Extra Chapter 2 - Drake is... Okay, I guess

Drake lay on his bed, the only piece of furniture he had purchased in the system, along with a few items specifically for the bathroom. He stared at the ceiling of his room, which was empty and flawless—an unusual sight for him, considering he couldn't recall the last time he had slept under a roof that didn't look like it might collapse at any moment.

He had been through a lot that day, and the last thing he remembered upon entering the white room was returning to what he had started to call home again. He recalled once more doubting whether choosing to continue with his life had been the best decision, only to blink and find himself in that place, dragged into a world of ghosts and destruction like something out of a horror movie. What was really going on? The image of Leila, the woman he had helped throughout most of the journey, came back to his mind, along with the memory of how she had chosen to leave at the first opportunity.

It weighed heavily on him, especially because of the fixation he had whenever he saw someone "defenseless". However, he also noticed that despite feeling resentment toward himself for not being able to do anything, it eventually faded, as if his mind was trying to prevent him from reliving the trauma he carried.

Not wanting to dwell further in his misery, Drake jumped up and started to think. What should he do at that moment? Honestly, despite everything he'd experienced during the first... "scenario," he still harbored some skepticism about what Mr. Li had told them. After all, being transported to another world to complete stories and earn points was a reality that was hard to grasp. He couldn’t fully wrap his mind around it, but one thing he was certain of was that this place allowed him to escape his own thoughts. It forced him to focus on survival and the other group members, something he was quite thankful for.

Yes, a part of him just wanted to embrace this new reality and completely forget his problems, and another part of him— well, it wanted that too. He couldn’t lie to himself; he preferred being here rather than resorting to things like alcohol or drugs. Yes, that’s what he had to do. Drake quickly gave himself a few slaps to the face to focus properly and stop overthinking things. He needed to find something to do for the moment. Maybe training? Exercise had always been a somewhat effective escape, even during his— let’s just say, some pretty dark times.

But how could he exercise in this place? At most, he had a bit of space to do some push-ups, but that wouldn’t be enough.

“Hmm… Oh, maybe”

Could he buy equipment for that? It was worth a try; after all, he had only spent a few points and now had who knows how much time. Although it was logical to feel tired after everything that had happened, the truth was that he couldn't feel more awake and devoid of any fatigue.

Without wasting any more time, Drake decided to leave his room and head toward the area with those strange cubes where he could interact with the odd digital store. Slowly opening the door, the boy looked around and realized that no one was outside—everyone was probably sleeping, just as Mr. Li had suggested. It was the perfect moment to make his purchases without disturbing anyone.

Walking slowly toward the store area, Drake noticed how eerie the lobby was when empty and silent. It was just a white expanse where it was hard to distinguish where the floor ended and the walls began, except for the four wooden doors at the edges. He was sure that if he stared for too long, he might even feel dizzy.

Finally arriving at the store, Drake made the necessary hand movements to bring up the window and began to explore a bit.

“Huh, maybe this… And this as well… This seems good”

Minutes later, the blonde had purchased a variety of equipment and gear that would rival an average gym, along with some fruit for snacks and plenty of water, all at the incredibly low price of just a few points—something he was very grateful for.

Having completed his purchases, he was about to leave when a thought crossed his mind, causing him to turn and look at the store screen. After a moment of hesitation, he entered his query into the search bar, specifying exactly what he was looking for.

⌠Search bar: I want to be stronger⌡ ⌠Searching…⌡ ⌠Searching…⌡ ⌠Total Results: 0⌡ ⌠No results were found with the specified name in the search bar. It is advised to apply filters and ensure the correct spelling of the skill or treasure desired.⌡

Drake had to admit that he wasn't very adept with technology; learning to use a smartphone had been a challenge for him when he finally got one. So, searching incorrectly was something he couldn't avoid. He tried again, clearing what he had written and replacing it with something he had seen previously along with Adam—something that had caught his attention.

⌠Search bar: Class⌡ ⌠Searching…⌡ ⌠Searching…⌡ ⌠Total Results: 835⌡

⌠Class: Wizard - Rank F: 500pts⌡ ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠It gives the user the F-rank class "Wizard"⌡

⌠Class: Warrior - Rank F: 500pts⌡ ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠It gives the user the F-rank class "Warrior"⌡

⌠Class: Fighter - Rank F: 500pts⌡ ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠It gives the user the F-rank class "Fighter"⌡

⌠Class: Warlock - Rank F: 500pts⌡ ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠It gives the user the F-rank class "Warlock"⌡

⌠Class: Rogue - Rank F: 500pts⌡ ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠It gives the user the F-rank class "Rogue"⌡ ⌠…⌡

Hmm... None of those things appealed to him, and he wasn't even sure what they truly meant. But he remembered that the other guy had said that when he checked the information on one of them, a warning window had appeared about how obtaining one would limit what he could learn, but it would also provide a particular focus for his skills.

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That didn't bother him, after all, he had to admit that imagining and searching for things to buy, whether they were powers, skills, or items, wasn’t something he excelled at. So, something that decides for him would be ideal, but not this. Not to mention, there were so many options, and he didn’t have the time or patience to review them one by one.

He tried once more, this time following the previous advice and applying a filter.

⌠Search bar: Class⌡ ⌠Filter bar: Stronger⌡ ⌠Searching…⌡ ⌠Searching…⌡ ⌠Total Results: 0⌡ ⌠No results were found with the specified name in the search bar. It is advised ■■■ ■■■ ■■■ Hey, kid, why don’t you use the 'Idea Forge'?⌡

Once again, there were no results, which was odd considering the vast amount of items in the store. The most curious part was the final message, which seemed to glitch a bit and offered a more personal suggestion. Was that normal? Drake wasn’t sure, but he didn’t dwell on it too much. He closed the regular store window and finally headed to the option that had been completely ignored by the group and even omitted by Mr. Li.

⌠▼Idea Forge⌡ ⌠What are you thinking about? Tell me⌡ ⌠ ⌡

Hmm... And now? There was no further explanation except for him to state what he was thinking. Could it really be that simple? Well, there was only one way to find out.

“I want to be stronger, strong enough to protect whoever needs it”

⌠…⌡ ⌠…⌡ ⌠The provided information is too ambigu■■■ ■■■ ■■■ Come on, kid, you are not being honest, that’s not what you actually want⌡

“What?”

Once again, the resulting message seemed to have glitched and shifted in tone—from something robotic and automatic to a message that felt like it was coming from a real person.

“What do you mean?”

⌠You don't want to be strong just to help those in need; you want power so you can protect what matters to you and never lose anything again. You just have to admit it.⌡

“I’m… not, I want to help everyone, just like he wanted me to do, just what Alonso wanted”

⌠Are you sure? What about the woman who went to 'Abyss'? What about the many men and women who died defending you in the punishment world? Why don’t you feel any remorse for them? The truth is, you don't care. You're forcing yourself into a philosophy you don't truly believe in. You would improve so much more if you just accepted who you really are—if you went back to being who you were before you met him.⌡

Drake didn't know how the screen could speak to him so personally, almost as if it knew his life and thoughts. However, he had to admit that it had a point. He did care about those he considered defenseless, but that was because he saw his younger brother, Alonso, reflected in them—the only thing that had made him try to live and rebuild his life.

“You might be right, I want power for the things that I care for… And for now, what I care for is the last will of my brother”

⌠… Okay, well, close enough for now. Be more specific, what do you want?⌡

Filled with conviction, Drake clenched his fists and began to speak out loud.

“I want to be strong, I want to become more powerful to protect what matters to me, I want my fight not to be in vain, I want... I want a class that acknowledges my efforts!”

⌠Atta boy, that’s what I’m talking about, well, see you ♡ ■■■ ■■■ ■■■ ⌡ ⌠Suggestion accepted, initiating the materialization of the user's idea.⌡ ⌠…⌡ ⌠Success!⌡ ⌠Assigning a proper point value to the idea⌡ ⌠…⌡ ⌠Success!⌡

⌠Pinnacle Class Craft - Rank ?: 1500pts⌡ ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠It grants the user the skill ‘Class X’, where X is based on the effort and aptitude demonstrated from the moment of acquisition. Once accepted, this skill will disappear and be replaced by the new class.⌡ ⌠You have not enough points to buy this skill⌡ ⌠Do you want to save the new ‘Idea’ in your log for later browsing?⌡ ⌠Y/N⌡

Drake was finally satisfied with his decision. He didn't dwell much on the details and simply hit the 'YES' button to save the newly created skill, thinking that he would need to earn 1500 points somehow to purchase it. He resolved to do his best until then.

Without anything else to do there, the guy closed the store and turned back towards his room, somewhat dizzy from the emotional turmoil he had felt a moment ago. However, that didn’t last long, as upon re-entering, he noticed that there was no trace of all the things he had bought, but there was another door beside the bathroom.

Somewhat hesitant, he approached and opened the door to find that all the machines and equipment had been neatly arranged in an adjacent room, effectively turning it into a gym.

“Alright”

Pleased, Drake spent as much time as he could training and testing every machine until his body was drenched in sweat and screaming for a break—something that would have made anyone else collapse, but for him, it was enjoyable. He was thankful he had bought a shower and bathroom essentials, so he quickly cleaned himself up and changed into an extra set of clothes he had in the backpack he brought with him to this place.

Maybe he should rest a bit now, even though he wasn't sleepy, he knew his body needed to recover. But before that, he decided to head back to the store for a moment to buy a laundry basket, as he didn't like having sweaty clothes lying around.

“You know, this doesn’t feel so bad”

Drake sighed as he opened the door, ready to leave. However, he noticed that the lobby wasn't empty this time. There was a small figure crouched in the middle, someone he didn't recognize at first until he got a bit closer.

“Huh? Kazue?”

“Yes!”