So what now? My lungs still burned as I huffed and puffed, bent forward with my hands on my knees. Sweat rolled down my face and dripped into the dirt, each drop proof of how close I’d come to collapse.

  “Do we wait until the timer runs out?” I muttered aloud, my voice rasping.

  Sosuke shrugged.

  The thought of more fighting made my stomach twist.

  I straightened my back, inhaling through my nose. My mana pool felt fuller than before, but still low. If I had all of my mana at my disposal, I could barely maintain Mana Enhancement for a dozen minutes. I need to refine it. More control, more reserves. I didn’t just want to survive battles; I wanted to dominate them from afar with speed. A fast mage. One who hurled spells from range, untouchable, never foolish enough to close the distance.

  I closed my eyes, focusing on the glowing purple screen hovering faintly in my mind. The Status Window answered, springing into view with its clean, sharp lines.

  I need to see what new spells I've obtained. I clicked the Spells icon.

  That’s a good spell. The only caveat is I need high amounts of mana if I wish to throw something like a boss. If I even could. I need to test things.

  The first test: my speed.

  I steadied myself. Then, without warning, I pushed off my right foot. The ground cracked faintly beneath my ankle as I surged forward. In the blink of an eye, I cleared three meters. My body felt unnervingly light. And that was with just a casual flick of my ankle.

  If I actually ran—if I went all out—I had no doubt I could outrun Usain Bolt two times over. That was good to know. Reassuring.

  Since I’d upgraded my class by two, it was time to test that as well. At the far edge of the clearing, a few stubborn orcs still clawed at the invisible barrier, snarling with frothing rage. Clubs scraped against the unseen wall as they tried to force their way in.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  I raised my right arm to my side, feeling mana pool in my palm. The circle flared into existence, glowing crimson and humming with heat. “Fireball.”

  The magic circle was the same size as before, but the energy felt... different. Denser. More compact. The fireball erupted outward, flying faster than ever, streaking through the air faster than the fastest pitcher in Baseball.

  It slammed into the orc’s stomach. The detonation ripped it apart—its hands and part of its arm blasted clean off in the eruption. The fire consumed it instantly, a violent bloom of flame swallowing its body. The creature’s muscles tore, its organs shredded by the concussive blast before the flames ever finished the job. Its screams were drowned out by the roar of fire as its skin blackened and split, charred to ash in mere moments.

  Desmond walked back from the wall, his now massive frame still dripping with blood from his last kills. He clasped Sosuke’s hand with genuine gratitude, his grin dimming into something earnest. “Thank you. You saved us.”

  Sosuke smiled softly, his expression kind. “No problem at all. I like to help everyone, including followers of our Lord.”

  So they were both Christian. I shifted uncomfortably. I would identify as one, sure—but only because my parents were. I hadn’t made up my own mind yet. Faith had always been a distant thing for me, not something I’d ever been forced to face. Until now. At the worst time possible.

  Sosuke’s demeanor hardened, seriousness weighing on his features. He asked the very question I would have if he hadn’t spoken first. “What is this? This doesn't make any sense, logically or theologically.”

  Desmond exhaled heavily, his shoulders rising and falling. “My only guess is that since the world is fallen, this is some part of Revelation or the Devil's work. I got nothing other than those two stretches.”

  Sosuke shook his head grimly. “Well, right now. We need to survive.”

  And then, as if mocking us, the screen appeared again.

  The Shooter on Sosuke’s team suddenly lifted her pistol. She squeezed the trigger, the crack of the gunshot deafening in the tense quiet. The round pierced straight through the glowing blue screen.

  “Whatever, you bastard.” she spat, lowering the weapon with a deadly glare.

  Crack!

  The sound was like glass shattering inside our very minds. My vision fractured into a dozen shards of light, then collapsed inward. The forest, the clearing, the blood-soaked battlefield—it all vanished in a blink.

  I stumbled forward, the ground shifting beneath me. For a heartbeat, I thought we were falling into nothing. Then the white hit me. Bright, sterile, endless.

  My senses reeled. Gradually, the white receded, and I realized it wasn’t endless. It was walls. Ceilings. A vast room coming into focus, shaped and textured like the inside of a high-rise condo.

  My brain was trying to stitch together the change. Hardwood floors gleamed beneath my shoes, smooth and polished as if freshly cleaned. The walls were painted a sterile cream-white, and modern furniture dotted the space.

  There were windows. Tall, glass panes with curtains drawn halfway. But when I approached and peered through one, my stomach turned. The view outside was a lie. A looping video feed of a city skyline, sunlight glinting off skyscrapers. Too perfect. Too still. No wind, no movement, no sound. A fake world.

  Now that I was actually paying attention, the sheer size of the place became clear. The space stretched and stretched—at least four thousand square feet and with two floors. Wide enough to fit everyone and still leave room for more.

  I glanced around, taking stock of where the others had landed. Isabella had been deposited near a cozy-looking living room setup, the kind you’d see in a furniture ad. Plush couches, a glass coffee table, and even bookshelves with neatly arranged novels. She sat up slowly, blinking in disbelief, her hand brushing over the soft rug beneath her.

  Desmond, on the other hand, had ended up closer to a pair of large leather couches facing a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall.

  Sosuke clapped his hands together. The sound was powerful enough that it echoed through every corner of the condo. All shuffling feet and murmurs fell silent. Every one of us turned toward him.

  “Good job, everyone.” he said, his voice firm but not without warmth. “We should use this time to learn everyone's unique skill, techniques, skills, spells, whatever. Knowledge is power. I was only able to come up with that plan before because I found group one while hunting.”

  I understood why he said it. The system had promised us from the start: no objectives would ever force us to harm one another. That meant our battles were against the Tower itself, never our allies. Cooperation wasn’t just wise—it was necessary. It was designed.

  For now, this was a time to share. To prepare. To build.

  Already I could see the gears turning in everyone’s heads. Support classes summoning menus. Frontliners stretched their arms and legs, testing their strength after leveling up. This was more than rest. This was training ground, forge, and sanctuary all at once.

  I clenched my fist, the fire inside me flaring. This wasn’t the end. It wasn’t even close. The condo, the false windows, the ascent—we were just at the beginning of it all.

  I swore silently, pressing my knuckles until they whitened. I will climb all twenty floors, no matter what it takes. And when I reach the top, I will return to you, Yuri.