Aiden groggily opened his eyes, the warmth of the morning sun peeking through the curtains casting a soft glow over his room. He stretched lazily, letting out a deep yawn before turning his head toward the small clock on his bedside table. His eyes widened in shock.
"Noon?!" he muttered, sitting up abruptly. "Why did no one wake me up?"
As he shook off his drowsiness, he became aware of two pairs of eyes staring at him. Ciara sat at the foot of his bed, her golden fur sleek and glowing softly in the sunlight, while Lumina's antennae twitched as she observed him keenly from the nightstand.
"Master, how are you feeling? Are you okay?" Lumina asked, her voice laced with concern.
Aiden smiled at them both, scooping them up and placing them in their rightful spots—Ciara curling up on his shoulder and Lumina resting on his arm. He stroked them affectionately before replying, "Yes, I'm fine. Actually, I feel great… almost as if yesterday's battle was just a dream."
Despite saying that, a curiosity rose in him. He needed to confirm something. Closing his eyes, he focused inward, accessing his stats:
Power Level: 1560 Mana Level: 1800 Mana Affinity: ?
Aiden's breath hitched. His power had risen significantly. Before the battle, his stats had barely reached the initial level of Elite class. Now, his power level had jumped to an intermediate Elite rank, while his mana levels had soared to an advanced Elite class. This wasn't just growth—it was a leap forward. His golden-red core shone brilliantly at his dantian, pulsing with newfound strength.
'So the battle really did push me to the next level…' he mused.
Still deep in thought, he made his way downstairs, only to find his entire family sitting in the living room, their gazes locked onto him. He blinked, tilting his head in confusion.
"What?"
Ayleen, his mother, stood up with a frown, placing her hands on her hips. "Aiden! Do you have any idea how worried we were? You wouldn't wake up, and we couldn't even check on you because your pets wouldn't let anyone near!"
Aiden blinked again, dumbfounded. He turned to look at Ciara and Lumina, who sat beside him, their expressions clearly saying, 'Praise us for our bravery.' He sighed, rubbing his temples before answering, "I was studying late for the Academy's entrance exam. That's why I slept late."
Ayleen's expression softened slightly, though she still seemed annoyed. "At least you should have told us," she scolded, but relief was evident in her voice.
After a bit more scolding and some more explanation, they finally settled down for lunch. Aiden kept his thoughts to himself. He didn't want them to know that his 'little accident' the previous night had nearly cost him his life. No one needed to worry about what had truly happened.
While Aiden was having lunch, a different scene played out in another part of the city.
.
.
.
Ariana, the swift scout, soared through the sky, the wind whipping past her as she made her way toward Fiona's mansion. Without hesitation, she crashed through the window of Fiona's office, landing in a crouch.
The sudden intrusion startled Fiona, who nearly blasted Ariana with a burst of magic.
"Ariana!" Fiona yelled, slamming her hands on her desk. "Do you want to die? What kind of idiot enters a mage's office like that?!"
Ariana raised her hands defensively. "Sorry! Sorry! But this is urgent."
Fiona sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Alright, what is it?"
Ariana straightened up and reported what she had discovered. "I found a battle site in the forest. The entire area—nearly 500 meters in radius—was completely upturned. There were no signs of life. It was as if something had wiped everything out."
Fiona's expression darkened. "That level of destruction… Elite-ranked mages?"
Ariana nodded. "Most likely. The level of devastation wasn't something a regular Specialist-ranked mage could achieve. But there's more. I found a camp near the battle, with signs of blood and struggle… but no corpses."
Fiona raised an eyebrow. "No corpses?"
Ariana shook her head. "Not even a trace of one. There were no drag marks, no signs of scavengers. It was as if every single body just… vanished."
Fiona frowned, tapping her fingers against her desk. "You're saying this must have been the camp of those rats?"
Ariana nodded. "It's the most likely scenario. But what's truly odd is that it seems as if someone deliberately eradicated every single one of them without letting even a single person escape."
Fiona leaned back in her chair, processing the information. A sudden realization struck her, and her eyes widened slightly.
"So you're telling me that all the rats have been completely wiped out by this unknown assailant?"
Ariana shrugged. "Who knows? But if that's the case, whoever did it was incredibly efficient."
Fiona let out a slow breath, then turned her sharp gaze toward Ariana. "I need you to remain vigilant in that area. Stay in contact and report back immediately if you find anything else."
Ariana gave a playful salute before jumping out of the window once again, disappearing into the sky.
Fiona sat in silence for a moment before sighing, rubbing her temples. "Just what the hell happened out there?"