I woke to late afternoon light filtering through the infirmary windows, painting everything in shades of gold and amber. My body still ached, but it was a dull, manageable pain now rather than the sharp agony from before.

I yawned, stretching carefully, and scratched my head. The movement sent small twinges through my shoulders, reminding me I was still healing.

I should check my stats.

I pulled up the status window mentally—

And froze.

[HIDDEN QUEST: DUNGEON DANGER]

Objective: Survive the Blackwood Crypt examination

Status: COMPLETED

Rewards:

+3,500 EXP | +5 Stat Points | New Skill: [Iron Will (Passive)]

Hidden quest?

I stared at the notification, my mind struggling to process.

There was a quest? The whole time?

The system didn't mention it before.

I dismissed the notification and pulled up my full status:

[STATUS]

Name: Jin Raith

Age: 17

Class: Debugger

Level: 16

EXP: 885/2,350

Rank: E

MC (Mana Capacity): 58/100

HP: 300/350

MP: 134/134

STR: 18

VIT: 19

AGI: 17

INT: 69

WIS: 40

LUK: 16

Allocation Points: 25

Skills:

Poison Resistance (69%), Social Engineering, Alchemy (Basic), Debug Vision, Mana Circulation (Basic), Iron Will (Passive), Light Orb

Combat: Unorthodox Fang (Proficiency: 64%)

I stared at the numbers, processing each change.

Level 16. I jumped five levels in single dungeon.

That was... significant.

And I have 25 allocation points just sitting there.

Twenty-five points. I could dump them all into VIT and become significantly tankier. Or split them between STR and AGI for better combat performance. Or even put some into INT to increase my MP pool.

But what do I actually need?

The dungeon had taught me one very clear lesson: I couldn't rely on raw stats. The Wight had been stronger, faster, more skilled. The guardian had been completely out of my league. I'd survived through tactics, preparation, and desperation, not because my numbers were high enough.

Save the points. Wait until I know what I actually need to improve.

And I'd learned two new skills: Light Orb and Iron Will.

I focused on the skill description.

[Iron Will (Passive)]

[Your mind has been forged through surviving overwhelming fear and impossible odds. Mental resistance increased by 25%. Reduced effectiveness of fear-based attacks, intimidation effects, and mental status effects.]

Forged through surviving overwhelming fear.

Yeah. I'd spent six hours terrified out of my mind, running from things that could kill me in one hit, forcing myself to keep moving when every instinct screamed to give up.

Apparently that left an impression.

I closed the status window and lay back against the pillows, staring at the ceiling.

Then suddenly...

The door to the infirmary burst open with a bang that made me jump.

"JIN!"

Kyle's voice echoed through the room, way too loud for a medical facility. He charged toward my bed like a cavalry unit, his face split in the biggest grin I'd ever seen.

"You're awake!" He grabbed my shoulders, then seemed to remember I was injured and pulled back immediately. "Sorry! Sorry, I just, you're okay!"

"Yeah," I said, still processing the sudden assault of enthusiasm. "I'm okay."

"You passed!" Kyle was practically vibrating with excitement. "They told us this morning! You actually passed the solo exam! Do you know how insane that is?!"

Behind him, Sira entered at a more measured pace. She stopped at the foot of my bed, arms crossed, her usual hard expression in place.

She looked at me for a long moment.

"Not bad," she said finally.

Coming from Sira, that was basically a parade and a medal ceremony.

"Thanks," I said, managing a small smile.

Tobias appeared in the doorway, hovering nervously like he wasn't sure if he was allowed to enter. His glasses were slightly askew, and he kept adjusting them with shaking hands.

"Um. Congratulations," he said quickly, his voice high and strained. "On passing. That's, that's really good. Really impressive. I'm glad you're not dead."

Then he turned and practically fled back into the hallway.

Kyle watched him go, amused. "He's been like that. Keeps saying he should've been there to help or something."

"It was a solo exam," I pointed out.

"I know. I told him that. He didn't listen." Kyle pulled a chair closer and dropped into it. "So? What happened in there? They won't tell us anything except that you completed and get injuries."

I hesitated, not sure how much to say.

"It was... difficult," I said carefully. "Lots of undead. Some tough fights. Got the core stone, got out."

"That's it?" Kyle looked disappointed. "Come on, there has to be more than—"

"Kyle." Sira's voice cut through his protests. "Look at him."

Kyle turned back to me, really looking this time. At the bandages still visible on my arms. At the way I held myself carefully. At the exhaustion that probably showed in my face despite days of sleep.

His expression sobered. "Yeah. Okay. You can tell us later. When you're feeling better."

"Thanks."

The door opened again, quieter this time.

Emma stepped in, and the moment she saw me awake, her entire expression crumbled.

She crossed the room in quick strides and stopped beside my bed, her hands twisting together, blue eyes wide and wet.

"You're okay," she said, her voice breaking slightly. "You're actually okay."

"Yeah. I'm—"

Then before I could even finish my sentence, she hit my shoulder. Not hard, but enough to make me wince.

"Ow—!"

"You idiot!" Her voice cracked. "You reckless, stupid, do you know what it was like? Waiting? Not knowing if you were alive or dead? For days..."

"Emma—"

"You could have died!" Tears spilled down her cheeks, and she didn't bother wiping them away. "You went in there with barely any mana control, with pathways that were still unstable, with," She gestured helplessly at me. "With everything working against you, and you almost, you could have—"

Her voice broke completely. She covered her face with her hands.

Kyle stood awkwardly, looking between us like he wanted to help but had no idea how.

Sira just watched, her expression unreadable.

I just stared, not knowing what to do. This was a new experience to me.

Why is she crying? It was just an exam like others? And I am just fine.

Then eventually, I reached out carefully and caught Emma's wrist, pulling her hands away from her face.

"Hey," I said quietly. "I'm okay. I'm here. I made it."

"Barely." She glared at me through the tears. "The healers said you were half-dead when they brought you in. That your chances aren't... You..." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "You almost didn't make it, Jin."

"But I did."

"That doesn't make it better!" She pulled her wrist free and wiped at her face angrily. "You're supposed to be smarter than this. You're supposed to... not throw yourself like that!"

"It was the exam," I said, trying to keep my voice calm. "I didn't have a choice."

"You must have something for the emergency! You could used that!"

"And failed. And repeated the year."

"Better than dying!"

The words hung in the air between us.

Kyle shifted uncomfortably. Sira's gaze flicked between me and Emma.

I looked at her, then at others...

It's just going worse.

Then I sighed. "I'm sorry."

"For worrying you. I didn't, I wasn't trying to be reckless. I just... I had to pass. I couldn't fail again."

Emma stared at me, her expression caught between anger and something softer.

"You're an idiot," she said, but the venom was gone from her voice.

"Yeah. Probably."

"Definitely," Sira added helpfully.

Emma pulled the other chair closer and sat down heavily, still sniffling slightly. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Help me not die next time?" I offered.

"There's going to be a next time?!"

"Probably. This is Royal Academy. Dangerous situations are kind of the whole point."

Emma groaned, dropping her head into her hands. "I'm going to have a heart attack before graduation."

Kyle laughed, the tension finally breaking. "Join the club. I've been having mini heart attacks every time Jin opens his mouth in Combat Theory."

"That's different. That's just him being annoyingly right about things."

"Which is somehow worse than him nearly dying?"

"At least when he's nearly dying, he's not making me feel stupid."

I listened to them bicker, feeling something warm settle in my chest.

They were worried.

Kyle probably drove the healers crazy asking for updates. Sira probably hid it better, but I think she cared too. And Emma...

I looked at her, still arguing with Kyle about which of my behaviors was more likely to kill her via stress.

Emma spent hours helping me... spent hours on research which even I didn't bother.

And then had to sit outside waiting to hear if it was enough.

They're still bickering, and I felt my lips twitch.

She changed, from when I met her first time.

I still remember, her being quite shy and insecure.

But now... look at her.

I exhaled deeply.

"Thank you," then said, quietly.

They both stopped mid-argument, turning to look at me.

"For what?" Kyle asked.

"For caring. For being here. For," I gestured vaguely. "Everything."

Emma's expression softened completely. She reached over and squeezed my hand gently. "That's what friends do, Jin."

Friends.

The word still felt strange. Like something I wasn't quite used to having.

But sitting there, with Kyle grinning like an idiot, Sira nodding her approval from the foot of the bed, and Emma holding my hand.

Maybe I was starting to understand what it meant.

"So," Kyle said, settling back into his chair with a satisfied expression. "When you're recovered, we're throwing you a proper celebration."

"I don't need—"

"Too bad. You're getting it anyway." He crossed his arms, grinning. "You passed your solo exam. That deserves recognition."

"He's right," Emma added. "You earned it."

Sira just nodded once.

I looked between the three of them and felt that warmth in my chest grow stronger.

Yeah. I survived.

But more than that, I now have people who are glad I did.

And somehow, that felt like an even bigger achievement than clearing the dungeon.

"Okay," I said finally, smiling despite myself. "But nothing too embarrassing."

Kyle's grin widened. "No promises."

Emma laughed, wiping the last traces of tears from her face.

I leaned back, laughing with them, and stared at ceilings.

I wish you're here too. Agnes.

Then suddenly, my jaw tightened, fists clenched, as the memories of her seeing last time reeled in front of my eyes.

And I hope you're okay.

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