Free Web NovelChapter 22: Chapter22-The Main Character’s Invitation
The system responded immediately.
[I can combine identical items, Host, but you need at least two of the same type for it to work.]
That made sense. And I definitely had two identical upgrade cards now.
"Alright, System. Combine them," I said without hesitation.
As soon as I gave the command, a new interface appeared before me.
[Combining both upgrade cards...]
[Combination successful! Your Upgrade Cards have merged and evolved into a Triple Rank Upgrade Card!]
I blinked at the notification. Triple rank? Did that mean what I thought it meant?
I quickly tapped on the newly created card, pulling up its description.
[This card allows you to upgrade any skill in your possession by three full ranks.]
"Yes!" The word escaped before I could stop it.
Relief washed over me. For a moment, I’d been worried the combination would just merge the two cards with no added benefit. That would’ve been the most pointless feature ever. But this? This was actually incredible.
Three full ranks of upgrade. That could turn even a mediocre skill into something formidable.
Maybe my luck wasn’t completely terrible after all. Just mostly terrible with occasional glimpses of hope.
I closed the system screen and looked down at the cave floor. About a hundred goblins were still alive, crawling pathetically across the blood-soaked stone.
I watched them struggle for a few seconds before letting out a long sigh.
"If only I could keep coming back here with Allen," I muttered to myself. "I could reach Gold rank so easily."
But that was impossible, and I knew it.
Every dungeon in this world had the same restriction. A hunter could only enter each dungeon once. Once inside, they could stay through a maximum of four reset cycles before being forcibly ejected. After that, they could never return.
No exceptions. The dungeon’s rules were absolute, enforced by some kind of natural law that even Conqueror rank hunters couldn’t bypass.
Such a waste of potential experience.
After dwelling on it for another minute, I forced myself to let it go. There was no point complaining about rules I couldn’t change.
"Time to finish this," I said, gripping my sword tighter.
***
After slaughtering every last goblin in the dungeon, Allen and I finally emerged through the portal. The transition from the cave’s dim glow to the outside world hit me immediately.
I stopped walking and just stared upward.
The night sky stretched endlessly above us, filled with countless stars scattered across the darkness like diamonds on black velvet. Some clustered together in bright patches while others stood alone, each one brilliant in its own way.
"Beautiful," I whispered.
The abandoned factory grounds were completely silent. No traffic, no voices, not even wind. The perfect stillness made the stars seem even more vivid, like they were the only things that existed in this moment.
I could have stood there forever, just taking it in, when my phone suddenly started buzzing in my pocket.
The sharp electronic sound shattered the peaceful atmosphere.
Who would be calling me at this hour?
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and glanced at the screen. The name flashing across it made me freeze.
Eden.
My grip on the phone tightened involuntarily as my eyes widened. I stood there, completely stunned, trying to process what I was seeing.
This couldn’t be right. Eden Garcia was calling me? The actual main character of this novel world?
Why would he...
Then it hit me like a brick to the face. Of course. How could I forget something so basic?
Eden and Michael were friends. Best friends, actually. According to the memories I’d inherited, they’d known each other for years. This wasn’t some random call from a stranger. This was perfectly normal.
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding and looked back at the screen. Eden’s name was still there, the phone still ringing insistently in my hand.
Before it could go to voicemail, I swiped to answer and brought it to my ear.
I stayed quiet, waiting for him to speak first. I needed to hear his voice, get a feel for how he talked before I said anything that might give me away.
A few seconds passed before a voice came through, casual but slightly annoyed.
"Mic? You there, man? Why aren’t you saying anything?"
The voice was deeper than I expected, with a relaxed confidence that seemed natural rather than forced.
"Uh..." I started, then completely froze up.
The words just wouldn’t come. My throat felt tight, and I couldn’t seem to form a coherent sentence. It was ridiculous.
Based on Michael’s memories, Eden was supposed to be my best friend, but the reality of talking to an actual main character from a novel was... very overwhelming.
It felt like talking to a celebrity or something. Even though he wasn’t my idol or anything like that, there was this weird pressure that made my brain shut down.
Eden’s voice came through again, sounding more exasperated now. "Bro, if you’re not gonna talk, that’s fine. I honestly don’t care. Just listen, okay? My mom wants you to come over tomorrow for dinner. She specifically told me to invite you, so don’t make me look bad by not showing up."
He paused for half a second before adding, "Oh, and bring Allen with you. Mom likes him for some reason. Anyway, I gotta go. See you tomorrow."
The line went dead before I could even attempt to respond.
I stood there holding my phone, staring at the dark screen like an idiot.
What the hell just happened?
It took me a few seconds to process that Eden had called just to invite me and Allen over for dinner. That was it. Just a dinner invitation.
All that nervousness for nothing.
He could’ve just texted me instead of calling, but I guess that wasn’t Eden’s style. From Michael’s memories, he seemed like the type who preferred direct communication.
The real problem wasn’t the call itself though. It was what came next.
Tomorrow. Dinner at Eden’s house.
My stomach dropped as the implications hit me. This was bad. Really bad.
If my memories were correct, Eden possessed a skill called "Sage’s Eye." It worked similarly to my system’s appraisal function, but his version was completely maxed out.
The skill could analyze everything about a person, including whether the soul inhabiting a body was the original owner or not.
Which meant he’d know immediately that I wasn’t the real Michael.
There was no way I could perfectly mimic Michael’s behavior and mannerisms, especially not in front of his best friend of three years.
Eden knew Michael better than anyone. Every little quirk, every habit, every subtle expression. He’d notice something was off within minutes, and once suspicious, he’d definitely use Sage’s Eye to check.
If he used it, it would be game over for me. And if he told Allen about it, then...
A cold shiver ran down my spine at the thought. I couldn’t let that happen. There had to be a way out of this.
Maybe I could call Eden back and make up some excuse? Tell him I had important business tomorrow and couldn’t make it? But even if I managed to avoid dinner tomorrow, we were bound to meet eventually.
Based on Michael’s memories, Eden visited the Frostburne mansion regularly. There was no avoiding him forever.
"Damn it," I muttered under my breath. "I’m screwed." fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
"Young master, is everything alright?" Allen’s voice cut through my spiraling thoughts. "You look pale."
Of course I looked pale. My entire body ached from hours of combat, and now my head was pounding from the stress of this new problem.
"It’s nothing, Allen," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Eden just invited us to dinner tomorrow. I was thinking about what to bring."
"I see," Allen replied, though his tone suggested he wasn’t entirely convinced.
I turned away from him and tried to think of a solution, but the more I thought about it, the worse my headache became.
After a few minutes of getting nowhere, I finally gave up. My exhausted brain couldn’t handle any more problems tonight.
"Let’s just go home," I said, rubbing my temples. "I’m exhausted."
"As you wish, young master."
We walked to the car parked beside the factory and climbed in. The vehicle hummed to life and slowly began rising into the night sky, leaving the abandoned factory behind...
***
Eighty years ago, the world completely changed.
After years of relentless earthquakes and shifting tectonic plates, the Earth finally gave in. In a single night, continents collided, cities sank beneath the ocean, and the entire planet was reshaped into one massive piece of land.
Countless places were destroyed, and what remained of humanity was forced to rebuild in a world that felt completely unfamiliar.
This new continent was later named Sanctumia. A symbol of humanity’s final safe zone.
At the center of Sanctumia stood the last surviving nation, surrounded by a massive circular wall. The land inside was about the size of Australia, and it became known as Ambrosia.
---
I lowered my phone and leaned back in my seat.
So that’s how it all happened. That explained why there was only one continent in this world.
I’d been reading a geography article on my phone for the past few minutes, trying to fill in some gaps in my knowledge. The more I learned about this world’s history, the more I understood just how different everything was.
I turned off the screen and placed the phone on the seat beside me.
Right now, I was sitting in a flying car with Allen. And, we were currently going to Eden’s house...
Fuck...
I sighed... Let’s see, what happens with me...
