Chapter 17: Level up

Jelo thought about Atlas’s statement as they stood there in the quiet corridor, surrounded by the unconscious bodies of the Class 2 students. He realized he could have been in much more trouble if Atlas had not arrived when he did, none of this would have ended so smoothly.

If Atlas hadn’t redirected those teachers, Jelo would have been caught in an instant, and the consequences would have been severe. Punishment, humiliation, perhaps even expulsion , it was a reality he did not want to consider too deeply, but it hovered at the edge of his mind regardless.

He owed Atlas. More than he wanted to admit.

Gratitude filled him, warm but hesitant, a sensation that made him slightly uneasy because he wasn’t used to depending on anyone, let alone someone like Atlas. But even as he felt that gratitude, another, sharper thought edged its way forward, prickling at the back of his mind.

Why was Atlas following him?

Why did Atlas seem to be stalking him? Was it just a coincidence that Atlas happened to be there at the right moment? Or was this something that happened regularly? Had Atlas been watching him this whole time?

Jelo didn’t know. And that uncertainty bothered him.

He thought about Atlas more carefully now, turning the puzzle over in his mind.

On the surface, Atlas seemed like a loser, just like him. Weak. Talentless. Ranked F at the bottom of the class. The kind of person nobody paid attention to. The kind of person who faded into the background.

But that didn’t match what Jelo had seen.

In the first fight against the Class 2 students, back when they had stood up for the girl, Atlas had been very competent. He’d held his own. He’d proven he could handle himself in a fight, at least against one opponent. At the time, Jelo had assumed it was luck. A one-off event. Maybe Atlas had just gotten a lucky hit, or maybe the other guy had underestimated him.

But now?

Seeing Atlas take on two of the boys by himself and be fine despite being ranked F, made Jelo wonder.

How strong was Atlas really?

Was it a matter of the academy’s tests not being accurate enough to measure his power? The tests measured strength, speed, and stamina, but maybe there was more to ability than just those three things. Maybe Atlas had skills that didn’t fit neatly into those categories.

Or was Atlas deliberately hiding his power?

That thought lingered in Jelo’s mind. If Atlas was hiding his strength on purpose, then why? What was he trying to avoid? What was he planning?

Jelo didn’t have answers. Not yet.

But he decided then and there to start monitoring Atlas more closely. To watch him. To see if his teammate’s behavior was a facade.

For now, though, he pushed those thoughts aside.

“Thanks,” Jelo said quietly as they began walking away from the scene. “For coming. And for the teacher thing.”

Atlas shrugged. “No problem,” he said simply.

They continued back to their rooms in relative silence. The corridors were quieter now, most students having retreated to their quarters for the night. Their footsteps echoed faintly against the polished floors.

As they walked, the system flickered to life in Jelo’s mind.

<You are eligible for a level up. Do you accept?>

Jelo’s heart skipped a beat. A level up. Already.

But he hesitated. He was in the middle of a corridor. He didn’t know what might happen when he leveled up. Would there be a visible change? Would he collapse? Would something happen that would draw attention?

No. It was too risky.

He decided to wait until he reached his room.

When they finally got back, Atlas mumbled a tired goodnight and disappeared into his section of the room. Jelo waited until he heard Atlas settle onto his bed before turning his attention inward.

He accepted the level up.

The changes began immediately.

It started in his gut, a strange shifting sensation, like his digestive system was rearranging itself. Then it spread to his chest, his cardiovascular system pulsing and changing in ways he couldn’t describe.

His muscles twitched and tightened, fibers breaking down and rebuilding stronger than before. Even his brain felt different, sharper, clearer, like a fog had been lifted.

It was a full internal change.

His outward appearance stayed human. He looked the same. But inside, almost every system in his body was altering, evolving, becoming something more.

When it finally stopped, Jelo let out a slow breath.

He felt faster. Stronger. Sharper. His reflexes felt quicker, his vision clearer. It was like he’d been wearing weights his whole life and someone had finally taken them off.

The system notified him.

<Congratulations; You have now reached Level 2>

He checked his stats, and sure enough, the boosts were there. His speed, strength, and stamina had each increased by ten points. It wasn’t a massive jump, but it was noticeable. It was progress.

Jelo allowed himself a small smile. This was good. This was…

Suddenly, a sharp headache pierced through his skull.

He winced, clutching his head as the pain flared. It felt like someone was driving a nail into his brain.

<Warning: Critical condition. Low fuel reserves.>

Jelo frowned, confused. Low fuel reserves? What did that mean? He’d eaten already. He wasn’t hungry.

He checked the system again, and this time, it explained.

<Fuel reserves are replenished by consuming Dabba hearts. Current reserves: Critical. For every hour that passes without consuming a Dabba heart, you will lose health.>

Dabba hearts.

Jelo stared at the notification, his mind struggling to process it. He had to eat the hearts of Dabbas, those mutated monsters that roamed outside the safe zones, or he would slowly die.

That was… a problem.

But Jelo was too tired to care about that right now. The day’s events had drained him completely. His body ached. His mind was foggy. He could barely keep his eyes open.

He decided to sleep and figure out his new predicament in the morning.

With a heavy sigh, he collapsed onto his bed and let the darkness take him.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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