The passage was quiet again, but I could feel the tension. Outside, the NightOwl screeched in frustration. Somewhere in the distance, more monsters moved. We were deep, far from the refuge, and already testing our first quest.
And somehow… I had to survive all of this without losing my sanity, my dignity, or my moral composure.
Which, at this rate, was looking increasingly unlikely.
I sank to the ground, leaning against the wall of the hidden passage. My hands still shook slightly from the adrenaline. Pink energy from my wand flickered faintly as I exhaled.
I turned to Xander, who was standing calmly with his dagger sheathed, faint shadows of his Master Assassin aura fading but still lingering. His eyes gleamed faintly in the dim light, a mixture of pride and, surprisingly, shyness.
"Didn't you just turn eighteen?" I demanded, voice rising. "How the fuck did you do all that shit?!"
Xander shifted, scratching the back of his neck, looking embarrassed. "Uh… well… it's my class buff the talent thing… Master Assassin. Basically… the stronger the enemy, the stronger I get. That's why I could… do what I did."
I blinked at him, letting my frustration bubble. "So basically a very overpowered fucking skill? And… why the hell did my kill count for the quest go up by one when you're the only one who killed the rat?"
He shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe it scales for teammates or something? You're the seasoned system user here… shouldn't you know?" He blinked at me.
Oh fuck. right.
I paused, staring at him. Then I admitted quietly, almost with a sigh, "Well… I just turned eighteen too. Like… three.. maybe five days ago..? The point is.. I'm practically the same as you. We're both newbies. We've been winging it this whole time."
I finally let out. He's not gonna get all mad and crazy rigth?
Xander blinked, eyes widening in surprise. "Really? I thought you were a seasoned veteran... what's.. what's your class?"
There it is. That Goddamn Question!!!
Luckily I prepared something for it.
I smirked faintly. "I'm a Mage. Almost. Practiced, fast, and deadly if I need to be. That's all I'll say."
He nodded slowly, clearly impressed, yet trusting me completely. Somehow, he just knew. I didn't need to explain more.
He shifted his stance slightly, voice softer now. "You know… I have this skill. Friend or Foe?" He pointed vaguely at his chest. "It alerts me if someone's hostile. You… you didn't trigger it. So… I trust you."
I raised an eyebrow. "Well, congratulations. You have good instincts, Xander. And a very overpowered skill, apparently."
THANK GOD.
He's not going to kill me!!
He is actually just a fresh noob who has a lot of naivety. Shit. Am I bad for saying that?
He laughed nervously, shrugging. "Maybe. But you… you're calm, strong, smart. I feel like I can trust you."
I glanced up through a crack in the building, peering at the night sky. The moon was rising. Shadows grew longer outside the passage, and I could see the faint shimmer of the barrier dome far in the distance. It would be a while before monsters stopped prowling.
"We're staying here tonight," I said firmly. "You're not stupid, and I don't want to explain to you why we shouldn't be wandering in the dark outside."
Xander nodded. "Yeah… that sounds smart."
We settled down against the cold stone walls. I leaned my wand against the corner, keeping it ready but resting. Xander pulled his knees up, staring at me curiously.
"Uh… Mio… can I ask you something?" he said quietly.
I didn't even bother to turn. "Depends on what it is."
He shuffled slightly, clearly nervous. "Do… do you have any family? Like… I mean… are you alone?"
I blinked, heart tightening a little. This wasn't a question I got often. Most people assumed I was just some loner with no ties, and for the most part, that was true. My sister… Luna… had been taken from me years ago. The thought still made my stomach churn.
But I didn't regret the decision I made all those years ago. Not a single bit.
It wouldn't hurt to tell him.. besides, he doesn't even know me.
"Yeah… I have a sister. Luna. She was taken from me when I was fourteen," I admitted quietly, almost to myself. "I begged the hunters to take care of her while I distracted a horde. Miriam, she was like a mother to us… she took Luna in. That's all I have left of my family."
Xander's eyes softened. "I… I see. I'm glad you have someone looking after her. You must… miss her a lot."
I shrugged, looking away. "Yeah. And that's why I'm here. Not for glory. Not for power. Just… to find her."
He nodded slowly, understanding, but didn't push further. Instead, he leaned back against the wall, glancing at the faint moonlight filtering in. "You… you're really calm about all this, Mio. Even though… the world's insane, monsters, quests… everything. You just… focus."
Maybe. I am Calm. I think Calm.
But I know deep inside.
I'm scared. I'm weak. I could die at any moment.
I let out a small, humorless laugh. "Focus? Maybe. Or maybe I'm just good at pretending I'm not about to piss myself."
Xander chuckled softly. "Heh… that's… actually kind of reassuring."
For a moment, we just sat there in silence, the night pressing against the walls, monsters hunting somewhere far off, and the barrier protecting the city glimmering faintly in the distance. Somehow, in that quiet, I felt… less alone than I had in years.
And yet, even as I leaned back, I kept my wand close. We were far from the city, and monsters were out there. The hunt wasn't over. Survival wasn't easy. But for now, at least, we had a place to rest and someone to trust… even if that someone was a painfully naive, impossibly skilled assassin who just happened to be my companion.
"Alright, Xander," I muttered, "we rest here. Tomorrow, we figure out the rest. And pray the NightOwl doesn't find us first."
He nodded, eyes reflecting the faint moonlight. "Yeah… Mio. We'll get through this… together."
I didn't answer. I just tightened my grip on my wand, ears straining for the faintest sound of claws or wings. In this world, trust was a fragile thing. But maybe… just maybe, it was worth it.
It's been a long time since I let my guard down around someone.
It feels good but at the same time I don't like this feeling.
I woke to sunlight filtering faintly through cracks in the hidden passage walls. The smell of dust and faintly burned rat fur lingered in the air. My body ached, limbs stiff from crouching on the stone floor.
I blinked.
And froze.
Xander.
He was… asleep. His head was leaning against my shoulder, his arm draped lightly over me. And somehow… we were both wrapped in the same thin blanket I had found tucked in a corner of the passage.
I blinked again, slowly. My brain processed the absurdity.
"Oh… you've got to be kidding me," I muttered under my breath.
He stirred, mumbling something incoherent, then opened one eye and blinked at me. "Morning… Mio?"
I glared at him. "Morning. And… please, do not move. Do not say anything. Do not make this weird."
He gave me a small, innocent smile. "I'm not… weird. I trust you. That's all."
I groaned and rolled onto my side, muttering about my life choices. Somehow, sleeping coddled in a blanket with a naïve, overpowered assassin was not what I envisioned for surviving an apocalypse.
We sat up carefully, careful not to wake the others too abruptly. I glanced down at the remains of the massive mutated rat Xander had killed the night before. It was still fresh, and the System allowed us to harvest its meat, teeth, and other parts for materials or sale.
Xander cheerfully divided it. "Here, take some for yourself. You can sell it in the city. We share, okay? Friends share."
I blinked. "You… really trust me that much?"
He shrugged. "Yeah. You helped me survive last night. That's all it takes."
I snorted. "Wow… naive. But… thanks."
We packed the meat into our duffel bags, along with a few rations and potions from last night. I kept the wand close, still in base form, half-powered Magical Strike ready. Xander checked his daggers, still glowing faintly from his Master Assassin buff the night before.
I scanned the surrounding area. The passage was quiet. No faint red glows. No hint of the Hundred Eye NightOwl.
"Looks like we're clear… for now," I muttered.
Xander nodded eagerly. "Then let's hunt. We have nine more monsters to kill for our quest."
I groaned. "Yeah… because that's not going to be fun at all."
We left the passage carefully, moving through the debris-filled streets beyond. Moonlight painted the ruined city in silver, and shadows danced across broken cars, toppled streetlights, and collapsed walls.
Our first targets were… small rats. Weak, low-level monsters. Nothing impressive. But the System required us to complete the kills to progress.
[Quest Progress: Kill Any Monsters 1/10]
Xander whispered, already scanning ahead. "I'll take the lead. You cover me from range. DPS."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Captain obvious. Just don't die while I hit things with my wand."
The first few rats skittered across the street, pink eyes glinting faintly. Xander darted forward, cloaked in the faint shimmer of Friendly Stealth. He stabbed, dodged, and blocked with surgical precision. The rats' attacks barely touched him.
I blasted the creatures from behind, Magical Strike hitting with pinpoint accuracy. Pink arcs of energy lanced into rats mid-air as Xander distracted them.
[Quest Progress: Kill Any Monsters 3/10]
We worked in silence, a surprisingly effective rhythm. He moved like a shadow, lethal but controlled, while I provided ranged DPS.
[Quest Progress: Kill Any Monsters 5/10]
I smiled faintly. "Okay… not bad. Cooperation isn't that horrible."
Then, disaster struck.
A rat darted from the shadows, unseen, straight at me. I barely had time to react. Its claws scraped across my ankle, teeth snapping dangerously close.
Before I could react, the System dinged.
[Skill Unlocked: Wand Transformation — Scythe]
The wand pulsed in my hand, shimmering with a silvery light. It lengthened and curved, forming a sleek, White-and-darkish purple scythe. The weight was perfect, the balance flawless.
I spun it experimentally, slicing the incoming rat cleanly in half. Pink arcs of energy flickered faintly from the edge, marking the kill.
It felt AMAZING.
FINALLY.
[Quest Progress: Kill Any Monsters 6/10]
Xander's eyes widened. "Whoa… Mio… your wand… that's insane!"
I shrugged casually, spinning the scythe once. "Yeah… it's… a wand. You can call it whatever you want. It works."
He blinked, clearly impressed. "That's… incredible. You just… transform it like that?"
I smirked faintly. "Yep. Nothing complicated. Just makes things easier."
And that was it. I didn't elaborate. I didn't say anything about Magical Girl transformations, crescent strikes, or the fact that base form already gave me full usability of this weapon. Xander didn't know. He only knew me as a Mage, a mysterious, capable one who could wield a wand with deadly efficiency. Perfect for keeping my secret identity intact.
Xander nodded eagerly, clearly satisfied. "Even in your… uh… Mage form, you're amazing. I'm glad we're on the same team."
I grunted noncommittally, focusing on the next group of small rats scuttling across the street. Base form or not, I was enjoying the efficiency of my new scythe. It gave me confidence in combat. Close-range threats weren't a problem anymore, and I didn't have to worry about switching forms just to survive.
We worked in tandem. Xander drew aggro, darting and striking with deadly precision, while I cut from a safe distance with the scythe, spinning it to slice multiple rats at once.
[Quest Progress: Kill Any Monsters 8/10]
I glanced at him. "Okay… keep them busy. I'll handle cleanup."
He grinned faintly, clearly thrilled to cooperate. "You got it. Just… don't die on me, okay?"
I didn't respond. I was too focused on the rhythm of combat: step, swing, dodge, slice, repeat. The synergy between us was unspoken, but effective.
Xander threw a dagger, pinning one of the rats against a wall. I swung the scythe in a wide arc, and the rat exploded in a puff of red and gray.
[Quest Progress: Kill Any Monsters 9/10]
We paused, breathing heavily, scanning the streets for anything else. The Hundred Eye NightOwl wasn't nearby. The air was quiet, tense, and thick with the aftermath of our small but deadly hunt.
I'm just going to assume that damn NightOwl is asleep, or dead.
I adjusted my grip on the scythe, spinning it experimentally once more. The System pulsed faintly, acknowledging my growing skill mastery. Xander's eyes followed me, still impressed but unaware of how dangerous the "Mage" in front of him actually was.
But also as much as I have full effort to take him down, he has as much as the chance I have to slice me right here, right now.
"Alright," I muttered, "last one. Let's finish this."
Xander nodded, readying himself with his daggers. I stayed silent. My secret remained safe. Base form, scythe in hand, Mage persona intact. He wouldn't know about Magical Girl frills, ribbons, or full transformation until I decided to show him… if I ever did.