We walked out of the arena and headed back to the seats, taking the nearest ones. Another group was already stepping in, preparing for their turn. Two on each side. One team had a pair of swordsmen, both standing light on their feet. The other had a bowman staying back and a heavy shield user planting himself in front like a wall.

Each of them drove their weapons into the ground, and the same golden barrier rose again, sealing the arena.

"Well, since school’s out... I think I’ll go visit my mother," Ken said, rolling his shoulder until it gave a satisfying crack. "Wanna come?"

"Nah," I replied. "I’ve got some stuff I need to take care of."

"Fair enough."

"Oh," I added, gesturing with the dagger in my hand. "Mind if I hold onto this for a bit?"

Ken shrugged as he stood up. "Sure, man. Keep it. I’ve been meaning to buy a new one anyway."

"Sweet. Thanks."

He reached his arms over his head in a long, lazy stretch. "See ya around, then."

"Yep. See ya."

ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎

The marker sat just outside the city walls, where the paved road gave way to packed dirt and open air.

A narrow river cut through the land, slow and steady, with a wooden bridge crossing over it. The bridge was simple, sturdy planks held together by thick beams, slightly worn from years of use. The road curved around it in a wide loop, passing a handful of small houses and farms before circling back toward the same crossing.

Behind me, the city loomed close. Stone walls, guards at the gate, people coming and going. Out here, things were quieter. A farmer worked his field off to the side, a couple of kids chased each other near a fence, and a cart creaked along the road at an unhurried pace.

I pulled up the map. "Should be right here..."

I approached the bridge, noticing a faint, translucent circle etched onto the ground. A checkered flag hovered in its center. The moment I stepped inside, a UI notification flickered into my peripheral vision.

"Hmm... let’s see."

According to the system, the race consisted of twenty checkpoints. To snag the Gold, and the massive XP boost I needed, I had to finish in under sixty seconds. Even a single second over would demote me to Silver, and anything over two minutes was a measly Bronze.

Doable.

A confirmation prompt appeared. I hit "Accept" and looked up. Suddenly, massive white rings materialized across the landscape. They weren’t solid; their edges shimmered like heat haze, and the air inside each ring rippled as if being sucked toward the center. All I had to do was touch them. Easy.

The countdown hit the air with a digital chime. Three. Two. One.

GO!

I lunged forward. The first circle was close, and as I tore through it, the surface shattered into faint particles of light that trailed behind me like stardust.

"One down."

I veered left toward a massive boulder marked with crude children’s drawings. The second mark was positioned right against the stone, and I hit it at full tilt without slowing down.

I found my rhythm, lacing through the rings one by one. The timer in the corner of my eye was a constant, ticking pressure, but I felt fast. I’d always been good at the physical stuff, no thanks to my mother, of course.

As I cleared the eighteenth ring, I looked ahead and skidded. The next checkpoint was directly across the river. To get Gold, I’d have to jump the gap. Taking the bridge meant a long detour... and a guaranteed Silver.

"Come on..." I hissed, measuring the distance.

But it was a suicide jump. The gap was wider than anything an Olympic long-jumper could clear, let alone a guy in my shoes. With a curse, I pivoted, sprinting back toward the bridge. I crossed it at a breakneck pace, hooked a hard right, and finally smashed through the nineteenth ring.

The final mark was back where I had started. I pushed my lungs to the breaking point, my boots pounding the dirt as I threw myself toward the finish line. As I crossed the threshold, a notification pinged loudly in my ear.

╔══════════════════╗

> RACE COMPLETED

╠══════════════════╣

> Time: 01:22

> Rank: SILVER

╠══════════════════╣

> EXP: 35

╚══════════════════╝

"Ah, come on," I muttered, leaning heavily against the wooden railing of the footbridge. "How was I supposed to clear that gap in time?"

The answer was obvious: magic. A teleportation spell or a wind-dash would have made that river jump a breeze. But since my current arsenal was limited to throwing fireballs or knitting skin back together with a heal, a Silver medal was the best I could hope for. It was better than nothing, but the sting of the missed Gold still burned.

"Now... let’s see the damage."

I pulled up my status bar and felt my heart sink. 218 out of 236 EXP. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"Crap." I was eighteen points short. Eighteen!

I groaned and pulled the map back up, scanning the surrounding streets for any yellow exclamation points or sudden side-objectives. To my luck, or lack thereof, the immediate area was a graveyard of activity. Not a single quest was active.

"Wait... what’s this?"

Just as I was about to close the interface and head back to the dorms, I noticed something flickering in the corner of the map. The Guild icon was pulsing with a soft, rhythmic golden light. I tapped the icon out of curiosity.

╔═══════════════╗

Location: Guildhouse

╠═══════════════╣

District: Medra

Objective:

● Pick up two quests. (CLAIM)

○ Find the phantom chest.

╚═══════════════╝

I hit "Claim" and watched as a new notification screen shimmered into existence.

My heart gave a small thud of relief. It was enough. By some stroke of sheer luck, I had finally bridged the gap... no pun intended. I let out a long, ragged breath, the tension leaving my shoulders all at once. Phew. I really wasn’t in the mood to grind out any more races today.

"Hell yeah."

But as I waited for the usual interface to fade, something felt off. Instead of the standard, blink-and-you-miss-it notification, the level-up screen lingered. It was different, more intricate, glowing with a deep, resonant gold that I hadn’t seen before. It seemed hitting Level 5 wasn’t just a number; it was a milestone.

╔══════════════════╗

> LEVEL UP!

╠══════════════════╣

> You reached LVL 5

> +1 CASS POINT

> +1 PERK POINT

> +1 MASTERY POINT

╚══════════════════╝

"Mastery Point?"

For now, I decided to trust the process and let the system guide me through the transition. As if sensing my compliance, the familiar class menu expanded in front of me, though it seemed to vibrate with a new kind of energy.

I didn’t hesitate. I was sticking to the plan I’d laid out long ago. I navigated past the familiar icons and settled on the one class I hadn’t touched yet, the one sitting at a stagnant zero.

Cleric.

╔═══════════════════════╗

> LEVEL UP: CLASS

────────────────────────

[1] Warrior: Strong in melee combat, high HP

────────────────────────

[1] Mage: Masters magic, high INT and MP

────────────────────────

[1] Rogue: Fast and stealthy, excels in critical hits

────────────────────────

[1] Cleric: Supports allies, heals and wards

────────────────────────

[0] Ranger: Skilled with ranged attacks

╚═══════════════════════╝