The night air was cold when Thomas stepped out of the building. The concrete still held the dampness of dusk, and the streetlights cast long, blurred shadows across the sidewalk.
He slipped his hands into his pockets for a few seconds and took a deep breath. His chest felt heavier than it should have. He didn’t know if it was because of Angel or because her re presence had reopened old mories like a poorly healed wound.
’One night.’ He thought dryly.
He shook his head. Nothing would be solved by standing still. He started jogging.
At first, his body responded stiffly. His steps were short and asured, as if he still doubted the decision. The cold air burned his throat with the first few deep breaths. He adjusted his pace little by little, forcing himself to maintain a steady cadence.
The sound of his sneakers hitting the pavent beca rhythmic, predictable, controllable. The image of Angel sitting at his table returned uninvited—the elegant posture, the serene smile, that calm that seed unbreakable.
’She acts too well.’
But at the sa ti, she had lowered her gaze when he brought up the past. She had accepted every word without responding with pride. Thomas clenched his jaw and increased his speed.
’Don’t let her fool you.’
His mother had left them without an explanation. Without a real goodbye. Just silence. Iris had cried for weeks. He had been forced to learn too early how to fill roles that were never ant to be his. He had even dropped out of college.
The wind struck his face. His lungs began working harder.
He focused on the route. The neighborhood park was almost empty. A couple of lampposts lit the gravel track. The night was calm, cruelly indifferent to dostic conflict.
The second kiloter arrived with a sharp burn in his thighs. His breathing grew heavier, but he didn’t stop. The System did not allow interruptions.
’God, this is brutal. I feel like I’m dying. I’ve never exercised before.’
His heart rate stabilized at an uncomfortable but manageable level. His mind began to clear as his body grew more exhausted.
Maybe what bothered him most wasn’t that Angel had co back. It was that, for a brief mont, he had wanted to believe her. That thought angered him more than any mory.
[Remaining Distance: 0.8 km]
The gravel crunched beneath his steps. His breath ca out in visible bursts in front of him. He rembered Iris laughing at the table, trying to maintain so sense of normalcy.
Always Iris. Always in the middle, holding together what others broke.
Thomas felt an uncomfortable pressure in his chest that had nothing to do with the exercise.
[Remaining Distance: 0.1 km]
He accelerated slightly—not out of pride, but to escape his own thoughts.
When the counter reached zero, he gradually slowed to a walk. He bent forward, hands on his knees, breathing heavily.
A blue window appeared before his eyes, accompanied by an upbeat victory chi.
[Main Mission Completed]
Rewards obtained:
Stamina 2
Willpower 1
EXP 25
Gacha Coin 1
[Level Up ↑]
[User Rank Unlocked]
User Rank: D
• Promotion confird. You may now ta D-rank heroines.
Thomas’s eyes widened in surprise.
’I’d forgotten this had a ranking system. Let’s see. I’m level 6 now. At what level will I be able to ta a C-rank heroine? Wait. Does that an that the higher I level up, the closer I get to SSS-rank? Is that even possible?’
His thoughts projected an image: the invincible and untamable Belle Snow.
’So... I really could ta her?’
His pink eyes glead with dangerous ambition.
’I definitely want to level up. If this works like a ga, doesn’t that an I can also level up by going into the Abyss? Even if I don’t kill the monsters, my heroines would. With everything going on, I haven’t had ti to check whether anyone would buy what I brought back from the Abyss. I ant to handle everything quickly, but with Iris’s situation and now Angel, I haven’t had ti.’
He ran a hand through his white hair in mild frustration. Then he sighed and began navigating through the interface.
’Whatever. I want to level up faster. I’ll do the side missions too.’
[Side Mission]
• Maintain a conversation of at least ten minutes with a woman.
Thomas frowned. He could go back to the apartnt. He could talk to Angel, but the re idea made his shoulders tense.
’No.’
He wasn’t ready for that conversation. There was another option—one he had been considering ever since he started searching for an offensive combat heroine.
’Ashley.’
Her na surfaced in his mind with a mixture of warmth and pain.
They had been inseparable in college. They studied together, ate together, and even slept together. He had never had a friend as close and intimate as Ashley.
Until everything fell apart. Misunderstandings. External pressures. Decisions that had seed right at the ti. He had listened to bad advice from people he hadn’t realized back then were jealous or envious.
And then... silence.
Ashley now studied at the Academy of New Promises, a university specializing in rising heroines with high potential. It was a closed campus, with internal dormitories, specialized training, and strict security protocols.
Thomas knew the place; it was a very famous university and one of his top three options for enrolling Iris in the future.
He checked the ti on his interface. It wasn’t too late. His stomach tightened with a mix of anxiety and anticipation.
’She’s going to think I’m using her.’
After so long, showing up out of nowhere in front of the won’s dorm at an elite academy wasn’t exactly a brilliant move.
’And what am I even going to say?’
He ran a hand through his hair, still slightly damp with sweat. He could go ho and ignore the side mission, but the System’s text glowed faintly like a silent reminder, patiently and relentlessly pushing him toward Belle Snow.
He sighed, hunching his shoulders. It wasn’t just about the mission. He wanted to see her. Because, despite everything, there were wounds that had never properly healed.
He made a decision without giving himself room to hesitate.
’Beyond whatever embarrassnt this situation might cause , it’s also true that I always wanted to clear up a lot of things with her, but I never dared to. This could be the perfect excuse to go see her. Besides, if Ashley ends up rejecting the conversation, I now have a new objective with this System. I want to level up, and that will be my mindset going in. Ashley would be an excellent heroine to ta.’
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