Victor woke up with a groan.
His eyes blinked slowly open to the familiar sight of the rough stone ceiling. He felt... sore. But not like before. The pain had dulled to a deep, background ache—like the burn after an intense workout. It wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't unbearable either.
'Was there something in the food?' he thought, with a frown.
Ordinarily he figured that he should be way more tired and in pain right now, he even noticed that most of his wounds had scabbed over already.
'Unless I slept for days, there's no explanation for why I'm in such good condition. Well maybe… mana?'. He thought, uncertain.
He didn't move at first. He just kept staring upward in silence.
The cell was still dark. Whether it was because it was still night or simply that no torches had been lit, he didn't know. He didn't care either. There was only one thing replaying in his mind.
The hare.
He remembered the chase.
The way his legs burned, how his breath had become shallow gasps, and how everything around him blurred until only that white, spiky creature remained in his sights.
It wasn't just about the training.
It was survival.
But also... it had been kind of exciting.
He thought about the way it all built up—the frustration, the hunger, the burning need to catch that damn thing. And then finally, when he had cornered it... the rush he felt when he
brought it down.
The fear of failing, the desperation clawing at his chest, and then the moment when instinct took over.
That final burst of energy when everything inside him screamed, "Don't let it go."
He still remembered how it felt under his hands—cold, struggling, alive. And how he didn't even hesitate to hold it down, to bite it if that's what it took.
It was crazy. All of it. And yet...
Victor smiled a little.
The thrill.
The challenge.
The idea that he had been pushed to the edge—and didn't break.
Instead, he overcame.
This feeling, he liked it.
It felt good. Really good.
As he thought back to the moment, something else tickled the back of his mind. A faint noise he barely remembered at the time.
A ding.
He blinked and sat up slowly, focusing.
He concentrated on the feeling he had when it happened. Sure enough, golden runes appeared in front of him—flickering and glowing softly in the dark. It came faster than other times.
He was getting better at summoning the runes.
His eyes widened.
There were more notifications than he expected.
A lot more.
He leaned forward, reading the messages carefully.
---
> [Quest Received: Mortal Peak]
Your drive and determination for power has been recognized by the system, but you require the strength to acquire such power.
> Subquest I – Catch the Frostspike Hare
Reward: +1 Endurance, +1 Agility,
+1 Level
---
> Subquest Completed: Catch the Frostspike Hare
+1 Endurance
+1 Agility
+1 Level
You have leveled up.
---
> You have slain a Tier 0 Lesser Beast.
(Minor bonus experience granted for slaying a being of a higher level.)
> You have leveled up.
---
Victor blinked again.
"Whoa," he muttered. "Okay... that's a lot."
He rubbed his eyes, then looked again.
Two level ups. Two stat increases. A completed quest. And all of it from chasing down that little demon
rabbit.
It made sense though. His body didn't feel like it had before. He still ached, sure, but there was something... more now.
A little more strength in his arms. A bit more control when he shifted his weight. Breathing came easier. His stomach wasn't as empty. He felt like something had shifted inside him—like some kind of barrier had been nudged.
He almost pulled up his status screen then and there, curious to see the changes.
But before he could—
A voice cut through the
silence.
"Where were you?"
Victor turned his head slowly.
Caelum was lying on the lower bunk, Victor couldn't see his face, but he could feel his frown, it contained intense curiosity.
'He must be curious on why I came back late' The thought amused him.
Victor blinked, unsure how to answer. "Just... training," he said. "Took a bit longer than I thought."
Caelum didn't say anything
right away. He just stared at the wall in front of him. He slowly stood up to face victor, since he was quite tall, he didn't have any issues coming face to face with him.
And then his voice came again, low and sharp.
"You were gone for three days."
Victor's eyes widened in slight shock.
Three days?
His mouth opened, but nothing came out.
Caelum finally stood up from his bed and faced Victor, his eyes narrowed.
"What sort of training lasts three days?"
Silence.
Victor didn't have a real answer.
He just stared into the dark.
---