[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
....
"What?!" Jan gasped, startling Maria beside him.
"What's wrong?!" she asked, eyes wide with concern.
But Jan didn't respond—he was too consumed by the sudden surge of notifications.
'She's the one killing the monsters... and I'm the one leveling up?'
Whoosh!
The excitement, however, was cut short as two Abyssal Striders flanked Sophia, their grotesque bodies moving with eerie grace. Their claws scraped against the ground, like nails on a chalkboard, sending shivers down Jan's spine.
Sophia deflected the first strike with her sword, but before she could counter, the second Strider slashed her side.
[-45]
The armor Jan had given her took the brunt of the blow, but a deep gash still cut into her side, blood seeping through.
She gritted her teeth against the pain, shoving the first Strider back as she spun and slashed the second across the chest. Both monsters stumbled back a few steps, regrouping for another attack.
"Huff... Huff…"
She struggled to breathe, her movements sluggish, but she was not fighting alone. Maria raised her staff: [Healing!]
A soft light enveloped Sophia, and the gash on her side sealed itself, leaving unblemished skin in its wake.
No matter how many times Jan witnessed Maria's healing magic, it always filled him with awe.
With renewed strength, Sophia tightened her grip on her sword and charged the two Striders, forcing them further back with a series of rapid strikes. But before she could gain the upper hand, a third monster emerged from the shadows.
Cling! Clang!
She fought desperately, her blade ringing out as it clashed with claws, but the relentless assault was wearing her down.
'She's being pushed back.'
Jan gripped his sword, finally mustering the courage to charge forward—but he only made it a few steps before Sophia threw out her free arm to stop him. " Stay back!"
“This is not the time to be stubborn—let me help!”
Sophia struck one of the Striders again, sneaking a glance over her shoulder. "I said—No! Maria look out!"
A shadow was already looming behind Maria—a dark figure, rising from within her own shadow. Its long, clawed hand locked onto her head, pinning her in place.
[Nightmare Wraith LV.???]
[-20] [-20] [-20]...
Startled by the sudden messages flashing in his view, Jan whipped around. Before him stood the monster, the same one having attacked Maria at the start of this fight.
The Nightmare Wraith stood tall, cloaked in darkness. Its limbs were unnaturally long, its face a void except for glowing white eyes that pierced through the gloom.
Under its grip, Maria's eyes turned white, her body trembling as she fought for consciousness, struggling to reach her staff that had fallen to the ground.
Gritting his teeth, Jan rushed toward Maria, hoping to catch the creature off guard while it was focused on its prey. But the Wraith wasn’t trying to devour her—it was staring straight at him, raising a bony finger in his direction.
[You have fallen into confusion due to the enemy's ability.]
[Due to your high intelligence, you have managed to partially resist the confusion.]
Jan's vision blurred as his mind fought to focus. The scene before him dissolved into a hazy swirl, everything fading away—except for the Wraith's glowing eyes, which bore into his soul, dragging him into madness.
[-20] [-20] [-20]...
[Maria is in a critical state. Her life is in danger!]
Jan's gaze flicked to the warning messages. Through the fog clouding his mind, he could barely make out Maria, trembling violently, tears streaming from her milky, unfocused eyes.
'It's draining her life...' he realized, but his thoughts were jumbled, and he was losing his ability to think.
"JAN!!! JANN!!!"
Sophia’s voice pierced the haze. She was now locked in a desperate battle with four Abyssal Striders, her sword blazing as she struggled to fend them off.
"Damn it! MOVE!"
She tried to push forward, but the monsters kept blocking her path, their claws slashing at her relentlessly. One wrong move, and it would all be over.
"JAAAANNN!!!"
'Huh...? Sophia?'
Her last scream cleared Jan's mind slightly, and the distorted scene snapped back into focus. He saw Maria, still trapped in the Wraith's grip, her life force slipping away.
'Maria!'
Without hesitation, Jan bit down hard and drove the blade into his own thigh.
[-30]
[You are now in a bleeding state. Health will decrease over time.]
[Confusion has subsided. Your condition is restored to normal.]
Pain shot through him, but it grounded him, snapping him out of the Wraith's hold. Without pause, he ripped the sword from his leg and flung it at the shadowy figure strangling Maria.
The blade flew through the air, heading straight for the Wraith's glowing eyes.
[-45]
[Critical Hit!]
The Wraith twisted, releasing Maria’s head just in time to avoid a lethal blow. But Jan’s sudden break from its spell caught it off guard, and it couldn’t fully dodge. The blade sank deep into its shoulder, tearing out a sharp, unnatural screech.
Freed from its grasp, Maria gasped for breath as she collapsed toward her staff. With all the strength she could muster, she shouted, [Holy Light!]
This time, the light wasn’t meant to guide—it was an attack. Blinding radiance surged around the Wraith, burning into its shadowy form as flames licked at the dark tendrils making up its body.
The creature writhed, weakened and unable to escape the searing light. But Maria was exhausted; she had done all she could, and it was not enough to finish the creature.
The Wraith, sensing her vulnerability, forced itself to move again, extending its hand toward Maria's head, ready to drain what little life she had left.
"AAAAHHH!!!!!"
Before it could strike, Jan threw himself at the Wraith, knocking it to the ground. Desperation fueled him as he tore his sword free from the monster's shoulder, only to drive it back into its body.
Again and again, he stabbed the Wraith's chest, ignoring the shadows that hissed and writhed around him. Each blow tore through the creature's form, until its anguished screams faded into silence.
The shadows fell limp, no longer coiling around him—but Jan didn't stop until a system window appeared.
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
...
Panting, he collapsed to the ground, his chest heaving with exertion. His wounds were healed and his stats were restored—but the weight of what he'd just endured clung to him like a heavy cloak. No amount of leveling up could lift that.
Just as he began to catch his breath, a thought jolted him. "Maria!" he shouted, scrambling to his feet.
To his surprise, Maria was already standing, looking as if the battle hadn't touched her.
She smiled weakly.
"What happened? Are you okay?" He asked, concerned.
"I leveled up as well," Maria replied with a bittersweet smile.
Jan glanced at the numbers floating above her head—she was now level 74. He wasn't the only one benefiting from defeating these monsters.
'Wait does this mean...?!'
A sudden realization struck him, and his gaze shifted to Sophia.
He checked her level—it had risen to 68, and she appeared in perfect condition as if the battle had only just begun.
Whoosh!!
In one swift motion, Sophia's flaming blade severed a Strider's head. Without missing a beat, she spun, drawing a wide arc of sparks as her sword swept toward two creatures flanking her left.
That one move stopped both of them in their tracks, giving Sophia just enough time to turn right and swing her blade upward—cleaving through the remaining Strider coming from that direction, splitting it cleanly in two.
Thud.
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
The two halves of the monster hit the ground with a heavy crash. Sophia let out a wild, triumphant laugh. "You thought you could stop me? Think again!"
She charged, her flaming blade trailing streaks of fire as she tore through the remaining Striders. Their shrieks echoed through the air as each strike landed, flames searing through their bodies and leaving behind only smoldering husks.
"Wow!" Jan whispered, amazed by the scene unfolding before him.
"What a maniac," Maria commented dryly, watching her sister savor the end of her battle.
Sophia gave her blade one final swing, whipping away the black blood of her last victim—just as a final notification appeared.
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
Sophia looked around, then looked again, confirming no more monsters remained. She walked over to Jan and Maria. The few that had survived had apparently fled after witnessing the decimation of their forces.
"You're amazing!" Jan exclaimed, still in awe.
He barely managed to defeat the Wraith, but Sophia made it look effortless.
"H-huh! I-It's nothing!" Sophia stammered, turning her head away to hide her reddening cheeks. She glanced at Maria. "Are you okay? That was a close one."
"Y-Yes, thanks to Jan," Maria replied, her hands still trembling from fear as she gripped her staff tightly.
"That's the least he could do after breaking formation!" Sophia shot Jan a sharp look.
"I-I'm sorry," Jan said, lowering his head, guilt washing over him. "I didn't know... I was worried, I just wanted to help you."
"Well, as long as you know now, i-it's fine," Sophia muttered. She quickly turned away, cheeks still flushed, mumbling to herself, "Seriously, what's wrong with me..."
Maria took a deep breath and patted Jan on the shoulder. "It's not your fault. This was due to my poor leadership. I feel much better now, so don't worry."
"Are you sure?" Jan asked, concerned.
"Certain!" Maria smiled brightly, "I'm also a C-Ranked Adventurer, you know!"
"Hah!" Sophia scoffed. "But I'm way stronger!"
"But my level's still higher!" Maria teased with a grin.
"That's only temporary!" Sophia barked back.
The two began to bicker, but it felt lighter this time, it was as if the storm had passed and things were returning to normal.
Jan, watching them, couldn't help but smile.
"Well, levels don't matter anyway. Even our 'clueless hero' is leveling up!" Sophia chuckled.
"You can see mine?" Jan asked, eyes wide in surprise. He thought only Rollo could do it, and he had lost count of how many levels he had gained during the battle.
"Of course we can!" Sophia replied, bemused.
"I didn't know that!" he murmured, feeling a little embarrassed.
"Man..." Sophia sighed deeply, rubbing her forehead. "You really don't know anything..."
Maria laughed softly and said, "You're level 39 now, Jan."
"What?!" Jan's eyes widened in disbelief. "Then I'm really getting stronger!"
"Again, you're missing the point!" Sophia groaned. "It's not about levels—it's all about stats!"
"No, it's about skills!" Maria countered.
"No, weapon mastery matters way more than skills!" Sophia shot back.
"Stats...? Skills...?" Jan looked even more confused than before.
Sophia and Maria both sighed in unison at his bewildered expression. Sophia shook her head. "You explain it. I don't have the patience."
"We don't have time for that right now," Maria said. "I'll explain as we go."
Sophia nodded, refocusing. "The meeting point is in front of the holy statue. The church is northeast, and we’re running late. We need to move—use your light."
"Got it," Maria said, raising her staff to cast a warm glow over the area. She then glanced at Jan and said. "Let's go!"
"Y-Yes!" Jan responded, quickly falling in line as the three set off toward their destination.