Silence.

Both Charles and Nora sat in complete silence, focused on regaining their strength.

Charles was seated on the rock, his back against the wall, feeling the weight of Nora leaning across his legs.

His soaked clothes still clung to his body, and the burning in his eyes, though less intense, continued to nag at him.

It wasn't the time to ask the system what it had done by forcing his level, as his priority was checking his status to assess how much damage he'd taken and how much energy he had left, but he couldn't just say "status" out loud.

Nora was already on edge, and talking to the system in front of her would sound strange, even suspicious.

If he wanted to get out of there alive, he'd have to improvise.

Trying to sound as natural as possible, Charles cleared his throat and turned his head toward Nora, though he couldn't see her.

"Hey, Nora…" he said, his tone casual. "How're you holding up? I mean, what's your… status?"

Nora shifted slightly, and Charles felt her lift her head from his legs.

Though he couldn't see her expression, he could imagine her frowning, confused.

"My status…?" she repeated, her tone a mix of disbelief and sarcasm. "I'm soaked, freezing, and stuck in a cave where I can't see a thing. But I guess I'm okay, if 'okay' means alive. Why're you asking like that? You're acting weird."

Charles laughed, trying to keep the tone light.

Apparently, avoiding suspicion in this situation was impossible.

"Just checking…" he said, shrugging though he knew she couldn't see it. "Glad you're okay. I also want to… uh, check my own status."

Nora huffed, the sound echoing in the cave.

"Are you okay, Rian…?" she asked, her tone now more concerned than sarcastic. "What's wrong with you? Why're you talking so weird?"

Before Charles could respond, the system's interface flickered in his vision, blue letters floating before him.

[User attempting indirect communication?] the message read.

Charles nodded quickly, several times, hoping the system would pick up the signal.

At the same time, Nora, still partially leaning against him, shifted as she noticed his movements.

"What are you doing…?" she asked, her tone confused.

Charles laughed, trying to brush it off.

"Nothing, I'm not doing anything…" he said, aiming for a nonchalant tone. "Just… thinking."

But at that moment, the system's interface flickered again, and a blue window expanded before his eyes, displaying the data he'd been waiting for:

Name: Rian Cole

Element: Lightning

Level: 7

Stats

Health: 64/100

Energy: 21%

System Intelligence: 4

Control Level: 2

XP: 1914/6400

Available Upgrade Points: 1

Charles felt a wave of relief seeing his health at 64 out of 100.

He'd expected to be in much worse shape after the fall and the underwater ordeal.

The 1914 XP out of 6400 needed to level up also made him smile.

He wasn't far from the next level, and that gave him hope.

But what caught his attention most was the available upgrade point.

With the absolute darkness surrounding them and the possibility of a guardian beast lurking in the cave, he knew he had to use it now.

Knowing that no matter what he said, Nora would grow more suspicious…

Charles took a breath, trying to keep his voice steady.

"I'd like to improve my control level…"

Nora, still close to him, tensed at his words.

"What?" she asked, her tone a mix of confusion and suspicion. "Improve your control level? What're you talking about now, Rian?"

Before Charles could come up with an excuse, the system's interface flickered again, a warning message in red letters.

[Warning: User's body is not fully prepared to increase control level at this time. Calculated risk: 10%. Confirm action?]

Charles swallowed hard.

A 10% risk didn't sound too bad, especially after everything they'd been through.

In the past, he would've been more cautious, but now, trapped in a dark cave with a potential threat, he couldn't afford to wait.

"Yes," he said firmly. "Apply it now."

"Rian…?" Nora said, her tone now genuinely worried. "What's going on? Why're you talking to yourself? Is this another one of your crazy episodes? Because if it is, now's not the time."

Charles opened his mouth to respond, trying to calm her, but before he could say anything, a sharp pain shot through his entire body.

It felt like someone had set his veins on fire, and a groan escaped his lips as he doubled over.

"Agh…!" he grunted, clenching his teeth to keep from crying out louder.

"Rian!" Nora exclaimed, and Charles felt her scramble to her feet, stumbling in the dark.

Her hands fumbled, finally finding him and grabbing his shoulders with effort.

"By the gods, Rian! What's wrong with you?" she said, her tone now completely serious. "If you're faking this, stop it right now, because this isn't funny!"

Charles breathed heavily, trying to manage the pain.

"I need… five minutes…" he gasped, his voice ragged. "I'll be fine, just… wait."

Nora didn't respond right away, but Charles could feel her tension, her hands gripping his shoulders tighter.

"I don't like this, Rian…" she said, her tone a mix of worry and frustration.

Before Charles could reply, a new sound cut through the air.

Splash!

It was the sound of water moving, as if something large had surfaced or submerged in a nearby pool.

Nora froze, and Charles felt her hands tremble slightly.

"What was that…?" she whispered, her tone now pure nervousness.

Charles tried to stand, but the pain still coursed through his body, making every movement a struggle.

"I don't know…" he said, his voice still weak. "But stay close. I think… something's been sensing us."

Nora let out a huff, but it lacked her usual sarcasm.

"Great, just what we needed!" she said, her tone trying to sound brave but betraying her fear.

Suddenly, Charles felt Nora wrap her arms around him, trying to lift him.

"I don't know how the hell I'm gonna do this…" she muttered with a certain determination. "But if something attacks us, I'm not leaving you lying here."

Charles gave a weak laugh, though the pain still pulsed through him.

"Thanks," he said softly.

Nora started running, dragging him with all her strength as the sound of the creature moving grew closer.

"No thanks, you bastard… I hope you're not faking this to save me at the last second, because I swear…!"

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