Chapter 97: A Party at the Edge

Angelica appeared in front of him, holding two wooden mugs that probably held something alcoholic.

“Well, if it isn’t my battle partner. Come on, let’s drink and eat some meat,” she said with a wide grin, handing him one of the mugs.

Luke took it but hesitated. She was already raising hers in a toast, clinking it against his without waiting.

“I don’t drink…”

“Oh really? But you’re eighteen, aren’t you?” she replied, genuinely surprised. “If you’re old enough to get a system, you’re old enough to drink. Golden rule of this world.”

Clara would kill me if she saw me drinking…

“I’d rather not,” he said, trying to stay firm.

I mean, I’ve killed monsters… even bad people. Drinking shouldn’t be a big deal. But with Angelica? She’d probably rope me into a drinking contest.

She laughed and raised her hands in surrender. “Alright, I’ll respect that. But I’m dead serious about the meat. We need your help with the noble — yet terrible — task of devouring an absurd amount of tyrannosaurus. If we don’t, that corpse is going to rot in the middle of camp.”

“That I can do,” Luke replied with a faint smile. “I’m starving like a lion.”

Angelica paused, brow furrowing.

“Wait… was that a joke?”

“Yeah. Lion. Like the manticore we fought.” He sighed. “I know, not my best work…”

She burst out laughing, slapping him on the back — hard enough to nearly knock him forward.

She’s kind of rough…

“So, where are you from, back on Earth?” she asked, still chuckling.

“United States.”

“No way, me too! Which state?”

“Maine.”

“Maine, huh? A proper Yankee.” She gave him a teasing look. “I’m from Texas.”

“Texas? Well, that explains a lot…”

Angelica gave him a playful pinch on the arm. “Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?”

“N-nothing…” Luke raised his hands, backing up a bit, but the two of them laughed together.

Their conversation drifted to life before the tutorial. Luke learned that Angelica had been good with a bow since childhood — she used to hunt with her father near their home. It all made sense.

But something still bugged him.

“But… those skills you used. The arrow multiplication, the mana shot… they don’t fit a warrior class. How is that possible?”

“It’s because…” She hesitated a second before answering. “I’m not a warrior. I’m an archer.”

Luke frowned. “But the axe? I’ve seen you use it more than once.”

Angelica looked down, the smile fading from her lips.

“That axe… it belonged to my brother. He and I came into this tutorial together.”

Luke understood instantly.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s alright,” she said, offering a small, distant smile. “He’s the one who founded the Haven. I have some close-range archer skills, and I’ve adapted them to work with his axe. I keep using it… hoping I can awaken a second class.”

“Second class?”

“It’s rare. But if you get really good at something outside your main class, the system might recognize it. You can earn a second class linked to that skill. I want to awaken his class… so I can properly wield his weapon.”

Angelica looked at Luke for a moment, her expression more serious than he was used to seeing.

“In the past, my brother and I were like you and Allison,” she began, her voice steady but heavy. “We did everything we could to speed things up. We wanted out of here as fast as possible. But one night, we broke into a place in the Wild Zone… thought it might be important for the mission.”

She paused. Her eyes were fixed on something far beyond the moment, lost somewhere in memory.

“He didn’t make it. That night, out of thirty people who went in, only two came back. Me and Paul.”

Luke didn’t say a word. The weight of her words settled in the air.

“I hope you understand… I didn’t stop because I gave up. I stopped because he died for me. If I throw myself into this mission and die for nothing, it’s like spitting on his sacrifice.”

She placed a hand gently on his shoulder — far softer than her rough exterior made it seem possible.

“I don’t like watching people die, Luke. That’s why I don’t push anyone to keep chasing this insane mission. Lives matter. Bartholomew has a plan. It may seem slow, but it’s working. He’s building a safe route, trying to save as many people as possible. One day, he’ll activate the three mechanisms and reach that castle.”

Angelica leaned in slightly, locking eyes with him.

“Use the time you have here. Don’t throw yourself into the abyss. This place is cruel enough already. That’s my advice — and I’m not speaking as a leader of the Haven. I’m speaking as someone who knows what rushing the system really costs.”

She stepped back, but stopped just before walking away.

“If a second manticore had shown up yesterday… we’d both be dead. That’s the Wild Zone. One step forward always means one step closer to death.”

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

Luke lowered his gaze. Her words weren’t just advice — they were scars. He could feel the weight of everything she’d lost… and how hard she had fought just to stay standing.

Angelica offered a brief smile, and in her usual way, tried to lighten the air around them.

“Don’t give me that face. Come on. We’ve got way too much meat to eat and way too much booze to waste. Auntie Angelica just felt like playing Uncle Ben for a minute, you know? ‘With great power…’ and all that.”

She made a dramatic gesture with her hand.

“Though honestly, I feel more like Professor X sometimes. Everyone here has superpowers, after all.”

With that final joke, she turned and walked off toward one of the bonfires, where laughter and voices blended together, painting a little warmth over an otherwise gray day.

Luke stayed behind for a few more seconds, deep in thought. Not uncertain — just… heavier.

***

Luke sat near a bonfire, eyes fixed on the ground, even as the heat from the flames warmed his face. Angelica’s words still echoed in his mind. He’d distrusted her from the beginning — for siding with Bartholomew, for not taking action. But now, he understood. She was like him. Marked by scars, shaped by loss.

There were no dark secrets behind her silence. Only pain. And the desperate attempt to preserve something amid the ruins.

“That manticore thing was terrifying… even dead,” said Quinn as he sat down beside Luke.