Second Main Quest
The beautiful, blazing sunset disappeared below the horizon.
Night fell, leaving only the faint glow of the moon and stars to illuminate the void.
I sat at my desk, staring blankly at the scenery outside the window.
"..."
The tranquil silence of winter filled my unfocused vision.
The Academy's magnificent silhouette, bathed in the soft moonlight beyond the thin glass, exuded a majestic aura as it blended with the serene darkness.
It was a spectacle that would normally leave me in awe.
Strangely, however, none of it registered in my mind today.
"Haa..."
A small sigh escaped my dry lips.
I rubbed the space between my brows, trying to soothe the dull throb of a headache, and glanced towards the door.
It was the same spot where Rachel had been standing just a few hours ago.
—...I will wait... until you return, Young Master.
— Everything I have...
— It's all... for you, Young Master.
Her words, spoken with such quiet determination, echoed in my ears.
They reverberated like waves crashing against the tightly shut door of my heart.
"Wait... for me?"
What made her make such a reckless promise?
If the day ever came when I had to leave this world, I would never be able to return.
A bitter monologue escaped my lips as I rested my chin on my hand.
The only sound that broke the suffocating silence of the room was the steady ticking of the clock.
Since my conversation with Rachel, I had been lost in thought for what felt like an eternity.
I couldn't even recall how many deathweed cigarettes I had smoked to try and quell the turmoil within me.
"This... isn't easy."
It was a complicated dilemma.
Well, it was a matter directly related to the fate of the world, so it was only natural that it wouldn't be simple.
If I were to leave this world, my absence would leave a void in its wake.
"...Still, I think I've made up my mind."
Rachel's words hadn't provided a clear answer to my worries.
But they had given me strength.
Her encouragement and unwavering devotion helped me regain my composure.
It had been a pointless worry.
There were still three years left until everything was over.
Moreover, the status window told me that even it didn't know what would happen after that.
"It wasn't a situation that could be resolved by my worrying, anyway..."
What happened later could be dealt with later.
For now, shouldn't I just focus on the roles I was given?
"What do you think?"
I asked out loud, my voice echoing in the empty room.
A moment later, a blue screen materialized before me, responding to my question.
*—Ding!*
[I think it's a wise decision.]
[Sometimes, not worrying is the best way to solve a problem.]
"You're a smart one, you know that?"
I chuckled and extended my fist towards the transparent screen as if offering a fist bump.
The status window responded by lightly bumping against my hand.
Well, it didn't actually bump, it just passed right through, but it was the thought that counted.
A dry laugh escaped my lips.
I habitually reached for another deathweed cigarette.
With a soft click of my lighter, a plume of smoke rose into the air.
A sense of clarity washed over me as the turmoil in my mind subsided.
As I took a drag from my cigarette, the status window, which had been floating nearby, spoke up.
*—Ding!*
[I have something to tell you.]
"Hmm?"
*—Ding!*
[An update to your physical body will be implemented shortly.]
"An update...?"
I tilted my head in confusion at the unexpected announcement.
Since when did it have that feature?
And what did it even mean to ‘update’ my body?
"What's that supposed to mean...?"
*—Ding!*
[It's nothing strange.]
[You can think of it as a process of upgrading your abilities by one level.]
Fortunately, it seemed like it wasn't anything too out of the ordinary. The status window promptly began its explanation.
I listened intently.
*—Ding!*
[The difficulty of recent events has been abnormally high.]
[It has exceeded the level that this system anticipated.]
[Although you have managed to overcome them with your abilities, this system has concluded that this is not enough.]
[Therefore, we will enhance your physical body.]
"So... you're saying you're going to make me stronger as a difficulty adjustment?"
*—Ding!*
[That is correct.]
[There won't be any drastic changes.]
[However, you will definitely feel the difference after the update.]
"Hmm..."
A sudden power-up event?
I was taken aback, but at the same time, it made sense.
A lot had happened recently.
The original storyline had been significantly altered.
Traces of the Four Heavenly Kings, who shouldn't have been revealed yet, had already surfaced.
"...If it's an update, what do I need to do?"
*—Ding!*
[You don't need to do anything.]
[The update will proceed automatically, and there will be no side effects or inconveniences.]
"Really?"
*—Ding!*
[However, you may experience muscle pain throughout your body for about two days.]
"Muscle pain? I deal with that every day... It's nothing."
I shrugged nonchalantly.
An improvement in my physical abilities was definitely something to look forward to.
I had been focusing on maximizing my Strength, Endurance, and Agility stats, but I had noticed that my growth rate had been slowing down lately.
"Well... I'm not going to say no to becoming stronger."
*—Ding!*
[You should be thanking me.]
[This system is showing great generosity by helping you fulfill the contract conditions more easily.]
"Haha, very funny."
I leaned back in my chair and chuckled.
Daylight had broken, and the first rays of dawn were starting to peek through the window.
As the sun rose, I continued my idle chatter with the status window.
.
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Huh, so the status window could do that too. That’s interesting. I really can’t help but wonder what the status window actually is. Most stories just describe it as a phenomena of the world/setting and don’t elaborate on it much, but this one’s sentient and actively helping our protagonist. Furthermore, it’s not the only status window, the the hero dude having one too.
ReplyDeleteCan’t wait for the final reveal to be that the status window was actually the first harem member of this story, Status-Chan.
Can we just stop and appreciate how much of a bud the status window is? It's facilitating growth,as a fighter and as a person, without threatening him with fail-states.
ReplyDeleteIn fact every quest has only had incentives but even then it doesn't force him to do anything,just gives him a gentle nudge and offers the opportunity for growth. Even gave him a way out if things become untenable,though up till now it seems to genuinely wants to help him. Side note,I love the author makin it a legit character and their interactions,the bro fist was magical.
Honestly I wanted a status window like that too but I reckon it won't give me power or anything. Just encouragement like you go girl~
Deletedoesnt this mean more, deadlier troubles are coming up?
ReplyDeleteI like a good status window :)
ReplyDelete