The next morning, Dex got up and started preparing breakfast. He kept it simple—just some pancakes, bacon, and eggs. As he flipped the last pancake onto the plate, his watch beeped, and he heard:
New Skill Acquired
Cooking Novice: Slight increase to cooking proficiency and ingredient knowledge
Dex blinked in surprise, then smirked. "Well, it's about damn time. Where the hell has this been?" he muttered, shaking his head before sighing. "Whatever, maybe I didn't cook enough before."
He plated the food neatly, setting his and Rey's plates on the bar.
Rey came out a moment later, yawning and stretching in a loose t-shirt and pajama pants. Her hair was a little messy from sleep, but her eyes lit up as soon as she saw the food. "Morning, Dex. Oh hey, you made breakfast—awesome!"
Dex poured them both some coffee, arching a brow at her outfit. "Where the hell did you get those clothes?"
She gave a small, amused smirk as she sat down. "The wardrobe and dresser are full of clothes that suit my taste. Did you not check yours?"
Dex frowned slightly, sipping his coffee. "No, I did not. But I probably should have."
Rey forked up a piece of pancake and tilted her head. "So, what's the plan for today?"
Dex leaned back against the counter, thinking aloud. "I think we should start with reading some of the martial arts books, see if we can learn some actual styles of combat. Then go brawl in the training yard, break for lunch, hit the portal until dinner, and finish the day by studying spells."
Rey nodded, chewing thoughtfully before replying, "Agreed. I say we spend this week on ourselves, then draw one of our anime characters and spend next week on that."
Dex gave her a curious look. "Okay, I'm not opposed to that… but why anime characters specifically?"
Rey put her fork down, meeting his eyes with a serious expression. "Even though I've only known her for a short time, I like Eliza. But she didn't think the whole anime character thing through. The percentage of powerless video game characters is much lower than the percentage of weak—or straight-up useless—anime characters. And I don't want to end up in the middle of a super difficult world as Kirino Kousaka or someone equally powerless. At that point, the character's just an extra body between me and the enemy."
Dex rubbed the back of his neck, conceding. "Fair point. I didn't consider that."
"And neither did Eliza," Rey added flatly. "We've only got four anime draws. I hope at least one will be strong."
"Same," Dex muttered in agreement. He finished his coffee, pushed the mug aside, and headed straight for the library with Rey following close behind.
Dex grabbed several books—Kickboxing, Archery, Kenjutsu, and Ji Gen Ryū. Rey scanned the shelves with sharp eyes, pulling down volumes on Krav Maga, Sniping, Marksmanship, and, like Dex, Kickboxing.
They spent the entire morning absorbed in study, flipping pages, practicing forms in their heads, and discussing techniques in low voices. Finally, both of their watches beeped at the same time, chiming:
New Skills Acquired
Dex's Skills
Archery Novice: Small increase to accuracy; increases Perception and Strength by 3 when using a bow.
Kickboxing Novice: Small increase in punching and kicking speed, power, and technique. Increases Strength, Endurance, and Agility by 3 when unarmed.
Kenjutsu Novice: Small increase to the speed, power, and technique of sword swings.
Ji Gen Ryū Novice: Increases Strength, Agility, and Perception when using an odachi.
Rey's Skills
Krav Maga Novice: Small increase in power, speed, and technique when unarmed or wielding a knife.
Sniping Novice: Small increase in accuracy and hit rate when using a rifle.
Marksmanship Novice: Increases Perception, Agility, and Endurance by 3 when using firearms.
Kickboxing Novice: Small increase in punching and kicking speed, power, and technique. Increases Strength, Endurance, and Agility by 3 when unarmed.
Then they both got up and stretched, loosening their muscles after a long morning of reading. Rey cracked her knuckles and smirked at Dex. "Alright, let's hit the training yard so I can whip your sorry ass into shape, flabby."
Dex raised an eyebrow, half-offended, half-amused. "Hey, I'm not fat! And how would you even know?"
Rey shrugged and teasingly said. "I'm guessing based off your ghost-like complexion. You're so pale, you're almost grey. Maybe Lord Tet didn't revive you all the way," she said with a playful snicker.
Dex narrowed his eyes, lips twitching with a grin. "That's it—outside. I'm kicking your ass."
"That's the spirit," Rey shot back, "Keep that attitude while I go change."
Dex pulled off his jacket and t-shirt, tossing them to the side as he strode out into the training yard. The morning air was cool against his skin, his breath already steadying in anticipation.
Moments later, Rey walked out wearing a fitted blue tank top and black shorts. She rolled her shoulders, her expression sharp but amused as she stepped onto the training ground.
They squared off, hands raised in guard. For a moment, silence hung between them, both testing the other's resolve with steady eyes. Then the spar began.
Dex moved first, snapping out a quick jab. Rey deflected with her forearm and countered with a sharp front kick that Dex sidestepped, the strike grazing his ribs.
"Not bad," Dex muttered, grinning as he pivoted and threw a low kick at her thigh. Rey blocked with her shin, the crack of impact echoing. She answered immediately with a one-two combination of punches, forcing Dex to lean back, barely dodging the last hook.
Rey smirked, sweat already glistening on her brow. "Thought you were gonna kick my ass?"
Dex chuckled breathlessly, circling her. "Still planning on it." He lunged forward with a roundhouse kick—Rey ducked under and snapped a counter uppercut, but Dex twisted just in time, their strikes missing by inches.
Back and forth they went—kicks meeting blocks, punches deflected by quick guards, their footwork sharp and reactive. Every strike was answered with an equal counter, neither giving ground.
Their strength was nearly equal, and as the spar wore on, both of them found themselves grinning despite the sweat and the sting of impacts.
Then Rey said, a little breathless but smiling, "Not bad, Dex."
Dex wiped sweat from his brow, smirking back. "Back at you, Rey. You wanna keep going or break for lunch?"
Rey rolled her shoulders, still grinning but clearly conserving her energy. "Yeah, let's have lunch. I'd rather save the rest of my strength for the portal."
They headed back inside, their laughter still lingering from the spar. After a quick lunch together, they grabbed some weapons from the armory.
Then, changing into clothes that were easier to move in, they stood side by side before the glowing portal they stepped forward and entered.
Once inside, a mechanical voice echoed around them: Round One… Begin.
Dex immediately tightened his grip on Karasu, his knuckles whitening around the hilt. Beside him, Rey raised her pistol with sharp focus.
In a shimmer of twisted light, twenty infected from Left 4 Dead spawned in all around them, snarling and sprinting forward at breakneck speed.
Dex groaned. "Oh great… the fast variety of undead."
Rey shot him a glare as she fired off the first round, her voice sharp with irritation. "Hey, I don't want to hear it. I had to fight hordes of these things before—and now I don't even have high stats now!"
The first infected lunged at Dex. He sidestepped quickly, the creature's claws grazing his arm before he swung Karasu in a clean arc, decapitating another that had rushed him from the side.
Rey fired precise shots, her pistol kicking back in her grip. Each bullet slammed into the heads of infected closing in too fast for Dex to cover. Her breathing grew quick and steady.
Another infected leaped at her blind spot, but Dex intercepted, slamming his shoulder into it and driving Karasu straight through its chest. He twisted the blade free, kicking the corpse away before it could drag him down.
"Watch your left!" Dex shouted, parrying a clawed swipe.
Rey pivoted and squeezed off two quick shots, the rounds punching through the skull of the infected Dex had warned her about. She gave him a grin and said. "Got it. Thanks."
Working in sync, they found their rhythm: Rey holding the line with sharp, controlled gunfire, while Dex guarded her flank, cutting down anything that slipped through her aim. Step by step, they pushed back the swarm.
Finally, the last infected let out a guttural shriek before Dex cleaved it in two. The body hit the ground, twitched once, and dissolved into nothing.
Both of them stood panting, Dex lowering his blade while Rey lowered her pistol, her arms trembling slightly from the recoil. Their setup had worked—steadily, methodically, they had managed to defeat all twenty of them.
But before they could fully relax, a mechanical voice echoed again: Round Two… Begin.
Ten Cerberus spawned, their rotten Doberman bodies growling low, glowing eyes locked on them.
Dex grimaced, tightening his grip on Karasu. "Oh… this is gonna hurt."
Rey snapped open her pistol and reloaded quickly, her hands steady despite the tension. The hounds lunged forward in a pack. Dex met the first wave head-on, cleaving through one and shoving another back with his shoulder. He slashed down a second, his blade cutting deep into its neck, and finished a third with a thrust. But as he pivoted, a fourth Cerberus raked its claws across his back.
He groaned in pain, staggering. His watch beeped.
Health: 550
Bloodlust: 25%
Rey's pistol cracked, dropping the hound that had hit him. "You good, Dex?" she shouted, worry flashing across her face.
Dex gritted his teeth, straightening his stance. "Yeah… I'm good." He drove Karasu through another hound, ripping the blade free in a spray of blood.
Rey shifted her aim, shooting down the ones circling wide to flank them. She stayed light on her feet, pivoting and firing, while Dex hacked down those pressing too close. The arena became a blur of snapping jaws, flashing steel, and gunfire.
As the fight dragged on, both of them were bitten and clawed multiple times, clothes torn and bloodied. Still, step by step, they fought the horde down until the last Cerberus collapsed, twitching before dissolving.
Dex's watch dinged.
Health: 400
Bloodlust: 50%
Rey's watch followed.
Health: 450
Bloodlust: 25%
Dex wiped sweat and blood from his face. "You good to keep going, Rey?"
Rey reloaded with a grim smile, her voice firm. "We fight till we drop, Dex. It might suck, but we need to get better."
Dex nodded, determination hardening in his eyes. "Okay… let's do this."
Round Three… Begin.
This time, several infected spawned alongside two Hunters and one massive Charger.
Rey cursed under her breath, immediately swapping to the elephant gun. "This is bad."
Dex plunged into the infected, carving through them to thin the crowd. Rey steadied her aim and fired, the elephant gun's deafening blast tearing through one Hunter in a single shot. She swung back toward the Charger, but it was too late.
The brute slammed into Dex, catching him mid-swing and carrying him across the arena before smashing him into a wall with bone-shaking force.
Dex coughed blood, groaning as his watch lit up.
Health: 300
Bloodlust: 75%
"Dex!" Rey shouted, firing into the infected that tried to swarm him.
Groggy but stubborn, Dex pushed himself off the wall, wobbling on his feet. He tightened his grip on Karasu, rage burning in his eyes.
Rey took aim at the Charger again, but a blur of claws tore into her back. She screamed in pain, stumbling forward as her watch beeped.
Health: 400
Bloodlust: 50%
Snarling, Dex sidestepped the Charger's next charge, his blade flashing across its back. The beast bellowed in pain. Rey spun, smashing the butt of her gun into the Hunter's face to stagger it before turning and blasting its head clean off.
"Nice!" Dex shouted as he leapt onto the Charger's back. He yanked Karasu across its throat, pulling its head back and exposing the kill. "Rey—now!"
She didn't hesitate. Rey aimed and fired, the elephant gun's blast blowing the monster's head apart in a shower of gore.
The arena fell silent as the last corpse dissolved. Both of them collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily, their bodies trembling with exhaustion.
Dex groaned. "There isn't much in Resident Evil that's a step up from that… Round Four is probably gonna be a boss fight."
Rey's voice was dry, but her expression was serious. "Probably. Are you good?"
Dex gave a weak chuckle that turned into a cough. "No… but I'll push through. Let's do this."
Round Four… Begin.
The ground shook, and at the center of the arena appeared the towering trench-coated figure of Mr. X. His eyes locked on them, his footsteps like thunder.
Dex's jaw dropped. "Oh fuck…"
Rey lined up her rifle, muttering through gritted teeth. "We're screwed."
She fired immediately, the elephant gun slamming into the Tyrant with enough force to stagger him but not keep him down. Dex charged in recklessly, blade flashing in quick, powerful arcs. He managed to carve shallow wounds into Mr. X's chest and arm, but the creature shrugged them off.
With a guttural roar, Mr. X retaliated, his fists swinging like wrecking balls. Dex blocked what he could, Karasu vibrating violently with each impact, but the sheer power of the Tyrant's blows overwhelmed him. One punch sent him flying back across the arena, crashing hard into the ground.
His watch beeped, the screen flashing red.
Health: 200
Bloodlust: 100%
Rey's eyes went wide. "Oh shit! Dex, you doing okay, buddy?!"
Dex pushed himself up on trembling arms, his breathing heavy and ragged. Suddenly, he let out a bestial roar that shook the arena, wild red sparks of energy crackling around him. His skin darkened to a bloody crimson, his hair bleaching stark white.
Bloodlust had fully taken over.
With terrifying speed, Dex charged Mr. X again, his swings wild yet devastating. Each strike of Karasu hammered into the Tyrant with brutal force, forcing the hulking monster back step by step.
Rey shook herself from her daze, snapping her rifle back up and firing rapidly, every shot slamming into Mr. X's chest and skull.
Between Dex's frenzied onslaught and Rey's relentless gunfire, the combined pressure was too much. Mr. X staggered, let out one final roar, then collapsed. His body dissolved into black mist, vanishing completely.
Dex stood there, chest heaving, until the red sparks faded and his skin and hair returned to normal. Slowly, his breathing calmed, and he dropped to one knee, drained but alive.
Dex said, "I know you said keep going till we drop, but I think that's enough for now." His breathing was ragged, sweat dripping down his face as he forced a tired grin.
Rey replied, "Yeah, I need a break too." She exhaled sharply, her smirk barely hiding the fatigue in her eyes.
Then they left the portal and went to rest, moving slowly with heavy steps, their bodies aching but relieved to finally stop.