We stood there a while longer, just breathing, the lanterns flickering over the still forms. It wasn't much of a farewell, but it was ours.
Eventually, people began drifting back toward the barricade. The living were cold, hungry, and half broken from exhaustion. Inside the base, the faint heat from the lanterns felt almost like comfort. A few people sank to the floor the moment they crossed the threshold, weapons slipping from their hands.
Nicole broke the silence first. "Wei Shen," her voice was low but firm. "Did you or your people manage to loot the food court before the retreat?"
Wei shook his head. "No. Once the Shaman appeared, we focused on pulling the injured back. The bodies, the gear; it's all still down there."
Before he could say more, Mei stepped up beside him. "Then we'll go back," she said. "The women and I can help. We didn't fight, but we can recover what was earned and check for food if the goblins didn't eat everything."
Wei's brows drew together immediately. "Mei, you don't need to see that. It's—"
She cut him off with a hard look. "I've seen worse. And you'll be coming too." Her tone left no room for argument. "You and your men know the area better than anyone. We'll move together."
Wei sighed, rubbing a hand over his face, but nodded. "Alright. We'll take a team. We'll strip the field for food and anything valuable."
Nicole gave a tired nod of approval. "Take lanterns and stay alert. If anything moves, pull back immediately. Prioritize food and drops; anything the System left behind."
Wei gathered a few of his men, and several of the rescued women joined Mei. Despite their fatigue, there was a quiet resolve in the group as they began to ready their weapons and sacks.
I watched them move toward the barricade again, lantern light following their steps until they disappeared down the darkened hall.
For the first time since the battle began, I felt the weight of stillness, real and unbroken quiet. My body finally caught up with me, every muscle burning, every breath sharp.
That's when I noticed the faint blue flicker hovering at the corner of my vision. The System notifications I'd been ignoring since the fight.
I exhaled slowly. "Guess it's time to see if it was worth it."
I opened my Status Window.
The familiar blue screen flickered into view, its edges glitching faintly before stabilizing.
[STATUS WINDOW]
Name: Jasmine West
Level: 10 (0 / 51,200) — Level Cap Reached
Alignment: Neutral
Class: None
Title(s): Medusa
Health: 67 / 270
Stamina: 54 / 260
Mana: 9 / 140
MP Regen: +1 MP every 30 seconds
Strength: 22
Dexterity: 27
Constitution: 27
Intelligence: 18
Perception: 26
Luck: 6
Charisma: 7
Willpower: 16
Instinct: 9
Wisdom: 1
Free Attribute Points: 10
Skill Points: 7
At least the experience made it worth something.
It took 38,400 XP to hit level ten, and the quests only gave me 9,000 total. Which meant either the goblins were worth more experience than I thought… or I'd killed a hell of a lot more of them than I remembered.
Either way, I wasn't complaining.
Reaching Level 10 meant I'd made it far enough to finally choose a class, something that might actually make surviving this world a little easier. For now, that was enough to be grateful for.
A soft tone blinked across the top of the display:
[Level Cap Reached — Class Selection Required to Progress.]
"Yeah," I muttered. "Figured."
I closed the window and pulled up the backlog of alerts I'd ignored during the fight.
A faint chime rippled through the air, sharp and familiar. Blue light unfolded across my vision.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
Tutorial Dungeon: "Goblin Maw" — Cleared
[Quest Completed]
Conquer the Goblin Maw
Dungeon cleared. Field Boss defeated: Shaman of Decay (Lv. 20) Tutorial region stabilized.
Rewards:
+8,500 XP Loot Acquired: Manaforged Staff of Decay (Rare), Skillbook — Renewal Veil (Uncommon), Base Core (Rare), Gold x500 Tutorial Barrier removed
[Quest Completed]
Reach Level 10
Requirement achieved. Class Specialization unlocked.
Next Available Evolution: Open Class Selection Window
[Quest Completed]
Investigate the Disappearance of Women in the Mall
Missing captives located and rescued. Responsible entities eliminated.
Rewards: +500 XP
The light from the System lingered, pulsing faintly around me before it faded back into the haze. I exhaled and blinked away the last of the glow, letting the quiet settle again.
I looked around. Most of the others were slumped against walls or sitting on debris, faces pale under the flickering emergency lights. Nicole was wrapping her shoulder, Viktor's side was still bleeding, and Sol leaned on his bow like it was the only thing holding him upright.
"Anyone else hit ten?" I asked.
For a moment, the only sound was the low hum of the Core nearby. Then Marcus lifted a hand from where he sat on the floor.
"Yeah."
Nicole nodded. "Same."
Logan gave a tired grin. "Barely, but I'll take it."
Sloan let out a long breath. "Level ten and one bad swing away from collapsing."
Viktor snorted softly, pressing a hand to his side. "Welcome to the club."
Giselle raised her hand next, muttering, "About damn time."
And then Sol, quiet as ever, just lifted his fingers without looking up.
Counting them and myself made eight in total. Eight people who'd made it far enough to unlock whatever came next.
I gave a small nod. "Good. That means we're no longer stuck. For the rest of you, keep pushing. You'll get there soon enough. And when you do, we'll be stronger for it."
There was a faint murmur of agreement from the others still sitting nearby, tired but listening.
Viktor let out a low chuckle. "Guess that makes us the test subjects, huh? If something goes wrong, we'll know what not to pick."
A few people actually laughed, hoarse, quiet, but real.
I allowed myself the smallest smile. "Then let's make sure we set a good example."
For a moment, it felt lighter. Not fixed, not healed, but lighter.
We were still breathing. Still fighting. And for now, that was enough.