Chapter 28 Finally – Arianna

Arianna placed her hands on the last injured survivor, letting healing light seep into their wounds. With a shuddering breath, she released the spell, her body swaying slightly as the golden glow faded.

It was over. She had healed everyone she could.

If it weren’t for the new clerics, she never would have lasted this long. The battle had ended, but the healing continued long after, and she had been running on fumes.

But there were two reasons she had been able to push through at all.

Her skill Willpower let her push through terrible pain, and consequently through her limits and exhaustion. It’s rank had already risen to Beginner.

And then there was her new title.

[Untiring]

Given to an awakener who has successfully finished at least three cycles of fighting, meditating, fighting… lasting for several hours.

Bonus: Health and mana regeneration rise by 30%

Arianna exhaled sharply. It was a great title, but just thinking about all the fighting and meditating that had earned it gave her a headache.

She was proud—so damn proud—of what she and Cassis had done. They had saved so many people. But it had been too much. Right now, all she wanted was to collapse and sleep for a week.

And then—more system messages appeared.

This time, they weren’t in the usual blue.

They were green.

Her Patron messages.

[Your fame level has risen. You are now Recognized – A small group of people know about you, usually within a specific circle or community.]

[Unlocked Fame Shop.]

[Unlocked Patron Chat.]

Arianna blinked. What? Why had her Fame suddenly risen? She looked up, scanning the gymnasium—and froze. People were kneeling. Praying. She heard her name. Her Patron name.

Her stomach dropped. Why were they praying to her?!

Her eyes snapped to Cassis, who stood in the middle of the group, looking just as startled as she felt.

…Just what had he told them?

Her thoughts swirled, but she couldn’t deal with this right now. Not yet.

At least the healing was done. No one would blame her if she took a break.

Moving on instinct, she slid down against the gymnasium wall, shutting out the noise. She needed answers.

She opened her Patron Status screen.

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Patron Status Screen

* Name: Sapphire

* Race: Deity

* Title: [Fallen Patron]

* Alignment: Chaotic

* Special Chaotic Trait: Inner scale of virtuous and evil deeds → leans towards virtuous

Warning: As a Chaotic Deity, you must balance your actions carefully. Both intent and consequence will affect your CP. Should you become too virtuous or too evil, your CP will be reset.

* CP: 3760

* Patron Shop: Discount available

* Patron’s Avatar: Cassis Walker, Arianna Sloane

* Pseudo-Awakener Physique: Redirect to Pseudo Status Page

* FP: 590

* Fame: Recognized

* Followers: 51

* Fame Shop: Open

* Patron Chat: Closed (Not enough members)

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51 followers. Arianna stared at the number. …What the hell just happened?

She stared at the number of followers again, still unable to believe what she was seeing. Fifty-one people were following her. She had no idea why. Or how.

She’d have to ask Cassis later—he was definitely involved.

For now, she focused on something far more interesting. Her CP total. She flipped through her system messages again, checking and double-checking the numbers.

3,760 CP.

Over three thousand CP.

Arianna exhaled sharply. That was—a lot.

After regaining some focus, she decided to open the Fame Shop, curious about what exactly she had unlocked.

And what she found was unbelievable.

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Fame Shop

* Spells – Available for purchase (FP Cost: 5,000+)

* Skills – Available for purchase (FP Cost: 7,000+)

* Features – Available for purchase (FP Cost: 10,000+)

* Titles – Available for purchase (FP Cost: Varies greatly for individual avatar)

* Special Perks – Locked (Fame Rank too low)

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Arianna froze, eyes scanning the list again and again. Spells. Skills. Features. Titles. Special Perks?

She could buy them? For herself? For Cassis?

It was expensive—ridiculously expensive—but the fact that it was even possible made her breath catch.

If gaining followers meant access to this, then maybe—just maybe—she could get used to the idea of people praying to her. Even if the very thought made her want to run away and hide.

One step at a time.

For now, she closed the Fame Shop and turned her attention to something else that had caught her eye.

[Unlocked Patron Chat]

She had no idea what that meant.

There were no known Patrons yet—at least, not publicly—so maybe that was why it said there weren’t enough members yet.

She wondered when it would open. And who she’d be able to talk to. Would it be other Patrons? Or would it somehow let her communicate with her followers?

She didn’t know. But she’d find out—eventually.

For now, while she was already checking things, she opened her Pseudo-Awakener status.

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Pseudo Status Page

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* MS (Mana Saturation): 33%

* Race: Human?

* Rank: F

* Features: Awareness (Basic), Energy Perception (Beginner), Stamina Capacity (Basic), Mana Sight (Beginner), Mana Control (Beginner)

* Unique: None

* Level: 10 (+5)

* Class: Cleric

* Skills: Bludgeon (Beginner), Baiting (Basic), Willpower (Beginner)

* Ability:

* Elemental Affinity: Water

* Unique: None

* Inventory: 10 m3

* Spells: Heal (Intermediate), Water Barrier (Basic)

* Titles: [One From Another World], [Chaotic Priestess of Sapphire], [Superior Survivor], [Monster Bane I], [Protector of the Weak], [Healer of Chaos], [Giant Slayer], [Helping Hand], [Untiring]

* Patron: Sapphire

* Hallo of Fame: open

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Arianna’s eyebrows furrowed.

Her level had increased.

That wasn’t surprising—fighting and healing through a monster wave should have done that.

Her Mana Sight and Control and her Mana Saturation had also risen.

But what really caught her attention was her Titles. She hadn’t even realized she had so many. Was this normal? But Cassis should have around the same amount as her.

Time passed while Arianna remained focused on her status page, processing everything she had just learned.

When she finally exited the menu, she noticed something different. The gymnasium was emptier than before. People were leaving—heading back to their homes.

Many were on their phones, talking in hushed but urgent voices. The devices worked again—a temporary relief before the chaos of the third wave would eventually hit.

For now, humanity was reconnecting. Arianna exhaled softly. She pushed herself to her feet, stretching stiff muscles, then scanned the room for Cassis.

She found him easily. He was surrounded by his family and students. Most of them gathered around him, eyes wide with awe, calling him Mr. Walker and marvelling at their history teacher—who turned out to be a total badass.

Arianna couldn’t help but smile. Cassis. A history teacher in highschool. She was still struggling to match that image of him with the warrior she had watched on her screen before being dragged into this world.

But now that she was actually getting to know him, beyond the skilled fighter, it made a strange kind of sense. He had a natural leadership to him—people looked to him in a crisis, followed his orders without hesitation. And, despite his tired and battle-worn appearance, he still had a caring side. Maybe teaching really did suit him.

Her gaze shifted, landing on Janice. The girl was on the phone, crying again. She had been through so much. One of her younger brothers had his arm wrapped around her, while the other was tending to the even younger siblings.

Arianna decided to make a detour towards them.

The brother with Janice noticed her first.

"What’s going on?" she asked gently.

"We managed to call our uncle," he said, voice thick with relief. "He's still alive. He's coming here to get us."

Arianna felt some of the tension in her chest ease. A family member—a responsible adult—was coming to take care of them. That was good.

She smiled at them, squeezing Janice’s shoulder lightly before turning back towards Cassis.

By now, the gymnasium had nearly emptied.

Only a few stragglers remained, hesitant to step outside after everything that had happened.

Cassis was cautioning the last few people.

"Please be careful," he warned, voice steady but firm. "There might be some new mutated monsters roaming around. Nothing like what we’ve faced the last two days, but don’t let your guard down."

Arianna watched as the final group nodded, thanked him, and left.

Then, finally, he turned to her.

"Time to go home," he said.

Arianna let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

"Yeah," she agreed.

Cassis’s family was also preparing to leave, wanting to return to their house. They had been on their phones earlier, trying to reach loved ones. But nobody picked up.

Originally, Cassis and Arianna had planned to escort them—but the family refused.

Their car was parked on the outskirts of the city, in the opposite direction of Cassis’s apartment. And instead of Arianna and Cassis they would take Luke Bristol and Helen with them. So they had enough fighters.

"You two should go home and rest," his mother insisted. “We’re going to be alright,” his father said. And Liam promised: “I’ll call when we’re home safe.”

For a moment, Cassis hesitated—but eventually, he agreed. One by one, they said their goodbyes. And, finally, Arianna and Cassis stepped out of the gymnasium—leaving behind the battlefield that had almost become their grave.

Arianna sat on Cassis’s couch, freshly showered – dressed in another pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt from Cassis, her hair wrapped in one of his towels – as she waited for him to finish his turn.

The apartment was quiet, no sound coming from beyond the closed windows.

She exhaled softly, sinking into the cushions.

Her body still ached from the endless battles, but the hot shower had helped ease some of the tension.

For now, she could simply sit and let her mind drift.

And, of course, it drifted back to the long walk they had taken to get here.

The apartment complex was located near the high school—at least, it was close when traveling by car or public transport.

But without either? They had walked for over an hour to reach it. And by the time they arrived, Arianna had been so exhausted she had just put one foot in front of the other.

The journey had taken them through streets marked by destruction. Blood painted the asphalt, smeared across walls and sidewalks, stark reminders of the horrors that had unfolded over the past two days.

Some buildings had collapsed, windows shattered, vehicles left abandoned in the middle of the road. But despite the devastation, people had begun to emerge. Not many, but enough to remind her that the world hadn’t ended just yet. Some were cleaning up debris. Others were helping the wounded, setting up makeshift stations for those who had been left behind.

And, most notably—there was hope in their eyes. Now that the monsters had disappeared, people were starting to believe they had a chance. That maybe, just maybe, they could survive this.

In the middle of their journey, Liam called to tell them they had arrived at home and that Luke had gone straight to the Morrisons’ to get to Nadine and Violet. At least one happy end to this crazy weekend.

Arianna had walked into Cassis’s apartment right behind him, her steps slow and heavy with exhaustion.

It was a simple one-bedroom space—nothing extravagant, but comfortable.

The living room doubled as a dining area, with a small kitchen tucked into the corner.

A short hallway led to the bathroom and bedroom, where a king-sized bed took up most of the space. There was also a wardrobe and a desk, likely used more for grading papers than anything else.

The decor was exactly what she expected from him—functional, with no unnecessary embellishments. White walls. Grey couch. A black-and-white coffee table that matched the overall monochrome aesthetic.

It wasn’t cold, though. Just… practical. Much like Cassis himself.

Arianna let out a tired chuckle, shaking her head as she pulled the towel off her hair and began drying them off. She just wanted to close her eyes and breathe.

The bathroom door opened, and Cassis stepped out, dressed in sweatpants and a simple t-shirt, mirroring Arianna’s post-shower outfit.

His damp hair was slightly dishevelled, and there was something softer about him in this moment—without his sword, without the weight of battle on his shoulders.

He looked at her, sitting on his couch, her exhaustion written in every line of her body.

“You should get some sleep,” he said, voice low but firm. “My bed’s yours tonight. We’ll talk about everything tomorrow.”

Arianna let out a long sigh, too tired to argue, and forced herself to stand. Her muscles protested the movement, and she let out an involuntary groan as she stretched. Cassis smirked but didn’t comment.

First, she stopped by the bathroom, depositing the wet towel form her hair onto its hanger. Then she washed her underwear and hung it into the shower. It was uncomfortable without underwear, but she had been wearing it for days now and it just felt gross.

Then she shuffled towards the bedroom, but as she reached the doorway, she hesitated. Her fingers tightened around the fabric of her borrowed clothes. She turned back to him.

“…Where will you sleep?”

“The couch.”

Arianna nodded, but her stomach twisted. Last night—was it really only yesterday?—she had had a terrible nightmare. She had felt so helpless during it. He had woken her, letting her sob into him and then held her for the rest of the night.

She didn’t want to be alone again. What if she had a nightmare again? She couldn’t go through that again. She didn’t want to be alone.

She swallowed, embarrassed by the thought. More embarrassed by what she was about to ask. Because despite the exhaustion, despite the unspoken trust between them, there was still that undercurrent of tension. She thought back to this morning and then to the archive in City Hall. It would be dangerous in another sense to have him with her.

And yet…

“…Won’t you come to bed with me?”

She couldn’t meet his gaze, her hands wringing together as she spoke.

“I don’t want to be alone,” she admitted, voice barely above a whisper. “What if I dream again?”

Silence. Then, a soft exhale.

“…Alright,” Cassis said.

It was just one word, but it lifted the weight pressing down on her chest.

They slipped into the bed, keeping a respectable distance between them. The mattress dipped slightly under their weight, but neither of them moved closer. It was enough just to know the other was there. To hear the quiet, steady sound of breathing in the dark.

Arianna felt her body relax, her mind drifting despite itself. They were safe. They had survived. And for tonight, that was enough. Sleep came easily.