The scent of the elder's home hit them the moment they stepped inside—wood smoke, dried herbs, and something faintly sweet beneath it all. The warmth was a welcome change from the biting wind outside, and snowflakes clung stubbornly to their coats and hair as they closed the door behind them.
The old man sat cross-legged near the hearth, eyes closed, as if he'd been waiting the entire time.
Adrian stepped forward and pulled the carefully wrapped flower from his coat. "We brought the flower. It was growing halfway up the mountain, just where the orb led us."
The elder opened his eyes. They glinted not with the misty haze of age, but the clarity of someone who saw far more than he let on.
He took the flower without a word, cupping it like a precious jewel. "Good. It seems you have not encounterd trouble, you've done well. Most would have turned back halfway."
Sarah flopped onto the wooden bench nearby and exhaled dramatically. "Well lucky us being whatever you called it and now you owe us tea, old man. I climbed a whole mountain. I earned that much."
The old man looked at her, then gave a small amused snort. "Very well. I did say I'd make it."
He stood with a grace that belied his age, moving to a small counter where he began brewing the tea. The steam curled upward as he placed the petals in the pot, then added a few pinchfuls of other dried herbs from an old pouch. The smell deepened into something richer—floral, earthy, and oddly calming.
Alice sat beside her sister, tugging off her gloves. "That smells… better than I expected."
Adrian remained standing, watching closely. There was something methodical about the way the old man prepared the tea. Like a ritual. Like someone who had done this a thousand times.
When it was done, the elder poured the amber liquid into three simple cups and handed them out with both hands. "Here. You've earned this warmth."
Adrian hesitated only a second before taking a cup. He was shocked the old man even shared his drink, regardless he still nodded his thanks and took a careful sip.
The warmth hit instantly—starting in his chest and blooming outward like a fire lit beneath his ribs. It wasn't just heat; it was comfort. A feeling like sitting beside someone you trust. Like hearing an old song you'd forgotten you loved.
Beside him, Sarah gave a small gasp. "Whoa. Is this tea… magic?"
Alice was staring at her own cup, her eyes wide. "It's like drinking sunlight."
The old man sat again, clasping his own mug between both hands. "I collected the herbs during my travels. Never made this exact brew before. Didn't know what it would do."
Sarah blinked. "What?"
"But," he continued, "it's made properly, and the effect is a good one. It listens to the spirit, I think."
Then, just as Sarah opened her mouth to respond, a soft chime echoed in the air around them. All three of them sat up straighter.
A translucent notification appeared before the girls, lettering etched in silver with a faint glow:
Class Unlocked: IRON VANGUARD
A shield of the frontlines, a mountain in motion. Heavy weapons, heavier will.
Sarah blinked, then burst out laughing. "Wait—what? That's a tank class? I got something?!"
Before she could celebrate further, another notification shimmered in front of Alice:
Class Unlocked: DRAFON KNIGHT
Swiftness meets steel. A vanguard's dance. Light on your feet, sharp with the blade.
Alice's jaw dropped slightly. "I didn't even—how did we…?"
They both turned to Adrian, who stared at the space in front of him. He blinked once. Twice. But nothing appeared.
No chime. No glow. Just… silence.
The old man looked at him with an unreadable expression. "Strange. It usually reveals something."
Adrian lowered his cup slowly, hiding the tension creeping into his jaw. "Guess I'm the odd one out."
Sarah tilted her head, brow furrowed. "Wait, you didn't get one?"
Alice hesitated. "That's… weird. You were the one who found the flower and everything."
Adrian gave a small shrug, leaning back against the wall. "Maybe I'm just not ready. Or maybe the tea didn't like me."
The girls exchanged a glance but didn't push further. Instead, Sarah threw her arm around Alice's shoulders and grinned. "Well, we're a dream team now. She's fast, I'm indestructible. Good luck killing us."
Alice smiled faintly. "And Adrian's our… what? Our guide?"
"Our tea connoisseur," Sarah added with a smirk.
Adrian chuckled softly. "Guess I'll stay behind and make the drinks next time."
But inside, something tugged at him.
Not jealousy. Not quite.
More like curiosity.
The tea had worked. It had done something—he could feel that. But instead of granting a class, it had… nothing. Or maybe something else. Something the system wasn't really showing anything in display.
The old man stood and poured himself another cup, taking a deep drink before sighing in content. "This tea… yes. It'll do."
Adrian watched the way the man smiled, slow and thoughtful, like someone remembering an old memory too fond to speak aloud.
The silence stretched, not awkward, but full.
Outside, snow drifted lazily past the windows. Inside, the hearth crackled, the warmth of the tea lingering in their bones.
Eventually, Sarah nudged Adrian's foot with hers. "Thanks for picking this village, by the way. This was way cooler than I thought."
Alice nodded, still looking into her cup. "Yeah. I think… this place might really be something special."
Adrian smiled faintly. "Yeah. I think so too."
Even if he didn't get a class—yet—there was something about this world. Something waiting to be uncovered.
And maybe, just maybe, he didn't mind that the girls were outpacing him for now.
An hour later after giving the elder enough company, they decided they should leave and see what is up with this place.
Just as they were rising to their feet, brushing off snow-dampened clothes and preparing to head back into the winter-chilled village, the old man stirred again.
"Hold on, boy."
Adrian turned, half-glancing toward the door. "Yeah?"
The elder didn't speak at first. Instead, he stood with a groan, moving slowly to an old shelf near the back wall. His fingers brushed over a stack of scrolls and tools before landing on a weathered book—its leather cover scuffed, the edges slightly curled as if it had weathered time and many hands. He picked it up with a reverence Adrian hadn't seen in him before.
He turned back and walked forward, stopping in front of Adrian.
"If you don't mind my gift," he said, voice low but steady. "One of the things I found never useful, especially now."
Adrian's brow furrowed slightly, unsure how to respond. Sarah and Alice had turned back too, curiosity written across their faces.
The old man held the book out, offering it with both hands. "Take this."
Adrian reached out and accepted it carefully. It was heavier than it looked. The cover was dark, etched with a symbol that looked like an open eye resting inside a broken circle. He traced a thumb along the edge and looked back up.
"What is it?"
The old man stared at him for a long second before answering.
"Something I figured out years ago. A path—not something anyone can hand out. I couldn't use it to build the foundation of my body," he said, motioning to himself. "But I can't learn it anymore. My path's already carved."
Sarah raised an eyebrow. "So like… a secret technique?"
Alice tilted her head. "Why give it to Adrian?"
"Because you found this tea for me and somehow it blessed you two and didn't work on him," the old man replied, eyes never leaving Adrian's. "That made me feel bad, I was going to give you some interesting stuff, but i guess this will do."
He stepped back toward the hearth, settling down once again. "If you can comprehend it… It might reveal something far greater than a simple class. Or nothing at all, we will see, since I did not comprehend it, but it will be good enough, I'm sure."
Adrian looked down at the book again. It didn't glow. It didn't pulse. But holding it stirred something low, like a hum in his chest.
"…Thank you," he said, quietly but sincerely.
The old man nodded. "Don't rush it. Let yourself understand it."
The girls waited as Adrian slipped the book into his inventory with a faint shimmer of light. Then, together, they stepped out into the snow-dusted streets.
The cold was biting after the warmth inside, but none of them complained.
For a long moment, they walked in silence until Sarah, arms crossed and eyes gleaming with curiosity, finally broke it.
"So? What do you think it does? Secret power? Hidden class? A god-tier buff?"
Adrian chuckled. "You're assuming I can even read it."
Alice gave him a sideways glance. "You've been grinning like an idiot since we left. Don't pretend you're not excited."
"I'm just… glad I didn't walk away empty-handed," he admitted, more to himself than them. "Feels like there's a chance. Something to build toward."
"Of course there is," Sarah said, nudging him with her elbow. "You're Adrian. You probably already figured out how to break the game."
Adrian didn't respond right away.
Because deep down, he knew this wasn't just about breaking a game anymore.
That book, the old man's words, and what he got wasn't code. It wasn't mechanics or min-maxing or guide-writing. It was something raw. Something earned. And maybe, for the first time, he was okay not having all the answers yet.
They walked back to the center of the starting village, where the snow had quieted and the lanterns had begun to flicker on one by one. It was quiet. Peaceful. But there was a sense of anticipation in the air, like the world was waiting for them to take the next step.