Jeremy took a slow breath, letting the faint hum of Essence settle within him. But where to direct it? The options swirled in his mind, each Skill a part of him, each offering a different path forward. Jeremy closed his eyes, tuning out the faint squelching of nearby slimes and focused on his Status.

Jeremy Hoppins

Tier -

Body 440

Mind 510

Soul 2000

Skills:

Cooking - Basic -/10

Introspection - Basic -/10

Memorization - Basic -/10

Multitasking - Basic -/10

Reflexes - Basic -/10

Running - Basic -/10

Universal Equipment Slots - Personal

His mind raced. Where should I place it? Introspection? Memorization? Both were tempting choices. But then his gaze flicked to his Body stat, and he hesitated.

His Body stat was the lowest of the three, lagging noticeably behind his Mind and Soul. It wasn’t a surprise. The equipment his father had given him skewed his stats. While the boosts made him stronger overall, they’d left Body as the weakest of the three.

And then there was the truth that gnawed at him: without his equipment, all of his stats would be zero. His growth was just beginning, and everything he had so far was borrowed.

Jeremy’s thoughts turned to his very first Skill, Running. He remembered the joy of unlocking it after one of his coffee runs, the thrill of feeling something awaken within him for the first time. It was a simple Skill, but it symbolized the start of his journey. It had been his first step—literally and figuratively—and now, as he stood in this dungeon, it felt only fitting that it should also receive his very first Essence.

With a deep breath, Jeremy made his decision.

Running - Basic

Level -/10 - 90 Essence

Body -

He felt the Essence shift, but there was no physical sensation—no immediate improvement in his body or abilities. Of course, he thought, a hint of self-awareness creeping in. He hadn’t earned nearly enough Essence to level up the Skill yet. Still, placing his first Essence into Running felt significant. It wasn’t flashy, but it was sentimental—the Skill that symbolized the start of his journey.

“You good?” Marcus asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Marcus tilted his head, his brow furrowing. “Where to put it?” He looked amused, but there was an edge of curiosity. “Didn’t think it would take you that long.”

Jeremy shrugged. “Had to think it over,” he admitted. “It’s not exactly easy to choose with six Skills.” He regretted it the instant the words were out.

The group stilled. Perci stepped closer, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Did you just say… six?” Her voice was hushed, incredulous.

Mia narrowed her eyes, her posture stiffening. “That can’t be right. Most people only have time to get one, maybe two Skills, before they start school.”

Timothy, silent until now, stood straighter. Jeremy could feel the weight of their attention pressing down on him, and he forced a laugh, scratching his neck. He hadn’t meant to let that slip. “Uh… yeah. Reflexes, Running, Multitasking, Memorization, Cooking, and… uh… Introspection.”

For a moment, silence stretched around them.

Then Marcus burst out laughing, slapping his knee. “Good one, Jeremy. Introspection? Nice try!”

Perci let out a breath, her shoulders easing as she forced a laugh too, though her expression held a touch of wariness.

Mia’s eyes narrowed as she watched him, a hint of scrutiny in her gaze. “You’re joking… right?”

Jeremy swallowed, forcing a grin. “Yeah. Totally just messing with you,” he replied, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Come on—who’d believe Introspection?”

Timothy’s expression remained unreadable, though his posture straightened slightly, signaling a quiet interest. “Even so, five Skills? You’re already a step ahead of most of us. Got some kind of family secret method or something? .”

Masking his unease, Jeremy shrugged, aiming for a casual tone. “Nope. Just natural talent, I guess,” he replied, keeping his tone light. “Not my fault I’m good at picking things up fast.”

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Inside, though, he thought about the Amulet of Insight displayed in his Status, visible only to him—a reminder that no matter how close they might get as friends, they could never know about it. They must never know about it.

Marcus clapped him on the back, easing the tension. “Yeah, but don’t get too cocky. You still have to use them.”

They resumed walking, the tension easing slightly from Jeremy’s shoulders, though Mia’s gaze still flickered toward him from time to time. Relief mixed with unease, his mind racing with the same question: Did they believe it?

----------------------------------------

As they moved deeper, the cavern around them narrowed and descended into a series of jagged, slippery steps. The moss-covered floor was slick, shimmering with moisture. The uneven stone walls closed in, scraping against their skin, forcing them to walk in a line.

Just ahead, Marcus tested the ground with his foot, frowning. “Watch your step; it’s slippery here.”

With careful steps forward, Jeremy tested the slick ground, feeling his foot slide slightly on the moss. The ground ahead sloped down further, vanishing into shadows.

Perci glanced back at him. “You think this is the only way forward?”

“Looks like it,” Jeremy replied, squinting to see if there was any other path around. He felt the stone with his hand, searching for stable grips. “We’ll just need to go slow. Use the walls for balance if you have to.”

He gripped the wall as he slowly stepped forward. He guided himself down carefully, motioning for the others to follow. Perci moved behind him, using the wall to steady herself. Just as she shifted her weight, her foot slipped on the slick moss, sending her off balance. Jeremy’s Reflexes kicked in instinctively—before he even processed what was happening, his hand shot out, gripping her wrist firmly and pulling her upright.

Meanwhile, a misstep from Timothy sent a few small rocks skittering down the passage. He inhaled sharply, steadying himself as he clenched his hand against the wall.

“Take it easy,” Jeremy said, turning around to offer him a hand. “Just focus on where you’re stepping.”

They continued down, each step deliberate and slow. Finally, they made it past the slick slope and arrived on more even ground, the cavern opening back up.

As he observed the dimly lit path, the weight of navigating the maze-like cavern settled on him—every corner looked similar, with all walls coated in moss, and the echoing sounds of dripping water only made it harder to gauge direction.

Just ahead, Marcus stepped up to another slime, dispatching it with a quick, practiced slash. Mia held back, her focus sharp as she conjured a small fire bolt, launching it at a slime and incinerating it on impact. The Essence swirled toward her, fading into her body with a faint shimmer.

Instructor Mira’s instructions from earlier came to mind: "In a dungeon, knowing your environment is essential. Pay attention to landmarks, however small, and track your path. Enemies might move, but patterns often remain.”

He paused, his eyes scanning for any distinguishable features. A jagged rock here, a particularly dense patch of moss there. His eyes caught a peculiar looking rock protruding from the wall—a perfect marker. He pointed it out to the others. “Let’s use this as a landmark. It’ll help us remember which way we came if we have to backtrack.”

The group nodded, grateful for something to break the monotony of moss-covered walls. As he mentally noted these, Perci’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully, her head tilting slightly. “Wait,” she said, holding up a hand. “Can you guys hear that?”

They all paused, listening intently. A faint, wet sound echoed from somewhere deeper in the cavern.

Perci’s eyes brightened. “The slimes, they make that sound every time they move, right? We could use it to track where they are. If we listen carefully, we won’t have to rely just on sight or landmarks.”

“That’s actually brilliant, Perci,” Jeremy said, a smile breaking across his face. “We can use their sounds to stay one step ahead.”

Marcus nodded, his ears straining to catch the slimes' movements, while Mia focused on the glow from her fingertips, casting shadows to reveal outlines along the cavern’s edges.

As they advanced, he struck down another slime with a swift kick, its Essence swirling into him, the growing pulse of energy driving him forward. He still funneled it into Running, but it still wasn’t enough.

“Alright, more it is,” he muttered, his determination sharpening.

He darted to the next slime. Another kick, another swirl of Essence. The slimes offered little resistance, and soon he found himself weaving through the cavern to strike each new target.

“Just a little more,” he muttered, the thrill of progress fueling his resolve.

He picked up the pace, and one after another, the slimes fell. After several minutes, he felt a slight shift in his body. He checked his Status and saw Running closer to the next level, the Essence count filling up steadily. But there was still more to go.

Finally, after landing a swift kick on one last slime, a surge of energy coursed through him.

Running - Basic

Level 1/10 - 200 Essence

Body 1

His pulse quickened as he saw the increase. He’d finally leveled Running. But the satisfaction was short-lived as he considered just how many more Essence points would be needed to advance it further. Each level, he knew, would demand even more Essence. And all his other Skills required the same long process of gathering and growth.

His thoughts were interrupted as they moved forward, encountering another cluster of slimes. Mia continued firing precise bolts of flame at the slimes. When they had started, her movements were fluid and controlled, each bolt a clean strike. But as they continued, Jeremy noticed Mia’s movements becoming more rigid. Each bolt she fired took a bit longer to conjure, and her breathing had become quicker. The intensity in her gaze was dimming, even as she tried to keep up the rhythm.

“Mia, you alright?” Perci asked, a note of worry creeping into her voice.

“I’m fine,” Mia’s voice was clipped as she hurled another bolt forward. It struck a slime dead-on, but the glow in her eyes seemed dimmer.

Perci exchanged a worried look with Jeremy. “Mia, maybe just kick a few. You don’t need to use magic on every single one, you know? Save some energy.”

She shook her head. “I don’t need to rest. I can handle it.”

“Look,” Jeremy spoke gently, his hand resting on her shoulder as he tried to reassure her. “This isn’t a sprint. We’ve got a long way to go, and you don’t want to burn yourself out.”

“I said I’m fine!” Mia snapped, though her voice wavered. Another slime wobbled into view, and she raised her hand again. The fire bolt she conjured flared brighter this time, the effort drawing a sharp breath from her lips as she sent it hurtling toward her target. The slime exploded into mist, its Essence rushing into her, but her knees buckled slightly before she steadied herself.

The group exchanged uneasy glances, but Mia stepped forward, determination blazing in her eyes. “I’m not stopping now,” she said under her breath, her voice barely audible over the wet squelch of more slimes approaching.

Despite her evident exhaustion, Mia’s resolve seemed only to harden. “I don’t need to stop. I can handle a few slimes,” she muttered, her voice determined. Her hand shot up, flames dancing at her fingertips in an erratic glow. This time, the glow of her magic flickered erratically, but she ignored it, summoning another bolt. Jeremy opened his mouth to call out to her, but the fire in her palm suddenly surged.

With a roar, a massive fire bolt erupted from her hand, much more intense than anything she had cast before. It tore through a group of slimes, obliterating them in a flash of light that illuminated the entire cavern. The heat was overwhelming, forcing the others to shield their faces as the air crackled with residual energy.

When the light faded, the slimes were gone—but Mia stood frozen in place, her arms trembling violently.

“Mia?” Jeremy called with alarm, she swayed on her feet.

She turned her head toward him, her face pale. Her lips moved, but no sound came out before her legs collapsed.

“Mia!” Jeremy lunged forward, his heart racing as she crumpled to the ground, her body limp.