After testing the motions of my new arm—flexing the fingers, tightening the grip, listening to the faint whirr of gears—I turned back to Rena.
"Can you add a weapon slot to it?" I asked.
She smirked, rolling her shoulders like it was nothing. "Of course. Give me five minutes."
Her wrench clicked and clattered against the synthetic joints, sparks dancing briefly as she worked. True to her word, in less than five minutes she stepped back with a grin, wiping her hands.
"There. Now you can slot in whatever weapon you like."
I raised my arm, testing the movement. Sleek, responsive, and now armed with potential. I couldn't hide the awe on my face. "Wow… that was so fast. Not even five minutes, and you're already done."
"Hahaha… praise me more!" Rena laughed, resting a hand on my shoulder. Then her voice softened, just slightly. "But don't think I'm all that special. What you just saw? My little brother could do it a million times better."
"Oh… still, you're amazing, Lady Rena."
She snorted, waving me off. "Just call me Rena, and I'll be happy with that."
"Yes, Rena."
Her eyes lit with a flicker of amusement. "You really do adapt fast, huh? Hahaha… Anyway, you should head back to your dorm. You still need rest."
"Yes. Thank you for everything."
"Mm. And if you bump into Malik, tell him his sister says hi."
"I'll remember."
With that, I left the workshop, the heat and oil-smell of the forge giving way to the cool night air outside.
◇◇◇
Adjusting to the rhythm of my new arm as I walked, I tilted my head back without thinking.
The night sky stretched endlessly above me—stars scattered like shards of glass across black velvet. For a moment, I forgot about the weight in my chest, the phantom ache in my missing limb. Just walking beneath that sky, breathing in the night air, felt… good.
It was nearly midnight by the time I reached my dorm. The courtyard was empty, the halls silent.
"What time is it again…?" I muttered to myself, standing before my door.
I slid it open.
And stopped.
"Let's just get some sleep—what the hell…?"
My bed was buried beneath a mountain of boxes. Stacked high, leaning dangerously, covering almost every inch of the mattress. Ji-Hyun's bed, by contrast, was empty. He wasn't here.
"Of course… I leave for a few days, and now this…" I muttered. "Fine. Let's open one."
I picked up the topmost box. A small note was placed neatly on top.
{Here's your stuff, and the drop from the monster you killed.}
"It's from the Principal, huh…"
The seal of Atlas Academy was etched into the lid. Official. Heavy.
I pulled the box open and looked inside.
First: a crisp new cadet uniform, folded neatly.
Second: my mana gun, polished to perfection.
And third—
"…What's this?"
A mask.
Its surface shimmered faintly under the dorm light, pale white yet shifting like liquid glass. I lifted it carefully from the box, and the system prompt bloomed before my eyes.
___
[Item Obtained: Mask of a Thousand Faces]
Rank: S+
Description: Allows the user to change face, voice, and hair at will. Height remains unchanged.
Crafted from the collective memories consumed by the Memory Eater.
____
I stared at the mask, the surface smooth and cold in my hand.
"What an ominous item…" I whispered.
The reflection staring back at me wasn't quite mine. The mask rippled faintly, as though it carried the faces of countless forgotten people beneath its surface, waiting to be worn again.
I set it down slowly, unease crawling at the edges of my thoughts.
"It'll take quite a while to open all these presents… you know what, I'll open them tomorrow. For now, let's take a bath. It's been a while since I had one."
I picked up my pajamas from the wardrobe and headed toward the bathroom. After stripping down and brushing my teeth, I sank into the bathtub.
"Aaah… that's what I'm talking about."
A few minutes later.
This is… awkward.
"Oh yeah, the prompts!"
Finally remembering, I pulled up my system window.
"Let's see…"
[You've slain a High Elite-rank monster ×7]
[You've slain a High Overlord-rank monster]
[Remaining Monsters: 0/17]
___
You've successfully slain all the monsters. Rewards:
1. Mask of a Thousand Faces
2. Skill [Strong Mind] — A+ Rank
3. Your memory has become wider and stronger
4. The memory of your existence has been restored
___
"Uuoooh… what a great reward."
But there were still more prompts.
[Barbatos has forcefully sacrificed your left arm and cast {Constellation Descent}]
___
Barbatos has devoured a few of your memories. As a result:
1. People will remember your name, but forget who you are.
2. Your presence will become so faint you'll feel invisible.
3. People will forget your face.
___
Note from the one who devours Fate: "I am sorry for eating thy memory. I will give thee some compensation as soon as possible."
"WHAT!?"
What kind of sick joke is this?
No… calm down. Barbatos must've had his reasons.
After thinking it over, I came up with a possibility. Yesterday, when that monster tried to bite off my arm, I blacked out. He probably sacrificed it then to save me. And the instructors? They might have been able to locate me thanks to him.
"Sigh… guess I owe you one, Barbatos."
I checked the last prompt.
[Level 29 → 40]
[You have reached the first maximum level cap. Please awaken your Star to continue increasing your level cap.]
"Oh, already maxed out?"
In Atlas Online, leveling was capped by the Star system. The devs said endless grinding was boring, so they broke it up like this:
First Star: Level 1 → 40
Second Star: Level 50 → 60
Third Star: Level 70 → 80
Fourth Star: Level 90 → 100
Different characters had different ways to awaken their Stars. And Jake was considered the hardest one—since, well… I needed a companion to awaken mine.
"That's enough bath for today. I'll think about all that later."
After changing into my pajamas, I returned to the bedroom, only to be reminded that my own bed was still covered.
"Right… I guess I'll be sleeping with Ji-Hyun tonight."
I made my way to Ji-Hyun's bed and closed my eyes, letting myself be embraced by the world of dreams.
To Be continued