Julian sat in the dark and quiet room, staring out at the nighttime cityscape while scrolling his phone for information on the game. The lingering scent of Kang Sena's perfume filled the room as he drank the last sip of Malbet wine in silence.
'It seems nothing has changed.'
His only worry was Sena might be affected by his changes.
Though he believed in his ability to overcome them with effort, there was a need for focus and attention to detail.
"I should do another workout and then sleep." He looked at the timer he had set earlier and let out a long sigh. "Nine hours before I can log back in."
He quickly flicked to his notepad and checked if he had forgotten anything.
Things to do before next Friday!
• Stock spread food and items like toilet rolls before the merger starts.
• Meet Sena and train with her at the Dojo before entering the game.
• Go to different chemists and buy painkillers, antiseptics and other medical items.
• Call someone to reinforce the metal door and windows further.
The list carried more points, but these were underlined and written in a darker shade on the app, while the others became a lighter shade of grey as the list continued.
Julian placed the empty glass on the table, his eyes looking at the city once last time before he stood up and cracked his neck.
After finishing his wine, he went into his room and trained for a few hours before climbing into the VR pod.
The cool gel always made his body shudder when he climbed in. However, the expensive pod would give him the perfect sleep and needed a maximum of six hours.
He shook his head, tapping the screen and setting a timer before fully submerging himself in the cold nutrient gel while the door closed.
A gentle light illuminated the gel for Julian.
Bleep!
[Sleep Mode Activated]
As the low hum of the engine and process whirred in the background, the gel slipped into his nose and ears as Julian closed his eyes inside the dark pod and tapped the sleep button.
Shhh!
The VR capsule twisted and lowered into a better position as if sleeping. The capsule suddenly started vibrating, stimulating the brain and helping it enter R.E.M. sleep faster.
Six hours later.
Woosh!
The machine slowly returned to the seating position, and the engine and processor left sleep mode, revving up with a powerful hum.
'The second day.'
Julian tapped the button to open the hatch.
While he could play the game right away, it was five in the morning, and Sena would be starting her morning training in an hour, so he was eager to join her.
He didn't remember who discovered it.
However, rather than exercising alone, training with other evolved humans allowed people to grow their weaker aspects faster.
It didn't mean he would become super strong—rather, that was impossible.
"Enough to avoid those monsters in the future is enough for me." Julian showed a bitter smile as he climbed out of the sticky gel, which seemed to peel the dirt and dead skin from his body, leaving him fresh and clean each time he left it.
After finding some underwear and clothes that were easy to move around in, he grabbed his keys and left the flat.
"The sudden phenomenon "Avalon's Fall" an online game for." The news seemed to report about the game—it was the same as in his past life.
Without looking back, he slammed the door and flicked off the power.
"Well…"
The cold winds of the city should have made him feel nippy, but another perk of becoming an Evoker was that his Mana would keep his temperature balanced.
However, being able to sense the Mana in his body also felt a little strange so soon.
"In the last life, didn't it take at least a month for people to start sensing their Mana core?"
Julian considered the changes as he headed north to District Seven, where Kang Sena's flat was. Sena lived with her friend Maria in protected flats. The technology allowed her mother to tell if she was at home, so she called her while she was at his place last night.
"My flat doesn't lose."
He lived in District Eight for a slightly lower income, but only because the cost was a digit lower.
As he walked down the road, Julian met a few people who smiled and greeted him. Although he might have often seen and spoken to these people, he couldn't remember their names or anything about them now.
'How many of them will survive the first year?'
Frustrated by these feelings, Julian moved faster, breaking into a sprint.
He rushed towards the private gym where Sena trained, ignoring his conflicted thoughts. He just wanted to meet her to remove this lingering feeling.
The world flowed past him as he felt the cool breeze keeping his face chilly until a figure appeared holding her wooden sword and walking down the metal stairs with a slight skip in her step.
"Sena!" Julian couldn't help but shout, calling her from behind and making the poor woman jump with a lovely squeaking sound.
"Kya! J-Julian, why are you here so early?!"
Kang Sena turned to face him, her face a little pale. She was wearing a simple training outfit and a jacket. She opened her eyes wide before noticing that Julian wore his tight bodysuit and a loose jacket that barely covered his waist.
"You… you shouldn't go out dressed like that!" Sena pointed at him with red cheeks.
"Okay~ whatever you say."
Sena suddenly grabbed his hand and quickly pulled him into the private gym beside her flat.
Julian just smirked at her, knowing she loved seeing him wear it.
Sena admitted it in their past life while drunk. A memory that came back to him while they spoke the night before and was fun to tease her about.
Click!
After she closed the door and blinds to stop people from seeing, Sena sighed. "Haa."
"What were you thinking? It's better not to wear anything if you dress like this!" A stern face, her lips pressed together as she pouted at him—throwing her spare clothing bag to the side, she pulled out her wooden sword and pointed it at him. "Twenty laps."
"Such a cute woman—why didn't you let me see this side more often?"
Julian wasn't here only to flirt with her, so the moment she asked him to run, he started running briskly, the same as on his treadmill.
'Don't rush… I need to keep the same pace and build my stamina and endurance.'
Those who awakened as Guardians or Assault types would receive help with conditioning and balance in their physical fitness and growth.
Evoker's wouldn't because their class would instead condition and improve the balance of their Mana and magic.
"Oh, your form is much better. Did you practise without me?" Sena muttered, finding herself following him, running alongside him at the same pace. Her face twisted, and Julian noticed it.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know if there's something wrong, but this speed shouldn't feel so easy. It's much better to hold this pace, and my body feels light and energetic."
"Hoo? Maybe it's because you're jogging beside the man of your dreams?"
"Keh. Don't flatter yourself. Idiot." Sena's voice became quieter—she turned away with slightly pink cheeks, though he knew it was unfair to keep using her weak spot to win their battles. He couldn't help but want to see this reaction.
"I see~ I see, okay then, princess."
"Hmph. I am the princess, so lavish me with praise."
Julian's lips curled into a smirk while Sena looked at him expectantly, fluttering her long lashes like a cute e-girl on a webcam.
"No way."
With that, he increased his speed, causing Sena to shout at him before rushing after him.
"Fight me, Julian. I won't let you go."
Pleased that he had successfully angered her, Julian nodded and stopped playing around. Instead, he focused on running to maintain his constant pace.
Sena followed a few steps behind and tried to kick his legs occasionally.
Thanks to annoying her, she wouldn't hold back later when they fought, which is what he wanted from the start.
'If I don't make her mad, she won't fight me for real.'