The heavy oak door of the conference room clicked shut, sealing the silence. The stale air still held the metallic tang of Mr. Barros's fear and the sharp, coppery smell of his blood.
Emily Han stood frozen, her hand still resting on the hilt of the sword at her back. She stared at the spot where Barros had scrambled out, then her eyes moved to the single, dark drop of blood on the polished wooden table. Finally, her gaze landed on Zack, who was calmly straightening his shirt cuff.
"...He 'tripped'," Emily said. Her voice was flat, the word hanging in the air. It wasn't a question, but a statement she was trying to understand.
Zack looked up, his face the perfect mask of kind, mild-mannered confusion. "He was very angry," Zack said, his voice soft. "He lunged at me. I think he's not very athletic, and his feet got tangled. It was a terrible accident."
"A terrible accident," Emily echoed, her eyes narrowing. She looked at Zack, really looked at him. She saw the calm expression, the polite posture, and then glanced at the small, almost invisible scuff mark on the floor where his foot had moved with impossible speed.
Suddenly, her stern expression cracked. A snort escaped, then a small laugh, and then she threw her head back and let out a full, bright laugh that bounced off the walls.
"Zackary Cole! You are completely full of it!" she cheered, her voice full of pure joy. She walked over and gave him a punch on the shoulder, a real, D-Rank Warrior punch that was meant to be friendly but carried real force.
A month ago, that single, playful blow would have sent him stumbling back, wincing in pain.
This time, Zack stood his ground. His 32.7 Defense stat, combined with his 33.6 Stamina, made him as solid as a post. He didn't even budge.
Emily's laughter stopped, and her eyes went wide for a second. She felt like she had just punched a small, leather-bound tree. She looked at her fist, then back at Zack.
He just smiled. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she said, shaking her hand out. "My goodness, Zack. That was... that was amazing. I have wanted to shut that pig up for months. You... you broke his hand."
"I did no such thing," Zack said, his face the picture of innocence. "I'm a Healer. I just offered him some medical advice on his... 'fall'."
"Right. Your 'medical advice'," she snorted, grinning from ear to ear. She pulled out her phone. "I'm calling my dad. He needs to hear about this. He is going to be ecstatic. He'll handle the legal side of Barros's... 'resignation'."
Zack felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders. He was grateful, truly. "Thank you, Em. And... thank you for coming. I'm not sure I would have had the courage if you weren't here."
"Are you kidding?" she said, dialing. "I wouldn't have missed this for the world." She put the phone to her ear, then looked back at him, her expression a mix of pride and newfound curiosity. "So, 'E-Rank,' huh? You're really full of surprises, Zack. When did you get so... solid?"
"I've been working out," Zack said simply.
Emily knew there was more to it, but she let it go. "Well, keep it up. It looks good on you." She turned as her father picked up the phone. "Hey, Dad? You are not going to believe what just happened at Vanguard..."
Zack left her to it, walking over to the window. He looked down at the city, at his company. Barros was just the first step. The other two board members, Hynes and Miller, would be easy to handle now, especially with Mr. Han's support. He felt a sense of control he had never felt before.
That night, Zack stood in his bedroom. He had just gotten off the phone with Mr. Han, who had been roaring with laughter. The old man had assured him that Barros would never be a problem again, and that he would personally "talk" to Hynes and Miller in the morning.
For the first time since his parents died, Zack felt like he could breathe.
But the fight, as one-sided as it was, had reminded him of the truth. He was still weak. Emily, a D-Rank (Beginner) Warrior, had her main stats—Strength, Agility, and Stamina—all hovering around the 80-point mark. She was a monster, in the best possible way.
His next rank-up, from E to D, required 50 points. In all stats.
He checked his watch.
[Zackary Cole]
Rank: E (Beginner) / (System Rank: E (Beginner))
Class: Healer / God-Eater (Mythical)
Strength: 33.0
Agility: 32.6
Stamina: 33.6
Spirit: 31.9
Defense: 32.7
He was still at 33 points, on average. He had a long, long way to go. The 50-point goal felt like a mountain.
"But I can climb it," he whispered to the empty room. "One step at a time."
"System," he said, his voice firm. "Enter Parallel Dimension."
The world dissolved. The familiar, cold grayness of the empty dimension surrounded him. The air was still, sterile, and silent.
[Welcome, Host. Host Rank: E (Beginner). E-Rank Dimension selected.]
[Calibrating... Host stats are significantly higher than last entry. Increasing opponent difficulty.]
[New Opponents Unlocked: 'Lesser Goblin Shaman', 'Lesser Goblin Rogue'.]
"New opponents," Zack said, a grim smile touching his lips. "Good."
The air in front of him shimmered. This time, it wasn't just one goblin.
Three Lesser Goblin Warriors appeared, their clubs and rusty swords looking as pathetic as ever. But they weren't alone.
Behind them, a small, thin goblin in dark rags appeared. It held a short, jagged dagger in each hand. A Rogue.
And next to it, another small goblin in a dirty robe, holding a crooked wooden stick, began to cackle. A Shaman.
The shaman began to wave its stick, and a small, flickering red light—a weak fireball—began to form at the tip.
Zack knew his first target.
He didn't wait. He didn't hesitate.
With 32.6 Agility, he was a blur. He dashed forward, ignoring the three warriors who were still turning to face him. They underestimated him, thinking he was just another slow-moving Warrior.
The Rogue was faster. It saw him coming and darted to the side, trying to flank him.
Zack ignored it. He was focused on the Mage.
The shaman shrieked, shoving its stick forward. The weak fireball shot out, tumbling through the air.
Zack dodged it with ease, not even slowing down.
He was on the shaman in a second. The small goblin's eyes went wide with terror.
Zack didn't use a weapon. He didn't need one.
He plunged his right hand, glowing with a faint, dark [God-Eater] aura, straight into the shaman's chest.
The monster's cackle died in a wet gurgle. It dissolved into particles of light.
[You have killed a Lesser Goblin Shaman. Spirit Cube (Red) x2 obtained.]
He had 0.2 points. He didn't have time to celebrate.
The three warriors were on him now, roaring in anger. The Rogue was at his back, its daggers flashing.
This was a real fight.
Zack spun. His fighting style was not the clean, practiced sword-stroke of a Warrior like Emily. It wasn't the precise, vital-point stabs of an Assassin.
It was brutal. He was a God-Eater.
He met the first goblin's club-swing, not with a block, but by catching the club in his hand. His 33.0 Strength was more than enough. The goblin's eyes widened.
Zack snapped the club in two, then drove his fist through the goblin's skull. It died instantly.
He felt a sharp sting in his back. The Rogue.
He gritted his teeth, ignoring the pain. He spun, his elbow catching the Rogue in the face, sending it flying.
He ducked under the wild swing of the second warrior and swept its legs out from under it. Before it hit the ground, he stomped on its throat, crushing it.
The third warrior, seeing its four companions killed in less than ten seconds, actually hesitated. Its club lowered. It showed fear.
Zack was ruthless to his enemies. He gave it no quarter. He was on it in an instant, his dark-powered fist ending its life.
He turned. The Rogue was getting back up, its daggers ready. It was fast.
Zack was faster. He closed the distance in a single step and ended it.
[You have killed... x4. Strength Cube (Red) x2, Agility Cube (Red) x1, Stamina Cube (Red) x1, Defense Cube (Red) x1 obtained.]
He stood among the fading particles, his heart pumping. He felt alive.
He checked his back. Two shallow cuts were bleeding.
He held his left hand over the wound. The bright, emerald light of [Minor Soothe] glowed. With his 31.9 Spirit, the light was warm and strong. The skin itched for a few seconds, and the cuts knitted themselves closed.
He was a perfect, self-contained killing machine. A Warrior, Rogue, and Healer all in one.
[New wave spawning...]
This time, six enemies appeared. Four warriors, one shaman, and one rogue.
Zack smiled. He dashed forward.
He spent his full, precious hour in the dimension. He fought six total waves. Each wave was a little harder, a little smarter. The System was testing him, forcing him to prioritize targets, to dodge, to fight, and to heal.
He was covered in small cuts and bruises, but he healed them all.
When the final second ticked down, he stood alone, breathing heavily, in a dimension empty of all but him.
[Time limit reached. Exiting dimension.]
He reappeared in his bedroom, the scent of goblin blood and shadow magic fading from his senses. He was tired, but he felt great. He opened his hand. A small pile of glowing red cubes, 21 in all, sat in his palm.
He closed his hand and crushed them all.
The familiar, warm rush of power flowed into him. It wasn't a flood, just a small, steady stream.
He checked his watch.
Strength: 33.0 -> 33.8 (+0.8)
Agility: 32.6 -> 33.3 (+0.7)
Stamina: 33.6 -> 34.2 (+0.6)
Spirit: 31.9 -> 32.9 (+1.0)
Defense: 32.7 -> 33.2 (+0.5)
It was a small increase. Only 3.6 stat points in total, from a full hour of non-stop fighting.
His goal of 50 points was still far away.
"But it's closer than it was yesterday," he whispered.
He fell onto his bed, asleep in seconds.
Rank: E (Beginner) / (System Rank: E (Beginner))
Class: Healer / God-Eater (Mythical)
Strength: 33.8(+0.8)
Agility: 33.3(+0.7)
Stamina: 34.2(+0.6)
Spirit: 32.9(+1.0)
Defense: 33.2(+0.5)
(Note: Zack is slowly grinding his stats. He is still E-Rank (Beginner) and his next System goal is 50 points in all stats.)