Princess Charlie had quietly opened her system interface and shown Luke a glowing notification. At that exact moment, his own interface synced, her profile no longer grayed out.

[Princess Charlie has acquired a Race Skill: Bloodline of Vespertilio]

He blinked. A bloodline? Wait, how? She actually got a bloodline power.

"Charlie, that's… incredible," he whispered as they walked. The others followed a few steps behind, heading toward the cave.

She seemed delighted, proud even, and through their master-servant link he felt something that could only be interpreted as, 'Compliment me again.'

He almost laughed. Honestly, he wanted to. He wanted to give her a high-five, because somehow she'd unlocked something as powerful as the bloodline skills Allison, Mason, and Erza possessed.

There were two types of bloodline powers: those tied to birth, bound to one's race, and those that were granted later. Charlie's seemed to belong to the first kind.

Still, the thought nagged at him. She was a skeleton. Could skeletons even have bloodline powers? Then again, it didn't matter. His undead friend had one, and that was what counted.

He tapped the new notification, eager to see what it said.

Vespertilio… why does that sound familiar? I've heard that word before.

The details unfolded across the interface.

[Bloodline of Vespertilio]: This bloodline is currently sealed and dormant, its true essence hidden within the current body. Fragments of an ancient and unknown power dwell deep within the soul, waiting for the right moment to awaken.

(Requirements for Awakening: In order for the bloodline to reveal its true power, a complete body is required, possessing blood, a heart, lungs, a brain, flesh, and skin.)

When he looked to his side, he could feel Charlie's disappointment radiating through their bond.

She waited for me to read it with her.

The sadness that followed hit him harder than he expected.

"It's okay, Charlie," he murmured softly.

But before he could say more, Evangeline strolled past. "I'm taking the couch," she announced as the rest of the group entered the cave.

Luke sighed. It wasn't the time to talk. Charlie closed her interface quietly, her mood dimmed. A bloodline needed blood and a living body to awaken. At least for now, that dream was out of reach.

***

A small feast had been set up that afternoon. Cauldrons were brought in, tables assembled, chairs dragged from wherever they could be found. Everyone helped in some way. Luke was surprised to see Erza Grimhart volunteering to cook. Each person suggested a few of their favorite dishes, and soon the menu turned into a chaotic mix of roasted meat, pasta, fries, and even hamburgers.

Charlie got ridiculously excited when Anne asked him to help in the kitchen and proudly lit every firepit with his flame magic. Allison joined in too, contributing with a touch of frost magic to make the juices ice-cold.

"You're actually useful, Rhiannon," Erza said, dropping a few ice cubes into her mug of juice.

No one came to bother them—not soldiers, not messengers, not anyone from the Haven. It seemed like everyone there was also sharing a meal with their own friends and families.

Erza's maids served themselves and then went to sit by another fire a bit farther away, leaving the group to talk in peace. They started reminiscing about things from Earth.

"So, no one here has celebrated a single birthday yet?" Eleanor asked.

The conversation turned into a debate about throwing a collective belated birthday party and where they'd do it.

"Now that I'm rich enough, I'll rent out a whole restaurant when we get back," Evangeline said, flashing her jewels like a queen. She wore five gold necklaces, diamond rings on every finger, three different crowns, and had a large jug overflowing with gold coins beside her.

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"How many dollars do you think all this is worth? When I go back, I'm buying a house with a swimming pool filled with cash," she said, grinning. "That'll be my birthday gift to myself."

Jack sat in a chair across from her. "When I return to Earth, I'm heading to the New World. I plan to move to one of the cities, open a clinic, and spread the word of the Goddess of Kindness."

"New World?" Luke asked. "I thought after being trapped in this tutorial, you'd want the modern life back."

"The aquarium that is modern society can't contain sharks like us," Erza said quietly. "More than half of the people from the tutorial will probably move there and abandon the modern world. Not for power—but to live."

Some of their faces turned puzzled.

"I would never give up the internet or shampoo," Eleanor said.

"Maybe you say that now," Mason replied. "But after living this long in a medieval world, people change. It's our natural state. Humans feel at peace living like this."

"We're animals," Erza added. "It's in our nature to be part of the wild. Living in a medieval world means being close to both nature and society. It's instinctive—we were made for this. That's why modern society is plagued with so many mental illnesses. To deny our nature and depend entirely on technology… is to deny ourselves."

The conversation drifted into deeper territory. Luke hadn't really thought about it before, but the medieval lifestyle did bring people closer to what they truly were. Technology, in contrast, seemed to strip something away—like a wild beast forced to grow inside a cage too small for it.

"Say what you want, I'm still not convinced," Eleanor said. "When I throw my birthday party, I'm renting an amusement park."

Laughter rippled through the group. Luke watched from his corner, quietly observing Allison. She was eating in silence, barely joining the conversation. Maybe her thoughts were elsewhere—on what awaited her back on Earth.

"What about you, Luke?"

Jack's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"What are you doing for your very delayed birthday celebration?"

He hadn't even realized he'd been included in their playful debate.

"Something normal," he replied, sipping his juice.

"Normal?" Evangeline asked, raising an eyebrow. "Come on, give us something better than that. Rent a soccer stadium, or maybe… a little castle. You'd make a great Cinderella." She smirked at her own joke.

"I was born on a day that's not exactly great for birthdays," he said. "But fine, I'll think of something. I'll tell you when we're back on Earth—at our reunion."

They had already made a pact to meet again once they returned, though none of them knew what "returning" would actually mean. According to the system's rules, they were supposed to appear in the exact place where they'd disappeared.

"You're dodging the question," Eleanor teased. "When's your birthday?"

"October thirty-first."

Evangeline almost choked on her drink. "Halloween? Of course it is. You were literally born surrounded by monsters."

That earned another round of laughter, and soon everyone was sharing what they planned to do once they were home.

"But what if our houses aren't there anymore?" Eleanor asked suddenly. "Like, what if we just… spawn in the middle of nothing, or inside a wall or something?" The idea made a few people laugh.

It wasn't the first time that fear had come up. Everyone knew they'd reappear exactly where they'd accepted integration into the system, and the thought came with its own absurd worries.

"I live in a top-floor apartment," Eleanor continued. "It would really suck if the building's gone and I just… fall thirty stories."

"And what about women who had babies here?" Jack asked. "Or the pregnant ones? Do they all go back together?"

The truth was, no one knew. According to Erza Grimhart, though, the system would "correct" any errors during the teleportation process.

"I still have my doubts," Erza said finally, her tone calm but sharp enough to cut through the chatter.

Evangeline groaned. "Here we go again. Are you going to tell us, or keep it mysterious as usual?"

Erza adjusted her posture, her eyes gleaming faintly. "It's just a theory. But since this tutorial is special, I don't think we'll return to our original homes. I think… we'll end up somewhere else."

Before anyone could interrupt, she continued, "It's not confirmed, only a deduction. But if this tutorial is truly one of a kind, then whatever comes after it might be unique as well. Either way," she added with a small, knowing smile, "I think it'll be fun to find out."

The conversation had gradually turned toward the topic everyone had been trying to avoid. The war. In just a few hours, it would begin, whether they were ready or not.

Luke set his plate on a nearby table where the maids were already cleaning up. Charlie was helping too, while she, Anne, and Artemis interacted, an unlikely trio. He leaned against a tree, watching from a distance, curious about the strange friendship.

"Charlie and Anne became friends because they're monsters," a voice said beside him.

Erza Grimhart. She stopped next to him, eyes fixed on the same scene.

"'Monster' as in something that isn't human," she added. "Because if you lived among minotaurs, humans would be the monsters."

"I get it," Luke replied. "Same way if we ever ended up on another planet, some alien species would probably look at us and think we're the strange ones."

Erza took a slow sip of wine from her glass.

"Since they've only ever lived among humans, they feel out of place sometimes," she said. "Seeing someone who understands that… it connects them." Her tone softened as she stepped closer. "I don't know what's under Charlie's armor, but you and I both know she'll never have a normal life, not in a modern society."

She began to walk away, her voice carrying just enough to reach him. "You know what I mean. One way or another, we'll meet again in the new world. And, by the way…" She glanced over her shoulder, a faint smirk playing at her lips. "I happen to have a rather welcoming kingdom."

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