Chapter 20: Strategy in the Alley

The familiar but grating sound of the horn startled me awake, pulling me from the haze of exhaustion. Regret hit me immediately. Staying up all night might've seemed worth it at the time, but right now, I wanted nothing more than to dive back under my blanket.

Honestly, birthday gifts don't even seem to be a thing here. But sleep? Sleep is infinitely more valuable. And I'd wasted it—

Something hit me like a train.

In my groggy stupor, I thought I was being attacked, only to realize there was no force, no violence in the embrace.

I yawned and let out a chuckle. "Thea? I can barely breathe."

Her arms tightened briefly before she pulled back, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face. For a moment, her stormy eyes softened in a way that was almost startling. "Thanks," she said, her voice quiet.

"No problem," I said, though the words felt woefully inadequate.

We fell into step with the others, the silence between us almost comfortable as we joined the line for morning training.

"So—uh, what blessing did you get?" I asked after a beat.

"I haven't checked yet," she replied. "I was going to do it after we got to the Hall."

Before I could press further, Commander Griffin's voice cut through the air, sharp and commanding.

"The new recruits are arriving earlier than expected. It is unfortunate for you, as usually, you'd have more time to save points. I suggest, if you haven't already, you join the tank guild soon. Today, I will lead you past the Hall of Heroes. You will no longer be staying at camp. Your competition is about to change—and become much fiercer. I will explain more when we arrive at our destination. For now…"

"Oh no," I groaned, already knowing what came next.

"Keep up!"

"Where do you think we're going?" Thea asked, falling in step beside me.

"Hopefully, a bed," I muttered, still shaking off the remnants of sleep.

She frowned slightly, her concern slipping into her voice. "Did—did you stay up all night writing the technique down?"

I shook my head. "No, writing it only took a few minutes. Figuring out how to do it? That's what kept me up all night." I smiled, though I felt the fatigue settle deeper into my bones.

I could've sworn I heard her click her tongue in irritation. "You know what I meant," she said, rolling her eyes. "It's incredible, though. Something like this… I've never received a gift on my birthday."

Wait, are birthday gifts a thing? Could Thea's family just be uniquely… un-familyish? I made a mental note to ask Elric later.

"It's hardly incredible," I said dismissively. "It's barely even a gift, considering I did it for myself too."

"No," she said firmly, her tone almost scolding. "It's not just the technique. You gave me the gift of knowing we can go further with cultivation. Not just by inventing a new method, but by proving we can even make up for the flaws in the system. Elric and the others can be fighters, using skills outside of their own classes. This changes everything."

I met her gaze, her stormy eyes filled with a mix of awe and determination. "Well, I'll be counting on you in the future then. You'll have to spill all the secrets of your system."

She raised an eyebrow, a sly smile creeping onto her lips. "Who said I plan to do that? I am the master, after all. I should keep the best techniques for myself."

I nearly rolled my eyes, catching myself at the last second. This girl had definitely infected me with something.

We arrived at the Hall of Heroes but didn't stop. Instead, we ran past it, continuing only a short distance further. When I saw what lay ahead, I stopped in my tracks, completely astounded.

A town stretched out before us, vibrant and bustling with life. People strolled through the cobblestone streets, their laughter mingling with the melodic calls of merchants hawking their wares to eager passersby. Brightly colored awnings adorned market stalls, fluttering in the gentle breeze, and the rich smell of baked bread and sizzling meats filled the air. Children darted between the buildings, their games echoing with carefree joy.

The architecture was humble but beautiful, with buildings neatly lined up along streets laid out in a perfect grid. Each structure was crafted from a harmonious mix of finely cut stone and sturdy wood, the colors of the materials blending naturally with the surrounding landscape. Despite its smaller scale, the town felt alive, a heart beating strong and steady in this corner of the world.

But what truly captured my attention was the building that loomed at the back of the town.

It didn't rival the Hall of Heroes in size, but it matched it in majesty. The structure seemed almost otherworldly, a testament to craftsmanship beyond mortal hands. The entire building appeared to be carved from a single, solid piece of pristine white marble, its surface gleaming softly in the morning light. The walls were seamless, as if the building had been born from the earth itself, shaped and polished by some ancient force.

Ornate carvings adorned the facade—intricate spirals and runes that seemed to shimmer faintly, as though infused with a quiet magic. Massive columns framed the entrance, each one impossibly smooth and perfectly symmetrical, supporting a grand archway that invited both awe and reverence.

It felt alive somehow, humming with a subtle energy I could almost feel in my bones. This was no mere building; it was a symbol, a place of power and history, and it left me breathless.

"This," the commander said, gesturing to the magnificent sight behind him, "is the Town of the Fallen, and that," he pointed to the glorious marble building, "is the Grand Hall."

His voice carried a weight that silenced even the recruits who usually whispered during his speeches. He cleared his throat, letting the awe sink in. "You will stay here from now on."

A ripple of murmurs spread through the group, most recruits visibly relieved. The promise of their own rooms, separate from the snore-ridden tents of the camp, seemed like a dream come true. A few even smiled, clearly imagining the luxuries of a proper roof over their heads.

But, in true Ironscribe fashion, the commander quickly crushed those dreams.

"Staying in any building that functions as an inn will cost points. At least twenty per night," he said, his tone blunt and unforgiving. "I was hoping you would all have a couple more weeks to rank up, but…" He trailed off, letting the weight of his words settle on the group like a hammer.

The air grew heavy with tension, and a few recruits glanced nervously at one another.

"But," Ironscribe continued, his tone shifting slightly, "you can head to the Tank Guild." He pointed toward a sturdy building near the town's center. "For a percentage of your points, you can stay there. The more you contribute, the more benefits you'll receive. I can guarantee that the one in charge won't scam you. Unlike—well, let's just say they're fair."

He paused, letting the tension hang.

"Sleeping outside on the streets is forbidden," he added firmly, his eyes narrowing as if daring anyone to challenge him. "And let me remind you—if you think the woods are dangerous during the day, they're far worse at night. I don't recommend testing your luck."

The recruits seemed to visibly relax, probably because most, if not all, had already joined the guilds in the Hall of Heroes.

"Another thing," the commander continued, his tone sharp, "your responsibilities have increased. You will still be required to complete your daily battles, but now, every month, you must also complete one mission from the Grand Hall. That includes this month. If the mission takes more than one day, you will be expected to make up your daily matches within a time limit set by the Hall of Heroes' attendants. Dismissed."

And just like that, he went about his own business, striding confidently toward town.

The group quickly dispersed, heading in all directions. Before Griffin disappeared entirely, I called out, "Commander!"

He turned, raising an eyebrow.

"If I need to find you, for… business, where can I find you?"

"The Tank Guild," he replied. "I'm in charge of supervising there. During the day, you'll find me at the guild. At night, I stay at the new recruit camp, keeping an eye on them."

I nodded, though questions nagged at my mind. How had he been able to find me that night in the woods? How had he known about the Carapace Hound Thea and I encountered?

"If I discover anything new," I said, my voice steady, "I'll sell it to you first—as my first customer."

He glanced at Thea, his expression serious. "Keep an eye on each other. You were safe at the camps, but the town is not so well watched. Accidents happen all the time, especially on missions. Recruits are found dead all the time"—his next words came slow, deliberate—"caught by monsters while sleeping out in the forest."

The weight of his words settled heavily over us. We both replied in unison, "Yes, sir."

Satisfied, he turned and walked away, presumably heading to the guild.

Thea looked at me, her expression lightening just a little. "Let's go meet up with Elric and the girls."

"You think it'll be Lyra and Sia?" I asked.

"I'm sure it will be. Elric knows they're our students too now. He probably requested them personally from his fan club," she added with a small smirk.

We walked back toward the coliseum, leaving the town behind us for now. It didn't take long to reach the entrance, but something felt… off.

Sia and Lyra were waiting for us, but Elric wasn't there. The two girls looked visibly worried, their expressions tight with unease.

Thea and I broke into a jog. She was the first to speak. "What's wrong? Where's Elric?"

Sia's panic was evident in her wide eyes as she answered, "He's not with you? He went with the other recruits to town. We've been waiting here for him, but it's been a while, and he hasn't come back."

My heart thudded painfully in my chest, Griffin's earlier warning ringing in my ears.

"Let's go back to town," I said quickly, my voice tight. "Let's hurry."

The four of us doubled back and sprinted toward the town with everything we had. Surprisingly, Sia and Lyra managed to keep up with Thea and me. Maybe system stats weren't as simple as just picking something and upgrading it.

When we arrived, Lyra immediately began casting a spell.

"What is she doing?" I asked, glancing at the glowing runes forming around her hands.

"She's casting a skill," Sia explained, her voice tight with worry. "It'll enhance my sight."

Thea interjected before the spell could finish. "Cast it on me! Our eyesight is already enhanced from cultivation. Trust me—it'll be more effective."

Sia hesitated for a moment but seemed to decide against arguing. She gave a quick nod, and Lyra finished the spell. A faint glow surrounded Thea's eyes as she scanned the town, her gaze sharp and focused.

I couldn't tell what she was seeing, and the minutes that followed felt agonizingly slow. I tried to keep my breathing steady, but each passing second only tightened the knot in my chest.

Finally, Thea pointed to a section of the town. "There! He's in an alley."

Her words spurred us into overtime. We tore through the streets with Thea leading the way, dodging carts, pedestrians, and stray animals. My heart pounded in my chest, a mix of fear and adrenaline fueling me.

"Thea, is he hurt?" I asked between gasps for air.

"He didn't look good," she replied, her tone clipped.

"Lyra!" I shouted as we neared our destination. "Do you know any basic healing spells?"

She nodded, her face pale but determined. "Yes, but they aren't very strong. Just what I could learn from books."

"Good enough," Thea said over her shoulder. "Be ready."

As we closed in on the alley, the air grew heavier, thick with dread. I clenched my fists, bracing myself for what we might find.

There he was. Elric lay crumpled beside a couple of wooden barrels, his body a horrifying sight. His face was swollen and bruised, one eye completely shut, the other barely visible under the blood trickling down his temple. His arm twisted at an unnatural angle, and his chest rose and fell with shallow, ragged breaths that sounded like crumpling parchment—each one a painful wheeze. His shirt was torn and soaked with a mix of dirt and crimson, revealing bruises that mottled his torso in shades of deep purple and black. His legs, one of which looked visibly broken, lay awkwardly beneath him, and every inch of him seemed to scream agony.

"Elric!" I shouted, rushing to his side. Panic clawed at my throat. "Lyra, hurry—Lyra!" My voice broke as I turned to her, jolting her out of her stunned silence.

She stumbled forward, her hands trembling as she crouched beside him, her fingers brushing against his chest. Tears streamed down her face as she took in the full extent of his injuries.

"Will your spell be strong enough?" I asked, desperation cracking through my voice.

Lyra paused, her lips quivering as she shook her head, sputtering, almost breaking into a full sob.

I turned to Thea and Sia, pulling out my orb and thrusting it toward them. "Here! Find someone who's good. Elric said for the right price, some healers will actually help. Use whatever you need to! With all our points combined, there's no way we can't heal him!"

They both nodded, their shock at the sight of my orb and its contents quickly replaced by grim determination. Without hesitation, they sprinted off into the town.

I turned back to Lyra, her hands glowing faintly as she channeled her trembling energy into Elric's broken body. "Lyra, just focus. You're doing great," I said, my voice as steady as I could manage, though the sight of Elric threatened to betray my words.

She nodded, still visibly shaken, her tears falling onto her glowing hands as she desperately tried to stabilize him. The faint light of her spell flickered, her energy wavering as she poured everything she had into keeping Elric alive.

Thankfully, it didn't take long for Thea and Sia to return, a young man trailing behind them.

"Oh, you were talking about this moron." His voice was casual, almost amused, but his sneer was anything but. He glanced at Elric's battered body and added, "Judging by his state—and, well, the fact that I don't like him—double the price."

Thea's expression darkened in a way I'd never seen before. Her steely eyes flashed with barely restrained fury, and for a moment, I thought she might actually kill the man on the spot.

"Enough," I said quickly, cutting off whatever she was about to say. I glared at him, my voice low and sharp. "Give him what he wants. But if you don't help him," I stepped forward, my tone darkening into something I didn't know I had in me, "I promise you—you will regret it."

The man raised an eyebrow at me, utterly unfazed. "Relax. Just give me the points." He waved a dismissive hand, as if my threat was nothing more than a child's tantrum.

Without hesitation, we handed him the points. Thea looked ready to spit fire, but she didn't argue as my orb glowed faintly, transferring what looked like four hundred points to the healer. My points dropped to 250, but I didn't care.

"Thank you," he said, his tone now unnervingly polite, a charming smile suddenly gracing his face. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must treat the patient."

He approached Elric, waving Lyra aside with a flick of his hand. She hesitated but stepped back, her lips moving as she chanted another spell. White tendrils of light coiled around the healer's hands, the energy forming faster and more efficiently.

"Oh—thank you, miss. That's very helpful," he said, his smile softening.

Then he placed his glowing hands on Elric's broken body, and a sickening series of cracks filled the alley. Bones realigned, sinew and tendon knitting themselves back together, and Elric groaned in pain as his body was put back in order. It was gruesome to watch, but it worked.

After only a few minutes, the healer stood and dusted off his hands. Elric's breathing had steadied, his chest rising and falling evenly. His eyes flickered open briefly before falling closed again.

"Well, that's that," the healer said, turning to us with a satisfied smile. "Thank you for your patronage." He then turned to Lyra, inclining his head slightly. "And thank you for your help."

As if the sneering man who mocked Elric moments ago had vanished entirely, he gave us a slight, courteous bow before turning on his heel and walking out of the alleyway.

A faint murmur broke the tense silence.

"Mmm—where am I?" Elric rasped, his words barely audible between shallow gasps.

I crouched beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder as gently as I could. "You're safe, Elric. Just breathe. Tell me what happened."

He struggled to speak, each word punctuated by strained breaths. I knew from his earlier comments that true healing would take time. My quick recovery had been an exception—only possible because of my recent transformation.

"They surrounded me… after the instructor left," he said, his voice weak but steady enough to continue. "Dragged me here. A warrior came with them and then—" He paused, his chest rising unevenly.

He gave a hollow laugh, one that quickly turned into a pained cough. "Thanks to your advice… I heard that warrior scream while I was healing him." His lips curled into a faint, almost self-satisfied smile. "Too bad the system wouldn't let me… arrange his bones how I wanted. But he had some old injuries… from improper treatment."

I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of that familiar, devilish grin. Relief washed over me as the others visibly relaxed too. "Glad you got him to squeal. Do you know who it was? What was his rank?"

Before Elric could answer, Thea interjected. "Peter, we need to let him rest."

"He will, after he tells me," I replied, my tone firm. I locked eyes with Elric, silently urging him to finish.

He shifted slightly, his head moving in what I assumed was a nod. His voice was barely a whisper. "Rorik… bottom rank."

His eyes fluttered closed, and sleep claimed him once more.

"Rorik," I repeated, the name heavy on my tongue. My fists clenched as I stood. "Let's find him. I'll challenge him and make him regret it. I'll parade him around the coliseum to make sure no one ever tries this again."

"I'll do it," Thea interjected firmly. "Now that I have a system, it'll be easier than before to fight. Just give me a day or so to get used to it."

"No!" I shouted, my voice sharp enough to make her flinch. "Who knows if he'll even agree to fight you? But turn down a challenge from a Late Bloomer?" I gave a humorless laugh. "No way. That's just free points for him. And when he accepts, I'll shut his mouth during the fight, make sure he can't surrender… and ensure that he 'can't continue,' as those ridiculous announcers like to put it."

I turned to Sia next. "It was never specified how much we could bet on a challenge. Only that there's a minimum, right?"

Sia nodded, catching on to my thoughts. "There's no limit."

"Good." I allowed myself a small, grim smile. "He won't refuse a fight with a Late Bloomer offering up hundreds of points for all of his. Fighting you, Thea, he might wonder why you'd be confident enough to challenge him. But me?" I gestured to myself. "He'll think I've gone crazy with anger."

I turned back to Thea. "It'll look strange if I suddenly have hundreds of points, so take all my points first. Then, pretend to try and convince me against fighting him, and let me borrow everything—but make it clear that you'll only agree if it leaves me just short of a full orb. Like, say, lending me 400 points out of 405."

I paused, meeting her eyes. "That way, Rorik will think you expect me to need to surrender. It'll make him overconfident, and he'll likely borrow from others to match us if he can't alone. If Sia and Lyra offer too, it might seem odd, but since plenty of people see us together, it won't be suspicious if you're the one lending me points."

Thea nodded, though doubt flickered across her face. "Are you sure? What if you can't beat him?"

I smiled, letting my confidence show. "If I can put you on the ground every now and then, a bottom-rank warrior? I'll be able to take him."

Her expression hardened into determination. "Alright."

Sia and Lyra exchanged glances before nodding. Without hesitation, they each pulled out their orbs, the glowing numbers showing an even 100. "Take ours now too," Sia said firmly. "That way you can use more for the challenge."

Thea nodded, quickly making the transfer. Her orb now glowed with a total of 835 points.

"Good," I said, my tone resolute. "Let's find Rorik."