*[DING]

  [AUTO FAIRY DEFENCE: Training Session Completed]

  [Combat Data Successfully Recorded]

  [The system control over host body is now disabled]

  [All Attributes will now return to normal ]*

  The moment the final system message faded from his vision, the control that had been taken from Fai returned to him completely. It happened gradually, but the effect was immediate and overwhelming. His body suddenly felt unbearably heavy, as though the very air around him had thickened and gravity itself had increased. Exhaustion crashed down on him without mercy, flooding every muscle and sinking deep into his bones.

  'What is this ? Why does it hurt this much ? '

  A sharp ache spread through his arms, shoulders, and legs, the kind of soreness that went beyond simple fatigue. It felt as if he had been fighting for hours without pause, pushing himself far beyond what his body should have been capable of enduring. His muscles trembled involuntarily, small spasms rippling through them as they struggled to recover from the strain they had been forced under.

  His legs shook violently when he tried to take a step forward, forcing him to steady himself before he could lose his balance completely. He clenched his jaw, breathing slowly and deeply, trying to remain upright through sheer will alone.

  These effects were normal.

  At least, that was what the System implied.

  To Fai, it felt as though invisible chains had been wrapped tightly around his body during the battle, binding his limbs and dragging him far past his natural limits. Those chains had guided every movement, forced every reaction, and extracted every ounce of strength he possessed. Now, they had been removed without warning, leaving behind nothing but a crushing sense of exhaustion.

  For a moment, he simply stood there, breathing heavily, his gaze fixed on the ground ahead of him. Then his eyes slowly lifted, taking in the sight before him.

  The battlefield was silent.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Arnold lay motionless where he had fallen, his body sprawled awkwardly against the dirt. Nearby, Dian and Van were in similar states, unconscious and unable to continue fighting. Dust still lingered faintly in the air, drifting slowly as the last traces of wind energy dissipated.

  "I… I won," Fai thought quietly.

  The realization felt unreal.

  He stared at the defeated enemies lying before him, his chest rising and falling as his breathing gradually steadied. For the first time since this assessment had begun, something shifted deep within him. It was not excitement, nor was it relief. It was understanding.

  He was no longer the weak boy who could only rely on luck to survive.

  He was becoming something more.

  And this was only the beginning.

  After standing there for several seconds longer than necessary, Fai finally forced his tired body to move. Every step felt heavy, his muscles protesting with each small motion, but he pushed forward anyway. Slowly and carefully, he made his way toward the defeated opponents. The assessment was not over yet, and he still had a reason to act.

  Golden coins.

  That was the main objective of this stage of the assessment, and he had no intention of neglecting it. Suppressing the ache in his body, Fai crouched beside the nearest opponent, Arnold. His movements were sluggish, but deliberate, as he began checking the pockets of Arnold's clothing searching for Coins.

  He pulled them out one by one, counting them carefully despite the tremor in his hands. By the time he was finished, he had retrieved seven gold coins from Arnold alone. As each coin touched his palm, a familiar sensation rippled through his mind, accompanied by a brief system notification that confirmed the gain.

  Without lingering, he moved on to the next opponent.

  Dian was lying a short distance away. Fai knelt beside her, repeating the process, checking her pockets with the same careful attention. From her, he obtained five gold coins. Again, the System acknowledged each one as it was collected, the notifications stacking silently in the background of his awareness.

  Finally, he approached Van.

  His body was screaming for rest now, but Fai refused to stop. From Van, he retrieved six gold coins, bringing his total haul to seventeen from this encounter alone. As the last coin settled into his hand, he exhaled slowly, his shoulders sagging slightly under the weight of exhaustion.

  He had begun doing mental calculations.

  He was roughly estimating how many coins he had collected so far, how much experience they were worth, and how much closer he might be to leveling up. The thought made him pause, a faint frown forming on his face.

  "What's wrong with me?" he asked himself silently.

  He almost laughed at the realization. "I could easily check all of this from the System."

  Shaking his head at his own oversight, Fai wasted no more time. He activated the system screen, allowing it to appear before his eyes. His gaze sharpened slightly as he scanned through the information presented, focusing despite the lingering fatigue clouding his thoughts.

  *[ DING ]

  [QUEST TAB]

  [QUEST 1]

  [YOU ARE NOW IN STAGE TWO OF THE ASSESSMENT, AND YOU ARE BEING PREYED UPON BY EVERYONE FOR YOUR GOLDEN COINS]

  [PROVE THE STRENGTH OF A FAIRY : OBTAIN AS MANY GOLDEN COINS AS YOU CAN IN THIS STAGE !]

  [REWARD]

  [1 COIN = 50 EXP]

  [EACH OPPONENT DEFEATED = 50 EXP]

  [REWARDS WILL BE GIVEN AFTER QUEST STATUS IS COMPLETE]

  [NUMBER OF COINS OBTAINED : 17>>>35]

  [NUMBER OF OPPONENTS DEFEATED : 4>>>7]

  [NUMBER OF ACCUMULATED EXP : 1050>>>2150 EXP]

  [QUEST STATUS : PENDING]

  Fai's eyes lingered on the numbers.

  The accumulated experience caught his attention immediately. The amount was far higher than he had expected, and for a moment, even his exhaustion was pushed aside by surprise.

  "That sure is a lot of EXP," he thought as he stared at the screen. "Maybe it would be enough to take me to level 12."

  The idea sent a faint spark of anticipation through him, though he kept his expectations in check. The quest was still marked as pending, and the experience would only be awarded once stage two had officially ended.

  "Well, I guess I would soon find out," he thought calmly.