"Where are we going?" I asked, my voice edged with wariness as Laren and I trailed behind Maria through the darkened alleyways.
"Our... hideout," Laren replied, though his voice trembled slightly, betraying his unease.
Sensing something was off, I reached out, stopping him before he could take another step. My voice dropped to a whisper as I locked eyes with him. "Laren, what happened? You’re acting... strange."
He pushed my hand away, avoiding my gaze as he continued to follow Maria, his shoulders tense. "What do you mean?"
My brow furrowed as I scrutinized his expression, catching a flicker of fear in his eyes. "You’re hiding something. Did something weird happen?"
He merely clenched his jaw, remaining silent, and I sighed, deciding to let it go for now. Pressing him might only make him shut down completely.
Suddenly, there was a resounding *BAM!* up ahead. Startled, I looked up. "What was that?" I asked, focusing on Maria, who had her hands raised, her eyes narrowed toward a point in the air just ahead.
Following her gaze, I saw an arrow hanging in mid-air, suspended as though caught in an invisible snare. The very fabric of the air around it seemed fractured, like glass hit by a bullet, spidering outward in shimmering lines.
A barrier.
I instinctively looked in the direction the arrow had come from—and froze. My body turned rigid as my mind registered the danger in an instant.
A voice drifted out from the shadows, rich and captivating, but underlined with an unmistakable fury. "I’d advise you to step aside, or your whole team dies."
Maria’s lips curled into a mocking smile. "I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. He’s under my protection. Only *I* get to decide when and how I... do away with him," she purred, a flick of her wrist sending the arrow spinning off harmlessly to the side.
"What the hell? Am I just some toy to them?" I thought, swallowing back the urge to shout. Both of these women were undeniably powerful—much more than me.
I took a small, quiet step back. "Lyra..." I muttered under my breath, my eyes darting toward an escape route.
This was not a confrontation I wanted to be around for.
Never thought I’d run into this crazy lunatic so soon.
Lyra’s face hardened, and a cold smile graced her lips. "Then don’t blame me for wiping you all out," she said, notching several more arrows with a chilling ease.
Yeah... I wasn’t about to let this whole situation end with me as collateral damage. After sidling back a few more steps, I finally found a clear path and bolted.
But suddenly...
"Arck!"
A sharp, electrifying pain tore through me without warning. I let out a strangled scream, feeling as though my very nerves were set alight. I spun back, gasping, to find Maria glaring at me, one hand raised towards Lyra to halt her onslaught, while the other extended in my direction, crackling with residual electricity.
*Lightning affinity.*
Just my luck.
She tilted her head, her tone dangerously calm as she said, "You only move when *I* tell you to."
My fists clenched in frustration. Who does she think she is, controlling me like this? I don’t even remember any mention of her from my knowledge of the game world. And certainly, no villainess with lightning affnity.
Who the hell is she?
Lyra squinted at Maria, her eyes assessing. "You seem like a high-ranker. Why is this the first time I’m seeing you?"
Maria’s smirk didn’t waver. "None. Of. Your. Business." She reached to the sword strapped at her waist—a katana, humming with contained lightning as she unsheathed it.
"I’ll warn you one last time," she said, her voice carrying a lethal finality. "I don’t want to waste my time here. Just hand him over. I have questions that he needs to answer." Her gaze slid to me, cold and clinical.
’Yeah, no way in hell I’m going with her.’
If she got her hands on me, I’d likely be tortured—no doubt.
Maria’s eyes twinkled with a dangerous light. "What did he do to you?" she asked, her voice almost teasing.
Lyra’s mouth curled in distaste. "He... knows things he shouldn’t. I just need to find out how."
Maria’s smile grew. "Then wait until after the exams. You’ll have the chance to do as you wish—without any interruptions." Her voice was a perfect mimic of friendliness, though her stance remained tense.
The tension in the air grew oppressive, like the calm before a storm. I didn’t know where this was going, but one thing was certain: I didn’t want to stick around to find out. I watched them closely, biding my time, ready to seize any opening to escape.
[Ding!]
The familiar chime of my system interrupted my thoughts, a prompt appearing in my vision.
User charm is reaching an all-time high.
"What?... Status," I muttered, focusing on the display.
---
**User Stats**
Name: Leo
Age: 18
Class: Lunar, Year 8
Affinity: Shadow
Skills:
Shadow Manipulation: This grants you the ability to mold shadows to your will.
Details: Usage varies by level and intent of the user.
Mana Usage: Dependent on manipulation level
Reset Timer: None
Proficiency: 50%
Strength: 7
Endurance: 5
Agility: 10
Intelligence: 23
Mana: 200/200
Charm (AFP): 100 (Limit of human)
Available Points:
SP: 50
AFP: -2043 (negative), +3400 (Positive)]
---
I stared, dumbfounded. Nothing seemed to have changed with my charm stat, at least not outwardly... or could this mean the changes in my body were finally becoming more visible?
And... SP? When had that happened?
’Wait,’ I thought, ’was it after I completed that mission?’
[...Yes.]
I rolled my eyes as the system’s presence returned with its usual snark. "Oh, you’re back," I replied dryly, already anticipating its response.
[It appears you wish to make a transaction, so naturally, I had to be present,] the system chimed.
"Whatever. Didn’t you say I could use SP to increase stats?"
[Yes.]
"Then do this: allocate 20 SP to both my agility and strength, and add another 10 SP to endurance," I said.
---
**User Stats**
Name: Leo
Age: 18
Class: Lunar, Year 8
Affinity: Shadow
Skills:
Shadow Manipulation: This grants you the ability to mold shadows to your will.
Details: Usage varies by level and intent of the user.
Mana Usage: Dependent on manipulation level
Reset Timer: None
Proficiency: 50%
Strength: 17
Endurance: 35
Agility: 30
Intelligence: 33
Mana: 200/200
Charm (AFP): 100 (Limit of human)
Available Points:
SP: 0
AFP: -2043 (negative), +3400 (Positive)
---
[Ding!]
[Level Up! The Shop is now available.]
A grin tugged at the corner of my lips.