Lying on his bed, Noah was sound asleep. The sun, which had only just begun to set when he went to bed, was now rising. Once again, glorious morning light poured through his window, the rays cascading across his face and stirring him awake. Groggily, Noah rubbed his eyes and sat up. He blinked them open slowly.
"Ugh…" he groaned as a familiar pain pulsed through his body. "It always hurts worse the next day," he muttered, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and trying to catch his breath.
Flopping out of bed, Noah pushed his messy brown hair out of his eyes. He stood up, throwing on the simple clothing the villagers had given them—a gray and blue tunic paired with loose, linen pants in a dull gray. Sitting back down on the edge of the bed, he placed his hands on his knees, leaning forward slightly.
"Status report," Noah said softly.
Blinking into existence, a holographic screen popped up in front of him like a phone display.
"Let's see what the system has to say," he muttered, eyes scanning the screen.
It was the same interface he'd seen the day the system first activated—the one Rudy said would guide him and the others through the tutorial... and whatever came after.
🜙 [SYSTEM STATUS REPORT – NOAH VOSS]
Name: Noah Voss
Race: Human
Age: 20
Title: Tutorial Participant
Affiliation: None
Level: 12
Rank: Recruit
Affinity: Runic Magic
System Sync: 47%
—
HEALTH: 183 / 230
MANA: 94 / 140
STAMINA: 112 / 160
—
ATTRIBUTES
• Strength: 13
• Agility: 16
• Endurance: 14
• Perception: 15
• Intelligence: 18
• Willpower: 21
—
SKILLS
• Spearmanship (Basic) – LV 2
• Runic Inscription (Self/Weapon Only) – LV 1
• Pain Tolerance – LV 1
• Mana Control – LV 1
• Survival Instinct – LV 1
—
PASSIVES
• Adaptive Focus – Increases clarity during high-stress combat.
• Runic Attunement – Runes carved with purpose have slightly stronger effects.
• Runic Insight – Your eyes and mind are now partially aligned with runic logic. You instinctively understand the structure, flow, and intent of runes—granting faster comprehension and intuitive analysis of unknown glyphs.
Runic Insight Progress: 12% — Greater insight unlocks advanced rune perception, disruption, and real-time rune construction.
—
NOTES
• External rune projection: [LOCKED]
• Upgrade Runic Magic to unlock external application and multi-point rune casting.
• Weapon of Choice Detected: Spear
• Continued usage of Runic Magic will accelerate system bonding.
[Tutorial Progression: Phase 2 – Complete]
[Phase 3: Affinity Sync Trials – Initiation Pending]
"You have survived the first real battle. That's more than most.
But survival isn't mastery. Keep pushing."
Peering over the report, Noah scanned for anything new.
"Well, my level went up by ten… and there goes everyone's theory that rank changes at level ten. Also, looks like I've unlocked some new passives."
The new passives—Runic Attunement and Runic Insight—had clearly appeared because of his affinity awakening.
He let out a slow breath, shoulders sagging.
The ritual hadn't just changed him.
It had rebuilt him.
Noah sighed and lay back on the bed looking towards the window. Outside the window, the village stirred to life—someone hauling water, the creak of a cart wheel, the distant rhythm of a hammer striking wood.
Life, continuing like nothing had happened.
Too normal.
As if last night hadn't happened.
As if blood wasn't still drying in the dirt just outside the walls.
Noah stared at the floor for a long moment.
"I wonder how Mom and Dad are doing…"
The words slipped out under his breath. Quiet. Hesitant.
He didn't expect an answer.
They could've been home when the surge hit. Or at work. At the store. On a walk. Anywhere—anywhere when that wave of mana tore through the world. He remembered the pain—how it felt like his entire body was being rebuilt from the inside out. Bones grinding. Nerves burning. Skin boiling.
And he was one of the lucky ones.
What if they weren't?
What if they didn't adapt?
What if… they turned?
He shut his eyes, breathing slow and steady.
Mana demons. That's what Rudy had called them. Twisted versions of people who couldn't survive the change. Creatures that devoured others to keep evolving.
What if the next one he saw was someone else's parent?
What if… it was his?
His jaw clenched. He shook the thought off.
No. No way. They were stronger than that. They had to be.
Maybe—just maybe—they were in a tutorial too. Somewhere safer. Fewer monsters. Smaller village. A nicer instructor. Not the kind who kicked you in the ribs if you fell behind.
"Bet they got the tutorial for beginners," he muttered. "Lucky bastards."
He almost smiled.
Almost.
But it didn't stick.
Because the truth was—he didn't know. No one did. They could be fine. They could be suffering. Or they could be… something else entirely.
His fingers curled into fists.
He needed to get stronger.
Not for stats. Not for ranks. Not for whatever Rudy called progress.
For them.
So when the time came—when he finally made it back to Earth—he'd be strong enough to protect them.
Or stop them.
Whatever the world demanded.
His breath came shallow. Thoughts spiraled.
Then—
Three knocks at the door. Sharp. Measured.
Noah blinked. The moment shattered.
He stood slowly, wiping his palms on his pants.
"Coming," he called.
He opened the door—and standing on the other side was James.
Gone was the skinny frame and thick glasses. Now, he had a leaner build, sharper features—Noah had to admit, the guy actually looked pretty good.
"Oh. Hey, James." Noah blinked. "Can I… help you?"
James scratched the back of his head, glancing away. "Yeah… uh, I just came by to say… thanks. For what you did yesterday. For saving me and Sophia."
Noah shrugged. "No problem. I would've done that for anyone."
"I know," James nodded quickly. "But still. I had to say it."
A pause hung between them before James added, "You know… back there, people noticed. The way you handled things—it was leader-level stuff."
"Me?" Noah snorted softly. "I'm not a leader. I just pushed everyone to do what needed to be done. That's all."
James shook his head. "You say that, but if you hadn't stepped up… some of us wouldn't be here. Don't sell yourself short."
Noah's gaze dropped, his voice quieter. "I'm not selling myself short. I'm just trying to survive. One day at a time."
James nodded slowly. "Yeah… I get that."
Another pause.
"So, uh… you going to training later?" James asked, his tone casual. "I know a few guys are skipping. After what happened…"
Noah's expression hardened. "I'll be there. Can't sit around in grief. Gotta keep moving."
He looked up. "You?"
"Yeah," James said with a faint smile. "Not because I want to… but because I need to."
Sensing the awkwardness growing, Noah stepped back and nodded toward the path. "Alright, man. I'll see you there."
"Later, dude," James replied, turning and walking away.
Noah stepped back inside and shut the door.
"Alright. Come out," he said.
From behind the corner, Rudy materialized with a faint shimmer.
"How did you know I was here?" the robot asked.
"It's simple," Noah replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "You're nosy as hell. And I figured you'd be hanging around after last night, waiting to drop one of your cheeky lines."
Rudy tilted his head. "Well, I do pride myself on timely commentary."
Noah sighed. "Look… about last night. I get it. You're just doing your job. You're a robot. It's not really your responsibility to deal with… all this." He gestured vaguely at himself. "But yeah. Sorry for snapping at you."
Rudy blinked—if that was possible. "Apology accepted. Though, for the record, I thought it was quite dramatic. Very emotionally charged. Almost inspiring."
Noah rolled his eyes. "Of course you did."