After my classes wrapped up for the day, I wasted no time and headed straight to the training facility.
The exhaustion from the Monster Hunting class had already faded away since I spent all in regaining my energy by sleeping at every class I was in.
I couldn't shake off the embarrassment of my performance during the monster hunt. So the most important stat that I need to enhance right now is my stamina.
Once inside the facility, I quickly changed my clothes and started my training. I lost myself in the workout for nearly five hours, pushing my limits. Between lifting weights, sprinting laps around the track, doing countless squats, and enough burpees to make me question my sanity, I felt my body scream for mercy. But this was necessary for me to increase my stats.
With a final grunt of effort, I collapsed into the seat in the dressing room, utterly drained. I shuffled back to the dressing room like a zombie. My muscles protested, each movement feeling sticky and slow as I slumped against the wall. I could hardly keep my eyes open, brain swimming in a haze of fatigue.
'Ugh!' I thought, 'Can't believe I let myself fall behind like that. I wish Macaron was here.'
Just as that wish crossed my mind, a voice whispered directly into my consciousness. "Master? Are you calling me?"
A jolt of energy surged through me at the sound of Macaron's voice, wiping away the exhaustion like a cool breeze. I straightened up, blinking in surprise.
'Macaron? You can hear me? How?' I thought back, confusion sparking in the depths of my mind.
"We can use telepathy with each other since I'm your medium. In fact, I can also appear in front of you right now!" Macaron chimed in my mind, enthusiasm bubbling in his voice.
'I need your help, come here,' I thought, the exhaustion lingering like a stubborn fog.
POOF!
A cloud of dust swirled in front of me, momentarily obscuring my vision before dissipating to reveal the cheerful figure of Macaron, his bright demeanor radiating an energy that contrasted with my fatigue.
"Master, what do you need?" he asked, those wide eyes sparkling with curiosity.
I raked a hand through my hair, trying to push past the heaviness in my limbs. "Do you have something I can use that'll remove my fatigue in one go?"
"Open the system shop, scroll through, and you'll find what you're looking for," Macaron instructed.
"Open system shop," I muttered.
In an instant, a holographic interface materialized in front of me, displaying an array of items glimmering like little jewels against a sea of options. I began to browse through the list, my eyes darting from one item to the next until they locked onto something that caught my interest.
————————————
Fatigue Recovery Vial (1 use) Cost: 5,000 PP
After drinking this bottle, you can only recover fatigue of about 35%.
Fatigue Recovery Bottle (1 use) Cost: 10,000 PP
After drinking this bottle, you can only recover fatigue of about 50%.
Instant Fatigue Recovery (1 use) Cost: 50,000 PP
Instantly replenish all the fatigue from your body.
————————————
My jaw dropped as I processed the prices flashing on the screen. '5,000, 10,000, and 50,000 PP?' 'Are they serious? That's a fortune!'
'Damn, is the system really trying to bankrupt me?' I thought, frustration bubbling beneath the surface.
With a sigh, I resigned myself to purchasing the Fatigue Recovery Bottle instead. But as I clicked on it, a message popped up:
[Insufficient Popularity Points. Please try again. Current PP: 9,445]
'Did my popularity increase? Must be the Monster Hunting Class,' I mused, recalling how exhilarated my teammates seemed after the session.
Defeated, I clicked on the cheapest option. I watched as the Fatigue Recovery Vial materialized in my hands, shimmering with glitters.
With no time to waste, I uncorked the vial and downed its contents in one gulp. It tasted sweet but left a tingle in the back of my throat. A warm sensation spread through my body, coaxing my weary muscles into a state of gentle relief. However, a portion of my fatigue only went away.
'At least my sore muscles have lessened,' I thought appreciatively.
After changing into my comfortable outfit, I made my way back to my dorm room. Macaron perched on my shoulder, his cheerful demeanor a slice of brightness in the muted atmosphere of the hall. Fortunately, most students were already asleep so they didn't see Macaron.
Once inside, I made a quick snack for Macaron, who devoured it with the enthusiasm of a hungry puppy. I couldn't help but chuckle at his relentless appetite; he seemed to find joy even in the simplest things.
After preparing his snack, I finally allowed myself to collapse onto my bed. Sleep beckoned, but first, I remembered to check my system window for any new notifications. One by one, messages flooded in, illuminating my face.
[You've been affected by Luck! As the enemy is a Standard Grade 4 Monster, your precision increases by 2 points!]
[Accurate hits on the Monster! Your experience on your Gift increases by 30%!]
[Hard worker: Gym Rat! Your stamina and strength increases by 3 points!]
[You've been affected by Luck! All physical attributes increased by 1 point!]
[You gained 3 experience points and 500 popularity points.]
Feeling satisfied, I finally closed the notification window. With Macaron nestled comfortably beside me, I let my aching body rest and sleep.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Meanwhile, Whitney was rewatching their battle performance from the Quivixx earlier. She can't help but be more curious about that Assassin or whatever role she has.
"How did she kill all the baby toads in those fifteen seconds? Something's really not right," she muttered to herself, her curiosity piqued yet again.
It's just weird. She only has a limited daggers and considering how their attack range is, I can say that it's incredible. How did it reached and stabbed all those baby toads? I don't even remember seeing her face in the Armed Forces of the Academy either.
As her suspicion grew, she zoomed in on Remillia's performance, specifically the moment she threw her daggers. Just then, she heard the familiar chime of a notification.
Beep! Beep!
With a quick click, she exited the video and opened her messages to see a text from Edge.
{You still up?}
A smile spread across Whitney's face as she quickly typed a reply.
"I'm in the middle of watching my combat performance," Whitney excitedly replied.
{And why are you still watching that?} Edge texted back.
She rolled her eyes playfully. "Of course, I'm checking whether my teammates have the ability. You know that I'll soon be inheriting our guild."
{They're useless. Look for other ones instead.}
Despite the brusque tone, Whitney giggled. Edge could be arrogant, but his confidence only added to his charm. She enjoyed their banter, and secretly, it made her heart flutter.
{Emillia... How is that girl's performance?}
Her smile faltered slightly, eyebrows knitting together as a sense of unease stirred in her chest.
'Why is he curious about her? Is he starting to take an interest in her?' Whitney thought.
"It's Remillia. What do you expect from a 925th ranker?" Whitney replied.
Just then, she was interrupted by the doorbell ringing.
Ding dong!
'Perfect timing,' she thought, grateful for the distraction.
"Wait. Room service is here," Whitney typed hastily before rushing to answer the door.
She opened it to find a dashing figure clad in formal attire—Sebastian, her butler. She felt a rush of warmth as she looked at him, remembering how she had picked him out when he was just a child, and now he had grown into a cold, composed, and astoundingly handsome butler.
"Aww, thanks, Sebastian~" she said, beaming at him.
He bowed respectfully before departing, and Whitney eagerly grabbed her food before returning to her study table.
"I'm back. Did you wait for me" Whitney texted.
{No,} Edge replied bluntly.
She shrugged, her shoulders relaxing as she opened the dome-shaped lid covering her meal.
The alluring aroma of a cheeseburger and fries wafted toward her, paired impeccably with the sweet scent of ice cream and cold soda. Closing her eyes for a moment, she inhaled deeply, savoring the moment.
'Mmmm. This is heaven,' Whitney thought, inhaling deeply as she savored the scent.
Grabbing the burger, overflowing with cheese and juicy meat, she leaned in for a bite—when suddenly, another notification popped up on her screen.
{What food did you order?} Edge texted curiously.
She elegantly set her burger down, a sly grin spreading across her face as she replied, "It's one of my faves—filet mignon with balsamic glaze."
With that, she continued her decadent feast, finally taking a big bite of her heavenly burger. The flavors exploded in her mouth, and for a brief moment, the thought of the Knife Girl faded into the background.
'This is just perfect,' she thought, allowing herself to relish in the taste and moment, even as distant thoughts of competition still lingered on the periphery of her mind. Balancing ambition with everyday indulgences was an art, and she was determined to master both.