'Did I… not log into Ascendant Realms last night?'
The realisation hit him hard.
For two whole days, he had practically lived inside the game. But last night, after getting home from the party…
"…Makes sense," he muttered while rubbing his temples. "I technically haven't slept in two days."
He groaned and then stretched his limbs before flopping back onto his bed.
"Dammit. That means I wasted an entire night."
But just as he was about to lament about his lost cultivation time, his phone buzzed.
Victor grabbed it and squinted at the bright screen.
A message notification popped up.
Amara Blake: "You were cool last night. Had fun."
A second message followed.
Amara Blake: "See you in school. 😊"
Victor's brain completely shut down as he stared at his phone.
The prettiest girl in school.
She even sent an emoji.
Victor's entire existence did a victory lap inside his head.
"YESSSS!" he fist-pumped the air.
He suddenly remembered—he got her number last night.
The heavens were smiling upon him.
Just as he was basking in his victory, his mother's voice rang from the kitchen.
"Victor! Hurry up, you're going to be late for school!"
Victor grumbled before rolling out of bed. He grabbed a fresh pair of his school uniform and hurriedly got dressed while still replaying last night's events in his head.
He was one step closer to Amara.
Victor walked into the kitchen, where his mother was already sipping coffee. She barely glanced up before sliding a plate of toast and eggs toward him.
Victor took a seat and bit into the toast, still in a fantastic mood.
That was—until his mother spoke again.
"Your father won't be coming back today."
Victor paused mid-chew. "Huh?"
His mother sighed. "They extended his work period because they discovered more areas to mine in the newly reclaimed lands."
Victor swallowed. "Oh. That's good, right?"
His mother shrugged. "It means more money, so I guess."
Victor didn't overthink it. This wasn't the first time his father's mining trips got extended. It usually happened whenever the Mana Defense Forces pushed back enemy territory.
"Guess he'll be back in, like, two or three days?" Victor asked.
Victor nodded. "Alright, then."
His mom gave him a sharp look. "And don't think I forgot about you playing that game too much."
"Mom, I already said I'll play in moderation."
She narrowed her eyes. "You better. Because if I catch you pulling another 48-hour session, I'm locking that thing away."
Victor winced. "Noted. Message received. No need for threats of violence."
She snorted before kissing him on his forehead. "Good. Now finish up and get to school."
Victor left home in high spirits, with his hands casually tucked into his pockets as he walked toward the Mana train station.
His mind, however, was elsewhere.
Last night was amazing, but now reality was setting in.
He hadn't cultivated. He had wasted time.
He might fall behind.
He needed to get stronger before the Awakening Academy screening which was less than two weeks away.
And there was only one way to do that.
Victor glanced at his phone, checking the time.
"Maybe I can squeeze in a quick play session during lunch..."
Little did he know—his real problem was waiting at school.
Victor stepped into the school gates, expecting another mundane Monday.
The moment he walked in, heads turned.
"Victor Revenant, right? He's the guy who beat Daniel at the party!"
"No way, that was insane—did you see how fast he moved?"
"I swear, he looked like an Awakener!"
Victor stopped mid-step.
A video of his Reflex Test battle against Daniel was playing on several students' phones.
Victor's eye twitched.
Before he could react, people started approaching.
"Victor! What class did you awaken as?"
"Hey, man, are you a Warrior or an Assassin? You looked so fast in that video!"
"Are you a late Awakener?! That was some next-level movement!"
Victor felt sweat roll down his temple.
He hadn't planned for this.
He wasn't actually Awakened.
He was using Qi cultivation.
…Which didn't exist in this world.
Jake suddenly appeared beside him, grinning ear to ear. "Bro, you're famous. You're literally a school celebrity right now just like Danny."
Max nodded. "Dude, they think you're one of them."
Danny clapped a hand on Victor's shoulder.
"So, are you gonna tell them?"
Victor hesitated. "Tell them what?"
Danny smirked. "What you awakened as."
A very serious problem had just landed on his plate.
He had to come up with an answer.
What would he tell people he awakened as?
A warrior? A summoner? A berserker? A mage? An Assassin? A healer? A necromancer?
'Fuck, why did I never think of this before?'