Chapter Ten
The sun rose slowly, pale light spilling across the school grounds.
Cold air crept through the open spaces, waking those who had fallen asleep outside.
Kisame stirred.
As he opened his eyes, he realized something was draped over his shoulders—a jacket, wrapped around him like a blanket. He blinked in surprise and tried to sit up, though his stiff body protested from the awkward position he had slept in.
To his right sat an older woman, likely in her forties. Her posture was calm, her expression gentle—someone who had lived long enough to accept hardship. Kisame recognized her immediately. She was one of the senior teachers of the school.
"You're awake, dear," she said softly.
Kisame straightened as best as he could.
"Good morning, ma'am."
She smiled.
"Thank you… for everything you said last night. I heard it all. It helped more than you realize."
"It was my pleasure, ma'am," Kisame replied. He hesitated, then gestured to the jacket. "Is this yours?"
She nodded.
Kisame stood and carefully handed it back.
"Thank you very much."
"It's nothing, dear."
He looked around. Most of the people were gone now—likely training, forming groups, or preparing for the next trial.
At least they're doing something, he thought.
Turning back to her, Kisame spoke softly but firmly.
"Let's go do our quest, ma'am."
She smiled… then slowly shook her head.
"At my age," she said calmly, "there's nothing I can do. It's my fate to die in the next trial."
Kisame froze.
This time, he didn't look away.
"There is no such thing as fate here," he said quietly. "If someone dies, it isn't fate—it's the system."
His hands clenched at his sides.
"I'd rather break the system than become its pawn. Even if they call it fate… I'll break that too."
The woman stared at him, startled.
"Try," Kisame continued, his voice steady. "There's nothing to lose. Humans create their own limitations. There are no true limits in this world—only the ones we accept."
Silence settled between them.
She didn't move. She remained seated, smiling faintly.
Kisame waited a few minutes, but she never stood.
In the end, he turned and walked away.
Kisame went to the canteen and ate quietly.
Afterward, he opened his system. He wanted to explore the dungeon and complete his quests—but first, he teleported to the training ground.
The area was crowded now. Many people were training seriously. Some even wielded swords.
He opened his Side Quest List:
Survivor's Instinct
Objective: Stay alive in a dungeon for 3 hours
Reward: +1 to All Attributes, EXP Bonus
Failure: Unknown
First Blood
Objective: Defeat a monster independently
Reward: Skill Unlock Chance, EXP
Failure: Severe Penalty
Knowledge's Importance
Objective: Read five books within 4 hours
Reward: +4 Knowledge, EXP
Failure: -5 Attributes (System Assigned)
Kisame couldn't complete any of these in the training ground. He closed the quest window and opened his skill list instead.
One skill immediately caught his attention.
Beast Tamer
Level: 03
Strength: 00
Speed: 00
Endurance: 09
Agility: 00
Perception: 00
Intelligence: 00
Willpower: 20
Stamina: 00
Mana Cost: 05
It had two stages,
Domination (taming)
Summoning (later unlock)
He checked his status.
[Status Window – Kisame]
Name: Kisame
Age: 18
Level: 03
Blessing: None (Unchosen)
Strength: 10
Speed: 12
Endurance: 11
Agility: 13
Perception: 16
Intelligence: 17
Willpower: 17
Mana: 09
Stamina: 14
Remaining Attribute Points: 09
Rewards from the quests and leveling had given him more points.
Kisame allocated three points into Willpower and invested the rest into Mana.
He now met the requirements.
He selected Beast Tamer and chose to learn it.
A system note appeared:
Note:This skill can only be activated when a monster is nearby.
Kisame sighed in disappointment but accepted it.
He attempted to learn another skill—
Error: Level too low. Unable to learn additional skills.
Active skill slots filled: 4/4
"…Figures," he muttered.
He left the training ground and teleported back to the school. The old teacher was still sitting on the bench.
Kisame felt a pang of guilt—but it was her decision. He had done everything he could.
Preparing for the dungeon, he opened the shop. He had 10 gold coins left.
He bought:
A normal sword — 5 gold coins
One small speed potion — 2 gold coins
One small recovery potion — 2 gold coins
He had nothing left to spare.
Fully prepared, Kisame accepted two quests:
Survivor's Instinct
First Blood
The moment he confirmed them—
He clicked the Dungeon button.
The world twisted.
And Kisame vanished.