I sat there for at least thirty minutes, the silence of the hidden room wrapping around me like a thick blanket, before I even dared consider leaving. I was sure the villains, who had created such chaos, would have fled the scene almost immediately, but I wasn’t about to take any chances. Anxiety knotted in my stomach as I waited, listening attentively for any signs of danger. Finally, when I was certain the coast was clear, I pressed the switch for the hallway door.

  As soon as I slipped out into the hallway, the sounds of conversation drifted toward me from the Cathedral down the corridor. I moved cautiously, my heart racing, straining to ensure that I wasn’t seen. The air was thick with tension, and the flickering candlelight cast dancing shadows on the walls as I inched closer to the open doorway. I peered inside, and when I noticed no one was looking my way, I took a deep breath and stepped into the Cathedral.

  The first thing that snared my attention was the lifeless body of the young man who had been held captive. His skin was pale and ashen, a sickly gray, as if all the vitality had been sucked out of him. A trickle of blood from his nose and ears hinted at a violent end, yet he appeared otherwise healthy, as though he were peacefully asleep.

  Before I could process the scene fully, a large man in well-worn but impressive black and silver plate armor barked at me with an authoritative tone. “Oi! Who are you?!” His commanding presence loomed as he strolled toward me, his black hair streaked with gray at the temples, giving him a distinguished and intimidating air.

  Just then, another voice piped up—calm and steady. “That’s the young man from earlier I told you about, Zafas. Stop scaring him. He was probably drawn out by all the commotion.” Thedroe stepped forward, his demeanor non-threatening, a stark contrast to the warrior beside him.

  Zafas paused but then addressed Cid with a firm tone. “You need to get back in your room. The sun won’t rise for over two hours yet, and we don’t want you caught up in this mess.” With a dismissive nod, he turned back to engage with another person in the room, clearly expecting compliance from Cid.

  “I’ll walk you back,” Cid assured, motioning for Zafas to return his attention to the ongoing conversation. “Dark deeds are afoot this night.”

  “Actually, I got up because I’m starving. Any chance we could grab something before I go back to my room?” I interjected, hoping to fix at least one small problem before I confronted the enormous shift in my fate.

  “Certainly. I could use some sitey myself at this hour.” With that, Thedroe led us toward the kitchens. The vast space was a labyrinth of granite countertops and wooden shelves stocked with an assortment of culinary supplies. I knew I would be lost in moments if I tried to navigate it myself.

  As we entered the kitchens, a short, matronly woman was already bustling about, her hands deftly arranging ingredients on the counter. “Why are you in my kitchen?” Her voice dripped with annoyance and reluctant acceptance as she eyed us with suspicion.

  “Helga, be nice,” Thedroe chided gently. “This young man is famished, and I promised him we’d get him a little something to eat before he headed back to bed. He’s the one who got Advancement today AND he just saw the dead man in the Cathedral. Help the lad out.”

  Immediately, her expression softened with empathy. “Oh, you poor dear! Let me get you some cheese and sausages. Maybe a little bread, too. I’d offer more, but we haven’t started cooking anything yet, I fear.” Helga quickly gathered ingredients, her movement filled with experience and care. “And I suppose you’d like some sitey, since you’re here anyway?”

  A guilty grin formed on Thedroe’s face. “Well, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble?”

  “Ha! You have a problem with that stuff, you old goat. As much as you drink, it can’t be healthy, but sure thing. Since you’re here and all.” She chuckled as she placed a pot of water on the stove to boil.

  “What happened to that man? The one in the Cathedral? He was dead, right?” I asked, hoping that playing the innocent would work in my favor.

  “I’m afraid so. We don’t know what happened yet. All we know is that someone was in there. We heard a loud clang and some rumbling, and by the time anyone reached the Cathedral, he was lying there, dead. Did you know him? He was in the group you awakened with earlier.”

  “No, I recognized him from earlier, but I’d never seen him before today.”

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  “Well, whoever did this will regret being born when Zafas catches up with them. He’s the High Templar of Halcis. He’ll ensure that Lady’s scales are balanced—or burn the world to ash trying to.” Thedroe spoke with an unwavering conviction that suggested the killer or killers would inevitably be brought to justice.

  “That’s good.” We all paused as Helga placed a platter of cheese, sausages, and bread before me, along with a cup of water and a steaming mug of sitey. “I wanted to ask about my skill. Has anyone ever managed to figure out how to gain another skill after getting it?”

  Thedroe’s expression turned apologetic. “I’m afraid not. About five hundred years ago, the crown prince at the time obtained a skill. The king was devastated and turned every scholar in the kingdom toward researching a way for his son to gain additional skills. They spent ten years trying before giving up, having wasted half the kingdom's wealth. The poor prince ended up taking his own life, and the king was overthrown due to the excesses he resorted to for his son.”

  “Many others have tried since then as well. Not one has ever succeeded,” Thedroe continued, his voice heavy with regret. “It’s best to give up that hope now and find a way to move on. I can assure you it does get easier if you seek meaning in other ways.”

  I stared at him, processing the weight of his words before asking, “What if someone did? What if someone had a skill that allowed them to acquire others?”

  “Well… I suppose that would be an amazing feat. Such a person would go down in history,” Thedroe replied thoughtfully. “However, they would likely meet a swift demise shortly thereafter, especially if it was the skill holder themselves who figured it out. I can’t imagine the great powers of the world allowing someone with Advancement to run amok, gaining skills like everyone else. Most of the gods seem to agree on that—except for the mad god of chaos, of course.”

  “They’d kill me?!” Fear surged through me, drowning out the flicker of hope I had felt earlier.

  “Well, if you were discovered before you gained enough power to defend yourself, yes. And only if you could pull it off in the first place.”

  “I spent plenty of time grappling with the same thoughts as you,” Thedroe said, his tone shifting to one of sympathy. “The greatest minds in history have tried to accomplish what you’re talking about, and every last one of them has failed. There’s no need to fret over the impossible, lad.” His intended comfort served as a stark warning instead.

  I realized I would have to level up in secret, keeping everything to myself if I wanted to survive—if my suspicions were true. Wasn’t this the perfect time to test them?

  I stopped talking and began to wolf down the food before me, grateful for the distraction it provided from my tumultuous thoughts. Thedroe and Helga continued to chat amiably as I ate.

  “Would you like some more, dear?” Helga asked, her voice warm with maternal concern.

  “No ma’am. I’m feeling pretty sleepy now that I’m full. Plus, I’ve had one burner of a day.”

  “Language, young man. This is a church, after all,” Thedroe admonished gently, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

  “Sorry, sir.”

  “Oh, none of that. Just call me Thedroe. Everyone does.”

  “Right. Thedroe. Well, thank you for the food, Helga.” I reached out to shake her hand, but instead, she pulled me into a warm embrace. Helga the Hugger—I’d certainly remember her name.

  “You’re welcome, lad. Now off with you. You need sleep, and I have work to do.”

  I wasn't truly listening, though. My mind was fixated on the notification I had received after touching her.

  Mimic activated. Choose one of Helga's skills to copy: Cooking, Cleaning, Sewing, Endurance, Alchemy, Running, or Espionage.

  Without hesitation, I quickly selected the skill I wanted, noting her unique blend of talents.

  Endurance selected. Duration: 10 minutes.

  “Are you alright, lad?” Helga asked, her brows knitting with concern as she studied my face.

  Realizing I had spaced out while caught up in the notifications, I stammered, “Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry, the day just caught up to me, that’s all.”

  “Let me get you back to your room then. Thank you, Helga.”

  She waved dismissively, her attention already back on the kitchen’s preparations. Thedroe walked beside me in silence until we reached the door to my room. “Get some sleep, young man. You’ll feel better tomorrow.”

  Nodding my thanks, I stepped into the room that had been provided for me and sank down onto the cot. Pulling up my notifications again, I closely examined them. I still had five minutes left on my borrowed Endurance. Eagerly, I tried activating Advancement on my mimicked skill.

  Advancing Endurance. 24 hours remaining.

  A timer began counting down, and pure joy surged through me at the realization that it worked. I began punching the air in silent celebration, stifling the urge to shout. I had a path forward! I spent a couple of minutes envisioning my future, my heart racing with possibilities until suddenly…

  Advancement canceled. Target skill no longer available.

  My stomach plummeted as the timer on my mimicked skill expired. Fear gripped me, but a glimmer of hope ignited once more. Maybe I just needed to improve my Advancement. After all, you gained perks to skills at levels 25, 50, 75, and 100. The first four perks were fairly standard, while the fifth was rumored to be more powerful—a capstone perk.

  I opened my list of level one perks, scanning for anything that could offer a lead.

  Steady Advance: Stops timer from increasing for subsequent skill level advancements.

  That was the only available perk for Advancement, but it was exactly what I needed. I picked it immediately. Perks generally followed a pattern, suggesting that the next one would likely relate to the time it took to advance. I just had to wait another 24 days to see if I was correct.