearest chair and call it a day. Unfortunately, Alex, our fearless leader, spotted us immediately. His face lit up with relief as he strode over, his usual air of charisma practically radiating off him.
"Avi," Alex said, his tone warm and genuine. "It's good to see you up and about. You had us all worried."
I offered a weak smile. "Glad I could keep things interesting."
"Lena," Alex called, turning to his ever-efficient second-in-command, "can you gather everyone? We'll need a full house for this."
As Lena disappeared to do just that, Alex turned back to me with a look that screamed "concerned parent." "You've helped us a lot, Avi. Make sure to take it easy for the meantime, alright?"
Emily immediately jumped in. "Don't worry, Alex. I'll keep an eye on him."
Ken, ever the protective big brother type, crossed his arms. "Yeah, he's not going anywhere unless we say so."
"Uh, guys," I said, waving a hand. "I'm right here. Still breathing. No need to plan my retirement party yet."
It didn't take long for the others to start trickling in. The steady murmur of voices soon grew louder, and before I knew it, I was surrounded again.
"Here we go," I muttered under my breath.
The first wave of players approached, their faces lighting up with gratitude and excitement. The back-patting began almost immediately.
"Avi, man, you were insane out there!"
"You totally saved us!"
"Is it true you blacked out and still won?"
I forced a weak smile, my exhaustion making it hard to keep up the charm. "Yup, that's me. Your friendly neighborhood blackout hero."
Then came Caleb—lanky, energetic, and entirely too enthusiastic. The moment he spotted me, his eyes lit up like fireworks.
"Avi!" he shouted, bounding forward with his arms open wide. "You're alive! You absolute legend!"
Before I could dodge, he lunged, aiming to trap me in one of his signature overenthusiastic hugs.
Ken, ever the watchdog, stepped in like a defensive lineman. He planted a hand on Caleb's shoulder, his grin friendly but firm. "Alright, Caleb. Let's not crush him. He's still in recovery."
Caleb stopped mid-lunge, looking genuinely heartbroken. "Oh, come on, Ken! Just one hug? For the guy who brought my Shadowfang daggers to life?"
I sighed. "It's not that deep, Caleb."
"Not that deep?" Caleb gasped, clutching his chest like I'd insulted his entire craft. "Those daggers are my masterpieces!"
Ken patted his shoulder. "You can hug them instead."
Caleb pouted but relented, muttering something about "ungrateful warriors" as he shuffled off to find a spot.
Just as I thought I might finally get a moment of peace, Tyler sauntered over, his usual smirk firmly in place.
"You stupidly stole the spotlight again," he said, crossing his arms.
I raised an eyebrow. "And hello to you too, Tyler. Glad to see you're still your charming self."
For a moment, he didn't reply. Then, in a voice so low I almost missed it, he added, "...But still, thanks for saving me."
I blinked, caught off guard by the uncharacteristic show of gratitude. "Wait, what was that? Did Tyler actually say thank you?" I leaned closer, grinning. "Someone write this down. We're witnessing history."
Tyler's face flushed, and his jaw tightened. "Don't push it, Avi."
"Oh, I'm definitely pushing it," I teased. "Ty-Ty has a soft side!"
"Call me that again, and I'll—" He stopped himself, visibly choosing to let it go. Instead, he just scoffed, shoved his hands in his pockets, and stomped off to a corner like a sulking cat.
Ken shook his head, chuckling. "You really do have a talent for getting under people's skin."
I grinned. "It's my only true skill."
Emily giggled, and for a moment, the tension in the air lifted. But it wouldn't last long. With the key players gathered and the weight of Alex's gaze falling on us, it was clear that the meeting was about to begin.
Alex stood at the head of the room, his usual commanding presence making it clear he was in charge.
"The gym has undergone a massive transformation," he began, gesturing to the grand room around us. "What you see now is a fully functional castle. Lena has been gathering information on the changes, and she'll fill us in on the details."
Lena stepped forward, clipboard in hand. She cleared her throat and began her report with all the precision of someone presenting a school project—except this one might actually save our lives.
"The castle has enough rooms to house all of us comfortably," she explained, "and there's even space to accommodate more, should the need arise. We've also discovered specialized facilities, including a fully equipped forge for blacksmith and craftsman classes to produce weapons, armor, and tools. Additionally, there's a training ground divided into sections: one for combat practice and another for support classes to hone their skills."
I whistled softly under my breath. "Not bad for a place that used to smell like sweaty gym socks."
Lena shot me a quick glare but continued without missing a beat.
"So far, we haven't ventured outside the castle. Our observations from the windows and rooftops indicate that it's surrounded by dense forest. There may be resources—or threats—out there, but we'll need to map the area before making any assumptions."
Alex nodded. "That's where our first mission comes in. I'm assigning Avi, Ken, and Emily to lead the scouting effort. You're a well-rounded team—a damage dealer, a tank, and a healer. Sorry to cut your rest shortly but we will be needing your help again, make sure to prepare thoroughly before heading out."
I raised an eyebrow. "No pressure or anything, right?"
"You'll be fine," Alex said with a faint smile. "The system has given us three months before the next wave. That's more than enough time to train, strengthen ourselves, and gather information."
Ryan, leaning casually against a nearby wall, chimed in. "If we're being given that much time, it probably means the next wave is going to be brutal."
"Exactly," Alex replied. "But we'll use this time wisely. No one will be left behind. We'll support each other, train together, and ensure we're ready for whatever comes next."
Ken's face lit up with a rare, genuine smile at those words.
After the meeting, Ken, Emily, and I found our way to the castle's cafeteria. The scent of freshly cooked food filled the air, and a small team of Chef-class players bustled around, serving up plates of steaming meals.
The moment one of them spotted me, he practically sprinted over, a tray laden with a ridiculously large portion of food. "For the hero of the hour," he said with a grin.
"Thanks," I muttered, trying not to sound too awkward about it. Ken and Emily received similarly generous servings, and we settled into a corner table.
For the first time in what felt like forever, we had a moment to just sit and eat.
"So," Emily began, her voice tinged with excitement. "I hit level 3 while you were out, Avi."
"Oh yeah?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "What'd you get?"
"My |Mana Proficiency| expanded!" she said proudly. "I've got Haste, Purify, Heal, Shield, and Barrier now. I've been practicing a lot, and my healing's gotten way better. I can even keep up with some of the other healer classes now."
"Impressive," I admitted. "Guess I should pass out more often if it helps you level up."
Ken chuckled. "I hit level 3 too. Unlocked a skill called |Aura|. It's active, though, so I still need to figure out the best way to use it."
"Active?" Emily asked.
Ken nodded. "Yeah, I can consciously turn it on and off. It coats either my body or my weapon in a glow that's supposed to strengthen it, but it drains mana and stamina when it's active. I figure it's a good emergency skill, but I won't be walking around like a lantern all the time."
"That's... kinda cool," Emily said. "What color's your glow?"
Ken smirked. "Gold. Like a true hero."
"Figures," I said, rolling my eyes. "You just had to pick the most dramatic aura possible."
Ken nudged me with his elbow. "What about you? What's your status looking like?"
I sighed, pulling up my stats and letting the familiar blue screen hover in front of me.
Avi Eques (Level 4)
Strength: 17.104 → 18.241
Defense: 11.130 → 11.630
Stamina: 9.143 → 10.008
Agility: 14.110 → 15.067
Intelligence: 8.090 → 8.784
Skills:
|Clairvoyance|
|?a??k??|
(Synchronization: 2%)
|Battle Instinct| Predict certain enemy moves. Fighting proficiency enhanced based on stats.
|Dagger Arts| Complete grasp of dagger arts.
|Aura| Coats body or weapon with a glow that strengthens it. Can be activated or deactivated at will. Consumes mana or stamina when in use.
I noticed that my synchronization went up and my dagger arts is now completed. I'll take a closer look at that later.
"Looks like my stats took a nice jump," I said, gesturing to the screen. "And I've got the |Aura| skill too."
"Turn it on!" Emily said excitedly.
I hesitated, glancing at Ken. "Is this gonna drain me? I just finished putting myself back together."
Ken smirked. "You'll be fine. It's not like it'll knock you out cold. Besides, I'm curious too."
With a sigh, I focused on the skill, willing it to activate.
A faint glow spread over my hands and arms, starting as a dim shimmer before intensifying into a deep, dark blue. It radiated softly, pulsating like a steady heartbeat.
Emily clapped her hands together. "That's so cool! Blue fits you, Avi."
"Yeah," Ken added, leaning closer to inspect the glow. "Way better than I expected. Definitely not as flashy as gold, but it's... sharp."
"Sharp?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, like... intimidating," Ken said with a grin. "You'll scare the enemies senseless."
I chuckled and deactivated the aura, watching the glow fade. The drain on my stamina was minor, but I made a mental note to use it sparingly. "I guess I'll keep it in my back pocket for when things get dicey."
Ken clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Looks like we've got ourselves a glowing squad now. The forest doesn't stand a chance."
Emily giggled. "You'll need that glow when we're scouting the forest. Who knows what's out there?"
"Probably nothing good," I muttered, taking another bite of my food.
As we ate, the conversation shifted to plans for the scouting mission. Ken and Emily talked tactics while I tried to keep my focus on finishing my meal before someone dropped another task on us.
Despite the weight of the task ahead, the warmth of companionship made it all seem just a little more bearable.
For now, at least, we had peace. And a full stomach.