The next morning, Zack woke up before his alarm. The sun was just starting to turn the sky from black to a deep, bruised purple. He lay in bed for a moment, his body aching in a dull, satisfying way from the previous night's "grind." His muscles were sore, but his mind was sharp and clear.
He got up, showered, and for the first time in a long time, he didn't stare at the stranger in the mirror. He saw himself. He still looked kind, but the fear in his eyes was gone. It was replaced by a calm, steady focus.
He arrived at the Vanguard Industries main office at 7:00 AM, an hour before anyone else. He made a pot of coffee, went to his father's old office—his office—and started his day.
At 9:00 AM, the two remaining board members, Mr. Hynes and Mr. Miller, arrived. They were the ones who had quietly backed Mr. Barros, hoping to get a piece of the company when it was sold for parts. They entered his office looking nervous. Barros hadn't just been fired; he had vanished from their lives, with legal papers delivered by Mr. Han's (Emily's father's) lawyers that morning. They knew they were next.
"Mr. Cole," Hynes, a thin, weaselly man, said, adjusting his tie. "This is... unexpected. We usually meet in the conference room."
"Good morning, gentlemen," Zack said. His voice was polite and kind. He gestured to the two simple chairs in front of his desk. "Please, sit."
They sat down, perching on the edge of the seats like nervous birds.
Zack didn't waste time. He slid two folders across his desk.
"These are your new contracts," he said simply. "As of this morning, the board is being dissolved. Vanguard Industries is being restructured as a private-ownership company, with me as the sole director. Your services as board members are no longer required."
Miller, a heavier man, started to sweat. "Now, see here, Zack! Your father would never—"
"My father," Zack interrupted, his voice still kind, but with an edge of steel that cut the man off, "trusted Mr. Barros. And Mr. Barros, with your support, tried to steal this company from my family. My father is gone. I am here now."
He leaned forward. He didn't raise his voice. He didn't need to.
"Your new contracts," he continued, tapping the folders, "are for an advisory role. You will have no voting power. You will have no control over finances. You will get to keep a small salary, out of respect for your past work with my father. Or, you can refuse, and Mr. Han's legal team will begin a deep, deep audit of everything you have done for the past six months. Your choice."
The two men stared at him. This was not the broken, scared F-Rank kid they had been pushing around. This was someone... new. They saw the ruthless efficiency in his eyes.
Hynes grabbed a pen and opened the folder.
"I've always been a loyal advisor, Zack," Hynes said, his voice slick.
"I'm glad to hear it," Zack replied.
They both signed.
Ten minutes later, they were gone. Zack was alone in his office. He had done it. He had saved his company.
He let out a long, slow breath. This victory felt good, but hollow. He had won with another man's power—Mr. Han's. He knew the real world, the world of Dungeons and Hunters, didn't care about contracts or lawyers. It only cared about strength.
He was restless. He looked at the clock. It was only 9:15 AM. He couldn't go into his dimension until that night. He had a full day to wait.
"I need to know what I can really do," he said to himself.
He left the office and went down to the company's private training room. It was mostly for the security staff, but his father had insisted on having one. It was small, but it had all the basics.
He looked at the bench press. He had never used it. He was a Healer.
Now, he was a God-Eater with 33.8 Strength.
He was curious. What did 33.8 Strength feel like?
He looked at the weights. An E-Rank (Beginner) Warrior might have 25 Strength. He was already stronger than them.
He loaded 135 pounds (about 61 kg) onto the bar. It looked like a lot. He lay down on the bench, put his hands on the bar, and pushed.
It flew up.
He blinked. It felt... like nothing. It felt as light as the wooden practice sword Emily had given him.
He put the bar back, his heart thumping.
He added more weight. 225 pounds (about 102 kg). This was a lot. This was "strong guy" weight.
He got on the bench. He braced himself. He pushed.
Clank.
The bar shot up and hit the stoppers. It was still easy.
He sat up, staring at the weights. His 33.8 Strength wasn't just a number. It was real. It was so much more than the 5 points he'd had just a few days ago.
He tried one more time. He loaded it to 315 pounds (about 142 kg).
He lay down. He gripped the bar. He focused. He pushed.
Grrrnnn...
It was heavy. This was heavy. But it moved. He pushed it all the way up, his arms shaking, and then slowly, with perfect control, lowered it back down.
He racked the weight and sat up, breathing hard. A huge grin spread across his face.
He was strong. He was really, truly strong.
And this was only an E-Rank's strength. He still had so far to go.
That night, he was practically vibrating with energy. He didn't wait. The second he was home, he locked his door and entered the dimension.
The familiar gray void greeted him.
[Welcome, Host. Host Rank: E (Beginner). E-Rank Dimension selected.]
He took a deep breath. His stats were still low.
Strength: 33.8
Agility: 33.3
Stamina: 34.2
Spirit: 32.9
Defense: 33.2
His goal of 50 points in everything felt very far away. But he had a full hour.
"System. I'm ready," Zack said, bracing himself.
He was ready.
The air shimmered. The System, sensing his readiness and his increased power from the day before, prepared a new challenge.
Six goblins appeared. Four warriors, one rogue, and one shaman.
The shaman was already waving its stick, the fireball forming.
Zack was already moving.
He didn't run at the shaman. That's what he did yesterday. Today, he had a new idea.
He held up his left hand. "Distraction."
[Minor Soothe]!
A bright, emerald flash of light exploded from his palm. It wasn't aimed at himself; it was aimed right at the enemies.
The goblins, creatures used to the darkness of caves, all shrieked and flinched, throwing their arms up to cover their eyes.
The shaman's spell collapsed.
In that one second of blindness, Zack closed the distance.
His 33.3 Agility was faster than yesterday. He felt like he was gliding.
He reached the stunned shaman first.
His right hand, cloaked in the shadows of [God-Eater], did not punch. He shaped it like a claw and swiped.
Sssshh-!
The goblin shaman's head flew off its shoulders.
[You have killed a Lesser Goblin Shaman. Spirit Cube (Red) x2 obtained.]
"Five left," Zack whispered.
The Rogue was the first to recover from the light. It was fast. It lunged at Zack's back.
Zack didn't even turn. He had 33.2 Defense and 34.2 Stamina.
He let the dagger hit him.
Tink!
The small blade, which had cut him just yesterday, scraped harmlessly off his back. It felt like a pebble.
The Rogue froze, its eyes wide with shock. Its dagger was stuck in Zack's shirt, but it hadn't broken the skin.
It underestimated him.
Zack spun, his back-fist, glowing with dark power, connecting with the Rogue's head. The small creature's head simply exploded.
[You have killed a Lesser Goblin Rogue. Agility Cube (Red) x2 obtained.]
The four Warriors were just now getting their vision back. They saw their two leaders dead. They roared in anger and charged.
"This was what I was waiting for," Zack said.
He met the charge.
It wasn't a fight. It was a slaughter.
He was faster than them. He was stronger than them. He was tougher than them.
He dodged a club, grabbed the goblin's arm, and threw it into another goblin.
He punched a third goblin in the chest. His fist, empowered by [God-Eater], didn't just break its ribs—it caved its entire chest in.
The last one, the same as yesterday, showed fear. It turned to run.
Zack was ruthless. He was on it in a flash, his hand chopping down on the back of its neck.
[You have killed... x4. Strength Cube (Red) x2, Stamina Cube (Red) x1, Defense Cube (Red) x1 obtained.]
The fight had lasted less than fifteen seconds.
Zack stood there, breathing normally. He felt good. His new "flash-bang" trick had worked perfectly.
[New wave spawning...]
Six more appeared. Zack flashed his light, dodged, and killed them all.
[New wave spawning...]
He did it again. And again. And again.
For a full hour, he was a machine. He killed wave after wave. He got a few cuts and bruises when he got sloppy, but his [Minor Soothe] skill, now strong with 32.9 Spirit, healed them in seconds. He was a perfect one-man army.
When the final second ticked down, he was tired, but not exhausted. His 34.2 Stamina was amazing.
[Time limit reached. Exiting dimension.]
He reappeared in his room. He was covered in sweat.
He opened his hand. A small pile of red cubes, 18 of them, glowed in his palm. It was a good haul.
He crushed them.
The warm power flowed into him. It was a small, steady trickle.
He checked his watch.
Strength: 33.8 -> 34.4 (+0.6)
Agility: 33.3 -> 33.9 (+0.6)
Stamina: 34.2 -> 34.6 (+0.4)
Spirit: 32.9 -> 33.5 (+0.6)
Defense: 33.2 -> 33.5 (+0.3)
He had gained 2.5 stat points.
He was now at 34 points, on average. His goal of 50 still felt far away.
"But I'm closer than yesterday," he whispered.
He smiled, a real, confident smile.
He had his company back. He had his power. And he had a plan.
Zack fell onto his bed, asleep in an instant.
Note : ZACK STATUS:
Rank: E (Beginner) / (System Rank: E (Beginner))
Class: Healer / God-Eater (Mythical)
Strength: 34.4(+0.6)
Agility: 33.9(+0.6)
Stamina: 34.6(+0.4)
Spirit: 33.5(+0.6)
Defense: 33.5(+0.3)
(Note: Zack has gained 2.5 stat points. He is still E-Rank (Beginner) and his next System goal is 50 points in all stats.)