The moment the dust settled from her earth-shaking final kick, Mi-cha's system chimed with a crystalline beep—sharp, precise, almost celebratory. A semi-transparent interface materialized before her eyes, pulsing softly with light.
> [Level Up Achieved!]
Name: Mi-cha
Level: 165
Class: Unknown
Experience: 150 / 1000
Strength: 150
Agility: 150
Intelligence: 65
Vitality: 200
Special Abilities: Extreme Kick, Rage State
A surge of energy coursed through her body as the level-up settled into her core. Her limbs tingled with residual power, and her senses felt sharp enough to slice through the wind itself. Mi-cha couldn't help but smile—part pride, part disbelief. She'd done it. She'd taken down a werewolf who had outclassed her in both transformation and raw stats. And she didn't do it by sheer force—but by will, strategy, and unrelenting grit.
Without missing a beat, Mi-cha reached into her system inventory and retrieved a slim, silver flask marked with the insignia of the Wysteria Academy field-kit: an HP potion. She uncorked it and downed it in a single gulp, the liquid glowing faintly as it healed her bruises and torn muscles from within.
Across from her, Chae-won—now back in her human form—was already sipping from her own potion. Her expression was no longer smug, but reflective… and intrigued.
"You're stronger than you look," Chae-won said, her voice low but laced with genuine respect. "But don't think that means I'll stop flirting with Muhan."
Mi-cha rolled her eyes, lowering her potion flask. "Good luck with that," she replied coolly. "I just made it clear I'm not someone to challenge lightly."
Soo-ah, standing nearby as the de facto referee, laughed at their banter. "Chae-won, you got wrecked. But I'll give it to you—that wolf form of yours was terrifying. I honestly thought Mi-cha was done for."
Chae-won smirked as she tucked the empty potion back into her inventory. "I'll be back," she said with a glint of promise in her amber eyes. "Next time, I won't hold back."
Mi-cha nodded, gaze steady. There was no animosity between them now—only mutual respect born from the heat of battle. And perhaps, just beneath the surface, the brewing tension of a rivalry that was far from over.
---
Meanwhile, not far from the now-scarred battlefield, the boys' group stumbled upon the aftermath. Muhan, Ji-hoon, and Jin-woo came to a halt as the forest suddenly gave way to a massive crater, the earth cracked and glowing faintly from lingering energy.
The three of them stood in stunned silence, eyes wide as they scanned the ruined terrain.
"What in the multiverse…?"
"Was this a monster attack?"
"Did the planet glitch?"
Their thoughts were loud, panicked, and unanimous.
Muhan crouched to examine the still-warm earth. "This wasn't natural," he muttered. "Someone did this. But who…?" Could it be Aether reacting to the core of the planet?
Before he could speculate further, Ji-hoon broke the tension. "Forget that for now," he grinned. "Let's settle something more important. I'm clearly the fastest one here."
Muhan smirked, rising to his feet. "You? Please."
Jin-woo stepped between them, his face deadpan but eyes blazing. "You're both delusional. I'm the fastest."
Challenge accepted.
Muhan snapped his fingers. "Ten laps around the planet. Let's see who the real speedster is."
No hesitation. The three of them kicked off the ground—and vanished in a blur.
---
The race began.
Xylophia-IV became their personal racetrack, its surreal terrain a tapestry of cosmic wonder. They darted past trees that whispered in tones, vaulted over levitating stones, and blurred across valleys that glittered with stardust.
Muhan's movements were smooth as light. His body became a sleek, blue streak, ethereal and near-intangible. In three seconds, he had completed five laps. The air cracked around him, a sonic boom trailing each pivot.
Ji-hoon wasn't far behind. He was the embodiment of solar momentum, finishing four laps with incredible precision, gold-tinged bursts exploding from each step.
But Jin-woo wasn't done yet.
He screamed into the void, and his aura flared crimson-purple. The wind died around him. His body darkened, condensed into a monarch's shadow.
> [Monarch State – Activated]
His hair shot upward as his stats exploded. In a pulse of raw force, he vanished—reappearing behind them.
Nine laps in three seconds.
Just as Jin-woo was about to finish the final lap—
"Not so fast," Muhan muttered.
He entered his Aether Awakening.
His aura ignited, cerulean flames swirling around him like a storm of light. Two strands of hair dropped in front of his face as his irises turned into radiant orbs of glowing neon blue. The planet's energy bent around him.
Beside him, Ji-hoon activated Nova Awakening, his body engulfed in a radiant golden halo, eyes glowing like miniature suns. His hair flared as if light itself was rising through every strand.
Together, they blitzed past Jin-woo, their speeds folding reality.
10 laps. Completed. Simultaneously.
They skidded to a halt in the cratered battlefield where it had all started, sharing a powerful high-five that shook the landscape. The sheer impact sent out a pressure wave that cleared an entire country-sized region of debris and cloud cover.
"We killed it!" they shouted in unison, laughter echoing into the heavens.
Jin-woo arrived seconds later, still cloaked in Monarch State. He landed, panting, and stood silent for a moment. Then his face fell—not with anger, but quiet sadness. He had pushed himself to his limits, but still couldn't match their final burst. Inside, a fragment of doubt took root.
Muhan noticed. He walked over, clapping Jin-woo on the shoulder. "You're not far behind. Just wait—soon, we'll all be too fast for time itself."
Jin-woo smiled weakly. But his eyes… still shimmered with silent resolve.
---
Elsewhere, Mi-cha and Soo-ah wandered across a vibrant field where alien blossoms shimmered like constellations in bloom. Their conversation was light, their laughter weaving between the strange song of the alien fauna.
"I can't believe how vast this Leveling Realm really is," Soo-ah said, crouching to touch a flower that pulsed with life. "There are entire universes like this… with wonders we haven't even dreamed of."
Mi-cha nodded, eyes scanning the lavender sky. "It's beautiful," she agreed softly.
But her thoughts were drifting.
To him.
To Muhan.
To the way every girl in the academy seemed drawn to his mysterious power, his quiet confidence, the way the air seemed to shift when he walked past. A faint smirk played across her lips. Let them stare, she thought. I'll prove I'm not just another admirer.
As if on cue, her system whispered softly with a new notification.
> [Title Unlocked: "The One Who Dared"]
Effect: Slight increase in Muhan's affinity toward you.
Mi-cha laughed under her breath. Her eyes sparkled, full of mischief and ambition.
"Oh, I'm just getting started."