Chapter 53: Neighbour [1]

By the time Rael reached the apartment building the sky had already turned deep blue. Streetlights were coming on in uneven rows, and the air carried the first real chill of evening. He parked the bike in its assigned spot, locked the helmet to the frame, and rode the lift up to the nineteenth floor with the second pastry box still in his hand.

He paused in front of his own door, then stepped one pace sideways and knocked on the neighbor’s.

The woman opened it with a neutral, almost guarded expression, as if she were already preparing to turn away a salesman or a nuisance. For a second Rael wondered whether coming over had been a mistake. That morning she had been polite; now the look she gave him was closer to mild annoyance.

He held up the box. "Hi. I ended up with an extra pastry and... today was kind of a big day for me. I thought you might like it."

The shift in her face was immediate. Surprise replaced the guarded look. She accepted the box with both hands.

"Oh. Thank you."

Rael only smiled, gave a short nod, and went into his own apartment. Behind him he felt her eyes follow him until the door closed. He still did not understand how a person’s mood could swing so quickly from distant to soft, but he decided it was not worth overthinking. One small gain from the day mattered more right now.

When he had taken the ID card from Samantha’s hand he had quietly copied her class. A Regional Commissioner at Master-tier almost certainly held something powerful. He opened the system window the moment he was alone.

[Class detected]

[Class: Frostheart (S-Rank)]

[Do you want to copy?]

[Y/N]

He chose yes.

[System Analysis Complete.]

[New Class Detected: Frostheart]

[Original Class Rank: S-Rank]

[Warning.]

[Host’s understanding of the class is insufficient.]

[Class Rank has been adjusted according to the Host’s current understanding.]

[S-Rank → A-Rank]

[Current Class: Frostheart (A-Rank)]

[Class potential remains: S-Rank.]

[Further understanding of the class may restore its original rank.]

This had never happened before. When he copied Aurelia’s Soulbinder the rank had stayed intact. Analyze worked differently from the old Copy class—it demanded real understanding before it would grant the full power. Even reduced, an A-Rank ice class was a significant addition.

[Frostheart — A-Rank]

Class Description:

A powerful Ice-class that creates and controls extreme frost through the user’s Frostheart Core. The class excels in offense, defense, and battlefield control.

Skills:

[Frost Bolt (Novice) — Fires a concentrated bolt of ice that freezes and pierces targets.]

[Ice Armor (Novice) — Covers the body in hardened ice, greatly increasing defense.]

[Frost Manipulation (Novice) — Allows precise control over ice, shaping it into weapons, barriers, and structures.]

Every skill sat at Novice. The class was clearly too complex for him to grasp beyond the surface. That decided his next step. Tomorrow he would return to the Dream Realm and begin forcing real understanding through use.

He looked around the apartment. Only the bedroom had been properly cleaned; everything else still wore its plastic wrap or collected dust. He at least cleared the dining table so he would have a place to eat, then went to shower. By the time he finished and dressed again, full night had settled outside the windows. He had skipped breakfast and lunch; dinner would be the only meal of the day. Instant noodles were not a long-term plan. He needed to learn how to cook properly, or at least establish some kind of workable diet.

He was reaching for the phone to order food when a knock sounded at the door.

Rael checked the security panel. The neighbor stood in the hallway holding a large lunchbox. He opened the door.

"Hello," she said.

"Hi."

She lifted the box slightly. "I’m sorry about earlier—for looking annoyed. I was in a bad mood. It had nothing to do with you."

"It’s fine. I understand. No harm done."

She held the lunchbox out. "I made extra. You’re new here, and I figured you might not have a proper setup for meals yet. So... this is for you."

Rael took it, surprised. "Thank you. Really."

He stepped aside, leaving the doorway open. She smiled and walked in, setting the box on the cleared table. Her eyes passed over the still-wrapped furniture, but she made no comment. When she turned back she seemed to remember something.

"I never properly introduced myself." She extended a hand. "Elena."

"Rael. Nice to meet you, Elena. And thank you again for the food."

Her hand was warm and soft. For a brief moment his attention drifted—her figure, the mature lines of her face, the quiet composure she carried—before he caught himself and let the thought die. He offered an awkward smile instead. She was clearly older than him, and even after awakening he still felt no mana from her at all. Most likely an ordinary person.

"I should go," she said.

"All right. Thank you once more."

She left with a final small nod. Rael closed the door and locked it, then turned to the lunchbox. Inside he found carefully arranged portions of rice, seasoned vegetables, clear soup, and slices of tender meat. The smell alone was enough to make his empty stomach tighten.

He sat down and took the first bite.

The flavors were clean and layered in a way he had almost never tasted. Not the heavy, expensive dishes of noble banquets, and nothing like the burned monster meat of the Dream Realm. Just honest, well-made food. He ate slowly, letting the simple warmth of the meal settle the last of the day’s tension.

Soon he has to enter the Dream Realm again. Tonight, for a short while, the apartment felt a little less empty.

---