Chapter 12: A Silent Night.

The battle was over, but Orayne's work had only just begun. Kneeling beside the injured, she poured every ounce of her healing magic into Liam, Norvyn, and Paul. Her hands glowed with a faint, warm light as she mended torn flesh and soothed pain.

Kael, Garve, Michael, and Alysha remained on high alert, scanning the darkness from their makeshift platforms. No one wanted to be caught off guard a second time.

Orayne sighed, exhaustion weighing on her shoulders. Despite leveling up after the fight, her magic had its limits. Norvyn's arm was beyond saving. The wound had closed, but nothing could bring back what was lost. A ragged stump was all that remained.

Liam and Paul, whose injuries were less severe, fared better—healed without issue. Still, a fresh scar marred Liam's shoulder, a permanent reminder of how close he had come to death.

Meanwhile, Kael crouched beside the massive corpse of the Umbrolf, its black fur slick with blood. The sheer size of the beast made moving it impossible. But according to Kael, there was no need.

"The scent of its blood alone will keep other predators at bay," he had explained. "And if nothing else, it'll mask our own scent. No monster is likely to come sniffing around tonight."

Despite his reassurance, the others remained uneasy—except for Kael. He simply got to work, skinning the beast with practiced efficiency.

Even in the dim glow of the campfire, his hands were steady, his blade sure. The others might have learned a few things about survival, but none were as adept as Kael. And with most of them still recovering, the responsibility fell to him alone.

As he worked, his senses remained sharp. He listened for any disturbances beyond the fire's reach, his ears attuned to even the faintest rustle of leaves. Occasionally, he tore off a strip of sizzling meat from the fire and ate, knowing that replenishing his energy was just as important as keeping watch.

Still, no matter how focused he tried to be, he couldn't ignore the whispers coming from above. His heightened hearing picked up every word.

"Just what is he…?" Paul's voice drifted down, quiet but filled with unease. "He took that thing down by himself. Is he even human?"

"My arrows couldn't even pierce its fur…" Garve muttered. "And Alysha's mana bolts barely scratched it. Yet—"

He left the thought unfinished, but the meaning was clear.

Kael smirked to himself. This was bound to happen sooner or later.

"What are you thinking about, Liam?" Orayne's voice was soft, but there was a hint of concern.

Liam hadn't spoken much since the fight. His gaze remained locked on Kael, a thoughtful frown on his face.

"...Maybe I'm overthinking this," Liam murmured, "but when we chose our classes, we were all granted skills, right?"

Norvyn stirred, intrigued. "Yeah. As a Rogue, I got F-Rank Dagger Mastery, Quick Step, and Backstab. No sword skills, though."

"Exactly." Liam's fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword. "Then how is it possible? At the end of that fight, you all saw it. Kael used my sword to take the monster down. But when I swung it, I barely made a scratch. The way he moved… it was like watching a master swordsman."

Silence fell over the group.

"You used to practice swordsmanship as a hobby, didn't you?" Michael finally spoke. "Maybe he did too. We don't know much about his past, after all."

Liam didn't respond. His eyes never left Kael.

Sharp one, aren't you, Liam?

Kael kept his expression neutral, but inwardly, he was amused. Even a crude imitation of his past life's skill was enough to make him look like a master.

He wiped the blood from his face and glanced at the night sky. If this was the strength of an A-Rank imitation, then once he acquired [Silent Moon] and stepped onto the path of an SSS-Rank Rogue, how much stronger would he become?

A shiver of excitement ran through him.

Just two more days until the eclipse hours.

***

Kael's work stretched on for hours, the only sounds in the night being the crackle of fire and the steady rhythm of his blade slicing through flesh.

He kept the fire strong, feeding it small bones and wood. Strip by strip, he harvested as much meat as possible, smoking it over the flames to preserve it.

Most of the beast's remains were useless to him. He considered fashioning the fur into a blanket but decided against it—too much effort when exhaustion was already creeping in.

By the time he was finished, the others had long since fallen asleep.

Even Liam, who was supposed to be on watch, had succumbed to exhaustion. Kael wasn't surprised. His injury had been deep, and at lower levels, healing magic took a toll on both the caster and the recipient.

Kael climbed up onto the platform, his movements quiet. He glanced at the sleeping faces around him.

Just hours ago, they had been terrified. Yet now, they slept soundly, their fears momentarily forgotten.

His gaze lingered on them for a few seconds before he turned to the stars.

He wasn't planning to stay with them for long. In a few days, he would leave them behind.

And yet…

He exhaled, rubbing his thumb absentmindedly over the hilt of his dagger.

They didn't run.

Unlike him, they had never experienced life-or-death battles before. They weren't warriors. They were ordinary people, plucked from their normal lives and thrown into a nightmare.

And yet, when faced with death, they hadn't abandoned him.

A small, almost imperceptible smirk tugged at the corner of Kael's lips.

Maybe they were stronger than he gave them credit for.

Not that it mattered. He wouldn't be staying with them for long. Two more nights, then I'm gone.

With nothing better to do, Kael opened his status screen. His gaze flickered over the numbers, analyzing the changes.

—STATUS—

Name: Kael Shizer. 

Race: [Human (F) - Lvl 2]

Class: [Rogue - Lvl 2]

Profession: N/A

Health Points (HP): 87/100

Mana Points (MP): 58/70

Stamina: 39/70

Attributes

Strength: 9

Agility: 14

Endurance: 9

Vitality: 10

Fortitude: 8

Perception: 14

Willpower: 8

Intelligence: 7

Wisdom: 7

Attribute points: 4

Titles

N/A

—END STATUS—

His stats had grown significantly since the tutorial started.

Still, he'd lost some HP, Mana, and Stamina from the fight. While Orayne's healing had patched up his dislocated shoulder, he wouldn't be fully recovered without a solid night's rest.

Doesn't matter. This growth… He smirked. The attribute points he had accumulated were the real prize.

He wouldn't allocate them just yet. Not yet.

Kael preferred to stack his points and distribute them strategically when the time was right.

As he scrolled through his stats, a flicker of movement caught his eye. Alysha had sat up, rubbing her eyes. Her wooden staff was clutched tightly to her chest.

"Kael…? You're still awake?" she murmured, yawning.

"Yeah." He didn't look away from the screen. "I'm on night watch."

At his response, she straightened a little.

"Oh," she said quickly. "Then—I'll take over. You should get some rest."

Kael barely glanced at her. "It's fine."

His flat reply made her visibly deflate. She pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.

A tense silence stretched between them.

Then, in a soft, hesitant voice, she spoke again.

"…You don't really like us, do you?"

Kael's finger hovered over the status screen, but his focus was no longer on the numbers.

"…Unlike you, we don't know much. We're probably just holding you back." She exhaled quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "But even so… you still helped us. A lot."

She hesitated. Then, almost pleadingly, she added,

"The least I can do is help you back. Even if it's just this."

Kael sighed, finally looking up from the glowing screen.

Her face was serious, her gaze determined.

He was about to refuse again—but something in her expression made him pause.

After a beat, he swiped the status screen away and leaned back against the tree.

"Fine." He closed his eyes, settling in. "But wake me up if anything happens. And I mean anything. Even the slightest sound."

Her face lit up.

"I will." She nodded firmly.

Kael didn't say anything else. He simply let his body relax, allowing the fatigue to finally pull him under.