The sun was already beginning its descent, casting golden hues across the academy’s marble corridors. Most students had already finished dinner or were on their way to the dormitories, but Noah walked alone with quiet purpose.
His steps echoed faintly as he reached the upper floors where the faculty offices were. The air was still and calm.
’Looks like the Augmentor class quest has finally triggered. Good, good. I’ll need this—especially since I don’t have the protagonist buffs like Cael did, shit just remembering his name makes me want to vomit.’
He stopped in front of the door labeled Professor Darius – Combat Training & Physical Enhancement.
"Come in," came the deep, familiar voice.
Inside, Professor Darius was finishing some paperwork, sleeves rolled up as usual, revealing arms that looked more like forged steel than flesh. The walls of his office were lined with various weapons, weights, and faded battle flags from past tournaments. The scent of old leather and faint cologne lingered.
Noah entered casually. "You said you had something for me?"
Darius looked up, smiled.
"Right on time. You ready for your little errand?"
Noah shrugged. "Sure. Though I get the feeling it’s not just a delivery."
The professor chuckled and reached under his desk, pulling out a medium-sized box wrapped in plain gray cloth. He handed it over with surprising care.
"Don’t open it," Darius said, voice serious now. "Just deliver it. You’ll know the place when you get there."
Noah’s crimson eyes glinted. He nodded, a grin forming.
"Got it. No questions asked."
Darius leaned back in his chair, eyes sharp now—not the easygoing instructor, but the seasoned warrior beneath.
"There’s a small settlement just outside the forest ridge past Southgate," Darius began, his tone measured. "Take the northeast trail. You’ll find a rest station there. You’re meeting someone at the third post—late evening. Deliver the package. That’s all."
Noah raised an eyebrow. "No names?"
"None. And don’t try asking. Just hand it over when they ask for it properly."
Noah tilted his head. "Properly?"
Darius’s lips quirked slightly. "They’ll say: ’Nice night to travel light.’ You answer: ’Lighter than a whisper.’"
Noah blinked, then snorted. "You guys and your melodrama."
Darius gave him a look. "This isn’t a joke. I’m testing something. Trust, mainly. And you’re not the only one involved."
That last part made Noah pause. His fingers curled slightly around the wrapped box.
"What happens if they try to steal it?" Noah asked flatly.
"Then you do what you do best," Darius said with a grin. "Survive."
Noah gave a lopsided smile and turned to leave. "Lighter than a whisper, huh? Alright then."
As he opened the door, Darius called after him. "You go alone."
Noah raised a hand without turning back. "Wouldn’t have it any other way."
And with that, he vanished down the corridor, shadows curling around his silhouette as the sun finally dipped behind the academy walls.
The forest trail stretched ahead, cloaked in the warm hues of early evening. Shadows lengthened, birds quieted, and only the steady crunch of Noah’s boots marked the stillness. The path was quiet—too quiet, almost disappointingly so.
Just trees. Dirt. And the sealed package slung casually over his shoulder.
He clicked his tongue. "Guess this is one of those ’trust-building’ quests without the fun parts."
His thoughts wandered to the mission’s reward—not this one, but the final one in the chain. In the game, it had been hidden behind a long series of class-exclusive errands, all for a single item: a pendant. An artifact, actually.
"One of the best Augmentor tools in the late game... if you didn’t miss the hidden trigger like most players did."
He smirked. Noah didn’t miss hidden triggers.
’Still... I have to play it cool. If Darius thinks I’m too eager, he might alter the sequence. It has to look natural.’
But it wasn’t just about the pendant. Training with a veteran Augmentor like Darius was already a huge win. Sparring experience, feedback, battle instincts—all things he lacked as a "side character" with no cheat-like protagonist buffs.
"This world may be off-script, but that doesn’t mean I can’t prep for the final boss."
He adjusted the strap on his shoulder and picked up the pace, the fading sun casting golden light through the trees.
’Two more weeks till the auction.’
The trail curved down into a rocky clearing beside a quiet stream, its waters glinting beneath the amber sky. Moss-covered stones lined the banks, and in the center, a lone figure stood—tall, broad, unmistakable.
He had swapped his sleeveless vest for a plain dark cloak, the hood down. His posture was relaxed, but Noah knew better. Every inch of him screamed vigilance—like a predator casually pretending to nap.
Noah approached, tossing the sealed package forward with a light swing. It landed at Darius’s feet without a thud, almost weightless.
"Didn’t expect you to come in person," Noah said, folding his arms. "Thought you’d send one of your little delivery birds, I imagine you don’t need that cringy code right?."
Darius looked down at the package, then back up with a faint smirk. "You passed the first test, Noah."
Noah raised an eyebrow. "Which one? Not opening it, not getting lost, or not asking dumb questions?"
"All three," Darius replied. "But mostly the last one."
He bent down and picked up the package, slipping it into a pouch at his side.
"I needed to see if you’d take this seriously. There’ll be more, and not all of them will be this simple. Still interested?"
Noah shrugged. "You’re offering free training and something shiny at the end, right?"
The professor’s smirk widened into something closer to a grin. "Good."
Noah made his way back to the academy under the fading light, hands in his pockets, the breeze carrying the faint scent of pine and rain-wet stone.
He reached the outer gates of the academy, slipping in without a word to the guards, who barely glanced his way.
’Cael had the protagonist’s plot armor, and all the buffs that came with it. Me? I have knowledge, guts, and a sword that drinks moonlight. Should be enough, actually add a new player, that’s already good too.’
His lips curled into a quiet smirk.
’I’m not losing this time.’
The moon peeked over the rooftops of the academy as he stepped through the courtyard, boots echoing lightly against the stone.