When Lev came to, he didn't bother opening his eyes. The memories were rushing to him already, telling him how stupid the last stunt had been.

  I forced something in my soul…

  It was an extremely dumb thing to do, yet even more worrying was how he did it. The System had locked away something in his soul, something that was most likely too dangerous to reveal or even know.

  Which still didn't tell him anything about how he had tapped into that knowledge. The whole thing was a big question mark.

  There's more too…

  Lev had thought two things, neither he could remember fully. From the second, he knew it was related to the 'Challenger' word he had learned already. The first though…

  Kassavin.

  That was all he could remember. Lev knew it was a name and a very important one. But he for the life of him could not remember anything else about it. Neither could he remember anything else about the second thing he had said.

  Challenger and Kassavin. My collection of incomprehensible words grows.

  Lev opened his eyes to find himself in his mentor's suite. With a cursory glance around him, several people were waiting for him to say something. They already knew he was awake because of course they did.

  I need to learn to hide my aura. Lev thought with a mental sigh as he sat up.

  Sherron, Alec, Mara, and another person were present in the suite. The last person was a woman in her mid-age, the very picture of a saint with bright blonde hair and a white robe.

  Lev just looked back with a small smile, not willing to speak first. They kept reading his aura without permission, and it was very annoying despite being harmless. This was his way of getting back to them.

  "Did you lose your tongue during the fight?" Sherron eventually broke the silence.

  Lev shook his head. "Where's Orianna? She was the first person I expected to see after waking up."

  "We didn't tell her yet," Sherron commented with a frown, "You should go see her yourself instead. That should minimize her anger."

  Lev's smile vanished, replaced by uncertainty and a little bit of fear. "Anger?"

  "That is for you to explain actually. I'm sure she would be angry when she finds out what you were doing," she smirked a little before it faded. "You should also go see Inna as well. She was quite distraught, blaming herself for hurting you by letting you go through with the stupid risk."

  Lev let out a breath, exhaling most of his fears away with it. "Okay, that isn't as bad as I had feared. I'm sure she would be lenient if I just hugged her during the retelling," He looked at the other two people present in the room. "I'm not sure we've been introduced yet. I'm Lev."

  The blonde woman stared at him and shook her head a little. "That much formality from a kid is… not pleasant. Sherron did explain your … circumstances but it will take some time to get used to."

  Lev just maintained a smile, not showing another reaction. He didn't really feel anything from those words either. It was just the truth.

  "I'm Diana, one of the few healers specializing in indirectly healing the soul. You should be very worried about my presence here. Care to explain why I found a ten-year-old with cracks running through parts of his soul?"

  This time Lev reacted.

  "No. Why would I tell you things that damaged my own soul?"

  His flat refusal was met with a few blinks.

  "I don't remember much anyway,"

  "That could be the key to preventing further-"

  "Don't," Mara interjected for the first time. "I have a bad feeling about this. Did you learn a name, Lev?"

  Lev simply nodded, immediately wary of the name now. If the diviner could sense it without even a mention of it, Lev would refrain from even thinking of it. Monarch knew what kind of a being was behind that name.

  "So…" Alec spoke up for the first time, shooting Lev a knowing smirk.

  Lev feigned sighing in resignation as he opened his notifications.

  [

  You have slain [Shade Brute - Level 178]

  Arcane Barrier Manipulation has reached 2nd Level 3

  Barrier Armor has reached 2nd Level 3

  Barrier Armor has reached 2nd Level 4

  Barrier Armor has reached 2nd Level 5

  Opportunity has reached 2nd Level 2

  Opportunity has reached 2nd Level 3

  Opportunity has reached 2nd Level 4

  Heavy Lifting has reached Level 10

  Heavy Lifting has reached 2nd Level 1

  Heavy Lifting has reached 2nd Level 2

  Nimble has reached Level 10

  Nimble has reached 2nd Level 1

  Nimble has reached 2nd Level 2

  Needle Precision has reached 2nd Level 3

  Arcane Archery has reached 2nd Level 5

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Mana Manipulation has reached 2nd Level 5

  Mana Manipulation has reached 2nd Level 6

  Mana Manipulation has reached 2nd Level 7

  ]

  That is a lot of levels…

  Lev scanned the list twice, noting how his disks hadn't leveled at all. Everyone remained quiet, waiting for him to finish. Lev couldn't even make them wait for too long, for they were all Masters or Exalted, people with a lot of patience.

  Now this… unexpected.

  [

  You have earned the title: Daunting Steps I.

  Through sheer grit and desire, you have faced down an adversary of a much higher level in a higher threshold and come out on top. Something considered improbable by even the strongest of your kind despite their hunger for more power.

  +5 to all attributes.

  This title can be upgraded. It is recommended to not spread the specifics of this title.

  ]

  I don't think The System is fond of humans… Lev considered with a frown. The wording about the strongest humans was borderline negative in its tone. The last line also gave off the same impression.

  He didn't hesitate to accept the title, immediately falling back on his bed as the attribute rush went through him. The feeling lasted for several seconds, during which he was completely dead to the world.

  Pin-drop silence reigned in the room as Lev wiped drool off his face. He couldn't stop smiling after that intense session, which seemed to be giving Diana all the wrong ideas.

  "What?" Lev deadpanned, staring into her eyes.

  "You knew what you were doing making that face, weren't you?"

  Lev blinked innocently, "Whatever do you mean?"

  Diana's eye twitched. "Never mind."

  Sherron chuckled. "He definitely did. What does it say?"

  Lev turned up his nose at her. "It says not to tell anyone about the title," he announced in a haughty tone.

  "Does it actually say that?" Sherron asked, more serious now.

  Lev nodded, no longer messing around. "It does. The title gives +5 to each attribute. That's all I think is safe to share."

  Glances were shared, as seemed to be the norm with most things related to Lev. It was becoming a habit of sorts now.

  "How long was I out, by the way? How did a soul healer find her way to me?"

  Mara answered, the most casual of the bunch so far. "I brought Diana here because, well, that's what diviners do. I don't know about those two," she finished by waving a hand toward Lev's mentor and Sherron.

  "Inna ran through the entire Pit thrice in a few minutes to find me," Alec replied, smiling for some reason. Lev was very curious about Inna's past now but he wouldn't pry what didn't concern him. "Sherron arrived a few hours after I sent the message. You woke up exactly at midnight, so it's been half a day or so."

  "No wonder I feel refreshed," Lev mused out loud. "You mentioned meeting Orianna?"

  Sherron just smiled as someone knocked on the door. His mentor opened it to reveal a worried Orianna whose eyes instantly landed on Lev the instant the door opened.

  Oh boy.

  She didn't rush to him as Lev expected but looked at Mara and Diana first.

  "Diana. Mara," Orianna greeted, dipping her head in a respectful nod. Lev watched the interaction in silence, barely stopping himself from raising a brow.

  Isn't Orianna far more famous and well-known?

  "How many times do I have to tell you to treat me normally?" Dianna gently reprimanded, somehow smiling and frowning at once.

  "Respect where it's deserved," Orianna replied with finality. Then she smiled widely and hugged Diana, who reciprocated with the same joy.

  Mara was also hugged with the same enthusiasm before Orianna turned to him. Lev couldn't help but swallow but he still tried to look calm and waved her to sit next to him.

  "I… have heard suspiciously little," Orianna began with slightly narrowed eyes. "I'm assuming it is related to Diana's presence and you still sitting on the bed."

  Lev nodded. Slowly. "I don't know what you have heard but uh, I am perfectly fine and healthy."

  "So you weren't perfectly fine and healthy before this."

  Words died in his throat at that. Lev let out a resigned sigh before properly explaining.

  "Fine, I was getting really bored of just grinding skill levels. Inna found a high-level brute for me to practice against. The thing turned out to be stronger than expected but Inna wasn't going to intervene unless I asked her to.

  "Long story short, after a direct hit from the Brute I got really angry for some reason… scratch that, I was really angry that a mere monster would threaten my life after reincarnating as a human in such an amazing world. So, I pulled out Stargazer and cut half its neck open."

  Lev was barely able to hold her stern gaze demanding the rest of the story. "Everything else is too dangerous to share."

  "What do you mean dangerous?" She was now frowning, her worry far more prominent.

  "I don't know most of it, and what I do know I will not share."

  "He's right to do so," Mara interrupted before Orianna could ask for more. "It's not worth knowing."

  Orianna looked like she wanted to argue against it but just swallowed her concerns in the end.

  "What does the title do?"

  "What makes you think I got a title-"

  "Lev."

  Lev coughed. "Right, sorry. It gives +5 to every attribute and tells me not to tell anyone the specifics."

  They lapsed into silence after that as Orianna looked at him for a few seconds. She seemed to be having an internal debate before her shoulders slumped with a defeated sigh.

  Lev was holding her hand before he knew it. "Alright! I'm sorry, I'll take the slow way for the rest of the skill levels, okay? Don't be like that."

  He gave her the best puppy-eyed look he could manage, which landed him a silent yet meaningful hug. Diana and Mara seemed to think it was an emotional moment, but Sherron and Alec just looked on with slight exasperation.

  Regardless of whatever transpired, Lev somehow always ended up getting hugged by Orianna.

  Totally not by his design.

  ****

  [

  Nimble - 2nd Level 2:

  Manipulating barriers to support your movement is 111% more effective.

  2nd Rank: Aerial movements are greatly aided.

  ]

  [

  Heavy Lifting - 2nd Level 2:

  Supporting weight on/with your barriers requires 61% less focus. Balancing objects on barriers is easier.

  2nd Rank: Balancing and utilizing the momentum of weight during flight is now a part of the skill, becoming second nature as the skill levels.

  ]

  Both of them are great, only a little underwhelming compared to the rest of the class. Guess The System is pretty balanced too.

  Lev closed to notifications as he passed the inner gate, greeting the guard who had warned him in the morning.

  Inna found him almost instantly as he left the gate. Turns out, her worry had turned into anger in the past half a day.

  Lev found himself stared at by a short yet very scary Master, who was trying her best to see through his two armors.

  "You better be completely fine now," She remarked. Lev nodded rapidly, showing that he was very much fine. That no injury could survive first contact with her anger and he was now completely healed.

  "What were you even thinking? I chose a higher-level brute to dissuade you, not for you to FUCKING KILL IT! If that wasn't enough, you also risked soul damage by utilizing every last drop of your mana,"

  She took a deep breath, letting out most of her anger with it, and then turned to the silent and unmoving Lev.

  "Your soul was damaged, wasn't it?" Inna asked in a low voice. Lev nodded a little, not sure if speaking would make her angrier.

  "I'm not letting you near anything above level 130," Lev was about to say he agreed when a stern gaze from her shut him up. "That's final. Go level your skills normally and evolve if you wish to fight higher."

  Lev just sighed, took out his bow, and created two large shields beneath him. He waited for Inna to get on, whose eyes mellowed quite a bit at the offer.

  Her weakness is as obvious as Orianna's, Lev thought with a mental chuckle.

  Then they were off for Lev to find and mercilessly slaughter hundreds of monsters to level his skills as fast as he could.