In the heart of a remote mountain range, where thick ancient trees loomed like silent guardians, a fortress-like wall was under construction.
Fifty academy candidates worked in unison under the guidance of a single youth—his black hair tousled by the mountain breeze, and violet eyes gleaming under the golden sunlight.
He was Riven Veylor, heir of the prestigious Veylor family.
But Riven wasn't watching the wall rise. His gaze was fixed on the cloudless sky, unblinking, as if something invisible was pulling at his thoughts.
A girl approached from behind, clad in tight black leather that accentuated her curves, giving her a bold, dangerous allure. Her straight black hair brushed her shoulders, and her sharp, almond-shaped eyes narrowed with mischief.
"Spacing out already, Riven?" Meika Noctshade asked with a mocking smile.
Riven blinked, snapping out of his trance. "Nothing. Just... a strange feeling. I think we're in an A-rank dimension. Our tokens aren't working."
Meika's brows furrowed. "How can you tell?"
He scratched his cheek, feigning awkwardness. "Just a thought."
She crossed her arms, unconvinced. "We haven't encountered any monsters yet. This could still be a C-rank zone. Maybe the token device just malfunctioned."
"You're probably right," Riven said with a small, carefully rehearsed smile.
Bitch he thought coldly. I know because I'm superior to you.
Suddenly, a translucent screen appeared before his eyes—visible only to him.
---
[System Notification]
Task: Build a fort and protect Meika Noctshade when she becomes helpless.
Time Limit:3 days
Reward: +5 Charisma, Improved Affinity with Meika Noctshade
Failure Penalty: Death
—Task cannot be declined—
Riven's eye twitched. This cursed system… always the same punishment. Death, death, death. Can't it be more creative?
He smirked faintly to himself. Protagonists get golden fingers. I got a noose around my neck.
He glanced at Meika again. Her expression was unreadable as she observed the wall construction.
And now I have to save her… how amusing.
---
Far away from the mountains, hidden in a dense, dark forest, inside a hollowed-out tree that formed a crude cave, a boy and a girl sat slumped against the inner wall. The girl was asleep, wrapped in a brown-gold pelt. The boy sat upright, wide awake, his red eyes bloodshot, veins bulging from pain.
Alex and Rina.
Alex was still recovering his wood element to heal his mangled arm. After four hours, the he recovered wood elemental power, and the healing began. Flesh started reforming, and with it, the pain surged like wildfire. He bit down on the shaft of his spear, trying to silence his screams.
Rina stirred awake, startled by his muffled groan. She blinked, trying to adjust to the darkness, and saw Alex's shadow writhing in agony, chewing on the wooden shaft like a trapped animal.
Half an hour passed. Muscles reattached to bone, ligaments found their place. His arm resembled a skinned but whole limb now.
Alex exhaled sharply and released the spear shaft, now chewed nearly in half. His mouth bled, but his eyes glimmered with relief.
The pain's almost gone… finally, he thought.
"Are you… okay?" Rina asked softly, her voice laced with worry.
"Yes, I'm okay now, Rina. You can just call me Alex, you know," he replied with a cheerful smile, despite the dried blood at the corners of his lips.
"O-okay… I'll call you A-Alex from now on," she stuttered, her face softening in relief.
"And Alex… I'm really sorry," she whispered, voice trembling, tears forming in her eyes. "Because of me, you're suffering so much pain…"
"Don't worry about it," Alex said gently. "If that thing attacked you, you wouldn't have survived. I at least had a chance, thanks to my physical strength."
His smile was genuine. Rina sniffled, guilt still heavy in her chest.
"Take the steak from my spatial ring," Alex said. "Eat and sleep. We'll move out tomorrow morning. We can't hide here forever."
Rina nodded and pulled out the wrapped steak. She tried to hand it to him.
Alex shook his head. "No, you eat. Just pass me the water. My mouth's still a mess."
"Okay…" she said meekly.
As she nibbled on the steak, Rina's heart sank. He's in such pain… and it's because of me.
She recalled Sister Emilia's words: You're blessed.
She had believed she was strong… until now. If this is what true suffering looks like, I've lived a life of luxury.
After drinking, Alex closed his eyes. The exhaustion—and pain—finally pulled him into a deep sleep.
---
He woke up a few hours later. The hollow was still dark, but something felt different.
The wood element… it's fully recovered.
He flexed his fingers and began restoring the final damage—his mouth, his nerves. Within minutes, he was fully healed. For the first time in two days, he felt whole.
He saw Rina still curled up, sleeping peacefully. Quietly, he took out two steaks, ate one, and left the other for her.
No more Aunty chef's meals. From now on, we cook. Monsters here are sharp… too sharp. I don't think I'll survive another direct encounter with that monster.
Rina woke up groggily, rubbing her eyes. "Good morning, Alex… how are you?"
"I'm brilliant," he replied with a wide grin.
"Eat first. We need to leave this cramped space."
Rina smiled back. "Okay."
After finishing her food, Alex climbed out first and signaled Rina to follow.
He stretched his arms. "Ahh… finally. Sunlight. And no pain," he said, smiling brightly.
Rina looked at him—and froze.
Bathed in sunlight, Alex looked like a prince from a fairytale. His features, already striking, were enhanced by his bright smile. Her heart skipped a beat, and a deep blush spread across her cheeks
"Let's move, Rina. We're heading for the mountains," Alex said.
"Mountains? Why?" she asked, puzzled.
"Because it's the only clearing in this endless forest. We'll have better visibility, and we can defend ourselves. Monsters will have to come into the open first. Unlike here, where they can ambush us from any direction."
Rina shuddered, remembering the beast they had faced.
Night fell as they walked through the seemingly eternal forest. Eventually, they spotted a tree with thick, high branches and climbed it.
Alex settled on a lower branch, and Rina took a slightly higher one. They tied themselves to the trunk with ropes and leaned back, preparing for sleep.
After a moment of silence, Rina whispered, "Alex… you seem so used to this. If I was alone, I would've died long ago."
Alex whispered back, "Because before the academy trial… I lived in the forest."
Rina almost gasped, covering her mouth. She whispered in shock, "You lived in the forest? Why?"
"I liked it," Alex said with a sad smile.
Rina's mind spun. This boy… he's going to give me a heart attack. But I can't stop asking questions.
Suddenly, a rustling noise came from below.
From the base of the tree, a girl emerged—white hair disheveled, dressed in bloodstained light blue rags. Wounds covered her arms and legs, and she was gasping, barely able to breathe.
Alex's eyes widened as two mini versions of himself—one in black, one in white—shouted in unison in his mind:
OUR GODDESS!