Reed woke up feeling suspiciously fantastic.
Usually, waking up as a Dungeon Core avatar involved a five-minute diagnostics check to see which limb was numb or being crushed by a monster, followed by a groan of existential dread regarding the bank account. But today, he felt light. His mana channels were humming with a smooth, frictionless flow. His muscles, which had been turned to jelly by Elara and Luma the night before, felt remade.
"System," Reed whispered, staring at the obsidian ceiling of his office. "Status."
[STATUS: OPTIMAL]
[Buff Active: THERMAL EQUILIBRIUM]
[Effect: Void Mana Costs -20%]
[Time Remaining: 14 Hours]
"I love the spa," Reed muttered, sitting up and swinging his legs out of bed. He was still in the temporary quarters of the Office Suite while the Master Bedroom was being de-slimed from the 'Pollen Incident.'
The door clicked open. Maira entered.
She didn't knock. She didn't need to. She was the schedule.
