Kyle was back home. Veronica had told him to return and rest after he declined the counseling session every Nightwalker went through following their first mission, meant to evaluate their mental state.

Young kids tend to go through nightmares and PTSD after witnessing something groteseuq and horrifying like what Kyle did today. So councelling becomes mandatory for them.

However, Kyle assured her that he had been through far worse than today’s incident to be shaken by something like this.

Yet while saying those words, he truly felt a little strange about himself. How in the world had he not been traumatized yet?

He had killed living things, heard their agonized cries, and felt their bodies turn cold in his hands. And still...

Well, he decided not to dwell on it.

Bzz

Picking up his phone, he read the message from Amanda.

{Heard what happened. I’ll be there in half an hour.}

If she already sounded worried through text, then without a doubt, she was worried sick.

Kyle sighed. Well, it was inevitable she would find out. Veronica had to report everything that transpired in that building.

Not that he was complaining, but hopefully Amanda would understand him the same way Veronica did.

"And there goes my good clothes," he muttered as he tossed the ruined shirt and pants into the basket.

Now he understood why Blake had offered to buy him protective gear.

There was a freaking hole in his underwear too.

He would talk to Lara and go shopping soon.

Hisss

As he stepped into the shower, warm water cascaded over his body, making him go limp beneath it.

His eyes closed, shoulders relaxed, and a soft sigh of relief escaped his lips.

He remained standing there under the stream, letting the tension slowly drain from his muscles.

Then he opened his eyes and asked the system, "Mind showing me my stats?"

[Stats:

Strength: 16 -> 17.5

Speed: 16.5

Endurance: 21 -> 25

Intelligence: 11.5 -> 13

Affinity:

Magic Control: 8% -> 10%

Efficiency: 4%-> 7%]

[Skills: God’s Eye (Lvl 1)

Overlord (Lvl 1)]

[Items: Aquilla of Archilles

Red Elixir: 1

Lantern of Life]

[Soul Points: 6521 -> 6810]

Kyle frowned. No, he was satisfied with his stats. He had gained an increase in strength, endurance, and most importantly, soul points.

What confused him was the absence of one item he should have received. But...he didn’t.

The Mask of Fool.

"I did... overwhelm my enemy, didn’t I?"

[Host, the viewer pulled away from the stream right before you charged at the monster. They might or might not have been disappointed by your fighting style.]

Kyle rolled his eyes. "What were they even expecting? For me to suddenly bring the entire building down on that monster and finish it in one move?"

Shaking his head, he let out a sigh. Some people were impossible to satisfy, and this being, the God of Mischief, seemed to be one of them.

[Host did receive one good reward, though. Does the host want to read its description?]

The system almost sounded like it was trying to cheer him up.

Kyle decided not to dwell on what he had lost and instead focus on what he had gained.

"Yeah, sure."

[Name: Overlord]

[Rank: SSS]

[Usage: 500 SP upon activation and 10 SP for every second the skill remains active.]

[Ability: The skill enhances the host’s base stats by threefold without requiring any external enhancement. Every stat receives a severe boost, alongside increased healing factor and magical efficiency.]

[Ding! At the current level, the host can safely use the skill for at most half a minute.]

[Proficiency: 0/100]

[Upon reaching the required mark, the host will level up the ability.]

[To increase proficiency, there is only one method: use the skill repeatedly.]

Kyle’s brows quirked at that.

Three freaking folds... that meant...

"Hey, System. You recorded Ava’s stats, right? Can you show me those?"

[Stats:

Strength: 57

Speed: 62

Endurance: 48

Intelligence: 36]

Goddamn... with this skill, he could easily rival her, even if only for half a minute.

Scratching his head, Kyle asked, "This seems broken... what are the drawbacks?"

[If used within the safety threshold, the host will suffer only mild exhaustion, which can fade after a short period of rest. Crossing the threshold may result in major exhaustion. If pushed beyond a minute, the host may experience severe spasms, internal bleeding, and possible loss of consciousness. So please, be very careful when using it.]

Kyle nodded in understanding. Of course, every good thing came with a price. At least he would not have to pay too heavily as long as he kept himself under control.

After finishing his bath, he stepped out of the bathroom.

Just then, he heard his phone buzzing.

Picking it up, he frowned.

It was his mother calling.

Taking a deep breath, he picked up the call.

"Yeah?"

{Is that how you greet your mother? Forget that and tell me, why didn’t you inform us about your awakening?}

Kyle dropped into a chair as he reached the dining area. "I thought Blake would’ve already told you."

{He is not your messenger, and this is not something so small that you can act this nonchalant about it. Kyle, when are you going to become responsible?}

He already felt like disconnecting the call.

The first time she had called after the news spread, and it wasn’t to ask whether he was alright or even congratulate him. Well, that was exactly what he expected from his mother.

{Anyway, you need to return home this weekend. Your uncle and aunt are arriving, and we are holding a small celebration. I do not want them thinking we are on bad terms just because you skipped the event despite living so close.}

Kyle groaned. "I’ll think about it."

{No, you do not get to think about it. You are coming. Once you enter the academy, you will not be able to return home for a long time, so at least save us some face and show up on time.}

Click

And just like that, the call ended.

Kyle tossed the phone aside and leaned back in his chair.

He was tired of this.

Being forced into things he never wanted.

They never cared about him or how he was living. He was only remembered whenever they needed to preserve the image of the Astortia family.

Perfect relationships. Perfect connections. Perfect appearances.

Kyle shook his head. He had no intention of going there... well, not before speaking with Blake.

If this was truly important, Blake would tell him himself. Kyle trusted that much.

But as of now, he had absolutely no desire to return.

Spending his weekend around those snobby kids and constantly judgmental elders sounded like torture.

Just then, another notification rang from his phone.

Picking it up, he saw it was from Amanda.

She was already downstairs.

Taking a deep breath, he stood up and granted her permission to enter the building.

As he approached the door, he prepared himself.

What he had done today had definitely worried her.

And that was exactly why he needed to have a long conversation with her.

°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you have been enjoying the story so far, please leave a comment or review.