Mike didn’t remember falling asleep.

  He remembered pain, Lumi’s soft weight curled on his chest, the sound of running water nearby, and the ache in his soul where Sael’s presence used to be.

  Then—darkness.

  When he woke, dawn light filtered through the leaves in pale streaks. Birds chirped somewhere high in the canopy — actual birds, not the mutated nightmare versions that seemed inevitable. The air felt cool, mist rolling off the stream.

  Lumi was perched on his chest again, six tails curled protectively around Mike’s neck like a furry scarf. The fox’s breath rose and fell in tiny, rapid puffs.

  Mike tried moving an arm—

  —and hissed through clenched teeth.

  Pain lanced down his ribs.

  Lumi’s eyes shot open instantly, pupils dilating. He yipped frantically and pressed both paws to Mike’s collarbone as if trying to push him back down.

  “Yeah,” Mike whispered hoarsely. “I get it. Stay still.”

  He did.

  For a while.

  Then a faint chime echoed in his skull.

  [Notification Log Overflow]

  [Some system messages were delayed due to unconsciousness.]

  Mike blinked.

  “Oh great. What did I miss?”

  A cascade of delayed windows appeared in front of him.

  [Minor Boss Defeated]

  Loot Stored: 1 Item

  Reason: Candidate Storm’s Inventory System Unlocked

  [New System Feature: Inventory]

  A small subspace anchored to the System’s framework.

  Capacity scales with level.

  Decay proof.

  Soul-bound.

  Current Slots: 10

  Items Stored: 1

  Mike stared, stupefied.

  “I have an inventory?! Why didn’t you tell me that earlier?!”

  You were unconscious, the orb said, floating into view.

  Mike opened his mouth—

  Closed it.

  Decided arguing with a magical floating sphere wasn’t worth the effort.

  “What’s the item?”

  [Loot: Verdant Heart Core (Minor)]

  ? Material: Living crystal

  ? Properties: High natural mana conductivity

  ? Uses: Weapon crafting, armor infusion, skill enhancement

  ? Status: Bound to Candidate Storm (tutorial restriction)

  Mike blinked.

  “…This is actually good?”

  Extremely.

  Boss cores are rare in tutorials.

  They generally do not roam into low-level zones.

  “Gee,” Mike muttered. “I wonder whose fault that was.”

  Lumi pawed his cheek apologetically, as if he personally felt guilty for Mike’s chaos affinity pulling a boss into the region.

  Mike stroked his head. “Not you, buddy.”

  Lumi leaned in, reassured.

  Mike opened the inventory with a thought.

  A small grid appeared in the air — translucent, clean, almost videogame-like. One slot glowed softly, containing a swirling green-gold crystal the size of a fist.

  Beautiful.

  Dangerous.

  Valuable.

  “How do I… use it?” Mike asked.

  Not recommended at your current level. Material is too potent.

  Save it.

  Mike nodded. “Alright. Inventory… close?”

  The window vanished.

  This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

  He exhaled.

  “Okay. That’s something.”

  Another notification appeared.

  [Level Perk: Early Integration Bonus]

  At Level 7, candidates unlock: System Assist — Basic Status Optimization

  ? Slightly faster healing

  ? Slightly increased energy recovery

  ? Passive tracking of injuries

  ? Automatic minor fixation of fractures (slow)

  Mike blinked. “That sounds… like a big deal.”

  Not a big deal, the orb corrected.

  But useful.

  “Why do I feel like your definition of useful is different than mine?”

  Because it is.

  Lumi snorted in agreement.

  Mike tried sitting up again—

  This time, it hurt less.

  Barely.

  But the pain was duller, more like an ache than a knife.

  “Good,” he whispered. “Progress.”

  He rested for another few minutes, mind clearing.

  Sael’s absence still weighed on him like a stone. He couldn’t stop his gaze from drifting to the treeline, half-expecting their slight form to simply step out again.

  But nothing came.

  Just the quiet of the forest.

  Lumi’s ears drooped.

  “Yeah,” Mike whispered. “I miss them too.”

  He let himself sit with that grief for a moment longer.

  Then he pushed forward.

  Because if he didn’t move, the tutorial would kill him.

  A branch cracked behind him.

  Mike reached for his blade on instinct—

  —and Lumi growled.

  “Easy,” Mike murmured.

  Three figures emerged from the brush.

  The ranger.

  The rogue.

  The cleric.

  The same trio who had approached him after the fight.

  They came openly, hands away from weapons. The cleric held a staff topped with a faintly glowing blue crystal — clearly a healing focus.

  “Morning,” the ranger said quietly.

  Mike tightened his grip but didn’t draw. “You’re back.”

  The cleric nodded. “We waited. Didn’t want to spook you by approaching in the dark. You were injured.”

  “How thoughtful,” Mike said dryly. “What do you want?”

  “To talk,” the rogue said with a small grin. “Preferably without anyone dying.”

  Mike arched an eyebrow.

  “We saw what you did,” the ranger said. “To the Verdant Maw.”

  “I didn’t do it alone,” Mike said immediately.

  The ranger’s expression softened. “I… we saw.”

  Silence hung.

  Mike looked away.

  The cleric stepped closer, raising both hands. “May I?”

  Mike squinted at her. “At what?”

  “Healing.”

  Mike hesitated.

  Lumi growled protectively, tails rising like crackling antennae.

  “It’s okay,” Mike whispered. “Let her through.”

  The cleric knelt beside him and placed a glowing hand against his ribs. Light spread, cool and soothing. Pain eased in waves.

  Not gone.

  But bearable.

  After a minute, she pulled back.

  “You’re stable,” she said. “Better than before.”

  “Thanks,” Mike said quietly. “I appreciate it.”

  The cleric nodded.

  The ranger sat on a fallen log. “Listen… you’re strong. Stronger than most of us here. And we’re not stupid—anyone with that kind of potential becomes a target in this place.”

  Mike narrowed his eyes. “You’re telling me.”

  The rogue shrugged. “You could join us. Simple as that. We stick together. We survive.”

  “And when the System tells us to kill each other for points?” Mike asked.

  The rogue flashed teeth. “Then we’ll cross that bridge when we burn it.”

  Mike snorted. “That’s not how that saying goes.”

  “Sure it is.”

  The ranger rolled his eyes. “He improvises.”

  Mike considered them.

  A group meant safety.

  A group meant numbers.

  A group meant someone to cover his blind spots while he slept.

  But—

  A group also meant trust.

  And trust got people killed.

  Like Sael.

  Lumi nudged his cheek again, sensing the turmoil.

  Mike sighed.

  “I’m not ready,” he said. “But I’m not saying no.”

  The ranger nodded. “We’ll be close by. When you’re ready.”

  They turned to leave.

  “Hey,” Mike called out. “Your names?”

  The ranger paused. “Arin.”

  The rogue gave a two-finger salute. “Vex.”

  The cleric smiled softly. “Marina.”

  Mike nodded once. “Mike.”

  “We know,” Vex said. “Everyone knows.”

  Mike grimaced. “That’s… great.”

  “Welcome to fame,” Arin muttered.

  They vanished into the trees.

  Lumi chirped skeptically.

  “Yeah,” Mike said. “I don’t trust them either.”

  He spent the next hour recovering mana.

  Lumi curled against him, warm and comforting.

  When Mike finally checked the First Selection timer, a chill crawled up his spine.

  [First Selection — Remaining Time: 42:17:09]

  Less than two days.

  And the forest was already shifting.

  Mana flowed strangely. Leaves glowed faintly with green light leftover from the boss’s death. Animals stayed silent. The air crackled with residual energy.

  Even the orb seemed uneasy.

  Environmental warning:

  Mana distortion spreading.

  Local fauna evolving faster.

  Territory now qualifies as Tier-1 Threat Zone.

  Mike groaned. “This was a Tier 0 zone before?!”

  Correct.

  “Wonderful.”

  He stood shakily.

  Lumi hopped up to his shoulder.

  “Alright,” Mike murmured. “Let’s get moving. I need to find shelter. Water. Maybe… other people who aren’t murder-happy.”

  He took a step.

  And felt it.

  Stormsense.

  A faint, pulsing awareness.

  Not danger—

  Information.

  A new System notification appeared.

  [Tutorial Advancement Unlocked — Tier 1 Objective Available]

  Location Revealed: Trial of Awakening]

  Distance: 2.4 km

  Optional Reward:

  Early Title Unlock (Requires Level 10)

  Unique Potential: High

  Mike froze.

  Lumi tilted his head.

  “Title unlock…” Mike whispered. “At level 10…”

  A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.

  “Alright.”

  Something stirred inside him.

  Determination.

  Grief.

  Resolve.

  A spark of chaotic lightning burning through the fog.

  “Sael,” Mike murmured. “I’m going to reach Level 10. And then I’m going to make sure your death wasn’t meaningless.”

  Lumi chirped fiercely.

  Mike grinned.

  “Let’s go.”

  He stepped forward—

  —and something unseen watched from the branches overhead.

  A figure cloaked in shifting black-and-green light. Eyes gleaming with emerald fire. A silhouette that hadn’t existed before. Born from residual boss mana. Twisted. Humanoid.

  It watched Mike walk away.

  Its head tilted.

  Then it whispered softly, mimicking Mike’s voice perfectly.

  “…Sael…”

  And vanished into the forest.

  Thank you for reading!

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