They’re already suspicious that I''m hiding something. Shit, the more I wait and keep quiet, the more suspicious I look, and the bigger the thing they might imagine just happened.


    “Er, well. My arms. That''s the damage from overusing my strength. I received a couple of levels during the fight and invested all the points into my strength.”


    “Yeah? Then what’s your level now?” Mike asks, boldly and suspiciously.


    I knew it. I knew it. He just blurted out the question like it was nothing.


    I hate this unreasonable competitiveness of his. Fuck!


    I feel the tension and the bad energy radiating from his tone. Astrid remains silent.


    “Fifty-nine,” I answer calmly.


    Eat it! I think to myself. The tension could be cut with a knife.


    “Whoa! Good for you.” The expression on his face tells me everything. He is hungry for power and jealous for no reason. He doesn’t like me even a bit and resents my success.


    Or is it all because of Astrid?


    I’m definitely not talking about the bonus then. He decided, not me!


    “That’s quite a lot. How?” he asks irritably.


    “Not a hundred percent sure, but it could be the longnecks. They were burning for some time. As we know, only turning them to ash kills them for good. And I started the fire by accident, by dropping the torch.” I try to steer everything toward luck, but it seems like it isn’t working as intended. Astrid seems impressed. Not sure why.


    “Huh. Good for you, then. And the skills?” he continues.


    “That raging, pumped-up monster wasn’t looking natural,” he adds.


    “I was about to tell you. It’s called Focus, and I chose it from the list. It’s supposed to channel my strength to the body part I want it to. But I still need to explore this further. I hope the damage to my arms isn’t irreversible.”


    “It really, really hurts. I’m surprised I can still hold it together now.” I decide to play the victim card to shift the attention.


    “Stop this investigation. Now is not the time,” Astrid says, poking Mike’s shoulder.


    I think of suggesting the next step, but hold back and ask them instead.


    “So, what’s next?” I ask, even though I know what I’d do if I were alone.


    “Set up camp and rest. Both of you!” Astrid orders us with a raised voice.


    Quite surprised by her reaction, I look at my bruised arms with all the stretch marks and nod.


    <hr>


    We gather whatever is usable and set up a small camp near the river. I lay on my back in a pile of mushy leaves and moss, close to the river and far from them.


    I''m so tired, yet excited. My new ability is like a toy I always wanted when I was a kid.


    There’s nothing else, just me and my body, and I have plenty of time to explore this newfound power slowly and thoroughly.


    Stretching my arms above my head, I reach the stream and dip my hands in it, cooling myself and controlling the heat at will. The sound of the stream blocks out everything else, so I whisper and fully test the possibilities of my inventory and skill.


    “Skills,” I whisper, checking my levitating bronze plate. Despite it being nearly nightfall, the plate shines brightly enough to read everything clearly, but it doesn’t illuminate the surroundings. Same as the health bars and names of foes.


    Strength and the Focus skill are engraved next to it. Me? The weakest and clumsiest of my classmates and friends. In terrible shape, too. Always the last and an easy target for ridicule and bullying. Yet, I feel like I can be a different person here. Nobody knows how I was before.


    But am I overthinking this?


    The power within me is unbelievable. I feel it in my stomach. It’s radiating from within in pulses, and I’ve never experienced anything like it. Controlling it should be my priority.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    This is such a warming feeling, such a pleasure. I finally own something. Something valuable and special to me, created by me. My own treasure, hidden within me.


    Despite all the gore and stuff I’ve dealt with, I’m truly happy now. This source of power is responsible for my sudden brightening of mood. I keep thinking about how my day and night were. What about that cat, Pocco? I’m not sure anymore if it was a dream or reality.


    He spoke to me! But it was so cryptic. I can’t get that voice out of my head. It’s so unnatural that a cat speaks with the voice of a young man. “When dead. Die.”


    What the fuck was even that? Does he hate me that much, or is this some sort of super insult in the cat world?


    <hr>


    A deep inhale and exhale follow the release of my energy.


    The air is surprisingly clean, the river must have brought in the freshness, balancing out the charcoal smell from the burns.


    I take a few more breaths and try to focus on channeling the energy exactly where I want it. It''s hard to do, but with relentless practice, it will pay off.


    My overall strength level is great. I feel a lot stronger than I was before. Maybe as strong as an adult who goes to the gym often. Yet, to achieve higher levels, I can cheat with my Focus skill. I don’t fully understand how it works yet, but I’m at least imagining.


    Could it endanger my internal organs?


    I feel the movement under my skin again. But I hold it tight. No more than a few percent is channeled. Slowly through my hamstrings to the calves and finally to the tips of my toes. I feel the warmth wherever the wave of energy reaches its peak.


    My blood escaped through the weakest spots on my hands when I channeled too much. From under the nails and from the sweat glands. I need to be cautious.


    Internal burns? Is such a thing even possible? What about my immune system? Can this excess heat kill any infection in me? Why am I not fainting? Does that mean I can withstand more heat now from the environment, or does only my own heat count?


    So many questions and so little knowledge. Doctors would go crazy testing me if I ever returned. Well, if I return, it’s best to avoid using this skill and medical exams for life. With such a weird flesh-and-blood shifting ability, I’d most likely end up as a guinea pig.


    Damn it, I should stop and focus on my primary thoughts. This always ends up like this. I wonder and wonder, thought always follows thought, and I end up wasting time philosophizing.


    Where was I? Back to my arms.


    Let it flow to the tips of my fingers. The blood flows, and so does my muscle mass shifts towards them. Grotesque and surreal to see.


    Could I crush a rock in my fist now? Or finally be able to hold my own weight while hanging or even do a pull up? I keep wondering.


    The cold water flows, numbing my hands. I grab a small, fragile, grainy pebble, and it cracks under the pressure of my fingers.


    "Shit! Ouch!" The fragments of the rock bury into my palms, and it starts to hurt. I wash it away.


    Agility. I bet this affects overall movement speed and reaction time.


    Michael is too proud and jealous to copy my style. I bet he went with agility, as he said. But I really wonder what skills could be associated with it.


    And the bonus skill? Guess I’ll never know or wield it. Fast movements make me lose my balance, and fear of being brittle gives me anxiety. It isn’t for me.


    What about that bonus skill that appeared? Why the heck did it unlock for me? Is it there by default? Or because I spent so many points at once?


    There was a message, but I read it so briefly. What was it?


    The bonus skill was for the most patient ones or something like that. Maybe that explains why I got it. Because I spent a lot of points all at once? How many was it even? I try to count.


    <hr>


    If luck was a stat, then mine must be really high. How in the damn hell is anyone supposed to learn about this skill-holding strategy? This is my advantage over everyone.


    “Nah. Stop it, brain!”


    What if it’s just speculation? How do I even prove this theory? On me again? I can’t collect fifty-plus levels without upgrading a single stat.


    But what if I waste the opportunity to unlock another bonus skill for a different stat? Maybe I should patiently watch Astrid or Mike when they get to the desired level to see if they get a bonus, or which skills unlock for them?


    I’d tell everything to Astrid if we were closer. But Mike? No, he dislikes me even more.


    *Yawn.* I’m getting more and more tired just thinking about other people.


    Endurance: withstanding damage. Strength: bashing and smashing. Yes! I feel at home there. I even like how these words look when written.


    That bashing and smashing requires a strong body. Despite having the energy within me, my shell is brittle—mostly my skin.


    That pebble test was merely an illusion. Holding my points or investing in endurance should be my priority! We’ll see what fate has in store for me.


    Then that last stat, “Willpo…” *Zzzzz*


    My eyes close on their own, and I fall into a deep sleep out of exhaustion.


    <hr>


    I open my eyes at dawn. It’s still quite dark.


    How long did I sleep? How many days have I even been here? My inner clock tells me it must be about 5 or 6 o’clock in the morning.


    I stretch my arms above my head and touch the water. It’s freezing. A deep breath confirms the cold morning.


    I don’t feel any temperature loss at all but my feet—yes, my sneakers are wet.


    Maybe I can warm them up by channeling my power to them, like I tried before sleep.


    I concentrate, but I fail.


    Something is hanging in the air. I had a weird dream that someone was walking around here.


    I roll over to check on the couple, and I see them together, hugging and sleeping.


    I roll back and think while watching the sky.