Chapter 79: Storm Heart

At six o’clock, a blue window appeared in front of my eyes.

[Mission completed: A Night at Rose’s]

[Reward: 🌟🌟🌟 Card]

After reading the messages, I looked down at Rose, whose head was still resting on my lap. Although my eyes had occasionally closed during the night, I hadn’t managed to sleep properly. My neck was stiff, and my legs had gone numb from sitting in the same position for so long.

I carefully lifted Rose’s head and placed a cushion beneath it. When she stirred, I held my breath, but she settled into another comfortable position without waking.

After adjusting her blanket, I quietly left the apartment.

I stopped by my own place and changed into my running clothes. Then I went outside, caught a bus, and got off a few stops later in front of a park near my apartment.

The running path wasn’t the only reason I had chosen this place.

After what had happened to the old park, my angel might have started doing her morning runs here. Even if the chances of meeting her were low, it felt better than sitting at home and waiting.

During my run, I glanced at the entrances and the people coming toward me several times, but I never saw her familiar face. When I finished my last lap and slowed down, a new notification arrived from the System.

[Agility +1]

The corners of my lips lifted slightly as I caught my breath. At least the morning hadn’t been a complete waste.

After sitting on a bench and drinking some water, I took out my phone. When I opened my messages, I saw that Eris had sent several things in a row.

[Eris: Heyyy, where are you?]

There was a photo underneath.

It showed Talia drinking water at the edge of the training area. The angle was slightly tilted, and part of a pillar was visible in one corner. Eris had clearly taken it in secret.

[Eris: I really pushed her today.]

I looked at the photo again. It was still early, but Eris had already trained and even messaged me to brag about it.

My fingers moved across the screen.

[Noctis: I’ll be there at two.]

After sending the message, I turned off the screen and put my phone in my pocket.

I couldn’t remember exactly how many times I had fallen during yesterday’s training. But I remembered very clearly that Eris hadn’t used her Nexus. She hadn’t even needed to put in much effort to show me the difference between us.

If I trained every day, I would improve. I could see that in my body and in the points the System gave me.

But I didn’t just want to get a little stronger.

I wanted to catch up to Eris.

Besides, I had said I would enter the Nexus Academy and agreed to become her slave for life if I failed. I needed to back up the confidence I had shown when making that deal.

I raised my head and looked toward a quieter part of the park.

Knowing what could come out of the cards, even thinking about a draw made me uneasy. I couldn’t forget the word that had appeared in front of me last time, or the way the park had started freezing afterward.

Still, I couldn’t reach the level I wanted without using the opportunities I had.

I got up from the bench and left the walking path. When I reached an empty area at the edge of the park, I looked around again. There was no one nearby.

“System, open the card draw.”

A blue window appeared in front of me.

I hesitated briefly before confirming the draw. One of Eris’s punches from yesterday came to mind. I had seen it coming and thought about what I needed to do, but I hadn’t been able to move my body in time.

I reached out and tapped the option.

The park faded into darkness.

A moment later, I found myself in that seemingly endless dark space. Cards glowing in different colors floated silently around me, all with their backs facing me.

The first time I came here, I had been excited to discover that I could fly. Now, as I looked among the cards, I had only one wish.

Give me something I can actually use this time.

I knew that the colors and patterns offered no clues about the reward. Reaching for a flashy card didn’t mean I would get something better.

After moving among the cards for a while, I reached for a dark blue one passing in front of me. Thin silver lines ran along its edges, but I had no particular reason for choosing it.

When my fingers touched the card, the light from the others around me dimmed.

The card in my hand slowly turned over.

On its front was the shape of a heart surrounded by curling lines of wind. The lines moved across the image, spreading outward from the heart’s center.

New text appeared beneath it.

[Storm Heart]

[Type: Active Ability]

As soon as I read the name, I tightened my grip on the card.

“Storm Heart…”

It wasn’t an item or some unpredictable new disaster.

I had gained a new ability.

And unlike White Snake, this was an ability I could actively use.

The light on the card spread between my fingers. As the card broke into tiny particles and flowed into my palm, my vision darkened again.

When I blinked, I was back in the empty area at the edge of the park.

I could hear the wind passing through the trees and see the walking path in the distance. In front of me was an information window for my new ability.

I immediately began reading.

[Storm Heart]

[Effect: Increases the user’s movement speed and improves their reflexes. The intensity of the effect can be adjusted during use.]

[Growth: The ability grows stronger based on the user’s Agility and Endurance.]

[Higher Agility increases the possible boost to speed and reflexes. Higher Endurance allows the user to sustain greater strain for longer.]

I couldn’t stop myself from smiling as I read.

This was exactly the kind of thing I needed.

When I saw one of Eris’s attacks coming, I wouldn’t just be able to think about what to do. I could move my body faster too. I could use it to close the distance during a brief opening in her guard or escape a blow I couldn’t counter.

Of course, that didn’t mean I would suddenly fight as well as she did. If I placed my feet incorrectly, I might just lose my balance faster.

Still, I now had something else I could improve through practice.

Even the Agility point I had just gained would contribute to this ability’s strength. My runs and training wouldn’t only improve my basic stats. They would make Storm Heart more effective too.

I lowered my eyes to the bottom of the window.

[Usage Cost: Larger increases in speed consume more physical energy and put greater strain on the body. The user tires more quickly.]

[Warning: Overuse and pushing the body to its limits can cause exhaustion severe enough to prevent the muscles and body from functioning. The user may become unable to move.]

My smile faded a little.

“So that’s where the good part ends.”

I read the warning again from beginning to end.

I couldn’t just activate this ability and use it throughout an entire fight without thinking. The more speed I wanted, the faster I would exhaust my body. If I pushed myself too hard, the speed I had gained to escape could leave me unable to take a single step.

It wasn’t hard to imagine what that would mean in front of an opponent.

I wouldn’t even have to collapse to my knees. A few seconds of being unable to lift my foot would be enough to end the fight.

White Snake could help me recover, but I couldn’t rely on it and ignore my body’s limits. Healing my injuries wasn’t the same as having unlimited energy.

As I studied the lines on the screen, I tried to imagine how I would use the ability.

I could start with a small increase in speed. Once I learned how quickly my body tired, I could gradually raise the intensity. During a fight, I could also try using it only when I really needed it instead of keeping it active the whole time.

I would only know whether those ideas worked once I tried them.

Still, no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t suppress my growing excitement.

Thanks to Umbrella, I had a weapon. White Snake healed my injuries. Now I had an ability that could help me react faster to the dangers in front of me.

I might not have to end up on the ground every time Eris attacked, like yesterday.

At least the possibility of fighting back even once now seemed a little closer.

I closed the information window and relaxed my shoulders. The fatigue from my morning run hadn’t completely faded, so I had no intention of pushing my limits on the first attempt.

After leaving my water bottle at the base of a nearby tree, I returned to the empty area.

I planted my feet firmly on the ground and judged the short distance ahead. First, I would find out what a small increase felt like.

I took a deep breath.

“Let’s see what you can do…”

Focusing on my new ability, I prepared to activate Storm Heart.