Day three arrived with a heavy downpour outside. The tiny apartment felt cold, but Donald’s blood was running hot. He only needed one more day of good food to finish his first System quest.
He left Evelyn resting and climbed down into the Scrap Tunnels. He walked deeper than he ever had before. The weak E-Rank bugs and single rats were mostly near the entrance. To get enough cores quickly, he needed to find a nest.
His [Valuation Eye] picked up a faint red glow at the end of a long, narrow pipe. He crawled through the damp tunnel and dropped into a large, round sewer room.
The smell hit him first: rotten meat and sour water. In the center of the room, three Razor-Tail Rats were sleeping on a pile of old clothes and bones.
Donald gripped his wrench. Three E-Rank monsters at once. Two days ago, he would have cried and run away. Today, he planted his feet, took a deep breath, and stepped forward. His boots splashed in a shallow puddle.
The noise woke the rats. Six glowing red eyes snapped to him. They hissed, their metal tails scraping against the stone floor.
Donald didn’t wait for them to surround him. He charged first.
The closest rat leaped at him, spinning to use its heavy metal tail. Donald remembered Evelyn’s voice: Use the environment and Control the space.
Instead of blocking, Donald slid on his knees through the wet muck, passing right under the flying rat. As he slid, he swung his wrench upward, smashing the rat’s soft belly. The rat screamed and crashed into the wall, badly hurt.
But the other two rats were already on him.
The second rat lunged for his throat. Donald quickly yelled, "Aura of the Vanguard!" He raised his left arm, angling the invisible shield perfectly. The rat’s teeth scraped off the magic armor.
While the second rat was slipping off his arm, the third rat whipped its metal tail at Donald’s legs.
Donald had no time to dodge. He did the only thing he could. He reached out with his bare right hand, dropped his wrench, and grabbed the second rat by the fur on its neck. He pulled the angry rat down in front of his legs like a living shield.
THWACK.
The third rat’s heavy metal tail slammed into the second rat’s back, breaking its spine. The second rat died instantly from its own friend’s attack.
Donald let go of the dead rat, kicked the wrench back up into his hand with his boot, and twisted his hips. He swung the heavy steel straight into the side of the third rat’s head. CRACK. The monster folded in half and died.
The first rat, bleeding from its belly, tried to crawl away. Donald walked over calmly and finished it with one hard strike to the skull.
He stood in the quiet sewer room, covered in mud and monster blood, panting heavily.
Suddenly, a bright golden light filled his vision. A warm, rushing feeling exploded in his chest, flowing down his arms and legs. It felt like standing under a hot shower after freezing in the rain. All the small aches and pains in his muscles vanished completely.
[Experience Threshold Reached.]
[Level Up!]
[You are now Level 2.]
[Stat Increases:]
Strength: +2 (Current: 14)
Speed: +2 (Current: 16)
Stamina: +2 (Current: 15)
Mana: +2 (Current: 17)
Unassigned Free Points: 3
Donald laughed out loud. The sound echoed in the dirty sewer. He actually leveled up. He felt lighter, faster, and much stronger. He decided to save the three free points for later, just in case he needed a sudden boost in a dangerous fight.
He dug the three green cores out of the rats. He searched the rest of the room and found a dead Cave Crawler in the corner, getting one more core.
With four cores in his pocket, he climbed out of the tunnels.
At the market, he bought the best food he could afford: a thick stew full of real meat, warm bread, and fresh fruit. He practically ran back to the apartment.
When he opened the door, Evelyn was standing by the window, looking out at the rain. She turned around. "You’re late. I thought you died."
"I... leveled up," Donald said with a massive smile.
Evelyn’s eyes widened in shock. "In three days? From hunting sewer trash? Kid, it takes normal Awakeners at least a month to hit level two."
"I guess I have a good class," Donald said. He didn’t mention the SSS+ rank. He handed her the hot stew and the fruit. "Here. Day three dinner."
Evelyn took the warm bowl. A soft, genuine smile crossed her face. "Thank you, Donald."
The moment she took the first bite, Donald’s vision filled with golden boxes.
[Milestone Quest Complete: ’The Road to Recovery’.]
[Target Evelyn Vance has received proper nutrition for 3 consecutive days.]
[Calculating Rewards...]
[Reward: +2 to All Base Stats.]
[Reward: Skill Acquired - ’Soothing Hands’ (Active, E-Rank).]
Donald gasped as another wave of power rushed into him. His base stats jumped again. He was growing at an insane speed.
He immediately checked his new skill.
Soothing Hands (E-Rank): Uses mana to heal minor cuts, bruises, and ease internal pain. Cannot heal missing limbs or completely broken cores, but provides deep comfort.
Donald looked at Evelyn. She was eating the stew, but her hand was resting against her chest, right over her fractured core. Even with the food, she was always in pain.
"Evelyn," Donald said softly. He walked over to her. "Put the bowl down for a second."
She looked confused but placed the stew on the bed. "What is it?"
"I uh... Levelled up and got a new skill," Donald lied, it wasn’t unusual to randomly get a new skilled when one levels up, but he was skeptical about telling her the truth about his system and class. His hands started to glow with a soft, warm green light. "Let me try something."
He gently placed his glowing hands against her bare back, right behind where her fractured mana core was.
Evelyn flinched at first as he touched her skin, but then she let out a long, shuddering breath. The green light sank into her skin. The tight lines of pain around her eyes melted away. Her shoulders dropped.
"Oh God..." Evelyn moaned a little, closing her eyes. "It feels... Good..."
"It-it’s only an E-Rank healing skill," Donald said as his cheeks reddned and embarrassment washed up against him, keeping his hands steady. "It-it won’t fix the fracture. But it can take the pain away so you can actually sleep."
Evelyn opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder at him. The cynical, hard A-Rank Vanguard was gone. In her place was a woman who finally felt safe for the first time in months and was feeling a wave of... Desires that she hadn’t felt in a long time.
"You really are full of surprises, Donald," she said softly.