Chapter 17
“The Tank”
"Oh my, what do we have here?" Her voice carried a gentler note than usual, almost sympathetic as she noticed Sarah's ring in his digital essence. "A guardian's heart, broken but not destroyed. Your protective instincts, your unflinching stance between danger and those you guard... The Tank class calls to you, Leo. Though I suspect you already knew that."
Leo felt a pang at the mention of Sarah's ring, his chest tightening momentarily. The warmth of her memory surfaced, a familiar ache, but he refused to let it weigh him down. Instead, he smirked in the darkness. "A Tank, huh? I guess it fits. Though, I'd prefer something like 'Indestructible Hero' or 'Supreme Shield of Awesomeness.' Just a thought, Gameweaver."
Gameweaver's tone lifted with interest as she focused on the ring. "Such beautiful craftsmanship—the way you worked those metals, shaped them with such care. Let's keep it exactly as it is, but oh... feel how it enhances your strength! Those hands that crafted such delicate spirals can now shatter stone. Rather poetic, don't you think? All that power concentrated in the very fingers that once worked such fine details."
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Leo chuckled, shaking off the heaviness. "Great, I can crush boulders now. Should come in handy if I need to make some stone soup." He tried to focus on the humor, keeping the darkness at bay. It was what he did best—make light of even the direst situations, for his sake and for everyone else's.
Gameweaver giggled, the sound rippling through the void. "Most tanks need massive weapons or shields, but you? You'll be able to go toe-to-toe with the realm's fiercest enemies with nothing but your bare hands. Not that it's likely to save you, of course, but it should make for quite a spectacular show!"
Leo's smirk widened. "Spectacular, huh? Just wait till you see my victory dance. I'll need to come up with something special—maybe a bit of finger-gun action, since these hands are apparently legendary now."
The digital void seemed to pulse, Gameweaver’s laughter fading into the background. Leo's consciousness ebbed like a receding tide, merging momentarily with the digital current that carried billions of others. He took a deep breath—or whatever the closest thing to breathing was in this strange place—and allowed himself a moment to think of Sarah. The weight of the ring, the symbol of his promise to protect, filled him with resolve.
He wasn't just here to survive. He was here to keep his promise, to stand as a shield for those who needed it. And maybe crack a few jokes along the way, because if he could still smile, still lift others' spirits, then he hadn't lost himself. Not yet.