Hey everyone.
I have to admit, I'm still a bit overwhelmed by the response to Volume 1. Four hundred powerstones? The support has been incredible, and watching you piece together the subtle hints and clues I've been weaving into the narrative has been particularly satisfying.
But now... now it's time for Volume 2: The Twilight Oasis.
The Twilight Oasis itself is a special kind of place – one that will force Xavier to confront not just external threats, but internal truths he's been avoiding. Twenty-five to thirty chapters might seem like a long time to spend in one location, but trust me, every moment serves a purpose.
For those concerned about power scaling, rest assured that our protagonist's first level-up is approaching. But in my world, true growth isn't just about numbers increasing on a status screen. Sometimes the most significant power-ups come from unexpected places – like realizing you're not as immune to emotional attachment as you thought you were.
Leans forward, lowering voice
I should probably warn you – this arc gets dark. Really dark at points. The Twilight Oasis may look like paradise, but it earned its true name for a reason.
But that's enough teasing. stands up, stretching The first chapter of Volume 2 is ready.
Picks up leather notebook, grinning
Let's have some fun.
======
I watched the neon signs of Henderson blur past the window as Miguel turned up the volume, his head bobbing to the beat. The bass thumped through the Mustang's speakers, vibrating against the leather seats. Nine weeks of gate runs had cemented our partnership into something resembling an actual hunting duo.
"Had me losin' my miiiiiind I said, The city is miiiiine—" Miguel sang along, drumming his palms against the dashboard.
I sung the chorus. "I ain't never rep a set, baby. Ain't do no wrong. I could clean up good for you. Oh, I know right from wrong."
We finished the song together. "Cause I wanna make it, so badly! I'm a million dollar baby, don't at me!"
Miguel's eyes widened in mock surprise. "Damn, X-ray! Didn't know you had a voice like that."
"There's a lot you don't know," I said, merging onto the interstate that would take us back to Los Angeles.
Miguel laughed, leaning back in his seat. "Thirty gates in nine weeks. Not bad for a couple of construction workers."
"Former construction workers," I corrected. Chuck had been surprisingly understanding about our abrupt career change. He'd even slipped us each an envelope with two weeks' severance—more generosity than either of us expected.
"Still can't believe how fast we're picking this up," Miguel said, fiddling with the air conditioning. "That kobold today never saw you coming."
I kept my expression neutral. The kobold had been pathetically slow—they all were, compared to what I was capable of.
"Just finally getting back into rhythm," I said.
"Back into rhythm," Miguel repeated, shaking his head. "Man, if that's your rusty phase, I'd hate to see you at full capacity."
If only you knew, I thought.
My mind drifted back to the conversation I'd had with Arcan a few days after our first gate run with Miguel...
'Arcan, I need clarification on something.'
『What information do you require?』
'My stats—they increase through use, correct? The more I use strength, the more it grows?'
『Affirmative. Attribute development correlates directly with frequency and intensity of use. More demanding applications yield accelerated growth rates.』
I nodded to myself. 'So hypothetically, if I were to run while wearing weights, use Mana Reinforcement at maximum output, and maintain that state for extended periods...'
『I calculate all five core attributes would experience simultaneous development, albeit at varying rates.』
'And if I did this while suppressing my mana during hunts?'
『Dual-purpose training is an efficient approach. Maintaining deliberate performance limitations while under physiological stress would further enhance neural adaptation and control precision, unlocking Signature Suppression naturally.』
A smile spread across my face. 'Nothing better than gaming the system.'
The next morning, I visited a specialty sports store and purchased weighted clothing—ankle weights, a weighted vest, wrist bands—all designed to be concealed under regular clothes. The sales clerk assumed I was training for some extreme fitness competition.
When Miguel and I entered our first gate with randoms together later that day, I was carrying an extra 250 pounds distributed across my body, with Mana Reinforcement running. Every movement became a battle against resistance, every step a focused exercise in control.
By the third gate, I barely noticed the weights anymore. So I added more.
"Xavier, want to stop for food?"
I blinked, pulling myself back to the present. "Yeah, food sounds good."
We pulled into a 24-hour diner just across the state line. The place was nearly empty—just a trucker at the counter and a waitress who looked like she'd been on her feet since the Reagan administration.
"Four specials," Miguel told her, not bothering to look at the menu. We'd stopped at enough roadside diners these past weeks to know the drill.
When she shuffled away, Miguel leaned forward, his voice dropping. "So I've been thinking."
"Dangerous habit."
He ignored my comment. "These D and C-Rank gates are fine for practice, but the real money is in B-Ranks."
I swirled my water glass, watching the ice cubes collide. "You've been a hunter for nine weeks."
"And in those nine weeks, I've cleared twenty gates without a scratch." Pride colored his voice. "My flame control is getting better every day. I can sustain flight for almost thirty minutes now."
"B-Ranks are different," I said. "Different monsters, different patterns, different risks."
"Different payouts," Miguel countered. "The money we're making now is good but..." He trailed off, but I knew what went unsaid.
"We need to be smart about this," I said, choosing my words carefully. "Rushing into higher ranks is how hunters get killed."
"I'm not saying we go after an A-Rank," Miguel protested. "Just a low-level B. Something to test the waters."
The waitress returned with four plates of eggs, hash browns, and toast. Miguel immediately drowned everything in hot sauce, a habit that made me question his taste buds.
"Let's finish these cores first," I said, cutting into my eggs. "Get paid, rest up, then we can discuss next steps."
Miguel nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But promise you'll at least consider it?"
"I'll consider it."
We ate in comfortable silence, the diner's ancient jukebox playing something from the 70s.
"You know what I don't get?" Miguel said suddenly, pushing his empty plate away.
"Hot sauce moderation?"
He snorted. "Funny. No, I don't get why you're still registered as D-Rank. You're way better than that."
I shrugged. "Haven't had time to go for reclassification."
"Bullshit, I think you like being underestimated."
"That so?"
"It's smart," he continued. "People see a D-Rank and don't look twice. Meanwhile, you're moving like..." He paused, searching for the right comparison. "Like Rambo or some shit."
"Construction work builds good reflexes," I said lightly.
"Uh-huh." Miguel clearly didn't buy it, but he didn't push further. Instead, he changed the subject. "Think Tenten's still mad you haven't met up?"
The abrupt pivot caught me off guard. "What makes you think she's mad?"
"Dude, she's texted me four times asking about you."
That was unexpected. "What did you tell her?"
"That you're busy. Which is true." Miguel grinned. "She's into you, man. And from what I saw at the bar, you're not exactly indifferent."
I signaled for the check, avoiding his gaze. "We've kept in touch. It's complicated."
"Always is with you." Miguel pulled out his wallet, laying down cash for his half. "But a little advice from someone who's actually had a date in this year? Don't wait too long. Good people aren't always available when you finally decide you're ready."
His words hit closer than he knew. I thought of Tenten's face that night in the park, the invitation in her eyes, the disappointment when I pulled back. It had been the right call—I couldn't afford distractions, not when I was just beginning to build momentum.
And yet...
"I'll keep that in mind," I said finally.
Three hours later, I pulled up outside Miguel's apartment building in Elmo Park. The neighborhood was quiet at this hour, just the occasional car passing by.
"Home sweet home," I said, nudging him awake.
Miguel stirred, rubbing his eyes. "Thanks for the ride, man." He grabbed his duffel from the backseat. "You sure you don't want to crash? It's late."
"Noel's expecting me," I said.
"Alright." Miguel opened the door but paused before getting out. "Hey, X-ray?"
"Yeah?"
"See you tomorrow for the core exchange?"
"Noon at CHA-LA," I confirmed.
Miguel closed the door with a wave, jogging up the steps to his building. I waited until he disappeared inside before pulling away, the Mustang's engine purring through the quiet streets.
'Arcan,' I thought. 'Status.'
The familiar blue glow illuminated my vision as the interface materialized, displaying my progress.
[Player: Xavier Valentine]
[Level: 1]
[Class: None]
[Title: Goblin Slayer]
[Core Attributes:]
Strength: S - 1024
Endurance: A- 938
Dexterity: A - 901
Agility: A - 994
Magic: S - 1135
The weights were working better than I'd anticipated. My strength had more than doubled, and my magic was approaching SS-Rank territory.
[Available Attribute Points: 437]
[Active Abilities: 2]
[Passive Abilities: 6]
'Show me the new abilities,' I thought.
『Displaying acquired abilities:』
Active Skill: Echo
Manipulate the fabric of space-time by leveraging attack momentum to create localized spatial distortions. Your strikes resonate through dimensional boundaries, allowing attacks to echo and your body to slip between spatial coordinates.
Passive Skill: Danger Sense
Develops a heightened awareness that operates beyond conscious perception. Your senses and mana synchronize to create an intuitive threat detection system that warns of approaching danger before it manifests.
Passive Skill: Mana Disruption
A technique that requires perfect timing between physical impact and mana application. When mana is applied within 0.000001 seconds of a physical hit, it creates a resonance effect that dramatically amplifies damage and disrupts the target's mana structure.
Passive Skill: Signature Suppression
Minimizes your magical energy emissions. Reduces passive mana signature by 75%, making you significantly harder to detect by magical sensors or mana-sensitive entities. Active abilities remain detectable but at reduced range. Provides partial masking against magical tracking methods. Does not affect physical tracking or conventional detection methods.
'What does the Goblin Slayer title do?'
『Title: Goblin Slayer – You have developed specialized techniques and knowledge for combating humanoid monsters. Your extensive experience has made you exceptionally efficient at dispatching these creatures.』
『Effects:
+15% additional XP from defeating humanoid monsters
+25% damage against all humanoid monster types
+10% chance to obtain rare drops from humanoid monsters』
Not bad. The damage boost alone made it worthwhile.
I dismissed the interface and continued driving through the empty streets. The city's glow created a halo on the horizon, a false dawn hours before the real one. Nine weeks had changed everything. What began as a desperate gamble had become a calculated ascension.
My phone buzzed with a text. Noel.
You alive?
I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. 3:17 AM. She should've been asleep.
Heading home now. Why are you up?
Her reply came instantly: Missed you.
Be there in twenty.