Chapter 16
This is a fictional story by realTensai
On his way home, Alvis opened up the blue box to look for any changes. It became a sort of habit after one week of school.
LEVEL 2: A lone girl
Mission: Save the girl
General:
Name: Alvis Silva
Race: Human
Class: Mage
Level: 3
Skills:
Basic mana manipulation Lvl. 3
Mastermind Lvl. 1
Stats:
Mana: 81
Strength: 29
Intelligence: 72
Endurance: 36
Reflex: 32
Health: 45/45
Alvis sighed after he saw nothing changed. Even though he knew he would get a notification if something would change, he still opened up the blue box with a lingering bit of hope. Just like a teenager hoping he got a message from his crush every time he opened up his phone.
Even after one week of school, Alvis didn't know what the system wanted from him. He had to save a girl, though this was too unspecific.
After saving Nero from the bullies a few days ago, Alvis hoped she was the girl he had to save. Of course, it could be that she wasn't the one he was searching for, yet he had no other girl in mind. Doing nothing wasn't an option either, so all he could do was give it his all.
And this he did. From the day he had saved her, he tried to get closer to her. However, only then did he find out how tricky it was to approach a girl. Even though they were in the same class and Alvis even helped her, he found it hard to talk to her. Nero, being a shy girl, also didn't help at all.
A shiver rippled through his entire body, just remembering all the failed attempts.
Alvis just didn't know how he should get a conversation going with her. He practically knew nothing about her except that she got bullied. Greeting her every time he saw her was easy, but more than that wasn't in his skill set. However, he had plenty of excuses for not being able to talk to her.
It isn't like I can't speak to girls. I'm just waiting for the perfect opportunity!
He nodded as if trying to reassure himself. He always said that he had to find out more about her and that he would have a conversation with her the next day. Yet the days passed with nothing happening.
It would go on like this forever if Alvis didn't face his shortcomings straight on. And deep down, Alvis knew he wouldn't complete his level if he kept on like that.
Shit, I have to man up!
However, that meant he couldn't make excuses any longer. He would have to approach her and talk to her. Not only that, he also had to get so close to her that she would open up to him so Alvis could find out how he could save her.
He gulped, stopping in his tracks, sweat dripping down his forehead.
Is this even possible?
Faced with an insurmountable obstacle, Alvis' resolve was tested. His hands shook, a byproduct of his racing heart trying to break free from his ribcage. His mind already calculated the probability of him achieving his goal, yet they were so slim his brain deemed it impossible.
Alvis couldn't even talk to her, even though he had already saved her from her bullies. Trying to befriend her was just too extreme. As if a level one player would try to beat the end boss on the first go. He clicked his tongue, his incapability holding him back.
Yet he clenched his fists, gritting his teeth.
I won't give up so fast!
Alvis steered the gears in his brain with pure willpower, forcing his brain to find the perfect solution. He even activated his skill mastermind, boosting his intelligence to 82 stat points for one minute. Puzzle pieces floated all around in his head, but he collected them through the maze of memories and strategies. He put them together, creating the bigger picture. And just at the end of the one minute, he came up with a plan.
T…This is it! After school, I will ask her for the homework!
Alvis' lips curved up to a proud smile, and he was tempted to pat his own shoulder. He raised both his arms, celebrating his win. Dopamine rushed through his body, rewarding him for his hard work. His sparking eyes shone more than any star.
"I just discovered the world formula."
By asking for the homework, he would also ask if she could send it to him, which meant they had to exchange numbers. And from there, everything would just snowball.
I'm a genius!
Alvis rubbed his hand, fine-tuning his plan, and with his new determination, he looked forward to the next day.
——
The hallways were packed, yet Alvis had his objective in his eyes. His heartbeat reached his throat, but he gulped it down, clenching his fist. One last deep breath in and out did surprisingly little to calm him down, though he would just continue, anyway.
"H-Hey, Nero, what's up?"
His voice floated around in the air, but it got crushed by the sheer volume of the students passing through the hallways. His meeker words never reached their target and Alvis' out-stretched hand did little to change the fact. Nero took the next corner and was gone.
Alvis' shoulders slumped down, all his courage leaving.
Another failure.
"Did you just try to talk to Nero?"
Dane's pulsating voice thrashed in on Alvis, making a heavy sigh escape his mouth.
"Don't laugh."
Alvis didn't even dare to look Dane in the eyes right now. His chuckling was already humiliating enough.
"Don't mind, buddy, you will get there eventually."
Alvis felt a pat on his shoulders and immediately swiped it away. His face swung to the side facing the one who had talked to him just now.
"Joel, what the hell are you doing here?"
Joel, Alvis' dog beast man classmate, appeared out of the blue, casually walking side to side with him.
"I had a hunch, but I didn't know you had a crush on Nero after all."
"This isn't true—"
"It's no problem, buddy," Joel said, shaking his head with a smug smile. "I won't tell anyone."
Alvis clenched his fist, the urge to punch this guy in the face growing stronger with every passing second. However, what really accelerated this urge was Dane's constant chuckling as he held in his laughter.
"Keep your head up, buddy. I will support you!" Joel said with a thumbs up.
"I was just wondering that, but since when did we become buddies?"
"Oh, don't do me like that, buddy. After all, we both struggle with love."
Hearing that, Alvis' eyebrow twitched. He may have suppressed his anger, but this was too much.
"I appreciate your empathy, but please don't compare us," Alvis said, a fake smile on his face. "I may have a hard time before me, but you want to get Lia. There are levels to it."
Joel just looked at him, somehow unfazed by Alvis' comment. He patted him on his shoulder and gave him another thumbs up. With a confident smile, he stepped forward. However, he had some parting words.
"We are in the same boat, buddy."
He took the next corner and vanished.
"P-P-PUHAHAHAHAHA!"
Dane couldn't hold in his laughter any longer and laughed his ass off. His thunderous voice attracted the attention of every student in the hallway. All their gazes turned to Alvis and his head became as hot as boiling water, embarrassment mixing with rage.
It was with this humiliation that Alvis made an oath to himself.
Come what may, I will complete this level!
——
In the blink of an eye, another week had passed. During this time, Alvis did his best to get closer to Nero. It was a rocky path with a lot of frustration, but in the end, he could now proudly confirm that he was able to have conversations with her.
This may sound like meager success, though one couldn't be more wrong. It took Alvis just one week to leave his comfort zone and surpass his limits. Especially because Nero was a shy girl, his achievement had all the more weight.
I won't let anyone talk it down.
Also, by being able to talk to Nero, he proved he wasn't on the same level as Joel, which reassured him of his pride.
However, that wouldn't be enough. All Alvis could do was talk to her regularly, but he had to go further if he wanted to save her. He had to get her to open up.
This was why he would invite her to have lunch with him!
His heart raced as he thought about what he was about to do. With the time ticking down, the lesson was about to end, which meant Alvis would have to act. Alvis had already closed off his brain, so it wouldn't get in the way. His brain was his biggest enemy when it came to stuff like this because it would give him hundreds of excuses not to do it.
Just when the sound of the bell resounded throughout the school, Alvis got up, not wanting to waste time. The other students also got up, excited about their break, so Alvis didn't stand out. He knew he had to be fast because Nero was one of those who left first.
Alvis waited for her to leave the classroom, and then instantly followed. Only when they were in the hallway, he called out to her.
"Hey, Nero! Wait."
Surprised, she turned around.
"Alvis?"
Seeing her up close caused his heartbeat to rise even more, and his hands started shaking. His tightened chest made just breathing a troublesome task, and a lump formed in his throat, preventing him from speaking. His head became dizzy, doubt crawling up his heart. However, before it could devour it and his brain would convince him to give up, he did it.
"D-Do you wanna eat lunch together?"
Shit, I stuttered!
Nero stood still, not saying anything. With her red eyes, she looked at Alvis as if she couldn't believe what she just heard. The seconds of silence weighed down on Alvis' soul and his brain was already bashing him for his decision. Yet he bit his tongue, enduring the pain and trusting his courage.
"B-but… I'm a demon. Why would you want to eat lunch with someone like me?"
"As if I care about that. I want to get to know you, Nero."
Alvis spoke faster than he could think, which was rare for him. Yet those words mirrored his true feelings. That may be the reason they reached her.
As he looked into her widened eyes, he noticed water welling up inside them. However, it was a warm smile that flushed them away.
"If you are really fine with it… I have nothing against it."
Her words echoed in his head, his brain unsure what to do with them. It qualified these words as an illusion, just a made-up thing Alvis imagined hearing so his heart wouldn't break. However, after the seconds passed, the delayed processing came to an end, and reality caught up.
"I did it?…. Yes! I did it!"
Alvis almost jumped up, his body overflowing with excitement. Nero tilted her head, a bit confused about Alvis' enthusiasm. Though Alvis just smiled, not caring about his brief outburst. His heart still raced, even more so than it did before. However, this time, it felt good.
This is a tremendous step toward clearing this level.
——
Drops of water hit Alvis as they sat before the fountain. Looking into the water, Alvis could see the sun mirrored in it. Nero, who sat next to him, was also smiling.
Their lunch went a lot smoother than Alvis would have expected. To his surprise, Nero was quite talkative once she warmed up to you. Thus they had an enjoyable time, in which they got to know each other better.
"After the break, we will have to go to our mentors," Alvis said, changing to a new topic. "Ah, I don't even know who your mentor is?"
"It's Mrs. Uki."
"Isn't Mrs. Uki quite popular?"
"Yes, I guess I was lucky getting her. But I'm not her only apprentice," Nero said with a conflicted face.
Her eyes shone for a moment before they turned dark. Her lips quivered, as if wanting to say something. Yet she didn't. Alvis tried to decipher the meaning of her facial expression. However, he would poke in there, hoping to unveil her problem.
"Is the other apprentice one of the girls who were picking on you?"
It was just an assumption, but it might be the right hunch. Yet seeing Nero's reaction, Alvis realized he had been wrong.
"No, no, no!" she said, waving her hands and shaking her head. "He isn't like them. It is the contrary. He is way too kind to someone like me."
Only after seeing how the shy Nero got so worked up did Alvis understand her situation. There was just one last thing he had to confirm.
"Can you tell me the name of this person?"
"H-huh, why?"
"Just wanna know."
"W-Well okay. His name is Trez."
I knew it!
Now everything made sense. The girls bullying her, her reaction, her mentor, and this guy. Everything was connected. He had just solved a riddle that had demanded all of his brain cells. An exhausted smile formed on his face, followed by a light sigh.
"What is wrong, Alvis?"
"You girls don't have it easy, do you?"
"H-Huh? What do you mean?" Nero said, blushing.
"Forget it. Everything is gonna be alright from now on."
That was right. Alvis was sure that he knew how to save her.