"Another one down." He muttered, stretching both his arms in the air.
The dungeon's last echoes faded as Kael and his new companion emerged from the moss-covered ruin.
He started his shoulders with satisfaction. The dungeon—an E-rank this time—had been a cakewalk. But it served its purpose.
"Level 30," Kael whispered to himself with a grin as he checked his UI. A surge of quiet pride welled up inside him.
His efforts were paying off. The journey so far had been a bloodied road of solo ventures and near-death encounters, but this felt like a turning point.
His partner, whose name still sat awkwardly on his tongue—Lunara—was brushing grime off her tunic, wincing slightly at a cut on her arm.
She wasn't useless, but compared to him, her movements were clumsy. Still, she tried. That counted for something.
"Hey," she said suddenly, her eyes narrowing at her interface.
"So it says here your ability is 'Prestige.' What does that mean by chance?"
Kael blinked, taken aback. His heart did a small leap.
"Repeat what you just said?"
"Uhh... 'Prestige'? What does it do?" She tilted her UI slightly toward him and pointed.
He stepped closer, eyebrows knitted. And there it was.
On the party board, In white, metallic letters glowing just beneath his name and level:
Ability: Prestige
He hadn't realized it showed up for others. Usually, most players kept that info private unless in close parties.
He mentally kicked himself for not locking it down.
She tapped on it. A small pop-up loaded.
Kael's hand instinctively went out to stop her, but he froze mid-motion.
"The bio is empty..." she muttered.
He sighed and relaxed his arm.
"Right. Makes sense. Prestige isn't something people really know about."
Lunara tilted her head curiously. "Then what does it do?"
He smirked a little, not out of arrogance but from how ridiculous it sounded when said out loud.
"It lets me learn. Fast. Like... really fast. If I see an enemy attack once, I get a feel for their timing. Their rhythm. Give me two minutes in a fight, and I'll be dodging like I've trained against them for years."
Her eyes widened in awe.
"So that's why you could move so well against that ogre. I thought you were just freakishly fast."
He chuckled and gave a modest shrug.
"That too."
They exited the dungeon.
Then began their walk back toward the city. The dirt path curved between tall blades of grass that shimmered under the late afternoon sun.
Birds chirped overhead, and Lunara hummed softly beside him, tired but content.
Soon, they reached the suburban edge of town. It wasn't far from the central plaza but far enough that streetlights began to disappear and cobblestone faded to cracked pavement.
They stopped in front of a small inn—quaint, almost too peaceful for someone with bloodied knuckles like hers.
"You stay here?"
Lunara chuckled.
"Cheapest place I could find. Not too bad inside."
He gave a half-smile.
"Alright. Rest up. I'll send you a dungeon invite tomorrow morning. We'll try something a little tougher."
She gave him a thumbs up before slipping inside.
Kael turned and began walking toward his own apartment. He glanced up at the sky—dusky orange fading into deep blue.
His thoughts wandered as he navigated the uneven sidewalk. He finally had a party member. He'd hit level 30. Hell, he might even splurge on a real meal tonight.
Then again...
> "Maybe I'll just head home and beat my meat." He thought with a stupid grin.
But then—
~ Whst-THUNK!
His body moved before his mind could process it.
Two glints of steel shot through the air, one aimed at his neck, the other at his gut.
With a short, precise dash, he twisted to the side. The blades thunked into a wooden post behind him, vibrating with deadly intent.
His heart was already racing. Instincts kicked in. His hand reached for the short blade holstered under his coat.
"Bandits, eh?" He muttered, eyes narrowing.
A silhouette flickered across the rooftop ahead.
They'd chosen the wrong mark.