Chapter 12: Shattered Ribs and Quiet Nights

Before the door opened, I pulled out my orb in preparation for the attendant.

When the doors slid apart, two healers were already standing beside the attendant, their expressions set in thinly veiled annoyance. With an extremely manly grunt, definitely not a whimper, I stood and hobbled over.

I handed over my orb to the attendant while shaking my head at the healers, refusing their services before they could even offer. They exchanged exasperated glances but backed off, muttering under their breath as they walked away.

"Since you are bottom rank, you win ten points for your victory. Nine more wins, and you advance to the next rank," the attendant droned, tapping my orb before handing it back.

The glowing green numbers flickered—285.

"Peter?"

I turned and spotted Elric approaching, eyes wide with concern. With his slightly ethereal features and the light behind him, he looked suspiciously like some kind of angelic figure.

"You need some help?" he asked softly.

As the epitome of strength and resilience, I responded, "Yes, please. It really hurts."

Two pairs of sharp eyes snapped toward us—the healers who had been about to leave froze mid-step and turned back.

"Elric? What do you think you're doing?" one of them snapped, their voices sharp with disdain.

Before Elric could respond, they surrounded him. I tried to step forward, but my ribs reminded me just how fragile I was at the moment.

"You think you can just go around stealing our work? Offering charity healing like some kind of saint?"

They stepped closer, their voices dropping to angry whispers. But before things could escalate, the attendant's voice cut through the tension.

"If you start a fight outside of a challenge, you will be heavily punished. Go back to whatever you were doing."

The healers hesitated, weighing their options, before letting out a synchronized huff and storming away.

"Elric… help," I croaked, clutching my ribs.

Before Elric could step in, an elevator nearby dinged, and the doors opened to reveal a steely-eyed Thea stepping out.

"Oh… crap," I muttered under my breath.

She was spotless, confirming my suspicion that she had immediately surrendered her match. Her orb flickered as she handed it to the attendant, dropping her total to 285, matching mine.

Her storm-gray eyes locked onto me as she strode over, and for a second, I wasn't sure if the emotion in them was anger, worry, or a fun mix of both.

"You promised," she said firmly before her gaze dropped to my hands. Her shoulders relaxed slightly, her voice softer now. "Are you okay?"

I swallowed hard and avoided looking at my hands, still smeared with drying blood. "Yeah, it's um… not mine. But I can barely stand."

She sighed heavily, stepping beside me and offering her shoulder for support. "Next time, don't lie to me."

"Yeah, I promise," I said with a weak smile.

"Is that supposed to be funny?" she shot back, her eyes narrowing. Considering I'd already broken one promise today, fair point.

Wisely, I decided not to respond.

Elric finally spoke up, a flicker of annoyance crossing his delicate features. "I'm done watching you two flirt—"

"We're not—" Thea and I said in unison.

He held up a hand, cutting us off. "Whatever. Let's move. I can treat Peter now, but then I need to sign up for my own match. I only have one effective healing spell, and it's… not pleasant. You won't be okay for a couple of days, at least."

He glanced down at my side and then at my hand. "Your ribs are probably cracked, and you've definitely busted up a couple of knuckles. Continued treatment will help, but you're sitting out your next few matches."

His expression sharpened, turning downright demonic despite his angelic face. "And if you refuse to surrender next time—no healing."

His smile was bright and sweet, but it held all the warmth of an ice storm. I gulped and nodded while Thea openly snickered beside me.

We found a quieter spot against a side wall, away from most of the foot traffic. Elric motioned for me to sit, and I did—gratefully.

He raised both hands over me, his palms glowing with a pale white light. The soft sparkles of energy danced around me, gentle and warm at first. But then—

"Gah! Ow!" I yelped as a searing, grinding pain spread through my ribs and hand. It felt like my bones were rearranging themselves, grinding together like rusty gears. My breath hitched, stolen from me entirely.

And then, just as suddenly, it stopped.

"Elric!" I wheezed. "What was that?!"

He gave me a polite, unbothered smile—somehow both angelic and completely demonic. "Look forward to two more days of that. And thanks for letting me finish my mission."

Yep. Definitely a demon in disguise.

Thea, on the other hand, seemed far more relaxed now. "Thanks, Elric. Go ahead and register. We'll wait here."

She turned her storm-gray gaze back to me. "And you're not going to be dumb enough to try fighting again anytime soon… right?"

Elric nodded and walked off toward the registration desk, leaving me sitting against the wall like some discarded ragdoll.

Thea plopped down beside me with a smug grin. "You looked like one of those red berries about to pop."

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," I grumbled. "I deserved it for lying. Now, help me up."

She hauled me upright, and I leaned against the wall for support.

"I actually want to buy a couple of things while we're here," I said, changing the subject. "Hopefully, they're not too expensive."

"Like what?" Thea asked, tilting her head slightly.

"An actual blanket, a pillow, and—if this world has something similar—a sleeping bag."

Her eyes lit up at that. "Oh! And a tent, maybe—because if it rains, sleeping outside won't be fun. Oh, and bags to carry our stuff."

She started rattling off a growing list of items. A desk somehow made it onto her wishlist, and honestly, I was starting to lose track.

"…and paper and a pen," she finished. "That way, I can write out the letters for you, and you can study them on your own."

I gave her a flat look. "You're planning on turning our campsite into some sort of inn, aren't you?"

She grinned innocently. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

I sighed, rubbing my temple lightly. But honestly? A good blanket didn't sound half bad right now.

And with that, we leaned against the wall together, letting the faint hum of the Hall's bustle wash over us while waiting for Elric to return.

Pretty soon, Elric returned—looking completely unharmed, not a scratch on him. Honestly, it was a little unfair. I was still leaning against the wall, trying not to breathe too deeply in case my ribs decided to remind me of their current fragile state.

Naturally, I asked the most important question I could think of: "So, if I'm recovering, I shouldn't spar anymore, right?"

Elric paused mid-step, blinking at me as if I'd asked whether water was wet. His aquamarine eyes flickered toward Thea, then back to me, and his lips curled into that wickedly angelic smile that somehow always seemed to carry the faintest hint of evil.

"As long as it's light sparring, you can handle it," he said cheerfully.

"Oh… great," I muttered. Meanwhile, Thea grinned like she'd just won the lottery.

"On that note," I continued quickly, hoping to shift topics before Thea dragged me into another round of bruised ribs, "we should probably buy some things."

"That's alright, you two go ahead," Elric said, raising his hands slightly like he was surrendering. "I need to take care of some business back at the healer's camp."

I squinted at him, suspicion prickling at the back of my mind. "You gonna be okay? Those guys didn't seem particularly friendly before."

Elric laughed lightly, and despite the charming sound, I refused to be tricked by that pop-star smile. I could see through it now.

"With the instructor around? No one's going to try anything. Messing with her or breaking her rules… well, let's just say it's not something most people would risk. You two have fun shopping. Bye!"

And with that, he turned and walked off, his dark hair catching in the soft light filtering from above.

I crossed my arms and watched him go, only to notice something else—a subtle pattern in the crowd. Specifically, the number of girls watching him.

Wait… were they giggling? Were they actually—oh come on!

"Are there… maybe too many female recruits looking at him?" I said slowly, my voice tinged with disbelief.

Thea's smirk was instant, and far too satisfied. "I think there are a couple of other reasons he's safe at camp… and why the guys aren't exactly friendly toward him."

I let out a small grumble, something unintelligible and vaguely caveman-like, as I watched yet another girl sneak a glance at Elric before whispering something to her friend.

Look, it's not that I was jealous or anything. It's just… okay, fine. Maybe I was a little annoyed. Why did Elric get to float around like some ethereal angel while I was here, covered in bruises and barely able to stand straight without wincing?

"Come on," I said with a sigh, nudging Thea forward. "Let's buy what we need before Elric starts collecting love letters or something."

Thea snorted at that, but thankfully, she didn't press the subject further.

We wandered around the outer ring of the coliseum, passing by tightly packed market stalls and larger storefronts built directly into the stone walls. Everything was bustling with activity—recruits haggling over gear, attendants carrying boxes of supplies, and a few street food vendors grilling up skewers of something that smelled amazing but probably wasn't anything I'd eaten back home.

We managed to check off most of our shopping list—blankets, pillows, basic camping supplies, and even what passed for a sleeping bag in this world.

Oh, and food.

Glorious, glorious food.

After absolutely starving all day, we stopped by one of the vendors and bought more skewers than was probably reasonable. Meat, vegetables, some sort of grilled fruit that tasted way better than it looked—it was all incredible.

For a while, we didn't talk much, just ate and walked, the sounds of the bustling market filling the air around us.

It was one of those rare, fleeting moments of peace. And honestly? I was starting to realize just how much I appreciated them.

But something told me this calm wouldn't last forever.

"Alright," Thea said around a mouthful of whatever delicious mystery meat was on her skewer. "What's left on our list, Rube?"

I rolled my eyes but smirked anyway. "Paper and a pen. Apparently, you've taken it upon yourself to become my personal tutor."

"Oh, I have," she said confidently. "You're going to know how to read if it kills me."

"Or me," I muttered under my breath.

She laughed, and for a brief moment, the tension of the day melted away.

It was nice.

We made one last stop to buy the writing materials, simple parchment and a pen, and finally left the Hall of Heroes with our orbs showing an even 200 points each.

Honestly, I was still struggling to understand how people managed to survive here as beginners. Everything cost points. Breathing probably cost points if you did it wrong. Maybe those guilds were worth looking into—if they actually offered real benefits. But then again, after seeing how the Healer's Guild operated… yeah, hard pass for now.

Once again, we found ourselves walking back to camp under a sky blanketed with stars, their light scattered across the night like shards of glass. No matter how many times I saw it, the sheer depth of it all left me feeling small, in the best way possible.

The packs on our backs felt heavier with every step, despite my best efforts at circulating internal strength to ease the burden. My ribs still protested every breath—cracked, bruised, or outright broken, I couldn't tell. Elric had been clear: proper healing wasn't a simple thing, and it wasn't instant. But even so, this was still miles faster than recovery back home.

I flexed my hands, glancing at the faint outline of my knuckles in the dim light. I'd washed them back at the Hall, and what I found beneath the crusted blood wasn't pretty. They were raw, swollen, and bruised—probably way worse before Elric's spell. Note to self: get some wrappings and gloves tomorrow before the fight. The fight I will definitely surrender, I reminded myself firmly.

Thea's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "Wanna finish up the upper body reservoirs tonight?"

"Yeah," I said, adjusting the weight of my pack with a wince, "but let's at least set up our luxurious bedding first."

A thought struck me, and I glanced at her. "Actually, considering we're all new recruits… maybe we shouldn't flaunt our, uh, wealth."

We both stopped walking, standing in the quiet chill of the night as the two tents loomed in the distance.

Woods?" Thea offered after a beat.

"Is it safe, though?" I countered. "Plus, we'd need to figure out how to wake up on time for morning training."

She frowned thoughtfully. "Okay, maybe it's better to just keep our stuff hidden under the beds and use those sleeping bags on the hay. Keep it subtle, you know?"

I nodded slowly. "That could work. But… I didn't get any earplugs. So unless we want to get jolted awake by every snorer, sneezer, or sleep-talker in camp, I'm leaning toward the edge of the woods, right next to camp. We'll still hear the horn easily. Unless it rains. Then I'll brave the snores."

Thea smirked slightly and nodded. "Edge of the woods then. We can cultivate, avoid the snores, and keep our method secret."

"Well, until you get your system in a few days," I reminded her. "Speaking of which… when exactly is your eighteenth?"

"After today, just two more days," she said, her voice softer than usual. "Then, unless I'm actually a Late Bloomer, I'll get my system. And unless I somehow get a tank blessing, I'll be heading out."

I nodded, feeling a knot tighten in my stomach at the thought. "Then let's try to finish the Spiritual Reservoir Formation stage before that. See if we can push further."

"Sounds good."

The edge of the woods was quieter than camp, the distant sound of crackling fires and faint murmurs just background noise here. It felt secluded but not isolated—a perfect balance.

I was too exhausted to deal with setting up my tent. Instead, I just dropped my pack, kicked out my sleeping bag, and flopped onto it with zero ceremony. Thea, on the other hand, went all out. She unrolled her sleeping bag neatly, arranged a pillow, set up her tent properly, and even fluffed it up a bit before sitting down cross-legged beside it.

"Showoff," I muttered from my sprawled position on the ground.

"Lazy," she shot back with a smirk.

Once we were both settled, we started cultivating. The familiar hum of energy settled over us, and I sank into the focused rhythm of forming reservoirs—delicate, thread-like structures weaving under my skin, locking into place, and then being refined through spars, and consolidated over and over again.

It was exhausting and painstaking work, but the difference it made was undeniable.

Several hours passed like that—Thea and I both finishing the first lower body reservoir, one entire leg and moving on to the knee of the other. It felt tangible now, the end of this stage was in sight, and with it, the start of something entirely new.

We finally let ourselves collapse back onto the ground, panting softly in the cool night air. My muscles ached, and every breath still twinged my ribs, but the progress felt real.

Between gasps, I spoke, "So tomorrow, we're going to have to invent the next step."

"Yeah," Thea replied between her own breaths, her gray eyes glinting faintly in the moonlight. "I can't wait. Making our own cultivation method. One that could actually change our stats permanently."

She started to ramble, her excitement bubbling over into a half-coherent string of theories and possibilities—merging systems with cultivation, manipulating energy flows in ways no one else had thought of, maybe even creating hybrid skill sets.

Honestly? I didn't catch all of it, but I didn't mind. Listening to her enthusiasm, seeing how her eyes practically glowed when she spoke about cultivation, made it worth it.

But eventually… eventually, I grew tired. Just a little, I swear.

"Thea?" I called out from my sleeping bag, my voice muffled slightly by the fabric.

She stopped mid-sentence. "What?"

"Can you show me the letters now?"

"Oh—right!" She scrambled for the parchment and pen from her pack. "Yeah, let me write them out. I'll show you how they sound, and there are accent marks to change the sounds too."

She began sketching out the letters on the parchment, explaining each one and how they were pronounced. It felt oddly peaceful—the quiet forest around us, the faint crackle of distant fires, and Thea's steady voice breaking down something so simple yet entirely foreign to me.

The night passed like that—me clumsily repeating the sounds she made, her correcting me with patient amusement, and the two of us getting caught up in the small moment of normalcy.

Before I knew it we passed out and a sharp, blaring horn split through the air, dragging us both roughly back into reality.

The sky was streaked with faint hues of dawn, and the chill of morning crept into my sleeping bag.

I groaned into my pillow, clutching it dramatically. "Noooo, five more minutes."

Thea kicked the side of my sleeping bag. "Up. Now. Don't make me drag you."

And just like that, the day began again.