Chapter 28: Almost there

this is a fictional story by realTensai

[YOU FAILED!]

[TRY AGAIN!]

Alvis’ body shook, a higher might forcing it to move. He was in his comfort zone, fully at peace, yet his peace was getting interrupted. The higher might shook stronger and stronger and Alvis knew he would leave his comfort zone soon. He started hearing a voice, and before he knew it, he woke up.

“Wake up Alvis, you got school!” his mother said, looking impatient.

“Thank you, Mom,” Alvis said, getting up.

As soon as his mom left his room, Alvis went over the things he had just found out.

After going through so many respawns, Alvis finally discovered the reason his loop always ended. He had found out how Lia died and what he had to save her from.

Alvis could only smile after he realized that.

He had come a long way.

The level started with him not knowing what he even had to do. He then thought Nero was the girl he had to save, only for him to find out she was not. After that, he focused on Fiona, though he quickly understood that he had wasted his time. Only then did he figure out Lia was the girl. From there on, Alvis went through a lot to gain her trust. From getting killed by her to going on a date with her. He had gone through all.

And now he felt like the level was approaching its end. Well, he still had the most difficult part in front of him.

Lia tried to single-handedly destroy the Assassin Organization. Just thinking about that felt baffling to Alvis. How incredible of a person did one have to be to try something like that? She could not stand the evil the Organization caused and wanted to act against it. However, in the end, she failed because she could not defeat the boss.

Why she could not defeat him, Alvis did not understand. Just going by her strength, she should have been able to kill him. After seeing how she defeated all the other assassins, Alvis knew she was not lacking in strength. Yet even though she got the perfect chance to kill the boss, she could not.

It was because she hesitated.

This was the thing Alvis could not understand. Why would she hesitate to kill him? She knew she had to do it if she wanted to destroy the Organization, so her hesitating did not make sense. Alvis could not understand it with his current knowledge, so he put the topic aside for the moment. Yet he knew finding out why would be crucial.

So for this run, Alvis intended to end it once and for all. Alvis would use this run to save Lia! He knew what he had to do and would do everything to achieve it. Alvis had to either convince Lia not to attack the Assassin Organization, or give her the final push so she would not hesitate before killing the boss. Either way would get him to success. Though before he could even think about doing such things, he first had to get closer to her again.

Everything reset, including their relationship. Alvis would have to gain her trust again. For this, he intended to do the same as he did in his penultimate run. Alvis would join the student council, saying he would want to get closer to Lia and not once lie to her. If he did the same thing he did back then, she should invite him on a date again. And this was where Alvis would change something crucial.

However, for now, he just had to react to his penultimate run. Before he did that, though, Alvis checked his system for changes.

NOTIFICATION

[YOU DIED!]

Experience is awarded for dying!

LEVEL 2: A lone girl

Mission: Save the girl

General:

Name: Alvis Silva

Race: Human

Class: Mage

Level: 4

Skills:

Basic mana manipulation: Lvl. 5-> Lvl. 6

Mastermind: Lvl. 3

Stats:

Mana: 99-> 102

Strength: 29

Intelligence: 88-> 98

Endurance: 41

Reflex: 35

Health: 50/50

It felt refreshing for Alvis to see those updates. In his penultimate run, where he had spent all his time getting closer to Lia, his stats did not change after respawning. It was the first time that happened. Though now Alvis leveled up basic mana manipulation and also got three stat points in mana and ten in Intelligence. Alvis knew those ten stat points came from him learning his mind protector spell, which was an advanced rank spell.

Though only now did Alvis notice the big discrepancy between his mana and intelligence to all the other stats. Even though he knew the mage class was known for high mana and intelligence, but low health and strength, he did not like the direction he was going in. He did not want to be a good damage dealer but then get one-shotted because of his low health. After realizing that, Alvis decided he would train his body from now on. He at least wanted to get his other stats to an average level.

——

Alvis executed his plan by doing the same things he had done in his penultimate run. He got into the student council by stating his true intentions. From there on, he just worked hard helping Lia wherever he could.

That was how he earned his date with her again. Right now they were on their way back, the date having gone successfully.

Alvis looked at the evening sky, which came alive with a breathtaking display of colors, while the sun began its descent. It was this beautiful sight which gave Alvis the last bit of strength needed to change the course of the run.

“Lia. There is something I have to tell you.”

Lia looked at him, her mouth slightly opened while her brows furrowed.

“I know you are a part of the Assassin Organization.”

Upon hearing that, Lia immediately took a few steps back, raising her clenched fist into a fighting position.

“No need to worry, I have no ill intentions,” Alvis said, presenting his honest feelings. “A few weeks ago, the Organization had sent an assassin on me. I somehow managed to survive, yet this event was unsettling. I did not know why they wanted to kill me, so I did some investigations on them. By that, I found out you were a part of them. I joined the student council so I could get to know you and see what kind of person you are. Though I quickly found out that you are a sincere and kind soul.”

Lia looked at him with widened eyes, yet she had already dropped her guard. However, after a few seconds, she smiled like a child.

“You are a strange guy. I can’t feel an ounce of a lie from you. You only have good intentions,” Lia said, finally relaxing. “I am an empath, which means I can tell if people lie to me. However, you are the only person who has not once lied to me.”

Alvis’ eyes softened as he heard that. His hard work paid off.

“So you trust me?” Alvis asked, just to make sure.

“Not fully. But I at least know you don’t have ill intents and never lie.”

“This is fine with me.”

Alvis let out a satisfied sigh of relief. He was not sure how their conversation would go after he revealed he knew her connection to the Organization. Yet it went fine.

“B-But Alvis,” Lia said, her green eyes worriedly piercing through him. “How come you knew my true identity the whole time and still could spend time with me? I… I am an assassin. I have killed dozens of people. Someone like me should not deserve kindness… You knew that, yet you have spent time with me. This does not make sense.”

“Why? I know you are a good-hearted person, so why should not I spend time with you?”

Lia abruptly came to a halt. Alvis just looked at her and saw how her eyes widened and tears almost formed. He had thought he had said something wrong, though as he saw her warm smile, he exhaled.

“You really are a strange guy,” she said with an angelic smile.

Alvis’ heart raced even though he had just been called strange. Yet it somehow felt as if their relationship had just progressed. But her smile still made him feel like her cuteness could kill him.

I have to watch out for those surprise attacks.

——

“Let’s go grab something to eat before we head to the student council, Al,” Lia said after class ended.

The bells just rang, and they were still in their classroom, yet Lia immediately stood up and went to Alvis. Since their date, they had become a lot closer and spent significantly more time together. Because Alvis knew her secret but still accepted her, Lia felt like she did not have to hide anything from him and could show her true self to him. Also, he never lied to her, which made her feel safe around him.

Even though Alvis enjoyed spending time with Lia, he did not feel comfortable with the extra attention he gained from it. He often received jealous looks, and he felt how the tension between him and Lia’s simps rose. Especially Joel seemed to hold a grudge against him. Though this was just what happened if one spent time with the most popular girl in school.

“I underestimated you, Al. You really pulled Lia! That’s crazy!” Dane whispered so she would not hear.

Though seeing how her pointy ears glowed red, Alvis knew Lia got what Dane said because of her empathetic abilities.

“Well, the book was worth it,” Alvis replied.

Dane just looked at him, dumbfounded, and Alvis could only grin. He did not understand which book Alvis meant because it did not happen in this run. Yet he still remembered Dane’s worried expression when he saw him reading Ten Ways to get your dream girl.

Alvis chuckled. He liked to joke about things that happened in runs the others did not remember.

I think I got a new sense of humor.