I lay on the ground, my body sore from the burning, and eyeing the door that had just opened up.

Just give me a minute. It'll take a bit until I no longer feel like asking for the help of a god again. Just…a…minute.

*BEEP!*

GIVE ME A MINUTE! Dang, that was loud.

The speaker activates again, "Let's see…This one is needed incase you do not leave the chamber and are still alive. Uhh, okay. So, Alice, these challenges should not be leaving you in extreme pain or exhaustion, well, unless you attempt to speed through the challenge and over exert your body. But from what I've seen, you seem like the patient type. Anyway, if you don't get up soon, well, nothing will happen. I'm just trying to tell you off."

I groan as I force myself to stand and stagger to the door. I set one foot through and then decide to take a nap. As I collapse, the door closes behind me and the speaker comes to life one again.

"Oh fuck, my notes! Who put a candle here?! Wait, that was me. Ahh, I can just ad-lib this one. Right, so, Alice, this one is an acrobatics course. There is an Acrobatics skill that helps with this, but a high amount of dexterity would also be useful. Acrobatics will be…uhh…hold on." The recording is cut for a moment as the sounds of a chair scraping across the ground comes on the speaker.

"Okay, spare notes. Acrobatics is received by attempting acrobatic stunts. The skill can be unlocked even if all the stunts fail, but the chance of receiving said skill is much higher if the stunt is successful. Oddly enough, research found that skills related to a profession may not be present in a user's skill list. This phenomena is still under observation as some circus performers have the skill and others don't. Uhh, so, good luck!"

With a final cut, the roof of the chamber begins to raise. After the roof reaches about the twelfth floor, it stops. Then a platform juts out. I think that's where the door is. Several other platforms come out of the wall as well, mainly forming a staircase with jumps between them. Several nets and ropes replace a few steps, and a trapeze swing for a final jump to the door.

If I fall, will I die?

I awkwardly climb onto the first step. I swing my arms and jump towards the second step and slam my stomach into the step.

"Ugh," I groan in extreme pain. Spit drops from my lips onto the gray panel underneath me. I, slowly, get back up and climb onto the first step again. This time when I jump towards the second step, I manage to grab onto the ledge before my face plants into the side of it. I pull myself up with the first pull-up I've done since high school.

New burning in my limbs, acid threatening to escape my stomach, and a new hatred towards Thomas, I have finally landed on the second step. Now I just have…Let's see. One, two, five, eleven. About 100 more to go. Hahaha! Oh, Thomas, how you make me loath your existence.

I steadily jump to the next step, almost slipping off the edge, but I manage to hold onto the wall's sleek surface. I push power into my legs this time and use my Jump skill to jump to the next step. This time I wildly overshoot and face-plant into the opposing wall.

[ Through repeated actions skill: Pain Resistance(Minimum, Passive) has ranked up to Pain Resistance(Minor, Passive) ]

What? I'm not even using you though…

Attempting the same process as before, I boost my way up to the third step from the ground level. Man, that was easy. I Jump to the next step with a new problem.

I may have pushed too much power into my legs. So much so, that they are now incredibly sore. I think my Regeneration is working though since the pain is slowly but surely dissipating. I stretch a little before Jumping at the next step. I grasp the ledge once again and slip.

Okay. One hand slips, but I reorient and pull myself up.

[ Due to training, your Dexterity has increased by 2 ]

This is fine. Absolutely fine. Nothing to worry about at all. Just a net. A net that looks flimsy and old. A net that looks weathered and frayed. How high am I? Looks like about 12 feet. I should be fine if I fall now. I Jump at the ledge with a confidence much larger than I should have.

Then I'm falling. Falling and falling and—

[ Through repeated actions you have unlocked the skill: Fall Resistance(Minimum, Passive) ]

[ Fall Resistance - Allows the user to resist the effects from falling from a dangerous height. This negates damage, pain, and other bodily afflictions due to falling. ]

Ow. Good job, System. Perfect timing. My back hurts less than my legs do, and my Regeneration is being abused like hell. Ooh. What was that pop? I think that was my shoulder? Oh yeah, that WAS definitely dislocated. Well, now it's not.

This is gonna take a while.

————————————————————————————————————

Several fuck ups later. Along with 16 Dexterity, a Regeneration rank up, a Pain Resistance rank up, and three Fall Resistance rank ups and I am throughly simmering at Thomas.

I was furious earlier and pounding the walls in hatred. I even attempted flooding the room with water to swim to the top. This plan had three flaws. One, I can only summon spheres of water. Two, I do not have the mana pool and regeneration to fill this room. Three, Thomas installed a hidden drain in the floor in an attempt to remove any workarounds in his challenge.

An attempt that sadly proved true.

Now, I'm just tired. And hungry. And really want to go home. I don't know how much time has passed, but it has to have been a few hours at least. I think it might be night by now, and if so, then I want to sleep. I may possess Sleep Immunity, but my mind can still get tired. Exhausted. Mental exhaustion. I'm also kinda hungry. Mmm, food.

A nice, juicy steak sounds great right now. Cooked medium rare with the grease just lightly dripping off the strip. The parallel sears showing the care with which the tender cut was prepared. Perhaps with a side of mashed potatoes.