Tempered by Trial

The shift from Eterna to the Hub was jarring but not unexpected.

Eris stumbled slightly, her muscles still coiled with tension. The absence of immediate danger felt unnatural, like stepping off a battlefield into dead silence.

Ash stood still, his gaze flickering—still syncing up.

And Saria?

She watched them quietly. Their bodies were here, but their minds weren't. Not yet.

"You need rest," she said. "The first time away from a long-duration realm is always the hardest."

Eris exhaled sharply. "Oh God, what I'd give for a timeout right now."

Ash chuckled, but it was brief. His fingers flexed like he was still feeling out reality.

"Come with me," Saria continued. "Common room.

Eris finally glanced at her ignored notifications.

[Time Sync: Two Weeks in Eterna = 3 Hours in the Hub] [Real World Time Passed: 15 Minutes]

She swallowed. "Two weeks there. Three hours here. And only fifteen minutes in the real world?"

Ash shrugged. "The beauty of the game, I guess."

They reached the common room. Empty. Saria grabbed two mind-calming potions from the dispenser, tossing them over.

Each cost 1,000 coins.

Neither Eris nor Ash hesitated. They drank.

Eris let out a slow breath, her nerves finally settling. Then, for the first time, she studied Saria.

Did she know?

Did she hear Eris's doubts? The way she'd questioned Saria's trustworthiness back in Eterna?

But she dismissed the thought. Saria wasn't the type to waste time on trivial things. She knew fear breeds suspicion—it was natural.

"You felt it, didn't you?"

Saria's voice cut through Eris's thoughts like a blade.

Not a question. A statement.

Eris's fingers twitched. Ash blinked once.

Saria crossed her arms. "The way your body moved before your mind caught up." A pause. "That's survival instinct kicking in. That's what I wanted from you."

She nodded—approval, but measured.

"But tell me—now that you're standing here again, does it feel real?"

Eris clenched her jaw. Ash finally spoke.

"...It still feels like I'm there."

Saria smirked. "Good. Then we can use that."

She leaned against the couch's armrest, gaze sharp.

"This is the part where you start thinking."

She glanced between them. "What changed?"

Eris furrowed her brow. "We survived two weeks of mind torture."

Saria raised an eyebrow. "Obvious. Try again."

A beat. Then Ash spoke. "We stopped playing."

Saria smiled. There it is.

"Exactly." She tapped the table. "You didn't win because you were stronger. You won because you stopped thinking like players and started thinking like survivors."

Her eyes narrowed. "That's the first real step. Learn that, and you might actually live through the next round."

She leaned back slightly. "So tell me—what did you learn?"

She repeated her question, giving them time to think.

She didn't ask about skills. That wasn't her focus. Skills were private. They could make or break you.

But she knew what she saw.

Shade— She created under pressure.

Ash— He bent time itself.

Instead of asking, she guided them to understand their own growth.

Her eyes landed on Eris first.

"You didn't freeze." A slow nod. "When it counted, you acted. But it wasn't just instinct, was it?"

Eris swallowed. "No."

"Your body moved, your mind followed… and something else." Saria studied her. "That wasn't just thinking fast. That was your power forcing a response."

Eris's grip on the can tightened, but she didn't deny it.

Saria nodded. "Figure out what that means for you. Because next time, it won't just be an advantage—it'll be a weakness if you don't control it."

Then she turned to Ash.

"I don't need to ask what you did. I saw it."

Ash remained silent.

"You bent time." A slight tilt of her head. "But tell me—did it feel natural?"

Ash hesitated. Then shook his head.

Saria nodded. "That's the problem. Your body might know how to use it, but your mind hesitates." Her lips curved. "Fix that. Because if you don't… someone faster will take advantage of the gap."

Saria let the silence stretch as her words sunk in.

Then she leaned forward, tapping the table lightly. "You know what to do next."

Eris blinked. "...What?"

Saria tilted her head. "Check for yourself."

There was no need to explain further.

Eris and Ash exchanged glances. Then, almost simultaneously, they summoned their status screens.

[System Status: Updating…]

[Syncing Combat Logs…]

[No direct rewards obtained.]

[SYSTEM STATUS UPDATE: ERIS VALE]

[NAME]

Eris Vale

[MAGIC CLASSIFICATION]

Neutral High Tier Magic – Creativity

[MAGIC POWER]

4,350 Units (+300 Units Increase from Dungeon Crystal Trials)

[ENERGY RECOVERY]

+45% (Further enhanced regeneration in Hub Zones)

[SYSTEM RECOGNITION]

Intermediate Growth Confirmed – System Access Slightly Expanded

---

[CORE ATTRIBUTES]

✔ [PHYSICAL CAPACITY] C+ (45% Progress Toward B-) (Increased endurance, agility, and minor strength boost.)

✔ [MENTAL RESILIENCE] C (60% Progress Towards C+) (Improved resistance against fear, mind-affecting effects, and system pressure.)

✔ [FORTIFIED ENDURANCE] D (40% Physical Boost) (Adaptive Muscle Growth) ✔ [SYSTEM AUTHORITY] Minimal Access Granted (Can now make hidden system inquiries.)

---

[BATTLE SKILLS]

Woven Constructs [Enhanced] (Improved durability and adaptability of creations.)

Precision Manifestation [Refined] (Faster conjuring with less energy drain for mid-tier constructs.)

Phantom Awakening – Formless Combat Mode [Improved] (Better control over movements, slight stamina efficiency increase.)

Arcane Resonance [Sharpened] (Increased synergy with ambient magic, allowing stronger reinforcement of constructs.)

Aetheric Shielding [Stable] (Shield response speed improved, slightly better energy efficiency.)

Arcane Reconstruction [Stable] (Allows the user to break down and reassemble magical constructs, objects, and structures, reshaping them through creative will.)

Iron Will (Lesser) [Stable] (Grants moderate resistance to mental domination, illusion manipulation, and forced submission effects. (Further growth possible through mental conditioning and experience.)

Creativity Surge [New] (Triggers a flood of inspiration, generating unique spells, formations, and strategies under pressure. Overuse causes overwhelming mental strain and temporary creativity block.)

[TITLES UNLOCKED]

Survivor of the Hollow (Recognized in the Hub; grants slight favor from system NPCs.)

The Unyielding [Intermediate] – Grants significant resistance to fear, illusions, mind-altering effects, and will suppression.

Allows detection of external manipulation affecting her perception.

If mentally attacked, 10% chance to trigger an instinctive backlash, harming the attacker.

Dungeon Delver (Increased rewards and experience from dungeon challenges.)

Battlefield Instincts [Low-Level Mastery Enhanced] (40% to the next level) (Increased real-time combat awareness, positioning, and adaptability in chaotic environments.)

Will you like to return immediately?

YES/NO

Eris exhaled, scanning the changes.

No direct rewards. That part wasn't surprising. She had expected that.

But the numbers didn't lie.

Her skill set had become stronger. Her endurance had improved. Her mental resilience had grown.

And then—

Her gaze locked onto a single line.

Creativity Surge [New]

A shiver ran through her.

It hadn't been there before. She hadn't trained for it, hadn't even realized she had it—until Eterna. Until she made a choice to collect the shard of creativity.

A gift? No. A consequence.

Saria watched her closely. "You see it now, don't you?"

Eris swallowed. She lifted her gaze. "I got stronger."

"No." Saria leaned forward slightly. "You got tested. And you survived it. Growth was just the side effect."

Eris let that sink in.

She had entered knowing Eterna wouldn't give out free power-ups. She had accepted that. And yet, she still came out with something new.

Not just the status improvements. Not just the mental sharpening.

Her skills evolved.

Her mind expanded.

Her creations adapted.

Despite walking in with no hope for rewards, she still left stronger than before.

Saria's eyes flickered toward Ash, who was still processing his own changes. Then she spoke again.

"So, what are you going to do with it?"

A challenge.

Not a simple acknowledgment of progress—but a demand to use it.

Because survival wasn't just about growing stronger.

It was about learning how to wield that strength before it became a weakness.

"It's good that you understand," Saria stood up. "You guys should rest up in your own homes. Even though you've taken the potions, nothing beats natural rest."

They both nodded. It was time to go back, rest up and process their thoughts.

Eris exhaled, scrolled down and clicked "Yes" in the part asking to return immediately and soon.

She was gone.