He pulled up his status.

—[«STATUS»]—

Name: Reidar Miller

Level: 120

Health: 770

Mana: 8570.70

C.L.A.S.P.: 178515 / 384800

Available Attribute points: 3.00

Skills: Mending Touch, Group Rally, Root Grasp, Circle of Renewal, Void Javelin, Elemental Storm, Summon Razor-Gill School, Summon Spectral Knights, Summon Rift-Sprite Contubernium, Wind Barrage, Granite Shard, Aqua Cannon, Fire Bolt, Summon Murk-Fin School, Stone Skin, Chitinous Carapace, Hive Mind Echo, Formic Acid Barrier, Corrosive Demise, Summon Vorathid Foragers, Summon Skeletal Warriors, Summon Feral Pack, Summon Shadow Guardians

Equipment: Shepherd's Crook of the Wild, Summoner's Cowl, Summoner's Mantle, Summoner's Leggings, Summoner's Handwraps, Summoner's Treads, Summoner's Bracers, Summoner's Cloak, Summoner's Sash, Aqua Sprite Pendant, Ember Sprite Ring, Stone Sprite Ring

Proficiencies: Basic Combat (100%), Velia's Regional Map (35%), Velia's Monster Compendium (39%), Fundamental Spellcraft (66%), Combat Instinct (55%)

Attributes: (S.H.I.E.L.D.: 7,7), (A.C.U.M.E.N.: 56,8), (F.L.A.I.R. : 9,5), (F.L.I.P.: 8,7)

Minions: #N/A

Survival Points: 4.399.089

Trait: Skill Sharing

Perks: Efficient Scavenger (6/6), Arcane Potency (6/6), Mana Attunement (5/5), Mana Font (6/6), Focused Mind (5/5), Rapid Learning (5/5), Arcane Resilience (4/4), Empowered Effects (5/5), Arcane Leech (5/5), Spell Control (5/5), Pack Tactics (5/5), Elemental Infusion (5/5), Mana Siphon (10/10), Inspired Creation (4/8)

Perk Points: 6

Titles: The First Killer, The First Apprentice, The Pioneer, Creature Slayer IV, Rift-Sprite Hunter IV, The Exterminator, Guardian of the Innocents, Adept Learner, Abyssal Caller, The Apex

Profession: Tailoring (LVL23), Woodworking (LVL34), Enchanting (LVL19)

—[«END»]—

The numbers appeared before his eyes. Reidar focused on his level more than anything. It was at 120. Then he went to the perk points, of which he had 6. Last, there were 3 more attribute points he could use. Although he wasn't sure he would be using them on A.C.U.M.E.N. Reidar realized how dangerous it was to fight without his Feral Pack.

They were those that kept him safe, because he didn't even have the ability to keep his eyes on the monsters. They were simply too quick for him, and he did so only thanks to the distance between him and them. His C.L.A.S.P. points sat at over 178,515, but he was still several points away from level 121.

<I expected more C.L.A.S.P.S. from the broodmother.>

The creature had been at level 145, far above him. That kind of gap should have resulted in massive experience gains. But it did not work like that in reality, and Reidar got another proof of that.

Here to level up, numbers were important, not lone but powerful creatures.

<The system measures more than just kills. It measures contribution, skill, and danger overcome. I used numbers to win. Maybe that affected the result.> He couldn't be sure.

So the rewards, while substantial, are not as high as he hoped.

Still, level 120 was good. Better than good. He had jumped several levels in a single battle. His perk points would let him invest in new abilities. His attribute points would boost his strength even higher.

He closed the status screen. His eyes felt heavy. The exhaustion was catching up with him.

"I need to rest," he said. "Just for a bit."

Lena glanced at him. "You sure? We're not exactly safe here."

"I'm sure. I'm useless right now anyway. I'm too tired to summon anything. If something attacks, we're relying on you, regardless."

Lena considered this. Then she nodded. "Get some rest," she said. "I've got this."

She pulled a wooden chair to the center of the room, placing it so she could watch both the apartment's entrance and the windows.

This way, she had clear sightlines to both the door and the windows.

"Get some sleep," she said. "I'll wake you if anything happens."

Reidar nodded.

He didn't bother with a bedroll, simply sliding down the wall to sit on the floor, his back against the cool plaster.

The sounds of Jake's crying were a soft, sorrowful backdrop. They were quieter now, but still there.

Reidar closed his eyes. Thinking about what he would have done if he had known Marcus was in the same situation as Jake.

He thought about the battle. The Broodmother's screeches. The fire consumed everything. The way the Dread-Spinners had fled when their leader died.

He thought about Jake. The kid had gotten his revenge. But revenge did not bring back the dead. It did not fill the hole their absence left behind.

<I hope he understands that someday,> Reidar thought. <That killing the monster fixes nothing. It just... ends one chapter.>

His breathing slowed. His muscles unclenched. The exhaustion pulled him deeper into sleep.

In the chair, Lena watched the door. Her eyes moved to the window, scanning for movement. Then back to the door.

Her hand never left her dagger.

From Jake's room, the sobs quieted to silence. Either the kid had cried himself to sleep, or he was just lying there in the dark, staring at nothing.

The apartment settled into stillness. Three people in a broken building, surrounded by a broken city, trying to survive another day.

Reidar's breathing evened out completely. Sleep claimed him.

The day was finally over.

…

…

…

Reidar rested for quite a while. Hours passed in silence, broken only by the occasional shift of Lena's chair as she adjusted her position.

Lena took watch as promised. She sat in the center of the room, but exhaustion had its own momentum. She had fought less than Reidar, true, but she had done plenty. Guiding them through the city, tracking the monsters, and coordinating their movements. None of it had been easy.

Her eyelids grew heavy. She blinked, shook her head, and forced herself to focus. But the exhaustion in the end claimed her. Her head nodded forward. Her eyes closed. She slumped in the chair, asleep.

When Reidar woke up, the room was dim. Light filtered through the windows. It was early morning, maybe. He sat up, his back stiff from sleeping on the ground.

He saw Lena slumped in the chair, her breathing deep and even. Her hand had fallen from her dagger, resting in her lap.

Reidar was not mad. She had tried. She had likely kept watch for hours. He could tell that much since he had spent a lot of time with her during the past months. But she was human. She got worn out. They all did.

He stood up, stretching his stiff muscles as he walked to the window. The city below lay silent and still. There were no creatures stirring in the streets, no shadows lurking in the ruins. Somehow, they'd made it through the night unscathed.

From Jake's room, there was silence. The kid was probably still asleep.

That led to Reidar and Lena staying with Jake in Loden for two more days. They recovered and tried to convince the kid to leave the town. Jake was reluctant. This was his home. His parents died there. It Was the place where he had all his memories.

But in the end, he knew the truth. Staying meant dying. The city was too dangerous. The monsters would return. The Dread-Spinners might regroup. Other creatures would claim the territory.

Following Reidar and Lena meant survival. It meant getting stronger. It meant having a future.

On the edge of the third day, Jake agreed to Lena and Reidar's proposals.

They packed everything they could. Jake took a few mementos: a photo, a piece of his mother's jewelry, and his father's watch, and he put everything into his inventory, where the system's magic would preserve them and keep them safe.

Reidar summoned the giant crows. They took to the sky, leaving Loden behind. The ruined city shrank beneath them, becoming a dark smudge on the horizon.

They flew for less than an hour before an attack came. It was the first time Reidar had had that kind of battle.

Flying monsters descended from the clouds. They were reptilian, scaled creatures with leathery wings and barbed tails, but they were not dragons or wyverns. However, their shrieks were scary enough for the group to fear for their lives. They moved fast, far faster than the crows.

Reidar tried to summon defenses, but he had just 5 flying creatures at his disposal, of which they were riding 3.

In the end, Reidar used two of the crows to stall the monsters.

"Land!" Reidar said. "Get to the ground!" They needed the cover of the forest.

The crows dove and reached the ground. Reidar dismissed them and summoned the wolves, who brought them far from the area.

The flying monsters circled overhead trying to find their prey, but they failed. The canopy below was too dense.

Reidar, Lena, and Jake stood in the open field, breathing hard.

"We definitely walk from here," Reidar said.

Lena nodded. Jake said nothing, his face pale. Flying had been a fucking bad idea.

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