Back in the hut, Galland cleaned my wounds and wrapped my injuries. I endured the pain and looked at my system bar.
[Mission Completed]
Xp Earned : 2X
Level Up ! 2
Health : 4.5/10 ;Strength : 5/10
Speed : 6/10 ; Stamina : 5.5/10
Defence : 7/10 ; Endurance: 8/10
Strategy Skill: Unlocked
Special Reward: None
I stared at it in awe.
Three months of relentless training had finally come to an end.
My body had hardened.
My mind had settled.
I was no longer the weak Riven who once trembled at every shadow.
At last, the moment of farewell arrived.
Galland's voice softened as he said, "I know you will succeed. You won't fall in battle—not like me."
He opened a wooden box and pulled out a small revolver, placing it in my hand.
"Take it. You'll need this in the future."
I smiled and replied, "I want you to return to the battlefield someday. I'll be waiting for that moment."
Galland chuckled under his breath.
With that, I descended the mountain. Raindrops tapped against the leaves around me, scattering like tiny beads of silver. The air smelled of wet soil, and something deep inside told me that a new chapter of my life had just begun.
…
Jason woke up sprawled across the living room sofa. Outside, the city lights flickered softly beneath the evening sky. The scent of fresh tea drifted through the air—my sister was placing a steaming cup on the table, my mother brought in biscuits, and my father stood at the door with a bag of spicy fried snacks from work.
We all sat together, sharing food. My father talked about his day—how busy the office was, the strange clients he had to deal with. I laughed along, but deep inside, an uneasy question lingered.
"My training is over… so what now?"
Riven's voice echoed somewhere at the back of my mind.
After the snack, everyone went to their own rooms.
I took out my history book again—chapter: "The War of 1971."
For the first time, it felt exciting. I sank into the words, connecting every strategy, every sacrifice, every hero to the world I had just come from.
A quiet determination rose inside me.
"I'm ready for my war too."
Time slipped by. It was ten o'clock when I closed the book and went downstairs for dinner. Afterward, the whole family gathered to watch an old horror movie on TV. Midnight crept in unnoticed.
My father stretched and said,
"Alright, time to sleep. School tomorrow."
I nodded.
Usually, I would spend this hour playing games on my tablet—but tonight, an odd pull tugged at my consciousness. As if someone… or something… was waiting for me beyond the veil of sleep.
I turned off the lights and closed my eyes.
A cold wind brushed across my face.
The boundary between dream and reality began to blur.
Suddenly, my body felt weightless—
as if I were lifting out of myself.
A faint blue glow rose from my chest.
The room darkened until only that shimmering light remained.
My soul drifted upward, gliding toward a distant, golden doorway.
Beyond it stretched a world suffused with crimson mist and shimmering constellations hanging like suspended diamonds in a black sky.
The light passed through the golden gate.
And I felt it—
my soul sinking into Riven's body.
A sharp breath escaped my lips.
I opened my eyes—
I was Riven again.