“What was that?” Nox asked, turning toward the explosion.

  They ran around the corner and glanced past the trees toward the teleportation gate.

  Cracks of unstable mana flickered briefly where the gate had been before fading into nothingness. Two guards lay trapped beneath the rubble, unable to move. Dust still drifted through the air, carrying the sharp scent of burned stone.

  The group freed the men, and Lina healed them.

  “Cough- thank you,” one of them said.

  “What happened?” Nox asked.

  The guards let their heads drop in embarrassment, their fingers scraping over the ruin’s warm stone.

  “Someone suddenly attacked the teleportation gate from behind. The person disappeared before we could see him.”

  “Isn’t the gate protected by a powerful barrier?” Lina asked, her eyes narrowing as she clearly wasn’t satisfied with the answer.

  “I- I’m not sure. M- maybe he destroyed it,” he stammered, clearly intimidated.

  “Don’t stare at him like that. It’s scary,” Nox whispered.

  “That’s my normal face!”

  “It’s going to take the whole night to repair the gate. I’m sorry,” the guard said.

  “It’s okay. Let’s find a spot to sleep,” Beatrice suggested. She quickly dragged Nox and Lina away.

  “Should we go in there?” Lina asked, pointing at a large marble building. Its polished surface reflected the streetlights unnervingly well.

  Regea scanned the house with an anxious expression, his eyes wandering over the expensive-looking entrance door.

  “Welcome to Saka Hotel. How can I help you?” the receptionist asked.

  “Two rooms, please,” Lina replied.

  Before anyone could protest, they received the keys and went upstairs.

  “Alright, let’s go into our room,” Regea murmured, grabbing Nox’s hand. His grip was firmer than necessary.

  “Wait a minute,” Lina interrupted, hugging Nox from behind.

  “I think we need to meditate for a bit,” she said. “And he’s scared without me, right?”

  She glanced at him with a commanding glare, her eyes flickering with her usual fire; the fire she had when she planned something.

  “Uh, yeah…” Nox quickly agreed, a shiver running down his spine.

  “No, wait. There’s only one bed here!” Beatrice shouted as they entered the room.

  “Even better. Imagine you and Regea in a bed,” Lina whispered. She spun around and dragged Nox away, leaving the two flustered people behind.

  “Was that really okay to do?” Nox asked, looking back with concern.

  “Oh, they want that. They’re teenagers after all,” she replied, as if she were much older herself.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “You’re only one year older… anyway, let’s meditate,” Nox suggested.

  “Wait. Don’t you remember what I said at the auction?” she said, taking the golden chain out of her bag. Her tone left no room for misunderstanding.

  She tied Nox’s arms to the bedpost, golden mana surging through his body.

  “How is that even possible? I can’t even scratch them!” he said. No matter how strong he pulled, the chains didn’t budge.

  “That’s the goal,” she said calmly, as they began meditating.

  The two stayed quiet for a while, Nox’s body slowly fell back against Lina.

  “It’s weird. Why would someone target the teleportation gate specifically?” Nox asked, unease creeping into his voice.

  “Yeah, it makes no sense. There’s no reason to,” she replied.

  “Except someone…”

  Nox froze mid-sentence, his eyes widened. The temperature seemed to drop instantly.

  “Wants you to stay.”

  An unfamiliar voice cut through the room. The hooded man appeared before them, as if he had been there the whole time.

  “Isn’t he an S rank? We have no chance!” Nox thought, his heart racing. Even though the enemy was fully covered, his stance felt oddly familiar.

  Lina probably thought so too; she tried to distract the man while freeing Nox from the chains.

  “What do you want?” she asked.

  “Just a simple test.” With a grin, the man turned to Nox.

  Before they could react, a wind strike slammed them through the window. Stone and glass exploded outward as their bodies crashed into the street.

  Nox grabbed Lina and carried her behind a nearby building. He turned to see the hooded man standing in the ruin of their room.

  “You can’t do that. You have no chance against him!” she shouted, gripping his arm with trembling hands.

  “Don’t worry. I still have a debt to repay after all.” His voice remained steady despite the situation.

  “I can’t just let go like this. I’ve unlocked stage two, so I can help you,” she said, lifting her staff.

  A bright light formed above her head, making even the opponent turn away. The air vibrated violently as mana condensed. When the light collected in Nox’s body, he felt her power merge with his.

  -You have received Light’s sacrifice (You share the stats and pain with the subject)

  A sharp pain pierced Nox’s chest the moment the link was established.

  “Wait, does that mean if I’m going to die, you’ll die too?” he asked, panic creeping up his spine.

  Before he could process it, another wind strike flew at him. Nox quickly blocked with a giant ice crystal, but it simply shattered. Sharp crystals splattered every where, scraping over his forearms.

  “I can’t use my magma element because civilians might be harmed,” he thought, trying to evade the attacks.

  Even with his mana stat now doubled, the enemy remained superior, striking again and again. It felt like pouring water into a bottomless pit.

  “Why is he only using one skill?”

  The enemy fought as if on equal footing, but Nox felt toyed with. No matter which ice attack he launched, the enemy barely avoided it. But Nox didn’t feel like it was close, the man seemed to just act like it.

  Nox turned the area into an ice field and dashed forward with his red sword. Frost spread instantly across the ground, cracking stone beneath it.

  However, his attack was easily blocked, the impact sending a shockwave through his arms. A strong slash sent him flying. His vision blurred as he crashed into a wall. Pain exploded across his back and stole his breath.

  The hooded man suddenly appeared before him with a small dagger in his hand.

  “Shit, I need to use my magnetic element,” Nox thought, trying to lift his hand as a sharp pain shot through him.

  “It seems you only had the ice stigma after all,” the man said, sheathing his sword. There was no anger in his voice, only mild disappointment.

  Without another word, he turned and walked away silently. His presence vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.

  “What was that?” Nox thought, looking around in confusion.

  “What happened, guys?” Beatrice and Regea shouted, running toward them.

  “I’m okay. Go check on Lina,” he said.

  With Regea’s help, they provisionally repaired the building and returned to their hotel rooms.

  Nox’s back ached, while they entered their room. It was big compared to the overly small bed.

  “Are you okay?” Lina asked, tightly squeezing his hand.

  “Ask that yourself. Don’t use that skill again,” he replied, eyes strict.

  “Hey, the skill is still in effect, you know?”

  A dangerous glint flashed in her eyes.

  “Yeah, so?”

  Before Nox could react, his body was lifted and thrown onto the bed.

  “I have the same strength stat as you right now,” she whispered, sitting on top of him. She leaned closer as she spoke.

  Shit, I can’t move my arms,” he thought, desperately struggling. His body refused to obey.

  “I don’t need those chains anym-” Before she could finish, her head became heavy and she fell onto Nox’s chest.

  “Don’t tell me we share tiredness too-”

  At the same time, his breathing evened out, and his eyes shut close.