Day 22 — and possibly, most likely, Level 7.

  I also knew that sometime after hitting Level 7, I’d get part three of my quest. I knew the quests were important, but they were starting to feel… tedious. And I really hoped the next part wouldn’t involve more puzzles.

  I decided to start the day early. Just after dawn, I left my apartment. I checked the display next to the front door before heading out and was relieved to see it clear.

  The eye stared at me as I passed — that unblinking, eerie glare. Honestly, it still gave me the creeps.

  I headed toward the barrier where I’d seen the woman before. I wanted to meet all my neighbours eventually. There were only seven of us in this little “System neighbourhood,” and it felt like we should at least try to know one another.

  I dodged a few Kobolds, even one that was Level 6. I knew I would advance and I did not want to do that just yet.

  Reaching the barrier, I walked it and compared it to my mapping, just to make sure it was correct. I was not sure if I would ever have need of a detailed area map, but it kept me busy and… I wanted to do it.

  I was about hallway down our shared border, when I saw her again, but this time she was looking straight at me.

  She looked nice — warm brown skin, curly dark hair pulled back, and sharp hazel eyes that seemed to catch everything. She looked to be in her late twenties, though it was hard to tell with the System clothes we all wore. Somehow, she made the plain outfit look almost intentional.

  When our eyes met, she gave me a small, hesitant wave.

  I took out my Comm Crystal and waved it at her. She smiled and took out hers.

  ‘Contact, Sofia Rivera, has been added to your contact list.’

  “Hi,” I said with a small, relieved smile. “I’m so glad you saw me. I actually noticed you a few days ago, but you were already walking away.”

  Sofia let out a soft breath, almost a laugh. “You’re the first person I’ve seen. I’m just… really grateful to talk to an actual human again.” She hesitated, then asked, “How have you been dealing with all this? The System, I mean?”

  “I’m surviving,” I said honestly. “It’s not perfect, but… we manage, right?”

  There was a pause — just long enough for my nerves to kick in — and before I realized it, the next part slipped out:

  “I’ve actually met a few other people too.”

  I wasn’t even sure why I said it. Maybe it was my awkward social skills… or maybe I just wanted her to know she wasn’t alone anymore.

  “None of them border your hexagon, sadly,” I said. “But Claire is the furthest from you — she’s a rogue. One hexagon over from you is Jason, a warrior, and next to him is Malik, also a rogue. I’m a wizard…”

  She nodded. “I’m also a wizard, and…” She paused, brow furrowing. “You gestured to an area behind you. Are some of your barriers not opaque?”

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  I grinned. “Nope. I’m the center hexagon, and I can see into all six that border mine.”

  “So, you’ve met all the other… neighbors except two?”

  I nodded.

  She sat back with a slight frown. “Okay… that’s a lot to take in.”

  “I know,” I said. “So I’m just going to ask straight out. Jason said the System will mute me if you haven’t done yours yet. Have you completed your quest?”

  “Yes. I finished the second part. I assume you have too?”

  “Yeah. I’m leveling up today and then I’ll start my third one.”

  “Can I ask what quest you got?”

  I didn’t see any reason to hide it. “World Tree Quest. And you?”

  “I got a Mana Winds Circulation Quest,” she said. “It’s been… interesting, to say the least.”

  “I know, right? I just hope the third one isn’t another puzzle hunt.”

  She smiled faintly. “I actually liked the puzzles. I’m hoping the next one has more of the same.”

  We talked a little longer, and I could already tell we might become friends in the future. She was intelligent and easy to talk to. Maybe that was why she chose to be a wizard. Maybe all wizards were just like us…

  I asked if I could share her contact details with the others, and she agreed without hesitation. We decided to stay in touch, and Sofia promised to let me know when she met her own neighbours.

  Happy with how the meeting went, I started actively looking for a Level 6 Kobold. And, as Murphy would have it, now that I wanted one, none were anywhere near me.

  Eventually I found one. By then I was already halfway down the barrier next to Sofia’s hexagon. I didn’t expect to see anyone there yet, but…

  why not?

  I used my tried-and-true technique: sneak up, hit hard, end the fight before the Kobold even knows I’m there.

  Like I said before, I wasn’t a warrior — close-quarters combat wasn’t my specialty — so efficiency was key.

  The technique worked perfectly. And just like that, I leveled up.

  The protective dome dropped around me, shimmering into place. I stepped inside, already anticipating the rewards.

  Please, System… give me a bigger inventory. Pretty please.

  “Thank you very much, System.”

  I was pretty sure the System didn’t hand out extra inventory slots just because I asked nicely, but it never hurt to be polite.

  First things first: allocating my four stat points.

  I put 2 into Mana and 1 each into Strength and Dexterity. Mana was the obvious choice — I needed a large pool for all my spells. Strength and Dexterity were still my lowest stats, and both influenced my HP and SP, so they deserved some love.

  Next came the spell upgrades. Mana Shield, Fleetstep, Stun, and Mana Bolt were all still Basic. I could upgrade one… but which one mattered most?

  I immediately ruled out Stun and Mana Bolt. Stun overlapped too much with Freeze, and I didn’t use it often enough. Mana Bolt… well, I still needed to test it before committing a precious upgrade to it.

  That left Fleetstep and Mana Shield.

  Fleetstep saved my ass every time I needed to get out of danger fast. Mana Shield protected me when I was forced into close range. Both were useful. Both were lifesavers.

  Now I just had to decide .

  Hey everyone! ??

  If you’ve been enjoying the story so far, I’d really appreciate it if you could leave a quick ? rating or review. It only takes a second, but it helps a lot with visibility and reaching new readers.

  first Royal Road chapter of each pair. The second one won’t have pictures. If you want to see all the art together (or earlier), it’s on Patreon with the combined chapters!