The morning after the students arrived, the Maestro assigned one of Drakenvaar's residents to guide them around the city. He took them through the shopping center, showing them the equipment stores, the tavern and other places of interest. It was a day of discoveries and adaptations for the group, who gradually assimilated the reality of that world.
But while the others were still exploring, Renji received a special invitation from the Maestro.
The meeting would take place in the afternoon. The purpose? To carry out some personal training.
○
Renji's black blade cut through the air at an absurd speed. His feet slid across the stone floor as he circled the Maestro at high speed, trying to find a gap. He moved like a shadow, trying to confuse him with his agility.
But it was no use.
The Maestro followed him perfectly with his eyes, as if he could see his movements in slow motion.
Then Renji attacked.
His blade advanced in a precise cut, aiming for the side of his opponent's neck. But he was humiliatingly interrupted.
With a single finger, the Maestro effortlessly stopped the dagger in mid-air.
"Haha, that's enough, kid." He laughed, moving the blade slightly away.
Renji remained motionless, his eyes wide. "Did you... follow my movements?"
"I told you before," replied the Maestro, crossing his arms. "Experience trumps talent."
Renji lowered the dagger, taking a deep breath. That man was monstrous.
The Maestro then looked down at the weapon Renji was holding. His face took on a serious expression.
"That blade... Give it up."
The stern tone caught Renji off guard.
"What?!"
"That's just a standard Hero's Path weapon. A starter item, granted by the system so that players don't start empty-handed." The Maestro narrowed his eyes. "It has no unique ability. No identity. Her potential is limited."
Renji looked at his blade. It was true. Since awakening, he hadn't noticed any special properties in it.
"So... what should I use?" He asked.
The Maestro smiled.
He held out his hand and, with a fluid gesture, materialized a serrated dagger.
The reddish blade had a sinister glow, as if it had been forged in fire and blood. Its handle was made from the black leather of a dragon's wings, carved with ancient runes. Unlike the system blade, this weapon wasn't designed to just cut. It tore.
"This is for you." The Maestro twirled the dagger in his fingers before handing it over. "I forged it with your statuses in mind."
Renji took the weapon and, in the same instant, the system flashed before his eyes.
[New Weapon Acquired - Alcatraz Blade: Your Strength has increased by +3 points.]
[Passive Detected - Inmate Steps: The bearer can instantly propel themselves forward up to 10 meters. Recharge time: 30 seconds].
Renji read the attributes, his eyes shining with excitement.
"That's incredible!"
The Maestro smiled, but it didn't end there.
"That's not all yet, kid."
Renji frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I talked to an old friend of mine, Henry, the town blacksmith. He's preparing a suit of armor for you."
"A suit of armor?"
The Maestro nodded. "Nothing too heavy. I know your combat style is agile and lethal, so it's designed not to restrict your movements."
He then pointed at Renji.
"You absorb the statistics of the monsters you defeat. But your ability can also reduce their resistance to zero."
Renji nodded, remembering his negative resistance when he synchronized with the goblins on the second floor.
"Armor will be essential to ensure that you don't die from a single blow if your stamina gets too low."
The Maestro then raised his hand and a new screen appeared.
[Detected Passive - Shadow Hunter: When gaining or losing status points, the bearer receives +10 temporary points in all attributes. Duration: 5 minutes. The effect cannot be stacked].
Renji's eyes widened.
"That... suits my skill perfectly!"
The Maestro laughed. "Well, it's related to my Way of the Hero."
He then explained:
"My power allows me to create passive skills and enchantments, and I can offer them to other players."
Renji felt a chill.
"That means..." He hesitated. "You can create customized skills for anyone?"
The Maestro smiled. "Yes."
He approached and put his hand on Renji's shoulder, his eyes shining with a mixture of pride and mystery.
"Renji... you are destined for greatness. Just like me."
Renji's eyes sparkled.
"Shouma reached level 42 in five years. All thanks to my passives." The Maestro narrowed his eyes. "But you... can go much further."
Renji swallowed.
"You're the most talented person to pass through Drakenvaar since..."
He paused for a moment, his expression hardening.
"...Well, since me."
Renji didn't realize it, but there was something melancholy in that smile.
"I want you to think about it. You're as special to me as you are to the labyrinth..." concluded the Maestro.
Before Renji could reply, Arisa arrived at the training ground.
"Maestro, you wanted to see me?"
"Ah, you've arrived. Good!" The man turned to Renji. "Our training is over for today. As soon as your armor is ready, I'll deliver it myself."
Renji nodded and walked away, leaving the camp.
He knew that conversation would stay in his mind for a long time.
○
Renji returned to the Drakenvarr Fireplace, the hotel where the group was staying. The walk there was silent, but his mind was still occupied with the Maestro's words.
"You are destined for greatness."
"You can go far beyond Shouma."
It was hard to process all this. He didn't see himself as great, just a student who, by chance, had been given a power he still barely understood.
When he reached his room, he opened the door without much expectation, but stopped when he saw Yui sitting at the table, leafing through a book.
She looked up when she heard him enter, but showed no surprise.
"Ah, you're back."
Renji frowned. "What are you doing here?"
"The books in my room were boring," she replied casually. "So I decided to see if I could find something more interesting in yours."
Renji arched an eyebrow. "You're suffering without a cell phone, aren't you?"
She sighed dramatically and threw the book on the table. "Don't remind me of that. I'd give anything for five minutes of Wi-Fi."
He laughed lightly and walked over to her bed. "Don't look, it's fine!" The moment of lightness was short-lived. As he took off his shirt, he felt a twinge of pain in his shoulder and frowned.
The impact of Maestro's defense had left a nasty bruise. The skin was red and sore, and he instinctively massaged the spot, trying to relieve the discomfort.
Yui, who was pretending to be distracted, looked out of the corner of her eye and noticed the bruise.
"Do you want help?" she asked, closing the book.
Renji stopped and looked at her.
"I told you not to look."
She ignored his answer and stood up, walking over to him without hesitation. Without asking permission, she sat on the edge of the bed and ran her fingers over his shoulder.
Renji tensed at the unexpected touch, but didn't pull his hand away.
Yui began to massage the area firmly, her movements careful but expert.
"Since when do you know how to do that?" he murmured, trying to ignore the strange sensation of closeness.
"My mother taught me," she replied absent-mindedly. "She always did it when I hurt myself in dance class."
Renji blinked, surprised.
He had never associated Yui with anything like dancing. When they were still children, before she started to drift away, she had always been full of energy, but she had never mentioned anything about it.
The silence between the two became thicker.
It was Yui who broke it.
"Renji..." she murmured, her voice sounding more hesitant than usual. "When did we become like this... strangers?"
Renji lowered his gaze.
He knew exactly when it had happened.
"When you started hanging out with those girls," he answered bluntly.
Yui paused for a second, as if absorbing those words.
She then forced his shoulder slightly, adjusting the position of the massage.
"I couldn't go on like that," she said, her voice carrying an invisible weight. "You more than anyone saw everything I achieved after I became popular."
"But to do that, you had to become someone else."
She pressed her fingers against his shoulder, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to make her frustration clear.
"Things couldn't be like that forever, Renji. You know that," she muttered. "Someone like me couldn't stay by your side."
Renji turned his face to face her.
"Because I'm reclusive? Is it because I'm a guy who sits in the corner of the room and has nothing interesting to do?"
She looked away.
"You understand."
"Yes," he said, his voice cold. "Popular people hang out with popular people."
A tense silence filled the room.
Yui bit her lip, as if deciding whether or not to say something.
But before he could, Renji spoke again.
"It was those popular people who spread those rumors about you."
Yui froze.
The air became heavy.
For an instant, there was no longer a room. There was no longer an unknown world. Just the two of them, and the wound Renji had just opened.
Then, without warning, she twisted his wound lightly.
Renji grunted in pain and turned to complain, but Yui was already getting up.
Without saying another word, she picked up the book from the table and left the room, slamming the door hard.
Renji stood still for a moment, massaging his sore shoulder.
Then he sighed, running his hand through his hair.
"I think I overdid it..."