Zack looked from her to Ben, who was now standing, his shield on his back. He looked at Emily, who was watching him with wide, terrified, hopeful eyes.
He looked back at Maya. And he smiled. A real, tired, kind smile.
"Kill you?" he asked, his voice soft. "Maya, I just saved you. I could have let that Brood Mother crush Ben. I could have let those Guards turn Emily into paste. I could have let those hatchlings rip you apart. I could have sat back in that tunnel and waited for you all to die. My secret would have been perfectly safe. I could have run. I'm faster than any of you. I know I am."
He took a step toward them, his hands open at his sides.
"I didn't run. I stayed. I showed you... this..." He gestured to himself, to the gore and the power. "I showed you this because you're my team. Because Emily is my oldest friend, and she trusts you."
He looked at Ben. "You were kind to the 'E-Rank kid'. You protected me when you didn't have to."
He looked at Maya. "You were suspicious, but you treated me like a professional, not a child. You respected my 'smarts'."
"I didn't let you almost die," he said, his voice hardening. "I let you fight. I let you do your jobs. The moment it went bad, the second I knew you couldn't handle it, I ended it. I showed you my most dangerous secret to save your lives. That's my answer."
The silence stretched.
Ben was the first to break. He let out a long, slow breath and a huge, booming laugh burst from his chest.
"Hah... HAHAHA! A monster! She's right, kid, you're a monster! A terrifying, lying, sneaky little monster!"
He walked forward and clamped a hand on Zack's shoulder. The grip was like iron, but it was friendly. "And you're our monster. Holy hell. I've never been so scared, or so impressed, in my life."
Ben shook his head. "My official rank is D-Rank (Intermediate). But you... you're something else. I don't care what that watch says. From now on, you're just 'Zack'."
Maya's cold expression softened, just a fraction. "You're right. You could have run. I... probably would have, in your position. But you didn't."
She stepped forward and held out her hand. "That makes you either very, very stupid... or loyal. I'll stick with 'loyal' for now. But you lie to me again, Zack—you let me think I'm in control when I'm not—and I'll test how good that Defense stat of yours really is. We're partners. That means no more lies."
"No more lies," Zack promised, taking her hand. Her grip was strong, her hand calloused.
He looked at Emily.
She was crying. Silent tears were streaming down her face.
She didn't say anything. She just ran at him and punched him in the arm, hard.
"Ow!"
"You're an idiot!" she yelled, hitting him again. "A stupid, reckless, noble idiot! I... I thought I was dead! I thought we were dead! And you... you...!"
She couldn't finish. She just wrapped her arms around his slimy, gory chest and hugged him, sobbing into his shirt. "I'm... I'm so angry. And I'm so proud. And I'm so... so confused. But you're alive. You're strong."
Zack awkwardly hugged her back, his heart aching. "I'm sorry, Em. I'm sorry I lied. I just... I didn't know what else to do."
"We'll talk about it later," she sniffled, pulling back and wiping her nose. "A long talk. But... thank you. For saving me. Again."
They stood there for a moment, a new, strange, and infinitely stronger team.
"Okay," Zack said, his voice quiet as he secretly opened his System interface. He needed to get this done while they were emotional.
'System, absorb all new cubes.'
'System, learn Skill Book.'
A tidal wave of power slammed into him. It was ten times stronger than the last one.
His Agility flared, his legs feeling light as air. His Stamina surged, and the last of his fatigue vanished.
But the Spirit... oh god, the Spirit.
His 39.0 Spirit had been high. His new 45.0 Spirit was a sea. He felt his mind expand. He could feel the air in the cavern, the heat from Emily's hand, the cold of the stone. His connection to his Healer power was no longer a small-town road; it was a six-lane highway.
[Stats Updated!]
Strength: 45.0Agility: 45.7 (+2.0)Stamina: 45.7 (+4.0)Spirit: 45.0 (+6.0)Defense: 45.1
[New Skill Learned: Energy Drain (God-Eater, Lv. 1)]
(Active): Creates a tether with one enemy. Drains 1% of target's Max Stamina and Max Spirit (Mana) per second. 50% of the drained amount is converted and absorbed by the Host. (Cost: 10 Spirit per second to maintain).
Zack's eyes went wide. He understood. This was the key. He wasn't just a battery; he was a siphon. He could drain his enemies of their energy while he fought them. He could use that energy to cast [Heal]. He could fight an army. He could heal his team... forever.
[Skill [Minor Soothe] has reached max proficiency!]
[Evolving... New Skill Unlocked: Heal (Lv. 1)]
(Active): A powerful recovery spell. Heals moderate wounds (broken bones, deep cuts) instantly. (Cost: 20 Spirit).
[God-Eater Class proficiency has increased!]
[New Skill Unlocked: Shadow's Cloak (Lv. 1)]
(Active): Cloaks the Host in God-Eater energy. Muffles all sound of movement and blends the Host with shadows. (Cost: 5 Spirit per minute).
He had done it. He was now, in every sense, a monster. A Healer, an Assassin, and a Tank, all wrapped in one.
He looked at his stats. He was almost at 50.0. He was almost D-Rank (Beginner).
He looked at his team.
"Okay," he said, his voice finally, truly his own. "My watch says E-Rank. But I'm not. I... I think I'm a D-Rank (Beginner). That's what I feel, anyway. So that's what I am."
"Works for me, D-Rank," Ben grinned. "Now, let's find the dungeon core and get the hell out of here. I need a drink. Or ten."
"Agreed," Emily said, her composure returning. She looked at Zack, her eyes full of a new, complicated emotion—respect, awe, and something else. "But Zack... just one more question."
"Yeah?"
"That... that black energy. The stuff that drained the boss. You called yourself... a 'God-Eater'." She shivered. "What... what was that?"
Zack looked at his hands, which were now clean, but he could still feel the dark power thrumming under his skin.
He met her gaze.
"That," he said, "is the complicated part. I'll tell you... but not here."
He turned and looked at the glowing purple crystal—the Dungeon Core—that had appeared where the Brood Mother's dust had settled.
"Let's go home."
[Reader's Note: Zack's Stats - End of Chapter 18]
Rank: E (Peak) / (System Rank: D (Beginner) - Unofficial)
Class: Healer / God-Eater (Mythical)
Strength: 45.0Agility: 45.7Stamina: 45.7Spirit: 45.0Defense: 45.1
(New Skills: [Heal Lv. 1], [Energy Drain Lv. 1], [Shadow's Cloak Lv. 1])
(Storage: 3x Mid-Grade Healing Potions, 5x Low-Grade Recovery Potions, 195 Shop Points)