Steam and the faint scent of herbs still clung to Alex's skin as he stepped out of the shower, feeling lighter, cleaner.
Sherry sat at the dining table, legs tucked under the chair, quietly working her way through a chocolate bar. She wasn't just eating it—she was nibbling, almost absentmindedly, like it was something to keep her hands busy while her mind wandered elsewhere.
He walked over and pulled out the chair beside her. She didn't look up, eyes fixed on the middle distance, expression soft but far away.
Alex leaned an elbow on the table and waved a hand in front of her face. "Sherry to Eldoria." he said, mock-serious.
She jumped a little, blinking as if surfacing from deep water. "H-Huh? Oh—Alex. When did you—?"
"Just now," he said with a faint smile. "What's got you so deep in thought you didn't even notice me?"
Her fingers tightened around the half-eaten chocolate, but she shook her head. "It's nothing. Just… thinking about what we pulled off today. Clearing that whole nest… it's still hard to believe."
He studied her, unconvinced. The words were casual enough, but the flicker in her eyes told a different story—something heavier. Alex didn't push.
Aurora's words from earlier came to mind—how she'd said Sherry sometimes cried softly in her sleep, murmuring about her parents. He'd never brought it up before. Some things weren't easy to just drop into a conversation.
But the question he'd been carrying for weeks wouldn't stay quiet any longer.
"Your parents," he began, voice lower now. "They've been missing three years, right? And the last lead you have… is that ancient ruin."
Sherry's chewing slowed.
"If we went there, maybe we'd find something," Alex continued. "But… after all this time… is there really still hope they're alive?"
The room seemed to still. Outside, a faint night breeze whispered against the tent's fabric.
Sherry didn't take offense to his question, though her shoulders stiffened for just a moment. She was well aware of the possibility Alex was hinting at, but she had her reasons to keep her hopes alive.
She glanced at him, a faint crease forming between her brows, as if debating whether to say something she'd been holding back. Then she realised she hadn't told him about that.
"I guess I never told you," she said after a pause, her voice calm but steady. "That ancient ruin… it's not just any ruin. It's an independent space—like a secret realm."
Alex blinked. "An independent… space?"
He understood the words on their own, but together, they didn't quite click. The concept dangled in front of him, just out of reach—familiar yet unclear.
Aurora, floating lazily nearby, opened her mouth to explain, but Sherry leaned forward, cutting her off before she could speak.
"Oh—right, you probably don't know much about this." she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "A secret realm is a space completely separate from the main world. The one my parents entered… it has unstable spatial boundaries and time flow."
"Meaning?" Alex prompted.
"Meaning time doesn't move the same way inside as it does outside." Sherry said.
Aurora elaborated further for him, "There are records of people who stumbled into such places—sometimes worlds that felt alien, or from a distant past. One man came out thinking only a day or two had passed, but outside, more than a decade had gone by. Another emerged after just a few hours here, but for him, years had passed inside."
Alex leaned back, absorbing that.
"In other words," Sherry said softly, eyes distant, "even though they've been gone three years here… for them, it might be days. Or hours. They could still be alive."
She was steady when she said it—too steady, like someone who'd repeated those words a thousand times, using them as both shield and lifeline.
Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, Sherry shifted in her seat. "You don't have to go inside." she said quietly. "If you can just use the key to open the entrance for me, that's enough. I don't want you risking yourself in a place like that just for my sake."
Alex studied her expression. She wasn't being polite—she meant every word.
But he shook his head. "I already promised I'd help you. I'm not the type to leave something half-done."
Sherry's brows drew together. "You know what it means to enter a place like that. The risks aren't small."
"I know," he said evenly. "And I'm still going."
It wasn't because he fancied himself a noble hero, nor because he feared the system's penalty for failing a Special Quest. The truth was simpler.
In the past ten days, they had fought side by side, faced monsters, bled, and survived together. In a world where Alex had no family—barely even a handful of people he could call friends—Sherry had become one of the rare few. That alone was reason enough.
"I'll see it through to the end." he said simply.
The faint gloom shadowing her expression softened, replaced by a small, almost startled smile. She hadn't expected him to come with her — and though she didn't say it, the warmth in her eyes made it clear how much it meant.
"…Thank you." she murmured. She hesitated, as if there was more she wanted to say, but in the end simply looked down and fiddled with the edge of her sleeve.
Wanting to break the heaviness in the air, Alex reached into his pocket and pulled out the academy-issued watch—the one that tracked points and rankings.
"Alright," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Enough gloom. Let's talk something else. Today, in that monster nest, we pulled in… roughly a million points in half a day."
They'd taken down around 1,147 monsters total—about seventy percent B-rank, the rest C-rank.
He glanced at her. "I'm guessing we're at least in the top twenty now. What do you think?"
Sherry tapped her chin. "Hmm… top fifteen, maybe? Definitely better than yesterday."
Alex smirked, pressed the display button, and watched as the screen flickered before settling on their updated rank:
[Rank: 28]
"…You've got to be kidding me."
He stared at the number, half expecting it to change. After all that progress, there were still twenty-seven teams ahead?
Sherry leaned over, peeked at the watch, and chuckled softly. "Don't let it get to you. The gap probably isn't huge. Maybe they got lucky—found a dungeon, a labyrinth… or another monster nest."
Alex rubbed his forehead. "Still ridiculous."
Sherry smiled. "Regardless, we cleared a monster nest by ourselves. In record time. That's… kind of insane when you think about it."
When Sherry said it, Alex had to admit—she had a point. Clearing that nest was impressive no matter how you looked at it. And after everything they'd been through today, she deserved something special.
He also hadn't missed the way her mood had dipped earlier when her parents came up. That thought made the decision for him.
"Alright," he said, standing. "Go take a bath. I'll handle dinner."
Sherry tilted her head. "Dinner?"
"Something special," he said with a small grin. "Just leave it to me."
Now that he thought about it, they'd only had breakfast that morning. Between fighting through the monster nest until evening and waiting for his summoned skeleton soldiers to finish harvesting mana cores, neither of them had eaten a proper meal since. Energy potions kept them going, sure, but they were no substitute for real food—especially after a day like this.
Luckily, the tent came with a fully functional modular kitchen: a small magic-powered stove, storage compartments, and utensils. As for ingredients, there were the usual travel rations and preserved food packets… but those were boring. The real treasure was the fresh monster meat they'd stored away.
Monster meat wasn't just edible—it could be a delicacy in the right hands. Rich in mana and flavor, though tricky to prepare. Handle it wrong and you'd end up with something ranging from unpleasant to outright poisonous.
Unfortunately, Alex's cooking experience back on Earth began and ended with boiling instant noodles. But now… he had an advantage—the system.
He pulled up the menu, scrolled through the skill shop, and without hesitation bought Cook, F-rank skill for the basics, then Monster Cook, D-rank skill for handling monsters.
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Skill: Cook (Passive)
Rank: F
Description:
- Grants basic knowledge and proficiency in preparing a wide variety of foods using different ingredients and cooking methods.
- Enables the user to consistently create meals of exceptional high quality.
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Skill: Monster Cook (Passive)
Rank: D
Description:
- Grants specialized knowledge and proficiency in preparing dishes from monster meat and other edible monster parts.
- Enables the user to neutralize harmful properties in monster ingredients while enhancing their natural flavors.
- Allows the creation of high-quality meals that may grant unique effects or benefits when consumed.
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The knowledge flooded into his mind in an instant. Alex rolled his shoulders, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"Alright," he murmured, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see what I can do."