My vision flickered: black, then gray, then the pale blue haze of the System interface came into focus. The taste of dust and copper clung to my tongue. Damn, I feel wrung out.

  Balt knelt beside me, staff clutched tight, his face streaked with blood and sweat.

  My voice came out rough when I tried to speak. “How long was I out?”

  “Just a few minutes,” he replied.

  “I’m getting really tired of waking up after every fight.”

  A firm hand settled on my shoulder. Instinct jolted me upright, or tried to. My legs buckled, but the grip held me steady.

  Lawson’s face came into view, his eyes scanning me with a measured nod. Relief threaded through his voice. “Well done. You and Balt just cleared a floor boss with a two-man party. Dalton was an Elite-level Boss. A run like this usually takes a full five-man team, and even then, there are casualties.”

  I managed a grin. “Thanks for the training… and for pushing me to upgrade Ashbourne. Without that, I’d be dead.” I looked around to see the aftermath of the battle. The courtyard lay in ruins. Torn banners, cratered cobblestones, debris was everywhere. I looked down and noticed that my vest was shredded; the rest of my clothes were not in much better shape. Everything was burned and bloodied. If this was just the first-floor tutorial boss and it took everything I had, what the hell is waiting deeper in… and how the hell am I supposed to survive it?

  Lawson stepped back, giving me some room. The courtyard torches were lit now and danced in his impassive gaze. A rippling blue light cracked open along the far wall. The jagged shards of energy forming a portal.

  Lawson’s hands were clasped behind his back now. “Portal’s active. You must hurry. Wait to upgrade your progression until the next floor. Grab what you can from the castle. Open your reward chest first. You have less than 10 minutes before the portal pulls you in, and I promise you; you do not want that."

  Me and Balt hurried over to the chest. Its surface was veined with silver and obsidian. Runes pulsed faintly across its lid. Balt knelt and touched it. The chest responded to his touch, unfolding like a blooming flower of metal and light.

  I heard Balt's breath catch as the chest unfolded, its inner light casting flickering shadows across the stone floor. I looked over his shoulder as the items hovered briefly before settling into place.

  Balt rubbed his hands together. “You know I hate the almost dying part of fighting, but I will never get tired of the loot.”

  Inside lay three items:

  I reached forward, drawn to the armor. The Lightning Hauberk of Renewal shimmered with the same lightning that nearly killed me a few minutes earlier; its surface was alive with faint arcs of energy. My fingers brushed the fabric-metal weave. It pulsed once, seeming to accept me. I wasted no time putting it on. The hauberk clung to my frame as if it had always belonged there, the weight paradoxically light, like wearing my favorite T-shirt from back home. I identified it.

  I yelled out a "Hell Yeah!"

  Balt inclined his head, with no trace of envy in his eyes. “It suits you.”

  They split the credits evenly, 500 each, the transfer seamless, the system chiming softly in acknowledgment.

  Balt turned his attention to the scroll. The black cord unraveled at his touch, and the parchment unfurled with a whisper of displaced air. Symbols danced across its surface, shifting like windblown sparks.

  His eyes widened. “Movement sigil. Epic Tiered. This isn’t just a dash; it’s a phase shift. Short-range teleportation. I had never even seen one available in the system shop.”

  Lawson’s voice cut through the moment. “Nine minutes. Portal’s not going to wait for you two.”

  I tightened the hauberk straps. Balt tucked the scroll into his belt pouch. The chest folded closed behind them, its runes dimming.

  We ran into the castle, Lawson on my heels. I hollered over my shoulder at him, “I just think it’s crazy that I needed a replacement for my vest and, boom, there it is. Balt needs a movement skill, and there it is. This is not even the first time something like this has happened to us.”

  I was surprised when the answer came from the Overseer. “You are in the tutorial phase; I have some control over your rewards.

  The system and I cannot aid you in combat, but when it comes to Outliers and rewards. Champions are few and far between, so you and your party get what we Overseers call perks early on.”

  “It’s official. I am riding your velvety coattails to the top,” laughed Balt.

  I was quickly at the door, and when I went to barrel into it. The door didn't even make a sound as I bounced off it. On top of everything else, my shoulder hurt now. I was about to take Ashbourne out and start to bash it.

  When Balt stepped up to the door and turned the handle, the door swung in easily. "How about that?" I heard the old man laughing as he walked in.

  Rubbing my shoulder, I walked in. Yup, try the handle next time, dumbass.

  Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

  The room I walked into hummed with magic and was filled with relics and remnants. Half-shattered display cases, glowing sigils etched into the walls. The sigils gave off just enough light to see the huge room. There were pedestals covered in dust, still humming with residual energy. The air smelled of decay and old books.

  Balt whistled. “This is the kind of room you find right before some monster comes out and tries to kill you.”

  I gave him my best flat look. “I am just saying,” said Balt, bringing up his hands in mock surrender.

  Seven minutes and some change left now, boys, move your asses.” I heard Lawson say.

  We stopped joking and moved.

  A pedestal flared as approached, revealing a sleek, obsidian-hilted weapon:

  I grabbed it without hesitation. Depositing into my storage.

  Balt darted to a cracked cabinet and yanked open the door. Inside, a pair of boots pulsed with kinetic energy.

  He didn’t hesitate; he just slipped them on and grinned. “Now we’re talking.”

  I spotted a glowing crystal tucked behind a fallen banner and snatched it up.

  I didn’t know what it did yet, but the system tagged it as Legendary. That was enough for me.

  We grabbed whatever wasn’t nailed down and could be stored after that.

  Lawson’s voice rang out again, sharper this time. “One minute, let’s move.”

  I ran.

  The portal surged, its edges fraying like torn lightning. I reached it first, with Balt right behind me. As we crossed the threshold, the system flared:

  The light hit me like an ocean wave.

  Gone were the cracked stone and flickering torches. I blinked against the sudden brilliance, seeing a sky so blue it felt painted. The air was warm, fragrant with the scent of pine and something faintly sweet, like citrus and fresh flowers.

  I stood in a clearing surrounded by towering trees, silver-barked sentinels with leaves that shimmered gold in the sunlight. Birds chirped overhead, and somewhere deeper in the woods, a stream babbled as if it were telling secrets. “Man, this place makes a guy want to take a nice long nap."

  Balt exhaled. “Okay. Not what I expected from a place called the Hollow Merchant Verge.”

  I scanned the area. No enemies. No immediate threats. Just a picturesque forest.

  Lawson’s voice came through, calmer now. “You’ve got some breathing room. That chest being platinum should have given you both a Talent point. Keep to what I told you and hold off using them for a while.”

  Lawson pointed toward the north. The town entrance is somewhere that way. And Riven… that Sector Key Fragment you and Balt found. It unlocks one hell of a reward if you can gather them all. Keep an eye out for the next one.

  I will be back in a few minutes; I got to take care of something. Get done what you need to with your progression.”

  Balt stretched, his new boots sparking faintly with each movement. “My favorite part.”

  I smirked. "It’s my turn to go first, right?”

  Balt just nodded and went and found a stump and motioned for me to begin.

  I activated my anchor to view my messages and new status.

  I plugged the 2 free Stat points into Spirit like I was told to do, bringing it up to 26.

  That new chest piece and two levels made my battle power jump again. I just have to keep growing, and I will get there. I came back to myself and then changed places with Balt so he could see to his progression.

  Several minutes later, I was back to scanning the area when I felt energy flare behind me. Balt shimmered in the light, his form rippling. I narrowed my eyes. What the hell is going on there?

  Before I could take a step over to check on him, Balt vanished. A sharp pressure tapped my balls, and I spun around, startled, and took a knee, my balls now killing me.

  “Doesn’t feel too good when the shoe is on the other foot, does it?” Balt said smugly, a grin plastered across his face.

  I raised my hands in surrender. “You got me. Holy crap, man what was that?”

  Balt opened his mouth, but instead of answering, his knees started to wobble, and he plopped down onto the ground. He pressed a hand to his temple, swaying.

  “Whoa… hold on. Little lightheaded,” Balt muttered, drawing in a steadying breath. “That was the spell scroll we pulled from the chest. It’s called Blink. Guess it takes more out of me than I thought.”

  I chuckled and offered him a hand up. “Well, at least you looked cool before you face planted, it looks a little like my skill.”

  Balt gripped my hand and hauled himself upright, still swaying slightly. “Cool, huh? It makes my stomach churn when I use it, and yes, it's a similar Talent to yours, but it runs off pure mana and takes a lot to activate though.”

  “Yeah, well, maybe tell me what’s going on next time. I can summon a blade fairly quickly,” I said, half-grinning. “You blink behind me in a fight, and I might stick you before I realize it’s you.”

  Balt smirked weakly but didn’t get the chance to reply.

  “Are you two done playing grab-ass?” Lawson’s voice cut across the clearing, sharp and amused. He strode into view, with a smirk on his face. “Because last I checked, we’re not out here to see who can fall down the most dramatically.”

  “We were just testing something. I said.”

  “Uh-huh.” Lawson gave Balt a pointed look. “Testing how fast you can fall on your ass, it looks like.”

  Balt scowled. “It worked. Mostly.”

  Lawson snorted, then jabbed a finger at the area. “Enough messing around. You need rest. And when you’re not resting, you should be grinding every skill you’ve got. The pace is only going to get harsher from here.”

  I rolled my shoulders, tension prickling along my spine. I knew Lawson was right. My battle power had spiked again after leveling, but it still wasn’t near enough. Not for what was coming.

  “Especially you,” Lawson added, eyes narrowing at me. “You’ve got that Limit Break boosting skill. Use it. Push it. Get comfortable using it and as soon as it comes off the cooldown, activate it.”

  I swallowed hard but nodded. “Yeah. I get it.”

  “Good.” Lawson turned away, already scanning the tree line for threats. “Now quit looking like a pair of drunks after their first bar fight and either rest or practice. Your choice.”

  I raised my hand tiredly. “I’ll take the first watch."

  Lawson just shook his head. “Set up your tent, and I will keep watch tonight. Get some sleep. Tomorrow we step into town, and trust me, monsters are the easy part. People will gut you just as fast, and they smile while they do it.”