Oh boy, this will require a little bit of thinking. Once I pick my path, I won't be able to change it and will have to walk this way up until the end. The good thing is that I can pick the attribute upgrade that I like and then complement it with my future Traits or even Skills, creating the best possible combination.

I love it; I like theorizing. And yes, a bit more info would be nice so I can make the best possible decision, but that's not how the system works.

Just wait until I get to the original Lissandra and unleash her on you, you will be so screwed. And then, while you two fight, I'll get in some hits and have my revenge and rewards.

Sounds good?

Good!

As for the rewards, I have gained 9 levels, like what the heck. Nine entire levels, meaning 27 points into mana. All in less than one hour. Then plenty of skill level-ups. The best reward will surely be the attribute upgrade, but a rare piece of gear could be nice, and what the heck are shards? I've already checked them, and they do nothing. Maybe they will work when we enter the 4th floor and unlock the Shop, which is one of the rewards for clearing the third floor?

“I want to pick my rare piece of equipment.” I say.

The system understands, and the options appear in front of me. It's kind of creepy how it continues to listen all the time, even to the point of reading our minds.

Please, pick one of the options, all are based on your performance within the tutorial.

Oh? Somewhat personalized rewards? That's quite nice.

Blade of Astral Resonance (rare) - This longsword, forged from a meteorite, harmonizes with its wielder's energies, and it's easy to infuse with mana and other energies.

Endurium Javelin (rare) - Created from a rare alloy known as Endurium, this javelin possesses an extraordinary hardness that resists all forms of destruction. While it holds no magical properties, its durability makes it a formidable weapon.

Barrier Bastion (rare) - This hand-crafted shield made of a mystic alloy can be saturated with the user's mana to generate a mana barrier. The strength of this barrier scales with the wielder's mana use.

Pyroclast Mantle (rare) - Woven from the rare Ashen Silk, this cloak provides substantial protection against fire. Its fabric seems to come alive when subjected to flame, absorbing the fiery energy and enhancing its resistance proportional to the strength of the attack.

Mark of the physical strength (rare) - This tattoo, crafted with an ethereal pigment responsive to mana, subtly fortifies the physical strength of the wearer. This slight enhancement comes at the cost of a continuous mana drain.

Hmm, did the system fall in love with me? Did watching me struggle soften that big cold heart, and it took some pity on me? Is this reward for all my suffering up until now? Is there any bug?

I want to say that Beyond wasn't as hard as expected, but I have a suspicion that plenty of people would beat me up for that.

Am I that amazing? Too strong even for Beyond?

Huhuh. I don't think so. No matter how hard I try to soften it up, Beyond was dangerous, and I have a feeling that it really was just a start - a filter the same way the first floor was.

Well, as always, that's a problem for the future Nathaniel Gwyn, screw that jackass. I just need to do my best.

But first, I really like the tattoo; unfortunately, it's quite useless to me with all my strengthening and my construct doing the same, but it's interesting to see, and it could be worth picking just to examine it.

Javelin would be good for Tess and not for me; I don't need the shield, and why the heck would I pick the cape? I bet little Isabella would be making fun of me. Plus, I'm sure I can defend myself against fire better.

In the end, it could be either the sword or the tattoo but I don't need either of them even though their descriptions sound super cool. As for the sword, I don't like relying on weapons. Just having my mana and being able to create any weapon I need is good enough, even if it might be slightly weaker.

The rewards are all good options, just... just not for me, even though they are personalized by the system. Plus, I have the dagger I took from the phantom goblin.

Venomstrike Mana Dagger (rare) - A short obsidian dagger with a sharp edge. Upon injury, the target experiences mana drain due to a poison effect. Use with caution - it's dangerous to magic users.

I glance at it and then stab my thigh with it slightly after sending some mana through it. It immediately poisons me, making me regenerate my mana slower and disrupting some of my control over it. I continue to try to fight against the effect, using it as practice while thinking over the items.

Okay, let's just pick the javelin and give it to Tess.

Tattoos are interesting, but surely not as intriguing as my constructs, and there's a limited number of hours in a day, and I already have plenty to do. As for the sword, I just need to improve my usage of [Armament]. It's my mana, so it surely is much better than some sword at handling my energies or more of my mana. Plus relying on the sword would make that progress slow down.

When I decide, the weapon appears in front of me. It's just here as if it had been there the entire time. The javelin is made of a single piece. The metal is a light gray color, and I don't feel mana from it or any mana pathways. There's nothing.

As the description said, it's just a simple javelin made from a metal called Endurium, and most likely extremely tough in exchange for lacking any special effects.

Damn, Tess better be thankful; maybe I can use her to defend me against Lily.

I get back to the hideout, and Lily isn't there. Everyone just stares at me, surprised that I came so early and even more surprised by my state.

It's just a few missing fingers, a hurt eye, a nearly cut-off ear, some burns, and a few stab wounds. In a world where healers exist, these wounds start to feel like getting a papercut back on Earth. Painful, but something that can be dealt with easily.

Yet I know it's dangerous. I've noticed it, but I've already gotten used to Lily healing me, maybe too used. I should be more careful.

A few hours pass, and finally, Lily appears, together with Tess and Biscuit.

The best doggo seems to want to run to me, but then he glances at Lily and then at me and just disappears somewhere, his eyes darting around the cave, surely full of fear of little Isabella.

Tess is fine; there are no wounds on her. Yet, I still feel some of her mana lingering around her, a clear sign of the fights she went through not long ago.

Lily, on the other hand, is battered. Half of her face is terribly burned; she's missing a big chunk of her left forearm, and she's limping. Her eyes brighten up a little as she spots me, and she slowly moves towards me, leaving Tess behind.

There are wisps of bright white mana over her wounds, healing her, restoring her to her original state, but they disappear the moment she spots me and my wounds.

"Don't look at my face; I look terrible right now," she says, covering the terribly burned half of her face with her hair and sitting next to me.

She grabs my hand and sends her mana to me.

I disrupt it.

She tries again.

I disrupt it again.

"Nat?" she looks at me, surprised.

"Everyone, get out of the hideout." My voice sounds cold and soon everyone gets up and leaves, only Tess giving me an understanding nod before closing the entrance.

I look at the girl in front of me and then slightly lower the effect [Focus] has on me and my emotions.

My hand missing three fingers reaches up and pushes aside Lily's hair, revealing the burn on her face. She slightly shudders under my touch but lets me do it, looking at me with big eyes, like a scared little animal.

"Heal yourself," I let go and say.

"It's fine; that much is nothing. I will heal myself right after..."

"Heal yourself," my voice is stronger this time.

She falls silent for a moment and then says a single word, "No."

That word echoes loudly in the deafening silence of the hideout. Yet I heard it; I heard the emotion in her voice.

"Is it painful?" I ask.

"No, it's not."

"Is it hard?" my voice softens.

"...No."

"Are you scared?"

"No." she lies again, but this time her voice quivers a bit more, and I see her gulp as well as some tears collecting in her eyes.

Somehow, I want to help this girl. The way she acts bravely and hides her pain, pretending everything is okay, reminds me of my mom way too much. Even though it might be because she's not normal like the rest of us, she decided to help me over and over. Yet, at the start, I thought only of using her.

I can't give her what she wants. I don't feel such emotion for her, and I'm sure she knows that. Yet, she is a silly girl.

So I smile at her, and the shock on her face is fascinating to look at. Wide-open eyes, an unbelieving expression. I etch it into my mind, and then I hug her.

That makes her freeze even more.

“You're doing well, Lily.” I whisper.

She starts shaking. I've long since seen the pain and fear in her eyes, no matter how hard she tried to act tough.

“You are so brave, and you're doing your hardest,” I ignore the tears I feel on my back, “But you have to take care of yourself a bit more, okay?”

You're not like me, so don't try to imitate me. Don't go out to get hurt and don't try to suffer through it all while pretending not to be bothered by it all. Don't act the way my mom did; it just brings up bad memories for me.

"Push yourself if you wish to do so, but don't bottle it up. You have a few people around you who you can consider friends; feel free to vent with them." I say while hugging her.

When she starts sobbing and grabs me tightly, I allow her to do so.

It's okay for only me to suffer through it all. I can handle it.