And now the fact that the system was saying with all certainty his next summoning would bring forth an army of wyverns made him even more certain.
Also, leveling up was slowly becoming an impossibility. After all, for the past week, he had only been able to level up by four, compared to his earlier speed from when he first awakened the system. A part of him believed it was due to his so-called first bloodline awakening. He needed a lot more XP to get level up now, a little too much.
But the week wasn’t entirely filled with downsides, because Alister now learned that combining conduits to perform a summoning could bring forth a dragon with the resulting combined element. That was how he summoned Darven, a lightning dragon with a Blaze crystal and a Spark shard. At least that was an aspect of his life he felt he was in control of. “Alister, you okay?” Blitz asked, noticing his sudden change in demeanor.
Alister quickly composed himself and nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a lot on my mind. Anyway, about that summon…”
Lila didn’t buy what he said, she could notice something was off, her gaze softening as her eyes stared curiously at him.
Alister launched into the story, describing the short intense sparring match with the guild master, how his summon was really pushing thi, and the tactics he had used to gain the upper hand, but not how he actually did it.
Axel and Blitz listened with all the attention they could give, occasionally interrupting with questions and loud laughs. Despite the looming quest, Alister found himself momentarily distracted by their conversion and the shared excitement of their company.
Alister then got up from his seat, telling the others, “I think I’d like to turn in for the night.” Axel and Blitz nodded, their bruises barely hindering their enthusiasm. “Have a good night’s rest, Alister,” Axel said. “Tomorrow is the big day after all.”
Blitz grinned. “Yeah, you need to be ready for whatever comes.”
Alister agreed with a nod. “You’re right. See you guys tomorrow.” He began walking away, his thoughts already drifting to the upcoming quests and auction.
Lila, however, looked visibly tense, she is usually composed but now she had an uncertain look on her face. Axel and Blitz noticed immediately.
“What’s up, Lila?” Blitz asked, concerned.
Before Lila could answer, she suddenly got up from her seat and rushed over to Alister. “Alister, wait! I… I need to show you something.”
Alister turned, surprised by her boldness. “Alright, what is it?”
Without waiting for his full response, Lila grabbed his hand and started pulling him out of the café. “Come on, it’s important.”
Axel and Blitz exchanged puzzled looks as they watched the pair leave, wondering what could be so urgent.
Suddenly, they grinned, knowing smiles spreading across their faces.
Blitz folded her arms and leaned back in her seat, her eyes glinting with mischief.
“You think maybe she’s making the first move?”
Axel nodded, leaning forward with a curious yet playful look. “Most likely. It would explain the look she had on her face.”
Blitz smirked, tapping her fingers on the table. “Wouldn’t it be fun to see if she actually goes through with it?”
Axel chuckled, shaking his head as he crossed his arms. “Oh, sis, this is a personal matter. Should we really spy on them like that?”
Blitz’s smile widened as she leaned in closer. “Has that ever stopped us before?”
Axel laughed, running a hand through his hair. “None that I remember.”
Both of them shared a knowing glance, then suddenly stood up from their seats at the same time, their chairs scraping against the floor. As they moved, Blitz adjusted her jacket, while Axel stretched his arms, both clearly ready for a new source of excitement.
…
Lila led Alister to the main guild building. It was now dark out, night had long since fallen, and most guild members were heading in for the night.
She guided him past the corridors with a quick pace. When they reached the elevator, she saw it was in use and started leading Alister to the stairs instead. As they climbed, Alister asked, “What is it?”
Lila looked back at him, her eyes practically shining with excitement. “Don’t worry. When we get there, you’ll like what you see. I promise.”
“Like what I see?” Alister repeated her words in confusion, taking two steps at a time to keep up with her.
Lila just smiled and continued upward, their steps echoing in the stairwell. After what felt like endless steps, they finally reached the door to the rooftop. Lila pushed it open with a bit of effort, and they emerged on top.
Lila, panting, slowly fell on her knees. “It’s been a while since I ran like that.”
Alister looked around the roof, squinting in the dim light but didn’t notice anything particularly amazing. He turned to her, tilting his head. “What is it you want to show me?”
Lila, a bit confused by his question, slowly rose to stand properly.
“What do you mean? Can’t you see it?”
“See what?” Alister asked, his brow furrowing.
His words made her slightly flustered, Lila then pointed above them, her arm extended and finger aimed at the sky. “The stars, you dummy.”
Alister followed her gaze and finally lifted his gaze upwards and noticed the beautiful night sky, filled with countless twinkling stars, as well as the massive barrier that encased the mega city, that could faintly be seen as it pulsed slightly.
He blinked with a relaxed look on his face, as he took in the view, his shoulders easing up. Lila smiled as she watched Alister admire the stars in awe. She broke the silence as she walked up to the protective railing, her fingers lightly grazing the metal.
“I usually come here whenever I feel stressed or when I have a lot to think about,” she said, her voice soft but clear in the quiet night.
She glanced at Alister, her eyes filled with concern. “I brought you here because it seemed like something was on your mind, and I wanted to help.”
Alister gazed at her, then smiled softly, tilting his head at her words. “Well, It helped… thank
you.”
His words made her blush, and she turned to look away, her cheeks warm. “I’m glad I could
help.”
Alister walked up to the protective railing, still gazing at the stars and he now stood besides
Lila.
For a moment there was silence, Alister then said, “It’s beautiful.”
“Indeed,” Lila replied.
Suddenly a voice echoed.
“Boooo, boooo, this is an absolute snooze fest,” came a voice. It was Blitz, she stood at the entrance to the rooftop, a disappointed expression on her face. Right behind her was Axel,
who looked equally let down.
“All those stairs climbed just to be alone on the rooftop and gaze at stars? Really?” Blitz teased, folding her arms as she walked up to them. Axel agreed with her by shaking his head.
Lila’s blush deepened as she turned to face them with a look of surprise.
“W-what are you two doing here?”
Blitz shrugged, her grin widening. “We just couldn’t resist seeing what you were up to. But now that we’re here we can’t help but feel immensely disappointed.”