The beam going straight at Adam didn't give him a chance to allocate his stats.
The Argent Sentry was a lean construct of interlocking silver plates with a slit visor and a palm lens emitter, moving like a machine in layered armor.
He moved. The visor brightened and traced a hair-thin line across the floor.
Stats later. Fight now.
[Skill Activated: Chronos' Accel (Rank I)]
Time loosened.
Sound stretched thin, and silver dust hung midair like slow snow.
Adam slid left.
The beam hissed past and carved a glowing thread along a mirrored panel.
Light bounced and snapped back the other way.
He read the angles. Panels faced each other in tidy pairs. The next bounce would slice at his knees.
Adam hopped onto the wall, riding low gravity as the beam flicked under his feet and burned a silver groove. He pushed off and sprinted along the corridor, closing in.
The sentry lifted its arm, and a palm plate split and charged.
Go first.
Adam drove a straight to the visor. The plate turned, taking the hit and shoving him back, and a second beam fired from the palm.
He ducked as light skimmed his hair, hit the facing panel, and ricocheted twice.
Adam cut across the floor and set the sentry between two panels; the next bounce came in a clean line at its side. The sentry stepped, but he stepped faster.
He caught the arm and yanked. The reflected beam speared the elbow joint, blowing the plate loose. Sparks sprayed across the floor.
Adam rushed in and jabbed the visor once, twice, a third time.
The head snapped back, and the torso split at the ribs, revealing a bright core in the gap.
He hooked his right hand into the opening; the core shook. Then he hammered a left. Something gave.
The sentry stumbled, tried to charge another line. Adam stepped in and finished with a short rising punch to the core.
The light went out.
The body folded and broke into silver plates that fell like empty shells.
[Defeated: Argent Sentry (Mini-Boss)]
[EXP Gained]
[Loot Acquired]
[Moon Sword (Rare)]
[Type: One‑Handed Sword]
[Equip Requirements: Lv. 3+, AGI 7+]
[Passive: Lunar Edge — build light with each hit; the third strike deals bonus damage.]
[Recommended: Sword Handling I]
Chang'e drifted closer and perched on his shoulder again.
Her feet swung, barely brushing his collarbone.
"It was just angles," Adam said.
Patterns. Timing. Same thing.
She smiled, small and proud.
"Yeah," Adam said.
[Stat Points Allocated]
AGI +3 (→ 8)
FOC +2 (→ 7)
VIT +1 (→ 6)
Unspent Stat Points: 0
[Status: Adam]
HP: 170/170 Mana: 520/520
STR: 5 AGI: 8 FOC: 7 VIT: 6 WIL: 5
Temporal Attunement (TA): 0
[Equip Requirements Met: Moon Sword (Rare)]
[Moon Sword Equipped]
He slid the blade into a makeshift loop at his belt and rolled his shoulders. His breath steadied.
The mirrored panels hummed and parted to reveal a narrow alcove. Inside, a round chamber waited, quiet as a held breath, centered on a silver fountain whose surface reflected a scatter of tiny moons that seemed to drift and multiply.
[Secret Room Discovered: Mirror Spring]
[Effect: Drinking restores all HP and Mana; grants Well‑Rested (10‑min bonus regeneration).]
He stepped inside. The Mirror Spring glimmered like a bowl of liquid moonlight, its surface rippling with drifting moon reflections.
Adam cupped his hands and drank. The water was cold and bright on his tongue, a little sweet, like snowmelt kissed with fruit. Warmth ran through him as fatigue unwound.
[HP Fully Restored]
[Mana Fully Restored]
Chang'e floated beside the basin and dipped a toe, smiling.
He leaned against the cool wall and let the day catch up to him: summons, bargains, a dungeon on the Moon, and a statue that fired light. Too much for one day, but he was still here.
Adam looked to the side. "Did you really dip your feet in the spring?"
"Ah, well, a lot happened." Adam replied, unsure where to start.
He wondered how much she knew. He looked at the title she'd given him.
[Chang'e's Bunny (Divine):
A divine bond linking you and Chang'e. She can see into your condition and act as your caretaker and guide; her approval grants entry to the Moon Dungeon.
Bond Bonuses (Moon Dungeon only): +10% loot chance. While Chang'e is perched: +10% movement speed, +30% mana regeneration.]
"You really can read my system, too," Adam said.
Adam blushed and raised his voice before he knew. "What kind of sugar mommy throws monsters at her... uh... beloved?"
When Chang'e's little palms pressed on Adam's temple, he closed his eyes. He didn't have much to share; he was just a normal student aiming for college. He never had a meaningful purpose in his life until now. He studied, hung out with friends, and practiced a little parkour.
"But now, I need to level up, become stronger, and separate myself from those church fanatics," Adam said.
Adam replied, "I didn't think much about it. It felt natural, if anything."
"Are you also a good fighter?" Adam asked.
This little conversation cleared up Adam's mind. He genuinely felt thankful that Chang'e had reached out to him and now stayed with him. But recent events with Angelina and his rewinds made him still wary. He hadn't done any checkpoint yet because he wanted to have a chance to refuse Chang'e's offer.
Adam opened his eyes. "Where do you see us both?"