"Alright, it's right in front of us, I can see it."
We had been lucky too lucky. Since getting back on the road, we hadn't encountered any more monsters.
A sense of unease crept up my spine. Silence wasn't safety; it was the promise of something worse waiting ahead.
"To think I'd come back here…" Layla muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
"You studied here?" I asked, glancing at her.
"…Yeah. Anyway, let's get going if we want your friend to stay safe."
There was something in her tone, something final. I didn't push. Layla didn't strike me as the type to dwell on the past, but I made a mental note of it.
Then, the silence shattered.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
I tensed. The sound of something slamming against a surface echoed through the air. My stomach dropped.
Shit, something's attacking the dorm.
We broke into a sprint. As we reached the clearing, my heart pounded at the sight before us.
A massive gray wolf, easily the size of a truck, stood at the entrance, its claws ripping into a shimmering blue barrier that shielded the dorm's front doors. With every strike, cracks spread across the surface, thin fractures crawling outward like veins.
Then, the wolf stopped.
It lifted its head and turned. Cold, piercing blue eyes locked onto mine. A chill ran through my spine.
A second later, it vanished.
What?
I barely had time to register the movement before…
CRASH!
Agony exploded through my ribs as something smashed into my side, sending me flying.
The world spun violently before my body slammed into a building. Concrete cracked beneath the force, dust and debris clouding my vision.
It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!
My entire body screamed in protest. Every nerve burned, every breath was a jagged struggle. My ears rang, drowning out everything else. Was I dying?
Through the haze of pain, I could barely make out Layla, her body wreathed in red glow, clashing against the wolf. Her speed was incredible, her movements were sharp and controlled.
But the wolf was stronger, each of its blows sent shockwaves through the air, pushing her back inch by inch.
I coughed, something warm pooling in my mouth.
Blood.
I felt something creeping in the whisper of doubt, of failure. I'm too weak. I thought I could save Claire? What a joke… I can't even save myself.
For a moment, I saw it all play out, the inevitable. Layla losing, the barrier breaking, Claire and the others inside being torn apart.
But then...
No.
Something inside me refused to accept that. I wasn't just some nobody anymore. I was chosen.
Out of eight billion peoples, I was given the divine system. I wasn't going to die here.
I refuse.
With gritted teeth, I activated Phoenix forcing my wounds to knit together. It hurt and wasn't perfect, but it was enough.
Layla was still holding her ground, but I could see she was losing. The wolf's sheer power was overwhelming, but she had still left deep wounds across its flank.
Blood dripped from its side.
I began channeling everything I had into my right arm, pouring 120 energy points into the attack. The flames burned so hot they began to sear my own skin.
I wouldn't get another chance.
Layla swung but missed. The wolf pounced, sending her crashing to the ground not far from me.
I knew she'd get up, now I had to be patient.
I went completely still.
Slowed my breathing.
Kept my arms hidden beneath me so the glow wouldn't give me away.
The wolf turned toward us, its arrogance blinding it to the danger.
Step. Step. Step. Not yet.
Step. Step. Step. Wait for it.
It lowered its head, jaws parting, a predator ready to claim its prey.
NOW!
I lunged, driving my bat, superheated beyond its limits, straight into one of the open wounds Layla made.
BOOM!
The bat detonated inside its flesh, shattering its ribcage, rupturing organs, sending molten blood and bone flying.
The wolf didn't even have time to react. Its body erupted in two, torn apart from the inside.
But the blast sent me flying again, pain ripping through me as I crashed onto the pavement. My vision darkened.
The last thing I saw:
[You have slain a Level 15 Gray Wolf.]
[You have leveled up.]
[You have leveled up.]
…
Pain. Again.
I groaned, prying my eyes open. My body felt shattered.
I was inside what looked like a medical room. Probably within the dorm.
I shifted and then I noticed her.
Layla.
She was asleep, her head resting on the bed, her breathing soft and steady. She had probably stayed here the whole time…
Before I could process that, the door creaked open.
Claire.
We locked eyes.
Then, without warning, a tear slipped down her cheek.
"You stupid jerk," she whispered. "You're alive."
I smiled. "Looks like it."
Then,
Her face twisted.
"WHY DID YOU ALMOST GET YOURSELF KILLED?!"
I flinched. "I-I came to save you?"
"SAVE ME? We had fifty people ready to ambush the wolf, Elian!"
"…Oh."
Her glare intensified. "OH?!"
"…I might have overreacted?"
Layla stirred then, blinking blearily at us. "You're awake?"
Claire, still groggy, looked at me. "She stayed here all night," she murmured. "Trying to heal you."
She then huffed, stepping back. "Heal yourself. Come downstairs when you're ready."
She left, slamming the door behind her.
I swallowed and looked at Layla. "Why?"
Layla hesitated, then met my gaze, her expression unreadable.
"I don't know how much worth you think saving me had. But for me it was everything." Her voice was quiet but firm. "I owe you, Elian and I won't forget it."
The morning sun streamed through the window, catching her red hair like wildfire. For a moment, I couldn't look away.
"…Thank you," I murmured.
She simply smiled, then stood and walked out.
I exhaled.
I made her… no, them worry, didn't I?
For now, I needed to focus. I pulled up my notifications.
[You have slain a Level 15 Gray Wolf.]
[You have leveled up.]
[You have leveled up.]
[You have leveled up.]
[You have leveled up.]
[You have leveled up.]
[Achievement Unlock: Giant slayer]
[Giant slayer: You have slain an enemy at least three time your level
[Effect: gain a boost of 20% in all your attribute (but luck) when fighting an enemy at least 5 level over you]
Level 15… I had been way over my head, hadn't I? Layla might have been a higher level, but that wolf had been more than twice her level, and she still held her ground. She's really a genius, isn't she?
Still, the achievement was amazing and gaining five levels brought me up to level 9. I'll take it.
That also meant I had 30 free points to allocate… but I wasn't sure where to put them yet. I needed to think about that carefully.
For now, I focused on healing what Layla couldn't. Healing someone else seemed far more complicated than healing myself.
I concentrated, letting the familiar warmth of [Phoenix] I wash over my wounds. The pain dulled as my flesh knitting itself back together.
By the time I was done, I was fully healed… but it had cost me 60 energy points.
Damn. Am I just bad at this, or does it really take that much energy? Well, it was also time 2 because of my penalty... Annoying.
Shaking the thought away, I stood up and headed down.
As I walked through the halls, I passed groups of students. The dorm was connected to the school, and from the way people were moving, there was some kind of planning happening.
When I reached the gymnasium, the tension was even stronger. Groups of students were clustered together, discussing something in hushed voices. Whatever it was, they looked organized.
In the right corner of the gym, I spotted Claire. She was hunched over a table, staring intently at what looked like blueprints.
I smirked.
"Hey Claire, doing something fun?" I asked casually.
"Kyaaa!"
She jumped, nearly knocking the papers off the table.
"D-don't just appear behind people like that!" she scolded, pressing a hand to her chest.
I chuckled. "Right, right. So, what are you up to?"
She crossed her arms, clearly still flustered. "Hmph. Blueprints."
I raised an eyebrow. "You never learned to build anything before, right? Is this because of your ability?"
She nodded. "Yeah. Blazing Blacksmith."
Oh. Now that's interesting.
"How does it work?" I asked, leaning forward. "You weren't a blacksmith before, were you?"
She shook her head. "Nah. But ever since my ability awakened, it's like knowledge just keeps coming to me. I even built a small forge, but I'm still figuring things out."
That was quite useful. She could craft weapons and I needed weapons.
"So…" I began, trying to sound casual, "do you think you could make a weapon? Like, say… a sword?"
Layla and I had completely melted the baseball bat in the fight against the wolf. I needed something better.
Claire tapped a finger against the table. "That's exactly what I'm working on. I think I'm close to making one good enough."
I grinned. Knowing how perfectionist she was, her weapons were going to be top-tier. I wondered if she could teach me how to craft, too…
Before I could ask, she sighed and rolled her eyes. "But enough about that. The president wants to see you. Layla is with her."