Chapter 3: Level Up
It had been three days.
Noah could walk again.
He’d tested his balance carefully when he first got out of bed, surprised at how quickly his legs had healed. It was good he was being discharged without a fuss. His dad must have worked something out with the doctor—likely to keep the use of the potion a secret. He found a fresh set of clothes his dad had sent over: jeans, a plain shirt, and, thankfully, his backpack. Noah picked it up and fished out his smartphone, turning it on.
The screen lit up with a flood of notifications: rapid pings of missed calls, texts, and emails flashing by. Noah watched them pile up, then pressed the power button again, silencing it all with a sigh.
“Nosy bastards, it’s not like I died or something,” he muttered, pocketing the phone.
Noah had always seen himself as somewhat of an outsider, the kind of guy who didn’t invite people in easily. It wasn’t like he was a total recluse, but he had a way of keeping people at arm’s length. And for the most part, he’d always preferred it that way.
“Ah~ I am starving.”
As Noah rounded the corner, he collided with someone, hard.
Books tumbled to the ground, scattering around them.
Noah quickly steadied his glasses on his face. “Uuh—” the other person gasped, catching herself before she could fully fall.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to,” Noah apologized, bending down to gather the books. As he handed them back, he finally got a good look at her—dark hair, a soft face, and intelligent eyes behind a pair of now-cracked glasses. He recognized her immediately.
She glanced down at her broken frames with a sigh. The glasses had cracked almost too easily, and Noah could tell they were cheaply made, probably something she couldn’t easily replace.
“Noah?” the girl said, looking surprised. “You’ve healed already…”
It was Raven—his crush.
Unlike most teens his age, Noah didn’t turn red or start stammering. But there was a prickling insecurity under his calm expression. Not because she’d noticed his rapid recovery; he was more rattled by the fact he’d just hurt the girl he liked. Great priorities, right?
Raven stumbled slightly on her toes, and he reached out, steadying her. “Your glasses… the glass didn’t get in your eyes, did it?” he asked, helping her up.
“Oh, these?” She took them off and tucked them into a small handbag. “They were already like this before you bumped me, so don’t worry about it. But you really should pay more attention to where you’re going.”
Noah scoffed, trying to play it off. “And you shouldn’t wear… broken glasses. That’s, like… kinda stupid.”
Raven raised an eyebrow, smirking. “Yeah, I know, but not wearing them makes me feel dizzy without them.”
To be fair, it was entirely Noah’s fault. He hadn’t been paying attention, walking at a quick pace while his mind was a mess of thoughts. After all, he was a [Gifted] now—whatever that even meant for him.
“Please don’t tell anyone I’m already healed,” he said quietly, glancing around. “My dad would be in trouble if the school found out.”
Raven gave him a measured look. “Fine,” she replied, “as long as you don’t tell anyone you saw me here.” She was perceptive like that.
Noah blinked, momentarily thrown by her response. “Okay, that’s fair.”
“Let me get those,” Raven said, motioning for Noah to hand over the books.
Noah glanced at the titles before surrendering them: Silky Road, Blood Promises, Rebecca’s Revenge, Alpha Wolf, Her Boss, etc. The covers looked… dramatic. Were they novels?
Raven’s face flushed. “Just so you know, these aren’t mine…” she muttered, carefully stacking them in her arms.
Noah handed them over without another word, resisting the urge to ask what they were about. No need to antagonize her and he wasn’t dumb—if they were novels, they were probably some kind of highbrow literature she was studying for Book Club… or at least, that’s what he decided to assume.
Since Raven was a member of the Book Club, Noah supposed it made sense for her to be carrying around stacks of reading material. But still, he couldn’t help wondering if he was overthinking it.
Raven adjusted the books in her arms and asked, “When will you be back in school?”
Noah shrugged. “I think probably next week.”
She nodded with a small smile tugging at her lips. “See you until then.”
He couldn’t resist adding, “Second Quarter Exams are around the corner. Don’t lose to me too easily, okay?”
Stolen story; please report.
Raven gave him a playful grimace. “Aww… stop with the pressure. Buh-bye now, I have somewhere else to be…” With that, she hurried off, taking quick, small strides as if she were escaping the conversation.
Noah watched her go and said softly, “Yeah… next week, then.”
A few minutes later—
Noah’s Uncle Martin pulled up in his old pick-up truck, leaning out the window with a wide grin. “Hey, kid! Had lunch yet? My treat!”
Martin Knight was a man nearing sixty, bald, a bit round in the middle, with an easygoing expression that hid the harder years behind him. He’d once been a cop, but a scandal from decades ago—some dirty dealings—had forced him into early retirement. The only reason he hadn’t ended up in prison was because Theodore, Noah’s dad, had pulled some strings to save him.
Despite being the older brother, Martin had always been a bit of a mess compared to Theodore—and, admittedly, a pretty sloppy uncle, too.
Noah sighed, giving his uncle a nod. “Yeah… haven’t had lunch yet.”
Martin grinned even wider. “Perfect! Hope you don’t mind eating burgers.”
Noah stared at his [System] interface, watching the familiar, glowing text float in front of him.
Name: Noah O. Knight
Class: Freedom
Level 2
Stats (10)—
Body: 3
Mind: 6
Soul: 5
Skill: Fly
From what Noah had learned, the Gifted could level up by performing acts that reflected their class, conquering dungeons, or killing monsters. The problem, though, was that there wasn’t any indicator of how close a Gifted was to the next level. No progress bar, no hints—just the vague sense that somehow, somewhere, they were moving forward.
In Noah’s case, it seemed he’d leveled up after his recent stunt. Jumping off the roof had apparently been considered an “act of Freedom”—or something close enough to count. He felt a strange mix of pride and unease; as far as he knew, leaping from buildings wasn’t exactly hero material. The system’s criteria were weird in so many ways.
Noah stared at his Stat Points, trying to decide where to allocate them, while Martin’s pick-up truck pulled up to a burger joint called Dead Dob’s, featuring an obnoxious orange goblin mascot grinning out front.
“So, how’s school, Noah?” Martin asked as they hopped out of the truck.
“Not bad,” Noah replied, barely pulling himself away from the interface.
Martin leaned over with a smirk. “Gotten laid yet?”
Noah felt his face heat up. “I… I am fifteen… shut up.”
And here he was secretly thinking his uncle wasn’t that bad.
On second thought, maybe Martin wasn’t the best uncle material… or even second-best uncle material.
Martin laughed, brushing off the reaction. “What? So you’re one of those kids who treasures their first? Whatever suits you, kiddo. Just tell me if you get curious about the ‘other’ world, and I’ll help you out… I know a few good places. Could have you leveling up from kid to adult in no time!”
Noah rolled his eyes. “Gee, thanks, but I think I’ll stick to burgers and high school if that’s alright.”
A few hours later, Noah waited until midnight, when his uncle was fast asleep. The quiet of the apartment set a perfect atmosphere for what he had in mind. Since the place was technically owned by his dad, it explained why Noah had a key to the rooftop.
With quiet steps, he climbed the stairs to the rooftop and brought up his [System] interface, watching as the familiar stats filled his vision.
Name: Noah O. Knight
Class: Freedom
Level 2
Stats (10):
Body: 3
Mind: 6
Soul: 5
Skill: Fly
Noah stared at the stats. He had a theory—maybe he couldn’t use his skill because his stats were too low. Two choices lay in front of him: play it safe and try something small, or go all in, no hesitation.
He took a breath, deciding not to overthink. The info he could find online about the system was scarce and vague, so all he could do was trust his instincts and see where it led. If it worked, great. If not... well, he’d deal with that later.
Noah took a deep breath. His eyes were fixed on his [System] interface. He had made his choice, allocating his points in a way that felt right, even if he wasn’t sure of the outcome.
Name: Noah O. Knight
Class: Freedom
Level 2
Stats (0)—
Body: 4
Mind: 10
Soul: 10
Skill: Fly
As soon as he locked in his points, a faint surge of energy washed over him. It was subtle but potent, like a tingling warmth settling deep in his chest. He could feel his mind sharpen. It was an almost dizzying clarity enhancing his perception. His awareness expanded, attuned to the rooftop's every detail—the creak of the railing in the wind, the soft hum of neon lights below, even the shifting shadows cast by distant headlights.
And then, he felt a strange pull within him. The [Fly] skill, which had once felt dormant, now seemed to fill him with potential, as though awaiting his command.
The rooftop stretched out under a clear night sky. The concrete surface was cold and slightly rough beneath Noah’s feet. A single dim light near the door cast long shadows across the space, while the cool breeze whispered through the sparse antennas and vents. Surrounding the rooftop was a low, crumbling railing, patched here and there with rust, as though it hadn’t seen maintenance in years.
From up here, Noah could see the city sprawling before him. They glowed in the stillness of the night. The Obelisk City-state was neither large nor particularly modern. The worn brick buildings, neon signs, and scattered apartment lights gave the city a strangely comforting charm. Streets glowed in muted orange from old streetlights, and beyond them, the faint hum of cars sounded like distant waves. Rows of rooftop gardens and satellite dishes dotted nearby buildings, while occasional flickers of red and blue lights flashed in the distance, hinting at life’s quiet bustle even at this hour.
Further out, the silhouette of tall, gray industrial buildings rose against the sky, marking the city’s outskirts. A faint mist hovered over them, hinting at the lake just beyond. Above it all, stars pricked through the night, tiny and distant but vivid enough to make him feel… well, small.
Noah took a deep breath, closed his eyes… and then softly, he whispered.
“Fly.”
It was almost like he was listening to a hidden beat. It sounded faint but steady. He took a step back, and as if on instinct, he let go.
Slowly, he felt the ground slip away. He was rising—only a centimeter, just a whisper of space between his shoes and the rooftop. He opened his eyes and looked down with a wide grin spreading across his face. This wasn’t something he learned or studied. It was as if his entire being just knew what to do, like a quiet urging from deep within.
He could feel his heart racing, each beat echoing the thrill pulsing through him. For someone who had always been a bit cynical about heroes and their so-called powers, he found this moment startlingly simple and pure. He let out a laugh, one of surprise, disbelief, and joy all wrapped into one. All those conflicted feelings about heroes and powers seemed to fade as if this single moment of weightlessness made everything clear.
This wasn’t about fame, or heroics, or anything grand. For Noah, it was the simplest, most exhilarating thing he had ever felt. And in that instant, everything about it made perfect sense.