Sync Rates (2)

Later during lunch time.

Lanz sat at his usual spot, one leg curled under the bench, elbow resting beside a half-eaten meat bun that barely qualified as food. Kenji had already dropped into the seat across from him, animatedly describing a dungeon clip he saw that morning where some dual-scythe freak managed to backflip off a wyvern, which, according to Kenji, was peak agility. Hiro was fiddling with the wrapper on his egg sandwich, half-listening, while Leo sipped from his drink pouch like he was judging its flavor profile for a competition.

For a while, it was normal, almost boring in the best way. That is, until the table in front of them suddenly became too interested.

One of the guys, someone Lanz didn't even really know by name, just the type who always talked like his jokes were auditions, leaned back in his chair, clearly angling for volume over subtlety.

"Hey, FFF—ailure, Monarch," he called without even turning around. "What's it like being stuck at the tutorial screen in real life?"

The words weren't clever, but they were loud enough to get a few laughs from his side of the table. Lanz didn't flinch, but the familiar taste of dull irritation settled at the back of his mouth. He wasn't even surprised anymore, the nickname had stuck too well, it's easy and punchy. It didn't matter that he hadn't done anything recently to earn it again, old news stayed sticky.

Before Lanz could even open his mouth — not that he was sure he would have... let's be honest he would — Kenji shifted his weight forward, arms on the table, tone quiet but clear.

"Maybe knock it off," he said without raising his voice. "We get it, you're b*tchless. We also know the only b*tch that you have is your mother. I'm just kidding, maybe your mother is nice, but still, you're a b*tch."

The guy turned, surprised. "What?"

"My god, you have no aura," Kenji said in disappointment.

There was a flicker of awkward silence. He was shocked that his joke died quicker than he expected.

Hiro, who had just taken a bite, pointed with his sandwich and added around his mouthful, "Bro's out here talking like he's A-rank when he's barely pushing, what, 42% sync on a good day? Puhlease."

Leo, who hadn't stopped sipping his pouch, gave a low hum of agreement. "Honestly, I'd be more embarrassed if I faked my sync rate and still couldn't pass the third sim tier. At least Lanz doesn't lie about his numbers."

Lanz blinked, unsure whether he was more surprised by the defense or how casual it all sounded. They weren't making a scene, weren't trying to start something, they were just... backing him up normally, without turning it into a big dramatic gesture.

He didn't say anything at first, just took another bite of his meat bun, chewing slowly while the moment passed. The loudmouth at the other table had already turned away, clearly losing interest now that he wasn't getting laughs.

"Damn," Lanz said eventually, mouth half full. "You guys cooked his ass."

"Don't get used to it," Kenji said, cracking open his drink. "One-time promo, so to speak."

"I feel so blessed," Lanz muttered, deadpan.

Leo grinned slightly, leaning back in his seat. "We just figured if anyone's allowed to be roosting you, it should be us, not some dude who peak-ranks at 'background character.'"

Hiro nodded solemnly. "He really does give off 'pwease pway atwention to mwe' energy."

They all laughed, and just like that, the tension slipped away. Talk drifted into safer territory, dungeon memes, the new gate challenges being streamed from the Eastern District, and whether or not polearms were becoming the new trend just because one flashy hunter made it look cool on a rooftop fight compilation.

Somewhere in the middle of Leo ranking weapon types by "vibe," a familiar figure passed by their table. Talia! Focused, composed, and gliding through the cafeteria traffic like someone who didn't need to look twice at anything or anyone.

She passed by Lanz's side, and dropped a folded piece of paper onto his tray with such quiet precision that it took him a full second to register it had happened.

No one else at the table noticed. Hiro was still arguing over scythe practicality, Kenji was trying to remember whether curved daggers counted as swords for loot tables, and Leo was humming again, probably rating his snack a solid 6 out of 10. That disingenuous f*ck.

Lanz stared at the paper.

It was neatly folded, like a test result or a note passed in class, and written across the front in sharp handwriting was a single message:

"Talk after class. Just want answers. — T"

He picked it up, thumb brushing the crease, and slid it into his pocket without saying a word.

He didn't know what she meant by "answers."

Who is he kidding, he overheard her and a teacher talking about sync rates. So if it's questions and answers, it might be about his sync rate.

But he had a sinking feeling she already knew the questions.

***

The rooftop was quieter than usual.

Most of the school had already emptied out, leaving behind that distinct afternoon stillness where every door creak or bird call felt just a little louder than it should've. Lanz stepped through the stairwell door and into the sunlight with his bag slung half-heartedly over one shoulder, his shoes scuffing against the gravel as he walked. The breeze was gentle, the one that got you saying "oh yeah..."

Talia was already there, standing near the far edge of the roof, her arms loosely crossed, not looking at anything in particular. Her posture was casual, but the way her shoulders sat told him she'd been thinking for a while. She didn't acknowledge him immediately, didn't turn, didn't raise an eyebrow or crack a dry comment like she normally might've. She just waited, as if she'd expected him to come the whole time, and didn't need to verify it with words.

Lanz stopped a few steps away and cleared his throat, mostly for himself, not her. "So," he said, trying not to sound too guarded. "You wanted me to come to see you aura farm," he said with a serious tone.

She just ignored him and finally turned toward him. Her voice was level, maybe a little quieter than usual, but there wasn't any tension in it, just… focus. "You're on time,"

"I figured if I flaked, you'd just find another time to corner me."

"Probably," she admitted with a slight nod, and then, with no ceremony at all, she got straight to the point. "Your sync data doesn't match your access level."

Lanz blinked. "Okay. That's... vague."

She tilted her head slightly, studying his face, but not pressing. "It's not a rumor or a hunch. I've been running analysis logs the last couple weeks. Nothing crazy, just internal diagnostics the system spits out in the background."

"And you're saying mine stood out?"

"I'm saying yours doesn't belong anywhere near the level it's reporting," she replied, still calm. "The signal's too strong, too precise. But the system locked you off. So it doesn't make sense that your sync rate is high, but but it still said your unfit for battle?"

Lanz resisted the urge to look away or fidget. The urge to joke was there too, something sarcastic, maybe even self-deprecating, but it wouldn't land. Not here, or the way she was looking at him.

"Could be a glitch," he said after a beat. "Or maybe someone else in the area skewed the reading."

"That's what I thought at first," she said, not missing a beat. "But the it's consistent. I cross-checked it twice."

There was no hint of triumph in her tone or satisfaction like she'd caught him in a lie. If anything, she just looked… confused. Like she'd expected the pieces to fit together and they hadn't, and now she was just hoping he had an explanation that would make sense of it all.

"So what?" Lanz asked, his voice low. "You think I've got a second system running? Like some shady bootleg rig I'm keeping off the radar?"

"I don't know what I think," Talia admitted, and that honesty landed heavier than any accusation would've. "I just know the logs are weird, and all the weirdness seems to start and end near you."

She paused for a moment, then shifted her weight slightly, as if considering whether or not to take the next step.

"Do you have another terminal? Something private?"

Lanz didn't answer right away. He let the question sit between them for a few seconds, then gave a shrug that was just cautious enough to seem sincere. "I've been training more than usual," he said finally. "Trying to make up for lost time, maybe the system just logged that differently."

Talia didn't argue, she didn't ask for proof or call him out. She just stood there, arms folded, eyes steady.

"You don't have to tell me everything," she said, her voice softening a little. "I get it, whatever it is, maybe it's personal, maybe it's complicated. But if there's even the slightest chance that it's dangerous, I'd rather you say something now. Not because I'm scared of you or because I'm trying to report you. Just because I'd rather know before something happens to you… or someone else."

The sincerity in her voice caught him off guard. She wasn't trying to extract a secret, she was just trying to understand what kind of pressure he might be under, and whether it was something he could handle alone.

Lanz let out a quiet breath and stared down at his shoes. A loose thread from his sock had caught on the back of his heel, and he watched it flutter for a moment in the breeze, just to have something else to focus on.

"I'll be careful," he said finally. "That's all I can say."

Talia studied him for a second longer, then nodded once. She pushed off the wall and adjusted the strap on her bag before turning toward the stairwell.

She stopped at the door, glanced back once, and said nothing.

Then she left.

Lanz stood alone for a while, the wind finally picking up again. He stayed there until the rooftops of the neighboring buildings were cast in orange, and only when he could hear the janitor's mop slapping rhythmically on the floor below did he start moving.

As he walked back toward the stairs, he dragged a hand down his face and muttered under his breath.

"That was way too f*cking sus. Why the hell did I say that?!"

End of chapter 19.

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ALT SYSTEM — USER PROFILE: ZERO

Level: 10

EXP: 2 / 100

Next Unlock: Skill — Crimson Slash

Global System Tracking: DISABLED

World Rank Association: UNLINKED

Stats:

STR: 8 | AGI: 8 (Affinity) | VIT: 3 | DEX: 1 | INT: 7 | WIS: 0

[Available Stat Points: 0]

[Derived Stat — MANA: 35 / 35]

Skills:

[Phantom Stride Lv.1] (Active Skill)

[Blade Control Lv.1]

[Parry Timing Lv.1]

[Reflex Sync Lv.1] (Passive Skill)

[Combat Awareness Lv.2] (Passive Skill)

[Skill Fusion Menu: Active]

[Dev Tree: Tier 0 Access Granted]

[Developer Node – Fusion Core Anchor: Active]

[Skill Slot Available — Unassigned]

Equipment:

Aged Blade Fragment (??? Rarity) (Bound)

Goblin Dagger

Spiked Boar Tusk Shard

Lightweight Chest Padding

Boots of Basic Mobility

Fingerless Gloves (Basic)

Starter Cloak: Faded Black

Training Ring (+1 VIT)