The city gates came into view long after sunset.
Torches lined the walls, their flames flickering softly in the night as the carriage rolled forward at a slow, steady pace. The streets were quieter than usual—most people already indoors, shops closing, guards changing shifts.
The journey back had been long.
On the way to the cave, they had been forced to camp overnight, wanting to face the mission at full strength. Now, exhausted and aching, none of them even mentioned stopping to rest.
They wanted beds, walls, and safety.
Weston brought the carriage to a halt just inside the city.
Everyone climbed down slowly, stiffness evident in every movement. Alara leaned heavily on Leo, her injured leg still troubling her despite the healing magic.
"Good work today," Alara said after a moment, straightening as much as she could. "Go home and rest properly."
She glanced at each of them in turn. "We'll report to the guild first thing tomorrow morning. Collect the reward then."
No one argued.
Leo nodded. "I'll make sure she gets home."
Alara shot him a brief look but didn't protest.
Mira stretched her arms, yawning. "I'm going to sleep for a week."
Kyle smirked faintly. "Try not to."
They parted ways soon after.
Leo supported Alara as they disappeared down one of the quieter streets, moving slowly but steadily. Weston headed toward the temple district, staff resting against his shoulder.
Mira waved once before heading off, humming lightly to herself.
Kyle watched them go—then turned toward his own lodging.
His room greeted him with silence.
Kyle shut the door behind him and didn't bother lighting a lamp. He took three steps forward, then let himself fall onto the bed on his face.
"...What a day."
His body ached, muscles tight, and mind exhausted. But sleep would have to wait. There was something he needed to see.
Kyle rolled onto his back and raised his hand.
"Status."
The blue system screen flickered into view.
Kyle looked at the screen, and his eyes immediately widened.
[Name: Kyle]
[Class: Mind Controller]
[Strength: 13 | Intelligence: 23 | Endurance: 12 | Agility: 9 | Magic: 0]
[Unused Stats Points: 28]
[Skills: "Mind Control", "Thought Reading"]
"Fuck yeah!" Kyle shouted happily.
He now had 28 Unused Stat Points. That's the highest amount he's ever had at one time.
`I should have gotten more, but in the middle of killing the goblins, they stopped giving me points.` He shook his head. `But it doesn't matter... Now I have enough points to greatly increase my stats.`
Kyle exhaled slowly, staring at the numbers for a moment longer. Then he grinned.
"Alright... let's do this."
He focused, and the Unused Stat Points responded instantly: +7 Strength, +7 Intelligence, +7 Endurance, +7 Agility.
Kyle realized after today's mission that all stats are important, so for this reason he distributed them all evenly among his stats.
All twenty-eight points vanished at once.
He felt the change happening immediately.
Kyle's muscles tensed sharply, his body twitching as if something inside him had shifted out of place—then settled again.
There was no pain. Just a strange, unfamiliar sensation spreading through him, like warmth beneath the skin.
He clenched his fist. And it felt... different. Stronger, lighter, and sharper.
Despite his fatigue, he got out of bed and took off his shirt, revealing the muscles of his chest and abdomen. He walked to the mirror beside the wardrobe and examined his body.
He couldn't see much due to the darkness of the place, but he noticed the change in his body's shape and the increase in his muscle size.
"Now my body looks like that of a strong adventurer."
Kyle took a slow breath, letting the sensation wash over him before opening the status screen again.
[Name: Kyle]
[Class: Mind Controller]
[Strength: 20 | Intelligence: 30 | Endurance: 19 | Agility: 16 | Magic: 0]
[Unused Stat Points: 0]
[Skills: "Mind Control", "Thought Reading"]
Kyle nodded in satisfaction.
He could feel it now—his body more responsive, his thoughts clearer, his breathing steadier.
He went back to the bed and threw himself onto it. Then, he opened the shop screen.
Rows of weapons, armor, and strange items filled his vision. His eyes went straight to the counter at the corner.
[Shop Points: 410]
Kyle whistled softly. "Four hundred and ten..."
He skimmed through the listings briefly—enchanted daggers, accessories, consumables, things far beyond what he could afford before.
Then he closed the screen.
`There's no need to rush... I'll see what I can buy with these later.`
His eyelids suddenly felt heavy.
Kyle let his arm drop to the side and turned onto his stomach again, burying his face into the pillow.
The system screens faded.
And within moments, Kyle fell into a deep, exhausted sleep—his body resting, his mind already preparing for what came tomorrow.
---
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The sound dragged Kyle out of sleep, his brow furrowing as his eyes slowly opened. Pale sunlight was slipping through the thin curtains.
It was morning.
"...Who the hell?" he muttered, his voice rough with sleep.
The knocking came again—more insistent this time.
With an annoyed sigh, Kyle pushed himself up and swung his legs off the bed. He rubbed his face once, then walked to the door and pulled it open.
"Morning, Kyle!"
Mira stood there, smiling warmly and waving at him. But her smile froze as her eyes slid downward.
Kyle was shirtless.
The morning light illuminated the lean muscle of his chest and abdomen—clearly more defined than before. Mira's green eyes widened just a fraction.
She didn't say anything—just stared at his body.
Kyle noticed that.
He raised an eyebrow. "...What? Never seen a man's body before?"
Mira snapped back to herself instantly. Her face flushed red as she jerked her gaze up to his face. "W-What?! I wasn't—!"
`Who would have thought the flirting Mira would blush like this.` Kyle enjoyed her current view. `Had she never really seen a man's body before or what?`
She coughed lightly, crossing her arms beneath her big breasts. "Y-You should at least put a shirt on before opening the door!"
Kyle smirked. "You're the one staring."
Her blush deepened. "T-That's not the point!"
Kyle yawned, stretching his arms casually. "So, why are you here?"
Then he tilted his head slightly. "And how did you even know where I'm staying?"
Mira cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. "I came to pick you up. The others are already at the guild."
She gestured vaguely behind her. "And... I saw you enter this inn before the mission. I just assumed you were staying here."
Kyle nodded slowly. "Makes sense."
He stepped back. "Go ahead. I'll get dressed and come down."
Mira didn't leave. Instead, she stepped past him and into the room, hands clasped behind her back.
"I'll wait inside," she said lightly. "So we can go together~"
Kyle paused and looked at her. "...I will change all of my clothes."
Mira smiled when she saw his reaction. "Oh, no need to worry about me... there's nothing about your body that would interest me~"
"So," she said slowly. "Don't be embarrassed~"
She teased him as if she wanted to take revenge for what had happened a little while ago.
Something inside Kyle snapped the moment he heard her last words.
`This damn Bitch!`
He stared at Mira's smile—playful, smug, clearly deliberate. Slowly, a smirk spread across his own face.
Mira tilted her head slightly, clearly enjoying herself.
He reached out and gently closed the door. His smile didn't fade as he turned to face her.
Inside his head, his thoughts were far less polite. `So that's how you want to play it... huh?`