Chapter 4: Bonds of Resilience

As Aeon caught his breath, he stared at the monster's lifeless body, his mind racing with the implications of what had just happened. He had never seen anything like it before. The sudden appearance of the goblins, the intense battle, and the feeling of power coursing through his veins as he defeated the monster.

But before he could process it all, a new window appeared in front of him like a VR spatial window. It was a familiar sight, reminiscent of the VR headset and games he had played in his free time.

SYSTEM STATUS WINDOW

Name: Aeon (Male)

Ability Rank: 7/10 stars 

Ability name: Extreme instinct (Upgradeable)

GLOBAL RANKING:

* Current: 23/1000

Aeon's eyes widened as he scanned the status window. He had never seen anything like this before. It was like a VR game, but it felt more realistic. He felt a surge of excitement and a sense of purpose. If what he's thinking is right, if this is similar to games and manga then he must rank up quickly to increase his survival rate, and to upgrade his ability further that would set him apart from the rest.

Just then, the female student approached him, concern etched on her face. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice soft. "Thank you for saving me earlier." She paused, looking around awkwardly. "I'm Layla, by the way."

Aeon nodded absently, still staring at the floating screen. "I'm... fine," he said, his voice distracted.

Layla's eyes narrowed slightly. "You're not acting like yourself," she said.

Aeon shook his head, snapping back to reality. "I'm just... overwhelmed," he said, trying to sound casual.

"Oh really, overwhelmed by what? looking at my chest?" Layla asked sarcastically.

"Yes, this is amazing, WAIT WHAT?!! what chest? Aeon said with surprised face.

Layla blushed then said with red face "your eyes were looking at ... never mind. if seemed you were looking at something else in the air"

Aeon coughed embarrassed and said, "can't you... hmm see this floating window in front of me like similar to a spatial screen in VR headsets?"

Layla also coughed embarrassingly "oh of course ... wait WHAT?!! are you crazy?"

Aeon began to explain to her what happened after he killed the monster.

Although they both find it hard to believe, it was real to Aeon as he was seeing it in real time with his own eyes.

"Anyway, I think we should stay hidden in this storage room," Layla said. "It seems like there's enough food and water here. We can rest for a while."

Aeon nodded, still lost in thought. "Yeah, that's a good idea," he said.

Without another word, Aeon turned and began to move away from Layla. She followed him quietly, her eyes fixed on his back.

As they walked, Aeon suddenly stopped and put his hand on Layla's lips, silencing her. "Shh," he whispered. "Let's stay quiet and keep an eye out for any more monsters and keep what I told you about a secret between us."

Layla's eyes widened in surprise then blushed, and her face flushed red. Aeon quickly dropped his hand, feeling a pang of guilt.

"Are you okay?" Aeon asked her suddenly.

Layla nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "Y-yes... I'm fine."

Aeon nodded curtly and continued to move away from Layla, leaving her to follow him in silence.

As night settled in, Aeon contemplated several assumptions:

1. System and Status Windows:

 - Aeon speculated that a system similar to those found in manga, novels, and VR games might exist.

 - Perhaps this was a status windows displaying crucial information about abilities and progress.

2. Ability Ratings:

 - Aeon's ability was rated at seven stars out of 10.

 - He wondered if rating mean the rarity of ability, power, or maybe something else related to the ability.

3. Extreme Instinct:

 - Aeon's ability, is Extreme Instinct, enhance his five primary senses X10 times.

 - Notably, it heightened proprioception, allowing him to perceive his body's position in space and maintain balance and coordination which also increase agility. 

2. RANKING:

 - Aeon is currently ranked 23rd, which imply that there are others who are ranked higher. Will they be an enemy I must get rid of? or an ally I will need? or nothing in between.

Aeon couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He knew that he had to adapt, know more, and be stronger if he wanted to survive these new circumstances. And he knew that he couldn't do it alone.

But as he lay there in the corner of the storage room sleepy, he couldn't shake off the feeling that Layla was watching him but ignored her as he felt she is not a bad person nor a threat.

Aeon's eyes narrowed as he scanned the room, his mind racing with strategies. He knew that the key to survival was to upgrade his ability faster than others. He couldn't do it alone, but he had a feeling that Layla could be a valuable ally.

"Hey, Layla," Aeon said with a wide smile, his voice low and calculated. "We need to work together if we're going to survive. I have an idea."

Layla's eyes widened in fear as she took a step back. "What is it?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

Aeon although reluctant he explained to Layla about this mysterious system and abilities etc... but he avoided telling her about his ability details.

Aeon's gaze never left hers. "I want to test an idea. I want to see if someone can awaken an ability if s/he killed a monster?

secondly, to test if I can fight against a monster better now or not? and for a period of time instead of killing them to adapt at using my ability."

Layla's eyes darted around the room, her face pale with fear. "I don't know, Aeon," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "What if we get hurt? What if we can't survive?"

Aeon's expression softened, and he took a step closer to her. "Layla, I'm not going to use you as a meat shield or sacrifice you for my own gain," he said, his voice reassuring. "I promise you that. If anything goes wrong, I'll be there to protect you, since this is my idea."

Aeon added "I will not force so make your decision, also you can retreat anytime without caring about me"

Layla's eyes searched his face, and for a moment, she saw a glimmer of sincerity. She felt a sense of relief wash over her as she realized that Aeon was not the type of person who would use others as a sacrifice.

"Okay," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'll do it."

Aeon nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Good. Let's create a plan."

Together, they set up plans and laid out traps for a single monster. Aeon took a deep breath, his heart racing with excitement. "Okay, lure a single monster."

"aren't you a bit ashamed making a girl do that" Layla said jokingly.

"Well, I may have felt that but you're better at running than me and seems to have a better stamina. furthermore, didn't you say you're the racerunner, so you are faster and have a great stamina for continuous running whereas I am good at analysing things. Aeon replied sarcastically.

"haha, fine"

Layla nodded and took off, luring a monster. Aeon followed closely behind, his eyes scanning the area for a better weapon than his scissors. He suddenly spotted a few extra iron bars on the corner of the room and quickly grabbed one.

Aeon had carefully planned every detail of their strategy. He had planted iron bars hidden behind the curtain, with their end tips fixed into place, creating a makeshift spear trap. When Layla returned, running frantically as if her life depended on it, Aeon's determination turned to action. 

"sorry" Layla apologised frantically when she saw Aeon.

"It seems two extra goblins came along, but the plan will still work"

The trio goblins chased Layla, sprinting with remarkable speed. they lunged forward, emitting a loud whoop, and noticed the iron bars on the ground. Caught off guard while running at full tilt, they couldn't stop in time. Mockingly, the trio goblins laughed and leaped to avoid the trap on the ground. but at the same time, Aeon and Layla exchanged eerily similar smiles, causing the trio goblins' grin to falter, replaced by confusion.

As if saying "What's so funny?" they growled.

Aeon's eyes gleamed with anticipation. 

The goblins' eyes widened as they realized their mistake. But it was too late. The combination of their own momentum and the wall obscured behind the curtains with iron bars fixed in it like deadly spears proved fatal.

The trio goblins screamed in agony as their body was pierced by the iron bars, their feet, shoulders, necks, and chests all struck by the sharp spears. The sound of shattering bone and tearing flesh filled the air as the creatures' lifeless bodies stuck on the wall before crushing on the ground.

"You should have stopped when you saw the iron bars," Aeon evilly whispered.

Aeon's expression turned serious once more. "You did great," he said to Layla.

Layla's eyes searched his face for reassurance. "W-what Oh Yo-YOU TOO?" she stuttered.

Aeon shrugged. "Just got lucky."

Layla nodded, her eyes still wide with fear but also a hint of excitement. "That was clever of you and cool"

"Perhaps, but together we form an excellent team," Aeon remarked softly.

Layla nodded in concurrence. "Indeed."

"Let's get moving," Aeon said, scanning the area for any signs of further danger and prepare next targets.

Aeon discovered that his ability, Extreme Instinct, extends beyond heightened senses; it also aids in fast thought processing and strategic planning.

Layla nodded hastily, her eyes still wide with excitement. Together, they vanished into the darkness, their bond forged in blood and steel.

As they walked away from the scene, Aeon couldn't help but think about their plan. He had expected the goblin to jump over the trap, and his plan had worked perfectly. He had taken advantage of the goblin's momentum to turn it into a deadly trap.

Layla walked beside him, her eyes still fixed on the scene behind them. "You're a genius," she whispered.

Aeon chuckled dryly. "Just good planning," he said.

Layla nodded slowly, her eyes still wide with fear. "I trust you," she said quietly.

Aeon smiled grimly. "I won't let you down," he said.

Their bond grew stronger with each step they took.