CHRONOS SYSTEM

"Kea!"

MJ burst into the room and immediately embraced Kealin in a tight hug, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"You idiot... don't you ever make me worry like that again, okay?" she said, her voice trembling slightly despite her attempt to sound stern.

"Yeah," Kealin replied weakly, awkwardly patting her back. He wasn't used to this kind of emotional display from his usually composed guardian.

After a few more moments, Lena and Max joined them, having been notified by the hospital staff that Kealin had woken up.

"Konnichiwa, Kea-kun!" Max called out cheerfully as they entered.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Kealin said, sitting up on the edge of the bed as he started chatting with his friends, trying to act like nothing had happened.

"Well, let's see," Max said while leaning casually against the wall, "not much happened recently except you getting beaten up and all. Things have been really quiet around school."

"And is it just me, or does it feel like Miss Vanessa is really happy these days?" Lena chimed in, settling down beside Kealin on the bed.

"I know, right?" Max agreed. "Every time she looks at your empty seat, that creepy smile of hers just widens. It's actually kind of disturbing."

"She must really hate me then," Kealin chuckled, remembering his teacher's unsettling expression during his first day. "I did get detention and all."

"So, Kea-kun, now that you're awake, what do you wanna do first?" Max asked, genuinely curious about his friend's plans.

"Let's see... oh, I was actually planning on visiting the maze today," Kealin said casually, as if he were talking about going to the grocery store instead of an underground fighting arena.

"What?! You wake up and the first thing you do is dive straight into danger?" MJ immediately objected, her protective instincts kicking in full force. She wasn't ready to start worrying about him again so soon.

"It's okay, MJ. We'll look after him this time," Lena said, trying to calm MJ down with a reassuring smile.

"Oh, really? Like you 'looked after him' last time?" MJ snapped back, her arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently.

"Um..." Lena started to protest but quickly realized she had no defense.

"Relax, MJ. Sure, Kea-kun ended up in this condition partly because of us, but this time it'll be different. No brawls, no seniors—promise," Max said, holding up his hand in a mock oath.

Despite how carefree Max sounded, MJ seemed to feel somewhat at ease, though worry still lingered in her eyes like storm clouds that refused to dissipate.

"You'd better," she said sternly, pointing a finger at both Max and Lena. "Because if I find him lying half-dead in an alley again, you two will be six feet under."

Although MJ was in her early thirties, she still looked and acted like she was in her twenties, which was both a blessing and a curse. Her youthful appearance often caused Lena and Max to be extra cautious around her—not because they feared her age, but because they knew she was perfectly capable of following through on her threats.

******

Later that evening, while walking through the bustling stalls of the underground arena, Kealin kept glancing around hopefully, searching for the old man who had given him the cube. But it felt as if the mysterious vendor had simply vanished into thin air, leaving no trace of his existence.

"Well, considering the cube's origins, of course he wouldn't be here," Kealin thought to himself, a disappointed look appearing on his face as he realized the futility of his search.

"You okay, Kea?" Lena noticed his dejected expression and asked with genuine concern.

"Yeah, it's fine. Let's head back," Kealin answered, trying to mask his disappointment.

Just as the trio was about to leave, a familiar voice called out from behind them, dripping with mockery.

"Hey, look—it's the shrimp."

"Oh no," Lena muttered under her breath.

Marcus then strutted up to Kealin with that same cocky smirk he always wore. "You really got guts to show your face around here, kid."

"Back off, Marcus. We don't want any trouble," Max immediately stepped between Kealin and the larger fighter, his protective instincts kicking in.

"Oh, what's this? You friends now, Max?" Marcus asked with amusement, clearly enjoying the tension.

"So what if we are?" Max shot back defiantly.

Marcus's eyes flicked between Kealin and Max, then to Lena, who was standing ready to intervene if things escalated.

"Haha... oi kid, how about a rematch, huh?" Marcus challenged, cracking his knuckles loudly.

"Like hell, Marcus!" Lena snapped at him, her patience wearing thin.

"Guys, it's okay," Kealin said calmly, causing a satisfied smile to appear on Marcus's face. "Besides, there's something new I wanna try."

"But, Kea—" Lena started to protest.

"I'll be fine, Lena. Trust me," Kealin said with more confidence than he actually felt.

As they headed toward the fighting ring, a screen suddenly materialized in front of Kealin's vision—visible only to him.

[Optional Quest]

[Challenge: Rematch with Marcus]

[Do you accept?]

[Yes] [No]

"Master, you have been challenged to a brawl. Do you accept?" Chronos's voice echoed in his mind.

"I do," Kealin answered mentally, feeling a strange sense of excitement mixed with nervousness.

"Very well. To continue, you must choose a class. If you do not, even if you defeat your opponent, you won't receive any rewards," Chronos informed him seriously.

Suddenly, a comprehensive list of different classes appeared before Kealin's inner vision, each one glowing with its own unique energy.

[Class Selection]

[Warrior] - A melee-focused class that excels in physical combat and durability

[Mage] - A spell-casting class that excels in magical damage and elemental manipulation

[Healer] - A supportive class that restores health to allies and provides battlefield utility

[Assassin] - A class that excels in stealth, agility, and high-damage sneak attacks

[Alchemist] - A class that excels in brewing potions, elixirs, and crafting magical concoctions

[Enchanter] - A class that excels in imbuing items with magical properties and enhancing equipment

"That's quite the list," Kealin thought, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the choices.

"Master, I suggest you choose a class that matches your space and time attribute," Chronos advised.

Kealin's mind wavered as he looked at the list in front of him. After pondering for a while, he decided to ask for guidance.

"With my current state, which do you think would be more suitable?"

"With your current state, the Assassin, Alchemist, and Enchanter classes would be useless, since you do not yet possess the skills required to utilize them effectively. The Healer class won't help you in direct combat situations, leaving you with two viable choices: the Mage class and the Warrior class," Chronos explained logically.

"Well, the Warrior class would be good for close combat, but I also don't possess the skills to excel as a Mage," Kealin reasoned, trying to think practically.

"Although that is true..." Chronos paused, as if considering something important. "Currently, you lack combat experience, but as a Mage, you can learn to control your mana and potentially increase your other stats through magical means. Magic also offers more versatility in different situations."

"Hmm..." Kealin pondered for a moment longer, weighing his options carefully. The idea of being able to cast spells was undeniably appealing, and he had always been fascinated by the concept of magic.

"Alright, Mage it is," he finally decided, feeling a strange sense of destiny settling over him.