Charles woke up with the kind of soreness that made him question every life choice that brought him to this moment.
Every muscle.
Every nerve.
Even his eyelashes somehow hurt.
Midnight sat on his chest, purring smugly like he hadn't just participated in two days of torture supervision.
Rift glowed softly.
[Host vitality: Stabilizing]
[Quest rewards integrated successfully]
Charles moved his hand — slowly — and the faint shimmer of Minor Divine Armor flickered under his skin, disappearing just as quickly.
Light. Weightless.
Nothing like metal armor.
More like a warm presence wrapping his organs.
"…This is insane," he whispered.
Midnight meowed proudly, as if claiming credit for everything.
Rift chimed:
[Correction: 87% of results were Host's effort]
"Thank you," Charles said quietly.
Rift pulsed like a shy child.
Midnight rolled off his chest, clearly done with being sentimental.
---
Academy Morning — Tension Everywhere
Charles limped into Starlight Academy.
Students buzzed like a nest of overcaffeinated bees.
"Dungeon's tomorrow…"
"I heard someone puked from stress already!"
"Arianna will carry her entire team—obviously."
"Did you hear Team Echo got a Bishop? They're doomed."
Charles quietly walked past them.
He wasn't offended.
He agreed.
He found Team Echo waiting near the bulletin board.
Team Echo
Liam Sorrin — Defender, tall and steady
Mira Yune — Mage, nervous but cheerful
Jonah Park — Scout, twitchy and overly curious
Kyren Hale — Spear trainee, unimpressed with everything
Charles Reyes — F-rank Bishop, in disguise as a disaster
Mira waved excitedly.
"Charles! You look… alive! Mostly!!"
Liam nodded. "You seem stronger. Good."
Jonah squinted. "…Are you glowing?"
Charles panicked.
"NO. Definitely not. Lack of sleep. That's all."
Kyren crossed his arms.
"Tch. As long as you don't slow us down tomorrow."
Charles laughed nervously.
"I'll… try not to?"
Rift pulsed:
[Host is currently 42% less likely to slow the team down]
"Rift, that does not make me feel better," Charles muttered.
Mira tilted her head.
"Did you say Rift?"
Charles choked.
"N-no! I said… lift! Yes! I need to lift weights! For… training!"
Everyone stared at him.
Jonah whispered to Mira:
"Is he okay?"
"No," Kyren said bluntly.
Charles pretended he didn't hear.
---
Instructor Ronan's Final Briefing
Ronan strode into the hall like a walking earthquake.
"LISTEN UP!"
The entire room snapped to silence.
"Tomorrow, you enter the dungeon. You will not be brave. You will not be stupid. You will not wander off."
His eyes skimmed the room—
Then landed on Charles for a whole second too long.
Charles stiffened.
Why is he staring—
Why—
WHY—
Ronan snorted.
"It's always the support classes that cause trouble."
Charles died internally.
---
Important Rules for Tomorrow
Ronan pointed at a hologram.
"Rule 1: Don't touch glowing pools."
"Rule 2: Don't eat anything."
"Rule 3: If the boss appears, call your instructor."
"Rule 4: If any of you summon something dangerous, I will personally kick you out of the dungeon."
Charles swallowed.
Midnight sneezed back home as though offended at the implication.
Jonah raised a hand.
"What if we see a treasure chest?"
"Rule 5: IT'S A MIMIC."
Everyone wrote that down.
Charles underlined it twice.
---
A Strange Pull
As the briefing continued, Charles suddenly felt something.
A tug.
A faint whisper in the back of his mind.
Cold.
Sharp.
Searching.
Rift vibrated violently.
[WARNING]
[The Rift Beast is probing again]
[Divine concealment holding… barely]
Charles's breath caught.
Not here. Not at school. Not now.
He forced his face neutral.
Mira nudged him.
"You okay?"
Charles nodded quickly.
"Yep! Totally fine! Nothing marking me for death!"
"Wait—what?"
"NOTHING."
---
Team Echo Strategy Meeting
After the briefing, Team Echo gathered near the windows.
Liam: "Our goal is survival. We stick together."
Mira: "I'll stay mid-line and cover with spells."
Jonah: "I'll scout ahead—but not too far."
Kyren: "I'll handle front-line with Liam."
Everyone turned to Charles.
Charles froze.
"…I'll… buff things?"
Kyren scoffed.
"At least he knows his place."
Charles forced a smile.
"Yep. Buff things. Very… basic… normal things."
Rift pulsed quietly.
[Host lying detected]
[But acceptable]
---
Arianna Intercepts
Just as Charles started heading home, someone stepped in front of him.
Silver hair. Sharp eyes.
An aura like a calm but deadly storm.
Arianna Velhart.
"I need to talk to you."
Charles nearly dropped his bag.
"Wh-why me?"
"Because," Arianna said calmly, "you've been acting strange. You disappeared for two days. You look different. Stronger."
Charles's heart exploded.
"I—uh—sleep! I slept! So much! I'm very… rested! Hahaha!"
She squinted.
"…Charles."
"Mhm?"
"Don't die tomorrow."
Charles blinked.
"That's… the plan?"
Arianna pat his shoulder gently.
"Good. Because if something happens to you, Lance will cry."
"WHAT—?"
Arianna walked away.
Charles stood there, red ears, confused life decisions, sweating heavily.
Rift chimed:
[Host emotional stability: Unstable]
[Recommending hydration]
"Oh shut up…"
---
Night Before the Dungeon
Charles returned home.
Midnight leapt onto his shoulder immediately.
Rift glowed steadily.
Charles looked at both of them.
"…Tomorrow, huh?"
Midnight meowed once.
Rift pulsed:
[Affirmation]
Charles took a deep breath.
He wasn't ready.
But he was prepared.
There's a difference.
---