Chapter 23
This is a fictional story by realTensai
Alvis' body shook, a higher might forcing it to move. He was in his comfort zone, fully at peace, yet his peace was getting interrupted. The higher might shook stronger and stronger and Alvis knew he would leave his comfort zone soon. He started hearing a voice, and before he knew it, he woke up.
"Wake up, Alvis, you got school!"
Alvis' eyes shot open, darting around the room, taking in the scenery. He exhaled upon seeing his mother's familiar face.
I've respawned.
However, as his eyes landed on his hands, he noticed that he was trembling.
"Huh?"
But not only his hand, also his arms and legs shook. His heart, which had been shattered just now, pulsated, its beat reaching every cell of his. Heat stirred up within him, sweat breaking out his body.
"Alvis?!"
His mother's voice barely reached his ears. But in the next moment, Alvis felt his mother's warmth as she hugged him. His racing mind, still filled with all his mistakes, cooled down. His heartbeat connected with hers, adapting and slowing down.
"Everything will be fine."
Her words echoed in his head, her petting him, planting this thought in his mind. Even though he had failed once again, her words encouraged him to keep going.
"Thank you, mom."
She just smiled.
After Alvis had calmed down, his mother left the room. His body's reaction was simple proof of the toll failing and dying had on him. He had died three times on his first level and now also three times on his second. However, every experience was fundamentally different and worse in its own way.
This level is tough.
Alvis exhaled, the mental fatigue catching up to him. In total, he had spent six weeks trying to save a girl. And only now did he feel like he had grasped the situation.
First, I have to go over what happened in the last run and what I did wrong.
To sum it up, the reason his last run went so terribly wrong was that he was untrustworthy and suspicious. Everything boiled down to that.
Alvis hadn't known Lia was an empath, and that was why he didn't hesitate to lie. In his eyes, lying wasn't something bad if it wasn't done out of malicious intent. He had only lied because he thought things would be easier that way.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
The moment he explained why he wanted to join the student council, his fate was already sealed. In their very first interaction, he had lied to her. Him saying he wanted to join the student council because he wanted to contribute to the school was a bold lie. If he now thought back to it, Lia did seem to not believe him, yet he hadn't cared, thinking everything would be fine.
Since then, Lia had found him suspicious, leading to her not trusting him. Somehow, she had also noticed that Alvis had been gathering information about her. This, paired with his lies and odd behavior, just made him seem suspect. No wonder she didn't trust him in the end.
However, one thing she said stuck with him. Her explanation for his behavior. Lia thought Alvis was part of the Devil Cult and that he wanted to get to the Assassin Organization through her.
The assassin who talked to her also mentioned it, yet Alvis had no idea what this Devil Cult was. Heck, I didn't even know it existed. Of course, he had heard the stories about a cult that tries to release the Devil from his seal, yet he had thought it was only a myth. A fairytale supposed to scare misbehaving kids. That Lia thought he was one of them was the worst thing that could have happened to him.
This was also the reason she killed me.
Alvis didn't know every piece of the puzzle, yet he started seeing the bigger picture. Lia's conversation with the other assassin gave him the hints he needed. Paired with her conflicting behavior, things made sense now.
"Lia doesn't want to be an assassin, but is forced to."
This was the conclusion Alvis got to with all the evidence he had.
In her conversation with the other assassin, she mentioned that she didn't want to take on any more missions. This alone showed that she didn't enjoy her job as an assassin and wanted to quit. Yet she couldn't because she couldn't oppose her boss. She most likely wasn't strong enough to do that.
Taking this theory as a base, Alvis could also explain the last words she had said to him in his second run.
"Just before killing me, she said 'I'm sorry'."
Back then, her behavior didn't make sense. How could she be sorry about killing him but do it regardless, was what Alvis had wondered. Also, her speech about wanting to end everything had his mind spinning. But now if he added one and two together, everything made sense.
"So I guess it's my job to free her from the grasp of the Organization."
Alvis couldn't even laugh as this thought manifested in his head. He, someone who could barely defeat one assassin, had to take on the entire organization.
"This is insane!"
When Alvis saw his new level for the first time, saving a girl sounded hard enough. But now that he knew what she had to be saved from, he realized it was straight-up madness. Yet as an experienced gamer, he knew complaining wouldn't make the level any easier, so Alvis had no choice but to accept his fate.
He just sighed.
After going through everything important, he opened up his system.
NOTIFICATION
[YOU DIED!]
Experience is awarded for dying!
LEVEL 2: A lone girl
Mission: Save the girl
General:
Name: Alvis Silva
Race: Human
Class: Mage
Level: 3-> 4
Skills:
Basic mana manipulation: Lvl. 5
Mastermind: Lvl. 3
Stats:
Mana: 96-> 99
Strength: 29
Intelligence: 85-> 88
Endurance: 41
Reflex: 37
Health: 50/50
The changes were decent and expected, so Alvis didn't comment on them further. Only his level-up surprised him. He was at level four now, yet he didn't notice any changes. Normally, level-ups granted one access to new abilities or skills, but not so in this system. Until now, his level-ups didn't benefit him. However, Alvis still hoped this would change in the future.
He stood up, stretching his arms.
"If I don't hurry, I will be late."
——
It was just a white door that stood before Alvis, though right now it felt like an unsurpassable wall only Titans could tear down. And Alvis was by no means a titan. Yet he would have to have the courage of one if he wanted to knock on the door. The last time he did, everything went downhill from that point on. But now he knew what to do and how to act.
Alvis breathed in and out several times until he had finally calmed down. He could be a bit nervous, yet not so nervous Lia would find it suspicious.
This time I will succeed!
With his resolve at an all-time high, Alvis knocked on the door. Just like the last time he heard her voice answering.
"Enter."
The first thing he saw when he stepped in was Lia sitting behind her desk, paperwork in front of her. Her sight triggered Alvis' memory of her killing him, though he instantly suppressed it.
Alvis' appearance made them have question marks on their faces. Maya and Chao were puzzled, and Lia was the only one who was composed. Yet even though she wore a smile on her face, her gaze seemed to be questioning Alvis.
"Alvis, what are you doing here?" Maya asked, breaking the silence.
"I have got a request."
Maya raised an eyebrow, though it was Lia who spoke up.
"What is it?" Lia asked, her green eyes focused on Alvis.
Alvis took a deep breath in before he said the words.
"I want to join the student council."
As soon as those words left Alvis' mouth, silence awaited him. Just like last time, they looked at him, unable to understand the situation. And just like last time, Lia was the one who would ask the question.
"Why?" Lia asked, her face indifferent.
Alvis cleared his mind, closing off every bit of rationality within him. He wanted to be as sincere as he could.
"I want to get closer to you, Lia. I want to join the student council so I can get to know you more."
This was the unfiltered truth.
An unbearable silence greeted Alvis after he had spouted out his true feelings. Lia's eyes widened as she stared at Alvis, unable to say something. Maya just looked like she had seen a ghost and Chao did his best to hold in his laughter. However, Alvis met Lia's gaze, his resolve crystal clear. Then, after a few more seconds, she laughed.
"Puhaha, — you aren't lying! But who would just say that upfront, haha? Most guys wouldn't come here and tell me they want to join us just because they are interested in me. Hahaha."
A cute smile accompanied by an adorable giggle was Lia's response. Her white face reddened and she couldn't stop laughing.
"Well, my mom told me I shouldn't lie."
Lia just looked at him and when she realized he wasn't lying, she laughed even more.
"You are funny, Alvis," Lia said, wiping a tear away. "Fine, I will let you join."
"Yes!"
With that, Alvis once again made it into the student council.
Ha, I guess honesty really is the foundation of trust.