Chapter 24: Rivalry
After the whole "conquer virtual monsters and accidentally offend a noble" episode, Alex decided to reward himself with the ultimate victory prize—takeout dinner.
Standing at the local street vendor's cart, he pointed to a greasy box of fried mana-dumplings.
"One large box. Extra spicy. And don't skimp on the sauce this time, old man!"
The vendor raised a bushy eyebrow. "Kid, last time you said that, your mouth was on fire for two days."
"Exactly. Builds character."
Bag of sizzling food in hand, Alex made his way home, humming a tune that was suspiciously close to the battle theme from the game this world was based on.
His humble house looked just as broken-down and charming as ever. He kicked the door open like a seasoned warrior returning from war.
"I'm back! And I brought grease!"
Once inside, Alex carefully placed the food on the table, but instead of digging in, he took a deep breath and sat cross-legged on the floor.
He closed his eyes and started circulating his internal energy.
He could feel the mana within his core pulsing, faint but steady. He focused on it, guiding the flow with practiced intent.