By the time they reached the gym, the sky had lightened to a dull gray. Eira's hair clung to her forehead, her breath ragged. When she pushed open the gym doors, the chatter inside died instantly. Dozens of eyes turned, Kael, Darius, Leah. Every face froze. Garret hung off her shoulder, blood dripping steadily onto the floor. His legs barely moved, his clothes torn beyond recognition. Leah gasped, hand flying to her mouth. Kael's eyes widened before muttering
"Eira…what happened? Are you okay?"
"What a fool. Can't he see I'm the one half dead?" Garret thought
Eira didn't answer. She just kept walking, dragging Garret forward one painful step at a time, until they reached the cafeteria, his so-called "room." She eased him down as gently as she could, though even that made him groan in pain. His face was pale now, almost ghostly, sweat mixing with the blood caked along his jaw. He looked up at her, eyes dim but aware.
"I owe you one." He whispers, "close the door." He rasped barely above a whisper
Eira hesitated. She wanted to argue, to insist he needed help, but something in his gaze stopped her. There was no fear in it, only that same quiet certainty that had terrified her. Without a word, she pulled the door shut behind her. The moment she stepped out, the survivors who had gathered in the hall swarmed her with questions. Kael was the first to reach her, his voice tight.
"Eira, are you hurt? What happened? What…"
She cut him off with a glare sharp enough to freeze the air between them.
"I'm fine," she said coldly. "You should be asking if he's alright."
Her tone silenced them instantly. Even Kael faltered, his mouth opening and closing before he finally looked toward the closed cafeteria door. Eira brushed past him without another word, her expression unreadable. She didn't explain what she'd seen; the monster's corpse, the trail of destruction, or how she'd found Garret half-dead. She couldn't. Because even she didn't fully believe it yet. By the time she reached the far corner of the gym, exhaustion crashed over her like a wave. She lay down on one of the thin mats, her hair still damp with frost, and stared up at the ceiling.
The image wouldn't leave her mind; Garret's mangled body, the monster's blazing carcass, the way the two scenes overlapped until she couldn't tell where man ended and monster began. Her last thought before sleep took her was quiet, trembling, and disbelieving:
"He… really killed that thing."
Garret woke to silence. The ceiling above him swam in and out of focus, faint lines of sunlight creeping through the boarded windows. When he tried to move, pain flared through his body like fire. But it wasn't the same agony as before, it was dull, contained, alive. His leg, which had once been twisted and useless, now moved stiffly under his command. His arm, the one that had hung limp and broken, pulsed with soreness, not splintered pain. He stared at them, breath shallow, almost disbelieving. The fractures were gone.
What should've taken months had somehow mended in two days. His body still ached, every muscle sore, every joint tender. He lifted his hand. His palm was a mess of scar tissue and faintly glowing veins. The flesh was still raw, twitching as new fibers wove themselves from within, slow and deliberate. The process was painful to watch, but mesmerizing. He flexed his fingers, wincing. The hand responded sluggishly, but it responded.
"...Still alive," he muttered hoarsely, a dry smile tugging at his lips.
The sound of footsteps outside the door made him glance up. He leaned back, exhaling through his teeth. His body was a battlefield, but his mind was sharper than it had ever been. The door creaked open softly, letting in a strip of pale morning light. Leah stepped in, balancing a half-filled basin of water and a rag slung over her shoulder. She was humming under her breath, a small, trembling melody that had kept her sane through the long hours.
For the past two days, she'd cleaned this place in silence, wiping the dried blood from the walls. The others didn't come here. Not after what Eira had said. She set the basin down with a soft clatter and turned, and froze.
Garret was awake.
He sat upright. The pale scars on his arm caught the light, still raw, and his gaze met hers, quiet, calm steady, piercing.
"Y-you're… awake!" she stammered, stepping back a little.
Garret blinked slowly, voice low and rough.
"So it seems."
Garret's voice came out hoarse, "How long… was I out?"
Leah hesitated. Her eyes flicked to him, then down again.
"Two days," she said softly.
"Eira organized some teams. They cleared the area around the gym… found more food and a few medical kits. We've been sorting what's usable."
Garret nodded faintly, his mind catching up. Two days, long enough for the bruises to fade, for the world outside to shift without him. He flexed his left arm, wincing as the muscles protested. His palm still felt like fire, the nerves stitching themselves together in bursts of dull ache.
"I see," he murmured.
Leah swallowed hard. Her heart ached with a strange mixture of fear and relief. He looked different now. She lingered at the door for a moment, unsure whether to say more. The silence stretched, heavy and awkward, before she whispered
"It's… good you're awake."
After Leah left. Garret decided to sort out his spoils. Two skill scrolls and a green orb. The green orb shimmered in the sunlight, making his heart race with anticipation. He had already figured that the orbs were classified according to the spectrum with red being the lowest grade and violet being the highest. He had already got great items from the yellow orbs. He had quite high hopes for the blue one.
"Let's save the best for last." He said while squeezing the two scrolls in his arm
{Active Skill: Minor regeneration lv 1; Gradually restores stamina and closes minor wounds over time. Increases cellular adaptation. Serious injuries (broken bones or burns) heal faster. Requires 20 health points to activate
Active Skill: Veil Step; Muffles footsteps and minor sounds. Enhances reaction speed and perception while hidden. Requires 20 stamina points to activate}
"I almost got killed for god's sake." Garret hissed
They were great skills, powerful even but he didn't need any of them. He kept them away for the time being, with suitable candidates in mind. He had thought far ahead, when he finds his sister, they would look for their family together. But he reckoned by that time the world would be very dangerous. He needed fighters, capable men and women who would help him look for his family. But for now, he set that thought aside. He gently squeezed the green orb, with a flash almost blinding, an object landed on his palm. A smooth emerald pendant etched with swirling veins of silver.
{Epic grade: Emerald Aegis; Reduces physical damage taken for a few seconds after being stuck, gradually heals minor wounds. Emits a faint light when danger approaches. Forged in the age when forests still spoke to men. Adds 50 points to stamina permanently}
"Now that's a handy thing to have in a battle. What's with that last description?" He murmured, elated by the pendants abilities.
After killing the Leontaur, a series of notifications had flashed in his retina.
{You have slain the First Weave level 26 Leontaur. You have received +20 Strength +10 Magic +10 health +5 stamina
You have levelled up. You have reached level 20. The remaining weave energy will be calculated and stored. Once you've advanced, you will absorb the weave energy. You have reached the maximum level of Unwoven beings. You cannot level up to level 21 before advancing to the first Weave, choose a path to advance. Paths available;
Iron Vanguard: The warrior who hardens through suffering. Muscles, bones and spirit become one.
Silent Reaper: A shadow that strikes between breaths, faster than sight, quieter than death
Mind Reader: At tactician who bends reality through sheer clarity. The battlefield moves in rhythm with their thoughts
Berserker: Raw offensive transformation and regenerative frenzy
Shadow Warden: A sentinel of the unseen, master of silence, deception and nocturnal warfare
Abyss Walker: One who communes with the deep unknown, harnessing raw darkness as both weapon and armor. The abyss does not consume you. You command it.}