A witch?
Levi’s interest spiked.
This was the first time Don Quixote’s delusions had featured an actual person instead of goblins or trash cans.
“Where’s this witch?” he asked, watching his uncle strap on the armor with deadly seriousness.
“I’m right behind you, Sir Knight!”
“Yes, yes, squire.
That’s the spirit,” Don Quixote said, clearly pleased.
He gave his breastplate a satisfied pat.
“Keep this up and you’ll be a true knight in no time.”
Levi shook his head with a grin, grabbed the cheap folding knife Don Quixote had sold him, and followed the armored figure out into the night.
On the empty streets near Sunset Park at three in the morning, a homeless guy who’d clearly been hitting something strong suddenly saw a glowing figure in full armor walking toward him.
“G-God… Lord… You’ve… manifested!”
The man scrambled to his feet and stumbled straight at the shining armor.
Levi walked behind Don Quixote feeling secondhand embarrassment.
Even at three a.m.
with no one else around, the silver armor caught every streetlight and flashed like a beacon.
Don Quixote was even humming some half-remembered knight ballad under his breath.
Walking next to this was humiliating.
“Sir Knight,” Levi said, unable to take it anymore, “where exactly are we finding this witch?”
“Patience, squire.
Patience,” Don Quixote answered grandly.
“The witch’s minions lurk in the misty forest.
We must—”
He never finished the sentence.
A ragged shape launched out of the shadows and tackled him straight to the ground.
“Lord!” the man wailed, clutching Don Quixote’s armor.
“I’m a sinner!
I gave in to temptation!
I have sinned!”
“Witch’s foul servant!” Don Quixote roared, trying to get up while the guy clung to him.
“Unhand me!
This is an ambush!”
“Lord!
Lord!
Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin!”
Levi didn’t wait.
He stepped in fast and kicked the man hard in the ribs, sending him flying into the base of a streetlight.
The homeless guy hit the pole, slid down, and muttered something about serving time in hell before passing out cold.
“Get up, Uncle,” Levi said, hauling Don Quixote to his feet.
“You all right?”
“I’m fine, squire!” Don Quixote was still fully in character.
He brushed off his armor like nothing happened.
“The witch’s minion caught me off guard, that’s all.
Give me another chance and I’ll—”
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Levi cut in.
“We should head back before more of her forces show up.”
Don Quixote looked reluctant, but for some reason Levi’s words felt right.
He turned and started walking home without another word.
On the way back Levi finally checked the system notification that had popped up the moment Don Quixote went down.
[Quest: Save the Knight in Crisis]
[Even the bravest knight can stumble.
Help him escape danger.]
[Reward: Strength +0.1, Agility +0.1]
[Quest Complete]
[Strength 1.0] → [Strength 1.1]
[Agility 0.9] → [Agility 1.0]
A warm, soothing wave rolled through his whole body like sinking into a hot bath.
No explosive power this time.
Just… lightness.
Everything felt smoother.
The slight disconnect he’d always felt between his brain and his body was gone.
When his Spirit had been ahead of his Agility he could think faster than he could move.
Now everything lined up.
All his weak points were finally filled.
“Squire!
Quit lagging behind!” Don Quixote called from up ahead.
“A knight needs his rest for tomorrow’s quest.”
“Coming!” Levi answered.
He’d test the new numbers at the gym tomorrow.
“Wait up, Sir Knight.”
“You did well tonight, squire,” Don Quixote said as they walked.
“I should reward you.”
Levi’s eyes lit up.
Last time a “reward” had meant an extra gold coin and started his whole escape fund.
He watched Don Quixote pat himself down over the armor for a long moment and come up empty.
“Right… about that,” Don Quixote said without missing a beat.
“The Duke tasked me with slaying the witch deep in the forest.
Once I complete the quest I’ll receive his favor.
Then I’ll reward you properly.”
Levi rubbed his nose and accepted it.
Free gold later was still better than nothing.
Back in the basement Don Quixote’s chainsaw snoring started up immediately.
Levi stripped off his shirt and stepped into the tiny bathroom.
He stood in front of the cracked mirror and really looked at himself for the first time.
Strength at 1.1 had pushed him past normal.
The thin layer of fat that used to sit over his bones was gone.
Skin sat tight against muscle.
His chest had filled out into clear, square pecs.
Eight distinct abs sat in a tight row, with sharp obliques cutting down the sides like shark gills.
His lats were starting to flare, giving him the beginning of a real V-taper.
He raised his arms and hit a lat spread in the mirror.
The wings were coming in.
He made a fist and watched veins rise along his forearms like roots.
Agility had stripped the last softness.
Strength had added real size.
“Damn,” Levi muttered, running a hand over his stomach.
“This is what going from 0.8 to 1.1 actually looks like.”