After spending a total of 2 hours hunting monsters—specifically, goblins, since he could only find goblins—Dian reached level 3 and was very close to level 4 by the end of the hunt.
He had a total of 35 goblin kills.
Surprisingly, there were so many goblins in that forest.
After allocating his stat points, his current status looked like this:
_____
[Name: Dian.]
[Level: 3(37/40).]
[Attribute: Darkness, Time.]
[Race: Human · 72%]
[Constitution: 25 (+25%)]
[Agility: 25 (+25%)]
[Dexterity: 30 (+25%, +75%)]
[Endurance: 12.5 (+25%)]
[Intelligence: 21.25 —> 23.75 (+25%)
[Sense: 12.5 (+25%)]
[Magic: 31.25 —> 37.5 (+25%)]
[Money:]
- Copper coins: 55
- Dollar: 20
[Stat point: 0]
[Skill point: 5]
_____
For now, Dian would focus on improving his Intelligence and Magic stats before increasing his other attributes. After all, these two stats are the most impactful for him at the moment.
Not to mention that Dark Javelin can kill many with a single attack, and Shadow Whisper has proven to be incredibly powerful for crowd control. Although he still hadn't tested his other skills, he was convinced that the rest were just as effective as these two.
Now that he was level 3, his rank had also increased.
[Current Heir Candidate Rank: 370th → 234th.]
Despite not being sure of the significance of this rank increase, knowing that he had improved since two hours ago made Dian feel pleased. Furthermore, he now had 55 more Copper coins. With a click, he converted them to Dollars. Finally, he wouldn't have to worry about money for the time being.
After confirming that he now had 75 dollars from his status display, Dian logged out immediately.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in his apartment, sitting in his wheelchair. Checking the time, he saw that it was already past 5:00 AM, just as he had expected.
With one $50 paycheck and five $5 paychecks, Dian felt energized to start his day. All he needed to worry about now was his studies. Rent? That was no longer a concern. With some more hunting, he was confident that he would be able to cover his rent when the time came. But now, his focus was on preparing his things, washing his body—which hadn't seen a shower in nearly five days—and tidying himself up to the point where he could confidently show himself to society.
He also got up to turn off the TV, which had been on all night because Dian was too preoccupied with Lucifer's Legacy. He needed to let it rest; otherwise, if it broke, he would have to pay for repairs to his landlord, as the TV didn't belong to him.
The TV was still displaying the same channel he had watched the night before.
"...Precisely at 3 AM, we received good news regarding the missing teenagers case from the police. It turns out they were found sleeping in the woods near the meadow where they were having a barbecue party. When questioned, their answers were vague, as if they were in a state of shock."
Dian pressed the power button and turned off the TV. After taking his bag with him and putting on his shoes, he rolled his wheelchair toward his campus.
The distance from his modest apartment to his campus was about 15 kilometers. Quite a distance, indeed, but since he had left his apartment early, he managed to arrive as one of the first students.
Dian stored his shoes in his locker before heading to the second floor of the building for his class. There was no lift or elevator, making it difficult for him to navigate the stairs, but it was not impossible. He had to get out of his wheelchair and crawl up while dragging it along with him.
Since his time in that other world, he noticed that his body had become much stronger than it used to be. The reason for this was unknown, but it was undoubtedly helpful for Dian. Despite his numb legs, his upper body was strong, so climbing the stairs was surprisingly easy for him.
After reaching the second floor, Dian hopped back onto his wheelchair and rolled toward his class.
He pushed the door open. As expected, since it was still early in the morning, not many students had arrived yet. Whether they were still at home, wandering around the campus, or just hanging out somewhere, there were plenty of empty chairs at the moment.
Only about five students were visible, all of whom were focused on their books or phones. Except for one student, who looked at him with surprise, mirroring his own astonishment at her.
Dian stopped at the door, their eyes meeting for a moment.
Then she turned her gaze toward the window, returning to whatever had caught her interest.
A faint smile appeared on Dian's face. He took a few deep breaths before heading to his seat.
He folded his wheelchair and tucked it under his table. He then placed his bag down and absentmindedly caressed the textures of the steel table.
It felt cold and familiar.
He raised his head and looked around.
If he hadn't discovered Lucifer's Legacy the night before, he might not have been alive to return to this place.
"I am back... at last," he let out a sigh, feeling melancholic about it all.
This was a place to learn, to pursue his dreams, and to fulfill his promise to his grandmother. This campus was where he had once bet everything on his future.
He had once given up, yet now he was back. Reinvigorated. With new determination. With new hope.
He had lost before, but now he was beginning a rematch.
And in this second round—
Despite losing his legs—
He didn't feel like losing.
Just then, a sound of footsteps stopped right beside him.
When Dian turned his head to see who it was, he was faced with her.
"Laura..."
His Ex-girlfriend.