Celestra lowered her arms, steam hissing from her gauntlets. Her chest heaved with every breath.
Celestra – …Finally. Trash.
Nyra crossed her arms, her gaze sharp but faintly impressed.
Nyra – You guys really are on another level, piercing straight through my expectations. Celestra, your power and those gauntlet techniques… amazing. The way you fought just now, I'd say you've awakened a new element.
Celestra – A new element? Are you serious? Which one?
Nyra – It will take time to master… but I assume it's machinery.
Lyraen's eyes lit up.
Lyraen – That sounds so cool. Celestra, you're amazing.
Nyra smiled faintly.
Nyra – Not just Celestra. Each of you has your own specialties.
Elira – What? What specialties do we have?
Nyra – Lyraen, you've got solid battle IQ. The way you used your elemental techniques… sharp. That kind of awareness will take you far.
Lyraen – A good battle IQ? That'll definitely help me in future battles!
Nyra – It will. Your "Flower Trap" technique—brilliant. And Elira—your movement speed, your dodging, the way you wield your weapon… what's it called again?
Elira – Kunai. Like a ninja.
Nyra – A ninja, huh? Then you'll become deadly sharp one day. But you need more focus. Keep pushing—your unpredictability will become your greatest edge.
Celestra – And me? You didn't compliment me.
Nyra – I'm not giving compliments. I'm stating facts. Your gauntlets—your durability, your power, your offense… they're all exceptional. But enough talk. Let's head back.
The System chimed in, voice echoing through the dungeon:
System – All Fracturites defeated. Levels and stats increased for all players.
Celestra has reached Level 86.
Lyraen has reached Level 84.
Elira has reached Level 85.
Elira – Whoa whoa! How did our levels shoot up this much, this fast?!
Nyra – That's the reward of fighting Fracturites with your own strength. It's not about power—it's about adapting. Thinking. Surviving.
She flicked her hand, and the dungeon faded into white.
---
They teleported back into the world—
Celestra's eyes widened.
Celestra – What the hell are you guys doing?! Drevyn? You're asleep? When did you even clear your dungeon?!
Nyra pinched the bridge of her nose.
Nyra – Renzo… are you even human? Look at you—you're not eating, you're inhaling food. Idiot, you look like a monkey right now.
Elira – Kaelion! Are you seriously playing games on your phone? This is the "rescue mission" squad? Be serious!
Renzo ignored them, cheeks stuffed, still chewing noisily.
Lyraen – Are you guys even serious about this?
Renzo (muffled) – Waf yur flare lebl now?
Nyra smacked him on the head.
Nyra – Idiot! First swallow your food before speaking alien language!
Renzo choked, coughing until he pounded his chest and gulped down water in one go. Finally, he gasped.
Renzo – I was asking, what's your player level right now?
Nyra – Elira's Level 85. Celestra's Level 86. Lyraen's Level 84.
Drevyn whispered under his breath, cheeks faintly red.
Drevyn – She's the highest among them…
Kaelion leaned in, smirking.
Kaelion – Elira will surpass Celestra.
Drevyn's head snapped toward him.
Drevyn – Did you say something, Kaelion?!
Kaelion – Yeah. I did.
Celestra raised her hands, confused.
Celestra – Whoa whoa, why are you guys fighting all of a sudden? What happened?
Drevyn – He said that you… You—
He froze, face red.
Drevyn – Nevermind!
Nyra sighed.
Nyra – I bet you haven't even equipped your artifacts yet, have you?
Renzo (mouth full again) – No, I already equipped mine.
Nyra glared.
Nyra – Not you, my boy. I meant Celestra and the others.
Renzo paused, his face turning red.
Renzo – …Did she just call me "my boy"?
Lyraen – Uh, yeah. We haven't yet.
CLINK!
CLISH!
The three opened their system panels, equipping their artifacts. Their bodies glowed as new energy pulsed through them.
Nyra – Don't forget to apply custom stat points.
Celestra – Custom stat points? What's that?
Nyra – You can invest them in attack, defense, agility—whatever you want. It's full customization.
Elira gasped as her panel flared.
Elira – Whoa! Amazing! I've reached Level 101!
Celestra's eyes widened as raw power surged through her veins.
Celestra – Incredible…! I'm at Level 100!
Lyraen chuckled smugly.
Lyraen – Step aside, kids. I'm already Level 102.
The System suddenly flared brighter than ever. Strange glyphs appeared in the air, glowing like constellations.
System – Congratulations for surpassing Level 100. New buff unlocked.
Kaelion narrowed his eyes.
Kaelion – Wait… if we're already above Level 100, doesn't that mean we've surpassed Nyra?
Drevyn slapped his forehead.
Drevyn – Oh yeah! Totally forgot. Last time we asked, she was only around 70 or 80.
Nyra tilted her head, smiling like a predator.
Nyra – Inferiors… I've already cleared countless dungeons and distributed my stats properly. I'm sitting at Level 110.
Her aura flared just for a second—sharp, overwhelming—before vanishing as quickly as it appeared.
Nyra giggled.
Drevyn – Your girlfriend is on another level, Renzo.
Renzo froze, his spoon halfway to his mouth.
Renzo – Y-yeah… wait, WHAT?! He tilted his head, blushing furiously.
Kaelion leaned forward, voice low.
Kaelion – But… what exactly is this "Level 100 Buff" the system just mentioned?
The air grew quiet. Their system panels continued to glow ominously—like something deep within them was beginning to stir.
---
Episode 28 Ends
To Be Continued…