Next, a different kind of notification chimed... one that felt heavier, more significant. It explained that every five levels, I would be granted Mastery Points. According to the system’s brief description, these were a "rare and potent means of ascending beyond standard growth." In other words, they were the key to becoming genuinely overpowered.

I tapped "OK" and a new screen unfurled before me.

The list was massive, a sprawling web of high-tier abilities and buffs. For now, however, I only had two slots to fill. The first option that caught my eye was "MERGE CLASS." It let me... well, merge classes I had. So without overthinking it, I committed the point and watched the icon lock into place.

Finally, there were the standard Perk Points. My brain was too fried from the race and the UI-shuffling to spend an hour theory-crafting, so I took the direct approach. I dumped the point into a perk that promised a flat increase to Magic Damage, closed the menu, and finally let out a sigh of relief. Done.

╔═══════════════════════╗

> Ace | LC: 72 | EXP: 2/340 | LVL 5

╠═══════════════════════╣

> HP ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ 115/115

> MP ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ 75/75

> STA ▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱ 51/90

────────────────────────

> Class: MAGE

> Known Abilities: 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

• Fireball

• Heal

• Shield of Aangr

────────────────────────

> PERKS

• +15% More magic damage

• +10% CRIT chance

• Backstab DMG

╠═══════════════════════╣

> [ BAG ] [ MAP ] [ SHOP ] [QUESTS]

╚═══════════════════════╝

I checked my new skill: Shield of Aangr. According to the system, it conjured a buckler of solid light on whichever arm I chose. The kicker? It didn’t drain mana while it was active, but the summoning cost was a steep fifty mana for just sixty seconds of protection.

Absolute robbery.

Then again, maybe I just didn’t have a large enough pool yet. Either way, it was a solid defensive tool for the future, even if I couldn’t see myself spamming it anytime soon.

"Umm..."

I looked up to see two kids, maybe eight or nine years old, approaching me. They were huddled together, looking at me with a mix of curiosity and genuine pity. They looked like the shy, quiet types who spent more time in the library than on the playground.

"Mister?" the braver of the two asked. "Why were you running all alone? Don’t you have any friends to play with?"

"Uuh..."

I stood there, drenched in sweat and panting like a madman who had just lost a fight with the air. How was I even supposed to answer that? ’Sorry kids, I was chasing invisible rings for experience points’? Not likely. Not at all.

"Just wanted to stretch my legs," I said, forcing a smile that probably looked more like a grimace.

"Oh... do you want to play with us?"

"No," I said. "Listen, you shouldn’t invite strangers to play with you. Didn’t your mother teach you that?"

The kid’s face fell. "I don’t have a mother."

The air left my lungs faster than it had during the race. "Oh... I, uh... well..." I let out a fake, jagged cough, looking anywhere but at their sad eyes. "Regardless, you shouldn’t do it. Now, uh, run along."

"O-okay..." they whispered, scurrying away as if I were the monster under their bed.

"Alright... time I head back..."

ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎

By the time I stepped back into the circular street between the dormitories, something felt off immediately. The place was usually calm, a few students passing by, maybe some chatter drifting between the buildings. Now it was crowded and tense.

The girls’ dormitory stood across from me, its pale stone walls damp from the light rain earlier. One of the second-floor windows was shattered, glass still clinging to the frame while the rest had scattered across the ground below in dull, glittering shards. Curtains inside swayed slightly through the broken opening.

Teachers had gathered near the entrance, three of them standing close together, speaking in low, urgent voices. Guards were everywhere, far more than usual, posted along the edges of the street and near the door. Their presence alone was enough to make the air feel heavy.

Students filled the area in clusters. A lot of the girls had rushed out without thinking, some still in thin nightgowns, others in loose tunics thrown on in a hurry. A few clutched blankets around their shoulders. Boys had gathered at a distance, whispering among themselves, some throwing uneasy glances toward the broken window, others openly staring with concern.

"What’s happening?" I muttered.

That was when I noticed her.

A girl with long blue hair sat hunched on a wooden bench near the path, her shoulders shaking violently as she cried. Her body was curled inward, arms wrapped around herself like she was trying to disappear. A couple of her friends stood around her, one rubbing her back, another holding her hand, both trying to calm her down, but it wasn’t working. Her sobs were loud, raw, echoing against the stone walls and cutting through all the murmurs.

"He... he... wore it... then... GODS!" she choked out between breaths, her voice breaking apart.

The sound alone made it clear this wasn’t something small.

"Oi!" a guard barked from my right, snapping my attention away. He strode over and pointed straight at me. "Where’s your ring! Show your divine mark, student! Or are you not a student, huh!"

"What?" I raised my hands slightly. "Wait, I—"

"Are you the one who did it!" he shouted, grabbing my arm roughly. "Are you the pervert!"

"What?"

"Leave him be!" a sharp voice cut in from behind him. "He is a student."

The guard stiffened and immediately let go. "But... yes, Ma’am."

Professor Kroua stood a few steps away, one hand resting on her waist, eyes locked onto me with that same cold, piercing look. She gestured for me to come closer.

I swallowed and walked over, stopping a few meters from the bench. Up close, the tension was even worse. The girls around Jelda shot me hostile looks, their bodies subtly shifting to block her from view.

"Ma’am," I said. "What happened?"

"You weren’t here?" she asked. "When did you leave the boys’ dormitory?"

"An hour... maybe half an hour ago," I replied. "What happened?"

"One of the students in the girls’ dormitory was attacked," she said, her voice steady but sharp. "In her own room. She managed to jump from the window to escape."

I glanced up at the broken glass again. Right... that explained it.

"Oh... by whom?"

"A man. Witnesses saw him running, but no one caught him."

"Okay... I didn’t attack her, though," I said, lifting a hand. "So I’ll just.... go?"

"You are Ambly-blessed," she cut in, her gaze narrowing. "I want you to go to her. Calm her down."

I blinked. "With respect, Professor Kroua... I don’t want to do that. If what you’re saying is true, the last thing she wants to see is a man right now."

"Jelda, calm down," one of her friends whispered, rubbing her back. "You have to stay strong."

"You have some type of control over women, Ace," Kroua continued, ignoring me. "I don’t like to admit it. But you do. Go there. Calm her down."

"How?"

"You’re Ambly-blessed." She nudged me forward slightly. "Figure it out."